Weary....

What a great day on the mountain.

This is our morning run - ahead is an historic abandoned silver mine.

With the lift next to us that takes us to the summit.

Snow was great, lots of fresh trax for the morning.

It was hard work, but so much fun

Finally on the long runs back to the middle of town and our condo.

So excited we get to do it again.

Dinner

Salmon and arguing.
Potatoes and arguing
Green beans and arguing.
That I am not in the kitchen=priceless.

Psst: found two more books for my reading list, how will I get them home?

Hello Utah

My sweet hubby let me have the first class seat.
First time I've been served a meal on a plane in years!
Awesome.

The hunt

They haven't out grown it -yet
The Easter Egg hunt
Fun for friends and moms.

Letting go

Sometimes you have to stand by and watch
Let go and let them live
Reach further than you feel comfortable watching.
They can't achieve greatness if you are trying to keep them safe.

Superdog

Shawnee, made invincible by the iPad
Much lived by the boys and me.
Anxiously awaits everyone to get home so
She can nap with the people she loves.

Mountain Times

Trees covered with thin coating of ice.

Ski Resort closed for the season.

Funny, I'm not sad just relaxed.

Time to think about biking

Running

Swimming

Time to move into Spring.

Though the weather doesn't seem to want to cooperate.

Bethania - I love this place!

Our resident organic CSA prepping the fields for the summer.

Cold morning run, but the sunshine made it beautiful.

This is such an awesome little town.

Trails, cafe, quirky neighbors.

Art at the Heart - Clay!

52 students!

Exhausting

But so well worth it.

Resident rockstar by the number of hugs I received as I sent them home.

4:44 minute mile?

Way to go Jay.  Fell into the meet.

Screaming and yelling like a fool.

He ran a mile in 4:44

Max celebrated because technically that was his birthday.

He told Jay that's why he did it.

As a runner, I am amazed.

As a friend, I am blown away.

Way to go Jay!!

Evil little things

I've stepped on them.
Washed and dried them
Found them in places you'll never imagine.
But both boys still build with them,
So I can't let go of them just yet.

What happened to spring

There is some small hints that spring is on the way.
Today's temperature begs to differ
I cannot warm up today.
I am not sure it is from the damp rain
Or the 74 degrees on Saturday.
One more weekend into our ski season.
Then spring can come whenever it wants.

Say less, do more

4 word Sunday.

And it's that simple act of being there.

No words said,

 No fanfare.

Just knowing that someone has your back.

Yeah, I got that.

Clouds

I love these clouds, 

glad I got my camera out in time to get this picture.

We could tell some stories about these, now couldn't we?

Winding down ski season

One weekend left.

Not sure how I'll grieve this year.

Things I love

I love embarassing my children.

Especially stepping out of the car and signaling, "Over here!"

What am I trying to teach them?

Relax, don't worry about what everyone else is thinking.

The adrenaline rush of doing this is awesome!

Who cares about anyone else, just have fun

One child told me to get back in the car immediately

The other grabbed the hat and put it on.

I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

Decisions

Lots of decisions today.

Not mine

Artwork

I love my children's artwork.

He's not letting me keep this one.

He wants to give it to his grandparents.

Oh well.

Boy, life is short

Another interesting week, another lesson learned.

I know it was a life lived on their terms, 

It was choices that they made.

But that small part still wonders, "What if."

Biggest takeaway from today.

Love big or go home.

Because everyone's time here is limited.

After a night in the hospital, I'm walking through this door and waking my family to tell them I love them!

Diet

Ever want to go on a diet?

Go have lunch with a bunch of 3rd grade boys.

Better yet, go look at all the delicious food the cafeteria sells.

If that doesn't kill your appetite nothing will.

Winner!

We had a competition over the weekend

And with two boys this is how I lost my mind.

My youngest won 30 dollars in the competition

My oldest won nothing.

Then the youngest wins a brand new snowboard in a raffle

Yep, it went downhill from there.

It is hard trying to teach the oldest to be happy when someone else in the family

Does something great/wins something/has great things happen to them.

Hope fully we will all grow into it.

Yup you can still ski in North Carolina

Awesome day on the mountain

Starting at first chairs

Then upset that we missed last chair

Sure it would be easier if we lived out west

But we're taking what we have for all it's got.

Get it while you can

We took a "sick" day from school.

A Snowstorm dumping 10 inches with a Friday

Where Daddy actually can take some time make it perfect.

and it was.

Riding through the woods,

Going from 9am to 430p upset we missed

the last chair.

Can we do it all again tomorrow?

I think so.

Lent

Who picked not eating sweets for lent?

Who thought about doing this right before Valentine's Day

or the build up to Easter?

Obviously not me, I didn't realize

that I had small boys

so the temptation is still there.

Help me.

Bugle Fingers

Things you do as a kid
And remember
Family night with a movie
Red Dog on Netflix

A dose of reality

I just got a call from my friend.

How quickly life comes into perspective

I look at how normal my day is going, and I am thankful

There's not much I can do

I can listen, I can tell her that everything will work out.

Have faith.

Things happen for a reason.

That's all I got, but I can give her all of what I can give.

and hold her hand.

Homework

Why is it so difficult to get them to finish homework.

They will do everything possible EXCEPT work on their homework.

That's why it takes 4 hours instead of 1 to finish the work.

They make me so mad when they wait until the last minute.

Uh oh, that reminds me of someone.....

Snow!

It snowed all weekend.  10+ inches of fresh powder.

We hit it hard every day, even had a race.

It's hard to be back in the lowlands, where it is dry

knowing that it is still coming down in the mountains.

Beech Mountain

Beautiful trees with snow on the limbs

Makes everything look so clean

So pure

So crisp.

Made it to the mountains with ONLY 4 boys this time.

Could mean less wine for me.