Skiing with the kids in Utah

We took the kids skiing while we were in Utah and we had so much fun. It is so nice to not have to drive at least 2 hours to the resort and to not have to pay a sitter for Elsie. Thanks, Gaylene! Ayla at the end was cold(it was in the single digits that day) and tired and had a little break down but she did great as did the older two. They are quite confident on the lift and the green runs and are getting a bit more skilled. Ayla has no fear and wants to keep up with everyone else. It was so great to spend the day with them. I was a little bit nervous about the kids on the lift and told them to hold very still and sit back all the way. It was a good thing I didn't know about the girl that fell off the lift and dropped 30 feet until the next day when I was only worrying about myself falling off. Brent thought it was funny to shake the lift and watch me freak out. It just doesn't seem safe to me. Especially when you are 100 feet off the ground hovering over large boulders by only a tiny little metal piece attached to a moving cable. When we were skiing the second day with Bryan, Allison and AJ I tried to get off the lift without using my poles like Brent told me to and I made quite the scene(NOTE: I haven't had a problem with the lift until now when he told me how to do it!) So I stuck the tip of my left ski in the landing platform so I was totally unable to get off the lift but it kept going. I was saying," Oh no, OH NO!" and then the next thing I knew I was thrown off the lift onto my right hip, HARD! Then I was saying , "OH NO, OH NO!" as the lift was attempting to take my head off. I ducked under it just in time and with barely any room to spare. Then I was sliding down the ramp, skis going everywhere as the operator stopped the lift and Brent jumped off as it started to go around and back down. We skied down the run and back to the lift to find it STILL Stopped. The first line fo 2 days was all caused because of me, or one could argue because of Brent! He should have left well enough alone in my opinion. It wasn't until we were driving home that Brent admitted that he had thrown me off the lift. He said I should thank him for saving me a trip to the hospital for a broken femur. So this is for Brent! Oh dear husband, thank you so so much for telling me how to properly get off the ski lift. I really owe you! Thank you so much for grabbing my coat by the shoulder and launching me onto the icy, hard snow bank, and for the sore hip that it caused. I don't know how to repay you! But don't you worry, I will find a way. And I better not forget to thank you for one of the most embarassing moments of my life because it will be a good story for a long time to come. It was so fun to wave at the people that were just about to get off the lift but couldn't because of the fun show I had given them. I wish now that I had taken a bow. But in all seriousness, I am grateful our trip wasn't ended by a trip to the hospital and a broken femur would not be fun, even if I could have claimed a pain level of 10(Brian Regan inside joke). Thanks, Brent, for loving me enough to throw me off the lift, to have the presence of mind to save my leg and most of all to not be too embarassed to be seen with me the rest of the day! I love you for that the most. It was such a fabulous day to be skiing down the beautiful mountain with you.

This picture is of Sienna helping Ayla reattach her bungie. It made me laugh to see how easily she got in and out of this position. She was so eager to help her sister. Hunter and Sienna were cheering Ayla on all day. Their devotion to her makes me smile.

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PF Changs

We went out to eat with my family on Saturday night, just the adults. Gena requested PF Changs and I was excited to eat there since Brent always vetoes it when I request it. Unfortunately for him, he had food poisoning from a burrito he had eaten at the Hunting Expo(His big deer was being displayed at the Mossback booth) so he couldn't eat anything and eventually our server brought him some gingerale. He looked pretty miserable and I felt so bad for him. He was a good sport throughout the night though. I had fun and enjoyed my yummy sweet and sour chicken so much that I made some to have again last night.

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Words of the Year

So thanks to my friend, Courtney, who posted a link to this article about choosing a word for how you want your year to look rather than New Year's resolutions. I had just talked to Brent about resolutions and we had the same discussion we have had for the last few years.

I always want to sit down and have a Family Home Evening lesson about Goals and Resolutions and have everyone pick one for each aspect of life: spiritual, intellectual, physical. And Brent always says something to the effect of, "I hate planning. I'm fine the way I am." and a bunch of other things to get a rile out of me. And of course he succeeds, since I LOVE planning. I LOVE lists and checking things off lists and the feeling of accomplishment I get when I have achieved a goal.

So... to get to the point. This article was a Godsend. It is just what I need this year in my efforts of late to let go of my many lists that are continuously growing and overwhelming me and it is great for Brent as well since he doesn't have to commit to a bunch of daily or monthly tasks that if are not fulfilled will then leave him frustrated. And as for the kids, how easy will it be for them to remember one word for the whole year. I love it.

So here are our words for 2011. We all chose them ourselves. Brent originally wanted him to have his word be Handsome, to which he said he had already fulfilled so I suggested he pick something else so he came back with "perfect". I said great. We gave Hunter a bit of guidance in thinking of what he needs to improve upon and Sienna I tried to have her think about being more openminded(opposite of stubborn) but she wouldn't have it! We suggested Truthful to Ayla and she wasn't interested. I am trying to let go and be less controling so since this is their thing I let them have their way. After all it is about them so it should be what they want, right. So this is what we ended up with.

Laurie: DELIGHT- I want to focus on the someones and somethings that bring Joy into my life and creating this blissful atmosphere in my home.

Brent: PATIENCE

Hunter: RESPECT

Sienna: JOYFUL

Ayla: FRIENDLY

Copper

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Copper mountain

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LOVE

I LOVE my family. I know, I know. Pretty much everyone feels this way about their own children, right? But for some reason I feel that MY love for MY children is extraordinarily different, somehow. More unique. More profound. More encompassing. MY love seems to resonate within me. Permeating from within my chest at times, and then expanding outward throughout my body until it seems almost tangible, in a real, grab hold of it kind of way. There are moments when I feel it so strongly that I wonder if others can sense the change that comes up inside of me. It brings tears to my eyes in these moments, and a giddy kind of laughter to my lips. And I wonder why am I so blessed, to have this feeling of immense love. And I realize that this feeling is unique, as unique as each of my children are, so is my love for them. As they continue to bud and grow, and change, so does my love for them. What a blessed, wonderful Journey we are each on in this life. May you all take hold of your unique and precious loved ones this Christmas and hold on tight, remembering the love you have for them right now in this most wonderful time of year! Merry Christmas to all of you that are so dear to us!

Thanksgiving

I wish I would have gotten my camera out at Brady's house so I could get some pictures of my family but for some reason I was caught up with the good food and conversation and did not think about it. Bummer.