Whistler

Adam's parents have a condo up in Whistler.  They invite us to go up there each year, but between Adam's unpredictable schedule and being pregnant/having a newborn, it's hard to plan these things!  So the last time we went, Jacob had just turned four.  Here he is just before his first ski lesson!  

It is a loooooooong drive to Whistler, but at least it's always worth it when you get there.  I love being  bundled and walking through the lit-up village, with snow-capped mountains nestled in the background.  It's amazingly, breathtakingly, beautiful.  A little crazy to go from 80 degrees in Hawaii to below 10 degrees in Whistler though!

All the cousins checking out the view...

Here is what they are looking at.  :)

 We found a restaurant where the boys could watch the food being made and a choo-choo train zipping around on an elevated track.  Of course, Casey LOVED that!

 The village was all lit up...

 and we stopped from time to time to skate on the ice with our shoes.  

 We haven't been to Whistler since the Olympics were held here, so it was exciting to see these huge rings!

 The next morning, we hit the slopes.  It worked out perfectly that Adam's brother and sister-in-law were able to come so we could swap kids!   I was a little worried that I wouldn't remember how to snowboard since it had been so many years, but it all came back to me after a few runs.  I think all that wakeboarding practice this summer helped a little too.   It was so much fun to carve down the mountain together (instead of sliding down on my bottom all those years ago!).  My favorite run even had a little cinnamon roll/coffee joint half-way down, so we stopped there a few times for what my father-in-law calls "gooeys".  Mmmmmm.

After our sore muscles caused us to call it a day, we picked up our boys and took them on a gondola ride.  Thankfully, we were able to all get on for free with our ski passes, otherwise it would cost $50 per adult just to ride the gondola!!  I definitely underestimated how much my boys would love this.  Jacob especially was shrieking with excitement as the gondola pulled us up the mountain.

 We found some more Olympic rings!

 Jacob wanted to know if we were going up as high as the planets!

 At the top, Daddy showed them where we had gone snowboarding on the map.

 And after an afternoon in the snow, you just have to stop for hot chocolate...

 The next day was our turn to watch all of the kids.  Thankfully, it went way more smoothly than I had envisioned.  :)  This was mostly due to the convenient location and layout of the condo.  I could run downstairs and just across the bridge was a Starbucks and grocery store.  Perfect.  So we got coffee, made breakfast, and let them play in the "kids" room downstairs.

 Legos, puzzles...

...even DS's!  They could have played here all day!

 I know, I know... this looks crazy!  Before you question our parenting, this pool was heated and super super warm.  (Although when Adam and I were in the hot tub the night before, pieces of his hair were actually frozen!)  But how often do you get to swim when it's snowing all around you?  Pretty surreal.

Cousin shower! 

 Later that afternoon, we let the boys play in the snow and sled down the hills to their heart's delight.  Then we did a night road trip back home so they could sleep.  The next day involved lots of unpacking and laundry.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of Sy though... he loves curling up on our clothes!