All Good Things Must End...Pt. 4

I think I owe all of you an apology. You see, today, I don't have one solitary story of how I made a complete fool of myself on the slopes. No, those days are gone...for now, anyway! I'm so sorry to disappoint you! However, I do have lots of pictures to share with you on our final day in Vail and some of the surrounding towns. Hope you enjoy them, though I'm sure it won't be nearly as fun as reading about all of my "skiing antics". LOL!

On Wednesday morning, we decided to drive over to Avon, CO. for breakfast at Denny's. That was the best bargain we found during our entire stay and the food was so good! Once we finished, we drove over to Beaver Creek, which is another ski town with some fun shops. This is the view we had on our way.
When we got there, we did some walking around and browsing in all the shops. Abby, of course, couldn't resist striking a pose by this statue of an ice skater.
Here's a few pictures of the girls...and me!

This car was built completely out of Lego's! Neatest thing I've ever seen! The creator must have been a genius! Can you imagine the time and patience that must have taken?
After we left Beaver Creek, we headed south towards Frisco and Breckenridge. Check out this breathtaking view!
We're entering Frisco...it was the quaintest little town at the foothill of the mountains.
In Breckenridge, we found this building named after Abby. :) Bet you didn't know she was famous!
Once we got back to Vail, we decided to ride the gondola to the top of the mountain. See that mountain the girls are looking at? That's the one that Chris said was a green slope on our last day of skiing, but Abby and I decided to bail after suffering a few falls. I'm so glad we did...Brittany said it was pretty scary to ski down!
The view from the very top...it was SO windy and COLD!
Pictures of the girls taken at the same location...
Abby being her silly self in Vail Village...
Here's a couple of views we had when we left for the Denver airport bright and early on Thursday morning. Oh, the handiwork of God! I have probably said this a thousand times over, but this was truly one of our best trips ever! As we were going to the airport, I asked the girls what their favorite memory of the entire trip was. Brittany said, "It would have to be watching you fall down all those times, Mom...that was SO hilarious!" Abby said, "It was definitely when you fell down on the conveyor belt at Gopher Hill!" Hmm...I think there's a common theme going on...mom + falling=laughter. You know what, I think that's something they'll always remember and, for that, I'm very grateful! I hope they remember me as a mom who sought to have fun, no matter the cost!

For me, my favorite part of our trip was simply being together...I cherish those moments more and more all the time. Brittany made a comment that, next year, she wants to go to the beach with a bunch of her girlfriends. I recall feeling that same way when I was her age. However, I'm a mother now, and hearing that does make me sad because I know that all too soon, times like we just shared will be a thing of the past. So, for now, I choose to seize every opportunity I'm given to let loose and have fun with my girls. Making memories...to me, that's what matters! I'm holding on as tightly as I can!

"Life gives us brief moments with another...but, sometimes, in those brief moments, we get memories that last a lifetime."~Author unknown

What Goes Up Must Come DOWN...Pt.3

Well, after our first, and somewhat disastrous day of skiing, it would have been very easy for Abby and me to just toss in the towel and say, "No more!" But, we're not quitters...OH, NO! We take on a challenge full force and stare fear right in the face! So, even though we woke up on Tuesday morning battered and bruised (mainly our egos!), we both knew we had mountains to conquer!

After talking things over with Chris, I made the executive decision for Abby and I to head to the "newbie peak"...GOPHER HILL! Yes, you read that correctly...GOPHER HILL! We all made our way over on the shuttle bus. We got off with a renewed sense of determination. We popped our skis on and off we went to learn the sport, one baby step at a time!

Now, GOPHER HILL, I must confess, was overrun with about 20 little 3-4 year old kids who were, also, learning to ski. Precious, I know, but let me tell you that I was very intimidated by them! They were all skiing beautifully without any poles! I couldn't believe my eyes! Oh, was I going to have to show them a thing or two...never mind that I was the only adult around, other than the ski instructor. Abby and I hopped on the conveyor belt to take us to the top and, miracle of miracles, neither one of us fell...YET! You got it...as soon as I made the turn to head down the hill, I went SPLAT! Oh, it was an ugly fall...and so were the 4 or 5 times right after that! I really think those little kids were snickering at me, too! Abby fell down once or twice, but she's a kid, so it wasn't as noticeable.

Abby and I spent a good part of the morning going up and down GOPHER HILL, which happened to be directly under a ski lift, so everybody could watch. Lucky me! Abby and I were about to hop on the conveyor belt when a little girl fell down on it right in front of me. I made the comment to Abby that I was SO glad that hadn't happened to me. The poor thing had to crawl on her hands and knees to get off of it! Well, as I was getting ready to get on the conveyor belt, I was giving Abby a speech about how we needed to believe in ourselves and that I had full confidence that we'd get the hang of things. Onto the conveyor belt I stepped. I lost my balance and down I went on all fours! I had to scramble around and crawl off the moving belt on my hands and knees! Now, I know how that little girl must have felt! I turned around to look at Abby and she was laughing uncontrollably! She said, "Mom, that was the funniest thing EVER!" I'm so glad I can provide some great entertainment for my family! LOL!

Here's Abby going down GOPHER HILL...
And Brittany saying, "I really hope some cute snowboarding dudes don't see me on GOPHER HILL!" Oh, yeah, she was way too cool for that!

After practicing on our skills for awhile, we decided to head to the nearest lodge for lunch...BIG MISTAKE! Chris and I both had ham and cheese sandwiches, Brittany had a chicken salad sandwich, and Abby had plain chicken salad. Would you believe that cost us a whopping $45? We about fell over! The sandwiches weren't even edible...the bread was very hard and dried out. Big bummer!

Once we finished with lunch, Abby and I decided to go down GOPHER HILL a few more times. We were finally getting the knack of it! So, onto the ski lift we went and headed up to 11,000 ft. elevation!

We got stuck on the ski lift for about 20 mins. or so. Here's a picture Chris snapped of us as we were waiting to start moving, again. I'm on the left...the one whose skis are spread apart. Hey, I was trying to prepare myself for what lay ahead!


We, soon, reached the mountaintop and it was time to off-load. Well, I did scoot to the edge of my seat, but my feet went out from under me and KERPLUNK...down I went! The chair grazed my head! I caused a chain reaction and 3 PROFESSIONAL snowboarders behind me hit the ground, too! Yes, the ski lift had to be shut down, again, so that I could crawl my way to safety! I was so embarrassed! When I, finally, got on my feet, I looked around to find 5 grown men laughing hysterically at me! Yes, Chris was one of them! I just laughed along with them...what else could I do?

Here we are at the very top of the mountain...talk about a LONG way down! Abby and I were both afraid we were going to slide off the cliff!

Chris went over to look at the map of all the slopes and saw that a green slope was just off to the right from where we were standing. So, he and Brittany led the way...Abby and I followed. We stood at the top and looked down and it was pretty steep. However, I didn't want to let Chris down, so I mushed onward...against my better judgement. Abby was right behind me. We both fell down about 3 times. After the third fall, Abby and I looked at each other and decided that we didn't feel confident enough with our skiing abilities to venture further down the hill. So, I waved to Chris and told him to come up. He and Brittany took off their skis and walked up to meet us. Abby and I took our skis off and we walked back to the ski lift that we'd just gotten off. We explained to the operator what was going on and he said we could ride the lift back down. Those words were music to my ears...trust me! Abby and I hopped on and Chris and Brittany decided to ski down to the bottom to meet us. Chris called riding down on the ski lift the "RIDE OF SHAME". Oh, I understand why...Abby and I were the only "loser pants" on it going down...everyone was going UP! They all stared at us, too...some even pointed! LOL!

We got to a section of the lift where we had to off-load and ski to another one. You got it...down I went, AGAIN! Yes, they had to shut the ski lift down another time. See? I think I was beginning to get a reputation around town! :) However, when we made it to the bottom of the slopes and off-loaded...I didn't fall! Woo hoo! Abby looked at me and said with such seriousness, "Mom, I am so proud of you!", as if I'd accomplished some great feat! Well, now that I think about it, I did!

After we made it back and ate dinner, we all went for a walk in a neighborhood behind our hotel. Here's a little bungalow I'd love to call my own...up for sale for a measly $3 million! I guess that's how the "other half" lives! Here's the girls being their usual wacky selves... Chris and Brittany on the elevator. I think they were telling secrets about Abby and me being 'loser pants". STINKERS!So, that wraps up our second day of skiing. Our third day was spent mostly on sightseeing in some of the surrounding areas, which I'll be sharing about tomorrow. A couple of days of skiing was plenty for all of us...we were all feeling a little on the stiff side. Hope to see you back tomorrow! You can quit laughing now, by the way! LOL!

"If you are never scared, embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take chances."~Julia Soul

My Fears Came True...Pt. 2

I'm sure you all have been waiting with baited breath to learn the "rest of the story" in regards to our ski trip. LOL! Well, buckle your seat belts and get ready for the ride of your life!

On Monday morning, we all got up fairly early to eat a quick breakfast before hitting the slopes. I must admit that I didn't sleep too well the night before...I think I was having an anxiety attack being that I had NEVER been snow skiing before. I replayed all sorts of scenarios over in my mind...they weren't pretty! Of course, Chris made me feel at ease with my "newbie" skills after giving me one of his pep talks. He just made everything sound, oh, so easy.

We made our way to the ski shop downstairs where we'd stored our ski boots, skis, and poles. Getting the boots on my feet was no easy task...then, to walk in them!. Oh, they killed my shins! I sucked it up like a champ, though, and went about my merry way. I mentioned to Chris that it would probably be advisable for him to take us to a flat area by the ski lift so that we could try and maneuver around for a few minutes. We did just that and didn't have any problem. I was feeling really confident about the whole deal!

Well, the moment arrived that I'd been dreading...getting on the ski lift! Chris and Brittany hopped on the chair two seats ahead of Abby and me. It was a close call, but I made it on without any major catastrophe. That chair did swing around every bit as fast as Chris had told me it would. You had to be ready, with your bottom pushed out, to sit down and go!

Once we got scooped up, we were off to what looked to be like the top of Mt. Everest! I kid you not, it was a straight shot UP! It took my breath away, but the scenery was so gorgeous that I didn't really pay much attention to exactly where we were headed. Here I am with Abby on the ski lift...don't we look happy? "Yippee", we're saying...this is going to be FUN!
And here's a picture Chris took of Brittany as they were riding up the lift...
Now, Chris had given us precise instructions about how to off-load the ski lift smoothly. He explained that when we got ready to get off of it, we needed to scoot to the edge of our seats and just step off with our skis. No problemo! So, I watched closely as Brittany and Chris off-loaded and skied away. Well, when it came time for Abby and me to make our move, we, apparently, didn't scoot far enough and ended up jumping off the moving ski lift about three feet above the ground! We went KERPLUCK right underneath the lift and they had to shut it down! My legs were somehow folded up underneath me. I attempted to crawl away, but had absolutely no traction, whatsoever. So, the operator of the ski lift had to come over and drag me up off the ground! I was completely mortified! Thankfully, Chris had already gotten Abby back up on her feet. All I could do was laugh hysterically...it was about the funniest thing ever, all embarrassment aside!

See? Abby and I both look pretty composed after suffering our ski lift mishap...Chris took the girls and me to a green (beginner's) slope, which was fairly tame. Yes, both Abby and I fell down time and time, again! It got so bad, in fact, that Chris worked up a fierce sweat because he was having to pick us up every 5 seconds or so. Neither one of us could find our sense of balance. Brittany, on the other hand, looked like she'd been skiing her entire life! I've never seen anything like it!

We, somehow, made it down the slope after A LOT of falls, which was nothing short of a miracle! Chris told us that in order to get to a different green slope, we had to ski down a hill to get to another ski lift. Now, that hill may not have looked like much to him, but it was huge in my eyes. Abby and I, basically, snowplowed the whole way down...neither one of us fell, however. Woo hoo! Maybe we were finally getting the hang of it! Well, we had to cross another section that was a bit steeper. Chris and Brittany went first and did great. I followed next and fell down about 4 times...the last time I came down hard on my knee and, yes, I shed some crocodile tears! It hurt like crazy! However, I managed to get up and make my way back up on my skis. About that time, Abby went by me and fell down. She started crying hysterically saying that it hurt behind her knee! Just a second or two later, the ski patrol came by to find out what had happened and summoned a medic. Long story short, Abby rode down to the bottom of the mountain in a sled pulled by the ski patrol; Chris skied alongside her. Brittany and I got transported to a gondola by a snowmobile. There was no way I was going to attempt to ski down to the bottom of the mountain...that could have taken days!

Abby went to the hospital in Vail. Here's a picture of the patient herself!
They ended up not running any x-rays because Abby determined that her knee felt a lot better. That, of course, came after they showed her a pair of big bloomers she was going to have to wear during the x-rays! LOL!

Chris and Brittany ended up going back on the slopes that afternoon. Abby and I rested for awhile, then we took a shuttle to Vail Village for a little shopping. We both felt the soreness in our knees, hips, shoulders...just about every part of our bodies! Thankfully, we had survived (barely!) our first day of skiing...but, what would the next day hold for us?

Be sure to come back tomorrow...it gets BETTER!

"If you aren't crashing, you aren't skiing."~Author Unknown

Made It Back No Worse For Wear...Or Not? Pt. 1

Hello, again! Well, we made it back home last night from our 4-day ski trip to Vail, Colorado. Oh, do I have some stories to tell! I've decided the best way to do it is break it down day-by-day. So, today, I'll be telling you about our arrival in Vail on Sunday, April 5th.

We got up very early in order to leave for the airport by 6 AM. Chris always likes to be precise on time, which is often next to impossible with three girls in the house! Needless to say, we made it out the door with no major incident...thankfully! Our flight went well and we arrived in Denver, CO. around 10 AM.

After we gathered up our luggage and got our rental car, we found a place to eat lunch. We decided on buffalo wings and they were SO good! They even served Texas sweet tea, which I guess is their version of southern sweet tea. Not too bad, I must say! Once we ate lunch, we headed to a local ski shop where we rented our ski equipment. Abby tried on a pair of ski boots, first. I guess I had no idea how big and bulky those things were, but the very sight of her feet in them got me so tickled, then Brittany followed suit, of course! The three of us were laughing hysterically! She looked like a little astronaut...we all did! It was the funniest thing! Then, of course, to try and walk in them was a feat in and of itself!

Once we got what we needed, we hit the road for Vail. It was about an hour and a half drive up into the mountains and it was GORGEOUS! We were "oohing and aahing" the entire time! Here's the view we had as soon as we left the ski shop... We spotted some big horn sheep on the side of the interstate...
This is the road that led to our hotel. Just look at that scenery!
Once we got closer, it began snowing heavily and the roads got covered very quickly. I've never been in a snowstorm quite like that before!
As soon as we got checked into our room, we had to walk outside and play in the snow for a little bit...it was FREEZING cold! Chris couldn't resist pelting Brittany with a snowball!
Here I am with the girls trying to appear "warm", but I was shivering in my shoes...literally!
Sisterly love... A beautiful stream that ran along the backside of our hotel...

Standing in Vail Village, which is a wonderful alpine shopping area at the bottom of the ski slopes...

So, that pretty much sums up our first day in Vail. My next post will be about our second day...DAY 1 of skiing. That's when the REAL fun began! Trust me, you don't want to miss it! :)

With today being Good Friday and Sunday being Easter, I'll put off Part 2 of my story until Monday or Tuesday of next week. I'll do my very best to visit all of you this weekend as soon as I get caught up on my mountain of laundry! I've missed you guys!

Have a blessed Easter, everyone!

"To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there."~Barbara Bush

Bad To The Bone...NOT!

Yay! I'm so excited that it's time for "Wordful Wednesday" with Angie over at 7 Clown Circus! As you probably know by now, I'm never at a loss for words, particularly when it comes to sharing some of my photos. Be sure to pay Angie and the other participants a visit and see which photos everyone is sharing today! It will be worth your time, I promise!

Now, this is a picture that Chris and I had made a few years ago when we went to Vail, Colorado with his former company. We'd all gone to a local ranch for dinner one evening and they had an area set up where you could put on different costumes and have your picture taken. We were a bit reluctant, at first, because it was out in the open where EVERYONE could watch you make a fool of yourself. We had some friends convince us to do it after they had their picture made. So, this is what we came up with...a Civil War photo. Now, to me, Chris looks the part...straight out of the history books! I, on the other hand, look like some sort of "floozie", as my mom would say. Did women wear boas back in that era? :) Don't you just love the lack of expression on my face? Everybody was standing around trying hard to make us laugh, so I had to put my serious face on to keep from cracking up. It didn't really help because I kept giggling and the photographer would have to stop and start all over, again. I think she got pretty irritated with me, but it was all in good fun!

"Carry laughter with you wherever you go."~Hugh Sidey

P.S. Brittany ran in a track meet yesterday that was a make-up for one they'd cancelled a few weeks ago. She did so well, placing 2nd in the 1600m with a personal best time of 5:40! It was a huge confidence booster...I knew she could do it! What's more is that she beat her best friend by 9 secs. She holds the school record (5:32) for the 1600m. Woo Hoo!

How Do I Spell L-O-V-E?

Suzanne over at Coloradolady is hosting a photography meme each Wednesday for the month of February, so I thought I'd participate! Each person is supposed to post a photo(s) that tells a story and represents what they think about love.

Well, my girls definitely make me think of LOVE! This picture was taken on Mother's Day about 2 years ago when we took a trip to the north Georgia mountains for a picnic and some hiking. The girls planted a big kiss on me when we had stopped by a stream for lunch! I just LOVE this picture!
I LOVE the outdoors and spending time with my hubby! Here we are with some friends that we met through Chris' former employer. We took a company trip to Vail, CO. a few summers ago and we went on a bike tour down a very steep mountain! We were flying...and we weren't wearing helmets. Not smart, I know! Oh, to feel the breeze blowing in my hair was amazing! We stopped by the road to take this picture. I LOVE the mountains and the clean air...so refreshing!

I LOVE to see my girls having fun together and acting silly! I had them out in the backyard a year or so ago and attempted to take some nice photos of them. Of course, as you can see, they seized the moment to ham it up in front of the camera! Never a dull moment...but, I wouldn't have it any other way!
I LOVE music and my brother, Kevin, taught me how to really appreciate it...especially classic rock. Here he is doing one of the things that he loved best...playing the guitar. He never learned how to read music, but he taught himself to play simply by listening to a song and plucking out the chords until it all came together. He was diagnosed with cancer not long after this picture was taken. What I'd give to hear the sound of him playing his guitar just one more time!

I really must share with you the kind of night I had last night. The girls went to bed and I sat up watching TV and reading until about 10:15 PM. Well, just a few minutes after I turned off the lights, the electricity went out...our ceiling fan stopped, so that's how I knew. I got up and took a peek out our bedroom window and our entire neighborhood, as far as my eyes could see, was pitch black! It was extremely windy, so I'm sure that had something to do with it.

Well, as usual, when things go awry, Chris is out of town! So, I fumbled around in the bedroom trying to find my way to the door. Of course, Bella is hopping all over the floor thinking it's play time! I managed to find my way downstairs and open the basement door...I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, it's only a blown fuse (I know...it was wishful thinking on my part!). Well, I tried to turn on the basement light and NOTHING! Nada, zip, zilch!!! By this time, my feet are freezing and I'm beginning to worry about keeping warm through the night with the dropping temps!

I make my way back up to the bedroom and I hear a very loud chirping noise. I knew immediately that it was our downstairs smoke detector. A couple of weeks ago, it started chirping in the middle of the night...drove me bonkers! Chris got up the next morning and had to reset it. It caused the alarm to sound and it was loud enough to wake the dead!

I, finally, ended up calling Chris on my cell phone in a frenzy telling him I was afraid the girls and I wouldn't survive the cold winter's night without electricity. The temp dropped down to 16 degrees...I am no pioneer woman! I like the conveniences of modern-day life. I must admit, the panic mode had set in, which I think he found to be pretty hilarious. I explained to him the predicament I was in and told him about the smoke detector. He said for me to go down to the basement and find his flashlight and ladder. So, I grabbed my cell phone and held it so that it lighted my way. I found the flashlight and ladder and made it back upstairs. I called Chris, again, so he could walk me through everything. I told him that I got up on the ladder and there were two buttons on the smoke detector...which should I push? He told me to try the button that wasn't the test button, first. I did...and it wasn't even a button, just a little light that wasn't illuminating. I got back on the phone with him and he instructed me to push the test button and to be prepared for it to sound. Up on the ladder, again, I went and nervously pushed the button. I thought my eardrums were going to explode with that high frequency noise...OUCH! Sure enough, it woke Abby and she leaned over the upstairs banister and asked what was going on. I gave her a quick rundown and told her to head back to bed that Mom had everything under control! Yeah, sure!

I went back upstairs and walked in the bedroom and the electricity came back on! Thank the Good Lord! I called Chris back to tell him I had "fixed" everything, then crawled back into bed...it was 11:15 PM. I fell back to sleep and at about 1:00 AM, the electricity went off, again! I lay there hoping and praying it would come back on so I didn't have to get up and go through all of that, again! Sure enough, a few minutes later, it was back on! Of course, I didn't sleep much the rest of the morning because I was afraid my alarm didn't get reset correctly and it wouldn't go off. However, at 5:15 AM, it did and I wanted so badly to roll over and go back to sleep...I'm so pooped! Looks like today, I'm going to have to find a few minutes for a little catnap to get caught up from all the sleep I lost. It was a very LONG night! Poor pitiful me! :)

Anyhow, I hope your Wednesday is AWESOME...do something YOU love today! ♥