The Keene Family

Jim and I planned a ski weekend sans children way back in October or something... and it finally arrived. Our dear friends Katie and Carl joined us, and we had sooooo much fun! We arrived Saturday afternoon, went to dinner, and then hung out at the hotel laughing and catching up. Sunday morning we hit the slopes! We were all so tired from skiing a whole day, open to close, but ready for food and fun! This is our "adulting" picture - out on the town in Wenatchee with no timeline on when to be home for a babysitter. Fun stuff! :) Monday we hit the slopes again and the weather was cold (-17 with windchill at the summit) but gorgeous! With 11 inches of fresh snow the previous day, conditions were just amazing. We warmed up with La Fuente Mexican food (probably our favorite Mexican restaurant anywhere) and Dutch Bros coffee for the road as we headed home. Special thanks to my parents for taking our children for the weekend... especially after both of t...

Haley was invited to a friend's house for an American Girl Doll/Valentine's Tea Party over the weekend. These sweet girls have become friends at school and they had so much fun together (and so did the moms!).

Jim had to work on Saturday, but that didn't stop the kids and I from heading up the mountain for the day. The weather was gorgeous and the kids improved so much during the day. They learned how to ski on a little bit of ice and we spent the whole day on blue/intermediate runs, which is more fun for all of us! We even ate lunch outside... which is unusual. The thermometers showed 70 degrees in the sunshine! By the time we got home, ate dinner, and showered, the kids were ready for bed!

I have been skiing at Crystal Mountain for maybe 30 years or more, and I've seen the RVs lined up in the parking lot. We always thought it would be fun to stay the night right there on the mountain. This past weekend, it happened! Jim took Friday off so we could prepare, and we pulled the kids out of school early. (I remember thinking it was SO FUN to leave early!) We headed up the hill and parked in early afternoon. By the time I was making dinner, the lights were on up the hill and we were snuggled in for the night. This is the view from my window... We brought our propane campfire and sat outside in the evening after dinner, playing games by the fire and watching the stars. We put the kids to bed and went back out for some adult time too. It was so peaceful listening to the river and watching the stars. In the morning, we ate a yummy pancake breakfast (so far, cooking in the camper is very easy) and headed up the mountain. Jim brought our gear inside during b...