Ladies week-end at Women’s Conference…

 

Such a fun couple of days at BYU Women’s Conference.  So motivating & fulfilling, and nice to be back on campus enjoying classes just for women.  17,000 women attended this year, so powerful!  A week-end filled with meaningful classes, humanitarian projects, good food, Sharing Stations, and enjoyable evening entertainment/concert, featuring Hilary Weaks, Alex Boye, & Michael McLean…  Very fun spending it with my Mom, Sis, & Aunts!

 

My favorite classes were:

• “Arming Your Home & Family”
• “What Matters Most is What Lasts Longest”
• “Busyness Does Not Define Our Worth:  Simplifying Our Lives”
• “Let’s Eat In:  Good Nutrition & Healthy Meal Planning”
• “Sister Scriptorians”
• “Patience with Yourself, You are Closer to Heaven then You Suppose”
• “Lay Aside the Things of This World, and Seek For the Things Of a Better”
• You Have Won the “Golden Tickets”, Now Lift Up Your Sleeves and Go To Work 

 

Aunt Peggy & my mom, they are a hoot!

 

My cute Aunts & mom, the best of sisters! my sister joined us the last day :)

We stayed at Aunt Peggy’s, she lives near campus

 

Best Irish Tacos ever!

 

Souvenir from Grandma & Aunt Peggy.

It was hard leaving the girls for a few days, but once I got there I knew that all would be fine.  They gave me the biggest hug when I returned, and Sophie (who hardly never cries) told me she got “water” in her eyes at night.  Said she missed me a lot, melts my heart!  Sage (who is typically the mommy’s girl, my sweetie) said, “sorry mom, I was too busy to think about missing you.”  Love her straightforwardness!  

Thanks Josh, Paul, Lindsey, & Uncle Mike for filling in and all your help while I was away (it takes 3 men and a women to take my place, JK, I sure appreciate them!).  They are loved little girls!

Spring Skiing

Chips Run @ Snowbird

Scary thing was, I was right behind him and had to do the same thing only on ski’s.  My first big run in years, a little scary but so much fun!

Big Emma, second time

A few spills from the girls on this one, Josh took a detour to go get the car and met us at the bottom

We closed the place down

Sophie & Sage took to it fast although they scared me at times, it’s steeper then it looks (next time helmets for them for sure, we thought we’d be staying on the kiddie slopes, ya right).  But wow, I haven’t found a sport yet that the they don’t excel in, such athletes!  And way to go Josh & Trevor, you’re great snowboarders & instructors!

Hitting the Slopes

Last day of Spring Break, Saturday- Skiing / Snowboarding

It’s beautiful here in the snow covered mountains!  Snowbird Ski Resort

Trevor (13) started Snowboarding this year, he’s picked it up quick.  Josh (17) is a pro, he has a season pass and goes often with his buddies, black diamond trails.  But first time skiing for the girls, and  I haven’t been skiing in about 20 years.  Yikes!  So glad the boys were here to show us the ropes, Sophie & Sage had their own private instructors, big brothers are the best!

Didn’t take long for the girls to feel comfortable on the chair lift.  Sage (blue) and Trevor & Sophie (pink) in back.

Born to ski!

Funny to see Sophie and Sage with totally different styles as they started skiing.  Josh helped Sage, she was very careful and good, she learned the technique fast and she hardly fell.  Trevor helped Sophie, she took off, she was fast and fell... a lot (that’s how she stopped since she was going so fast, made me nervous but was funny to watch).  I had to keep reminding her “Pizza Sophie Pizza” (snowplow to stop).  Then they found the jumps.  I went on it once (that was good for the day, the year, but at least I landed it :), Sophie landed it every time (I’m sure her speed helped) and Sage took a few spills before landing it.  They loved every minute of it.  

Josh took me on some steep terrain (Chips Run, blue trail). Nerve wracking, but fun.  It was all coming back to me, and I reached my goal- not to fall!!  Such a good work-out, I would love to get a family pass next year. 

We were all  hungry, so some tasty pizza at the resort was perfect.  Veggie for me, the kids like pepperoni & cheese.

After lunch, when my legs felt like they could move again, the girls were ready for some more advanced slopes with bigger, faster, higher chair lift, yikes.  So we took them on Big Emma (green trail, easier then the one Josh took me  on, but much harder then Chickadee).  I’ll post some video soon, I have to say- S & S can ski!

Best day of Spring Break, Snowbird, we’ll be back.

Easter Sunday

A beautiful Easter.  It was so nice having Nick home for the week-end after finishing his second year at BYU-I, we were thrilled to see him!  He’s off to St. Louis now for an alarm summer job, then back to school (they just don’t stick around).  He’s grown up fast, into an independent, ambitious young man, we’re proud of him!  It may not be the plans we were wishing for him right now, but we’re happy for him and give him our best, he’ll do well at whatever he puts his heart in, great kid.

Don’t you love our racoon faces (Josh & mine)? don’t forget your sunblock when skiing!

  

Love this clan!

Happy Easter,   

 

He Lives!

Spring Break…

Still here!  One day my life will slow down and I’ll find more time for photography, blogging, cooking, exercising, reading… (who am I kidding?)  Just when I make changes in my life to free up more time for family, something else big comes up (I’ll share later).  Can’t complain though, I’ve been so blessed!    
It’s here…  taking a break for Spring Break…  Yahoo!  Since we were out of town over Presidents Day Week-end, we decided to stick around here and vacation from home, next best thing to a tropical vacation don’t you think?  Once the kids got used to the idea, they’ve loved it.  
It’s been a nice, relaxing break starting with Conference week-end.  One of my favorite week-ends of the year.  The kids helped me crochet & loom hats for the NICU unit for Primary Children’s Hospital.  They loved helping and it kept them still for Conference.  We enjoyed such inspiring talks and ended up with almost a dozen homemade hats.  

Fun day at Planet Play-  all you can eat buffet, games, go-carts, mini bowling…  The kids were in heaven, going back for more food when hungry.  Just like a cruise ship right?  They scored some fun prizes and were thrilled when Josh gave them his tickets (the jumbo bouncing balls were the favorite).   I bought the groupon for this months ago, great time to use it.

 

mini-bowling was a lot of fun, nice hook girls!

 

Another fun outing was Classic Skating, the kids used their passes they earned from school.  I had a design appointment nearby, so Josh took them and I met up later. 
They are great at Roller Blading, have you tried it?  I can ice skate well and used to roller skate growing up, but I tried roller blading for a minute yesterday, well…, it’s nothing like the rest.  Harder then it looks (although I was using Josh’s blades that were way too big).  So cute when I arrived seeing Sophie pulling Sage around backwards, and vice versa, so they can go backwards fast.  Lucky to have a sis help you learn to skate backwards.  They saved me some pizza (I tried to eat it, nasty), and they were ready to leave by the time I got there, fun morning. 
 
Paul and I planned a nice date the other night, dinner and shopping at the new City Creek Center, while the kids went to a trampoline arena (groupon).   Then at dusk we met at the Park for the annual flashlight Easter Egg Hunt our new neighborhood hosts.  Fun new traditions!

Sage checking her flashlight

We’re off to see the Bunny at the mall, probably the last time, they want to see him although Sophie mentioned that the one at the mall is fake :).  Then meeting Paul for lunch downtown.  Big plans on the slopes tomorrow, Sage chose ski’s and Sophie snowboarding, wish us luck.  Then Grandma’s / Grandpa’s & cousins this week-end.  What are your plans for Spring Break?  If it’s a tropical island or a nice cruise don’t even tell me…   JK, loving our vacation from home.

Happy Spring Break!