This year we had the opportunity to stay at the Firs Chalet at Mount Baker.   We arrived Monday afternoon and settled in.  This was interesting for us in that we had to bring sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, and towels.  Essentially it was like camping without cooking.  The food was good and I loved not having to cook or think about cooking.  Most of the other families had been attending this little gathering for years; like 15 to 20 years.  The kids all knew each other and my kids had a hard time breaking into the group.  It was a different situation for them.  At one point Lona was in tears.  I don't think that the others really thought about what they were doing but we discussed that only she was in charge of her happiness, others couldn't dictate how she felt.  Often times that is harder to carry out in reality.  During the days we skied and that was great.  I think they received a foot of snow each night.  I love to ski in powder.  I just wish I wasn't such a chicken.  We placed Job in a lesson, there was just some fine tuning for him to do on his snowboard.  Everything just came together for him with the lesson and now he boards pretty much anything we ask him to.  Isaac has been up to the hill the most out of all of us this year.  He loves it and each day he pushed himself more.  We rented poles for Lona the last day and it took 30 seconds of John showing her how to use her poles.  She would follow right behind John, turning in the tracks he turned in.  The last day she skied with a friend and followed her no matter what the run.  Lona skis black diamond and I didn't even try.  We have this little run that has some steep parts with tight corners and moguls.  We all call it "Lona's Happiness".  Although it isn't my happiness.  I borrowed a friends GoPro and now want one.  It is one amazing camera!  The highlight of the trip was the days spend skiing and the last night at the Firs, the kids built a snow cave.  I think it held 10 kids.  John and our friend Charlie were out with the kids.  John came in, grabbed a thermos full of hot chocolate and a bunch of little cups.  There they are all huddled in the cave drinking hot cocoa until 11:00 at night.