Always Believe Something Wonderful Is About To Happen

Thank you 2016

Before the calendar turns to 2017, I'm counting down my top six moments of 2016...

#6 Grizz Cup Champions

#5 State Final

#4 Niagara Falls

#3 Little Red

#2 Sun Valley

and my #1 moment of 2016 goes to...

My Boys

7

Connor turned 7 today!!!

problems can exist only in the past or future...there can be no problems now

Christmas Vacation

All is calm ~ all is bright

How Markus spent his Christmas vacation:

• skating on the pond
• pond hockey with friends
• sleepovers at Beau's and Gavin's
• building snow forts
• snowboarding
• movies: Rogue One, Arrival, Sing
• sleeping in 
• smiling

what i love about myself

i'm often very critical of myself, wishing for skills i feel i lack or dwelling on my faults. it feels kind of good to list the things i like about myself, i need this sort of boost once in a while...

my mad snowboarding skills 

• my mom-ness
• my sensitivity
• my loyalty
• how easily and often i laugh
• my strength 
• my love of reading
• my organization
• my attention to feelings
• my willingness to try anything once
• my critical thinking skills (this especially came in handy at work today)
• my resilience & persistance
• my communication skills
• my devotion to my family

Between Snow & Stars

Once you take your first ride up a lift your life will be changed forever. - Warren Miller

go play outside

He's the type of boy that is happiest when he has snow in his hair and air under his boots. He finds freedom getting lost in the mountains and as he stands on the edge of infinity, it is his own heart he can hear echoing through the ranges. It is at that moment that I know he truly is a child of winter. 

When you're a mountain person, you understand the brilliance and beauty of contradiction. The way the land can be your greatest teacher. 

How something can be both grounding and elevating...

intoxicating yet soothing, wild yet serene, intensely primal yet patient, and cycling yet predictable within the shifts and rhythms. 

Mountains keep us on edge yet wrap us in the sensation of safety all at once. 

I don't know of anything sweeter,
or more magic inducing
than that.

TIRED HUNGRY DEHYDRATED

but couldn't be happier

why snowboard?

it is a sport that brings escape from the cares and tensions of daily life

psychologists have studied the rationale for snowboarding - snowboarders speculate about it - ordinary mortals shake their heads in dismay over it - there is an ambivalence to this sport - there are no scores or points to boarding but the beauty of movement gives a self-assurance that is better than winning a game. boarding brings an awareness of the grandeur of nature - an exhausting exercise for most people - yet no other sport gives such a feeling of satisfaction and healthy exhilaration - why do we snowboard??? words can't explain it - you have to experience the hours, days, weeks of it yourself - you have to meet the people who board - the individualists - the non-conformists - you have to see the beauty of the snow-covered mountains and valleys - you have to participate in this moment of truth - why do i board? you have to become a boarder to know.

May Your Day Be Merry And Bright...

And May All Your Christmases Be White

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Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen...

Christmas to me is as many people happy as possible.

b e l i e v e

Over the years

I've written about visiting Santa

And posted photos with him too

(You can click on the links above to see those posts...)

Until today I've never posted all the photos with Santa
from  21 years of having tiny tots for Christmas!

Seeing is believing 

but sometimes the most important things

in the world

are the things

we can't see

Markus has been listening to The Polar Express 

since I woke up from my nap after the night shift 

it's one of our favorite Christmas movies 

to watch on Christmas Eve

Though he's grown older

the bell still rings

for all

who truly believe

May the magic of Christmas

remain in your heart

and the sound of the bell in your ear. 

Merry Christmas 

"just remember the spirit of christmas lies in your heart."

kindness is contagious

Max with Dr. R ~ 1999

Max with Dr. R ~ today

Strep throat for Max

Ear Infection for Markus 

A Good Deed A Day book for me from my sister Sheri (Ivy)

💛

H A P P Y

holidays

Merry Christmas

Feliz Navidad

buone feste  natalizie

JOYEUX N O E L God Jul

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Red Iguana tonight +

Salsa Dancing +

White Elephant Gift Exchange (or white mouse?!) =

Fun Family Party

Murray Winter Solstice

This is the solstice, the still point
of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year's threshold
and unlocking, where the past
let's go of and becomes the future;
the place of caught breath, the door
of a vanished house left ajar.

I Love Smiling

Smiling is my favorite

The best way to spread Christmas cheer

is crafting with all the girls!

You have such a pretty face. You should be on a Christmas card. 

At Laurie's magical home decorating miniature houses, we girls tried to stick to the four main food groups:
candy
candy canes
candy corns
and syrup

An Exercise In Gratitude

It wasn’t until I approached my life from a gratitude perspective that it really started to take off. I began to realize that just because something didn’t sound like a big deal to others, that didn’t mean it was not special or important to me. Last month when I was talking to a nurse/friend at work, she reflected on it for a while and realized how grateful she was for the life she has lived and how she had requested her daughter to play a song at her funeral, a medley called Gratitude. (Link posted above)

What I didn’t expect was the wave of gratitude that came over me when I listened it in it’s entirety. What’s great about this life, is that I can still keep adding to it! (and I’m grateful for that too!)

BB's Grateful for Life List:

• Lived in Utah (1984-2016)

One of the most amazing and cherished experiences of my life! I learned to speak English fluently, climbed mountains, played in forests, visited amazing lakes, made life-long friends, and learned to appreciate mormon culture. 

• Lived & Worked in 48 different states

Moving around so much has definitely helped me to become more tolerant and understanding of different cultures and ways of life. I’ve skated in fast-paced big cities and slow-paced small towns where everyone knows your name.

• Snorkeled the Rivers of Xcaret (Cancun)

Xcaret is amazing in it’s own right, but few people get to snorkel the back side. I was lucky enough that the winds and swells were low enough on the day we went, and therefore got to see the amazing view from the backside of the cove.

• Went on the Stratosphere in Vegas

Talk about an adrenaline rush! In addition to the blast-off (which was incredible), the beauty of the sights are almost indescribable. The Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Colorado River, Red Rock Canyon, and the Valley of Fire… talk about a feast for the eyes!

• Quit Red Meat (2016)

After being a meat eater for almost 15 years, I’m proud to say that I was finally able to quit earlier this year. Not having high cholesterol (it has gone down by 22 points) is one of the best feelings in the world!

• Learned to Snowboard (1998)

OK, so I fell on my butt… a LOT! 

• Ran a Marathon (1997, 2007)

Running: that one thing that I love and hate all at the same time. I actually stopped running for a long time but I’m happy to report that after the injection in my hip last week, I’m getting back into the swing of things and I’m hoping to run my third marathon next year!

• Experienced & Overcame Divorce (2012)

This was one of those that I wasn’t sure about adding here. But gosh darn it, I am proud that I came out on the other side of it!

• Started a Business (1986, 1992)

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. That’s not to say that I’ve always been successful though. In 1986 I started to teach my own students skating. I soon realized that I just couldn’t charge what I thought my time was worth. In 1992 I started a genealogy software business. Then I realized that I needed to start my own family not just keep track of other people's. Finally in 2015 I started my nursing career and I haven’t looked back since!

• Learned to Sew & Quilt (1995)

In the last few months before my first son was born, I worked from home because quite frankly I was let go from the title company due to the economy and I had to find something to occupy my days and I turned to a class to teach me how to quilt. To this day it is one of my favorite memories making quilts for all my friends babies.

• Saw the Mona Lisa in Paris (2004)

It's no secret that I'm obsessed with travel. I love to go everywhere and even have a travel journal in my possession. So when I was visiting Paris I had to go see her for myself. 

• Became a Mother (1995, 1999, 2003)

The day that Morgen was born was the best day of my life. Finally getting to hold that baby (It's a boy!) that had been kicking around inside of me for 9 months was one I will never forget. Fun fact: he was born ten days past his due date… so worth it, that kid!

• Tried a Triathlon...or 5 or 10! (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010)

I’ll admit it… I’m a sucker for swimming! There are lots of possibilities in my future too!

• Started this Blog (2008)

I had always wanted to start a blog, believe it or not. What this blog has evolved into since then was beyond my wildest dreams and I’m so grateful every day that I did it!

• Watched the Whales (1990)

I was lucky to visit the Bahamas when I graduated from high school and even luckier to get the opportunity to swim with whales on that trip! Would I do it again? Absolutely!

• Played in Hidden Waterfalls on Oahu (2015)

Our trip to Hawaii was incredible! My favorite part was our adventure into the rain forest, where we hiked to see some beautiful hidden waterfalls. Max took us to some places that those big tourist buses never get to see!

• Ate at Gordon Ramsay's Restaurant (2016)

I’ve always been a big fan of the T.V. show Jr. Master Chef. Little did I know that I would get to eat at one of the hosts restaurants in Vegas this month. 

• Went to The Olympics

Did you know that you cannot buy tickets to some events at the Olympics? You have to be a sponsor! Back in 2002 there were only a few sponsors that had tickets and I was lucky enough to have a brother, who was married to one of them. They invited me to ride in their van and the grand prize was the ladies figure skating final! Guess who went? :)

• Put 200,000 miles on a car I bought new (2007)

Yup! I love to drive, and being nearly 1,000 miles away from hockey tournaments makes for putting a lot of miles on the wheels!

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So there you have it... my very own eulogy. Oh, and speaking of gratitude… I’m going to tease you with another glimpse into my beautiful day on the slopes. 

What are your top gratitudes from living your life???