A new time zone and new temperatures met us in Denver. The kids were thrilled to see snow and they played in it right away while Keith checked us into the hotel.
We stayed at the Westin hotel and it was the perfect set-up for our family.
We had plenty of room for the five of us. We made great use of the kitchen, dining table and washer and dryer and it was nice to that the kids had their own sleeping area. And the fireplace made for a great night light!
It didn't take long for the kids to spot the balcony which overlooked Beaver Creek mountain and one of the gondolas (yes, we rode it again and again!) We spent the rest of our arrival day settling in and dining out.
Early the next morning the kids were geared up and ready to go! Keith gave them a pep talk and some ground rules before sending them off to ski school.
While the kids were in ski school, Keith and I hit the slopes.
Later, we discovered this race course where I had my one big crash (although Keith and I have different stories of how it all went down). After about gate 4, just out the corner of my eye, I see Keith go down. The next thing I know he is sliding towards me at extreme speed and a cloud of snow is coming up over my shoulder and into my face. After a failed attempt to swerve away, I too went down. No injuries, just a fun memory. And even more respect for World Cup alpine skiers!
Each day after skiing the kids spent some time playing in the snow. Here are Hayden (far left, in pink), Payson (middle, in black) and Madison (far right, in purple) making a snowball castle with some other kids.
Madison hard at play.
We were lucky enough to be vacationing at the same time as some friends of ours. When tummies got hungry we all headed to a nearby pizza parlor for dinner.
The boys bonded over ninjas and superheroes...
...while the girls colored and the parents relaxed at the adult table.
On our second ski day, Keith took Payson out on the slopes early to work on his "pizza stop" while I got the girls geared up for ski school.
Here comes Payson up the magic carpet!
Hayden was so proud of her skis.
The kids absolutely loved skiing and going to ski school. Here is the report from observation and from the kids' ski instructors:
HAYDEN: Her strength helped her excel and advance quickly from a "Never Ever" to Level 2. She took to skiing easily, even eating snow while skiing, and got to go up the gondola and ski the mountain.
PAYSON: He was full of joy at ski school and worked hard at learning the "pizza stop." He never got frustrated, never wanted to go in to take a break and simply had fun living the good life.
MADISON: She worked hard in the mornings but was exhausted by the afternoon. She learned the "pizza stop" and was working on being more consistent.
Below is a video of the kids skiing, first of Payson in a black bib and helmet starting at the back and skiing down and then Madison wearing an orange helmet and purple bib. The rest are of Hayden, in all pink and an orange helmet, skiing with her ski school team and then with me and Keith. Listen for her to say, "I'm staying in the lines!" and "I did pizza, Daddy." And, don't worry, she didn't get hurt at the end - just all laughs!
Hayden singing as she skied down the mountain - happy as can be!
Proud Daddy and his little snow bunny, Hayden.
Apres ski and S'mores!
Madison chose to lounge with me and the mommies while her siblings and friends had a snow ball fight with Keith and some of the dads.
We were unsure about taking a ski trip with three 4-year-olds but it was a big success and everyone, including the kids, already wants to go back!
The Stemberger, Bolden and Melker families - what a great vacation with great memories that will last a lifetime!
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