Skiing Blind - I mean Night Skiing

 

When I sent out the picture of Marriane eating the flour out of the pantry, my Dad couldn't resist sending me these photo's of my brother and me playing with the flour. I think my Dad's words were: Like Mother Like Daughter, or The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Something like that.

This week I was able to go skiing twice! Once on Monday with the girls, then last night Barry and I went up for night skiing. It was Barry's second time skiing, the first time in over 15 years. Ted Bowers met us up there (he was the person who taught me) for Barry's first skiing lesson. Watching Barry learn to ski reminded me of where I was six weeks ago for my first lesson. I've come a long way! I was feeling pretty pleased with myself, invisioning how much my skiing ability has improved (from non-existent to passable). Then I came down the end of a run and my opinion changed. With the lights behind me it caused my shadow to reach in front of me and I saw bent and crooked legs where I thought I was smooth and fluid. I was doing well, but there is always room for improvement. I was enjoying myself, though, and that is the important part!

With tomorrow's holiday and our schools being closed on Friday, we are enjoying a four day weekend! Mostly relaxing, baking, having friends over, etc.

Have a great weekend! Love, Avery



Did NOT burn the house down (again)!

When I was up in the middle of the night I saw the light on in one of the girls' bedroom (she would prefer to remain anonymous). I went in to turn it off and smelled smoke. She had placed a cotton sweater around the lightbulb of her lamp to create a dim nightlight. By the time I got there at 2:30 am the lamp had scorced a hole in it and they were both very hot. I am grateful for protection from the heavens for me and my family.

I don't know if this is normal but it seems like our children play musical bedrooms and switch who they share rooms with about every six months. This way they get to take turns on who gets to have their own bedroom. Now that Marianne is sleeping through the night she has joined Mindy - who no longer has her own room. Makayla is moving in with Ben, and Mackensey is moving out and getting her own bedroom. Maddy will now have her own bedroom.

Two weeks ago I mentioned that I was preparing to go "up on the mountain" for my next skiing lesson. Well, the next day I was expecting to pick up where I left off, take a few runs down the bunny hill, then head up the "big" chair lift and ski down from the top. Ummm, I bonked. It took me half of the lesson to even get warmed up. My teacher stopped me in the middle of the bunny hill and gave me a lecture that sounded like this: "You are a daughter of God, and He loves you, whether you can ski or not. Now, we are just out here having fun. You need to relax and not have so much fear." Shortly after that I got my "Mojo" back and made some advancement in my skiing ability. Needless to say, we did not make it to the top that day.

This week we did one run down the bunny hill then before I could change my mind we went up to the top. It was a beautiful ride up to the top, but as we started down I felt like a fish out of water. Everyone was zooming past me and all I could remember to do was snow plough. The hill was so steep it looked like it just dropped off into oblivion. I said a quick prayer for my safety, then begged the Lord that they wouldn't bring my baby up there (Mindy's teacher had told them that they were ready to go up top). Within seconds of my prayer I saw Mindy and her class about 10 yards above me on the hill. "Don't let her see how scared you are." was all I could think. She smiled and skiied past me a minute later. Ugh. I made it down the steep part, and actually enjoyed myself when it leveled off a bit.

Marianne took her first steps this week. She did it at a time when the entire family was watching, so that was fun. I only have two children that walked before a year. Guess who the other one was...

Have a great week! Love, Avery

Flour, Hats, and Frozen Water

Marianne has found that she likes to eat flour straight out of the five gallon bucket of flour we keep on the floor of the pantry. With a face as angelic as that, who can be upset with the MESS she makes in the process.

By the middle of winter the kids are tired of gettting hats, coats, gloves and boots on just to play outside. A good sunny day above 30 degrees and they are out riding trikes on the back deck without winter gear.

Maddy has enjoyed knitting this year. Since I do not knit or crochet I was appreciative to her friend Bessie's mom who taught her how to knit a hat (how many scarves does one family need?) Maddy has fun going to Bessie's house, but sometimes Bessie gets jealous when Maddy and her mom spend the whole time talking about knitting, cooking, and other hobbies that they have in common. "Mom, she's MY friend and I invited her over to play with ME!"

Ben got a little tickled today on the way home from church when he realized that the water bottle that he had left in the van was frozen. "Hah! the water turned to ice, and that makes me laugh - that is why I am smiling, because the water turned to ice, and that is funny!" Cute boy. I think I'll keep him.

Have a great week! Love, Avery