More Skiing

Yesterday was the kids last day with ski lessons. So fun!

Everyone is feeling pretty confident now, especially Arianna. She was so nervous those first few times! 

Short video clip of everyone: Scott, Ari, Hailey and then Jay and Kev

Family Ski Trip from Nicole on Vimeo.

Aren't we cute in our matching beenies? :) lol

We celebrate our 14th anniversary on Wednesday! What the what?!

Riding the lift 

Boys 

Girls 

Jay just started this new thing where he tucks his arms behind his back....this kid!

I nearly had a heart attack no short of 5 times yesterday. He was suppose to be following right behind Kevin criss-crossing so it wasn't so steep and instead he kept short cutting and booking down the hills. This kid will NOT slow down! See his little arms behind his back? Crack up!

Here's some clips from yesterday of Jay. It is so crazy that this is his first season skiing. I am a little worried to think what he will be like as a teenager! Just watch the last clip and you will see what I mean!

Family Ski Trip #6 Clips (3) from Nicole on Vimeo.

Family Ski Trip #6 Clips (1) from Nicole on Vimeo.

My Movie from Nicole on Vimeo.

So Much Snow!

We have never had this much snow! Ever! I think the news said not since the 80's have we had this much snow!

The kids couldn't be happier. They love the snow and playing in the snow! 

Hailey

our backyard is buried

There was one week of negative temperatures for several days in a row, and even school was cancelled for 2 days. Our windows had ice on the INSIDE! 

The snow in the backyard is up to our deck 

Felix has tunnels that he has made all over and he runs in and out of the deck...so funny! He was just a baby when we found him so this is his first time with snow. The first month it snowed he was scared to touch it. Then as soon as he saw the kids playing in it he jumped right in! So fun!

Kevin was gone all last week and one night Ari and I made a bunch of sled hills. Before we knew it everyone was out (except Jay he wasn't feeling good this week). We kept going when the sun went down and so I turned on our porch lights. Ari thought that was awesome. She's like, "This is like a real race! I love it!"

Video of all the sled hills Ari and I made in our front yard! :)

Compiled Movie-Snow Play

from Nicole on Vimeo.

Scott especially loves the snow. He hates being hot lol, so he can't get enough

The igloo he built this year was big enough for 3 kids to fit inside!

Standing in front of Hailey's igloo. You can see how tall the snow is in our yard!

Hailey tucked away

This is what Felix does when he wants to come in! lol

Our curtains are usually closed so he claws on the screen until we hear him (drives Kevin crazy!)

But we love him, so he comes in every morning and every evening to cuddle with kids and warm up :)

Ahh what a life!

Just a cute picture of Scott- growing up!

And this character here... lately he has been seeing how many pairs of underwear, pjs, etc. he can put on at one time lol

Arianna had an animal program at school. Scott and Hailey had Miss Jensen for 1st grade too, so they have all done it. It's pretty cute! 

She made a poem and drew a picture of Felix

Then each kid gets to pick a stuffed animal from home and make a habitat out of a box for the animal. They set them all up in the gym to make a "zoo" and sing a bunch of animal songs.

So cute!

(middle top in black top and pink bottoms)

Skiing

We have been enjoying all this snow we are getting in Cache Valley and really enjoying  Beaver Mountain's 76 inch base!! This is the first year we have decided to go skiing as a family and so far so good. We went twice over the Christmas break and the past two weekends as well :)

Scott has gone the most and feels pretty comfortable going on his own and getting off the lift, etc. He even went for a field trip last year! This was only Hailey's 2nd or so time skiing so she was a bit more timid. We had all the kids take lessons on our first day, and Hailey got to go on the lift for the first time! She realized it opened up a whole new world for her and she is LOVING it! We couldn't get her to do it so when I asked her how her teacher got her to she said, "Well she didn't give us a choice --we just did it" lol

Now Scott and Hailey are doing level 2 lessons together for all of January. So that's fun! I can't believe how much they have already improved just after 2 lessons.

This is Arianna's first time on skis! She did so awesome! She and Jay both spent the first two times hanging out on the bunny hill. They have a little conveyor belt that takes them up and then they ski down on their own. And Ari loves to play red light/green light with him. On  Saturday she got to go on the lift a few times during her lesson. And just like Hailey, she was super excited to get to go on some longer runs! 

Then there's Jay! This video is from his first time on skis can you believe that!

Jay's First Time on Skis from Nicole on Vimeo.

We had him do a rug rats lesson along with Arianna since it was both their first times that first day. But when I picked him up the instructor couldn't believe how awesome he was! He thought we had been going all the time. He didn't believe me when I told him it was his first time. He said he (the instructor) actually got teary eyed at one point in the lesson it was such a proud moment for him. So cute! They actually refunded us the money for the session of lessons for January because they said he was "too advanced" lol. And seeing how he is only 4 it wouldn't really be a good fit to be with the 6/7 year olds. 

Not to worry though- he has a blast going on the lift all day with Mom and Dad on the big hills! 

 

 Break for lunch

 Jay was just full speed all day that first day and as soon as I sat him in the car (didn't even buckle him yet) he passed out! Just exhausted!

So Scott and Hailey are in level 2 and Arianna is in level 1. Every Saturday for January they get a 2 hour group lesson. It's an awesome and pretty affordable program they have. Yesterday we put Jay in a private lesson with his instructor from that first day. We were hoping the instructor could get him a little more controlled. (He scares the daylight out of us his parents because he won't slow down!) So Jay got to hang out with his buddy while  Kevin and I had 2 whole hours all to ourselves! 

 Look at all the powder!

Here's a video of Jay during his lesson. (just look for the little man in a yellow full body suit lol) The trick the instructor found out is that you have to let Jay go first and then if he gets going too fast you can speed up and grab him. Otherwise if you go first he will just plow down as fast as he can and use you to stop! :) lol

Jay's Ski Lesson from Nicole on Vimeo.

After everyone's lessons yesterday we all went up on the lift together for a few last rides.

Kevin and I just looked at Jay in awe at how much he learned in just those 2 hours. He pretty much just goes off in front of you and he slows down and stops all by himself. Its pretty darn amazing. I'm proud of all of them! I can't believe how much they are all learning and improving from their lessons. 

More videos to come! :)