For the past several years, either virtually or IRL, we’ve spent New Year’s Eve with some friends who have wonderful twin boys, and we always have a blast! This year was no exception because, thanks to their great idea, we got SNOW – without having to leave LA.

The girls were thrilled. In fact, Zoe swears she wants to live somewhere with “all 4 seasons” (which is code for “where there is snow”) when she grows up. Further proof that we all want whatever we don’t have. I’ll stick with a warm and sunny LA winter any day. But back to NYE.

The adventure began with a beautiful drive on Angeles Crest Highway, a stunning scenic drive through the mountains that did not disappoint. Though I know you’ve come here for the cute kid pictures, I promise I’ll get there shortly. In the meantime, enjoy the view on the way up:

We found a spot that our friends had been to before, where there were inclines for sledding and space for snow building. In fact, someone before us has crafted a snow castle, which Ella really loved.

The snow was quite deep, but there was a short trail blazed by other sleds before us where Bart and Ella took their first run:

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Clearly, that’s a seasoned professional sledder at work, providing weight, air and guidance down the hill. But Ella really really really wanted to sled with Zoe. Remove the dad from the equation, and you get this:

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The thumbnail photo on that video alone cracks me up. Bumpy ride down or no, nothing stopped these girls from tromping around and slip-sliding in the snow. And eating it.

We had some light snowball fights, though never start a snowball fight with two Boy Scouts. I found a good spot shielded by a droopy tree, which is the only reason I wasn’t covered in snow. But nothing beats my favorite snowball fight of all time, from 8 years ago:

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Look at that arm! Hard to believe that’s the same child in the Emotionally Exhausted hat.

What a great way to end another challenging year! Surrounded by friends, enjoying a brief fun-filled time in the snow, and sharing a socially-distanced outdoor dinner before kissing this year good-bye. None of us Johnsons made it to midnight, though I had the brilliant idea of all watching the ball drop from our bed when we got home at 10 pm.

I think I fell asleep first, then woke at 12:25 am with Zoe having left the bed for the comfort of her own room, and Ella lying perpendicular between me and Bart, kicking him. They both slept through that, but I decided to take her to bed anyway, to avoid being the target of those kicks later.

And so another year has flown by, a weird one but not without its highlights, and thankfully ending with healthy friends and family, for which we are all grateful. May 2022 be better for us all, and who knows, I might find a way to blog on a more regular basis. Or not. We shall see. Happy New Year!