LOCHHEAD FAMILY: Snowbird/Boise

Beginning of February, we combined a family ski trip with a work conference. Rick has always wanted a ski vacation. So, he was in heaven. He had meetings in the morning/evening and would take Daniel to those meetings so I could ski with the others. I got to spend time with Jane teaching her to ski while Matthew and Chrissie would ski together. And then Rick would come out and take the two older kids to some "real" mountains where they would have a blast skiing together. When a ski patrol saw Matthew he said, "that little one there is a ripper!" Rick was proud. All of his hours last year in Germany practicing with the kids paid off. Matthew and Chrissie had a blast and never wanted to come in.

My highlight of the trip was watching Matthew and Chrissie ski together. They would ride the lift together chatting the entire time. And then they would zip down the hill or go over some jumps all the while talking and encouraging each other. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to be completely independent and bond with each other in a fun and active way.

There were times when it was just Matthew and I and he would soak up the alone time. Telling me how much he loved me and how much he loooved skiing with me while we snacked on peanut M&Ms

Jane's first time actually skiing. She did great and had no problem managing the skis.

Rick is amazingly patient with kids and the whole skiing routine: putting gloves on, taking them off, fixing the finger, putting the gloves back on, only to take them off again. He always packs snack for the kids. They'll last a lot longer. This year, Rick had Sunflower seeds. And Matthew learned how to properly eat Sunflower Seeds while sitting on the chair lift-a definite Father/Son bonding moment.

I love this picture of Jane and Rick. Man, oh man, I lucked out. I never realized what an amazing Dad he'd be until we had kids. He is so attentive to them and their individual needs. Most importantly, he has fun with them, which works well with me. I grew up in a family where we liked to have fun!

Jane wasn't in the mood to take a picture with me. So I had to take this one on the sly.

I also got some time with Chrissie. She would lead the way (I had to follow exactly in her path). And she'd also give me all sorts of tips.

Boise, Idaho

After a few days of skiing, we were off to Boise Idaho-where our next adventure will begin in June. We looked at schools and places to live. But the highlight was watching Rick wrangle with a calf, tag it, immunize it, and castrate it (if needed). He never looked so handsome.