Our last ski day was fantastic, though definitely colder than the previous days, especially first thing in the morning. There were moments when I couldn't feel my fingers and toes, despite two layers of gloves, two pairs of socks, and hand warmers. I was secretly thrilled when some of the kids asked to take a break, and I quickly volunteered to be the parent to go with those kids to the lodge. Weston and Jeff decided to brave the cold and work in a few more runs. When the other kids reported getting a snack, Weston wasn't even jealous, because he said skiing was even more important to him than eating. Now, that's true love. (If you're curious, skiing is tied with football at Number One, on Weston's sport love scale.) And, even though things got a bit chilly this morning, I want to report that aside from sunglasses and gloves for three of us, we didn't buy any special winter wear for our ski trip. We had planned for these kind of outings with our packing and our gear performed beautifully. As someone who is ALWAYS cold, I had my doubts about being able to stay warm on the slopes, despite all the layering. But aside from my fingers and toes in the early morning and late afternoon (when the sun wasn't shining), I was really quite comfortable. It is so amazing to me to have everything I need for both a ski vacation and a tropical beach vacation in just one little carry-on sized bag that I can carry on my back.
Team W, on our last Andorran ski day
Today was by far the coldest day on the mountain, especially this morning, before the sun was peeking over the mountains and while the snow machines were still blowing a blizzard of powder around. By mid-morning, some of us needed to take a hot chocolate break. (This picture will also serve as evidence of my presence on this ski trip.)
Ice "C"
"M" for Max
Because I know you need more cuteness in your life, I am going to leave you with a video of our little speed racer. This kid is a natural on skis, as you will see when he almost leaves his dad/videographer in the dust.
Team W took on another skier today. I'm not going to lie, he was the cutest skier on the mountain! And, he did great! He even got to ride the big lift a few times and go down one of the same runs as everyone else, which made him feel very big indeed. We had so much fun, despite a few spectacular, but non-injurious crashes and embarrassing mishaps at the lift. (I'm not naming names, but someone entered the chair area too soon, got hit by a lift chair, lost a ski in the process, and had to ride up and dismount on one ski, before having the other ski delivered by the instructors in the next chair. Someone else managed to get one leg through the turnstile but not the other, became stuck, and had to be rescued by the staff.) My favorite part of the day was watching the kids bonding, as they alternately raced and waited on one another, and as they helped each other out and cheered each other on. Up on the mountain, they weren't just siblings, they were friends. It was awesome!
The gang's all here!
Ski buddies
Downhill racers
These two guys needed a little ski break and some time to just play in the snow.
It was another beautiful day on the slopes, though a bit colder than yesterday--cold enough that several of us decided to visit the ski shop to find some more appropriate hand wear. It was also even less crowded than yesterday, as yesterday was a local holiday. For the first part of the day, Clay was the only kid in his ski school, which meant he got one-on-one instruction and that he was easy to pick out in the class, so I was able to get some pictures of our smallest skier. We had such a great day and are looking forward to more fun tomorrow.
Team W takes to the slopes
Magic Carpet Ride
Ski School Cutie
A lovely view from the top of one of the runs
Max's giant snowball
When we stopped at the grocery store with the unique nativity scene yesterday, only Jeff went inside. But, he insisted that we all visit today because it is truly spectacular. This is just one very small section of the three-story store, which offers so much more than groceries and plenty of free samples. I don't believe I've ever seen or tasted so many varieties of salami in my life! (And, this is just about half of the counter!)
It was a gorgeous day on the mountain! We got there when they opened the lifts and didn't leave until they were shutting them down. And, the crowds were very slim, so we were able to ski our little hearts out. (Honestly, we're kind of paying for that now, as we're all a little sore and very tired. But, it's a good kind of tired, so we aren't complaining.) Clay went to ski school/daycare all day, so that's why he doesn't show up in any of the pictures. According to his reports, though, he had a fantastic day. We're looking forward more fun tomorrow!
First time on the standing lift
This girl rocks the mountain!
Mr. Cool
Practicing "pizza"
At the end of the day, we stopped at the grocery store, where we saw a VERY unique nativity scene.
We left our home near Bordeaux and the Garonne River this morning and headed southeast to Andorra, which, according to Wikipedia is the sixth smallest nation in Europe. It is an independent principality, situated in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain, and it is well known as a ski area. And, skiing is just what we intend to do while we are here. The weather is gorgeous and promises to stay that way most of the week. We rented our equipment this afternoon, so we'll be ready to hit the slopes first thing in the morning. It's a beautiful ski area and looks very family friendly, so I think we are in for lots of fun.
Off to get our ski gear
Someone is super excited about his first ski trip!
We enjoyed seeing several dog sled teams getting ready for an outing.
