Snowbird--Boley Time!!!

The wind is blowing.

The Pines and Aspens are swaying.

The windows are open.

The river is FULL and flowing.

The mountains are topped with snow.

The sun is intense, but there is a chill in the air.

The average daytime temperature is low 80's.

The date?

July 16, 2011.

The place?

Snowbird, Utah.

A drastic change from Phoenix where...

The sun is INTENSE.

Sweat drips down the back.

ALWAYS.

The average daytime temperature is 110.

It seems so strange that it's mid July and my hands are cold. This is a welcome change from our summer life in Surprise where the only outdoor activity we can enjoy is swimming. Right now our pool (94 degrees) is hotter than Snowbird's day time high temperature.

The boys are loving all the cousin time their getting. Running down the halls and up and down the elevators between cousins condos. Hiking, swimming, exploring, playing board games, playing the game cube, watching movies...These activities are much more fun with cousins!

(Barik snuggling with Grandpa)

(Grandpa, Barik, Conner, Treyson)

(The Human Dams...Cooper, Barik, Andrew, Drake and Conner)

(Playing Chess...Conner, Barik, Drake)

(Treyson, Conner, Andrew, Marshall, Cooper)

(The AWESOME fort: Mercer, Treyson, Marshall, Andrew,
Barik, Cooper, Conner, Mena)

Andrew and Barik are finally old enough for some quality unsupervised exploring (as long as they are with older cousins and use the buddy system). Their first experience with this happened Thursday when all of the older cousins (ages 7-12) were let loose at the Snowbird center with their all day activity pass wrist bands. They took the chair lift to the Alpine Slide and the Zip Line. They did the rope course, the sky jumpers and the rock wall. But the favorite, by FAR was the Alpine slide. Up the chair lift and down the slide they would go. Again. And Again. And Again!

(Barik doing his FAVORITE activity!)

(Andrew on the Zip Line)

(Andrew...Sky Bouncer)

(Barik...Sky Bouncer)

(Cooper)

(Drake)

I let about a half hour go by without having a visual on the boys and started to get a bit nervous. Cutting those apron strings takes a lot of practice. After about 10 minutes, I found Andrew and Marshall. They came running up the hill asking if Barik had just crashed on the Alpine Slide. I hadn't found Barik yet. The boys told me that as they were riding the chair lift up to the Alpine slide they saw a kid who looked like Barik crash. Bad. He rolled down the slide. But they didn't think it was him because the kid wasn't crying. That little bit of information made me more concerned than the rest. Barik is a tough kid and doesn't cry easily. After asking around, I was told that kids who crashed on the slide could be found at the first aid station...at the base of the chair lift. Yup. That's where I found my Bear. At the first aid station. Being bandaged by a sweet young girl. I never did thank that sweet young girl for taking care of my little Bear.

His cheek was burned.

The top and inside of his ear was burned.

His knee was burned.

His thumb was burned.

The track had even melted a hole in his shirt and he had another burn on his shoulder.

It looked SO painful! But he didn't cry.

I asked him if someone had taken him down to the first aid station. No. He put his slide back on the track and s.l.o.w.l.y. rode the rest of the way down.

I offered to carry him back to the condo, but he said he was fine.

I told him that it was OK to cry, but he said he was fine.

Strangers commented that they had heard about his crash at the top of the slide.

His cousins quickly learned of his bravery. Most of them have experienced the pain that comes from going a little too fast on the alpine slide. They each know how BAD it hurts! Each one of them stopped by to offer their condolences and congratulate him on his bravery. They were each amazed that he didn't ever cry. Not once.

Although Barik chose to stay out of the pool for the rest of our time at Snowbird (can you blame him?), he still had a great time playing board games and Lego's with his cousins.

Snowbird is a family favorite. Always has been. Always will be. Until next year...