JH Skiing

Day 1 and 2 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Caroline had a BLAST at the Jackson Hole Mountain Sports Ski School . She was a bit nervous on Day 1 when she saw the mountain and all the kids, but the instructors there were great. C was in a class of just three girls and they learned to walk in ski boots, walk like a duck in their skis, and ride the magic carpet (a moving sidewalk like at the airport to get them to the top of the practice hill) all before lunch! After lunch they learned to glide down hill and make turns. C says the instructors wanted them to do pizza (think snowplow stop) but she was french fry (parallel) all the way!

She loved it so much, we went back the next day for more. On Day 2, she moved up to the snowmobile class and practiced on the actual mountain. To be in the snowmobile class she had to have goggles. She picked out these blue ones and pretty much wore them all week. She is ready to go back for more. "I am the fastest kid in my whole class!" she will tell you.
While C was off in Ski School, Hunter and I set out for the slopes. I am not 15 anymore. Nor am I 25. My inhibitions (and creaky bones) caught up with me a bit and I had a tough first day. Hunter was polite enough not to laugh when I fell and to wait endlessly for me to get it back together and catch up with him. At the end of Day 1 I was dubbed Grandma Pizza Feet for my lack of speed and abundance of snowplowing. Of course he and Caroline were Team French Fry.

On Day 2, I stuck to the bunny slopes to work on my confidence (it is great being the big fish on the small slopes) and Hunter headed up the mountain for some endurance racing, jumps and moguls (show off!). We met at the top of the mountain for lunch and he skied down while I took the gondola down. I would like to point out that this is a 3000 foot descent!

By Day 3 our legs were ready for a break so we set out to try our hand at something new.

JH sledding

We spent several hours at SnowKing Tubes. This was an easy introduction to sledding for everyone.

C went down a few times by herself and then got brave enough for the triple whip (the three of us going down together).

Why didn't we have this system at Skinner's Hill?

JH Snow

C was 18 months old the year it snowed at our house for Christmas. She went to Grandma Becky's that same year and went sledding. She really doesn't remember the snow. So we built lots of snow time into our vacation.
A public park was conveniently located down the block from our hotel. C spent hours building snowmen and a fort and making snow angels. We even rolled down a hill, had snowball fights, and went down the snowy slides.

JH Swimming

Our hotel had a hot tub and indoor swimming pool. Each day when we got in from the snow, we spent a little time in each. Of course, C dressed herself. Check out the goggles and snowboots.

JH elking

While in JH we went skiing, sledding, and swimming. To a 6 year old who is just learning the rules of grammar, what do you call seeing elk? Elking!

We went to the National Elk Refuge on the edge of town on Day 3. They have an amazing visitor center and sleigh rides through the refuge. They can support 5000-8000 elk each winter. Because it was early and there was not a lot of snow, there were about 1000 elk on the refuge with the others still up in Grant Teton National Forest and Yellowstone.

Our sleigh took us across the prairie and right up to the elk herd. C earned a Blue Goose Ranger Girl Scout patch for her efforts that morning. She was pretty proud of her identification of tracks and antlers in and around the visitor center.

JH town

Each evening we went into town for dinner. JH has a wonderful free bus shuttle and a great little downtown. Of course you can't miss the arch park- and at this time of year it is all lit up for Christmas.

C found a gallery ("a museum where the stuff is for sale") with a T Rex in the window. When we went inside (after a Mommy Fun Police talk about keeping "chapel hands" at all times inside) the owner let her touch it. Very Cool! Check out the goggles.

just five more days

Mom, just five more days until I learn to ski!

These were the first words out of Caroline's mouth today. They were followed by,

Mom, I am going to do just french fries (translation: skis parallel for fast skiing). No pizza for me (translation: slowing down). Then she raced around the room swooshing.

I think she is excited!

Bad Santa Pictures

Baby Brayden (my youngest sister Holly's son) is in a bad Santa photo contest- click to the right for more details on how to vote.

Yesterday Santa was in Tiki. He rode down the main street on a fire truck and then held court at the fire station. At 6 Caroline is still afraid of the big man. She has yet to sit on his lap without a pep talk first. Maddy finally led her over and sat with her.

Why is it that we try to teach little ones not to talk to strangers and then all bets are off for the fat man in the red suit?

Now, THAT is a skating skirt

As many of you know, Caroline has been taking Skating lessons and has an interesting sense of style. Now the two have come together for your entertainment.

C goes deer hunting

Caroline, Hunter and I went to his parent's deer lease this past weekend. C helped Hunter build and install "Caroline's blind" in October and she was excited to try it out with him. The blind was everything Caroline wanted and they even "found dinner" as Caroline tells it.

This was the first time C was along for the whole process and she opened the windows in the blind for Hunter to shoot. She loved the tracking part, thought the gutting part was cool and gross at the same time ("his heart isn't really heart shaped it is sort of circle shaped. Isn't that weird?") and was very proud to help provide dinner.