Colorado Trip 2013 - Days 4 & 5 Skiing

We spent Saturday & Sunday of our vacation out on the slopes with the Hunts.  Here is where I must disclose that I love everything about a ski vacation except for the actual act of getting down the mountain.  Ha!  I love the mountains, I love the snow, I love ski towns, I love the gear, I love the chair lifts...  I could go on and on about every little detail that I enjoy.  However, I don't enjoy skiing itself.  I endure it because I love everything else so much.  ;)

We woke up on Saturday and Keystone had gotten a TON of snow!  I believe we got 8 inches, if I am not mistaken.  It was beautiful, but soooo cold compared to the sunny day before.  First up on our agenda was taking the Hunts to rent their ski equipment.  While we were waiting for them to get all set up, Darth Vader and Chewbacca walked up.  The boys thought that was great fun.  :)

It snowed on us all morning long...

We went to the practice slopes to let Drew try the chair lift for the first time.  He loved it!  He still says that the chair lift was his favorite part of skiing.  Ha!  That's my boy!

We skiied a little on the practice slopes and then I took Drew back to the condo for a nap.  Wade, Clayton, Leah, and Todd skied together for the rest of the day.  Drew took a long nap and he & I snuggled on the warm couch until the rest of our crew got back to the condo.  We finished the evening in the hot tub watching the fireworks on the mountain.  It was a perfect vacation night.

Sunday morning we woke up and headed straight to the gondola.  We decided to enroll Drew in an extra day of ski school, so we dropped him off and headed up to the top of Schoolmarm.  I remember skiing at Keystone in 2002 and loving Schoolmarm.

Back when we were two crazy 22 year olds...  :)

I did not love it nearly as much this time around.  :(  I think that I have figured out my problem.  I'm a nervous skier now that I have three small children.  All that I can think about is crashing into a tree and leaving my babies motherless.  I'm terrified the entire time.  I ski super slow and stop frequently, just to make sure that I am in control.  So... I tense my body up the whole time and don't enjoy it.  :(  I think that next ski trip, I will buy a half day lift ticket.  One run is plenty for me.  Ha!

Before we left the condo on Sunday

 Riding up on the gondola with my Hubby

After I picked up Drew from ski school, we rode the gondola up to the top of the mountain.  I was planning to hang out with him on the bunny slopes, but the learning area had closed for the day.  Bummer!  So... we took a hot chocolate break while Wade, Clayton, Leah, and Todd skied a couple of runs.

 Wade took some video while they were skiing.  :)  This is the trick that C-man had been working on for the last two days.  He was pretty stoked to have mastered it without wiping out.

 We took a few final pictures on the mountain, and then they skied down one last time.  Drew and I opted for the gondola.  ;)

Todd & Leah

Me & My Bestie - I love this girl to pieces!

Partial Family Picture - We were all missing our Baby O badly by this point.  

I'll be so glad when he is old enough to come along!

One Last Ride on the Gondola...

Bye-bye, Keystone...

We had an amazing time in Keystone (minus my nervous skiing, of course).  ;)  We made so many fun memories and loved every minute of being together in the mountains.  Luckily, there were more adventures to be had before we left Colorado...  :)