Massanutten Winter 2017

5 months later, we "vacation" at Massanutten Resort again...  Different cousins, different grandparent, and different season.  Much of the same stuff.

It was fun to reminisce about our first trip to Massanutten with the Thomas family.  Jen was pregnant with Heidi and we looked forward to the day we could take all the kids to the waterpark...

From

August 2013.
3 kids, 2 and under, Jason with some hair

To

Jan 2017
Independent Braylen going down waterslides solo

Just look at these "big" kids at the waterpark

Opening up the place is awesome,
except with 4 kids who are impatient

Go Heidi!  (and Aunt Jen)

Speaking of "big" kids... look at that hunk
of a husband of mine.  Everyone is getting
bigger and stronger!

An old pro at the waterpark this time

Someone is finding it hard to keep it together with no more naps

There were the same antics back at the rooms like last time... everyone beating up on Uncle Jason

2013

2017

And of course extra swimming sessions in the whirlpool tub

Goggles required

Actually, goggles were more of a fashion statement

When with Mema and the Thomas family, cards will be played and illnesses will circulate 

Such cute siblings plugging their noses

We had hoped Massanutten would have been a winter wonderland this time of year, but no luck.  The snow tubing scene wasn't what I hoped it would be, yet it was still a super fun time.  The forecast for the day we wanted to go snow tubing was for freezing rain, which ended up stopping shortly after we arrived.  The freezing conditions made the ramps fast.

The tubing crew.
Little Heidi wasn't tall enough this year, so she stayed
back at the rooms with Mema.

Getting all set for our first run

Many runs in

The kids wanted to go down alone, until they realized they could go faster and farther with the weight of the adults.  Only small children and parents were allowed to be tied together due to the fast, slippery conditions.   The kids were troopers for our 2 hour tubing session.

The dads being the heaviest, gave the best ride.  The kids were fighting over Uncle Matt.

Uncle Matt was the popular one in 2013 too

Mema shopped specifically for matching outfits for the kids to get a good group shot of the cousins...

The teeny-tiny girls in pink

The same-sized boy in blue

Heidi (2.99), Evie (5.5), Luke (5), Braylen (4)

I think we had better success when they wore superhero costumes

It is really enjoyable vacationing with cousins so close in age and height; they all played so happily together.  And best of all, no one ended up with the stomach bug on this vacation, so we'll call it a winner of a vacation!  This marks the end of the timeshare era for Mema; onto new vacation destinations in the future!