Mountain Memories.
This weekend we packed up the car and headed into the mountains. What should have been a four hour drive turned into six, and the minute we got there Graham puked all over the parking lot. It was a rough start, but once we got there and saw our friends (and Graham got back to his normal self!) it made the journey more than worth it.
We spent the weekend at Government Camp in Mt. Hood with two of our favorite families – great friends from Seattle who we see all the time, and our other great friends who moved away last year and we hadn’t seen since July! You know how it is with kids though – as if no time has passed at all.
We rented a condo that was perfect for our group and had a big carpeted space for the kids to play. We brought our train set, and it’s pretty much the only thing they did all weekend when we were inside. A definite hit!
We had six kids ages four and under, and they all got along SO well. They all thought it was hilarious and awesome to see each other in their pajamas, eat meals together, and just be together all the time.
And while being with friends was definitely agenda numero uno, enjoying the SNOW was a close second!
I think I shared recently here that we took a sledding trip into the mountains a few weeks ago, and my kids had an absolute blast. Cullen in particular just really loved the snow, and I was so excited knowing we had this trip ahead, and I crossed my fingers there would still be plenty of snow on the ground when we got there.
As it turned out, there was more than enough snow – like GIANT piles that were several feet deep, and flakes coming down all around. It was a true winter wonderland!
We headed to a fun sledding hill that was a short walk from our condo. The snow was so thick on the path leading to the hill that the kids couldn’t even walk. The adults all sunk in to the knees with each step – it was amazing! Thank goodness for sleds!
My boys all scurried up the hill to get started with sledding. The snowflakes were coming down all around us, and it was just beautiful.
Cullen and his buddy were the first ones down, and I found myself closing my eyes and cringing anytime they went down the hill. Sledding is so fun and yet so terrifying!
Just like last time, Cullen absolutely loved it. I don’t know where this fearlessness came from, but he went down over and over again, and the giant smile never left his face.
Graham was scared of the “big hill” but still loved being outside in the snow. He loved making snowballs and wouldn’t stop eating it all!
I couldn’t stop laughing watching Cullen do these giant jumping belly flops into the snow. Who does that? He must have done it a hundred times. It was definitely key to have all the right snow gear – none of the kids complained about being cold the whole time, and it made a big difference.
Northwest beauty – I’ve never seen anything like it! I sure do love all our water and beaches, but the past few months have really made me fall in love with and appreciate the Northwest in the winter.
Back to the house to warm up with hot chocolate!
Despite the herculean effort it took to get six kids under age four in and out of all their snow gear, we decided to head back out into the snow a second time that morning – in order to take advantage of fresh powder snow and gorgeous sunshine.
We had planned to do the big tubing hill, but it was crazy crowded and also incredibly expensive. So we found a big patch of snow to play in at the top of the hill, and it was just as good – if not better.
The kids and adults all had an epic snowball fight, and we were all exhausted and covered in snow by the end. The kids were so thrilled to actually be allowed to knock each other down and throw things at each other, and the parents took great satisfaction in beaming their kids with snowballs. :)
Back at home to warm up, stay in jammies all day, and watch the little monkies laugh and chase each other.
We had to check out on Sunday at noon, but we hustled to fit in one more snow adventure before we headed home. We got to the tubing hill right when it opened, and there were only two other people there!
We also found out when we got there, that the afternoon sun the day before had caused the tubing hill to turn into an ice luge. The guy working the hill said it was way too slippery for the kids to do alone, and that adults would have to ride behind and drag our feet to slow it down. Talk about a heart attack!
I could barely watch, but the boys absolutely loved it. Screams of joy the whole way down.
I actually went down a few times myself, and may or may not have screamed most of the way.
Little buddies who just love each other so much. Makes my heart happy.
An annual tradition from now on – no doubt.
We left just as the sky opened up and giant fat snowflakes started falling. It was so beautiful!
Can’t say enough about these mama sisters of mine – they are my family out here, and I feel so lucky to have such wonderful people to share these fun memories and moments with.
Until next year!
Look at those big smiles in every picture!!! Everyone looks like they had the best time :)
I do love the PNW… snow when you want it… and then you can go home and not deal with it (for the most part) lol Amazing photos and just pure snow fun bliss. I not taken advantage of tube and ski spots, sounds like fun. I’m not sure I have that fearless quality like I did in my early 20s. lol Snow- I can do- but ice is a dealbreaker. lol
Cullen reminds me so much of Jonah from Sleepless in Seattle. His smile and eyes I think are what does it. :)
That looks like a wonderful trip!
What a fun trip! We live about 2 hrs from Gov. Camp and have been thinking about taking our kiddos up there. Now I think its a must! That all looks so fun! The PNW sure is beautiful!
SO cute! you are so lucky to have found a family of friends out there :)
and not to be a creeper, but cullen TOTALLY reminds me of mikey from the goonies. i think it’s the hair!
It looks so beautiful! So happy you and your family/friends had a great time.
incredible pictures!
These are my fave posts! You actually made me forget for a min. how much I hate snow. :P Just adorable pics of the kiddos! What a fun wknd getaway!
You really are a great photographer! And story teller! What type of camera do you use? And do you use an editing software?
I love this post so much. Everyone just looks so happy-it’s hard not to be happy while reading it. And, seriously, belly flopping in the snow? Only little kids could be so ridiculous. Glad you had a great time! I love the mountains!
Great photos! Are these taken with a iPhone or something more fancy?
Beautiful photos! What an amazing trip this must have been. I’ve been dying to get away and we have had no more than 2 inches of snow this winter — so jealous of your adventure!
We’ve only had a small amount of snow here too (Boston area). I only got to snowshoe and x-country ski when I was away for a weekend in Maine in Mid-January.
We have not had much of a snowy winter here in New England so your snow photos were a breath of fresh air. So beautiful! The photos of the kids also look magazine-worthy. :)
Rained yesterday and today in New England. But temps will be single digit tomorrow. So nice to see those smiling, happy faces. There’s nothing like a good snow storm to bring out the kid in all of us. Good times for sure, thanks for sharing.
You have some of the most darling boys…I cannot believe how cute they are!
Makes me jealous that you are lucky enough to live in the PNW. My boyfriend and I have family here in Chicago and in Ohio, so despite my constant attempts to haul us out to Portland or San Diego, we’re likely stuck here for awhile, enviously looking on! :)
Looks like you had a lovely time and the kids look like they had a blast. I would have certainly been screaming if I had to go down an icy hill. I can’t remember the last time I went sledding! You captured some great shots of the little ones! :)
Wonderful pictures, Emily. This post made my heart smile. It’s wonderful that you have met friends with little kiddos too, I’m sure they will all grow up together.
On a separate note, I’ve been trying to find some of your previous parenting posts but am not having luck (on your parenting page). Any tips?