Drew's First Ski Trip

George, Drew and I went to The Canyons, near Park City, UT the second week in February for a skip trip. It was an absolute blast! Jamie and Ty joined us which sealed the deal for best ski trip ever! Having Drew out there was incredible. George and I were so proud of him! Drew has been talking about ski school since he learned about the trip a few months ago. Despite his excitement, we were a little nervous that he wouldn't like it. Unfortunately, the first day was a tad rocky. It was our mistake for signing him up since we traveled so far the day before and had a really late night. The instructor said Drew was very tired and teared up many times throughout the day asking for Mommy. That broke my heart. We talked to Drew about his day and he said he liked ski school but he didn't understand why we left him there for so long. I have to say, 8:30-3:30 is a bit much for a 4 year old but full day lessons is all they offer. He insisted on going back to ski school so we signed him up for another day and hoped a good night of sleep would help get him on track. It did and he had a blast! I spent most of the day stalking Drew and dragged Jamie into my craziness as well. Since his skills improved, he moved up to a lesson area that we could see from the ski lodge and from a few trails too. Convenient for me :) We were all in for a huge surprise when we were waiting to spot Drew on the bunny slope and then saw him come down a green trail and jump right on the chair lift, ready to go again! Would you believe I hurried over to the lift and secretly followed him up? Crazy, I know. I was just so proud and had to see him do it! I was a nervous wreck seeing him on the ski lift but he did a great job and was very safe. The rest of the week went well and was tons of fun. Drew continued to enjoy skiing and the adults had a blast on the slopes too. It was a little cold for my taste a couple of days but overall the weather was great. We spent our evenings swimming in the heated indoor/outdoor pool and relaxing in the hot tub. Then we would go to Main Street in Park City for dinner. Since we've spent a few vacations in the area, we now have some favorite restaurants and really look forward to eating out. Drew was a trooper, especially after such exhausting days. He got to eat pizza every night and stayed busy doing sticker books (Thanks CC!) while we took our time eating, drinking and chatting. I also got to spend lots of time with a good high school friend, Kelly, while we were out there. She is living in Salt Lake City for a year while her husband does a fellowship. They joined us to ski one day and also joined us for dinner twice. It was great to catch up with her! The week was so much fun and we're already looking forward to next year!

Getting fitted for ski boots. When they put on the boots he said, "I'll just wear my other boots, I like them better than these." He was referring to his nice comfy snow boots. Ha! I told him it wouldn't be skiing if his feet and shins didn't hurt.
Drew realized that the gear is not the highlight of skiing.

Jamie and I gearing up for the slopes. We loved our helmets!

Heading out to another yummy dinner.

Checking out the bear in the lobby. It had an, um, I don't know how to word it... bear private part. Let's just say Drew couldn't believe it and had to make sure we all saw it.

Drew and his ski instructor, Cameron. Cameron was such a nice guy. He learned of Drew's Star Wars obsession pretty quickly and used terms and characters to help Drew learn to ski. Drew couldn't wait to tell us about skiing on Star Wars alley and hiding from Darth Vader in the trees. Drew is waving in this picture which is why his face is blocked. We were so lucky that ski school wasn't crowded. Drew had a one-on-one lesson this day and only had one other kid in the group the other days.

Heading up the mountain on the gondola.

Sweet Jamie and sweet Ty at Flying Sumo, one of our favorite restaurants in Park City.

Kelly and I. It was awesome to see her and catch up!

Jamie and I had to get these masks, it was so darn cold!

George and Drewby on the ski lift together. We were so proud of Drew!

The three of us skiing down the mountain together. I can't wait till David can join us! Sweet David stayed home with CC during our trip and had the best week! More to come on that in another post.

Absolutely tuckered out after a fun and exhausting week. Drew fell asleep at a restaurant and remained asleep during the ride home, transfer to the condo and into pajamas. Guess 7 hours of ski school followed by two hours of swimming will do that to you!