Our First Ski Trip

For the past few years we've been talking about going skiing but weren't sure if the kids were old enough to have a positive experience.  So we decided this year they were ready so we went for spring break!  After some research I learned that Beaver Creek is one of the best family resorts and has a great ski school.  Plus we found great airfare to Denver so off we went!

Doug loves skiing and is a great skier.  I freeze when it's 70 degrees out and am not near as good as he is.  Who decided to strap sticks on their feet at the top of a tall mountain? So as you can imagine Doug was crazy excited. He studied the trail map for hours before we even got on the plane.  I was nervous...about the cold, about the kids, about getting off the lifts, about my ski gear, you name it.  How in the world was I going to help my kids ski when it takes every muscle in my body to keep myself upright?

So we decided to enroll the kids in ski school for the first few days.  Matt got lucky and ended up being the only kid his age who was a beginner so he got a private lesson all day from his new favorite person, Coach Ramiro! Ramiro was from Argentina and was so good with Matt. It wasn't long before they were off the gondola and on the chair lifts headed to the top of the mountain.  I ran into them twice and was completely amazed at how well he was skiing on his first day!  The next day of ski school as the kids and instructors gathered to see who was going to ski with who, Matt stood right next to Ramiro and didn't leave his side.  Matt wasn't going to ski with anyone else and I was glad that when they tried to assign Matt to a different coach that Ramiro said "no he's with me". 

Marlie got to ski with Ms. Kelly and man was she good too!  She had 4 little beginners all day and she was so patient, kind and would get crazy excited when they did the smallest thing. She taught them how to be independent so Marlie could put on and take off her skis on her own.  She got to ski with Ms. Kelly the entire time she was in ski school and that was great too! 

Doug and I got to ski on our own the first day which was nice.  The last time I skied I was 10 weeks pregnant with Matt so I wasn't sure if I'd remember.  After being completely nervous for the first 5 minutes, it all came back, thank goodness!  Doug even got me on a blue run right away and I managed to make it down fairly well.  But at the end of the day everything hurt!  So Marlie and I rested on day 2.  Matt couldn't wait to ski again so he and Doug went and had a blast! It was colder that day and snowing but that didn't stop them.  Doug was beyond excited that on only day 2 he had a ski partner that loved it as much as he did. They spent the day skiing blues!

Day 3 the Wellmann's arrived and Matt was so excited!   

The adults got to ski for a bit which was really nice.  We finally all met up to ski together on Day 5.  However, it was impossible to keep up with the boys.  They were crazy fast and always wanting to go through trees and on little jumps.  Marlie held her own too.  So we never got a group picture together which makes me sad.  But we did get a couple of our little tribe...

I love this video of the kids skiing down like they've been doing it for weeks!  I must say that you should be proud of me for skiing while videoing! 

Melissa planned a sleigh ride and dinner at a nearby ranch and we somehow had enough energy to enjoy it.  The food was great, the kids loved requesting songs from the guitar player, we loved the sleigh ride and most of all I think we loved making smores by the fire pit!

The last day I was toast.  If I would have skied I'm sure I would have broken something.  But the kids both wanted to ski one last time.  Marlie loves to be lazy with me so I tried to convince her to lay in bed with me and watch movies all day but she said no.  So Doug and Matt skied together in the morning while Marlie and I did some shopping.  We met for lunch and then Matt and I went ice skating while Marlie and Dad skied.  The ice skates seemed different than what we've used before so it took us awhile to get used to it, but eventually Matt got it and then didn't want to stop. 

I'd say it was definitely a successful trip.  Relaxing, no, but the kids loved it.  Doug was their ski instructor the last couple of days and he had Marlie going down blues and Matt tried a black! So my hope of at least having someone to ski with me down greens is gone!  I'm glad they loved it and now they'll have something fun to do with Daddy!  

Dynamite Babe White

Marlie danced on a competitive dance team this year.  She tried out last August and made the Babe White team at Stacey's Dance studio.  We couldn't believe she made the White team! Her team was made up of 1st - 3rd graders and Marlie was probably the youngest.  Their teachers were Ms. Jordan, Ms. Ally and Ms. Emma!  The girls did 2 dances - a military and a novelty which was a pirate dance and Marlie was in heaven!

I wasn't near as nervous for team dances as I was for Marlie's solo.  The girls had fun and I think Marlie did great.  Our first competition was exciting and when I wasn't freaking out about having to do some sort of hair-do, I was behind the camera trying to capture the laughs and excitement of it all!

I think these are the videos from competition #3.  By this time Marlie was really putting on a show and I was proud of how amazingly confident she was out there.  She did say that she got a little nervous but mostly just had fun!  

 

The girls went to 4 competitions. 3 were in Houston and the last one was Nationals in Ft. Worth.  The girls had a blast at Nationals and the Moms did too.  Friday night the girls performed their novelty around 8:30pm which is 30 minutes past Marlie's bedtime!

Strutter colors are purple and green so of course Dad wore his purple shirt and he even bought green kicks to go with it!  I know you all aren't surprised considering Doug's love for shoes!  Marlie was also very excited that my cousin Mallory and her husband Duy were able to come watch too. And they brought her beautiful flowers!

We got to sleep in a little.  Marlie's solo was around noon and their military was a few hours after that.  So it was nice that we weren't rushed.  Since Mallory was there we finally got a pic with all the girls and their Mommas! I tell you this dance thing is a total team effort.  The girls do the dancing but getting them ready can be a bit stressful and it's so nice how everyone jumps in to help each other!

They placed 2nd with their military and 3rd with their novelty and they were super excited about it! They got 2 big trophies at the awards ceremony which was at about 11pm!  I guess I must have given up on lugging my camera around by then but man I wish I had a pic of them with those trophies!

We ended the year with a really fun banquet where the girls got trophies and awards.  Marlie's awards were Best Technique (WOW! thank you Clara) and Most Dependable (Huh?).  My sweet Marlie is definitely not dependable but Ms. Clara explained it was because she could be counted on to know the dance and and to be solid at competitions.  This made much more sense than what I was thinking!

Marlie we had so much fun watching you this year and I loved watching you have the time of your life with so many new friends.  Even Matt got really good at judging other teams and commenting on your performance.  We were ALL so proud!

My Tiny Dancer

Boy am I wishing I would have kept up these happenings along the way! So much to catch up on so I'll do my best! Let's dedicate this post to Marlie's Solo dance and I'll catch up with her team dances in the next post. 

Marlie danced competitively this year and did a solo with the help of Ms. Clara.  Clara is a sophomore in high school and has danced forever!  She is so good and Marlie was lucky to have her to choreograph her routine and help her learn so many new skills.  She was so patient and sweet to Marlie.  Marlie ended up being her shadow at all the competitions! 

So our first experience with this new world was a competition for girls performing their solos (or trios, duets, ensembles) for the first time.  When I walked in the school and saw these little girls with lots of makeup and skimpy costumes I totally freaked out.  I wanted to walk right out.  Plus, I was so nervous for Marlie all day that I couldn't eat.  I didn't know if she would totally freak out, or forget her dance or fall on her hiney!  But this little person got on that stage like it was no biggie. She had the most beautiful smile on her face (which we NEVER saw in practice) and she made it through her dance just fine!  I could not have been more proud and her Daddy, Matt and Clara felt the same!

As the weeks went on she continued to improve, doing better leaps and pointing toes and even adding harder skills like her double pirouette! Here is a video of her solo from one of the last competitions...she was totally freaked out at this competition because Clara was not there.  Plus it was freezing cold in the gym.  But she did great! I love the big hug she gets at the end from Ms. Stacey (the owner of the studio where Marlie dances...and who by the way is one of the most angelic people I've ever met) and then from her sweet friend Addy.

I thought Marlie scored really well at all the competitions.  Most of the time she was competing against 2nd and 3rd graders but the one competition where she was competing against other first graders, she placed!!  We couldn't believe it and we were so proud of her.  And I was so certain that she wouldn't that I had no idea when they would announce the winners.  We just happened to be walking into the gym right when they called her name. We were a bit confused but I told Marlie "run up there I think they called your name." All the other little girls ran across the floor looking all cute with ginormous bows in their hair.  Marlie was so tired and a mess with her pants falling down and her shoe coming apart.  Now that I think about it, it was hilarious!  We were all so proud that we had to take lots of pictures! 

What Marlie loved most were all the people that came to watch her do her solo.  Her friends Katie and Lyla came...

 Ms. Ally got to see her at her first competition and Marlie just loves Ms. Ally because she gives great hugs!

 Even the Carnathan clan and all 3 boys came to cheer Marlie on.  She was in heaven!

 Gram, Papa Howie and Tim literally drove up just to watch her and drove back to SA.  In the video above you can hear Tim cheer for Marlie and I think that's SO very cute!

And maybe the sweetest of all was at Nationals.  Marlie freaked out about 15 minutes before she was about to go on.  The venue was small but it was something about it being "Nationals" that freaked her out.  She wouldn't listen to me or Clara (which she got in big trouble after all was said and done).  She finally came into the ballroom where they were performing and when her teammates saw her crying they cheered like CRAZY! And I know you're not surprised that it made me cry.  She got out there and did good.  Not her best but given the state she was in 3 minutes prior it went really well. 

She got lots of hugs after and then she was fine.  I hope these girls are all on a team together again next year! What sweet little lades!!

Marlie for your first year, you did amazing.  I can't believe how being out there in front of so many people just came natural to you.  Every time it looked like you were having a blast.  Your dance skills have improved so much and you have won over lots of hearts.  I can't wait to see you dance again next year.  You're my Tiny Dancer!  Clara thank you for being so wonderful, kind and patient and always having a smile on your face!