Big Bear in a Nut Shell.....

So I mentioned we took a long weekend to a cabin in Big Bear that we rented right on the lake. It was great - Big enough for the older kids to have a room with bunk beds and each of the couples to have their own rooms (that they shared with their babies, and Paul and I to have the loft. Here's our trip starting from when we arrived in Big Bear and were greeted by this amazing sunset cloud display - it was just beautiful. I think God was saying "welcome - have a wonderful weekend."Once we got settled in we played pool - Did a lot of Wii - (I'm getting this dance game this weekend - it was sooo fun and what a workout!)

We put puzzles together, colored and beaded...

There was even a little hot tubbing :)

Got a day in snowtubing - here are the Kings - and the Joneses -

and spent a lot of time just enjoying each other's company. Hope we'll be blessed enough to do it again next year.

I think we built some wonderful memories - and I can' think of a group I'd rather be with!

Snow in them thar hills -

This was taken Jan 3, 2011 leaving my driveway - it's hard to see but the hills on the picture are covered with snow - it was absolutely breath-taking. Here in Simi Valley it doesn't snow, occasionally we see snow in the distant mountains - much farther than these. But during this storm the snow levels dropped and the hills were covered. Here's a close up cropped from the picture - where you can probably see the snow better. I'm from Wisconsin and I love to see the snow - but hated to live in it - so this is the best of both :)