The Cabin at Mountainaire

I would love to just sit down and chit-chat with you about how fantastic our week was with the Bredows in Big Bear…but our pictures and videos will have to do! I apologize for having a lot…and it taking 17 years to finish!

Let the journey begin!

It’s so beautiful, you can’t help but jump out of your vehicle and start shooting!
So I did.

We wheeled up to 416 Mountainaire with Jilly’s bladder the size of my baggage packed for the week…turns out someone should have pottied with Ally in the woods when we stopped earlier. 😉

After stretching our legs and using the “facilities,” Rubbermaid apparently sponsored some hugs with us and the girls. 2 hours is a long time to be stuck in a car with the Bredow girls while not getting hugs.

Now that that’s done…we should go inside and play gymnastics with Miss Erin.

Ta-Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

And back outside for a little baseball with Mr. Ken!

The big girls headed to the grocery and the rest of us headed to the park only two blocks away from the cabin…seemed fair to me!  PS Without greasing the metal poles or having abnormally long armpit hair for a 7 year old girl…can anyone explain how Big Zabba slides so well? It’s got me!?!

We climbed one hundred and twelve park trees and a bear carving just to make sure we had fun even on our way back toward the cabin. We would have walked faster if Ally knew what was in-store for her only yards away.…

THE BIKE!!!! Yes, that’s it…A purple two wheeler with every girly Disney character they have in their arsenal to attract a poor unsuspecting youngster. The glistening princess decals seemed to call poor Ally like beautiful sirens sunbathing in Boulder Bay. And thank you Walt for the manufacturing being sold to the lowest Chinese bidder, because the teal cushioned seat would never have disintegrated in the mountain sun. Leaving its fate up to a 3 dollar price tag at this yard sale. Sold.

So like any good father would do, Rob immediately took the training wheels off and shoved poor Ally down the biggest hill he could find. Or he took the training wheels off and taught her to ride a bike in less than 3 hours. I guess the video proves it was the latter of the two.

“Our guest speaker this week will be discussing the zoned wave structure developed for Surfs Up and also a new open interchange framework for passing around digital models within a production facility or even from production facility to production facility.”

Wow, even the Bredow’s dog is smart.

Fueling up for the big night!

Dressing up for the big night!

Miley is the only one waiting patiently for the sun to go down….come oooooooooon fireworks!

(40 minutes of waiting)

The flyover is going to be awesome!

We’re sitting in the perfect spot for a picture!

(5 minutes later)

Hey, the sun is blinding. Rob, lets to go back and get everyone’s sunglasses.

OK sounds good!

(6 minutes later and in a horrible spot to take a picture)

Hey, what’s that sound…CRAP! The flyover!

(Rob quickly pulls out his camera and snaps a quick shot)

Did you get it?

Yeah but it’s not that good from way back here.

Dang.

KA-BOOM! Beautiful over the lake!!!!!

Kids are in bed…We should have a drink

“OH, pa-too-ee!” No we shouldn’t…that stuff tastes horrible!

Zzz…zzz…zzz…

Take that, Castle Rock!

Ally has JUST traded places with Rob. Go Jilly! 🙂

Proof that it is hot…and Miley is awesome.

Early birthday carrot cake wish…granted.

Hellooooo Moonridge Zoo!!!

SotheracoonsthatI’mgoingtobringoutinaminutearestillverysmallbutdon’tbefooledbytheirsizedoesanyoneknowwhy…”

No clue what he’s saying…

No image to go with the “tatonka”…but it WAS huge!

PS If you happen to be a card holding member of this fine zoo, you can get a cool 50% admission discount to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo in Indiana. (learn something new every day)

After our trip to the zoo, it was hard to hold Big Zabba back from a good margarita.

Every once and awhile Jilly updates the internet world…letting everyone know we were having a much better time than what they were!

OR

She’s looking at how cheap real estate is in Indiana, is secretly purchasing property for less than what she has in her PayPal account and is going to surprise us by moving the whole Bredow family next door!!!! COME OOOOOOOOOOON OPTION TWO!

KEN: NEED’N SOME SUNSCREEN BOSS?

I have two jokes for this picture…both inappropriate.

Two really white guys + a couple fun work days = one functioning fence/gate

“Hold still you guys!” Op…wait…it was just the earthquake.

Dad of the year shoving his youngest into the ring of a professional wrestling match…..

…or maybe Rob was teaching Ally how to knock down every pin while bowling!

If you enjoy going fast and can handle controlling a bike that is almost completely out of control. YOU WILL LOVE THE MOUNTAIN BIKING!!!!

And for those that chose not to go biking…we took a drive to see the beauty from the top of the mountain.

And what’s a better way to finish off the night, than HOMEMADE chocolate chip cookies? MMMMMM!

Is that my wife hand washing the dishes after baking homemade chocolate chip cookies?!?!? “Hell’s forecast, a bit on the chilly side dropping to 32 degrees this evening.”

The week long pool tournament comes to a head!!!

Last day “Gone swim’n.”

Who knows what lurks below the water’s surface. But I sure hope it would latch on and not let us leave Big Bear with the Bredows!!!

I got to go back up to the cabin again – this time with my mom and sister.  This was SUCH a treat for us since we’re all 3 together only once every three or so years.

Other than a short time reading and a movie, we spent the entire time talking – which was the whole plan.  We talked on the car ride up, in the cabin, on a walk by the lake, at dinner (my second time to Maggio’s which is GREAT), over breakfast, over lunch, and the car ride down.

Almost non-stop talking for 24 hours.

Any man’s worst nightmare!! =)

But we loved it.  And what a blessing to get to do all our talking in the lovely setting of this cabin and lake.

Thanks for this wonderful gift, B Family!!  Our times at Big Bear with you and with our family have really made this furlough sweet!

We just got back from a great night in the cabin.  Chris and I stayed last night there with my sister and her husband.  It was a great treat because we only get to see them every few years when we visit the states.  It was so nice to be able to have 24 hours of quality time together, sans kids.  =)

We tried to go to a restaurant we’d gone to with the Bredows, but it was closed.  We hunted around and ended up at Maggio’s, by Vons.  It was GREAT!!  Completely packed and for good reason.  Great Italian food.  I got a Teriyaki  Chicken Calzone which was wonderful.

We then went to Stater’s and got ingredients to make pizookies.  This helped meet my sugar quota.  And I am proud to report that I did not eat ONE SINGLE chocolate chip out of the Bredow pantry, though I was sorely, sorely tempted.  I peeked at them several times, but that’s as close as I got.

Those chocolate chips just look so LONELY in there.

My BIL, Chris, (who is unoriginal enough to have copied my husband’s name) taught us how to play SCRAPS with the pool table.  It is a fun way to end up with frozen appendages have a merry time with your friends at the pool table – even if you don’t know how to play pool.  =)

I don’t have a lot of edge-of-your-seat adventure photos to share.  Mostly because all we wanted to do was hang out.  And eat and sleep and read.  (Though I missed the walking & talking we did by the lake with you Bredows – that was a big highlight for me!  But it was too cold this time for that.  Or we were too lazy.  Probably a little bit of both!)

Oh!  We did watch “Inception.”  Part of me really enjoyed it.  And part of me feels it should be illegal to make someone think that much during a movie.

We had a wonderful time.  Getting to stay in such a beautiful place was a sweet, sweet gift from a very thoughtful family.   Thanks, Bredows, for your generosity in offering your Big Bear home to us for this time!

Our kids had ski week the week of Feb 21, and the Bredows graciously let us stay in their house the entire week.  What a treat!  We had been wanting to get our kids in the snow for more than a one day adventure, and the house was perfect for an extended stay.  God also blessed us with over 2 feet of snow 2 days before we arrived, and another 2 feet of snow while we were there!  We were able to do some skiing, sledding, snowman building, icicle admiring, game playing, and just relaxing.  It was an awesome and memorable week! 

When we got there, the first thing the kids wanted to to do was to play in the snow and with the icicles!

 Then it was off to do some serious sledding….
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Today we had the best piece of pie. I cannot stress enough how delicious it was. Save room people and head over to The Teddy Bear Restaurant in the Village and get yourself a piece of Boysenberry Pie, a la mode. You will not be sorry.