Follow up on Sarah and Skiing

I love to snow ski.

My best childhood memories were skiing with my friends and even better, my family. I remember long talks with great friends while riding the ski lift, lying down on the hill in the middle of the run just to laugh and tell jokes, and with Katrina, I recall tales of figgy pudding on a breathtaking snowy night on the Skier's Lane ski lift as the snowfall froze our braids stiff.

And now I live in the world's best ski country. Italy and Switzerland pale to what we have. And I do not have a ski partner. I am old school. I actually snow ski. I have never snowboarded, so that ruled nearly all of my neighbors, and half of my family.

I decided that I wanted to create my own ski partner out of my oldest child...my three-year-old.

With the maiden ski voyage, I had worried because people had told me that if the child has a bad experience, it would take some time to overcome it, and I wanted a ski partner more than I wanted to breathe.

So, after studying youtube, I hesitatingly took Sarah, with the rest of my family as cheerleaders (Andrew and Steele).

I needn't have worried.

Sarah LOVED it. Love is not strong enough of word. She was a natural. We skied 'faster than a racecar'.

She never wanted to stop. The only thing that took us off the hill was a raging sunburn, and my shaking arm muscles from holding on to the tow rope for both of us again and again.

We live in such an amazing area. It only cost us $10 to rent the little skis for Sarah, while I used the former skis of a current snowboarder. Alta will let you ski free on two enormous Bunny Hills (at least compared to Kelly Canyon the teeny little ski resort of my youth) for free all day.

Then, if you feel brave, they have a free ski lift that opens at 3:00 p.m. daily where you can try your skills until it closes (time enough for about five runs).

So a birthday ski trip was more than economical, and the day was stunning. We skied most of time with our coats stripped off...and then got wicked sunburns, but that did not matter (until the cancer sets in).

Sarah wanted to go on the ski lift, but she needs to work on her 'snow plow' first.

So, that was our main activity on Sarah's birthday, followed by visits to friends, and culminating at her Granny and Papa's place for cake and candle blowing.

Sarah is my miracle. My greatest gift. We waited so long to have her, and are glad every day for her.

Thank you, Sarah, for being my miracle, and my ski partner.