Downhill Skiing

I'll admit that there aren't too many things that really scare me. I'm usually open to trying anything once. But there is something about downhill skiing that really does scare me. And it's not the height or the lifts, either. It has something to do with the fact that I will forever be a MAJOR clutz, and I can picture myself hurtling down the side of a mountain forming a snowball much like those you see in cartoons.

Well, he did it - my husband finally managed to convince me to go skiing with him! I actually put in the condition that "only if there is enough snow on March 31st" will I go skiing. Of course I was thinking that there wouldn't be enough snow, but alas, the Lord decided to dump a foot of fresh powder on the slopes the night before! So after dropping Ellie off at daycare for the day, we headed off to Showdown Ski Slopes (about an hour away) and met some other Air Force members there. (One of the perks of being stationed at Malmstrom AFB is that you are granted 1-2 ski days a year to take advantage of the slopes. Nick had to miss his last year because I was in the last couple of weeks of my pregnancy and needed him close by, but he was able to make it out twice now this year.)

So anyway, Nick was actually pretty good on the slopes, even though this was only his second time out since high school. But I had never tried skiing before, EVER, and so I needed a lot of help. Thankfully, Mercy and Val (Air Force friends) were there to help me out and give me some beginning instructions. Several attempts on the bunny hill, and a few green runs later, I can now officially say that I have gone skiing - though not very well! It was great exercise, and I pretty much got the hang of weaving my way down the hills by the end, but the hardest and most exhausting part of the whole adventure was trying to get back up after falling. And TRUST ME - there were PLENTY of falls! I still can't get back up without taking one of the skis off. Oh - and even though I'm not scared of the lifts, I still haven't figured out how to get off without falling down the short slope!

And, I might as well just tell you now that I, of course, managed to give myself a major bruise on this experience! Those who know me well are aware that I am prone to an accident in every new adventure that I try. While snorkeling, I slipped getting back into the boat. Ziplining, I flew into the side of a tree. Skydiving, I got harness bruises. White-water rafting, I fell out of the boat. Mechanical-bull riding, enough said. Anyway... I still maintain that not all of the accidents were my fault - and my skiing bruise is no different! I had managed almost the entire day with lots of falls, but not really hurting myself. Then on the last run, on the last part of the slope, I was making my way down, nice and steady, about to cross the end of the run, and another beginner skier lost their control and came charging down at full speed DIRECTLY into the back of me, taking us both out. Thankfully, neither of us was seriously hurt and we were both able to brush ourselves off and finish the run, but I can tell you that I am feeling the effects of that crash now! (And I bet he is, too...)

Spring Chickens

On Monday, I took Ellie over to our friend's house to show Ellie the baby chickens that our friend, Moe, just got. We thought it was a great springtime photo opportunity to get photos of Ellie and the chicks! Of course, the chicks are too small yet to brave the Montana weather elements, and Ellie wasn't too eager to head outdoors on that blustery day, so it mostly turned into a fun time in the living room with the chicks. Not very spring-like, but what are you gonna do? Ellie sure did enjoy her time with the chicks, though! We may have had to rescue the chickens a couple of times from an overly curious Eliana, and we must say that we found out why they say not to put all your chickens in one basket (a baby might just decide that that cheeping basket looks like the greatest toy to start rolling around on the floor), but all in all, she did really well with them and I'm proud to say the chickens survived! She even tried to "kiss" one chick - which gave a creepy Ozzy Osbourne-bat scenario appearance...

Korea and Bali!

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to visit some friends in Korea. I was in Korea for 10 days, and also had a quick 3 day excursion to Bali, Indonesia. What a wonderful time! I stayed with my friend Rob, who went through residency in Las Vegas with me. Rob works at Osan AFB in Seoul, South Korea currently. I was also able to spend a day with an old roommate from my days at Calvin. Mark is studying the Korean language at the the University of Korea. The weather in Korea was cool and rainy mostly, so Rob and I decided some days on the beach were needed, hence the trip to Bali. I have lots of stories to go along with all the traveling, but you have to visit us to hear those!
Picture 1: Rob and I on top of Mount Hallasan (the tallest peak in Korea)
Picture 2: Mark and I in downtown Seoul
Picture 3: The southern cliffs of Udo Island
Picture 4: Can you find Waldo in downtown Seoul?
Picture 5: A beautiful sunrise over the Indian Ocean in Bali.

We're home-owners!

It's official - we now own our own home! Nick and I are very excited, although it really hasn't hit us that we made such a huge purchase. We'll probably have to wait until we can step foot in our house before it really feels like ours (which probably won't be until May). And we won't actually be moving into the home until August, but it's sitting there waiting for us now!

Here are some photos of the backyard of the home (taken in September). It's located in NW Willmar in a neighborhood called Eagles Landing. It's a very nice neighborhood. The house is 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms - lots of space for a young family! It's a very peaceful setting and the backyard overlooks a little marshland area where we are excited to listen to the birds chirping and the frogs croaking! We are looking forward to moving in at the end of summer and would like to invite everyone to stop by for a visit and see our new home!

Eliana is 11 months old

Oh, how our hearts melt when we receive a smile from this beautiful little girl! How quickly she has grown over the last 11 months. There is so much to say about this bundle of joy (and energy), but I will let the photos do the talking for me!

Girls' Night Out!

This past Saturday night, my wonderful husband insisted I go out for a girls' night to celebrate a friend's birthday. So Nick took over Ellie duty while I went out for sushi and then on to the bar afterward. Feeling a bit daring, we decided to try our hands at the mechanical bull in town. None of us were very good, but I think I hold the title for least graceful dismounts from the bull! I now have a pretty hefty bruise on the top of my right thigh where my fist kept hitting it as I was riding. I "may" also have succumbed to a few other minor scrapes and bruises as I flew forward off the bull. Despite the bruises, the worst part was the humiliation of falling flat on my stomach (twice) in a crowded bar. But hey - this is Montana and I had to try riding a bull once before we moved (even if it was a mechanical one), right? And we did have a good time!