And We're Off...again and again and again...

December is always a busy month for us. With three birthdays, company parties and Our Lord's birthday, we have very little down time. This year the kids performed in a play the weekend after Christmas. They did such a great job with all their friends. We were all quite impressed with their performances and with the stage set!

With much help from the other moms, our production of "Christmas at Greccio" was a success! Charles played Mariano, a highway man turns good and Savanna was St Clare of Assisi. They both learned their lines on their own and did a fantastic job! Savann loved it! Charles declared that he would prefer to pass on the next production.

Right after the play, we whisked the kids into the truck and headed to S. Lake Tahoe to catch up with the rest of the family. We spent 3 nights playing in the ice skating, sledding and playing in the snow.

Ice skating with the cousins at North Star, eating deep fried, breadlike sticks covered in sugar (otherwise known as churros.) What kid wouldn't enjoy that!

Savanna and Charles had a great time skating for hours with their cousins.

Saucer rides at Granlibakken in Tahoe City. What a fun place to go. Uncle Anthony actually rode the hill in his saucer too. They would make trains of 10+ people! They looked like a snake sliding down the hill.

The ski hill at Granlibakken in the background (their one and only ski hill)

Though Granlibakken was a small ski and sled hill, they did accommodate the frost bitten visitors with a nice warm lodge.

Yes, Charles is standing on an ice berg. No, I am not a negletful parent allowing my child to play on the ice, the water was no more than knee high. I was fully prepared for wet feet, pants etc. if he had landed in the water. The water's edge was so close to our condo. The kids had fun playing in the snow and on the ice right on the beach.

We needed the much appreciated family time and down time. What fun! We spent one night in our cozy beds to head off again, this time to Grass Valley to ring in the new year with our wonderful friends. One night there was enough for the kids. I think we overextended their ability to late nights. So our weekend stay was cut short. That really is okay, because we have much larger trip looming in the future.