A Utah Family Travel Writer's Adventures with Altitude
Hadley and Bode have been playing marvelously well lately.
Knock on wood an entire forest.
However, I’m not ignorant enough to think it won’t be long until their playtime turns back into this:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3iFhLdWjqc&fs=1&hl=en_US]
I’ve been receiving oodles of emails asking about our cruise aboard the Norwegian Epic. Rest assured, it was an amazing vacation replete with sun, surf, sand and (of course) Murphy’s Law. When I can carve out more than a few minutes at a time, I’ll post all the sordid details.
But it won’t be this week.
I’m still playing catch-up and it doesn’t help that I am having the young women from church over tomorrow to make gingerbread houses, have meetings on Wednesday and an all-day commitment Thursday. Oh, and did I mention I’m flying to Park City on Friday for a Snowmamas summit over the weekend?
Oh yeah, and all that fun Christmas chaos.
Hence the reason for the lack of posting.
The kids’ six-day Thanksgiving vacation was a welcome reprieve. We watched movies, didn’t even get out of our PJs on Friday, went furniture shopping and invited some neighbors over for a pizza and movie night.
Last night, the kiddos and I got into the Christmas spirit. I dusted off the piano and we belted out carols, made gingerbread cookies, paper snowflakes and watched the 2010 Pumpkin Chunkin’ competition on the Discovery Science channel.
Because watching insane rednecks who built contraptions to catapult pumpkins hundreds of feet is never out of season.
A team of women won for the first time this year.
I’m not sure if I should be proud or embarrassed for my gender.
Haddie went back to school today and evidently was a bit rusty after the break. When I picked her up from the bus stop, our neighbor Gabe teasingly tattled,
“Hadley got off at the wrong bus stop today.”
Surely that couldn’t be the case. The girl has ridden the bus a hundred times so I looked to her for confirmation. She sheepishly grinned and tossed her BLOND hair.
Sometimes it frightens me just how alike we really are.
Confession: I was moderately depressed last year when I was unable to spend Christmas with my family in Canada.
But let’s face it: there are worse things than spending Christmas in Colorado.
And so my family of four opted to start a new tradition: We went skiing the day before Christmas at Loveland Ski Area. It was fantastic for a few reasons:
* Colorado’s resorts are the very epitome of a winter wonderland.
* My children exerted all their pent-up “Santa’s coming” energies on the slopes. They were passed out by 8:30 p.m.
* Santa visited Loveland’s ski school and skied with the kids.
Note: My 5-year-old daughter made sure to give him a thorough interrogation that he, indeed, was just Santa’s helper because surely the true St. Nick would not be slacking off on Christmas Eve.
Our fantastic experience made me resolve to head to the hills more often. I asked Colorado Ski Country USA to help me with a snapshot of upcoming activities and deals that will delight skiers and non-skiers.
“A-Basin” was the first place I skied when I first moved to Colorado so it holds a special place in my heart. This season, I am most excited about the Black Mountain Lodge Full Moon Snowshoe Dinner Series that embraces cuisine from regions such as the Andes, Pyrenees and the Dolomites on January 19, February 19, March 19 and April 16.
Not-to-be-missed is their New Year’s Eve Dinner ($89/person) with gourmet food, big band sounds, dancing and party favors. After dinner, guests may snowshoe down the mountain or ride the chairlift to the base area. arapahoebasin.com
Santa is hanging out at Copper on December 18, 24 and 25 during High Alpine Holidays when the Village at Copper comes alive with a tree lighting at dusk, carolers, s’mores, photos with Santa and free gift wrap for Village purchases. On Christmas Eve, kids will love Copper’s spectacular Torchlight Parade that weaves down the mountain.
En Fuego (the resort’s holiday tradition) boasts street entertainers, bonfires, fire performers and fireworks to complete the evening. The festivities close with New Year’s Eve En Fuego, on December 31. CopperColorado.com.
Hands down, Crested Butte is my favorite mountain town and holiday events at Crested Butte Mountain Resort (CBMR) are in abundance. Guaranteed, you will marvel at the ice sculptures in Rock on Ice, a professional ice-carving competition on display around the base area December 18-21.
Equally as impressive is the gingerbread house building competition with cash prizes December 21 through January 1 and the torchlight parade on December 24 and 31. Also be sure to check out CBMR’s Grandest Christmas Package that makes this an affordable option. skicb.com
SolVista Basin at Granby Ranch
I have fond memories of my daughter learning to ski (and doing her first face-plant) at SolVista, one of Colorado’s most family-friendly resorts. Santa will make a visit on December 24 and kids will love night skiing and tubing under holiday lights December 26 through 30 from 5-8 p.m.
There will be carolers singing by the fire, s’mores with a cup of hot chocolate and the grand finale to the weeklong celebration will be fireworks over Granby Ranch at dusk on New Year’s Eve. Best of all, prices are affordable: Night skiing is $10/person; tubing is $11/person; or a combo ticket is $18/person. SolVista.com.
I’ve vacationed in charming mountain hamlet Steamboat but never in the winter. Their impressive line-up has must-visit motivators including Santa Claus, the Sprint New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade and Fireworks, and holiday s’mores and hot toddy-making classes in Gondola Square.
Oh, and did I mention holiday feasts at Hazie’s, Western BBQ, a sleigh ride to Ragnar’s and New Year’s Eve Kids Night Out ($75), which includes games, movies, gondola rides, dinner, snacks and watching the torchlight parade and fireworks. Steamboat.com.
Winter Park Resort is offering an unsurpassed Christmas card photo opp: pose with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, the elves, and live reindeer the two weekends prior to Christmas. Christmas Eve has an abundance of activities including a torchlight parade that is followed by snowcats making a Christmas tree design and Santa skiing down and meeting the children at the bottom. winterparkresort.com.
Talk about a having a Merry Christmas….
Any attempts to avoid the Thanksgiving frenzy were put to rest when Hadley requested we make pies (we opted for pumpkin and Dulce de Leche apple).
But when I appeased Hadley with her pies, I had to also cater to Bode and Jamie with our signature bacon-wrapped turkey.
Then I remembered Jamie’s favorite menu item: homemade rolls. Before I knew it, I was entrenched in a full-blown Thanksgiving meal that became a labor of love for these three blessed people.
I could not have been happier to do it.
But I did it my way by holding our feast on Wednesday night for the sole purpose of NOT having to spend the entire holiday in the kitchen. And you know what? It was my favorite Thanksgiving ever.
It started by Hadley making me breakfast in bed. We then snuggled up as a family in our king-sized bed to watch Chronicles of Narnia (a favorite after Bode’s inspired observations a couple of years ago).
We then devoured our Thanksgiving leftovers and hit the trail. The Turkey Trot trail, that is. It has been a tradition to drag our butterball butts on this hike for almost five years. I got a kick out of the accounts from my archives that started in 2005. Then came:
The kids in 2010.
My, what a difference a few years makes.
This was the first year both of the children did the steep hike on their own and I could not have been more proud. Though the sun was shining, the temperatures were below freezing but no one whined even once about the cold. Well, except for me.
In my defense, I was the only one without a jacket.
And then my new favorite family shot ever.
Well, minus the fact you can’t see Bode who was hidden in the shadows.
On the drive back, we blasted the heat and Christmas tunes. We devoured pies and hot chocolate at our house and upon the kids’ insistence, we setup our Christmas tree.
Every stage of my kids’ lives has been a blessing but I enjoy them more and more as they grow older. They are surpassing expectations, developing passions and giving me a glimpse of who they are becoming. As a mom, there is no greater joy.
Hadley is a delightful and hilarious kid but her spirited and stubborn disposition frustrates us to no end. On Thanksgiving, she simply shone. That morning as we snuggled in bed, we stretched our imaginations as we mulled over Imagine a Place, one of the most beautifully illustrated and lyrical children’s books I’ve ever seen.
Imagine a place…
…where castle and cloud
shift from square to square
and the world lies
in the winner’s hand.
That evening as Hadley and I decorated the tree, she acted so grownup as we talked about my childhood memories of Christmas in Canada. It was one of the first times I felt like I’ve truly had a discussion that connected with her on a deeper level. It made me so happy we are reaching a new stage where confidences can be shared.
She was as shocked as me.
“Gee, Mommy. I’m having a really good attitude today, aren’t I?”
It was quite the day for Thanksgiving miracles.
I hope you had a blessed one!
For most people, the focal point of holiday meals is the meat. Thanksgiving is no exception with the hallowed turkey.
While I would not consider us huge meat eaters, there is no better smell for me than a burger or steak on the BBQ or a brisket in my husband’s smoker.
Last summer, I tweeted about this love affair and how, while I do not disparage vegetarians, I could never live that lifestyle during grilling season. A friend replied that grilled tofo and BOCA burgers are also delicious.
Ummmm, you just keep telling yourself that while you sink your teeth into that tofu turkey on Thanksgiving.
I occasionally eat veggie burgers but tofu ranks right up there with solicitors who contact us despite the fact we’re on the do-not-call list. If I were to give up meat completely, I would do just that. But there is no way I would resort to all those weird, artificial alternatives.
When I told Jamie about my friend’s grilled tofu suggestion, he proclaimed:
Biting into tofu is like biting into a void. It’s like mixing vegetables with Jell-o. Your mouth says you should be tasting savory meat. Instead, you get a big, slimy cube.
Dude could totally rival Jack Handy’s deep thoughts.
Haddie had a few deep thoughts of her own when she brought home this art project from school.
In case you need help translating, it reads:
He looks cool. He’s diying. Run! Away from it!
I love the turkey. He is nice and he’s diying.
I don’t see her becoming a vegetarian anytime soon.
Last week, I casually posted the following status update on Facebook:
Gotta admit I’m just not feeling the Thanksgiving love because we won’t have family here (and cooking a huge dinner for just us doesn’t appeal). Can a person still feel gratitude and order pizza?
I was 1) burned at the stake 2) invited to several people’s celebrations and 3) accused of being sneaky so I would get invited to said celebrations.
Believe me, subtly ain’t my style. I’m nothing if not direct.
Here’s the deal: I get why people love Thanksgiving. I mean, there are certain elements that are great: An attitude of gratitude. Spending time with family preparing and eating a big feast. Being united no matter what denomination or creed.
My disdain for football aside, it’s just never been a holiday I’ve embraced. In Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October and I haven’t been home to celebrate since I went away to college. My freshman year, my best friend Lori invited me to join her family and while lovely, I felt like a third wheel. From that point on, I declined all invitations and even volunteered three years in a row to serve Thanksgiving dinner at the local food bank.
And was turned town three years in a row.
Maybe that is the root of my Thanksgiving angst. Who gets rejected for helping the homeless?!
It just seems we’ve diluted the meaning of all our meaningful holidays. Thanksgiving has become less about thanks-giving and more about football and stuffing ourselves silly. Many Black Friday sales are no longer on Friday and have been bumped up to Thursday. I’ve been alarmed how few children know the story of the first Thanksgiving and we’ve been focusing on expressing our gratitude lately.
This year, it’s just my husband, kids and me. While we have many close friends in Denver, they will be spending the day with their families. For this reason, I’m perfectly happy to do our own form of celebration that doesn’t involve slaving in a kitchen all day but rather:
1) Hauling our butterball butts up the Turkey Trot trail at Mount Falcon.
2) Serving a low-maintenance meal I actually like (no offense to the leftover turkey lovers but it’s just not a favorite.)
3) Snuggling up to my beloved family for a movie marathon.
4) Napping.
5) Calling family and expressing our love for them.
For me, those are five things that will make me pretty darn grateful.
If my daughter had her way, she would eat “hot lunch” from the school’s cafeteria every day.
Unfortunately for her, she has a money-saving mom who only allows that indulgence once per week and it’s usually on a day they’re serving something healthy.
Sucks to be her.
Last week, it was a particularly chilly day and she queried if this was the day she could get her hot lunch. Responsible parent I am, I extolled the many virtues of saving your money as I packed her lunch. I grabbed her lunch bag, threw it in her backpack and sent her on her merry way to school.
And then looked at the kitchen counter to where I had left her unpacked food.
A couple of weeks ago, I read a feature on Betty White in the newspaper.
One particular part of that interview has had me chuckling ever since:
Every weekday, White gets up at 6, feeds her dog, showers, works on a book, heads to the set (whether TV, movie, or commercial) for a day of shooting, comes home, plays with her dog, does a crossword puzzle, writes some more, and goes to bed at 1:30 a.m.
How does she stay in shape?
“I have a two-story house and a bad memory, so I’m up and down those stairs all the time,” she says. “That’s my exercise.”
We woke up last week to a momentous occasion: the first snowfall of the season. Both kids tried to use it to their advantage.
Haddie begged me to drive her to school. I told her she’d be standing at the bus stop in far worse conditions than that this winter.
Tough-love is my version of a pep talk.
Bode tried to declare it a “Snow Day” and stay home from preschool. Yeah, that .000005-inch of snow will wreak havoc every time.
Well, maybe if you’re woosies and live in Texas where the entire state is halted at the sign of a snowflake.
I should know. We got stuck in Dallas on our way back from our Costa Rica honeymoon for that very reason.
I love love love love the snow. I hate hate hate the heat. So I have to admit even though I’m so excited for our cruise aboard the Norwegian Epic, the timing could not be worse because I am finally getting weather I love in Denver.
But I’m willing to make the sacrifice and go anyway.
The third member of our family, Remy a.k.a. “Fat Kitty” had a rather extreme reaction. The bane to his existence is playing in the backyard with the kids. All day long, he “Meows” incessantly until one of us relents and goes outside with him.
Once granted his freedom, Fat Kitty follows the same pattern: He walks through the sliding door, does a big, long stretch and then sharpens his claws on the outdoor mat.
I don’t have the heart to tell him he’s been declawed.
He then roams around the yard in his own private utopia eating grass, lazing out in the sunlight or hiding in the shade. One time, Fat Kitty shocked us all and caught a mouse in the pumpkin patch.
It was a true revelation that he was, indeed a real cat and not just a big, lazy ball of fur.
On our snow day, I tried to lure him outside but our fair-weather cat was having nothin’ to do with it.
He reminded me of my snow-despising mother.
The woman who has lived in the Great, White North her entire life.
What do Disney’s new flick Tangled and a Ponzi scheme have in common?
Nothing. I just chose to include them in the same post.
I have oodles going on before my mother-in-law flies in to take care of the kiddos while Jamie and I go on our cruise aboard the Norwegian Epic.
In the midst of the chaos, the kids and I attended a prescreening of Tangled, which hits theaters next week. Read what we thought of it and why I have more in common with Rapunzel than I care to admit (and it ain’t a good thing).
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Almost two years ago, Denver was caught up in a scandal when it was revealed Bishop Shawn Merriman was involved in a $20 million Ponzi scheme. There were many victims but no one was more blindsided by his betrayal than his own wife and four children.
The press obsessively followed the trial and conviction but his poor family stayed in the shadows. I recently found out that his resilient now-ex-wife Andrea started a blog and is an amazing, powerful and inspiring writer.
I asked her to guest-post at Mile High Mamas this week and guaranteed, you’ll be as mesmerized by her worst nightmare as I am. In our three-part series, Andrea shares how she learned the horrible truth, the day the Feds came to confiscate everything and where she is today.
Go. Read. Comment. And thank your blessings for an honest spouse.
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On Tuesday, I was having a rough day due to some frustrating news I received. As I was moping around, I got a note from my friend and former BlogHer roommate Loralee.
If you’ve never read her blog Loralee’s Looney Tunes, be sure to check it out. The girl is laugh-out-loud irreverent and has had her share of trials such as losing her son Matthew (which she blogs openly about). It has been wonderful to watch her blog grow from near-obscurity to one of the most popular mommy blogs.
Anyhew, Loralee had emailed to let me know I had won her Favorite Things birthday contest.
This was amazing for a few reasons:
1) I rarely enter contests
2) I rarely win contests (well, with the exception of a little one that sent me to the Olympics).
3) I won a treasure-trove of darling products (check them all out here) that included A GUSSY Tote Bag ($68), Saucy Frocks Apron ($35), A ribboned-hemmed skirt by Prairie Mama ($40), “Sweet & Simple Birdie Necklace” by Lisa Leonard Designs ($58.00), Rosette Cuff by Allora Handmade ($16), Petal Pusher Posy from The Pleated Poppy ($15), Filigree Verdigris Brass – Barcelona Earrings, and last but definitely not least, The FIRST edition of Where Women Cook out on Dec.1st!!!! ($16) (This magazine is a project Loralee is actively involved in so you know it’s good).
Best news of all? I was no longer down-in-the-dumps. So, if you ever want to cheer me up?
Materialism works wonders.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. Learn More
