Ski Trip

Last weekend, we were invited (or invited ourselves was probably more like it) to tag along with R's sister and her family up to their family cabin for a skiing weekend. For years they have been telling us that they have a cabin that you can just step out of the front porch and ski. I have always figured that was a bit of an exaggeration (sorry Mark). I thought maybe you could walk out of the cabin and walk to the ski resorts parking lot, that would be prime real estate right! It would be an awesome weekend. But no! Mark wasn't exaggerating all of these years.

As the week went along, and we got instructions for the trip, we were told to bring a sled to haul our gear up to the cabin...ok...We were told to park in the parking lot, and then hike up Majestic...ok....So I try to pack light just in case. We get to the parking lot, and yes, we hiked up Majestic, pass the ski school area, right up to the cabin. Amazing! From my post a while back from the first ski experience, THIS is the way I want to experience skiing from now on! It was beautiful. We got there at about 8:00 pm, the night skiing was in full force. It was lightly snowing. The trees were beautiful, it was awesome! After we got settled, the kids went sledding!

In the morning we woke up, the kids got ready and took off. About an hour later, B and K and I went out with Grandma Karleen to let B sled a little. After a little photo shoot, low and behold the clan arrives after a run for a little hot chocolate and cookies. Then they were off again. I stepped out onto the porch a few times to watch the snow, and skiers/snowboarders. When I got cold, I went inside, had a Diet Coke, and read my book! RELAXING! A perfect skiing weekend for me.

R was SO proud of the kids. They continue to improve and they are loving skiing! At lunch time, I took the kids to the lodge, which was a short hike down the hill, and R went to do a few harder runs. S INHALED his hot dog and was chomping at the bit to get back on the slopes. I kept reminding him we had to wait for dad. So we finished up, walked back to the cabin. I tried to convince S to come in and relax awhile. He did, but he wouldn't take off is coat. After about 10 minutes he was so antsy. He finally said, "I'm going to wait for Dad outside." He got all of his gear back on and sat in the snow for about 20 minutes more, not on the porch on the bench, but in the snow. R got a good lecture about taking too long. We had to drag S off the slopes when it was time to go home! At one point, R decided to ski ahead of S so he could watch him come down, so he took off down the hill fairly quickly. He turned around to watch S, and was just about ran over by S. They were pooped! S couldn't even get out of the truck when we got home his legs were so tired! S is now trying to decide if he wants a Ski Cake or a SpongeBob cake for his birthday. I didn't know he could love anything more than SpongeBob!

Thanks Proberts for letting us tag along! It was awesome. We're just sorry you had to leave early!

GO UTES!

In honor of the big game tonight, my true (red) die hard Ute fans all decided they needed to wear red today! I had to get a few pictures of it!

Happy New Year

Whew! What a crazy month of December! My blog obviously was the thing that got dropped, to make sure I got everything else done! Sad to say, I'm looking forward to the dead days of winter, so we can get caught up on a few things around the house, including the blog!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. It was a great Christmas here at the Murray house. Santa treated the kids well!

I'd report on the month of December, but it's the same as last December, except for the move. Lots and Lots of parties! Lots and Lots of food! Lots and Lots of family!

Instead, here is our January news so far.....

For the past few years, R has been dying to get the kids up skiing. He loves it....I don't. Finally, M and S were interested in giving it a try. So Tuesday, R took them up for ski school. They had a blast and couldn't wait to get back up. On a side note--R is out of his cast-and boot-and today was his first day of physical therapy. He is walking around pretty well, so decided he could ski (crazy I know). So yesterday, they went back up and all three of them had a great day skiing. He was so proud of them. Sometimes, M and S can be a little cautious (hmmm..where did they get that from?), and maybe even wimpy when it comes to trying new things. Last night as we were going to bed, he said, "they never complained, they never wanted to quit, they tried so hard, they were so good, it was so fun!" He really wants me to give it another try. (The 2 times I tried to ski were not the best days of my life!) I think in a few years when the little ones are bigger, I will try......going to the lodge and having some cocoa and reading a book, while he has a great time with the kids. That sounds like a lot of fun doesn't it! Just kidding, I'm sure I'll get roped into skiing, and I'm sure I will end up loving it. I just wish skiing didn't include layers and layers, and speed, and steep hills, and heights, and the chair lift, and snow. OK that makes me sound wimpy! Am I the only one who has lived with mountains minutes away my whole life who doesn't love to ski? (other than my sisters and parents?)

Happy Birthday!

B had a birthday shout hooray! Hard to believe she is already 3! She is such a fun little girl. She has a hilarious sense of humor! She says and does some of the funniest things. I don't know what we would do without her!

We had a fun birthday weekend. On her birthday, we went to the Real Playoff game with a bunch of friends, and then out to dinner. And then B got to go to the Jazz game with her dad! All week she had been telling everyone she was going to the Jazz game and she was going to dance with the dancers, and see the Bear. She did dance, and the Bear did come very close to her!

Sunday we had the fam over for a little party! She was spoiled rotten of course and has had a blast playing with all her new things! Here are some pictures of the Birthday girl!

Look at this rat's nest! If you can't have a great head of bed hair on your birthday, when can you have it?

Ouch

Saturday was a beautiful day here! R thought it might be the last good Saturday before Christmas, so he put up the Christmas lights. Up and down, on and off the roof all day, a lot steeper roof than he was used to. He was a little nervous and as we watched our other neighbors doing the same, we all discussed back and forth how crazy they were and that some one was going to get hurt.


On his last, seriously, LAST trip up the ladder, to set the timers, the ladder decided it had been used and abused enough in one day, and decided to put it self down, with Richard still on it. I had been sitting out on the porch with the baby, and watched him climb up, and warned him the ladder didn't look very good. It's one of those adjustable ladders, and he was using it as an extension ladder. He had it sitting on the sidewalk, propped up against the house at about a 45* angle. I got up and put my foot on it. As we discussed the worse thing that could happen, I decided I wouldn't be any good because I had the baby, so I went inside. Nice caring wife, I know.


Honestly, not 3 minutes later I hear this "thud, thud, thud......ow....ow....ahhh....Crap..(I think there were a few swear words, but he says no)...oww....Katie....KATIE" I laid the baby on the floor and went running out to find him face down in the flower bed laying on top of the ladder.


The first thing he said was "It's broken."
Me: "What's broken"
Him: "I broke my leg"
Me: " What did you DO"
(Yes I realize that's pretty obvious)
Me: "I TOLD you it wasn't safe"
Him: "OHHHHH it hurts!"


Alright, I decided I should help him and not lecture him. So we carefully rolled him over. His leg, which slipped through the wrung was kind of bent like a "Z". Thankfully, we had a fairly large rock right sitting right next to him, which now that I type that, thankfully he didn't land on that fairly large rock! I looked at his non-hurt leg (because I wasn't ready to see bone, or blood, or a dangling ankle) His non hurt leg was pretty scraped up. His face had a big scratch on it, and his left hand and wrist were pretty scraped up. After a few deep breaths, we pulled up his pant leg, and thankfully no bones were sticking out, and it wasn't dangling...and no blood, but he was in a ton of pain.


I ran inside, told M to wake up B, loaded the baby, and got R in the car. Took the kids over to the neighbors and we were off to instacare. They did an x-ray, assured us it wasn't broken, but said he messed it up pretty good....do the best to stay comfortable, whether that's with a boot or crutches or wrapping it, whatever felt best. Gotta love instacare!


Sunday he kept it elevated, Monday it was a lovely shade of purple and about 4x's it's normal size. He called around and got an appointment with an Orthopedic Dr. Tuesday, he went to a meeting with our friend who has in-laws that are podiatrists, so on lunch, they ran to the office for an ultrasound because there was a new popping on the outer ankle. He confirmed there was tissue damage and that and MRI would help figure out where.




Today, he went to the orthopedic Dr. and was told he ruptured the Peroneal Retinaculum (the back tendon). He put him in a cast and told him to stay completely off of it for 4 weeks! Poor guy! After that it's rehab, with a chance of surgery!


The more I think about it the more scared I get. He was so lucky that he didn't get hurt more. He could of hit is head, or broke arms and legs....who knows. I am just grateful he only did what he did, and that for the most part, he can still function. I just wish he'd take it a little easier! Hope you get better soon Zhuck!
The good news, we're out of training for a triathlathon for awhile now...ahh shucks!

One Lucky Mom

I have to say, I am one lucky mom. I have incredible kids. They are calm and easy going, obedient, and they try their hardest to be good kids. They help out, usually willingly. Even the baby tries to help out...she tries her best to let me sleep...sweet thing!

Today I have to say what a great kid S is. He had kind of a rough day yesterday. For him, he thought he got in trouble a lot....compared to most, it was nothing. But he went to bed feeling pretty sad for some of the choices he made. I got after him for his room being messy. So here it is, 7:45 am....what do I hear, S is up, getting dressed, putting his laundry away, and cleaning his room. How sweet is that! He tries so hard, and disciplining him breaks my heart. He takes it SO personally. Thanks buddy for always doing your best, and trying your hardest.

Just A Few More

We have started a fun tradition that the kids look forward to every year. We go to lunch with Dad and go trick or treating at his office. For the past 5 years we have gone to the same place for lunch! The girls in R's office are always so cute and good to the kids. They look so forward to trick or treating to them. This year was no different. They came home with a bucket full of goodies. Dori took these pictures, and I thought they were so cute, I had to post them! Thanks girls for all you do! And thanks Dori for the cute pictures!