We lock Presley’s door at night when she goes to bed. I know it sounds bad but she literally checks to make sure it is locked and if it isn’t, she will not stop getting out of bed!  So we lock it when she goes down and then unlock it when we go to bed.  Sometimes we forget to unlock it and she has to knock to get out in the morning.  Except for this morning.  I forgot to unlock her door last night and as I sat drinking my coffee in bed, I heard her get up try opening the door.  When she discovered it was locked, rather than knocking, she says “really mom?  Really??” 

A few weeks later she was banging on the front door.  I had locked it without realizing she was outside.  When I opened the door, she says to me “WHAT were you thinking!??!”

I was speechless on both accounts.  Someone tell me where this teenager came from!  She’s 3 people!!!

What a whirlwind of fun (with a little bit of pain intertwined)!!  Lee and Leslie rolled out the red carpet for us like everyone said they would!  And with Keith being there too....well, let's just say we were more than taken care of!  We got to Sun Valley at 10:30 in the morning.  Keith's car waiting for us in the parking lot stocked with food, water and, of course, Coors Light.  We were on the slopes by noon where Leslie whisked away the two kiddos so that Leif and I could exhaust our legs!  T to B's all day long!

We stayed at the Limelight Hotel, which was incredible.  It had a huge open bar with a side area for kids stocked with video games galore.  A pool that only Skyler and Keith got to take advantage of...a ski shop...and the best breakfast buffet in town. 

Liam just could not get enough of the snow cat lips that created the perfect little jumps for him to go off of.  After about 180 jumps that he landed, he ended up sideways and too high on one and came down right on his shoulder.  He broke his ski pole and his collarbone.  Poor guy was in more pain than I have seen anyone in in a long time.  We got him to the hospital where they filled him up with pain medication and set his arm in a sling.  No more skiing for Liam. :(

Skyler got one more day with her dad and I but also took a hard fall and tweaked her knee.  So...we did what every good parent would have done.  We left them at the hotel with Cousin Alex and set out to get the fresh powder sans kids.  The kids were spoiled rotten by Alex and Leslie and Leif and I got some great turns with Keith and Lee.  The following day Leif set out early to get the powder with his uncles and I joined them a few hours later.  Just enough turns to make my legs shake and we were back on the plane by 4pm to head home. 

SO...MUCH...FUN!

Snow days snow days and more snow days.  We can't get enough of them around here!

What a guy!  We have so much fun when cousin Alex comes to visit.  Everyone is down to do whatever!  There was a lot of guitar playing, a lot of skiing, and a lot of laughs.  The highlight was going to play mini golf, where Leif and Mike got really into the air guitar setting a wonderful example to our kids of how NOT to act on the golf course!  We went out to Hollywood Tavern in Woodinville and had dinner and drinks around the outdoor fireplace, which the kids loved.  So much fun and such good energy.  He will be missed but we will see him soon in Sun Valley!

Well...the pictures pretty much tell the story.  This trip to the ski hell...I mean...hill, was definitely for the pic and nothing else.  There...we did it.  Now we can say she started skiing at 3 years old.  

She was definitely ready and very excited to go and really enjoyed herself for about the first 45 seconds.  Then she was over it.  We had to stand in a 20 minute line, which put her over the edge.  Her little legs are just not strong enough yet to stand in skis for that long.  We got to the top and she was not having it.  Daddy carried her down, we got hot chocolate and it was back to smiles.

These two are becoming a force to be reckoned with out on the ski hill!  This year they did an All Mountain class every Saturday for 6 weeks.  Leif loves to take them up and they have such a fun routine Saturday mornings (it's worth mentioning here that Leif is the best dad ever - so much patience it takes to get two kids up early, out of the house, ski gear packed and on, all in time for 9:30 am class).  Presley and I still stay back but it won't be long!

After years of saying she needed to do it, mom finally bit the bullet and had her knee surgery.  I know she was very nervous going into it but she did wonderfully.  Aside from the 24 hours she spent overdosed on pain medication and saying crazy things (i.e. that Scott, who she referred to as "the tall one," was her favorite child!), she did wonderfully.  It is amazing to see her leg straight and no one can believe the progress she is making.  We will have her on that pickle ball court by Summer!

Burgers, Pie Face and Mountain Biking...that was our New Year's this year.  Pretty sure we were all in bed by 9:30. :)  I am grateful for this family and so incredibly happy we are all still together.  Here's to another year of crazy and fun!  My 40th is this year so I think it is going to be epic - maybe the best year yet!!!

I'm telling you!  Leif, Liam, Skyler, Presley and I know how to get on a plane and get out of dodge!  We have it dialed.  Our kids are so dang good with airports, airplanes, being in different places, enjoying different people, and keeping a good attitude.  We rented the most amazing place in Santa Rosa so that we could all be together - Scott and Samir, Sean, Yuko and Grant, Travis and Matiko, mom, aunt Chris and then ultimately my dad and Mary.  It was so much fun to have our own getaway in the mountains of Santa Rosa.  

As always, Auntie Anita and Uncle Alan overdid themselves with cooking and entertaining.  Kent, Kayla, Jada and her two sweethearts - Niya and Ella were there and Chani, Brendon and their newest addition, Colin too.  It was chaos and disarray and it was wonderful!

We ate good food, got massages, went to the beach (the kids' favorite part), played football and pickleball, made cookies, drew on the wall sized chalk board, ate more good food, repeat repeat repeat.  

On the last day, all of the cousins and spouses rented a limosine while the grandparents babysat and we went wine and beer tasting....which I think is the nice way of saying we let loose like we were 21 again!  Kidding.  It was reasonably tasteful. ;)

All in all, a wonderful trip and a very very memorable Christmas.  Having Scott back after 4 years was the icing on the cake!

Leave it to Grandma Nancy (did I mention we all think she is the grandma from the movie Moana), to find a meditation camp for the kiddos.  To my surprise, they loved it.  It was a three day camp where the kids learned some basic yoga, breathing tools, and meditation (did I mention they were the only white kids!).  Parents were not allowed to stay, but here is the description: