Skiing with Asa and running with the bulls

So yesterday was Asa's turn on the big mountain. I learned my lesson from last week and signed him up for a two hour instruction. We did a couple of practice runs on the magic mountain and he seemed to do pretty well so I left him with the instructors and went up for a couple of runs alone. Alone. I know, weird. I have to say it again. Alone. Now I use to be one who loved spending time alone. But I'm not going to lie. I felt a little panicky at first. I rode the lift alone. And I was forced to think about it. Why was it so uncomfortable to be by myself? I realized that was something I was going to have to work on- spending more time alone. Not easy with 5 kids, but by gosh, something I have to do.
So after making a wrong turn on some Snake something-or-other Trail, I found myself on the intermediate trail. Now I'm not a great skier- I'm not going to win any medals or anything. But I can stay standing, and I can turn, and I can even swish to a stop. Not so, my friends, on the intermediate trail. I knew I had gone the wrong way when I could no longer see bottom, only a drop off. But what were my choices? Go back up? 200 feet back to the other trail... uphill... I think not. Nope the only way was down. So I made my way painfully slowly down from one side to the other side, but it was icy and my skis kept sliding sideways. So I fell. I got up, and I silently cursed the other skiiers flying down past me swishing from side to side and I debated whether I should yell for one of them to send a snowmobile after me. Too proud for that, I made sideways baby steps in the deeper snow on the side for about 100 feet until I gained enough confidence to give it a go again. Note to self- green trails are good, blue is bad, black is obviously not ever happening. Ah well, so I was content on my green trails spending time with myself while feeling pretty darn good about cheating death or at least a broken arm. 
Then it was time to get Asa and I told him about my predicament and he begged to go on the lift just as Aidan had the week before. It wasn't going to be a story to tell his brothers unless we did. So we are riding on the lift and I pretended that all the trails were like the one I had taken. I tried to scare him (because yes, I do want to instill some fear in these boys.. fear is healthy). He shrugged it off and said um, yeah mom, there are three year olds skiing down right there. I replied, those are the three year olds that made it. Half don't. But why would anyone do it if it was that dangerous? he asked. It's like running with the bulls, I replied. Doing something death defying. Everyone has to do it so that if they make it they are able to appreciate regular, everyday life all the more. Hmmm, he seemed to think about this, replied that he would prefer to run with the deer and that yes, he was going to ski down that mountain even if it were scary. What does it take these days to scare a 9 year old boy? Geez, kids are so desensitized these days (to quote the Grinch)... Well, ski it he did and he now had a story for his brothers. And me, well, I felt like I had truly ran with the bulls for a minute there and I was in bed by 8 pm sleeping soundly with a belly full of ibuprofen for my sore muscles. Next week is Adam's turn! Talk about having to instill a sense of fear...

This girl can bust a move!

A father's love...

I just stumbled across this video and wanted to post it in honor of the best daddy in the world home taking care of Ava right now!

Our Daddy Aaron!

Skiing with Aidan

Yesterday Aidan and I went skiing at Smuggs. The sun was shining and there wasn't a bit of wind. It was his first time, and my first time teaching a little one. Boy is that hard! I tried to be patient and supportive, really I did, but I admit it wasn't easy. Afterwards when I told him I should have paid for lessons, he reassured me that I was a great teacher, even better than Kelsey. Which is saying a lot considering Kelsey was his first preschool teacher whom he adored. My favorite moments were when he told me what he really wanted to do was ride the lift to the top of the mountain after only two times of falling all the way down the mini mountain. Ummm, little dude, you have to actually ski down after you get to the top. It was his mission at that point to not fall on the mini mountain so that he could ride the lift. Could I resist? Nope, we rode the lift once towards the end of the day and he skiied on his butt most of the way down. But what a smile he had! The other favorite moment was after 5 hours of being tied into our torture devices called ski boots we took them off and rolled around the floor of the locker room, giggling at each other, saying "life is sooo good" and stretching out our cramped toes. Next week is Asa's turn!

Mama's Li'l Helper

A glimpse into Ava's life before us...

Once again Lvliang Orphanage has hit the ball out of the park. It is obvious they cared for Ava as much as they could when there are hundreds going through their care at any given time. I just picked up the pictures I had developed from the disposable camera I sent with Ava's care package back in the early summer. Pictures of Ava with her friends, with her nannies, playing outside, eating her cake. A couple of her smiling, most not. Most of them show her with a blank expression, surrounded by children with the same blank expression. Had I received these before I met her I would be so thrilled to have a peek at her but now I look at them with a little sadness and I ask "who is this child?" I can't even put into words how much she has grown, both in body, personality and happiness. These pictures really hit me after having the past two months to get to know her and I once again I am counting my blessings that we get to be a part of her life journey.

2 months home!

Sweet...

and

Sassy!