ski season spirit

A long weekend made for some really great time on the mountain - we hit Sunlight on Friday and Sunday and collectively decided that it might have just been the best 2 ski days ever!

Friday was "Meeker Day" at the slopes.

I counted 12 families, making it about 50 people we knew from town that were at the mountain and it could not have been a more perfect day to be outside!

It was sunny and relatively warm, the snow was great and everyone was in a mood to really ski well. (believe me, that is not always the case!)

Having 2 dozen other kids there to pair up with and ride the lift together made it particularly fun for the boys. And having several other adults around made it particularly easy for mom & dad to get on the mountain for a "big kid" run with friends! (thanks, Meredith!)

It was so nice to ski, but also to socialize.

As we sat outside at noon in the sunshine having a buffet lunch of whatever anyone brought from home plus some of Sunlight's crack-infused french fries and a beer, I realized that despite my love for a good run down the mountain and a full day of skiing - what I have come to love most about going is being with friends and family and doing it together. So Friday was perfect.

Then Sunday came and we packed up again for another day in the snow.

This time, it was extra special because we were all pushing some personal limits with the sport.

Sam did at least 7 green runs - which is pretty good for his stamina! - and 1 really awesome blue run that tested his skills and his fortitude. He learned that bravery was doing something even though it scares you and he came out a better little dude for it all!

Hamp, out of nowhere it seems, started hitting the terrain park - the area with all the jumps! - and made his mother pretty nervous the few times he let me follow him and watch. He fearlessly approached the lips of a few jumps and then just sailed right off of them! I don't think he heard me shriek, but he definitely heard me congratulate him on "catching some sweet air" and looking pretty smooth when he did it!

Jason snuck in a couple of his own big boy runs, and made it to the bottom with a look on his face that was a combination of pride, disbelief and a little exhaustion! Then he showed me the picture he took with his phone of the run he did and I understood why he was a little roughed up.

As for me, I decided to pick up my snowboard after about 3 years and make sure I could still stand up! With a lot of encouragement from my kids and a lot of self deprecating comments from me, I managed to have a great day of not looking too terribly stupid on a snowboard!

And the best part of it all was that we didn't have to hurry home to get ready for school/work on Monday!

I didn't have a camera with me all weekend - the pictures above were either thanks to friends or from Jason's phone! - but just as I was lamenting the fact that I couldn't get a video of Hamp's jump or a picture of Sam skiing, I realized that I was able to just enjoy the whole day and not worry about getting a picture of it! Anyway, there is still some season left and a few more days to get out there and play! And next time, I'll bring a camera....