Thanks to the winter wonderland that magically descended on Puget Sound on Christmas Eve, Andy and I got a late start getting to my parents on Christmas Day. By the time we made it there, my two-year-old niece was anxious to break into the huge pile of presents under the tree. Happily, one of her presents was perfect for the snowy day - her first pair of skis! After opening gifts, we dashed outside for some  easy skiing and general frolicking in the snow. Since I had December 26th off as well, I got a bonus day off to enjoy the winter wonderland before it all melted away. I took advantage of the day with a long walk on the Powerline Trail, brilliant in its snowy glory.

We ended 2017 over in Wenatchee, just as we ended 2016. This year, oddly while we started the week with snow at home, and much less on the eastern side of the Cascades. One night, the temperature even climbed to nearly 50°, causing the snow to melt, then refreeze as a heavy crust of ice. It made for less than ideal sledding conditions, but once we broke through the crust, there was still plenty of good snow to build a snowman. There was also plenty to do inside, between eating far too many Christmas cookies, playing games, and conducting some outrageously cool science experiments involving bubbles and dry ice with my brother-in-law and niece. With less to do outdoors, I also spent an astonishing amount of time reading, making it through two books over the course of the weekend! Still, I found myself dreaming of past adventures sparkling with deep snow, so I'm definitely hoping for a snowy winter 2018!