We’re always sad to drive away from the mountains, but we made so many wonderful memories last week at Snowcamp in Taos!

I am posting loads of pictures so I can remember our Spring Break in detail in the years to come!

Here’s a rare moment at the top of a lift with Taido.  Sometimes we ride the lift together.  Then we usually ski down different runs.  However, he (like my father before him) loves to ski up fast behind me and cross over the backs of my skis as I am going down the mountain.  I never see it coming, which drives me to distraction and just about gives me a heart attack.

Also, I rode the lift with this cutie a lot of times.  I love this stage of life where skiing with my kids is fun (instead of work)! Mary Polly got to participate in the camp this year even though she doesn’t start high school until next fall, a treat to be sure.  She loved it.

Ben, Simon and I got to share a condo with this sweet mama and her two boys.  I loved watching Kathy with her boys as they became more and more independent on their skis (and snowboard).  I think it’s hard to let go and watch your still-wobbly kids take off on their own, but Kathy seems to do it with ease.  

I also loved watching these boys together.  Brothers have a very special place in my heart since we have three boys that we frequently refer to as the bear cubs.  Even though boys fight and are crazy physical, brother bonds are super precious to me.

All the younger boys on this trip road out in a van with Kathy and me, and they were fast friends.  Video games, books, chips, candy, pillows and headphones were shared all night long as we rolled along I-40.  So sweet.

Rhonda and Donna are dear friends of mine and we have skied MANY a slope together over the years, so it was so great to be with them last week too.  They bunked in with Kathy and me as well, Rhonda serving as camp cook and Donna as programming coordinator, both at home both in these roles and in the mountains!

Clearly, we had the best condo group!

We played lots of Nertz, ate the yummiest casseroles (assembled ahead of time in Arkansas) and enjoyed a lot of time in front of our fireplace.  We would bundle up and head over to the big group at night to watch the high school kids sing and play games.  Or we would stay in and recount ski stories of the day.  It was super relaxed in our cabin at night which is how I like to spend the evening after skiing hard all day.

On our town day, all the groups gathered for pictures, and I missed a couple of the groups but I tried to catch as many as I could.  Here are the freshman girls.

Freshman boys.

Sophomore boys.

Junior boys.

Senior girls (+photobomb by Michael Hall)

One cutie senior guy and his cutie leader. (Sillies!)

It was such a great week in the mountains!  Rhonda and I even broke the pace from our normal blue runs and braved a black diamond on the last day with some of the younger folks.  (We were super proud, so we had a crepe to celebrate!)

I loved watching instagram all week for our camp tag which was #sc13taos.  Here are a few of my favorites!  I never get tired of mountains, sunsets or flowers on instagram!

Here’s one more of my littlest skier going down Strawberry Hill.  Love!

Spring Break is the best!

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On one day of Snowcamp we took a break from skiing and spent the day wandering around the town of Taos.

Taos has a really cute downtown square area with all kinds of shops, restaurants and galleries. (LOTS of galleries)

We ate lunch at La Cueva which was delicious.  I had shrimp tacos, which I recommend.  The winning dish at the table though was the trout.  Mary Polly and Ben split some very yummy enchiladas.

Then, of course, we had to stop at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory which is a longtime favorite of the kids!  Ben always gets a giant caramel apple.

I also love, love, love this little independent bookstore in Taos called Moby Dickens.  Taido grew up going there for books for summer vacation with his dad, and I always pick up at least one new book from the Staff Pick Shelf.  (This time I bought Hacking Your Education by Dale J Stephens, which look super fascinating to me!)

A definite favorite souvenir seemed to be these funny parkas.  I cannot even count how many guys (and gals) left $15 in Taos for these rug jackets.

One of the funniest things that happened on our day in Taos was that a group of guys decided on the way into town to have a contest to see who could bring back the most interesting souvenir.  All the choices were presented at group that night and the winner (chosen by applause) was this Yodeling Pickle brought back by Justin Klucher.  SO random I know, but really funny.

Sadly, his prize was this disgusting box of Fish McBites, which are just wrong.

All in all, we had a great day in town.  And we were all rested up for our last day of skiing!

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