In The Hartland: Winter Trip to Priest Lake

Well, it was quick turn around this year between Christmas and leaving for our annual, winter trip to Priest Lake. Although I was totally exhausted after the busy Christmas season and from some other personal things that happened in December, I forced myself to power through the fatigue and get ready for our trip the next day. Luckily, Ron offered to do the grocery shopping, but I still spent the majority of the day packing up everything from snow clothes to the food. Ella, Logan, and Lia had a quiet day at home playing with their new toys and watching their new movies. We headed out the next morning of December 27th to spend the next five days up at Priest Lake. Although there had been very little snow on the ground a few weeks earlier, the snow storm that came to us on Christmas Eve also came to Priest Lake with a vengence. 18 inches of snow fell while we were up there! It was absolutely amazing! After we past Priest River in the late afternoon on Wednesday, Ron and I felt like we were in the middle of nowhere in a snowy, winter wonderland. It was so amazing! We arrived at the cabin a little before 5 p.m. and had enough time to unpack our car before dinner was served. We then spent the next three days tucked away in the cabin in the middle of the woods while it snowed and snowed and snowed. It was so magical! We all had a great time playing in the snow and the kids loved being with the cousins.
In addition, Ron and I did something that we have never done before while up at the cabin. We left Logan and Ella behind with my parents one day so that we could take Lia skiing at Schweitzer in Sandpoint, Idaho with my three brothers and Rebecca and all of the kids. Although we spent over five hours in the car that day driving to and from the ski resort, we enjoyed a fabulous day up on the slopes with incredible, fresh snow! Lia took a two-hour class in the morning while Ron and I skiied and boarded seperately. Lia had a great experience skiing for the first time on the little "magic carpet" hill and was so happy when we found her at the end of her lesson! I was so relieved. We then went back to the car for lunch before returning to the slopes for the rest of the afternoon. Rebecca was so tired from a morning of skiing that she spent the entire afternoon on the bunny hill with Lia while Ron and I took turns going back and forth from being with Lia to going on a run on the mountain. We tagged team like this all afternoon and it really worked out nicely. I was able to go skiing with the triplets, Brynn and Kelsey, and Brent and Riley and never had to ski alone once! It really felt so invigorating to be back up on the slopes after all of these years. We met up with everyone around 4 p.m. and headed back out into the winter wonderland to drive home on some crazy roads full of unplowed snow and arrived back at the cabin a little before 7 p.m. I was so grateful that Ron was driving and not me! We then enjoyed one more day at the cabin sledding and relaxing before we turned around and drove back home on December 31st. It was such a fun way to end this year's Winter Break.

Logan enjoying the snow first thing on the morning of December 28th.

Ella hopped on one of our sleds and immediately went down the driveway all on her own during our first morning out in the snow. Her fearlessness never ceases to amaze me!

A close-up of the cutest snow bunny ever!

Lia and Ella playing in the snow.

Brynn and Kelsey spent plenty of time chasing Ella around in the snow during the days we were up a the cabin. One of Ella's favorite games was to run off into the woods near the cabin to hide for Brynn and Kelsey to find her. She would then pop out of the forest onto the road several cabins down from our where she started. It was the cutest thing! I just love how these two, teenage girls get the biggest kick out of playing with Ella.

A family photo taken in the snow before we started sledding that day.

Lia heading down the big hill.

Uncle Brent giving Lia a little help.

Ron sending Logan off!

Where Logan's sled finally stopped near the bottom of the hill. I just love this picture because it shows how beautiful the trees looked with all of the snow on them!

Brent was nice and let Lia ride on his back several times during our week there. Here they head off with Trenton and Logan behind them.

Lia trying to keep her hat on as they zoomed by me.

Trenton and Logan flying down the hill.

Lia and Brent and Trenton and Logan reaching the bottom.

I was able to sled with both Ella and Logan several times which is so much fun to do with them. Here I am flying down the hill with Ella in my lap.

Logan behind the steering wheel this time.

The two boys at the bottom.

As always, we celebrated Callie's birthday while up at the cabin on the evening of December 28th.

After Callie opened her birthday gifts, all of the cousins and some of the adults exchanged Christmas gifts, too. Here is grandma opening up one of her gifts.

Ron, Lia, and I got up at 5:30 on the morning of December 29th to leave the cabin a little after 6 a.m. with Rebecca. After driving 2.5 hours, we arrived at the beautiful, ski resort of Schweitzer. After getting Lia's ski gear rented, we ventured outside to find the meeting place for her class that started at 10 a.m. I was so proud of how brave she acted during all of this as I knew that she was very nervous. Her are the three of us outside the lodge where we rented her gear.

A shot of the large Schweitzer sign we passed on the way to Lia's ski class. Look at that snow falling!

Waiting to meet Lia's teacher in front of the ski school sign.

Lia putting on one of her skis after her teacher arrived.

After practicing the feel of skiing on one ski, Lia's teacher had the class take them off and walk over to the "magic carpet" hill.

Lia following her teacher with the rest of her class.

Lia's and her class putting on their skis.

And she's ready to go! I thought she looked so incredibly cute with her ski gear on.

After watching Lia's class for a few minutes, I took off to go skiing the rest of the morning with the triplets and had a great time. I was amazed at what great skiiers they have all become. Here I am with Vivi and Callie at the top of the chair lift.

And, they're off! Vivi, Sarah, and Callie heading down the slope in front of me.

One of the many, hilarious crashes that Vivi had during our morning together. According to Eric and Rebecca, this is something she does on a regular basis while skiing.

Ron and I both met back up at Lia's class a few minutes before it ended so that we could watch her. It as so fun to see her skiing down the little bunny slope and riding back up the "magic carpet" over and over again.

And there she goes!

Striking a pose!

After lunch, I enjoyed skiing with Lia down the little, bunny hill every time it was "my turn" to watch her. I hope that this is the first of many times skiing on the slopes together.

After a long day away from the cabin on December 29th, we enjoyed a slower day at the cabin on December 30th. We all played out in the snow in the morning and then Lia and I went sledding with the brothers and some of the cousins in a different location during the afternoon while everyone else stayed behind. Here is Ella frolicking in the snow outside the cabin during the morning.

Eric helped to pack down the run that Logan and Lia always like to go down each year in front of the cabin. Here is Logan heading down the hill!

This short run is quite steep and provides for some good air. Here is Logan catching some on his way down!

My girls and me.

Ella eating some snow which is something all three of our kids love to do!

Logan crashed into a bunch of sleds at the bottom of the steep hill in front of the cabin. This is the fun picture I got of him afterwards.

The five of us ended up following the triplets over to our neighbor's deck to play in their untouched snow. Here is a family picture we had taken with the lake in the background.