My siblings and I had chatted about a possible group ski day sometime before Megan heads back to Ohio. I decided that instead of just talking about it, to actually do something to make it happen. So I invited everyone to come skiing at Nordic Valley on Monday, December 31st. I offered up our house as a home base for non-skiiers and then decided to throw in a New Year's Eve appetizer feast into the mix to make it a full blown party.
It turned out to be quite the fun day! Cal and Sam helped decorate with balloons and streamers first thing after breakfast. My parents arrived with Megan, Heather and Grace around 11:00, with Nate, Evy and Bradley shortly behind and Terrell shortly behind them. After a yummy leftovers lunch smorgasbord, Nate, T, Mugs, Gregg and I headed for the slopes. It's been seven years since I've been on skis, so I was a bit nervous for how it would go for me, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easily it all came back. I mean, I'm definitely still a beginner, but I felt confident and comfortable and had a really fun time. Mugs and I took a few runs by ourselves on the beginner lifts while the boys hit the black diamonds. Then we met up at Apollo Lift after an hour and a half and skiied together for another three runs on the "big mountain".
Back at home, Grandpa and Grandma and Heather entertained the kids with games and cars and playing in the snow and drinking hot chocolate. When we finished our skiing, we finished prep on the apps and then feasted on taco plop, lil smokies and meatballs, spinach artichoke cups, olive cheese bread, cranberry pecan cream cheese dip, shrimp rings, cheeseballs and orange cranberry muffins. YUM!
We hurried to bundle up again to head back to Nordic Valley for the New Year's Eve torchlight parade and fireworks, scheduled to start at 6pm. We were en route at 5:58 when the lights went off on the runs and the torch-bearers started down the hill. Then, right as we turned off the highway the fireworks started. We pulled into the parking lot and watched the last few minutes of fireworks in the chilly cold 16 degree darkness, then hustled back to our cars to head home for our "grand finale" of the party.
Callie and I had bought a package of party hats, noise makers and confetti popper firework things on a recent grocery trip and she was counting down the hours till we could use them (this was to her the real party, I think). When we got back from Nordic, we pulled out a few fireworks Grandma brought along and watched them in the driveway while we played with glow sticks. This didn't last too long because it was so darn cold, but we headed in to don hats, make some goose honking noises and pull the strings on the little confetti bombs we had ready. There was a great merry making at 7pm (followed by an impromptu and completely adorable game of duck, duck, goose) and then it was all over. The kids got into jams, the out-of-towners loaded up their cars, the dishes were washed and the floor vacuumed and the fun Elwood's New Year's Eve in Eden Party Day was done.
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| My first time on a lift in almost seven years! Yikes! And Wee! |
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| Now we're feeling brave on the big lift after getting our ski legs under us on the beginner hill for a few runs. |
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| All together again at the top of Apollo. |
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| It was fun to ski with this snow-lover again. |
bonus videos!
(apparently while I was making spinach artichoke dip cups in the kitchen, Cal
and her girl cousins put on a little Christmas song concert for Grandma
in the living room. Please listen for "one horse soap and sleigh" from Callie
when she gets to jingle bells (I couldn't bring myself to correct her when I realized
what she was singing earlier this month))
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| Let's eat! |
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| Crock pot station of goodness. |
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| What's New Year's Eve without dinner and a football game? |
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| Kid table of craziness. |
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| We got to see a few fireworks from the parking lot. |
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| A crowd of cold color-loving kiddos. |
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| Happy New Year from the Elwood Five! |
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