Spring Break in Utah (March 21-April 1, 2013)

We always look forward to our ski trip out to Utah! Since we no longer get our Feb. mid-winter break here in Ohio our only chance to ski in Utah is during spring break in March. Thankfully this year it timed perfectly with Sean getting the boys so it was a full house at mom and dads! We were also very happy that Mother Nature cooperated and it snowed the day we arrived and for the next couple days which meant for some fresh powder in the mountains! Since Soldier Hollow had just closed the weekend we arrived we didn't make it up to our favorite tubing spot but the kids were able to get in a few good sledding runs at our favorite hill up at Sundance. This year they had put up a fence so the kids couldn't go up as high as they had in past years but they were still able to get some good speed.

Sage being cautious and smart...



Tyler likes to look for anything that slightly resembles a bump which would give him some air and I think he also secretly likes to wipe out...



Connor, our man of speed loved flying down the hill and off the brick wall...



Teagen was the master of turning...just in time...



And Chazzy just preferred to watch and hang out with his dad and Sage...



After a relaxing weekend it was time to head up the mountain for some skiing. The kids were excited to have their cousin Teagen join them on the slopes and it was clear how excited Teagen was to go just from watching all the times he tried on his skis and practiced his pizza and french fries moves before we even left the house. The jury was out however on how Sage would do this year after our not so pleasant experience last year. We enrolled Sage and Teagen in ski school together and we were proud of the boys for agreeing to also take a class together to help them improve their technique. Here are all the happy faces before!



And here are the real happy faces... :)



When we picked up the kids from ski school we found Sage and Teagen in a tent drinking hot chocolate. Who knows how much of the lesson they spent in there...lol! After lunch everyone was excited to get back on the mountain including Sage and Teagen! Unfortunately Sage's excitement didn't last long. We mistakenly took her up the longer beginner run that has blues and greens but it was clear she wasn't ready for that. When she would fall she'd get embarrassed and frustrated and would want to quit on the spot. Thankfully Paul has the patience of a saint and was kind enough to help us get her back down the mountain, most of it between his skis. This was one of her better moments...



Teagen on the other hand was dominating the mountain. He would just head down straight and when he'd fall he'd be up in a flash! Sean got some great video of that! After a nap in the car Jack was able to get Sage to agree to doing a few runs down the bunny hill which at least made for a better end of the day. Lesson learned: the same lesson we learned last year but didn't take...full day private lesson for Sage!!!

What would we do without Paul who takes the boys while we deal with Sage...



After being schooled on the mountain by Paul, it's sometimes nice to have leisurely runs with mom...



Thankfully the day ended with no broken bones and happy faces...



...Perhaps though not quite happy enough to bet on another day with Sage on the slopes so we sent her back to Grandma and Grandpa's with Paul and Sean while Jack, I, and the boys spent the night at Solitude. The kids enjoyed a reverse polar bear plunge and alone time with mom and dad.





Solitude is such a lovely place. We had a great room that overlooked the slopes and how nice it is to just wake up, eat breakfast and head out the door to the slopes. No waking early to fight traffic for the hour drive up the mountain and no feeling worn out after the first ten minutes from schlepping all the gear from the parking lot to the slopes. It was great! Paul had some homework to do so he couldn't stay the night with us but he was kind enough to head back up the next morning and spend the day with us!




Unfortunately Jack wasn't feeling well half way through the day so Paul and I divided and conquered the slopes each taking a turn with the boys so they didn't get stuck with me on the blues all day. I love at Solitude how wide open and large some of the runs are. By the end of the day the boys were wiped out! Paul had run them ragged on the blacks and they were feeling it! Needless to say the next day none of us could move...




Between feeling achy after two full days of skiing and warmer weather we decided to take a break and return to grandma and grandpa's! The weather in the valley was beautiful, 60's and sunny! But of course the best part is hanging out with the family. We had a full house at my parents including Gary and Kelly and the boys, Paul, Sean and his boys and us. We were sad that Steve couldn't make it though. It was an action packed week full of bowling, miniature golfing, a BYU football scrimmage and baseball game, speedminton in the backyard, Easter egg hunts,and lots of late night movies and malt shop stops! Jack even got in a hike with a friend, we attended a baptism for some friends of ours from NYC who were baptizing their son in Utah and I got to see Rachel at the BYU game. BUSY!








I love that our spring break always manages to time well with being in Utah for Easter...




The beloved Easter Egg Hunt!






Saying goodbye! Everyone loves being at Grandma and Grandpa's! We are so grateful for them and all they do to make us all feel welcome. Thanks mom and dad! xo

Redeeming myself for the boys' botched birthday last year...

So last year was the big birthday for the boys... double digits...and what did we do to celebrate you ask? Well Jack and I treated ourselves to a trip. An unexpected job change made for another scheduling conflict and before we knew it we were in April and it was time for spring break in Utah and still no party. Luckily they did finally get new bikes but even those arrived a couple weeks late since Sports Authority decided to take a break from having a sale on bikes during the weeks leading up to their birthday!  So this year we had to come up with something good. Luckily the planning was pretty much done for me since we were the winning bid for a bowling party at the Heart Ball. The boys originally had requested to have a paint war party but with the cold temps we've been having here in Ohio bowling seemed much more appealing and they agreed. Normally I like to have at least a week and a half notice to alert friends and prepare but when I learned four days ago that school would be out today (March 4th) for teacher inservice, I knew a party needed to be planned for TODAY!

Of course we still had our family party on their big day and thankfully Amazon once again came through for me with overnight delivery on their present since I had completely spaced what they had told me over a month ago they wanted. Nothing like being at church three days before their birthday and overhearing them tell someone "we're getting Lazer Guns for our birthday!" Thankfully I was able to pull that off. So here they are with their requested Hello Dolly bars, Lazer Tag guns, oh and the original gift I had bought each of them...docking stations.



So today was their friend party and the beauty of twins is that most of the time they share the same friends so they chose to invite their three closest friends Will, Josh, and Mia.  This worked out perfectly since we can only seat seven in the car and with Sage and I it meant for a perfectly filled car!  The kids had a blast and played four games, ate tons of food, drank even more and we now know where to get the best cherry coke!




Thanks to the generosity of their friends the boys are now a few dollars and gift cards richer, and one nice outdoor activity set better off!



I have to say I looked all over for bowling pins to place on their cupcakes but had no success. So the bowling lane didn't turn out as I had hoped but in the end it thankfully didn't effect the taste of the cupcakes...



Happy birthday to our sweet boys.  Our lives wouldn't be complete without them.  We love you Connor and Ty! xo

Heart Ball Feb. 23, 2013

So it had been quite some time since Jack and I had attended a black tie event together.  A few weeks back Jack had a work event that was black tie and all I heard about the night was how short, snug, or big every ones tux pants were when they arrived at the event.  I guess that is bound to happen when you have assistants calling in measurements to some store out of state and the first time you try the tux on is in your hotel room an hour before the event...haha!

Lesson learned was it was time to buy a tux and attending the Heart Ball made for the perfect excuse to do it now!  It was a night of good food, dancing and of course some opening of the wallet.   It's so wonderful to learn about the progress medicine is making and the lives that can be touched because of the generous donations that come from events like these.  As fortunate as I felt to sit their with a healthy husband and three healthy children, one never knows when life can change and someone in my family could be the one needing the assistance of such a foundation.  We were the highest bidder on a couple auction items which was fun including an American Girl trip to Chicago that Jack was determined to win and after some back and forth we ended up with it.  We have yet to tell Sage but I have to say I'm pretty excited about it.  It did take every ounce of will power from both Jack and I to not share the news with Sage or even give her the gift basket that came with the trip.  May will be here though before we know it!