Packing, Sunshine and a New Dog Trainer

Two of our major priorities the last couple weeks have been getting Jackson and his anxiety under control and preparing for our trip to Europe this summer. We have mixed in a few fun activities the last few days to enjoy the unbelievably gorgeous weather, too! Last week we had Katie, a dog trainer from …

Ski Trip in Leavenworth with Alex’s Parents

After my parents’ repeat visits it was time to welcome Alex’s parents for their spring visit to Seattle. Donna and Stan came out to spend some time with us last weekend. They arrived on Friday morning and we had a quick lunch at the Hi Spot before we packed up the SUV and hit the …

Visitors, Red Cow and a Promotion!

My dad and brother came for a visit back in mid-February and somehow when my dad bought their plane tickets he accidentally selected a return date of March 18th instead of February 18th. That meant that my dad still had a plane ticket on March 18th, so he decided to come out to see us again instead …

Rainy Ski Weekend in the Mountains

The last two weeks have flown by so fast that I have not kept up with what’s been happening around here. I’m working on catching up, so stay tuned for an update on what has been going on and keeping me away from the computer. Let’s rewind to Thursday March 6th and pick up where …

Fred & John’s Trip to Washington

My brother and father were out visiting for a long weekend to hang out in the mountains and to spend some time with us in Seattle. They sure picked a great weekend to come skiing! In the four days they were here, Crystal Mountain received over 5.5 feet of snow!! Needless to say, we had …

Powder, Wine and New Slippers

It’s been a slightly quieter week here in the Allen household. We have been busy planning and preparing for my dad and brother to come visit us this weekend and somehow it is Wednesday evening now. The snow forecast is shaping up quite nicely for their ski trip so we’re really looking forward to their …

Back Country Adventures

For a few years now Alex has wanted to explore a part of Crystal Mountain called “Southback” that we had never ventured out to. Southback {aka “South Back Country”} is an out of bounds, but avalanche controlled, part of the ski resort we call our home mountain. The area is massive, large enough to be …

This Week’s Happenings

It hasn’t felt like a particularly busy last few weeks but I guess things are happening and making time fly by, as per usual. Here are the happenings around the Allen household this week: Alex enjoyed a ski tour with Carrie and Patrick last weekend. They skinned up a trail somewhere near Stevens Pass, took …

Bryan & Sarah’s Trip to Seattle

Alex’s cousin Bryan and his bride to-be, Sarah, just came out to Seattle for a long weekend visit us. Alex and I went to college with Bryan at Iowa State, so I know him quite well. It was a treat to get a chance to spend some time with Sarah since the two of them …

Start of the Washington Ski Season

The weather in Washington has been awfully dry this winter which means it hasn’t snowed much in our Cascade mountains. This is quite disappointing for the skiers here! Our ski season started with two days in Breckenridge over Thanksgiving, and thankfully yesterday marked the end of our dry streak. Usually our ski season starts in …