Spring Break in Utah!

We always look forward to our annual ski trips to Utah in Feb. and April but this year we came close to missing out on both. Since we did the cruise in February, it only left the April break and with Utah having low snow totals for the year I worried it would be a bust. After reminding myself that I would then be responsible for entertaining the kids during their break here in WA with most likely yucky, rainy weather, I decided I'd be better off gambling on Utah's weather than ours. As things turned out, we timed the vacation perfectly because during the 10 days we were out in UT the mountains received over 80" of fresh powder. Fortunately Jack was able to join us for a week of the time which was great. The boys bailed on ski school this year but proved themselves very quickly. It became very evident that perhaps next year when Sage attempts ski school for the first time that I should consider doing the same. No longer can I keep up with our speed demons...

One of Ty's favorite things to do is ski amongst the trees. I get a bit nervous at times because I can't see him much of the time and worry that if he tumbles in the deep powder or gets stuck, we may not realize he needs help but most every time he'd still beat us down. He's also constantly on the hunt for any bumps or jumps to catch some air on. Connor loves to head straight down the mountain at record speeds with his hands up above his head. Surprisingly, he has complete control and can stop on a dime. A special highlight for me this year was enjoying a date with just Ty on the slopes. Jack had flown back and another batch of fresh snow had arrived that I couldn't refuse to miss. I had hoped to take both boys up but Connor said he wanted to sit this day out and just hang out with Grandma and Sage. Ty, on the other hand was just as eager as me so we headed out. I think I may need to do more of these one on one ski dates with the boys. It was a totally different experience that I'd love to have more frequently.





Of course spending time with my family is a huge reason for these trips. With the exception of Steve who lives in San Jose and couldn't make it out and our nephews Teagen and Chaz (or Chase as we call him ...wink, wink) who were with their mom, we got to see everyone else. It was great that it coincided with Easter/Conference weekend. Poor Paul had to have his gall bladder removed while we were out so he was unable to hit the slopes with us but after some hardcore arm twisting we got Uncle Sean to spend an all expenses paid day away from his office with us. Gary, Kelly and the kids are temporarily staying at my parents house so it was great to have them around the whole time. The cousins all loved waking up and greeting one another. I was so proud of Connor and Tyler for being such good entertainers to Boston and Preston. Ty loved making fun balloon animals and swords for all the kids with his twisty balloon kit that he got for Easter. We were so impressed how he figured it out all on his own. I think he has a career in this... Also the boys were excited to get the other half of their birthday presents from Grandma and Grandpa, these fancy remote control cars. Of course it was up to me to figure out how to get them home safely in my suitcase...






We love Sundance. This year we returned to our favorite sledding spot here. It's not as easy as the place in Midway that tows you up a hill and you glide down at crazy speeds (but they close earlier in the season anyways) but it's far more beautiful and peaceful. You can see that on one of the days, the weather was so beautiful that Ty felt the need to go shirtless. We also brought Grandma along on this day and Ty tried to talk her into sledding. Grandma felt more comfortable taking the 5 foot walking path as her hill... some things never change...






Thanks again mom and dad for being such wonderful hosts! We love you and we'll see you soon!