Brianhead

After basking in the tropical sun of Maui with the Theodosises, we gathered all of our kids together the next weekend and headed to their cabin in the snowy mountains of Utah.

Two thoughts about this: 

1) You know how they say that the more hours you spend with a person the closer your friendship is? We're really starting to love the Theodosises. 

2) The tropics and the snowy mountains have something in common. They both smell a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Give me plumerias and pines forever.

Skiing is what drew us up there. The Theodosises cabin is right on the slopes of Eagle Mountain Ski Resort. In the days before we left I took inventory of our snow gear, bought the extra things we needed for the kids who keep sizing up, packed it all into bins, and loaded it into the Sequoia. On the morning of I helped kids into long underwear and gloves and hats, and then sent them out the door with a wave and kisses. Turning back around I felt a slight pang of disappointment that I could not join them on the slopes but my foot needed care, and so did my little lady.

It didn't take long after everyone else left for me to cozy up with Eliza on the couch, and my attitude shifted quickly. We had a wonderful time!

She is such a fun little friend. We read story after story after story, watched some cartoons, played in the snow, and even put together a 300 piece puzzle of an African safari landscape. It was so wonderful to be with her without any other distractions. 

She's had a different toddler/preschool experience than my other kids - homeschool takes me away from the day-to-day play that I was able to engage in with the other kids... they didn't have to share me nearly as much. But, then again, none of the other kids had quite so much entertainment throughout the days. I suppose it all shakes out in the end, but I was grateful for this entire day that I had to spend with just. her.

When the other kids came back home they went straight to work building a long sledding hill and eating the fresh snow.

This is a pack of really, really great kids. 

Bonus picture:

On the way up to the cabin, we stopped at Cafe Rio for dinner and this wall made me feel a strange mixture of happy and sad. Sad because so many of the tables were closed and uninviting due to the pandemic; happy because of all that color!