So remember that "vacation" I mentioned we were planning? Well, it has come and gone. The Cibula party of five has just returned from Beaver Creek, Colorado where we enjoyed our first ever family ski vacation.
I'm not even sure where to begin with this one. I mean it was a wild ride, but if I'm being honest I expected as much. We did take THREE kids skiing--one of which is only 3 years old. So my expectations weren't completely unrealistic. Not to mention four of five of us have never skied before. We are brave aren't we?
I suppose the best way to go about this is to let the pictures do most of the talking. And let this also go down as the FIRST ever Cibula vacation captured solely by an iPhone. Yes, it's true. I packed the real camera, but the logistics got the best of me. Nothing can zip up in a ski jacket like an iPhone.
The kids were graced with this amazing and unprecendented six day winter vacation. Clay and I knew we had to jump on this. We tossed around a few tropical locations and then wound up settling on a ski trip. And this is where I should note...that was all Clay. Not that I protested, but I am a pretty realistic gal.
We headed to the airport with three extremely excited kiddos. This was Lucy's first flight and it was going to be a long one. I was bracing myself. However, Lu along with her siblings, did FABULOUS!
We spent our first day adjusting to the time change, playing in the snow, marveling at the Rockies, check out the village and getting fitted for ski gear.
Okay, let me just say, for the record, ski boots might be the most uncomfortable shoes EVER invented. Add three kid trying to walk in them and...well, enough said.
After a great nights sleep and a 5:30 wake up {apparently we did not do too well adjusting to the time change} we prepared for our first day of Ski School.
I sent my little munchkins off and then Clay did the same to me. I get his rational but I was really hoping I could get a private lesson from my hubby. Instead he spent the day hitting the slopes while I spent the day humiliating myself.
I think everyone I've ever met has forgotten to mention that skiing is HARD! Like bruises all over my body, back in the snow, skis in the air, beyond humbling...HARD.
I peeled myself out of the snow ball I had turned into and rescued my kiddos from Ski School a few minutes early. I imagined if I was having this much trouble, surely they were too.
To my surprise, I found Jack could ski and Maggie actually enjoyed ski school. Lucy wasn't so sure, but I'm thinking that had something to do with me passing her time after time during my lesson. It just so happened that we were in close proximity.
With my "rescue" came a fun afternoon and evening in the village. We did a bit of ice skating....
....and had an epic snowball fight with Lucy's new snowball maker {one of my fave memories}.
The rest of the vacation was spent with a little of this and a little of that. We skied in the kid's area with all three, then Clay would take Jack to a slope or two while the girls and I played in the snow, then I would try out skiing with only the girls {me being ski-less obviously}.
We basically did whatever we could to make it work and still keep everyone in good spirits.
However, I must share the most amazing and unforgettable moment of the entire vacation. My 8 year old son taught me how to ski. I use that phrase very lightly, I wouldn't exactly say I know how to ski per se. But Jack taught me more in an afternoon than I learned all day in ski school.
So much so that he persuaded me to hit a slope with him. I can't deny I was terrified. But the most wonderful bonding experience between he and I happened right there on that slope. When I thought there was no way I was going to make it down in one complete piece, Jack encouraged me, gave me tips, helped me up when I fell down, and beamed with pride when I FINALLY made it.
He grabbed this picture of me at the bottom. If you could only feel the relief in my inner soul at that moment. Yikes...that was a doozie!
Clay had nearly given up on us, he said we were gone a loooooong time. So much so, that I met this at the bottom of the mountain...a front toothless Maggie.
It seems she lost it in the snow. There was no hope of recovering that one, so she wrote the Tooth Fairy an explanation.
Luckily the Tooth Fairy understood and rewarded Maggie properly.
A few other highlights of the vacation were the President's Day Celebration in the village, a few yummy {and overpriced} dinners, games, shopping and more ice skating.
We even took a little jaunt over to Vail on Valentine's Day. We realized at this point that this was our first and only family picture.
Daddy treated all of us ladies to roses from a local florist. They were beautiful and so thoughtful! Except Lucy was angry she only got one. {we are trying to teach her how to be a gracious lady...tips?}
So all in all it was a pretty incredible vacation. It was definitely trying {and humbling} at times but over all we thoroughly enjoyed it. The kids had the time of their lives and are already asking when we can go back.
And you may notice from our attire, the weather was gorgeous. It even got hot at times. It was hard to come home to a windy and chilly hometown....not to mention mountain-less.
Back to reality and the hope that Spring is on it's way...
