What a Trip - Skiing Day 1 & 2

So as per tradition, the Williamson family set out on a family vacation the week before Christmas. Last year it was the week after Christmas, but the tradition still remains. A little R&R and fun away from the city to help us reconnect and unwind. Personally I find it easier to wind down the week AFTER Christmas, but hey, skiing prices go WAY up that week, and my pocketbook rules. So we loaded up our gear and made the trek down to Castle Mountain just outside of Pincher Creek. We had never been there before, so we didn't know what to expect, or even how long the trip would take. When you're driving with a 10-month old who hates driving, the trip is always too long. We got there just as mom and baby were on the brink of a meltdown, and loaded ourselves into our cozy cabin at the base of the mountain. What a beautiful view. This will be easy to look at for a few days. The rest of the family joined us in shortly after that...Kari and Barrett within an hour, Scott, Janie and Janeen a few after that. Jason and Ali the next night (Tuesday) and Sarah and Tyson on Wednesday night. Monday evening was spent getting settled in and playing a few games. On Tuesday morning, the skiing would start. (For those who ski).
I, of course, was nervous about how well our kids (mostly Logan) would sleep in these new accommodations, so that first night was a bit of a toss-and-turn session for me as I listened to all the little noises the house made and each cough my son made. "Is he waking up?" Fortunately, he made it through. Breakfast was had, and stretchy skiing pants were put on.
Tyler, Scott and Janeen went out for the morning and checked out the hill, organized rentals and just got to know the area...after lunch it was time for the kids to have a try...something Max had been waiting for for a LONG time, and Lucy was a bit nervous to venture out on. But they did awesome!

Max came scooting down the bunny hill with Papa, waving to me the whole way (which caused him to loose his balance, but he did pretty great for a first run). "Mom, see that green thing?! (the chair lift) That's my favorite part! I'm going to do the blue one next!"
Me: "Maybe you should stick to the bunny hill for a bit." And they did. Racing down the hill with squeals and laughter. Lucy was a bit more timid and wanted to stop after her first try, but we convinced her to go again and she got the hang of it and really enjoyed it.

Her squeals came shortly after. Logan wasn't too keen on being outside, so he spent most of his time in the cabin with mom and Grandma.
The kids came home for some warm-up Apple Cider while the big kids went back out for the last few runs of the day. It was a great way to start the ski week.
We spent the evening doing crafts with the kids, watching TV, playing games, and hanging out. Uncle Barrett was brilliant enough to bring his slot cars with him, which Max REALLY loved. (I could feel an "I told you so" coming from Tyler, since this is what he wanted to get Max for Christmas - but to his credit it never came).
After the kids were settled into bed, the grown-ups settled in to watch Ocean's 11, a movie Janie had never seen. (I know, I can't believe it either!) Just after 11pm, there was a quiet tap at our door and we were pleasantly surprised to see Jason and Ali and their kids. We quietly helped them unload and get settled in, without disturbing anyone else, and then it was time to finish the movie and head to bed. I was so exhausted from my not-so-great previous night's sleep, that I slept quite soundly.