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Showing posts with label Keystone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Keystone. Show all posts

Jan 21, 2009

From The Top of the Mountain

Did you start ’09 with big plans, projects or platitudes? Or did you avoid thoughts and conversations about resolutions, change and challenges?

January will soon be over. Have you already faced failure, fallen short, fought back tears or let them flow? I can answer yes to all of these.

A few days leading up to January 1st, we were, as I have previously posted, on our annual ski trip in CO. We were skiing, the boys were snowboarding and I had lots of fun taping my Ski Tips for Living.

It was all great - until my husband, One Fine Man, had a traumatic accident on New Year’s Day.
The day before the accident, I had called my mother on my cell phone from the top of the mountain. Enjoying its significance, I remember telling her, “I just wanted to call you from the top of the mountain.” I related to her how beautiful the day was…blue skiessunshinefresh powder…and what fun we were having!


I also told her it was my last day to ski but One Fine Man and the boys had one more day to go. She asked me what I would do and if would I be bored. Me? Bored? Hardly ever! With a couple of books to finish reading, some research to do for the literature class I teach and my plans to set some goals, challenges and scheduling for 2009, I had plenty to do. In fact, with the alone time to pray, think and plan I would be in heaven with this time of preparation.

What a difference a day makes! I won’t repeat what I have already posted about concerning the accident. (It is in the first five posts of January if you care to read about it).

Platitudes? Now pleading prayers.
Planning? Flight changes, calls to make, rental car return, school starting...
Resolutions? Do what has to be done now; then do the next thing.
Change? YES!
Challenges? Continue.
Tears? Some held back. Some hidden. Some flowed silently until a stranger pressed tissues into my hand.

And I’ve been disappointed but mainly in my own shortcomings – impatience heading the list.
Yet, with all of my thoughts of planning and preparation for the New Year, it was God who had done the planning. He had prepared my heart weeks before our trip.

A day after the accident, I was standing in the hospital room and a memory flooded my mind. I was back in my bedroom, a few weeks before our trip, putting away clothes and God spoke to my heart. I remember the deep emotion that came with such a personal and humbling word that God spoke to me. What He spoke is so personal that I...

Part Two to follow...

Dec 30, 2008

Now We're Skiing!!! & A Video

Skate~boy took this pic outside our window in Keystone, CO!


Two days after Christmas we left for skiing in Colorado. This is our winter trip that One Fine Man dreams about all year long! About 6 years ago he planned our first ski trip. That first year we had a family ski lesson and here we are again on our winter vacation. This is the first year that Guitar Girl hasn't been with us. We miss her! I think next year if we can get The Beau to come with us, she will be a sure bet, too! (Start your ski fund now, Beau Man!)

It is quite a change of environment from coastal Florida. We left "shorts" weather and upon arriving in Denver began the bundling up. At least I did. For some reason, known only to those posessing the male DNA, my boys feel the need to pretend they aren't cold and resist my efforts to wrap them up!

My men...first day out


Bella~Mella & One Fine Man
On the ski lift to SchoolMarm (a green slope)

(TechSon kindly assisted me in uploading this video. I'll try not to embarass you, son, when I video you snowboarding, but I'm not promising anything b/c you know I'm a mother.)

Bella~Mella skiing SchoolMarm


I made the boys promise me they'll stay with me long enough tomorrow so I can get some video of them snowboarding. I have skiied 2 days but am taking today off to let my calves recover! And Skate~boy just came back from snowboarding with a terrible looking scrape on his chin. He assures me he's fine. Prayer is a good thing! A very good thing!
I'm posting this picture for my men...not that it'll do them any good. See the sign?
S...l...o...w...
Hey boys...have fun but be careful! Is that an oxymoron?
Sure, Mom, I'll be careful...aren't I always?!