Happy New Year!

To end 2016 we hit the road and headed to higher ground. We were invited by Sarah and Brandon to stay at a cabin with them in Cle Elum. When we got there everything was covered in a couple feet of snow. It was so pretty. 

The kids kept busy inside with play dough, stickers, coloring, video games, movies, and playing games. 

Olivia put lots of detail work in her play dough animals.

We got the kids all bundled up and they hit the snow.

Brandon, Mason, Olivia, Aidan, and Lindsey

The decks had so much snow on them it made the guard rails look useless.

It was a very cozy cabin. We'd have the fire on and drank cocoa after coming in from the snow. 

Tyler and Mason

Jaime and Brandon carried all the kids to and from the hot tub so they wouldn't have to leave their boots sitting out in the falling snow or step into their boots after they were all wet. 

Nice and Steamy

Lindsey liked walking in the snow anyway. She'd do it to "cool off."

Jaime and I trudging through snow.

It was snowing pretty good Saturday night. 

These guys. :)

Being in a cabin with so much snow around and celebrating new year's eve was so warming. Funny huh? But I loved it. After everyone was inside we got out our snacks and treats and played games to ring in the new year. 

Sunday we woke up to a lot more snow! Our plans were to go to church but shoveling and all that deep snow kinda stopped that. Cars, trucks, or snow mobiles hadn't been out yet to help pack down the snow and make the roads more passable. 

It's fun to be in this for a while. But I think you've gotta really love snow to live here permanently. I saw so many cars snowed in. Getting a ton of snow is fun for a while but it'd get tiring having to do the clean up or drive through it just to run errands for more than a few days. 

Sarah and Brandon moved out of our neighborhood so we don't see them as often but we love it when we can get together. 

Keeping warm and watching a movie (boys are playing games). Being here for 3 days has certainly gone by fast. I liked not having to go anywhere or tend to anything other than spending time with my family. 

The kids all said they'd like to do something like this again. We headed home today. Took our time during the snowy and patchy areas of the road. We were greeted back at home with about 5 inches of new snow. Now the kids will get another day to play in the snow before school starts again on Wednesday. :)

Happy New Year 2017!!