Last Ski Day

We are heading out on a trip during Spring Break next week, so we made plans to go skiing today, cause it might be our last time. We've used up our two days at Snowbird, Snowbasin, and Alta, and this was our third day at Alta and we had such a great day! A pic with goggles off - ahh! So bright!

Abi had GMS so she didn't come (and didn't seem to be sad about it - I don't think she wanted to ski) and Sophi stayed home with an upset stomach, and Daniel, Peter, and Katharine stayed back with my kind neighbor Caroline, who offered to watch them for us! I was excited that we could actually ski without having to tag team staying with Katharine or Peter. I'll talk more about Caroline in a sec. For the parenting trial, Natalie and Lily both played the reluctant participant role today, since the toddlers were gone. But they did great, esp after I threw out an ice cream bribe for Natalie. That pic at the top was on our last run at the top of the Sugarloaf lift. Here are Wes, Mel and Corey standing in line - 

It was super fun. I listened to "Take On Me" for the first half of the day, and then "Venus" by Bananarama on repeat for the second half. I tried shuffling through the other songs I put on my Skiing playlist, but I kept skipping the songs that didn't fit my mood, and that was a big trial (haha) to have to take off my gloves and squeeze my fingers in past my helmet to try and click the earbud, such big trials, so I eventually just decided to single repeat the one that I knew worked with the feeling. And it was so fun. One cool thing - you know that steep hill at the top of Collins? I wasn't able to do it two years ago, but I did it today no problem! I wasn't afraid! And I did it first try, straight down, french fry skis, super fast, woo-hoo! I have gotten better at skiing, yay.

So that was what we did today and it was awesome. The kids at home all had a great time at the neighbors, they didn't even miss us. Abi went and got Katharine after she got home from GMS. I think she saw it as her opportunity to have Katharine bond with her, since usually K rejects her, but with no other options, K went to Abi just fine. 

So yesterday, Caroline and I picked up her two girls and Daniel straight from school and we went up to Alta for them to try out skiing for the first time. They used our skis and boots to try skiing on the Snowpine lift.

It was hard of course, as it always is your first time on skis, but they did great. There were a few melt downs and tears shed by all, but by the end they of the day they were asking for more. Daniel did great holding in his #1. On the last run, I took him over to the lodge for that - walking back up to the car cause the lift was closed - 

I left Caroline on her own to get on the chairlift, and her little Millie almost fell off as they were getting on it. In Caroline's attempt to save Millie, she dropped her ski pole and had to hike back down the mountain to get it. So it was fun but was also a proper taste of all the work it takes to get ready, to ski, and face all the problems that come with skiing with kids! It's so good for kids though, to know that they can do hard things. We love skiing.

So that was a win-win swap. I had another win-win swap this week. On Wednesday afternoon I went over to my sister Beka's house to help her with something, and then today she came over for three hours and freaking cleaned more than half of my basement with me! 

Two vacuums and four hands can do miracles! 

We've got one more week before we leave for DC to get this place tidied up for my sister Camilla when she comes this next Wednesday night. She and her boyfriend Steve arrive at 10:30, we'll all hang out and have fun on Thurs, and then we'll be leaving on Friday after school. She and Steve are going to visit some temples and see things in Utah, and this trip was for Steve to come out and meet the family. :) It will be fun to hang out with all my siblings. And thank you Beka so much for coming to help me clean! And now I gotta get ready to lead the lesson tomorrow... I don't think I can get away from K again tonight, so I'm going to get up early to collect my thoughts. G'night.