Christmas with my family.

This year, for the first time in 7 years, I was able to spend Christmas in Iowa with my family. I had a 4 day weekend at Salomon with Christmas day and th 26th off as paid holidays. I had planned to leave Wednesday right after work and arrive home on Christmas morning. On Tuesday afternoon we got a pleasant surprise from the President of our company. We all received an email that the offices would also be closed on Wednesday, the 24th as an extra paid holiday!!! This meant I could leave for Iowa an entire day early and arrive on Christmas eve for even more time with my family.

Due to bad roads and crazy weather the drive took me 20 hours this time. In anticipation of the holiday and my arrival my sister was spending Christmas Eve at my parents' house also. I just saw her a month ago but she sure had gotten a lot bigger in 4 short weeks!!!

Since my mom had to work Christmas morning we opened presents on Christmas eve when I got there. My sister has always been the present passer-outer and the tradition continued even though she's 8 and a half months pregnant.

I love this stocking, my grandma made it for me when I was in sixth grade. And look at that pile of presents in front of me!!! They are all mine, I wasn't expecting any since the trip home was my present and I came on such short notice. It was a great surprise.

This is my mom, dad and Sophie waiting to open presents. I got some pretty sweet stuff. I'll post more pictures later...I have to go right now, a Warren Miller movie is starting on TV!!!

The Little Things

I'm a little bit nerdy sometimes but that's what makes me who I am, right? One of my favorite things about life and about myself is how much joy and I get out of very small and simple things.

Last night I was working my second job as a ski tech in a ski shop. As I was walking through the store a customer grabbed me and asked me if we sold Duofold base layers and if so, where were they. I smiled and told her how much I loved my own Duofold baselayers that I wear for skiing and biking and pretty much everything. After she did a bit of shopping she searched me out with a question of wether the Duofold we had would be warm enough for her husband who works construction in Park City. I told her that I personally wear only Duofold under my ski pants even on the stomiest and coldest of days and it keeps me toasty. Then the inquired as to where I ski. When I told her Snowbasin she said, "ME TOO!" and then told me that they live on Trapper's Loop just down the road from Snowbasin. She continued shopping and eventually overloaded herself with all of the items she had bought at other stores and what she had shopped for with us so I offered to hold it all for her so she could try on coats for herself. After 2 hours in the store she had found everything she needed and wanted and told me goodbye and thank you before she headed to the checkout. About 5 minutes later I was paged to the front counter. When I went up there to see what the cashier needed Donna (my new shopping friend) said, "I made them call you up here because I just wanted to give you a hug and tell you thank you." Let me tell you, that makes you feel good and appreciated. I hope that I see her on the mountain and we get to ski together. She was so cool.

The Greatest Thing Happened Today

I have been very blessed in my life to have many moms. One of the first (besides my biological mom) was Angie. If you've known me for any significant amount of time you have heard many stories about Angie and how much I love her.

I met Angie when I was in 5th grade. I spent my summers in Kentucky with my grandma when I was a kid. My grandma was a really cool lady and she had a membership at the YMCA where she would work out. Angie worked at the YMCA. When I was visiting my grandma this particular summer I met Angie at the YMCA and would hang out with her while my grandma did her thing. That summer Angie gave me a YMCA t-shirt and the bond was formed. I saw Angie every summer and every time we went to my grandma's for a holiday. I loved her so much and she loved me like I was her own daughter. I remember always wishing that I could live closer to Angie so that I spend more time with her.

The last time I had the opportunity to see or talk to Angie was in November of 2004, just before I left on my mission. Since coming home from my mission in 2005 I had somehow lost contact with Angie and realized last summer that I didn't have any way of getting in touch with her.

A few weeks ago I found her son Adario on Facebook and stalker style I sent him a text message to get in touch with Angie. After a series of phone tag, we finally caught up with each other and had so much fun talking on the phone today. I have missed her A LOT and I can't wait to go visit her!

I love you Angie...and you're way cooler than Nancy Hanson!