Livin' the Life with Gran

Gran recently stayed with us in Pinedale.

In the winter.

For 11 days.

It was awesome.

Our first adventure, immediately after Gran's arrival, took us to

the National Elk Refuge in Jackson where we enjoyed

a horse-drawn sleigh ride among those lovely creatures.

The Refuge provides winter habitat for more than 6,000 elk.

We saw a few elk, like these massive bulls.

Sweetness.

Zaniness.

Luckily the weather was unseasonably warm and mild for much of mom's trip.

We got to spend a lot of time playing in the fresh air.

The boys were ecstatic to have outdoor play time that

didn't require full snow dress.

We sure are loving our paved driveway!

Fun times at the ski hill.

Gran was very impressed with the boys' ski skills.

Clearly dad does all the heavy lifting in this family.

"We made it!"

I love this picture because all those skiers coming down together as a group

are the dear ones with whom I spend many a days at White Pine.

That would be the Swensons...

Arlo and Becca,

Paul and Nyle,

and, of course, my crew.

The three oldest of the littles skiing down together.

The littlest of the littles.

My fun-loving mama.

We decided to tail-gate in the parking lot.

What better place than a windy, muddy snow patch to

hang out and roast some weenies?

The kids definitely had fun climbing the snow banks.

Caden decided that taking shelter from the wind was the best plan.

Trouble.

Just more proof, for the one thousandth time, that it's nearly impossible to get my boys 

to pose naturally for a photo.

Gran decided she might take a little rest.

She quickly had more company than she asked for.
I don't think much napping occurred.

Round 2 at White Pine.

Each boy got to spend one day with Gran while everyone else went to school and work.

For Caden, it was a finger-licking good time.

Back outside, the boys displayed their talents on their bikes.

Isaac is an expert crasher.

It's his favorite thing to do with his bike.

Out for a walk to enjoy the sunshine and spectacular mountain views.

Radio Flyin'

This all-terrain vehicle does not do so well in all terrains.

"Look, no hands!"

Matt turned 38!

Happy birthday, old man! (I can say that.)

Mom and I got to venture out for CC skiing on two different occasions.

While this first ski was fairly uneventful--but delightful!--the second outing 

was quite entertaining.  Mom repeatedly zoomed down an aggressive hill,
at the top of which I had to get her turned around and positioned for take off each time.
One time, she stopped herself at the bottom with a spectacular crash.

I'll just say I found her immobile, cradled in the snow with arms, legs,

skis, and poles sticking straight up in the air.  Oh, did we laugh.

Unfortunately, the camera was not cooperating so there is no documentation.

To wrap up, here are a couple of shots of these goofballs

that keep us on our toes and laughing.

Thanks for spending all that time with us, Gran! We love you.

xoxo

P.S. My Facebook post following your departure provides a fun
replay of the visit and reflects my gratitude:

"Today I wrapped up a lovely, wonderful visit with my mom and find happiness in the many good memories made. We ate, drank, and enjoyed unseasonably warm weather. We played at the PAC and outside. We took a sleigh ride through the elk refuge and tailgated in the snow. We skied together and watched the boys ski. We watched the super bowl, a good movie, and our fill of Downton Abbey. The boys each had their own special day with Gran as well as time together with her. We shared a home (which is much cleaner now!) and our daily lives, and I am grateful for the time we had together. I love this woman! (Oh yeah, and we celebrated birthdays and tracked our daily steps through it all.)"