Beautiful Weather and Burning Thighs!

We could not have asked for better weather!  The sun was shinning, temperatures in the 60's and Beaver Creek was not over crowded.  Skiing, however, presented a more difficult challenge...  my 45 year old body was not in ski shape!  On the first day, we get to the top of the mountain and we take a wrong turn.  Yep, we entered into the black diamond zone and it was not pretty.  5 of the steepest freekin slopes, 1 mogul trail , 10 falls and 45 minutes later, I finally make it down the mountain.  I really tried not to blame Phillip, but my anxiety took over and I couldn't get back to the resort fast enough! And have a drink fast enough!  After calming down for a few hours, we were back on the mountain.  We skied the next two days and by the end of the trip, we were spent physically.  We really enjoyed the local restaurants and listened to great music.  Oh, I did get some great spa services.  There is nothing like a massage and pampering when your on vacation. 

Where to next...

Colorado Bound

Phillip and I are headed to Colorado to snow ski. This should be very interesting as I have not skiied in years. We are staying at the Hyatt Resort in Beaver Creek. Can't wait to blog about our trip! The flight attendant is asking us to turn off phones.

The Art of Homekeeping

     All of us carry in our hearts and minds the image of our ideal home, realized or not. It is a place where we feel we belong, a rightness, at-homeness, a knitting together of self and world.  Home is a place to become yourself, to rest and surrender all pretense. Home is the place where you can restore your mind, body and soul.  It is a source of emotional nourishment.  It's where you can close a door and open your heart.
     We often take our homes for granted.  But when we steep ourselves in our home, a deep sense of place begins to emerge.  Life becomes more meaningful.  We begin to have a greater spiritual awareness of what our home is and should be.  Perhaps that our most inspiring thoughts is that our homes, if we are to live well in them, require and deserve a lifetime of the most careful attention.  A home absorbs care taking like a sponge.  All the hours we spend tending to it are never in vain, for everything we give to our home, is in turn, given back to us.  Our homes will be only as generous and nurturing as the effort we invest in them.

"Home is the definition of God." - Emily Dickins


 Recipe for a Happy Home

Half a cup of friendship, and a cup of thoughtfulness, creamed together with a pinch of powdered tenderness, very lightly beaten in a bowl of loyalty with a cup of faith, one of hope, and one of charity.  Be sure to add a spoonful of gaiety that sings, also the ability to laugh at little things.  Moisten with sudden tears of heartfelt sympathy, bake in a good-natured oven and serve repeatedly.

Near Miss

Having lunch with Caitlin, Sawyer, Will and Susan yesterday at Mijo's when a car plowed into the restaurant 2 feet from where we were sitting.   An older gentleman in his 60's thought he had it in reverse when it was in drive and slammed into the building.  There was definitely an Angel watching over us yesterday.  We were at a table that was up against the glass (that was from floor to ceiling) and we were in the direct line of his car.  Somehow he swerved, just missing us and hitting the brick wall instead.  I still can't quit thinking about it, I was sitting next to the glass (literally a few inches from it ). I am really trying to focus on the positive and that nothing bad happened to any of us.    It made me think how in the blink of an eye, something could change your life forever.  So grateful that we are safe and that the gentlemen was ok, too!

Quiet Time. Sending the Roots Down Deep

I love my mornings!  6:00 a.m comes and I hop up, grab my computer, grab a book filled with positive thoughts for the day and a cup of coffee.  Before I start pinning on Pinterest ( that will take up most of my morning if I let it),  I look through my book collection to see if anything "hits" me.  This morning I pulled the book, "Home with a Heart", by James Dobson.  For some reason the title tugged at me this morning.  As I am flipping through the pages, I came to this page titled, "Sending the Roots Down Deep" and I began to read.  It's funny how God just KNOWS!  I have been questioning things in my life lately and of course as mothers, the biggest question of all is, "Am I a good Mother? Am I doing the right things to influence my children in a positive way?  This is what I read:

CONTRARY TO WHAT SOME PARENTS may believe, the ideal environment for a child is not one devoid of problems and trials.
     Though it's hard to accept at this time, your children need the minor setbacks and disappointments that come their way.  How can they learn to cope with problems and frustrations if their early experiences are totally without trial?  Nature tells us so.  A tree that's planted in a rain forest is never forced to extend its roots downward in search of water.  Consequently, it remains poorly anchored and can be toppled by even a moderate wind.  By contrast, a mesquite tree that's planted in a dry desert is threatened by its hostile environment.  It can only survive by sending its roots down thirty feet or more into the earth, seeking cool water.  But through this adaptation to an arid land, the well-rooted tree becomes strong and steady against all assailants. 
     Our children are like the two trees in some ways.  Those who have learned to conquer their problems are better anchored than those who have never faced them.
     Our tasks as parents, then, is not to eliminate every challenge for our children.  Rather, it is to serve as a confident ally on their behalf, encouraging them when they're distressed, intervening when the threats become overwhelming, and "being there" when the crises come.  Above all, we need to give them the tools with which to overcome the inevitable obstacles of life. 

Be Devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.  Romans 12:10

And so my day begins...