Utah ski trip

Our big Christmas gift to the kids (and ourselves) was a trip to Utah to snow ski/board. We have taken Connor many times, but for Pearce this would be his first time skiing and second time in the snow. We flew into Arizona to see family first, then drove to Utah with Jane and David's car. Thanks papa and tutu! In Hawaii the longest we spend in a car is about an hour. So a 12-hour road trip is a novelty and means 12 hours of non stop quality time with our kids. They really might be the easiest travelers ever.

Pearce is all smiles with his tuk on ready for snow. About two hours before there was even a hint of the white stuff.

Connor is all smiles and tunes

Eric, ready to drive 12 hours. He actually enjoys it.

Getting closer to the snow. Eric forgot his sunglasses so he's using ski goggles

Pearce checks out the view with some binoculars. At that angle, I think he's only getting a close up of the door handle.

We stopped at the first patch of snow about 2hrs north of Phoenix. Pearce and Connor pose.

Pearce's second time stepping in snow.

And of course we had a snowball fight.

Eric has a tough time holding back, no matter the size of the competition.

But Connor is no slouch
Check out where Connor's snowball is headed. Luckily I think we'd made Emry already.

Pearce nails Connor.

And again. Connor's a good brother.


One last shot before we hit the road again

Back in the car, Pearce had the window down so Batman's cape would flap in the wind. For like an hour.

Connor...not sure what's going on here

Pearce slept

And slept

Usually we stay with Eric's Grandparents, but my brother Grant and his wife Amy, just bought a new house in Lehi and were excited for us to share in their joy. We arrived late in the evening just in time to have hugs and a tour of the new house. The next morning we went over to Eric's Grandma and Grandpa Taylor's house to visit. In the evening, Grant and Amy took us to a tubing snow hill near Park City.

Eric, Pearce and Connor ready to tube

Eric and Pearce taking the tow rope up the mountain


Undoubtedly the best way to tube

Pearce and Eric ready to go down the mountain.

Heading down

Pearce insisted on going up the tow rope by himself

And going down by himself

Pearce at the bottom

The first day of skiing we spent at Solitude Ski Resort. A perfect day. Blue skies, empty mountain and lots of fresh powder. Connor went to snow boarding school and Pearce went to ski school for the day, which meant Eric and I spent the day skiing together. The first time we'd done that in years.

Map of Solitude

Connor's first attempt on a snow board

Pearce's first time on skis. When he put the boots on at the ski rental shop, he glanced down at them, stood up and started singing the Black Sabbath Ironman theme. Duh Duh Duh...Duh Duh Duh Duh...Duh Duh Duh...Duh Duh. He walked around for about 10 minutes, shooting Iron Monger with his blaster hands. An imagination that never takes time off.

Eric and I at the top of the mountain.

It was the most perfect day to spend with my lover. This is the backside of Solitude overlooking Brighton Ski Resort. Gorgeous.

Eric going...

going...

Gone.

Here I go. Loved all the powder.

Thru the trees

Eric stopped to make yellow snow


All of us after one of our full days on the Mountain

In Park City, after a good meal.

At the end of the day Eric and I went to check up on the kids. Connor was getting the hang of his snowboard and Pearce was now comfortable going down the hill at full speed on skies. For the next two weeks we rotated days at different resorts like, The Canyons, Park City, Alta, Solitude, Snowbird and Brighton. A couple of days in between, the kids and I took a break and went to visit Eric's grandparents, the dinosaur museum and the movie theater. Eric refused to take a break. He'd only skied once in the past five years, and that was with a week-old broken arm. So he decided to cram it all in at once. 10 days in row!

A compilation of Connor snowboarding over the two weeks

Connor on the beginner hill.


Connors first run down the mountain





Connor making turns

Connor got comfortable on double blues and greens very quick


Connor running a double green. Go Connor!

One of Connor's first jumps.

Connor: officially a snowboarder

It was a mother's dream to spend two weeks with her Connor in such a beautiful place. We talked and laughed the whole time while being surrounded by no distractions such as video games, computers, TV, movies, school or friends. It was amazing.

Pearce's compilation of skiing over the two weeks.

Pearce attended ski school every day, which means he spent an hour skiing in the morning, an hour in the afternoon, and the rest with the other kids and toys and movies. They even fed him lunch and snacks. An hour before the mountain closed, we'd all meet up and get Pearce so we could ski with him as a family. Pearce loved this. Connor cheering him on. Daddy keeping a safe distance just in case, and Mom taking pictures and videos. Could a kid be more loved?

Pearce flying down the hill with Eric right behind him.


Pearce hadn't learned to stop yet

Back up the lift with his Dad. He loved the lift


Pearce learning to stop at the bottom

Whenever it got too steep, Eric gave Pearce a ride on his shoulders. This is taken at the Canyons.


At the end of day 2, Pearce was skiing, turning and stopping all by himself. Must have been the Ironman boots!

But he was always ready for hot chocolate.

After a day on the mountain, Pearce often fell asleep before we made it to dinner. Here he's asleep at Park City on Eric's shoulders. I love this pic.

Off the Mountain

Connor, Pearce and Wendi at a 3D movie about bugs.

Connor, Pearce and Wendi at the Dinosaur Museum.

Connor and Pearce next to a dino leg.


Building a dino ecosystem






The boys got their hands dirty trying to be Paleontologists.

On the weekend Jane and David came up to Utah to spend a couple of days skiing with us. And Grandpa Taylor organized one of his legendary family dinners.

Grandpa Taylor cutting up the biggest hunk of meat I have ever seen. Yummy.

Connor can't believe how big his prime rib is.

Grant's portion was the size of my head.

The Taylor family. These meals are easily the best of our entire lives. Thanks again Grandpa Taylor.

Pearce downing more hot chocolate

Pearce got a hold of the camera and played photographer for the rest of the night. The pictures started out nice and just got crazier by the end of the night. He took like 90 pictures. Thank goodness for digital cameras.

Grant and Amy

Papa David

Half of Wendi.

Eric

Grandma Taylor

Connor up close

Papa David

Full shot of Wendi.

One nights we met up with the Lassig (Chad and Tristi) Family. One of four of Eric's mission companions.

Pearce and Ryker

Lil sister Reagan

A drive up to the Jordan Temple.

beautiful view.

Wendi and Eric.

Eric and Connor. The area surrounding this temple was full of enormous mansions. By enormous, I mean like over 10,000 square feet. The funny thing (at least to us) was that more than half were vacant.

I surprised Eric with a couple of early birthday presents. A massage for his abused muscles and a day lesson for trick snow skiing at Brighton Ski/Snowboarding Resort. He was so excited! I love it when I come up with something that gets his adrenaline running.

Eric during his lesson

Eric can officially pull a 360 anytime he wants now

Overall this trip was one of our best ever. Nothing beats epic snow for two weeks with family and friends. I'm guessing this may become an annual event for the Phillips family