Yes, we are back from our spring break getaway....It is hurting me to even type right now I am so sore. Two word explanation: SNOW + BOARD. ( LOVE it, by the way.)
Well, we had a terriffic time with our family while we were gone. 'Nan', Keenan, the kids and I left on Sunday, March 17th to go a bit early and check out possible sights for the Annual Morris Family Reunion in Ruidoso, New Mexico. The Lord really went before us and guided our every step - even led us straight to the exact place where we will be staying in June! We are very excited about the accommodations and amenities - All golfing fees AND fishing licenses included in price of room - playground, party house, shuffleboard, ping pong, etc... I know you did not have to know all that, but can ya tell it made OUR day? ( Look at the pictures of the kids with their PSP's....Thank you, Lord for technology.)
Here are some pictures of the kids in their p.j.'s watching about TWENTY deer at one time UP CLOSE, right outside the back door of our cabin. It was extra special because the deer did not seem to mind being INCHES away from the screaming children? They were pretty psyched!
( The kids - not the deer.)
Tuesday, The Leatherwoods went to Ski Apache while Nan stayed at our house and recouped from Monday's activities. ( Still nursing that leg)
Keenan got the kids all outfitted and ready to go - and when I tried on my ski boots that morning, they did not fit as well as I had once believed the night before at the rental shop. So, I declined to ski that day. But, Keenan and I had a great time watching the kids learn! I had also never seen Keenan snowboard - maybe its that background of snow that makes him look even sexier? Grrrr!
( Landry snowboarded and Lawson skiied - not old enough for snow board lessons.) Of course they BOTH exceeded even our expectations. Landry eventually told us her instructor had only 6 fingers - kinda creeped her out a bit when he tried to help her up and she realized he was not just holding those four back- (Snowboarding accident? Frostbite? what?...we dunno) Lawson was a pro - never saw the kid fall - until a kid ran into him. He just walks around on skis like they're tennies. When I checked on him INSIDE the building, they had given him a coloring sheet - Boy, did he look DIS-A-POINTED! He was like - 'I came to ski - and they gave me a color sheet?' No, he did not say that, but with his little dimpled chin in his hands, and a scowl on his face, I could read the little guy's mind. I had to explain that he HAD TO WAIT for the other children to arrive. Still disappointed.
WEDNESDAY! We drove up to meet my brother; Chris and his family in Red River! The kids just go berserk when they see their cousins after not seeing them for a week...We are so gad they love one another - but really - need they yell?!?
We checked ourselves in at Lifts West and headed right over to rent skiis, snowboards, etc. Had a rather tasteless dinner out at a "great" steak house and then went home to get our beauty rest.
THURSDAY! All of the kids went to ski/snowboard school ( Yes, ours went twice - it didn't hurt'em!) They all fell alot - but immediately picked themselves up and got right back at it - We were proud....AGAIN. Us 'grown up' ladies shopped just a bit and watched the kids in their schools, cat-called our husbands from the bottom of the hills (yah - a little embarrassing, but, hey, we're MARRIED, right?) and ate lunch out - ( a tad better than the last place, but still not NAN'S home cooking...) That evening me and Lesley made a pact to attempt snow boarding the next day. So, without our husbands knowing, we signed up for school and that evening, sprung it on them that we were, in fact, going to do it on Friday! (Supper that night was Nan's corn chowder - Mmmmmm....SO much better than the yucka stuff at the other places..)
FRIDAY! I bundled myself up like a BIG YELLOW MARSHMALLOW - complete with a banana- looking hat - and off I went! My kids were not in school this day - - - I WAS ! However uncomfortable I might have been at first, I would only get less comfortable over the next 2 hours. Case & Point: The first thing the instructor asked us to do was face downhill. Seems easy enough, right? Not for this marshmallow. ( Now, keep in mind that I am a VISUAL learner and the instructor was facing uphill.) What do I do? Promptly make a turn around to face UP hill - like the instructor. Everything went silent. I looked around to see everybody else doing it WRONG. OH!Oh, Oh, Oh, it's MEeeeee. I'M WRONG. Duhh. Everyone had a good laugh after that and an even bigger one when he announced that I was the only one in this class that was "GOOFY" ( NOT referring to my personal character, of course, but rather the term for going RIGHT foot forward on the board.) Somehow, I don't think it is coincidence, though!
The rest of the day involved slipping, sliding, bumping, colliding, bruising, cartwheeling, face planting, knee planting, AND YES! Ahhh...the thrill of ACTUALLY getting it RIGHT. The sweet sound of snow crunching past that tortured board of mine. SWEET! Then.....( The HORROR!) The chair lift. There is something extra special about a grown strange man having to hoist you up, under your arms, while you slip around like Bambi learning to walk for the first time. Pretty humbling. Anyway, I did actually make it down the face of the mountain. But, not without Lawson passing me THREE TIMES before I reached the bottom. He would only stop to ask: "Have ya learned, yet, Mom?" Yah. another humbling moment on the mountain. He didn't realize I, too, was having to WAIT on my class. Now I know where he got his disappointed attitude from....ME! That evening we stayed at a house in town - BEAUTIFUL! And the CRAZY deep snow was everywhere! It was at least 10 feet deep. in fact, while racing out the back door, and assuming that there was ground somewhere, Keenan went neck deep in snow while my mom looked on. She thought is was pretty funny seeing athletic, confident Keenan get kinda stuck for a bit. Here is a picture of him leg deep in it.....
SATURDAY! The girls hibernated - The kids and GUYS went at it again... Landry found the special easter egg on the mountain and won a free hat - The HIGHLIGHT of her trip. She also got asked by a young man - "Are you single?" Her father looked on while this conversation progressed. Landry looked at him SO funny ( You can picture her face, right?) And then, realized he was asking only if she needed a partner for the chair lift - not her hand in marriage. Good thing Keenan was there to chaperone! The 'grown up ' girls had a girl movie marathon and rested our SORE SELVES. We laughed alot, ate some more and FINALLY got ready for the day about 2 O'clock. And THAT was just so we could go shop a little more for souvenir shirts.
We spent the rest of our stay repacking our stuff, eating breakfast for dinner, playing games, enjoying the breathtaking, snow-capped mountain views and laughing some more.
SUNDAY. We drove home. All ten hours. We drove. We drove, we drove and we drove some more. But at least we did see some humorous signs along the way. Not metaphorical signs - real, plastic signs outside f a gas station ( pooping dog) and the one armed man throwing away trash at a Whataburger. Both seemed too hysterical when we spotted them. Sleep deprived?
Oh - here are some random photos of Lawson's Preschool Class Easter Party. Enjoy! Hope you had HOPPY Easter and a blessed Resurrection Sunday! ( For those of you who care, I know my pictures are out of order, but it would be May before I get them corrected. I prefer you just see them out of order, NOW.)
