The Mighty Fine McBrayers: Home for the Holidays

Last year at Christmas time, I was out---to----here----- with a baby in my belly, and my doctors had completely nixed the idea of me doing any traveling. I was rather sad to miss the holidays back home with my family. My snow. My mountains. My mom’s cooking. My awesome fire building skills roaring in the fireplace. My brother sitting next to me. My skating rink that I took my first glides on. My ski runs. My green chile fries at my favorite mom and pop joints. My cold feet and warmed heart.

My home.

This was Seth’s first time up in the mountains with snow. The first morning he woke up and spent all of breakfast time yelling out to the glorious white powder and banging on the doors. He was ready to take on the snow.

As for Kaelan, ask her where she would go if she could pick ANY vacation spot on Earth, and the answer will always be Cloudcroft. My mountain blood flows in her veins. She eats every moment of the elevated air right up.

Let’s break down the trip to make things easier for me. I mean, come on people….I am sifting through over 480 pictures. I have to figure out a way to wrap my brain around this or this post will NEVER happen.

FAMILY:

We were so happy that Uncle Tommy, Aunt Candice and our sweet little nephew/cousin Austin were able to come and join us at the cabin this year. The boys had a great time running/crawling around and making the parents crazy with their mad darts to the stairs every two minutes. We were so happy that neither of them took a dive off the loft area (though that doesn’t mean they did not try), or stuck their heads in the fireplace. They both survived, and we loved getting to play with them.

“The Cousins”, (as we lovingly refer to the roughly eleven relative kidlets that meet on the mountaintop a few times each year to reek havoc), never disappoint Kaelan in the entertainment department. From sunup to sundown, they keep her busy and happy. One evening, a few of them got together and practiced a musical production of sorts that they later performed during a family meal. Cousin Taylor even played along on his clarinet. It was magical and memorable for all.

Cousin Krisalyn and Kaelan Cousin Rheanna and Seth

Krisalyn and Aunt Sasha

Aunt Alex and Seth

Cousins Kaelan, Krisalyn and Izi

Aunt Seester and Seth

Kaelan skating with Cousins Ricky, Gavin and Mikey

I just have to add these photos. Though are not the best quality, they capture one of my favorite things about living in a place nestled right in the forest. How cool is it to look right out your kitchen window and see these little guys?

SNOW PLAY:

The poor little guy really wanted to get out there and take on that snow, but in most places it was well over his head, so mom and dad took him on a few sled runs and then he joined the spectator section back inside the cabin. You can probably hear me screaming at the photo right now. “Dad, pull his pant legs down! It is freezing.”

Kaelan and Beatnik Bob the Snowman. He even had a goatee made from pine needles, and rumor has it he puts on quite a show on open mic nights at the local coffee shop.

Skiing with these two cousins was a trip (to say the least). On this day, one of the boys ended up riding his ski pony style down a black diamond run because he told his aunt he had been down that run a thousand times, when it turned out he had never attempted it. I say ski, because the other ski beat him down the hill by twenty minutes when he wrecked and lost it. He made his little confession about the run at the crest of the mountain just as we were about to head down it. I could have strangled that kid. I won’t say which one it was, but I will tell you he wears a black and yellow Suzuki jacket, and a pair of ski pants with a huge hole in them from riding down black diamond runs while SEATED on his ski.

I will say they are fun ski companions, though. I laughed so hard on one run that I actually hit a tree. Laughing and skiing are never good together.

Let me state for the record that Seth was not dropped after this picture was taken. “Ahh! Grab him, dad. He is slipping!”. Did you hear me yelling again?

Skiing, sledding, ice skating, snowball fights, snowman building, snow jumping, snowmobiling. We did them all. Sometimes all in one day. And this is why we love to go home for the holidays.

RANDOM: