Steamboat

Two days after Christmas, we drove to Steamboat!  We left around 5:00 in the morning and arrived by 8:30 that night.  We had a great drive, and everyone loved listening to Isaac's new Jonathan Park CDs from Christmas.

Dave replaced the spindles on the staircase.  The new iron ones are gorgeous! 

Emma helped a lot with the project!

It took Josiah a day or two to get used to the cold, but after that, he loved being outside!  

He said, "Everything on me is cold!"

Sledding on the hill behind Papa and Nana's house on Tuesday afternoon

Warming up inside with hot chocolate and studying a new maze book from Christmas 

(It was Josiah's gift, but Isaac and Emma enjoyed it so much that they would "do" the mazes with just the fingers.)

I'll never tire of watching my kids sleep - so peaceful and precious!

Dave took Isaac and Emma skiing all day on Wednesday and they loved it!  He wanted them to get comfortable on skis again; and, then on Thursday he took Josiah along for his first time!  Josiah was very hesitant and said "I'll go if I have to!"  But, like his siblings, he ended up loving it as well and didn't want to leave.  

Emma skiing on Wednesday, their first day this year 

Josiah learning 

Emma on the magic carpet hill

Dave helping Josiah down the magic carpet hill

Isaac skiing 

The ski lift doesn't usually run during the week at Howelson, but they had it on on Thursday, and the kids loved it!  

Dave couldn't believe it, but the kids wanted to ski again on Friday, too!  Dave was beat :) but took them again!  Papa, Nana, and I took lunch to them and everyone ate in the gorgeous sunshine!  We took Josiah home after lunch so that Dave could do the bigger runs with Isaac and Emma.  (Josiah would have much rather stayed and was very disappointed to leave.)  

Since it was a weekday, the chairlift wasn't running, so the only way up to the top was the Poma lift.  The Poma lift is essentially a little seat attached to a long rope.  You hold on to the rope, sit down, and keep your skis pointed forward while the rope pulls you all the way to the top.  Papa, Nana, Josiah, and I watched Dave and the kids go up, and Emma fell off about 1/4 of the way up.  She skied down the hill, while Dave and Isaac continued to the top.  Papa went and waited with her til Dave and Isaac came down.  We were so proud of Isaac for making it to the top and skiing down his first blue!  

It ended up taking Emma six more times to get to the top...she would get further up each time, but eventually her skis would slip to the side and she would fall.  The hill becomes progressively steeper, and I started crying watching her wait on the side.  I said I needed to leave and couldn't keep watching!  I knew Dave would keep her safe, but it was hard to watch her fall off repeatedly.  Each time, Dave helped her down - even skiing down with her in his arms!  (He said it was fun, and she LOVED it!)  Emma is determined, though, and she made it to the top on her seventh try!  By then, Papa, Nana, Josiah, and I were already at home.  Dave called me and gave me a second-by-second narration of Emma making it to the very top!  (He was on the seat behind her on the Poma lift.)  She did it, and they all had a great rest of the day skiing new, longer runs! 

A skiing picnic lunch on Friday!