The Breckenridge Snow Report promised clear skies and good times for the boys.  They had recently rented skis and with the seasons pass we bought there were high hopes for a great season.  It was the first time skiing for all of us but David.  We were concerned about making the investment while our children were this young (ages 2, 5, 7) but decided to go for it.  Hey, Lindsey Vonn started skiing at two and a half so, obviously, we had no time to lose!

Elijah showed awesome determination and fearless devotion from the start.  Up until that point his all time favorite activity was to go to a theme park and hop on the scariest ride he could find.  He loved to feel the wind in his face and would scream at the top of his lungs in delight until it stopped.  And then do it all over again.

Going down the mountain unrestrained was exhilarating for him.  He just could not get enough.  He would fall and get right back up as if nothing happened.  He wanted to stay out for hours and never complained of the cold.  He was in his element.  The mountain was the perfect fit for his wild nature and conquering spirit.  A brave man in the making.

We had never seen him happier.

And then it happened.

The day after I broke my nose David comes in from skiing with E all morning with a troubled look on his face.  “Don’t freak out when you see Elijah.”

E was in the hallway waiting for David to give me the heads up so that I wouldn’t completely break down when I saw him.  I am usually pretty laid back about the kids but I was still traumatized by my accident the day before and David knew I was already emotional.

He was right.

I lost it.  Cursing the mountain and the sport I started to cry as I ran over to my son to survey the damage.   Unfazed, other than a beat up face, he shrugged his shoulders, smiled and let me know in no uncertain terms that he was ready to go back out and ski for a couple more runs!

Love that brave boy.  And I can learn from him.

So when the Breckenridge snow report promises clear skies and perfect conditions – Beware.  And get some ski lessons!

*If you found my blog looking for the actual Breckenridge Snow Report, it can be found HERE.  Thanks for staying long enough to read our story.  Have fun on the mountain:)

There was great anticipation in the van as David looked up the Breckenridge Snow Report for the next day.  The snow was to blanket the mountain overnight and continue to fall the next day.  Fresh powder, on the day his boyhood dream was to become a reality!

He would finally get his chance to ski the coveted slopes of Breckenridge – or “Breck” as the locals call it.  He had fantasized about this moment since he first learned to ski in the early 80’s.  Riffling through winter sport magazines, imagining himself floating on the powder above the tree line.

He had skied in places like Whistler, Snowbird, Mt. Bachelor, and Park City – but never Breck.

We spent several days in the quaint mountain town already enjoying all it had to offer before the snow fell enough for the lifts to open.  As a family, we had ample time to gather gear from local businesses that would keep us warm in the colder climate.  We were happy to find a fully stocked reuse sports store in the next town over where we scored awesome deals on almost everything we needed – a relief because all we had with us was what would fit in a few suitcases.  We had been on the road since summer and those clothes weren’t transitioning real well.

David got fitted for special hard boots because he has funny little bone spurs on the tops of his feet so regular boots never fit right.  They were an investment but we were okay with dropping the dough because we were hopeful that this was our new family sport.  If you read {Part 1} of the Breckenridge Snow Report series you already know how that turned out!

David was thrilled for the kids and I to become personally acquainted with the sport that meant so much to him growing up.  He was so kind to give us plenty of time on the snow before he hit the mountain himself.  Up and down we went on the magic carpet while he took care of Girlr and watched while the boys and I fell and got back up ad nauseum trying to figure out how to keep our skis steady underneath of us.

He was so patient.  Just content to be in Breckenridge at all.  But I knew below the surface he was dying to get out there himself and see if it was really as good as he had always dreamed it would be.  I wasn’t with him on the slopes that day but all I know is what happened when he came back.

Tears of gratitude.

He just came back and wept.  So thankful for being able to fulfill a dream that he didn’t anticipate happening until much later.  Part of what made it all the sweeter was that so many things in our life were falling apart all around us and here we were being blessed beyond belief.  Things were hard.  REALLY hard in so many ways and yet all we could do was thank God for His provision and goodness.  I will never forget the weeks we spent in that glorious and terrible place!

Stay tuned for the last in this Breckenridge Snow Report Series (silly name, I know) to find out what happened with E on those treacherous mountains!  And don’t forget to like our page on FB if you haven’t already!

The weather is perfect and the Breckenridge Snow Report is exactly what every skier hopes for on the day they hit the slopes.  It hasn’t snowed for a few days so the blowers are humming as they spray out white powder in anticipation of the real stuff to start falling.  It’s early in the season and there are few clouds, short lines, and the sun is shining.  David’s life long dream of skiing the slopes of Breckenridge was just realized (I’ll tell you about that in another post:)) and he is back at the condo with the kids.

Having experienced snowboarding a handful of times, my confidence surges.  The last few days I conquered Breckenridge’s bunny hill and after several more hours on it today, I am ready to take on something more legit.

I hop on the lift and enjoy the ride.  Quiet.  Peaceful.  Perfect.  Partway up I realize that we passed the bunny hill drop off long ago and I still can’t see where this ride ends.  A pang of regret hits my stomach until I push it out refusing the fear that is about to take hold.  What more could I ask for?  At the moment I don’t have to attend to the needs of my family and I can just breathe the crisp air and bask in the beauty of creation.

I am living the dream.

As I reach the top I am greeted by photographers who snap a quick picture before I head down the mountain.  These moments are meant to be remembered.

Taken aback by the steep drop at the onset of the coarse, I hold my ground with out falling for a quarter of the way down the mountain.  My legs are shaking from the strain of hours on the bunny hill.  I realize now that I shouldn’t have spent so much time over there.  I am in over my head and I know it.  This run has exponentially more people than the beginners coarse and I fear another skier will run right into me if I zig zag down the mountain, so I keep my skis pointed down the mountain.

I’m going so fast, I lose control and careen into the plastic fencing that serves as a barrier between me and the trees.  Thrashing hard on my back side I slide to a stop and start to cry.  I am cold, alone, and scared.  I feel weak and my legs won’t stop shaking.  I am stuck with no other choice than to ski myself down this horrible mountain.

I opted out of professional ski lessons in place of the brilliant educator known as YouTube.  No one told me I could ski side to side on the steep mountain to slow myself down on this kind of run.  Seems like everyone is going so quickly.  Not wanting to cause a crash with a skier behind me  I keep myself primarily face forward.  Which is unfortunate because the next turn of events found me thrown like a rag doll down the mountain, thrusting my face full force straight into the afternoon ice.  The impact causing my head to spin and blood to pour from my nose.

I sat there bleeding out, weeping while skiers passed by.  I was a few football fields distance from the bottom of the run by this point.  I wiped my face best I could as my fingers froze, put my gloves back on and as I got up to make my way down I turned and another skier saw my bloody face.  “Oh sh@#!  Should I call the ski patrol to evacuate you off the mountain?”  Standing up from the crimson snow I say “no.”  All I wanted to do was fall into the arms of my husband and cry my eyes out.

We were staying at The Grand Lodge at Peak 7 so all I had to do was take a short gondola ride over and walk back.  Having very little experience with hard boots the walk back was  slow.  Every step reminding me of how much I hated skiing.

My nose was hurting from the fall and burning from the cold.  As soon as I walked in our place I burst out into tears and muttered something barely coherent about how I NEVER wanted to ski again!

I was never examined by a doctor so I don’t know for sure, but I’m pretty positive I broke my nose that day.  My years of playing basketball in high school – on the prestigious C-team – full of balls to the face and soreness for days didn’t hold a candle to what I was feeling.  It literally hurt to breathe!

I must have read the forecast in the Breckenridge Snow Report wrong because the forecast for me that day was a broken nose and a crushed spirit.  And did you read about what happened to E the very next day?  Even though I was traumatized by those two events, I don’t give up that easy.  I fully intend to be brave and journey back to the mountain and strap skis onto my feet one day.  I can assure you, when that day comes I will not be taking ski lessons from YouTube!

If you found my blog looking for the actual Breckenridge Snow Report, you can find it here.  Thanks for reading and be safe!

Dogs in costumes are pretty cute, right?  Park City, Utah has cuteness in spades at their annual doggie dress up event called “Howl-O-Ween!”

And let me tell you — you don’t know people that LOVE their dogs until you have been to a mountain town like Park City or Vail.  These people are serious about their four legged friends.  A halloween event for dogs?

And, yeah, the kids are invited too.

So funny to me.

I love that no matter where you go you get a sense of what people value almost immediately.  Don’t get me wrong, dogs are my favorite animal.  Before I had kids I signed our Christmas cards with our dog Paiges’ paw print and hand made her clothes out of fabric remnants.  Uh huh, don’t judge.

Paige got knocked down in the family ranking a bit as soon as E arrived.  It’s just how it goes.

We love her and she is an important part of our family but we have yet to throw an event in her honor.  So thank you Park City!

Did you know that you can travel in airplanes and stay in non-pet friendly hotels with your dog if you get a note from your doctor to do so.

Paige is actually an “emotional support animal ” and has the special vest and everything so when David went to take her out for a bathroom break on halloween everyone thought she was in costume!

He didn’t correct them.  Probably because he was by himself and when you tell someone you have an emotional support dog they look at you all sideways and try to figure out what is wrong with you.  When it’s the entire family, no one knows who’s got the issue!

Dogs in costumes, free normal size chocolate bars, cotton candy, and a great story. What’s not to love?!!

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the other way we celebrated halloween on the road.

It was a nice surprise to stumble upon the Brick or Treat Halloween event at LEGOLAND San Diego, CA while we visited the southern west coast.  Celebrating holidays on the road was one thing we didn’t even think about before we sold our home and set out on our open ended road trip.

Even though halloween is not a holiday we typically go all out for, the familiarity of costumes and candy was nice in a time when these five faces, our van and a few personal possessions were all we had.

Legos galore, an unexpected celebration, free loot, and happy little faces — that makes for a perfect evening.

If you are planning a trip to LEGOLAND, you may want to check this page to see if any shows or special events will be taking place while you are there.

How do you handle holidays away from home?