Snow Days are the best days!

I love that in North Carolina you get to experience all 4 seasons.  I look forward to snow every year and since it is rare, I feel like we really soak it in!  The kids and I woke up last Wednesday to no snow after school had already been canceled. I had been stalking the weather channel and crossing my fingers and sure enough during breakfast it started....and didn't stop all day!

 Luckily we already had all the snow gear after skiing a few weeks ago.  The kids love sleding down the small hill on our street.

 We made lots and lots of snow angels in the fresh powder.

 Bobo even made a "snowbot"

 After dinner we made snow cream.  I have never made this, but was looking forward to trying it!

 Snow cream is so easy so I let the kids make it.  Recipe: 1 bowl of snow, 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Mix and eat!

 I will admit it was pretty tasty!!! Don't you love their crazy hat hair too?

 The next day Ryan had to work, but made us steak and eggs first:)  And yes that is blue cheese on top of their steak.  It was a little early for me, but they insisted.

 The sunrise over the frozen pond was so beautiful.   We all kept trying to get a picture, but it was so much better in person.  There are moments after living in our house for two years when I get used to the view and take it for granted, and there are moments like this when I truly see the beauty all over again.

 Round 4 of sledding included some of our friends close enough to walk!

These four had a great time playing before all the snow melted the next morning.  That is North Carolina for you....20 degrees one day and 60 the next!

Cold Start to the New Year!

On a date night a few weeks ago I brought the idea of a ski get away to Ryan and he immediately said yes!  New Years parties can be fun, but we did the whole deal last year and I felt like I wanted to end 2017 and start 2018 with my favorite people on an adventure!  We drove up to Wintergreen in Virginia and stayed a few days at a condo there.  

 The twins loved the kid zone.  The only thing really to do there was the small tube, but they had so much fun!

Next we got tickets for the The Plunge!  You have to be 42 inches to do this and the twins just made it!

 I was shocked how fast and fast the tubes went!  We stayed here for over an hour riding together.  You are allowed to tie two tubes together so we took turns riding with each other.  Ryan took tons of Go Pro videos of kids squealing and laughing!

We warmed up and changed clothes before renting skis for the next day and eating dinner. 

 Bobo can be shy sometimes, but he has a lot of confidence which I love.  He basically went through the line himself telling the staff his size and age and answering their questions.

When he was done and I went to pay I saw this on the screen....he is the best!

 Dinner was good, service not so much.  We ate and then got home as quick as possible because we were all in need of comfy clothes and warmth.  Luckily we had a real fire place at our condo because it was soooooo freaking cold there!!!

 The next day we all got bundled up...I am talking four layers bundled up, and headed to ski lessons.

 You could not see an inch of our skin haha!

 I could just squeeze these two sometimes! Why are tiny humans on skis so cute??

 Ryan was pumped.  He loves to ski and is dying for the twins to learn and join us one day soon.

 I had a private lesson while the kids started ski school and then met up with Ryan for lunch and some skiing together.  We would go by the kids and spy on them from time to time.  I was so impressed how much they liked it and dealt with learning something new outside in the cold all day.

I would constantly check the weather too and it just kept getting colder and colder so we took them out of ski school a little after lunch and took them for some apres ski treats!  Ellie loved that we had matching braids:)

 Crazy hat hair!!!

 On New Years Eve night we made a big fire, played games, did puzzles watched the Panthers lose and ate a delicious dinner and dessert board that the kids put together.

 They made a list and picked out all the ingredients for the board.  Bobo even made the cookies himself!

 I can't think of a better way to end the year than this!

 We originally planned on skiing a little the next day before heading home, but when we woke up it was -1 and "felt like" -13.  We ended up making a fire, cooking a big bacon and eggs breakfast and playing games.  Around lunch time we packed up and headed home.  Most of the way home Ryan was talking about all the places we could go now that the twins like the cold and to ski!