Snowbird

Mark had a conference at Snowbird over the weekend, so we decided to make a family overnighter out of it and take the girls skiing the next day.  Before dinner we went and checked out the Snowbird Center to see where we needed to drop the girls off for ski school the next day.

We've always wanted to try the pool and hot tub at the Cliff Lodge out in the freezing cold!  The water was obviously very warm.  Unfortunately it started snowing right before we headed out there, but the girls still had a ball.  Garrett spent the night at Grandma Susie's and he was so excited to get to her house to play that he didn't even want to swim!  Whaaat? I was surprised how much time the girls spent in the pool and not the hot tub.  It must have been warm enough.  I didn't even attempt the pool.  I figured the hot tub was the safest bet.  Mark was at a meeting and missed snow swimming.

Yes, many things about ski clothing and ski equipment are uncomfortable, and I was prepared for all that Anna had to dish out about it!

Anna was not happy to try skiing.  We kept telling her she just had to try it once.  She might even love it!

Mark had an early morning meeting.  I dropped Brooke and Anna off at their ski school class.  Is that a smile I see on Anna's face??

I took Lainie to get her ski rentals.  Man, was it crowded!

On my way back from getting Lainie settled I saw Brooke and Anna on the "magic carpet" which allowed them to get the feel of skiing without a major decline.

By this time Anna had already decided she liked skiing well enough.

Mark and I finally got to hit the slopes after everyone was settled and his morning meeting was done.  It was a terrible day as far as weather goes.  The tram was closed all day along with some of the lifts.  The top of the high lifts was miserable!  The wind was blowing like crazy and it was snowing, making visibility pretty much impossible.

Mark and I saw Brooke and Anna by the smallest lift throughout the day and always received a happy report from the two of them.  We never got a glimpse of our little Lainie until the very end of the day.  I went to pick her up when her lesson was over.  She was coming back to the ski school area with her teacher.  She saw me waiting, said, "I see my mommy!" and then shouted to me, "I LOVED it!!!!"  I'm so glad the girls all had a good experience skiing.  Brooke had been before and already knew she loved it.  So I'm thinking if they had a good day skiing in terrible weather, they'll love it tons more if they get to go on a sunny day.

As for me. . . . . I want to like skiing.  At least I think I do.  I hadn't been since before Mark and I got married, and the conditions were not fabulous for a first day back after that many years.  I give myself an A for effort for the whole trip and probably a C- for attitude once I was out of my comfort zone.  I've rarely felt comfortable and in control on skis-snowskis or waterskis for that matter.  Maybe I'll try again on a sunny day.  Better yet, maybe I'll just send Mark with the kids.  I would say, even with the unpleasant weather, Mark did very well and is a pretty darn good skier.

After lessons and getting ready to head home.  They are each tired and windburned, but they had a great day!