Christmas in McCall

Christmas eve morning was a flurry of activity as we filled the camper with food and supplies for a five day stay in a lakeside cabin in McCall, Idaho. The drive north through the mountains on snow covered roads was a bit treacherous (especially for the truck) but we arrived safely. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our "cabin" was perfect. It was beautiful, nestled in a couple of feet of snow and surrounded by snow covered pines. The view was breathtaking.

The guys immediately donned ski gear and headed to the ski resort. The rest of us were excited to get settled in!

The first evening, we gathered in front of the fireplace, had our traditional reading of Christ's birth and then sang Christmas carols. Tori and Ryan entertained us with some of their own repertoire.

On Christmas day, we all went skiing. I stayed on the beginner hill and had a great time trying to find those ski legs.

Ryan took baby Owen (2-1/2 mos.) on his first ski adventure. Tori wasn't far behind! Owen wasn't one bit worried. He slept through the whole experience.

Jim and the kids on top of the mountain.

The fire sure felt great after a day of skiing!

Elly, Brian and family arrived Thursday after a long drive through snow storms. Matthew and Nathan couldn't believe all the snow! They spent hours playing in it. The huge icicles were especially intriguing.

Some family members went skiing every day, others played in the snow. We found plenty to keep us busy.

Nathan and Matthew even had skiing lessons! Uncle Ryan was a great teacher.

We really enjoyed having all of our kids together for a few days. We think they're awesome!

It's hard to believe how our family has grown, though.