Red Canyon New Years

Last year we surprised the kids with a little overnighter in a Red Canyon cabin right before New Years. We had wanted to stay over New Year's Eve, but the night that was available was the 30th-31st, so we took it. We had such a good time that we wanted to repeat the adventure this year. So we did. We surprised the kids again (they found on on Christmas morning as one of their gifts via a game of hangman) and this time we booked two nights, over New Years Day.

So, on Friday, 31 December, mid-morning, we set out toward Flaming Gorge. We made sure to bring more books and games than we had last year, plus Cal's new skates and our New Year's Eve spread for dinner. The roads were fine until we hit the Wyoming border, when they turned a little more sketchy and snowy. Luckily the wind wasn't blowing and we didn't have any problems getting to the lodge.

We intended to play outside that day, but the cabin was just too fun and cozy that nobody wanted to got out. So we read and played games and wrote goals and reminisced about the year. We had a yummy dinner of little smokies and meatballs, bean dip, chips and veggies with dill dip, and shrimp, and sparkling cider. We didn't stay up till midnight, which was fine by me, and I think we all slept better than we did last year.

Utah roads are lovely.

Wyoming roads, not so much.

This was the worst it got, thankfully.

Finished another in this series that we love.

Gregg getting the fire going in the stove while the kids
find their own shenanigans to keep them busy.

Home sweet home for a couple days!

She made a playdoh model of herself skating.

He's writing his 2022 goals. So cute!

Last book of 2021! And it seems kind of fitting to finish this one in a cozy cabin buried in snow next to a frozen lake. ;) This was a beautifully written sort of memoir, sort of dive into all things winter. There was a lot of symbolic talk of wintering as hunkering down and taking care of yourself during hard times in your life, but then interspersed with her personal wintering stories, there would be info about snow or the aurora borealis or wolves. I thought the format was fascinating. And I can relate to the feeling of wintering, especially during the last couple of years of covid. My question is how do we move out of wintering mode (it’s comfortable, snug, safe) when spring finally comes?

On Saturday morning, we woke up to a new year and a new day. Cal brought her mini donut maker and batter already mixed up, so she treated us to chocolate donuts for breakfast. 

After we ate, we played outside on the lake in the snow - Gregg shoveled off a nice rink for Cal to skate around on, Sam ate his weight in snow and slid around on the ice, we all tromped around to the dock and the campground as as far across the lake as we dared go (it got kind of slushy toward the far edge, so we never went all the way to land). It was glorious. When we were frozen we headed back in for lunch and thawing. 

Then we went right back out for more skating and playing. We drove down to the overlook, but it was pretty windy and Sam didn't even get out of the car. When we got back to the cabin, Gregg and I were not quite ready to go back in, so we left the kids inside playing and reading, and we walked down the trail to the other overlooks on a date. The kids barely missed us, and we got a good hike (walk) in. Winner!

We warmed up again in the cabin and came up with a list of all the trips we took in 2021 and then ranked them in order of favorites. It's fun to remember all the cool places and things we've been able to see and start dreaming about adventures for 2022.

Once more to the outside we went, and then back in for leftovers for dinner and snuggling into evening.

Good morning, 2022!

Gregg was a super scraper and made a nice big space for Cal to skate.

He loves to eat snow. I can't stop him.

Snow angels on the lake.

Here's mine.

Sam was nervous about the stranger/neighbor who offered
to take our pic, hence the laying down on the ice instead of
smiling pose we get here.

The boys had fun sliding on the ice, too.

This is the cute hut where we fetched firewood.

Skating up again!

Our favorite views!

The date-hike overlook gave us this view.

The 2021 adventure list, ranked by each
family member.

It definitely was windy today - here's my
apocalyptic-looking snow angel after a few
hours.

Nearly sunset. Shadows are long.

The best place.

Almost squeaked this one in last year, but had a couple more chapters to finish on New Year’s Day, which was okay. :) The kids loved this one about a family of five siblings who team up to save their brownstone home from the mean landlord upstairs, especially its “very happy ending” and they’re excited that there are more in the series to enjoy.

On Sunday morning, we found we had no water coming out of our pipes. Yikes! So we ate our breakfast then gathered snow to melt on the stove and the fireplace to get water to wash our dishes. Truly roughing it now! ;) We drove home through Vernal to make a loop out of our trip, listening to church as we went. 

Finished this one on the way home, too.
We really are fans of these mini bios of famous people's childhoods.
Great behind-the-scenes stories of perseverance and creativity and
normal kid stuff, too.

I can get behind this tradition of starting the new year in a snowy cabin in the mountains! Bring on 2022!