Anniversary Family getaway!!

For Christmas this year, John's brother Aaron gave our family a ski package for Castle Mountain.   To say my kids were excited, would be an understatement. 

"Elated" wouldn't quite cover it either.

They went skiing for the first time two years ago and have been wanting to go back ever since.   Not a single one of them were the least bit worried about the 1 hr drive that it would take to get there, and that's saying a LOT for my non-travellers. (Especially Nate;)

We got up bright and early on December 28th.   This day was actually John's and my 14th wedding anniversary and (because we aren't really the "romantic getaway type") we figured there was no better way to celebrate the day then throwing ourselves down a mountain with our children in tow!;)

After a hurried breakfast, a frantic rush to find gloves and snow pants, and a fair amount of delay - we were off!

It was nice to watch the sun rise over the snowy prairie landscape that morning.    

Small flakes were starting to fall but we could tell the real snow was ahead of us and we felt hopeful that conditions would be great.   We got to the mountain just after 9 am and were shocked to discover that the parking lot was full and there was a huge line up all the way out the door and to the rental shop.

We stood in line for a bit before realizing that we actually would need to talk to someone at Guest Services instead, so we started over in a new line.   They then sent us up to the "Ski School" part of the resort.    We were there for a short while before being sent back down to Guest Services one last time, prior to being sent over to the Rental shop. 

  I tell ya, us "newbies" were like a bunch of bulls in a china shop.   We had NO CLUE what we were doing!  haha.  

Finally, we found ourselves standing at the base of Castle Mountain and miraculously- we actually looked like skiers!   We had our winter gear on.   Boots and skis on our feet.  Helmets secure.   Poles in hand.

We were ready!

...and we were starving.  

Seeing as it was 11:00 already, we decided to break for an early lunch!  haha

The kids do not often hear John and I say, "You can order whatever you want from the menu" so when we told them just that - they were doubly excited.   

As we were eating lunch I couldn't stop looking at Natey.   He looked so SMALL to me all bundled up in gear and helmet, trying his best to unwrap his straw.   Was I really going to take this kid up a mountain and send him flying down it?  I had zero belief that this boy would actually end up skiing.

My older three disappeared as soon as we hit the slope.   They each reported that their first run was a little bit wobbly but their "ski legs" came back fast.   For the rest of the morning I just caught glimpses of those three as one of them went whipping past me!   (Occasionally I'd hear one of them call down to me from high up on the chair lift and shout something like, "Good job Mom!  You're kind of getting it!")    Yes, I'm afraid it is not Nate that I should have ever been worried about;)

John didn't leave Nate's side that entire day.  He rode the carpet lift twice and did two practice runs on that teeny section so that John could teach him how to form a "pizza" with his skis.   After that, it was straight to the top of the bunny slope for Nate.   

...and me.  

The first time I had to stand and get off the chair lift, I fell.

same with the second time....

and the third...

and the fourth....

Clearly, I had some major issues with the exit strategy, but that was the least of my worries.   For some reason, I could not figure out how to control with my left leg.   As a result, I gravitated to the east side of that hill every time!  Worse than that though - were the times when I found myself going straight down.    Going straight = going scary fast, and I desperately tried to never do that.   

In those moments when I'd find myself going straight, I'd immediately panic, which would result in a wipe out of epic proportion.  

Seriously - the wipe outs were so so good.

(I even had strangers come check on me after to see if I was okay.)  

Occasionally I'd call over to John and demand that he'd tell me how to do it, and his response was always the same - "Just do the "pizza!"   

Perhaps he was busy trying to teach our 6 year old how to make it down the hill, but I found his method of teaching to be incredibly flawed.   I mean, how could "the pizza" be the answer to every problem I was having?     (And he calls himself a teacher;)   I was having some serious flashbacks to our honeymoon 14 years prior when John thought it'd be fun to take me snowboarding for the first time ever.    I remember sitting on that very same bunny hill, throwing a very similar tantrum, all those years ago.   haha.     Now all these years later, I was tempted to yell at him and tell him that what he was saying still made no sense, but then I'd remember that it was our anniversary and I'd bite my tongue.  

 Looking back, I think I just needed to give myself a chance.  And some time;)    With each run, John's very vague advice started to make a little bit more sense, and by my 7th or 8th time down I was definitely winning.  I hated to admit it, but he was right, things did eventually start to click.   

And once things clicked - it all got so so fun!!!!!

I loved these shots of my older kids.   Abby and Jess riding the chair lift with their arms around each other - how sweet is that?   Sam and Jess, on the other hand, make me laugh.  People sometimes mistake them for twins and I can understand why.  They can seriously be the best little buddies, though they often show their affection for each other in oddly aggressive ways.   They can't just hug each other and smile at the camera. 

Our family skied for hours this day and, by mid afternoon, I was shocked to see Nate coming down that hill all by himself.   My little boy!!!  He was beyond proud, but (after successfully conquering the bunny hill myself) I could hardly blame him.    It is such a fun feeling to zig zag your way down that hill.   

Our family stayed until the hill closed for the day and I'm pretty sure most of them would have stayed indefinitely had that been an option for them.   It was a beautiful day and such a fun time!

Somehow, awkwardly careening down a bunny hill (out of control most of the time) seemed like a delightfully appropriate and fitting way to celebrate the past 14 years of our marriage and family life!  

We're already making plans to go back and do it all over again!!