last night we dyed.

Avery turned 9... it's sock hop TIME

This girl LOVES dancing & music.  What better way to celebrate than a sock hop in the backyard?

 Just a quickie before the fun began:

 Tess, Ella, and Avery: friends since birth.

 Almost all the guests... some were tied up in face painting and trampoline fun.

 Cousins.

 What's a sock hop without ice cream sundaes?

 The age when gifts are SO much FUN...

Self-applied face paint... the "after" party LOL!

We adore our lion-lovin' 9 year old...

Big Bear by iPhone

Everyone needs a breather, so we took one.  A cabin for 2 nights.  Sledding, snowboarding, and long mountain-air walks.  Just what this always-going-in-5-directions family needed.  Enjoy.

We loved our cozy cabin.  Just our size and full of mountain-esque decor.

 Long morning walks were the norm.

With the temperatures in the high 60's, patches of snow were few and far between.  Avery made the most of them.

6 hours on the slopes of Snow Valley had nothing on us.  3 snow boarders and 2 sledders... we'll be back.

 And for the final hoorah... the Alpine Slides...

Nothing like a weekend in the mountains to make us appreciate our time together.  Already penciling in the calendar for the next trip.

this is 9.

We love you so... Avery Ione.