Letters to Grandma: Ski Days ~

We went on our first family ski day Monday. I LOVE ski days. It is so refreshing to totally unplug, even if I'm not skiing. While hanging out with Max in the lodge, I was eavesdropping on a conversation between a man and the lodge owner about how the absence of wireless really made it difficult for the gentleman. He uses too much data on ski days. It saddened me and I hope to heck they don't add wireless service any time in the near future. Sitting in the lodge simply enjoying the silence of the day is too treasured!

The day was bluebird skies like none I have seen for a long time. Others at the hill were even commenting on the color of the sky against the white snow and crisp, green trees. It was magnificent. My heart longed to swoop down a couple runs, inhaling the frigid, sprucey air but I had made the decision to keep this ski trip simple and sit at home base for the kids to come and go...besides Grandma was there to ski with the kids. With the sun beating down and people running around in sweatshirts no one would have guessed the day began at a scant five degrees. Typical Montanans!

In the peace of the quiet lodge Max was all smiles relaxing in the sunny windows. I love those first little baby grins and would love to catch one on camera, but am soaking each one up, loving that they are pretty much just for me. Finally, on my eighth child I no longer care what people think of me seemingly talking to myself. Max and I visited all day long.

For some reason whenever we are at Disco Theresa is on my mind. She would have been all smiles and rosy cheeks on Monday! Watching the kiiddos love the snow so much makes me happy that they were able to learn to ski while T was still around to ski with them a bit.

Nickles finally "got it" this time. I signed him up for ski school and he had a guy instructor. This dude was am.a.zing. He had three little boys with him, managing to get them up the chairlift, off the chair and down the hill with no major mishaps. By noon, Nickles was rockin' out the bunny hill. It was hard watching at first when Nickles would fall. I wanted to run out and rescue him. It's all about learning to let them fly and he certainly didn't need rescuing. I thought about that letting-go-thing since Michaela wasn't with us. She had a chemistry class and had decided to remain at home. I knew if I leaned on her hard enough, she would choose to come skiing, but she had to make this small decision herself despite loving each and every run down a ski hill and decided she could not get behind on her class. It will feel kinda empty when she's gone next year, but certainly we'll be able to talk her into playing hooky a time or two!

I had forgotten that Nickles had decided to skip breakfast that morning so at lunch he was famished. He was barely chewing before swallowing as he scarfed his food down, tears brimming over, he was so hungry. And cheese fries were waiting! Another mother-of-the-year moment.

After a couple runs on the Magic Carpet,

Nickles was ready for the bunny hill