North Star at Tahoe!

Our friends Martin and Andria Tall had some free tickets and invited us to come with them to North Star Ski and Resort with them recently!  It was so much fun!  The weather was PERFECT, a big storm had just passed (we were so lucky the mountain got new snow so late in the year!) and a new one was supposed to be coming in, but there was one day that was supposed to be sunny in the middle of it all and luckily we had picked that day 2 weeks prior!

Sadie and Braden had their first experience on skis/snowboard.  The rental place we went to didn't have snowboards Braden's size so he was on skis, Sadie on snowboard.  I also rented skis so I could help out Braden, Jason was on a snowboard helping Sadie. 

The kids were so excited to be at the snow and try it out!  Here we are on the bus shuttle from the parking lot to the resort.

I love how Sadie looks like she she is a pro that has been doing this for years or something!

I think the kids favorite part was the enclosed tram that took us up to the bunny hill!

Sadie did awesome on the board!  She did fall of course being a beginner, but she never complained or gave up!  She was so proud of herself on the last run when she didn't need any help.

Here Sadie is just ahead of Jason.  (Notice Jason had taken off his hat and coat because it was so hot!)

Braden did really well too!  He got so upset and threw a tantrum and went limp noodle on me the first time down the hill because his skis got all tangled up and he couldn't get straitened out.  I started regretting the decision to take him, but about halfway down he started getting it and did much better.  I used a hula hoop they had available there to help him from getting out of control as he was learning to control his skis and not go to fast.  It worked very well!  About half way through the day he decided that he was too good for that and could "do it all by himself!"  One time down the hill and he was asking for the hula hoop back!

Here is Andria with Maddie using the hula hoop

As the kids got better and better they were so excited to go up the lift and try again.  They kept going all day and still didn't want to stop when the lifts closed!

After the lift closed, the "magic carpet" was still open on the mini hill.  This hill was not as steep as the one we had been on all day and Braden could easily do this one by himself.  He really liked that.

I also had to take some pictures of a California Ski Resort since I had never seen anything like this in Idaho or Utah!

Hanging out in a T-shirt around a fire.  There isn't even any snow on the ground! 

Woman texting while the guys behind her are roasting marshmallows around a fire pit!

I skied to the bottom while Jason took the kids back down on the tram.  I thought it was crazy that the hill ended right in the center of a little village of restaurants, stores, spas and hotel suites!  This place could keep you entertained for a long time! 

Oh, and since we are on the topic of snow, I have to add some pictures the Talls sent me of our sledding trip earlier in the year.  Another great day in the snow!

The kids loved building a snow man together!

Mackenzie wasn't as sure about it...

Here is Jason and I on the sled!  Ha, ha... I guess we were too heavy and ended up all the way at the end of the hill in the mud!

I love that we are able to "visit" the snow, it is so much more fun when you don't have to see it everyday!