Ice and snow

Lake Tahoe had surprisingly little snow when we arrived December 23rd.  The ski resort Heavenly has a lift right in town but the skiing did not look too enticing.  Still, the kids slid on cardboard (because we are red neck sledders) on the hill of a yard.

Like all cooperative Christmas weather it snowed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.   They didn't plow the neighborhood so we were sort of snowed in if all of us had wanted to escape.

We found a place to sled after it had snowed with groomed hills and sleds far superior to cardboard.

The sledding also improved in the backyard after the Chrismas snow.

Still had cardboard until Miranda made it to the sled store.

Okay she went to Wal-mart.

Now they look like angels.

And there was ice skating, it was the first time for some of the grandkids.  

They let beginners have plastic buckets to push around to keep them on their feet.

The taller you are the higher your stack of buckets, it was genius.

The Townsend kids may have been skaters in a previous life, how else would you explain that they tied on their skates for the first time as tiny tots and then just skated?  We missed out on the embarrassing falls and the broken arms.

     

Bryce and Camryn and Reese were naturals as well.

Sometimes it is good to have a glass wall between yourself and this.

Adelaide did not like it.  She will change her mind, her daddy is one of the best.  Geoff always won the speed races at the school skate parties that Jenks West Elementary hosted every month.

Colton looks like a spectator but he skated until he was worn out too.

Look at those tiny skates.

Miranda arranged for all the food for 10 days.  She shopped and cooked and the rest of us tried to help but mostly we just ate up all of her delicious meals.  This homemade hot chocolate was the perfect remedy to a cold day.