Family firsts this year, a new mountain house, new furnishings, and a new skier in the family. Hanna, at the ripe old age of 2, took to the slopes with a little help from her dad. She clearly loved it! More to come next year. The other grandangels, Ivy and Hazel, were too fast for me to catch a photo. They were up at the top while Bo and Hanna stayed with us on the Bunny Slopes. Bo preferred to watch with Mamou at the bottom this year, but is showing great interest in trying this out, maybe next spring break?

After fun on the slopes, it was family work detail time. The place was in need of some comfortable furniture, and it wasn’t going to put itself together. The original living room plan was for a sectional, but then we spotted these”aviator chairs” fashioned after Amelia Earhart’s plane. It was love at first sight. We added soft leather couches for the grands to lounge on, and threw some furry throws around to wrap up in. That was easy! The more difficult task was allotted to Laura and Matt, who allegedly love the Ikea-styled puzzle. We cured them of ever volunteering for that again. The bunks came in mismatched pieces with undrilled holes, some too long to fit, others too short. With lots of improvisation, Matt tools, and a few Ace Hardware runs, they got it done. Even they admitted at the end that it was so worth it. They are undeniably adorable, and the oldest two grands got the top bunks, so no fighting over it (for now:)

So, off we went on a much-deserved sledding break. We found a perfect hill just down the street from the house with the perfect slope and amazing views. The only problem was, unlike skiing, there is no lift to take you up. There was plenty of snow to trek through as we climbed to the top, but again it was so worth it. Bo tried out his new sled he got for Christmas, fortunately complete with brakes. It was so popular with the grands, we are going to hand out some more next Christmas.

As we headed back to Golden, we spotted the neighborhood mule deer waiting by the road. Apparently, they thought they were camouflaged by the snow as they stood stock still as we drove by. They had that “deer in the headlights” look to them.

As we entered Golden, the elk made a magical appearance by the highway. In Golden, there is an “elk crossing” with flashing lights to stop traffic when they make their annual trek into town. Perfect timing for Ivy to grab a selfie.

Golden has a lot to offer for easy “walk abouts” and shopping in the local boutiques. It’s a lower elevation than Granby, and significantly warmer. The grands found welcome relief from the cold, and even enjoyed a bit of ice cream, and a few
grand baby prizes.” All in all, it was a memorable spring break. We’re so looking forward to next year:)