I can only find one glove.

The first week of this year we had the incredible opportunity to take our children to Red River, New Mexico for three days of snow skiing. This small village, tucked in a mountain valley, has a special place in my heart. Many summers and winters my family gathered there to hike, ski, fish and camp. I was excited to take my children there and introduce them to a sport Bruce and I have grown to love.

First and foremost, I cannot say enough good things about the kind and helpful folks who run the Red River Ski Area. Not just patient. Not just friendly. From the young adults running the lifts to the men fitting us for ski boots, these people went out of their way to help us along and make us feel welcome.

And believe me, we were a total nuisance. 

Our 7 "beginners" fell off lifts, tackled ski instructors, tripped down stairs, hurtled downhill completely out of control, ripped off lift tickets, misplaced rented skis, fed wildlife on the trails, harpooned people with ski poles and had to be rescued on the slopes after sunset by ski patrol personnel on snowmobiles. (Macy, Genet. I'm looking at you)

This trip would also not have been possible without good 'ol Memaw & Gdad. They wrangled Chapel and prepared hot meals while Bruce and I played with our older kids. This time spent with our bigs without our little "tagalong" was a gift. And Chapel enjoyed loads of spoiling without all his big "tagalongs" to distract Gdad and Memaw.

I think I had subconsciously dampened my expectations in case my kids were whiney or total weather wimps (a cardinal sin in our home). While we weren't surprised by the incredible amount of effort it took just to get onto the slopes each day, nothing could have prepared me for the sheer joy I felt teaching my kids to ski. The kind or pride and delight that makes your face hurt from smiling. They waited when someone fell behind, then cheered on the stragglers as they came into view. Our kids have never seen Bruce or I ski (or anyone else for that matter), so they were very impressed with our amazingly average skiing abilities. Shep, after watching me zip down a placid blue, exclaimed "Mom! You're not slow AT ALL!" #highpraise! I'm happy to report that every single one of our kids not only enjoyed skiing, but were confidently skiing greens and easy blues by the end of our trip. Shep, Mattie, Elle and Reuben managed to remain fairly modest about their quick mastery of the sport while the big girls lagged behind a bit. And don't get me started on how grateful I am that no one suffered an injury greater than a blister.  It will be a while before we can swing another ski trip, but it's something we're already saving for and can't wait to experience again.

And now, by popular demand, the return of Chuy Cam:

Chuy Cam Ski