On the Lookout: Christmas Trip of a Lifetime

We decided to do something a bit different this year for Christmas. We wanted our children to receive memories instead of stuff. So, we set off on a skiing trip to Colorado...Winter Park. About three hours into the first day of skiing with four children, 11 years old an under and all newbies to skiing, Eddy and I looked at each other in complete amazement that we thought this would be fun to do! What were we thinking?? We were sweating by the time we got all four sets of boots and bibs and hats and gloves on these humans. And by that time, there were no less that two of them crying and one of them needing to pee. Did I mention "what were we thinking?"

But somehow, in the midst of the piles of snow and snuggly nights in our condo reading books and playing games, that magical Christmas "thing" happened...

By day four of skiing, our Haitian born 4 year old was demanding that we not touch him...not on the lift, not down the slopes...not ever. He got it!

In the meantime, our 5 year old and 11 year old were re-introduced to the family after four days of skiing as we NEVER saw them past the first two seconds of instruction on that very first day. "Well, hello, what is your name again?"

And then there is our sweet and cautious female in the tribe. And by the second half of day two, she took off with the rest of 'em.

So my dream of skiing down the slopes as a family in Winter Park came true. We ate, we laughed, we loved, we sipped hot chocolate, we sang, we played, we skied, we threw snowballs, we sledded, we tubed, we hung out with friends, we ice skated, we did it all. And to quote our oldest son, who initially had the hardest time wrapping his brain around a ski trip in lieu of getting Christmas presents...

"This was the trip of a LIFETIME! I would do it all again, cuz I really don't need anything anyway. I would much rather come out here and go skiing!"

That quote was worth it all. =)