Big Bear Christmas Vacation!

Yesterday we got home from our Melcher Family Christmas Vacation in Big Bear. We got there last Thursday evening and when we woke up on Friday morning it was snowing!!!

So here are the photos from the past week or so...they are somewhat out of order, but I will do my best to explain each...

The very talented Cooper balances on his uncles face (not sure why, but we thought it was funny)

 The sunset as we drove up the hill to Big Bear

 Kylie as she came in from her first play day in the snow. Ama, Marta, Craig and Kylie played outside for a couple hours, she LOVED the snow! She made a snowman, did a little sledding, ate a lot of snow and enjoyed rolling around in it.

 Melissa and Tim taught us how to make home-made tortillas like they learned in Costa Rica.

 Kylie enjoying some great conversation and OJ with her Ama, I think she was talking about her husband Don :o)

 Mother-Daughter selfie in the snow

 Our last night in Big Bear we went out to eat.

 Kylie's first moment in the snow. She looked at me for the photo and the snow immediately blew in her face (see next photo), luckily she didn't mind and continued to play for another couple hours.

 Uncle Graham helped Kylie build a windmill for her fairy land, thank you Ama and Papa for the Christmas gift. Auntie Marta and Tim got Kylie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." I think we read it to her about 8 times during the three days we were there and I have read it at least 3 times since we got home. She sometimes insists on being called Cindy-Lu and we have to take turns being the Grinch. We are thinking we might show her the movie for Christmas, I think she would love it.

 The view from our front door.

 Sledding!

 Kylie kept asking us "do you want to build a snowman?" She is somewhat obsessed with Frozen and she has never even seen the movie.

 Graham, Tim and Craig spent hours working on a good sled run

 Coopie got to try some foods on vacation, he was enjoying avocado in this photo.

 Walking down to the lake.

 Coopie loved being bundled up with his daddy, he ended up sleeping for almost 3 hours, longest nap of the whole trip.

 The lake was a 5 min walk from the cabin.

 For a child that likes her bath on the lukewarm side, we were all surprised when she insisted on going in the spa and even more shocked when she loved it. We ended up going in twice.

 Posing after our holiday song recording...that's right, we wrote and sang a Christmas greeting, ultimate Cheese Family Moment (and yes that is a deer head on the wall, there were 4, try explaining that to a 2year old).

 Melissa's wedding ring, Jess's engagement ring, my rings, it was a big fall for our family.

 We set the timer for this photo, I pressed the button then ran as fast as I could across the snow, jumped over the sled run and just made it to Craig before the shutter went off. Kylie did so great looking at the camera and it was only after we got the shot that we realized that Coopers hat was covering his eyes, poor little guy.

 Graham did some good photo bombing...

 Do you see Graham in the back?

 Last week, before heading to Big Bear, we went to get our Christmas Tree and the Christmas Tree farm! Another photo done with the timer, thank goodness we have kids that will stare at a little blinking light.

 Trying to find the right tree.

 Kylie didn't want to mess up her new Christmas outfit, so we found a lid for her to sit on :o)

 Kylie assigned us all to the correct snowman.

 Cooper has found his "peanut" as Kylie calls it, and like to play with it whenever he can, silly boy.

 just talking to the goats at the Christmas Tree petting zoo

 Helping decorate the tree!

 They nibbled at Kylie's outfit a couple times and she decided it was time to get out of there.

 Kylie got so excited to see this mommy pig giving "nah-nah's" to the babies.

Well I guess that is it, seems appropriate to end with a nursing photo ;o)

Coopie still has only his two little teeth, he is chewing on everything all the time, so I feel like a couple more are about to come. He is really enjoying sitting in his highchair and exploring new foods. He can sit very well on his own and when he is on his tummy he sometimes gets on to all fours. He can scoot around pretty well so we are thinking he might start crawling somewhat soon, ahhhh.

Kylie's personality gets more and more fun everyday. she insists on changing clothes about 3-5 times a day, lately she has not wanted to wear pants, which is a little hard in the winter. She like to wear tights and when we say she can get "dressed up" for something, she immediately thinks we mean that she should wear her Goldie Locks outfit from Halloween. So she has put that outfit on many times lately. She is also saying "I know" with a sappy sweet smile. Conversations tend to look like this...
me: Kylie that shirt looks so cute on you
Kylie: I know.
me: Ky you are such a smart girl.
Kylie: I know.
Me: Wow Ky, what good problem solving, I am proud of you.
Kylie: I know.

She makes us laugh.

She still talks about her husband, Don, all the time and their kids, Carly, Dis Baby (who we have somehow lost!), Punchkin, and Elizabeth Joy. He still "lives in A-Gloria and teaches clinicals and helps mommies and babies have nah-nees." We hope she dates a guy named Don someday, it was just be so fun.

I'm sure there is so much more to share, but once again it is time for bed and the little ones are already stirring.
Love,
Natalie