MLK Ski Trip

For several reasons, including the unusually high prices of airline tickets and feeling the need to have our own traditions, we opted to stay in Virginia for Christmas and go out west for some extended family and ski time over the MLK holiday. The boys had to miss one full day and two half days of  school and Jared was able to switch some of the days he was teaching at Darden to make it happen, but it was well worth the effort. The trip out was uneventful with the exception of finding out that on Frontier, an airline we've never flown with before, you have to pay for all snacks and drinks with the exception of water. Lame, but they did get us to Utah on time and on the return flight when there was the second Polar Vortex on the East Coast, they were one of the only airlines who didn't cancel their flights. Although, we were prevented from landing for a bit so Reagan Airport could clear the runway but unfortunately we didn't have the fuel to circle, so were forced to refuel in Norfolk, VA, setting us back a couple of hours. The pilot was comical and very casual as he announced our situation letting us know he had good news and bad news. The good news was we could land... at some point, the bad new was that we were running too low on fuel to hang around in DC airspace. At midnight we finally pulled up to our mailbox and made the walk up the "luge" and crashed into bed. Jared took another one for team and was up well before the rest of us to teach his 8:00am class. We were all still sleeping because it was the first of what would become 2.5 snow days off from school for the kids.

It was a quick trip, but we were able to ski 4 of the 6 days hitting Brighton for the first time and falling in love with the resort so much so that two days later we returned with James, Christine, Spencer, Katie, Ben, and Jeff. In between the two Brighton days, we skied Alta with Grandpa Hill and on President's Day they (I opted out) skied Snowbasin with Grandpa Hill. That first Brighton day we put all the boys in ski school for the morning and Jared and I got to ski alone together, something we've never done before. We had such a fun time together and even enjoyed some serious kissing on the lifts which totally embarrassed the boys when we told them. In the afternoon we all skied together with Caleb and Liam leading the way and not getting too far in front of me because they love going in and out of the trees and finding any sort of jump to hit.

When we were not on the slopes we were enjoying game nights with Grandma and Grandpa Harris, seeing cousins and enjoying Aunt Jen's great whipped-up soups, and seeing even more cousins at Cafe Rio where we took up a third of the entire restaurant and left the remaining space to what seemed to us every last resident of Lehi, Utah. Urban sprawl has taken over the entire swath of land from from Ogden to Provo and West to the Oquirrh Mountains. I'll admit I'm not fond of such sprawl and the polluted air that comes along with putting that many people between two mountain ranges. It makes me sad, but the joy the boys find in seeing their grandparents and cousins is worth all the red and itching eyes. After Cafe Rio we bid farewell to the Lehi and Idaho Falls cousins and headed to spend a few days with Grandma and Grandpa Hill. We spent time with Granny Knight playing her Steinway and visiting with her 92 year old self. We also got to celebrate Hailey's birthday with a girls lunch and short shopping spree for earrings since she and mom just had their ears pierced.

Playing a few rounds of Rack-O:

 Grandma is always the best playmate for all her grandchildren. She always has time to give and is always so very interested in whatever they are doing.

Picking and choosing from an assortment of soups from Aunt Jen's. Fun to see cousin Taylor.

So fun to see this girl who has a special place in our heart as the first of our nieces and nephews who ever spent an extended period of time with us.  She is now married with the cutest little baby boy.

Second day at Brighton with cousins and Uncle James:

Cafe Rio with cousin Spence, who lived with us in summer of 2012.

Girls table:

Caleb's officially taller than17 year old cousin Kate:

In Ogden, Gavin was a good sport to play princesses and castles with cousin Ruby.

Celebrating Hailey's birthday with Granny Knight and cousins. Gavin's going for the lowest note he can hit ;)

Ruby  wasn't so sure about Liam the first two days, but he eventually won her over.

T.R.O.U.B.L.E looks like this:

Granny won't be with us for too long, but I'm so glad all the boys will have memories of her, her house, her Steinway, her toy drawer and especially her dumbwaiter which they have all taken a ride in.

I think Liam said it best when we left Cafe Rio: "There is nothing better than being with cousins" and I'll second that!