bullets

• We inherited an outdoor cat to solve our mouse problems from some friends who moved away.  Our outdoor cat has suddenly become an indoor-sleep-on-Rufus's-bed-22-hours-of-the-day-until-I-put-her-out cat.  My husband likes We like her though. 
• I've decided that my favorite daytime listening Pandora station is "70's easy listening" - there is rarely a song I don't love.  I know, I should work in a doctor's office.
• I'm seeing my sweet Squirt blossom at four and a half years old.  I agonized over the thought of him going to Kindergarten this fall, but now I think he's really ready.
• Two weeks ago a dear friend and I set up a "let's meet for dinner come hell or high water" night.  That night was last night.  It was blissful.  We ate lots of food including fried green tomatoes.  We talked and talked and laughed until the restaurant closed and then we walked to my car, I drove her to her car, and we talked for another 30+ minutes.  I left with a smile on my face.  It was a treat.
• Fifth grade homework sucks.  I hate that projects become MY work and I wind up caring more about his responsibilities than he does.  Then again, I thought that midnight feedings sucked until I was on my third and fourth child and then they were easy.  So maybe fifth grade will be like that.  Or maybe not.
• I hate the school science fair.  Please refer to my previous bullet.
• My kids are so hungry when they come home from school.  Today I have dinner prepared for them at 3:30 so we can eat for real and then a snack later.  I'll report back with how that works.
• One of my older children still wets the bed at night and I've gotten my hands on a "potty pager" to try to train the stubborn child out of the habit.  Last night was the dry run, except it wasn't dry, it was wet, more than once, and he hates wearing it.  I hate pee, so there.
• The first part of January was spent painting Mrs. Nesbit's room, and since we've lived in this house six and a half years and I've been looking at dingy not-so-white walls and ugly light fixtures in my bedroom, I just decided to push on through and paint that room too (which happens to be a rather large bedroom).  Ceiling, trim, walls, outlets, light switches, and light fixtures are all new now.  I was an aching, messy, paint covered, non-showering woman on a mission for an entire week, but it is done and I love it!  Now we are drooling over the thought of new carpet, and I hate to drool.
• Because I know you're wondering, our adoption paperwork is in the final stages and we look on track to leave for China on March 14th.  My waves of anxiety have started regarding our/her transition and I'm clinging to the proven fact that God works good through the hard stuff in life.  Not that I wish it to be hard, but I want more of God for sure, so pretty much I can't lose, right?
• The ski season has been a total BUST so far and I am actually praying for several big, powdery snow storms to crush our little town so that I can frolic on the slopes sufficiently before I bring a precious two year-old home from China.  Have you ever known me to pray for snow?  It's bad, people.

snapshots

By default, faceb**k has become my streaming blog.  But in honor of the giant winter storm that is blowing through my neighborhood today, I thought I should post some pictures and video of our winter.
Snow and skiing.  Skiing and snow.  That about sums it up.
Sauce, now called "Cannonball" on his ski race team - in the zone.
Even my little Squirt is up and running on skis this year.
Again - he loves an audience, so I have many pictures of Cannonball in the air.  He will wait at the top of a jump until someone is for sure watching him before he takes off.

This is the boy who won third place in the final state championships - and had a proud mama!

Oh, what is that I see?  Cannonball in the air again?  This time there is a ski coach laying under him to up the stakes a bit!
I actually skied about 15 days this season (compared to the 50+ that each man in my family has skied).  My dear friend Erin treated me to a free ski day at D**r Valley (normally too rich for my blood).  And that's Ashley in the middle.  She was about 12 months pregnant with cute little baby Cooper, so no skiing for her but she came and met us for lunch.  If she didn't she knew we'd talk about her the entire time ;-).
When a ski coach needs the kids to have a visual aid, here you go.
Kindergarten play dates take on a whole new meaning in a ski town.  Here's Rufus (on the right) with his friend Nathaniel "out playing."
Did I mention that we had more company than our cleaning lady I could keep up with?  Here's my dear friend Reeny laughing when Sauce tried to get her to go down a black diamond run with him.  Not a chance.
My sister Amy and her family were the first of our many visitors.  She is in pink getting dragged around the mountain by my maniacs.
And in case that wasn't enough - here is the moving picture version of those maniacs.  They are all Rockstars in my book.
AND - it is still snowing.  The end.

the white stuff

The whirlwind of pre-vacation school events, family in town, and lots of snow have given me excuses prevented me from blogging.

My sister, her family, and my mom were all just here for a week during which time, about 60 inches of snow fell.

Amy and I skied as much as we could get my mom to babysit.

Here are some highlights.

let it begin

First we had this:

Then a little of this:

We enjoyed this:

And now we're starting this:

And this:

More to come.

risen indeed

 

 

 

 

Oh, precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

He is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter.

not a funny joke

18+ inches in the last 24 hours. Winter is alive and well in Park City.

I think I took my snow tires off way too early. Agree?

the podium

Although our mountain town keeps winter alive and well until late May, our ski season is coming to a close.

Our little men finished up their ski programs this weekend and our voices are a little hoarse from our cheers.

Rufus finished his program with the Cookie Race.  Notice the foil-wrapped cookie medal around his neck.  Coach Julia was awesome and really helped lay the foundation for his future in skiing.

 

Today The Hunter and Sauce had the final race with real times and medals within each age category.

The Hunter spent the day battling the barf and diarrhea bug, but mustered up the energy to get to his race and take third place in the eight year old category.

Coach Martin named his team of boys "Princesses" and worked these boys to the bone this season.

Sauce was visibly shocked to beat out every other boy in his age group to take first place.  Coach Justin sure sharpened his skills and their team had such a blast this year.

I did get to ski with my boys a few times this year.  Here we are on top of the world last weekend.

And, my world of men - my life and pure joy...

Just so you know, this is how it all starts.  Here's our little Squirt, giggling through his first experience on skis. 

I'm sure he's picturing the turns he will carve with his brothers someday.

ain't no stopping them

We desperately need snow to make this snow snob go up again.

My men approach thing differently.

With a smile...

 

a little cabin fever

Yes, I haven't been out of the house since we went to church on Sunday.

It's Thursday, people.

It just might be a little ugly inside these walls.

OK, it might be a little cute too:

I am the mother of five boys this week.  My youngest two are being affectionately referred to as "the twins."

Our little friend "Bean" is staying the week with us and he is just shy of three months older than Squirt, so it is really like having twins.

Bean's mom and dad are in Mexico getting some time away before their sweet baby girl arrives in July.  Coincidentally, they will be the ones caring for three-fourths of our brood while we are kissing the Blarney Stone NEXT WEEK!!!

Holy Crow.  I need to get packin'.

Another reason I haven't been out of the house (enter exhibit B):

I made it nice and large so you can see how ridiculously wet and SNOWY it has been here.  Between one and two FEET fell yesterday in my yard.  And this morning I woke up to record low temperatures, so the icicles are back.

I don't have the heart or energy to take another snow picture.

I'm the mother of twins, you know.  I'm busy!

On a side note, after day number one of twin duty, my beloved came in the door from work and asked how it was going with two - two year-olds.

"I could totally do twins!" I replied.

After a defeated breath he said, "Man, I was hoping this week would
overwhelm you."

I then asked him if he had forgotten that he's married to Superwoman.

Apparently, he had.

the snow season is here

Prior to getting plowed into our driveway, we went out and enjoyed the snow a little bit.  I'm waiting for some warmer temps though because when you live in a ski town, you can be a snow and weather snob! (except when you have company visiting)

Amy and me freezing our butts off coming off McConkey's for the first time this season.

Sauce and me taking a face-plant break in the powder.

Me, Hunter, Amelia, Lauren, Rufus, Amy and Sauce at the tubing hill.  We splurge here once a year and it is so fun to catch air off the bumps!

and we're out!

We even gave him a Honey Brown to say thanks!

help!

In another five years, I'll have able bodied boys to dig us out when the bitter snow removal-workers-who-have-to-work-on-Christmas-night plow us in with a wall of snow that is as hard as ice, three feet tall and four feet thick.

Until then, we'll have to wait for the city to send the loader to scoop up this mess.

Maybe we were supposed to tip the plow drivers for Christmas?  Or maybe the plow driver had a little too much holiday cheer before hitting his route in the storm?

I guess I'm not going anywhere today!

wax 'em up!

When you live in a ski town, this is what October can bring!  When the leaves haven't even fallen from the trees yet, we know we aren't in full blown winter yet.... but it is coming soon!

Jack went out first thing in the morning and then begged to come right back in - he forgot about what the white stuff is like!

friends, flowers and fats

I needed a good day.

After a week and a half of wrestling my second grader into his position in life as a second grader, I needed a pick me up day.

My dear friends Christa and Jenny brought me lunch and cake (see above) AND presents. Then Ashley topped it off with my favorite junk foods delivered to my door. My hubby came home with flowers and I got to order chinese food for dinner (we don't eat it often because he doesn't really like it).

After dinner my sweetie gave me the present that I knew was coming (after all, sometimes I actually do DO the budget and he can't hide a purchase this big even if he doesn't give me the receipt!) - new FATS (or powder skis for you non-mountain people). They're the Volkl Aura in a 156 and they measure 130-94-113 (if you know what those measurements are, you're a real skier).

They look good on me don't they? Bring on the pow!

I needed a pick me up - because today it went a bit downhill. I was having some tooth pain and after a trip to the dentist, not only do I have a cracked molar, but he's sending me to see an endodontist (code for REALLY expensive) to confirm that I need a root canal.

Oh, then I just have to come back and get a crown put in.

I think I may have to sell my new fats to pay for my bad tooth.

I did get some good drugs to "bridge the gap" until I can get in to see the endodontist. So at least I will have a good buzz not be in pain for the next few days.

We did take a nice walk this afternoon over to the resort to get the boys their season passes and sign them up for their ski school programs for this year (cough, cough, cha-ching).

I'm thinking about selling my eggs to pay for ski school (just kidding honey, I'll keep them just for you!).

I took this picture of some of my men on my phone - not too bad. Check out the chair lift on the ridgeline up ahead.

Hopefully, the weekend will settle down though because after my husband left for his first second third fourth weekend of deer hunting, I was in my jammies by 7:30.

Then my entire bottom half got peed on while putting my youngest in his p.j.'s.

Oh, and another son thought his brother should brush his teeth with Baby Orajel tonight.

Without telling him.

Yeah, it's settling down just fine.

Look familiar?

This picture looks vaguely familiar, doesn't it? Yup, I've posted these pics in the past. But these pictures are from THIS MORNING - JUNE 11th!!!





So, in honor of this shi depressing event, I've decided to write a Letterman-like top ten list.

Top Ten Highlights of Living in the Mountains:
10. Snow tires - the perfect solution for that extra $600 laying around.
9. Fleece - would you like fries with that?
8. Air conditioning, shorts and swimsuits are overrated.
7. How else would the natural gas companies post record profits if we didn't need to run our heat in JUNE???
6. It's fun to make plans dependent on the snow forecast.
5. When you spend this kind of cash, you might as well get 10 months of use per year out of it.
4. We're a rugged bunch (we really are).
3. Hot chocolate stands have a higher rate of return than lemonade stands.
2. All wheel drive - all year long!
AND the number one highlight of living in the mountains is...
1. Being indoors a lot somehow produces large families!

Snow anyone???

We had quite a storm this past week with about 36 inches of snow over the course of two days. Our roof gets quite a bit of build up and Kenyon periodically shovels it off. The boys went out to play this week and had lots of fun climbing on and around the mountains of snow that were shoveled off the roof. It got a little scary when Hunter suddenly got on top of the roof and said, "Hey Mom, look at me!" We had to set some ground rules for where they were allowed to be from now on! They had a blast though and it got them nice and tired - which is always a good thing.

Rufus on top of one of the tallest piles of snow. I kept the porch in the picture just for perspective!

My cool little dude!