Weekend in Midway

In the last post I talked about Millie's big day for her birthday.  But it didn't stop there.  Her birthday is always conveniently close to Civil Right's Day, which is a day off of school.  Since Monday was the holiday, we headed up to Midway and stayed in Grandma and Grandpa's condo.  Thanks G and G!

Millie, Grandma, Grandpa, and I drove up Sunday and met BS and the kids there.  We ate a yummy Sunday dinner at the condo (thanks to the handy crock pot), and then settled in by the fire to watch a movie.  Monday morning we swam and then went sledding at Soldier Hollow!

It was a sunny day with beautiful blue skies...a nice break from the nasty inversion.  We had a great time - each one of us!  Even Quincy was so brave and went down every run!  It's fun to get pulled up the hill on the tube and then fly fast down the tube runs knowing you can't crash or get hurt!

It was an awesome way to spend the day!  

Sambo

BS, Millie, Quincy

Wilbur

When we were all pooped and cold we met the rest of my family at a local pizza place.  Then back to the condo for more swimming and official birthday party.

Millie chose Oreo Cake Pops for her birthday treat which she even helped me make.  They were scrumptious and the boys have requested them for their birthdays :)  We also had chocolate dipped strawberries.  It was hard to pack up and leave, but we knew we had to get back to life and school.  It was a good thing that when we got home at 11:00 that night, Millie came home to balloons and gifts from her friends on our front porch.  And also these:

Beautiful flowers from Grandpa and Grandma Clark!  She was thrilled to get flowers!

Happy Birthday Millie!

Teenager!

We officially have a TEENAGER!

And a lovely one too!

To celebrate this exciting milestone, we treated her to a day of pampering. 

First:  Getting her hair done at a fabulous Salon in Layton.  They serve you frozen grapes, snacks, and bottomless drinks while you just sit there and relax.  As if the scalp and should massage isn't enough!

She didn't do anything drastic, just a little trim and style. She looks older already!

Next:  Pedicures!  The joy of a pedi speaks for itself.  We all benefitted from this stop!

Third:  A visit to the Clinique counter at the mall for a little makeover.  She's only been wearing mascara (which is just fine), but she wanted to play around with a little make-up for the days she wanted to feel like a teenager.  She looked absolutely gorgeous!  Too gorgeous.  I forbid her to wear the make-up (not really).  She also got a great lesson on taking care of her skin like washing and moisturizing.  She has been very lucky so far to have a perfect complexion but that acne has to be coming soon.  I don't remember being so cute and zit free at 13!  

Next:  Dinner at Tepanyaki!  We let her chose where she wanted to eat, and of course this was on the top of her list.  It was a tough choice between here and Olive Garden.  It was fun and delicious as usual.

Then:   A sleep-over at Grandma's cabin!  This is one of Millie's favorite spots.  Just she and I went up while BS and the other 3 kids stayed home.  It was so nice having some alone time with her and we definitely needed the girl time!  I am so blessed to have her.  Truly so blessed.  This was a day neither she nor I will soon forget.

Last:  A weekend trip to Midway!  See the next post...

Birthday Skiing!

 To celebrate our birthdays, BS and I couldn't think of anything better than having a family ski day!

We took the kids to Wolf Mountain in Huntsville - it was pretty close to where we were staying, and we love how they have a 1:00-9:00 pass option for cheap.  They also have great hills/tree runs for the kids - even a great beginner hill.

Quincy did awesome!  And bonus: she LOVED it!

Millie and the boys have really improved - they love to go through the trees and find jumps - just like what my friends and I used to do!  Millie is loving her new {used} boots and skis.

Kirk & Heidi brought their kids for the afternoon and they were so fun to watch.  Quincy loved skiing with her cousins!  Here is Kirk and Cole on the magic carpet:

 

Alix, Quincy, Millie:

 

Millie and Sambo just before dark.  I love what good buds they are, they really stick together.

 

When we were all exhausted and cold after a big day skiing, we met everyone at a local joint in Eden for hot chocolate and Mexican food.  It was delicious...almost as delicious as the fazookies we ate for our birthday dessert at the cabin.  What a perfect way to end a perfect day!  

I look forward to many more family ski days!

Having SNOW much fun!

This is a picture of the old cabin, nestled in the pines, the day after Christmas.  It is just across the field from the new cabin, Grandpa and Grandma's place.  This place is true happiness.  It is where an abundance of my best childhood memories were made.  I am so happy to be able to experience the same memories with my children and share in the same activities that brought so much joy.  Sledding and snowmobiling are some of these.  Check it out: