On December 27th, I woke up and wanted to take pictures of the whole cabin.
Here's the front door.
Another look at the entry way from standing on the stairs.
Here's the upstairs hallway.
We didn't really know the layout of the house that well because they only can show so much online so we didn't pick rooms until we got there. All the kids and Michael and I slept up here.
At the end of the hallway was the Rec room that had two bunkbeds. This is where all the boys slept.
On the other side of the Rec room was a poker table and a foosball table.
There was also a bar in the Rec room. This is the view back down the hallway.
The bathroom was the first door back down the hall on the left. This bathroom was for everyone upstairs.
This was our room. It was at the end of the hall on the left.
The girls room was at the end of the hall on the right. Anna and Addison shared the big bed.
There was this nook in their room which was perfect for the futon mattress that was in the Rec room. Ella slept on that. They also had a fun loft in their room. We figured it would be a nice little hideout from the boys where they could play with their Barbie's.
Here's the loft. There were actually two sections.
I'm in the other section looking out.
Downstairs now...this is the hallway with all the bedrooms. This picture is looking out toward the main part of the house.
Papa & Ruth would be joining us, but only for two nights instead of all 4.
Bill and Christina were in this room.
Ga-Ga & Pa were in this room.
There was a 3/4 bathroom down this hallway and everyone that slept on the first floor shared this bathroom.
Right off the kitchen there was a Mudroom. It was wonderful. Loads of hooks and places to hang wet clothes. There was a door to exit the house right from the Mudroom.
The washer and dryer got used a lot.
There was also a little powder bath that everyone used.
At first I was worried about the fact that there were only 2 showers, but it really worked out fine. We all just naturally took showers at different times and we never ran out of hot water. Christina was worried that we might feel on top of each other, but that was never the case. There were so many places to be in the house. Upstairs playing games, on the couch downstairs visiting, in the kitchen snacking and chatting with someone or at the dinning room table working on a craft. It was really amazing. A couple people even disappeared a time or two to take a nap and that was fine too. We didn't necessarily have an agenda at all. My goal was just to be together!
The only thing we did have a schedule for was the foo! Prior to the trip we sat down and came up with a list for who was going to provide what meal. I did the first dinner. Christina made breakfast the next morning. She made a super yummy breakfast casserole, there was also Costco muffins and some fruit. Ga-Ga wanted to do Christmas dinner, but we all did chip in so it wasn't just her doing all the work.
Christina and I both brought tons of things to keep the kids busy. This particular morning the girls got out some puzzles.
I had asked each of the adults coming to try to think of something that they could do with each of the kids to make a memory with them as a group. The last thing I wanted was us mom's to feel the pressure to entertain the kids the whole time.
Pa chose to play Triopoly with the boys. The poker table upstairs came in handy!
Zeke doesn't usually play Triopoly so he spent time probably hunting invisible monsters!
Bill & Christina had already gone on a walk up the hill and told us about the beautiful view so we figured we should probably go take a look. The neighborhood had thankfully been plowed. The plow even comes down the driveway.
Right when we got to the end of the driveway Papa & Miss Ruth showed up. We were waiting for them to come so we could open up presents.
The kids were outside trying to create a sledding run.
Bill & Christina were trying to help them dig it out in places to make curves. I guess that was Bill's contribution to entertaining the kids since our plan for him and Michael to set up a target practice for the kids with their BB guns went out the window once we read the house rules!
Michael and I were gone about an hour for our hike. Even though it was plowed it was slippery. It was fun getting to check out all the different houses in the neighborhood. When we got up high enough we could see Lake Cle Elum.
When Michael and I got back from our walk the kids were sledding down the course that Bill & Christina helped them make. Zeke was down by a tree making his own snow fort.
Us adults were trying to use our extra weight to help sculpt the course a bit more! :P
The course started right at the driveway and then dipped down into the front yard of the property.
We brought 2 sleds. We have a round plastic one and then a red plastic toboggan type one. Our sleds were definitely not as fun at the ones that the Kuch's had. We'll have to buy those ones from now on.
Christina was really committed to getting this course right.
Michael and I had fun going down the hill a couple times, but then I was ready to go inside. That was the only time I actually played in the snow. I like to watch the snow from inside a warm house!
Since Papa & Miss Ruth were there we could officially get this party started. It was time to open presents!
Ga-Ga & Pa!
Bill & Christina being silly with the cougar looming in the background!
Zeke's haul from Ga-Ga & Pa. All the boys got these miniatures of fun classic games. Zeke got a tiny Light Brite.
Addison got a beautiful necklace that had a sunflower on it.
Ella got canvas so she can paint whenever she wants!
Caleb got the tiniest Rubik's Cube.
Jack got the tiny Jenga Blocks.
Owen got a tiny game of Monopoly!
Anna got a necklace with a red jewel. Each of the kids also got their favorite snack type foods. Ga-Ga made sure they had all sorts of yummies full of sugar!
Once the kids were finished opening presents we let them run off and play while the adults opened our presents.
Christina had this special Christmas ornament made for me with all the kids names on it!
Every year I make a calendar for the grandparents with the previous years pictures on each month. This year I accidentally ordered the bigger size, but I really like the bigger calendar and so did everyone else.
Bill & Christina got Papa & Miss Ruth the book called The Tale of Three Trees. They had never read it before so Christina called the kids down and I read it. Well tried to read it....I did make it to the end, but that was after lots of pausing because it chokes me up every time. If you've never read it it's such a beautiful telling of the story of Christ and how he changed the world.
After opening presents it was time to start getting ready for Christmas dinner. Just because we were having Christmas at cabin didn't mean we weren't going to have the whole Christmas set up. Ga-Ga & Pa basically brought their whole house with them.
The gift of the whole Cabin Christmas was really this....getting to be with each other for days. To eat, to talk, to laugh, to play, to enjoy each other's company. Family is the best gift there is!
The whole atmosphere was almost magical. It was so pretty with the decorations and then the snow just outside the big windows. So awesome!
Pa with his precious grand-girls!
The spread food wise was also so amazing...we ate good!
15 wonderful loves ones!!!
Pa is behind the camera because he accidentally forgot his tripod!
Ham, ranch potatoes, sweet potato casserole, veggies and olives....yummy!!!
After dinner we cleared the table and then play another round of Pegs & Jokers...this time with more people. That's one of the things we love about this game...you can play with 10 people if you want. Michael actually has enough boards to play with 12, but we've never used that many.
After that game we opened up a game that Papa & Miss Ruth got for the kids. It's call Kids Against Maturity. It's basically like a super silly, Apples to Apples where most of the stuff is about bodily functions. I don't think I've laughed so hard in my life. I think the reason it was so funny was watching the Kuch kids' reactions. They are so precious and it's definitely heavy on the ridiculousness so that made it even better!
This was one of the cards that Addison got when it was her turn to lead that round. She read it, but then almost said Sheep, but then remembered she shouldn't said that because it's actually a blank so instead she said...Little Bo Peep lost her Shhhh..... We'd about died!
The even better part was Caleb....he did not find this game funny at all! Then he goes on to actually win the whole thing. My face muscles were so sore after playing this. It's the best!
After game time it was just nice getting to sit together in the living room. The girls were enjoying some of the candy that Ga-Ga got them.
I had been sitting on the floor working on a puzzle quite a bit that day.
What a fun filled day at the cabin!
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