Kicking off the New Year

New year, new family activity - Skiing!   On New Years Day, we headed for Tahoe and had our first ski experience at Alpine Meadows and Tahoe Donner.  The kids and I were hooked!  Gwen and Whitney picked it up super fast.  After 1 day, Gwen was skiing greens like they were nothing and was asking for blues.  Whitney looked adorable turning through cones.  And I, the skeptic after a horrendous snowboarding experience in my 20s, felt very comfortable on the slopes too and survived a blue on my first day.  I can't believe such an awesome activity was right under our noses for years and we never partook.  We plan to make up for lost time this winter (if it ever snows!)

Heading out for their first ski
experience!

Mastering the magic carpet on Day 1

While the big girls were shredding down the mountain, Adam and I took turns entertaining Paige with sledding, tubing, playing with her buddy Mitchell (who was staying at a nearby cabin) at the lake and making snow men.

After a very successful first time on the slopes, we had a return trip to Tahoe two weeks later with the Cecchins for MLK weekend.   We rented a great house in Tahoe Donner and skied at Sugar Bowl.  I even got some kid-free time skiing with Sara while all the kids were in ski school.

Either I got worse at skiing or the slopes were way harder, but I took my first (and 2nd and 3rd and 4th) spill on the slopes and had some fear instilled in me.  By the end of the weekend, the girls way surpassed me!   The 4 oldest Koplan and Cecchin kids were heading down Pioneer Trail, Sleigh Ride and taking the Judah lift with Adam which I'm not even going to attempt.  I was in awe at their ability to wedge down pretty steep hills like it was nothing!

And the evenings were just as fun.  The kids loved soaking in the hot tub and playing board games - both things the adults were looking forward to, but in reality were too exhausted to get off the coach to do!