Snow Days & Family Ways
Snow does something to our family.
Down here in the South, winter is more of an idea than a season. We’ll get a cold snap, maybe a little frost on the grass, and then it’s back to normal. So when we talk about “winter,” we’re really talking about a feeling… the kind you only get when the world turns quiet, white, and brand new.
That’s why this trip to Mont-Tremblant meant so much.
For years, Courtney and I have had this dream of renting a big house where her whole family could come together and we could spend a real holiday week under one roof. Not a quick visit. Not a couple dinners squeezed between work days. A full-on, slow, together winter week.
So we finally pulled the trigger.
We went up for ten days, and while it turned into more of an “extended family weekend” (because that’s reality with a large family, jobs, winter weather and kids!) . Somehow we still hit the jackpot in every way. Tremblant dumped snow like it was trying to prove a point. The kind of snow you see in movies. The kind that makes the boys sprint outside the second they wake up, still in pajamas, like they’re late for the most important meeting of their lives.
And if I’m being honest… I’m right there with them.
I’m a little kid when it comes to snow. Always have been. I don’t need much. Give me a pile of fresh powder and a couple of boys who want to tackle me into it and I’m set.
Meanwhile, Courtney is basically a winter athlete.
She looks like she belongs there. Calm, capable, moving through the cold like it’s her natural habitat. I’m out there grinning like an idiot, falling over, laughing, and pretending I know what I’m doing.
The house was loud in the best way.
Kids running everywhere. Boots and gloves piled by the door. Hot coffee in the mornings. Everyone bundled up, then everyone thawing out, then everyone going back out again. Just this steady rhythm of family life that we don’t get enough of in normal routines.
But the part that really landed for me wasn’t just the snow.
It was watching our boys with their Canadian grandparents and cousins.
There’s something deeply grounding about that. It’s not a “nice to have.” It’s not a cute photo op. It’s one of the most important things in the world. Those relationships matter. That time together matters. It’s identity. It’s roots. It’s the kind of connection that kids carry with them forever, even if they don’t have the words for it yet.
This is the good stuff.
When we left, we had two takeaways that felt crystal clear:
First… we love the snow. Like, genuinely. Not “this is fun for a week.” More like “we want winter in our lives.”
Second… getting our boys consistent time with Courtney’s family is non-negotiable. The older they get, the faster time moves. And when we see them fully immersed with their grandparents and cousins, it just reinforces what we already know.
Mont-Tremblant gave us snow, yes.
But more than that, it gave us exactly what we were hoping for… a house full of family, a bunch of kids making memories, and that feeling that life is supposed to be lived together, on purpose.
We’ll be back.
Want to see more of our family adventures? We’re just getting started.
