It's beautiful, though, and it brought back memories of when I was little and there was LOTS of snow on the ground in the winter! We used to have such a good time! I'm happy to report that sledding behind vehicles on the roads in Kanarra is still alive and well!! And I miss it! I do! But I love it here in California, too... because I can see the snow on the tips of the mountains... in the DISTANCE, and still appreciate it without having to shovel it! ;)
Before we got to Utah, we went to a UNLV game in Vegas with our friends. We didn't even have a camera on us. Sad state of affairs! We had a great time, despite being up in the nose-bleed section! Our kids loved it and were cheering away! Ella even had her free throw twinkle fingers going! Funny stuff! We stayed that night and headed to my mom's Sunday morning. We took a rest, got settled in, the kids got out every toy they possibly could, and then we headed to Damian's parent's house for dinner with family! (Including family that live right here in Temecula, but that we hardly ever manage to see. I don't know how it happens, but we see them in the most unlikely places! We have made it a goal to be better about getting together... especially since our kids have so much fun together!)
This was so beautiful, I just couldn't resist taking a picture. I've become a tourist in my own backyard! This is looking just southwest of where my mom lives! The fog hadn't lifted, but it was so clear above the layer... BEAUTIFUL!
So... dinner at Gma and Gpa Linda's! Somehow Great-Grandma Liebhardt got stuck at the kitchen table with ALL the kids! Poor girl! But they were all laughing and giggling!Around the table starting with Gma, Justin, Devin, Caroline, the back of Ella's wild hair, Braeden, Lexi, and Avery!
Damian presented one of these along with the actual flag that was flown in Afghanistan to his parents, and also one to my mom! This kind of stuff reminds me just how thoughtful he really is most of the time!
And he knew that my half-sister was in town and tried to keep it a surprise, but the timing was a little off. She was later than expected, so I called to see if she was coming by his parents' for a quick visit! She grew up the next street over from Damian. Crazy stuff! That is all a long story, but we are all the same age and we have a lot of fun catching up! She lives clear across the country now, but was home to check on her family! We had a good laughing session for a couple of hours! Jen's a wonderful person, friend, and mother. She's so good at so many things! It's always fun to see her!
Monday we spent just bumming... well, Damian was working! He helped my mom with a few things around her house, then headed to Gma Liebhardt's to clean out his junk in her shed. We went visiting! We always love to go over to Gma L's. She still plays catch with my kids, even though she's not a spring chick anymore! (I'm pretty sure she's 86!!) She has super quick reflexes and can catch almost anything that Ella AND Braeden can toss her way! She also surprised all the kids by saying the alphabet backwards... really fast! I don't think I can even do it that fast! She's amazing! Not just for the aforementioned stuff, but she's an awesome artist, (she paints all the time, and I'm fortunate enough to have 4 of her paintings hanging here in my house!), she a serious genealogist, she never forgets ANYTHING, she's always so giving... and the list can go on!
And just before going back to my mom's, we got Hermie's fast food to eat! YUMMY! I used to work there... oh, so long ago, and they've changed owners several times, but the food is still awesome! There are just certain places we have to hit when we're home! This is one of them, plus Brad's, Top Spot, and The Pizza Factory!
Then Tuesday morning rolled around, and we were headed up to Brian Head for a skiing ADVENTURE! I have to admit that it was fairly uneventful until the end of the second day when I dropped Braeden off the lift! We were still in the roped off powder area at the very bottom, but it was a fall, nonetheless! And it hurt me more than him. Without going into details, my muscles were simply REALLY tired after 2 days of skiing... without having gone for SEVERAL YEARS, and Braeden is no featherweight anymore... I got my poles caught, the lift controllers weren't paying attention, and I just couldn't get him up on the chair! Lovely! And humiliating!! But we got up and on we went... again, and again... only with the help of the lift guy after that! :/
We got up and got ready, dropped off Ella with Gma Linda, and headed up the mountain! We checked the kids into ski school, and off we went. Tuesday we hung around the Navajo Lodge just to make sure we were close by our kids, but when we realized that they were doing awesome and didn't really care where we were, we headed to new places on Wednesday before it got too cold and windy again! It was tiring, but LOTS of fun!
Holy Cow! It's so early even the camera hasn't woken up all the way... well, not enough to focus, anyway! ;)
You may not believe this, but we were up, dressed, fed, and out the door at 7:30 A.M.!!!!!! It's true! Ask anyone!
On our way up the canyon... I really need a better camera to do the beauty justice.
A very beautiful, clear morning! And we were EARLY!!!!! Yay for us! Because we had to buy the kids some goggles, Toasty-toes, etc... just some little stuff!
If you look closely, you'll LOVE the amount of people here, and the time we had to waste waiting in line to get on the lift! Ha-ha! It was DEAD! We went just after a busy holiday weekend, and we couldn't have picked a better time!
All ready to hit the slopes!
PIZZA to STOP! Lexi with her ski instructor and her new friend!
Woo-hoo! I think she's got it! She can really pick up some speed... despite the fact that she doesn't weigh very much!
Braeden is doing FRENCH FRIES right here. Lovely that the easiest way to teach kids things is to use food analogies! Just lovely!
Before we left he didn't want to put on his coat because it "makes me look fat and puffy"! So... here's our CUTE, puffy Braeden! He just cracks me up!
Braeden and Damian on the lift!
Lexi BY HERSELF on the lift. I must say that this makes me a little more than nervous. I'm so afraid of heights, but apparently my children aren't! Eeeeek!
Come on, Lexi... hop up!
Brrr... it's cold!
Okay... one quick shot without the masks... We did have a good time just the two of us for several hours!
Enough of the COLD... time for lunch...
...and a hot chocolate to warm our insides! It was kind of fun not eating with the kids! They all ate lunch together... and had a blast! We went over to visit them and see how they were doing, then we headed out for a while again before picking them up at the end of the day!
A major crash in the powder. Lexi just had to show us that she could be adventurous and go somewhere... new to us!
Notice how nice Lexi is to wait for her brother?? Lovely. And she was the one who took us on this little powder mess... it's a LITTLE trail just off the beaten path, and powder is hard for us! Poor Braeden... it was the end of the day, and I thought he might just give up after this!
Come on, Braeden... I'll help you... with only little cotton gloves on, no poles, and my camera bag hanging in the way... while it's REALLY snowing!
I wish I had better pix of Damian than this, but it's hard for me to ski AND take pictures... especially when it's SO DARN COLD and I'm not used to it anymore. He can sometimes really tear it up... and he looks so natural on a board. I'm retarded on skis, but I'm severely handicapped on a board!
Splashing some powder at the camera!
Still smiling and loving it at the end of day 2! I was totally BEAT!
Whew! Skiing is a HARD day's work! But it's good for sleeping kids! It took them about 5 mins. in the car after the day was over and the lifts closed at 4:30! They had such a blast... I think we've created a couple of snow monsters!
Ella's newest "do"!
Yay! 2 REAL piggies!
Gma and Ella started making cookies... then realized that they didn't have any chocolate chips, so we had to call the RS pres. and borrow some! Gia is so nice! She was MORE than willing to let us borrow a bag... and then we got to enjoy some nice, soft, extra YUMMY cookie DOUGH!!!(The finished product was pretty good, too! ;))
My mom is always so good to work with my kids to make treats... or do dishes. She will let Ella help her do the dishes... even though she lets NO ONE else! My kids love that her house if full of all my old toys and books... and everything she kept so nice and neat for us to enjoy now! And they see her work hard, too. She goes out and shovels snow before anyone else is even up so that she can have fun when the kids get up. Ella wants to call her every day. She wants to go there every day. And she even thought she saw snow in Temecula because of the clouds! I have a sneaking suspiscion that when all the snow is gone at Gma's she will be a little distraut! She loves the snow now! But she's at least still have her drives down the lane to visit the animals! My mom lets the kids sit on her lap and in the front seat... and no one has a seat belt on... and they go for drives around town and down "the lane". Kanarra is the only place they get to enjoy that! And I remember doing it when I was little! So much fun! Ella thinks that if she is holding the post office key, that she is really driving, and in charge! Funny kids! They love doing this with my mom!
And talk about moms who can do just about ANYTHING... my mom is one of those! She can sew up a storm, but pretty much has to be bribed to do it now, cook, join in a good snowball fight, do lots of crafts (which is where I learned my love for crafty stuff!), etc. But one of the best things about her is her willingness to GIVE. She can't say no to anyone (and that's where I get that, too), and she's always offering something to someone!
This just doesn't strike me as a comfortable position to be reading in. But whatever. Crazy Lexi was warming herself by the morning fire!
... so we got all bundled up again and headed outside!
We had to do a little help in this case! She needed WAY more clothes UNDER the snow gear! What really cracked us up is that she was literally only in a onsie... that she got from Gma Linda... in Hawaii... that says "Island Girl" on it! Hmmm...
Braeden tromping on/through the snow!
And Ella loving a good morning's dose of fresh snow!
This is what you get when you put a guy who's been on the ground in Afghanistan with the Marines and lost 27 lbs. with the same guy who cleaned out some of his junk at Gma Liebhardt's together! Someone who will once again fit into a Kalaheo wrestling sweatshirt (from his Freshman year in Hawaii... in high school!) and can also feel comfortable in USMC sweat pants! Lovely!
The fun of being a dad is that you can now torture YOUR son!
And launch your daughters into the snow, too!
Graceful landing, Lexi!
You can see that this is going nowhere good...
... and this is what happens to him after he tortures someone else.
Braeden can SO DISH IT OUT, but he is such a BRAT about taking it in return!
But he still manages to have some fun, get in a few laughs, and come in for hot chocolate after a LONG temper tantrum.
Whew... the shoveling is done... for that day, anyway!
And then we hit LaFiesta... after helping my mom get a new-ish car! One with 4-wheel drive! We met Damian's family there, too, treated them all to dinner, and then we all hit the T-Bird basketball game! Here you see Jonathan at the back... wondering what exactly is going on, Nick, and Ella with her Free Throw Fingers! It was a pitiful game, but still fun to be there!And though I didn't get as many pictures of things, and people, as I would have liked... we had a great time! Thanks to all who spent time with us, and had fun with us... and laughed with us! We love you!
3 comments:
So, Lexi and Braeden weren't kidding when they said they were pros. The snow is pretty to look at but not to be in or touch. I'll never touch snow again. Thanks for sharing the fun through pictures. Aunt Colleen
I LOVED Those skiing pictures! And the movie! How fun. Thanks for sharing these.
i've noticed! that tandy!! uses an inordinate! amount of exclamation points!!! in her blog posts.
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