Steamboat Springs Family Vacation

Looking up the mountain

Every year, my family gets together for an annual vacation around the holidays.  Before, during, after- we're not picky about the exact date and over the years, timing shifts slightly to accommodate jobs and academic schedules.  This year, we met up at Steamboat Springs for a week of skiing.  It was extra special because it was the first time since my wedding (3 1/2 years!) that we had all been together!  I had missed the first get-together, and then Joe has been deployed over the last two years' vacations.  It was really, really special to have him this year and have the six of us + partners in tow. 

Hanging out on the lift!

I arrived on Saturday after a plane delay, which was made immeasurably better by being let into the United Lounge.  Yay!  Although the American Express Lounges are the most luxe by far, it was great to have comfy chairs to sit it while I waited.  In total, it was a three hour delay which wasn't terrible.

Experts only!  My brother is a seriously amazing skier!

We stayed in a 5BR/5BA house (!) so everyone got their own room.  Sweet!  My parents, brothers, significant others and my nephew all arrived on Saturday.  My sister and her boyfriend were coming later in the week due to her vacation schedule and SMS came later in the week because he has negative vacation days at his work.

Valley floor

It snowed the whole time we were there.  The conditions were amazing- groomed trails with 2-7 inches of powder depending on the day and previous night's snowfall.  We went on Morningside, which is ungroomed with deeper powder and that was so much fun.  My favorite runs are Kuus' Cruise, Valley View, Vertigo, Rolex, and our Tomahawk Cruise to our favorite mid-day ski stop, Ragner's at Rendezvous Lodge.  There were no sunny days but except for Wednesday, the visibility was decent and we could see the valley floor most of the time.

Ham!

We had our Christmas dinner and gift exchange on Thursday.  The dinner was feast with a spiral ham as the entree.  Mom and Dad gave the funniest gifts, collected from souvenir stands from places they visited in the last year.  My brother in a Roman gladiator apron topped with an Eeyore hat was a hilarious sight, but probably a photo I should keep off the internet! 

Brothers and significant others!

Friday was our last day and another awesome day of skiing.  At that point, a few of us were affected by a virus that, not to blame the baby but...I felt queesy that day and had to call it earlier than I would have normally done but it was an incredible six days of skiing. 

Sister and boyfriend.  Her effort to help him up is staggering, ha ha.

On Saturday, we were majorly delayed by ground fog.  We finally all got out of there but most of us had to overnight at an intermediate destination.  For SMS and I, that meant San Diego.  Yeah!