Oh No She didn't...

So on our last travel day, sadly leaving the beautiful Steamboat Spring to head home to chores and work, we headed out to the airport.  I need to tell you that the tone of the day was set when Sutton spit up on her shirt in the rental car parking lot and then got it stuck in her hair when we tried to change her top.  I know, GROSS!  No time to wallow in our disgust…we have to get through security and catch our plane.  We’ll deal with it at the terminal.

First outfit of the day.

Off to Security we go…Down to our terminal…..I go grab lunch (every flight is better with a toddler if you can feed them)…time for early loading for special passengers like us.

Me, “Here’s you ticket”

Luke, “Thanks.  Are you ready?”

Me, “Yup”

Luke, “Where’s the carry on bag?”

Me, “ I thought you had it”

Luke, “I thought you had it”

Me, “I don’t have it”

Luke,” Where is it?”

So panic quickly set in as we ran circles around our gate and the surrounding areas to find our carry on bag (it contained both of our ski boots, so it was kinda important).  Then we had a choice to make….keep looking of get on our flight.  We chose the flight.  Thinking quickly, I called my Aunt (who is amazing) and she said she would look into it and let us know.

After we landed and I turned the phone on, it turns out that I had left the bag down at security.  What a place to leave an unattended bag in an airport.  I hear they frown upon that kind of stuff.  So I spoke with an agent and we set up a fedex account to ship the bag to our house….I have no idea how much this cost us yet, but I’m going to guess it was expensive if they do it by weight.  We were trying to out smart those tricky baggage weight fees by putting our heaviest items in our carryon bag.  I guess the jokes on us.

Here is the most painful part of the story…Ready??  It was my fault!  When I sat down to put my shoes on, I left the bag!!  Luke had the baby and a book bag, so his hands were full.  I mean, I am the one who usually has this train rollin’ on time and ready to go!  Ugggghhhh….

So a week later the bag was returned with all items and a sweet little note.

Reconnecting

Having a friend on a trip or meeting new couples always changes the energy and the experience that we have.  Don’t get me wrong, we love each other very much, but a new experience with new people is energizing.  Some of the best trips that we have had revolved around new friendships and this one was no different.

Beautiful.

Although he is not a new friend, we did have a friend who lives in Vail come and ski with us for the day.  Let me back track for a minute.  Our friend James also helped us set up our trip with his new company,  JBSwell Enterprises.  This was the first time that we used a company to help us find and schedule a trip.  However, since we planned it last minute and we are both super busy, I really welcomed the help.  And guess what….we were overly pleased with our accommodations and trip!  Turns out, after doing some catching up, they are putting together all types of cool, fun, and vagabond friendly vacations.  Yoga and Surfing!?!? YES PLEASE!

Now getting back on track….We haven’t seen James in a very long time and we were excited for him to come and hang out with us (it had nothing to do with the fact that we had spent 6 days together).  We went to the backside of the mountain, where we hadn't explored and skied our hardest and best runs of the entire trip!  Afterwards we went to this fun rester aunt for Apres drinks and snacks and chilled by the fire and talked with some other visitors.  Hands down we had the best day skiing, reconnecting with old friends, and eating delicious food (and maybe a shot or two).  How could you beat that?

I am smiling, but if you notice the snow all over my jacket, it is because I nearly just had a heart attack accidentally going down a black (possibly double black) diamond trail that I was not really ready for...don't know till you try!

Quiet, beautiful, and uncrowded.

I think that it just goes to show you that having new and different people around brings a new and exciting energy.  As Sutton grows up to be her own traveler, I really hope that all of her experiences involve meeting new friends and reaching out to old ones too.

Unintended bonus: Someone to help take pictures.

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks: Old people on Snowboards

Ok, I am a skier and so is my husband.  He learned to ski when he was four and is really good.  I learned when I was fourteen on a church ski trip.  Some one literally put ski’s on me and pushed me down a mountain and yelled “Don’t forget to do pizza when you want to stop!! Have Fun!!”  Needless to say, it’s amazing that I stuck with it long enough to get good at it after that. 

Every time we take a ski trip, I always ask Luke if he wants to try snowboarding….and every time he says no.  I get it, Why spend so much time and money to get somewhere to start over and learn something new?  I mean Luke is a great skier…he’s been doing it for 28 years!

So this trip was a little different.  I mentioned snowboarding, and Luke acted slightly interested…but not enough to set it up himself.  I know this guy…he want’s to try it, but not enough to look into it, set up a lesson, and go get the rentals.  It’s more work than he’s willing to do.  However, if I do all the work, he’ll give it a try.  So I saw my window of opportunity and I set it up. 

Come on Daddy, it's time to go shred it up!

We signed up for a whole day lesson.  Our goal was to get as good as possible in one day so that we could truly decide if we liked it and if we wanted to keep on snowboarding.  The day went really well.  Luke picked it up quickly, but I was right behind him.  It was looking like we might be making the crossover into snowboarders….

The last part of the day, we went to a little green run and were putting everything together that we learned.  I started to go down the mountain and….Boom! I fell on my tailbone.  No worries, get up and try again.   Anybody who knows me, knows that I have no fear (even when I should) at getting back on the horse.  Get going again and….Boom back on my tailbone.   Ok, now I’m a little nervous, but I have all these people watching me and I need to at least get the rest of the way down.  I get up to go again…..BOOM! Back on my bottom.  Well, this third time was the final time.  It brought tears to my eyes.  The first thing that I thought was, “Oh My Gosh, I think I really broke something.  What was I thinking!?!”  After I calmed down and the pain and panic started to fade, I took the board off and walked the rest of the way down and sat my sore bottom in the snow. 

After a few minutes Luke came down behind me….shredding it like he’s been snow boarding his entire life (insert eye roll) and I told him what had happened.  I decided that it was probably best if I stopped and took a break to nurse my lower back and tailbone.  I wanted to at least be able to ski the rest of the trip.

You have GOT to be kidding me...after two days this guy was going down black diamonds.

I walked past the ski patrol/first aide office and talked with them for a few minutes about what had happened and how I felt.  I wanted to make sure it was ok to ski the next day. They informed me that they were not doctors, and if I wanted a medical opinion I would need to go to the orthopedics or the hospital (not necessary).  However, they did say that if it sounded like a bad bruise and if I was them they would, “Ski now and rest when I got home.”  Pretty solid advice. Well, my tail bone was definitely VERY sore, but I was able to ski the rest of the time that I was there with a little help from my new favorite item…

Dear Circular Foam Cushion, Thanks you for all of your support.  Love, Ashley

Lesson learned: Falling at 30 hurts 30 times more than falling at 20.

WE'RE BAAAAACCCCKKKK!!!

Well these vagabonds have been quiet for a while, but….WE’RE BACK!!  Our house has been a little crazy the past few months and we haven’t had the time to travel like we love to.  Since my last post, we had started to move (to Columbia), got relocated back to Greenville, celebrated the holidays, celebrated our birthdays, and I started a new job.  That’s a lot for five months.  But you know my philosophy is go big or go home.

So I stumbled across a Facebook post of a friend that said flights to Denver were under $300 and I immediately though,” SKI TRIP!!!”  The last time we went skiing was before I was pregnant…almost three years ago.  Are first major delimea…Do we take Sutton or go with out her?  Now we are a family of vagabonds, so leaving one behind just didn’t feel right.  However, how much fun could a toddler have on a ski trip where she would be in the daycare while her Mom and Dad enjoyed the fresh powder?

After some thought, we decided that it would be more fun for us with her than without her (we are so selfish).  When the big day came to leave, we woke her up (at 2 am) and hit the road to the beautiful Steamboat Springs, CO for a week of family fun.

Riding the bus to the rental car.   So close, yet so far away.

If you do not know this about my child, she is a great sleeper.  However, when there is anything of any interest going on, she is a master nap avoider.  Case in point:  After waking up at 2 am, and traveling for some 10 plus hours…the child was still awake!  When we arrived at our condo, it was like she got a second wind and was wide open and full of excitement.  Watching her runaround opening drawers and cabinets with such glee made me realize we made the right choice to bring her.  We all went to bed super early that night, I think around 8, and woke up excited and ready to start our day!

This sign, literally could be a sign that we picked the right spot.

            Let me just give you an overview of most of our days in Steamboat:

1.     Wake up at 6:30 (not for everyone) and enjoy a cup of coffee looking over the mountain and watching the snow fall.

2.     Make the family a health protein packed breakfast…we have a big day ahead of us!!

3.     Drop off the littlest vagabond to her ski-school/daycare and hit the slopes.

4.     Enjoy a lunch date with my co-vagabond (include a lunch beer and deserts for maximum romantic effect).

5.     Ski some more.

6.     Pick up the littlest vagabond who became quite popular at her ski school.  One day I picked her up and her up and her daily report said, "Sutton Loves playing with all the boys...especially the LOUD ones!  She so silly!" Uh-ohhhh....

7.     Family Time!!  Rest, explore, play in the snow.

8.     Family Dinner in the condo.

9.     Put that exhausted little girl to bed.

10.   Hot tub and wine time
11.   Crash!

What a great day!  I really couldn’t think of anyway that it could have been better!  We are really starting to get this family travel thing down.

Finally, I can get some rest!! Seriously, have you ever seen this many pillows on a bed!?!? 

HOT TUB TIME!!!  How else do you unwind from a long hard day on the slopes? 

What in the world is this cool white flaky stuff?

What a great day!  I really couldn’t think of anyway that it could have been better!  We are really starting to get this family travel thing down.

Come on, it time for ski school.

Hurry Up! You guys are so slow in your ski boots!