More Christmas

The day after Christmas, Randy went golfing at Coral Canyon with his dad & Ryan even though it was snowing...yes, snowing in St George.  We've had a couple of snowy days this year so it's been fun.  But while Randy was golfing, I was busy packing to go up to the cabin for a couple days.  We had an Ogden family party scheduled for that night so as soon as the guys were done golfing, we all headed up to meet everyone else.

It was a little rainy up to Cedar then the roads were fine until we got to Utah County.  That's when it started snowing and it got worse the further we went.  We decided to take the University exit and go through Provo rather than keep going on the freeway but the roads through town weren't plowed yet so it was really slushy.  Just after we got off the freeway, Randy's dad (who was up in head of us) called to say that there was a sign at the mouth of Provo Canyon saying that chains and 4-wheel drive were required to go up.  Well we don't have either do we debated what to do but saw that there were a lot of other cars without 4-wheels drive heading up so we decided to try it.  The canyon wasn't plowed yet either so that didn't help but we did OK for the first little bit.  As long as we could keep our speed up, we were able to get up the hills alright.  After a few miles though, we started slipping a little so we started thinking maybe it wasn't worth chancing it.  So we decided to turn around and head back to Rhett's since we knew they hadn't left yet and Ryan was still behind us.  But we couldn't find a good place to turn around where we wouldn't get stuck so we just kept trudging on.

We had been talking to Randy's parents up ahead and they said if we could make it to the bridge the roads got better we should be OK.  We kept moving and I kept praying.  But as we got to the bottom of a hill, we could see we were going to catch up to a slow-moving car which would mean trouble for us and it was.  We had to slow down for them and then we had a real hard time getting traction to go much further.  There were other cars off the road in the same place so we had to just weave back and forth VERY SLOWLY until we could get off to the side with the rest of them.  We sat there for a while trying to decide what to do when one of the guys in a car stopped behind us came and gave a shove to the top of the hill.  But even then we knew there were several other hills up ahead that we would have the same struggle with so we pulled over again to try to figure it out.

Finally, the snow plows decided to get to work and they stopped to make sure we were OK.  We decided to follow them the rest of the way and that worked a lot better.  It was still slow-going and slick but better.  We followed the plows into Heber instead of taking the cut-off road to Midway then took the main road in.  We were supposed to meet at a parking lot at the bottom of the hill to the cabin and Randy's dad would come get us in the snow mobile, but when we made the turn off the main road to head to the parking lot, the roads were too icy and too steep to go very far.  We only made it about 20 yards.  A couple people stopped to help Randy push while I drove but we didn't go very far.  So Randy's dad came clear down to the bottom and took the boys and our stuff up to the cabin in the snow mobile while we took the van to another parking lot we knew we could get to.  Then we shuttle up as far as we could go in Randy's dad's truck then snowmobiled the rest of the way up.  It was Mia's first time on a snow mobile and she did great.

It's always such a hassle to have to snowmobile everything into the cabin in the winter.  It's beautiful once we get up there, but I have to wonder if it's worth it sometimes.  Dinner was supposed to be around 7 but it was 9 before we all got up there so we had a late dinner then did our gift exchange.

Halen & Alex opening our present from Aunt LeIla

Halen getting more gifts

Alex opening his presents

We all got spoiled more with all of our presents and the kids had so much fun playing with each other.  It was really late when we finally got to bed and we were just really happy to know we had made it safely and we had a good time with family.  The next next day was pretty relaxed.  We just hung out and let the kids play.  Randy, Rhett & their dad went out in the morning to shovel off the deck.  Of course my hubby's idea of bundling up isn't the norm. Ü

Isn't he silly?

He was able to get the job done though

By the afternoon, the kids were literally getting cabin fever and wanted to go play outside so they all bundled up and headed out.  There's a hill on the side of the cabin leading from the garage down to the lower level that worked great for sledding.  Randy even got in on the fun with the kids.  FYI-he put pants on for sledding. Ü

Halen & dad getting ready to take off

It looks like they had fun

Brayden & Alex off for their turn

Alex couldn't stop laughing

The kids even talked their dads into breaking out the snow mobile and taking them for rides.

Alex & Halen waiting for their turn

Halen just got done with his turn so Maddie, Rhett & Alex headed out

Later that night, Randy took the boys to Provo for the BYU basketball game.  They love going with their dad and were so excited to go.

Alex & Halen at the BYU game

We got up Friday morning and packed up to head home.  The roads were a little slushy through the canyon but were fine the rest of the way home.  We made it here by about 3:00.  Other than the drive up, it was a fun weekend.  And because of the drive up. we have a way to remember this Christmas party. Ü