(Post) Christmas Vacation

McCall, Idaho

Brahm taking in the scenery while riding in the car.

Ava dozing off with her doll, Mandy, in hand.

Room with a view.

Tubing in -2 degree temperatures.

Smokejumper Station

Killer icicles.

Gold Fork Hot Springs.

Simon swimming in the dead of winter.

Brahm enjoying his hydrotherapy treatment.

104 degree water.  14 degree weather.

Pizza and card playing at night.

While out driving one night, we immediately pulled over to take a picture of this 50 ft. beauty.

After Christmas, our family decided to take a last minute trip to McCall, Idaho.  We spent three days and two nights vacationing in this Winter Wonderland.  Our drive up was a little treacherous due to a lot of falling snow, but we arrived to our motel safe and sound.  In preparation for our trip, we made a list of activities that we wanted to take part in that included: tubing at the Activity Barn, watching the torch parade and firework show at Brundage Mountain, eating at the Pancake House, and swimming at Gold Fork Hot Springs.  We unfortunately missed the torch parade and firework show due to a car accident that clogged up the winding, narrow road that leads to Brundage Resort.  But, we were able to add something new to our activity list the very next day!  On our way back from the Hot Springs, Jess pulled too far over to the right to accommodate oncoming traffic.  Our front right tire got caught in the three feet of snow that had been plowed to the edge of the road.  Jess frantically tried to pull the car out, but our minivan was dragged into the snow bank.  Many kind people stopped to help us.  One woman noticed that we had children in our vehicle and gave us tangerines, carrots, and apples to hold the kids over until help came.  The tow man who rescued us told Jess that he had never seen so much snow fall in such a short period of time since he had lived in the surrounding area of McCall. 

Besides this little fiasco, we had a lovely time playing together and making memories as a family.  Our motel had an indoor heated pool and hot tub that the kids warmed up in after tubing in -2 degree temperatures. We enjoyed larger-than-life pancakes and great take-out pizza at local eateries. We laughed about the communal dressing rooms located inside a yurt at Gold Fork Hot Springs.  And, our motel room included a view!  The icicles that hung from and weighed down the electrical cord outside our window gave me great anxiety. 

Our drive home from McCall was full of breathtaking views of a world covered in white.  We have already decided to spend our Christmas of 2011 in McCall. 

On a side note, I chopped off all of my hair.  Yippee!!