heavenly 80's new year

In celebration of the new year, Derek and I organized a mini Tahoe getaway for 4 days and 3 nights. Three other couples joined us for the long weekend at a cabin near Heavenly. The rental was amazing! Flat screen TV's in every room, a huge kitchen and living room, fireplace and hot tub in the backyard. It took us several tries to get the hot tub working but we eventually got it going...thank god.

We arrived on a Thursday evening and hit up the Heavenly Stagecoach/Boulder slopes the next morning. It had been probably 9 years since I've last snowboarded. Getting off the ski lift on a snowboard is absolutely terrifying to me. I clinched onto Derek with my life every time we exited the lift. I was able to pick it right back up again and make it down the bunny slopes without killing myself or anyone around me. I think the hardest part was forcing my body to carry on despite the fact that it was 1 degree outside and the wind chill was almost heart stopping. By the time 2-3 hours passed, I was ready to go home and jump into the hot tub. I'm clearly a warm weather person, hence why I chose to live and go to school in desert climate. Tahoe in the winter is quite a change from Sayulita, Mexico (this was the first time in 3 years I hadn't been in Mexico for the new year).

Later in the evening most of us were sore and exhausted from skiing (or in my case, falling) all day. We managed to rally for the big night and celebrate 2011 the best way possible: 80's style. Derek and I dressed up as Saved by the Bell's AC Slater and Jesse Spano, while others collaborated in 80's ski gear and jazzercise spandex. Random costumes always seem to make a party more interesting. We played a lot of Kings cup, beer pong, thumpers, charades, and even tuned into CNN at midnight to watch the ball drop. We joked about how officially "old" we are now that most of us would prefer to watch CNN at midnight than go out and get wild at the South lake casinos. What can I say? It was 1 degree outside and snowing. I think we made the right decision staying in.

On New Years day we woke up to find that it had snowed more than 14 inches over night. Erik's car was completely buried and so was the hot tub. We spent a majority of the day inside being lazy and hungover, watching the bowl games and cooking Mexican food. I watched it snow from indoors all day long and it was absolutely beautiful. I'm not sure I could live permanently in such weather but it is quite a breathtaking sight to see from the comfort of the couch ;)

Happy New Year to you all. Cher/Lee and Liz/Rob, we missed you very much!

Our cabin living room.

Derek and I hangin out on the couch after the long drive in.

Riding the ski lift at Heavenly.

View from the lift.

Jenna and I taking a much needed break. I look somewhat like a terrorist in that ski gear...

Relaxing in the hot tub, we all have sore muscles.

Jen and Erik (right) borrowed Cher's parents old ski gear for the occasion. Those jackets are awesome!

Serious photo shoot by the fire.

Arin/Adam (left) hangin in the kitchen. Jenna/Chris (right) taking pics with the iPhone.

Workin it for the camera man.

Risky business.

All the ladies.

We set the camera to auto-timer at midnight and this is what we got...wow.

Jen's amazing 5-8 layer dip + beer. Does it get any better than this?

Cooking shrimp taco's.

Derek and Arin cooking the meat for our "Mexican night" fiesta on New Years day.

Derek and Adam breaking icicles off the side of the house. Derek's was almost 4 feet long.

Our sad trip back to reality...bye bye Tahoe, it was fun!