Let it snow!!!!

But it did not!  Regardless, we had a FANTASTIC time!  There was snow everywhere -- just not fresh snow.  We are so spoiled!  Last year it snowed everyday we were at the cabin and we were able to sled down the road by our drive way.  This year, we made our own path in front of the cabin and did something new.  Check it out:
Remember.. no new snow -- thus, Matthew and Emma's efforts to make snow angels were quite unsuccessful!  But they tried regardless!

Ethan is very proud of holding his very first handful of snow!

The end of a very successful sled run together!

Nicole and Matthew Varnell (yes, her 3rd youngest is named Matthew!) watched the others playing while sitting on the top of this snow bank!

Working hard on building their first snowman:

Not bad...

Back to the slopes!

Everyone is getting a bit daring now!

Here comes Ben....

Watch out for Emma!

Morgan can't get enough!

Ethan is calling it quits after a few runs with Daddy!

But I had to grab a quick photo first!  So handsome!

Morgan and Daddy gives it a try!

The hardest part is lugging the board back up the slope!

We took a break from sledding and got into the car for a quick drive.  We went to Calaveras State Park to visit this HUGE tree that fell over and the HUGE stump that still remains!

How big was it you ask?  How's that for a big tree???  Supposedly, it was over 1,000 years old when it fell over!

Ethan insisted on reading the map and giving us directions... ahem...he thinks he's 15!  (According to Matthew Varnell, however, he's a "baby!" This story deserves its own posting so stay tuned for a funny one!)

We thought we would take a short hike as well while we were here... 

But we didn't plan on walking in snow and didn't put on proper shoes (we didn't, but the Varnells did)...

So 10 minutes into the hike.. we turned around!

Ethan was getting a bit crabby anyway...

The following morning the children woke up and wanted us to build a fort... so of course, we sent Todd to work!

Vince eventually got in on the action after Ethan released him of his duties of entertaining him!

Everyone helped out... even Matthew V. and Ethan!

So far so good!

Voila!  The finished product!  They actually requested the fort be much, much taller... well, we ran out of energy and they ran out of interest after 20 minutes of shoveling and packing snow!

So then it was back to the slopes!  Here comes Mommy and Ethan!

She just loves him!

After lunch, we decided to drive to Bear Valley to see what was beyond our area....

The children are getting anxious...  "Where are we going?!"

When we parked, Morgan got out of the car, and immediately picked up this huge snowball!

Then we rented some inner tubes and had a blast going down a much much BIGGER slope!!!  It was so much fun!  I stopped taking photos after the one below of Matthew because as I was being sent down the tube I was screaming so loud Matthew did not want to go down again with me!  

So i took a few more photos of Vince and Nicole dragging our children up the hill to get to the big slope...

Then I went down to capture a few photos of Vince going down the slopes with Matthew and Ethan...

...and Nicole and Morgan!

Morgan had such a wonderful time this year... I am so proud of her for enjoying the snow and all the new adventures.  Matthew, of course, did not want to return home.  We are already planning what we will do next year!

Here are some great shots from Vince's camera:

It may look like I am not scared... but I am!  Matthew, however, is having a blast!

Ethan had so much fun going down the slope with Morgan!

Isn't Matthew V. so cute here?!