it was snow fun!

I have had a terrible time blogging lately.  I just feel like I have a million things to write about ... and that scares me into being a non-writer.  Then more piles up ... then I think about doing the next day ... the next day ... 3 weeks later, and I'm in worse shape than when I should've have first written.  Anyway, I going to try to write more often ... that way I can just write a little blip and post a few pictures ... and voila!  I will be done.  Now, I feel so behind ... I'm just going to start and finish this one with our trip to Utah.  I think that will make a good blog.

Billy had been out of town on a business trip prior to this trip ... so we had a full (and super busy for me) week before we even left for Park City.  He came home from his trip on Saturday night around 11:30 p.m.  He was pretty exhausted, but we had to do his laundry and pack him for our week long trip to Park City, UT.  We had to be up by 4:00 a.m.  It was a short night!  He brought these cuties back from his trip for the kids.

I love me some Paul Pierce, so I was okay that they are Celtics bears.  

We made it on-time to the airport for our 6:20 a.m. flight.  I love the airport in Tampa, because they have play areas for kids by the gates.  I think all airports should have a place like this where kids can release their energy and get some exercise before the plane ride.  Colton and Koki both loved running around and getting some energy out.

Koki flying the plane before our flight.

Colton wanted to show me how high he could climb.

It was a two hour flight to Houston.  It wasn't a bad flight.  Koki slept some of that flight.  On the second flight to Salt Lake City, it was 3 hours, and it seemed to last forever!  She slept a little bit ... Colton slept a lot.  I was just exhausted, and I didn't want to hold Khloe anymore!  We finally made it and got our luggage and our car ... we stopped by a grocery store and got food for the week.  Colton was super happy to see the snow.  He had been telling Khloe about it all weekend.  "Baby Khloe, we are going to see the snow!  Aren't you excited, Baby Khloe?"  (I think it's funny that he still says 'baby' when referring to her.)  We drove up to our lodge, and it began to snow.  I was really looking forward to taking a nap ... but when we made it to our hotel, we found out that we couldn't check in until 4 p.m.  We had to wait an hour in the lobby. Luckily, they had free warm cookies and hot cocoa for us.  Colton and Koki both wanted to go out into the snow immediately.  So, we took them out just for a little bit ... since they didn't really have their coats on.  After we made it to our room, we had to run out to reserve and get fitted for our gear ... since I was going to be on the slopes just after breakfast the next morning.  We were all so sleepy that night, I'm pretty sure everyone was conked out by 8:30 p.m.!

Koki munches on a cookie while testing out the snow.

Koki liked the snow.

That next morning, we had breakfast then I headed out to my ski class.  I'm not confident enough in my skills to ski alone yet, so I took another class.  I thought then I could, at least, be on the slopes with some other people.  Plus, I wanted to make sure I remembered how to do everything.  I went to the beginner class, and we ran two times down the bunny hill before they split our group into two.  Me and one other girl went with an instructor out to the greens right away while the other half kept practicing on the bunny hill.  I was really surprised at how quickly it came back to me ... like riding a bike, I guess.  I had a lot of of fun, and I even got to go down my favorite run starting on Bald Mountain.  As I was skiing, I was wishing that I could be out there with Billy.  I wanted to ski more days ... but this year, it just wasn't going to happen.  It's too expensive to get a baby sitter for a day or afternoon just to ski, so we'll have to make sure we get in more skiing together next year.

Heading up the ski lift.

Look at that bright blue sky!  What a great day to ski!

This was at the top of Bald Mountain.  I really wish I would've taken the original picture I wanted to take, but my ski instructor told me to wait and by the time we skied around the bend ... I couldn't go back to the original spot.  Oh, well.  It was still pretty here, too!

Love skiing here!

After skiing ... I had a great time!  Just missed having Billy out there. 

That night, we hired a baby sitter, and we went to dinner with the Tampa group.

The next morning, Melissa Murrill, Chandra Pittman, Tamara Lukens, Lisa Myers, and I took our kids to Monkey Mountain.  It's a lot like Monkey Bizness, but the decor seemed a lot cooler.  The kids had a great time running around and playing on the big tree and the HUGE, fast slide.  They all get along well, too ... so that makes it nice for us moms.  Koki didn't like their animals, because they made sounds when you touched them.  She seemed especially wary of the cheetah, but she still had fun despite the small fear that they might get her. 

Colton and "new Mason", as he called his friend, Mason Murrill.  I guess "old Mason" would be his buddy, Mason Adams, who we live near and play with all of the time.  I guess that's not too different from "Black Justin" and "White Justin" both of whom I went to daycare with ... come to find out they just had black hair and blonde hair. 

That night was the big dinner for everyone at a super nice lodge where they have sleigh rides.  The dinner was delicious, and we got to see a lot of good friends.  My friend, Jon Kruger, had come up from SLC where he's a medical resident to visit other friends, and we ran into each other.  It was really nice to catch up with him!  Both kids did really well up in the kids area for dinner.  After we all ate, we had a night time sleigh ride.  We rode through the snow and saw "Christmas Trees" (as Max Murrill called them) all around.  The stars were so bright out there!  It was just beautiful.  We rode on the sleigh with Mike and Melissa Murrill and their kiddos.  

Sleigh ride with my dolly.

Still needing something to do in the mornings while the guys are in their meetings, some of us moms took our kiddos to the Utah Olympic Park again this year.  We got there at 9:58 a.m., and the doors didn't open until 10 a.m.  The kids found some snow to play in while we waited.

Colton with his new friend, Gavin Pittman.

All of the kiddos in the bobsled.  Georgia, Colton, Gavin, Max, Khloe, and Mason's little head poking out of the front of the bobsled.

Colton tries out the luge.

Koki with hockey USA.

The boys with the olympic torch.

Koki the professional skier!

Colton ... super skier!

Melissa and her son, Mason, zooming down the hill!

A little play time outside in the snow before we head back to the lodge.

That evening, our fun activity was sledding at Gorgoza Park.  Colton LOVED this last year, and Koki was just too little to go.  This year, we took both kids.  Cole loved it, again, but they said Khloe was too little to go down the big hill.  Next year for her!

Cole and Mommy going sledding.

Koki was banished to Frosty Land ... or whatever it was called.  She wasn't a big fan of going in circles, but she does like the snow.

I got this picture while ZOOOOOMING down the hill with Cole.  He was going so fast, and the snow was blowing up into his face.  Too cute!

Having fun sledding with our friends, Duska and Landon.

Mommy and Koki 

Racing down the little hill ... Colton and Koki having fun on the snow.  Khloe won this race ... Colton won the second race.

Cole watching and waiting for his friends.

My cutie patooties!

Well, after another morning at Monkey Mountain ... we had to do something fun while actual work was going on ... we came back for some long and much needed naps.  After dinner, we decided to go take a walk in downtown Park City to get some ice cream.  

I have to laugh at this picture, because Cole asked me to take a picture of him going pooh on the potty.  He wanted to see it after I took it.  This is his fake "pooping" face.  I thought it was too funny!

Koki being naughty and climbing the table during lunch. 

Later, I found her standing on the table.  She has no fear.

Koki and I in Park City after eating some yummy ice cream.

On Friday morning, we decided to head out of Park City early, so we could go to a Children's Museum in downtown SLC before we flew out to Tampa.  We went to Discovery West, and the kids had a fun time playing in their hands-on play areas.  We had lunch at Jason's Deli afterwards then we headed to the airport for the long-haul home.

Koki enjoying the construction zone.

In the farm, Cole found the horsey ... "Yee-haw!" he said.

Both kids on the horse.

Driving the produce truck with Daddy.

Flying the helicopter.

Colton to the rescue!

Once we got to the airport, we made it through ticketing and TSA pretty quickly.  By then Khloe was super tired, but she tends to have a meltdown to fall asleep in my arms.  I took her and her blanket into a nook I found in the hallway, and I rocked her to sleep.  That's when I found out our flight had been delayed one hour ... followed by two hours!  We just wanted to go home.  There was a mechanical issue that delayed our flight.

Koki knocked out waiting to get to Houston.

When we landed in Houston it was 25 minutes past when our flight should have left.  There were 12 passengers on our plane who needed to make that connection to Tampa from Houston.  They did not hold the plane for us.  You'd think because it was their fault, they would've held the plane for an hour (they delayed us two hours)!  So, we got some food vouchers and a hotel room.  By the time we made it to our hotel, it was 10:30 p.m.  We had no luggage aside from our carry-ons.  Koki fell asleep right away, but Colton stayed up another hour!  We got food right away delivered to our room, and we all ate something.  We had to be up at 4:00 a.m. (again)!  It was an early morning!  Colton was exhausted.

Colton sleeping on the floor while we waited for our flight.

We got to the airport 2 1/2 hours before our flight took off, because they warned us that it was spring break ... and there may be long lines.  There were no lines ... good and bad, I guess.  We finally got on our 7:00 a.m. flight, and we made it the two hours to Tampa.  The kids did really well on this flight.  They were both so exhausted ... they slept all the way there.  When we got home, we fed the kids and let them run around a bit.  Then it was off to bed for a long nap!  They both slept for 4 1/2 hours!  We took them to the park after that.  They had fun running around and playing.  I think they felt relieved to be at home.

Eating their lunch ... ready for a nap.

Colton zooms down the slide!

Koki on the swing!

On Sunday, we took a long walk and back to the park for us!  We had to run all of our cooped up energy out.  It was nice to be in such great spring weather when we got back.

The big girl walking down the steps by herself.

Cole played a little soccer with Daddy.

Colton naps on the bridge ... he was pretty tired still!

Caleb and Elizabeth had gone to the Strawberry Festival that Sunday, and they bought us half of a flat.  They were super delicious! 

My strawberry girl loves to eat strawberries!

Juice face!

We had a fun time in Park City.  We had fun seeing and hanging out with our friends!  This past week has been busy with MOMs Club events 3 days!  Today, we went on a Thomas Train trip ... which I will blog about tomorrow ... I hope.  For now, I guess I better get outside to help Billy plant his tomato plants.  Love that the sun stays up into the evening now!