December Gone with the Warmth

I know you think that it can hardly be warm in December. Well it's just colder from there! As I sit here at my desk which is in our room and near a drafty window-I am reminded of this. It's currently 20 degrees (although the weather website so kindly tells me it feels like 10) and snowing. So yes warmth is gone....until spring. However there is are many good things about winter one of which is winter sports! This winter I decided it was time to learn one. It's one that I figured I would like but had never tried. I am proud to say that now when I tell people I live in Utah and they say "Oh have you skied?" I can say "No (haha) but I have snowboarded!"

December 4th my brother Tim, cousin Sam, Brandon and I loaded up the good old Trial Blazer (doesn't it look nice with snowboards on top?) and headed to Park City Mountain Resort.

Brandon had been snowboarding before. Tim and Sam have season passes and go often, so it was just me as the newbie. Tim and Brandon were great teachers and with just a few falls the first two rounds it was smooth boarding from there. I picked it up faster than I thought I would and really loved it. The only thing I really struggled with (besides my burning quads while going down the mountain trying to hold a good position and keep from falling-ya guess they are out of shape a bit) was getting off the lift. I could do an alright job if it was just Brandon and I on the lift but the 6th (and last) run we were on a lift with two skiers. We get to the top and prepare to get off. I am sitting on the inside of the lift and slowly get off. Then in what is now a blur I somehow loose my balance and next thing I know I am lying on the snow with a dislocated shoulder. The same shoulder I dislocated and had surgery on 10 years ago.

So I lay here (what seemed forever) just a few feet from where people are getting off wondering why the lift operator does not see me laying here or here my calling for Brandon and stop the lift. I cannot move since I am laying on my right dislocated shoulder. Brandon is trying to get to me to help. I am not sure how but I get my shoulder to pop back in and with Brandon's help get up and over to a bench. Crying from the pain I think about how I am going to get down. Yes I know I can get them to drive me down but I do not want to bother them if possible. After calming down we decide it's time to board down. Carefully I make it to the bottom and decide to chill at the tavern until my brother and cousin meet back up with us.

I was sure it would need surgery but after an MRI and appointments with the Orthopedic we learn that my shoulder capsule is loose. While this can make me more prone to dislocating it while it heals it should heal pretty close to what it was before. I have been seeing an physical therapist, who it turns out know's Brandon's family as his parents and sister are in their ward, and working on making those muscles stronger. Its been going well! I still have some instability and weakness but nothing like I did a month ago. I was shown a way to wrap my should to help it for the next time I go snowboarding which I hope will be soon!

December also brings fun in door activities such as baking,

fort building, fun games on the Wii and dressing up like Daddy at work.

Oh and we cannot forget performing the wonderful tricks we know.

We celebrated our 6th anniversary this year. I took off the day before and Brandon and I had an afternoon just the two of us. We went to Gardner Village in West Jordan. We had lunch, did some Christmas shopping and then headed to one of my favorite stores-Ikea. I know kinda nerdy to shop on your anniversary but I was with someone I loved in a place I loved and could take all the time I wanted. So it was great to me! On the 10th (our actual anniversary) we went to my work's Christmas party at a reception center on a farm just down the street from our house. While the food was so-so, the company was great and we had a wonderful time.

In preparation for Christmas, Brandon had been working on a painting for my aunt Allison. He found a piece of wooden crate at work and the vision went from there. This painting was with acrylic and oil paint and well as tons of texture. He used Spackle to give the sand some texture, a plastic basketball for the trunk of the palm tree and hot glue for the waves, and dry wall tape for the yellow sun rays. Then painted and shaded over it all. It turned out amazing and he now has several requests for more. Sorry you have to turn your head to see it. The original image is flipped so not sure why it's not here.

Christmas eve we spent the night at my parents. We had a prime rib dinner, watched Elf and then off to bed. Christmas morning the kids were so excited. We had to wake everyone else up in the house. They could not wait. Annie received several fun princess related items, books, clothes, and more. Ethan was overjoyed at each gift he opened. He got a pillow pet, Mr. Potato head which he loves, trucks and cars and more.

We hope you all had a great Holiday season and a Happy New Year. Hope that 2011 finds you well and brings you and your family much joy and fun times! 2010 was filled with so many fun firsts for our family. Our first time to San Francisco and seeing our niece Zoey out there, our first time to the Grand Canyon, snowboarding, and so many firsts for Ethan in his first year of life. We hope to fill 2011 with many more firsts!