*snow snow snow*

Only a couple days after Thanks- giving, the Brecks, Banks, and Peils loaded up and went hunting for our Christmas trees! This year we made sure to get there before the ranger station closed so we could get our permits. It was a close call last year. And with two babies to watch out for, we headed out even earlier in consideration of their naps...


We drove up to Zig Zag and followed the road up the mountain. Everything was absolutely covered in snow! It was gorgeous! The tree cutting rules changed a bit this season...Instead of paying $5 and cutting down trees 8-feet and shorter, we paid $5 and were able to cut trees 12-feet and shorter. After trudging our way up a logging road, Nate and I clamber down the embankment to look at a couple well formed trees. One of them was sporting two trunks, so Nate vetoed that one. Others we saw were just not right enough. So we walked on. I was in front at one point, and stopped when I heard some yelling behind me. I turned just in time to see Nate, thigh-high in snow, loose his balance and fall head first into the snow. He did a weird sort of twisty-turn thing, but I'm not sure it spared him from any wetness. I nearly lost my balance laughing at him - he looked pretty funny, I promise you!

We made our way back up the hill to the road and then decided to cross over to the other side. We spotted another tree up that embankment, so we went for it. The size and shape were great, so Nate pulled out his man-saw and cut it down in .5 seconds. He's burly. Need proof? It's in the picture...





When everyone had cut down their trees, we congregated back at the car for some family pictures...but, alas, I couldn't find the picture of the entire family, so I've broken it up into four different pictures. The girls were actually very cooperative in their family pictures! They were all smiles! Naps were still a little ways off.

We bundled back into the truck and headed down the mountain. Check out Rae Ann's blog for the video of Stella driving. Tom, Nate, and I sat on the tailgate with the trees while Rae Ann, Ivy, Mom, and Dad were in the cab with Stella. Dad never heard us yelling for him to slow down from the tailgate...

We got half-way down and pulled over to where Tom and Rae Ann had parked their car. Stella's little snow boots had kept warm in their car while we were cutting down the trees, so when we got back to it, she put them on and played away in the snow. I kinda think she made some memories this year!

After goofing off for awhile, we headed back down to 26 and drove to Calamity Janes where we enjoyed piles of chili fries and huge hamburgers and endless glasses of pop. It was a ridiculous amount of food. But oh-so-good! [Thanks again, Dad!]






And to end, here are some other photos to look at...an overload to make up for my blogging break! ENJOY!