These Beautiful Mountains

Colorado.... a beautiful state!  Beautiful mountains all around! Road trips always mean lots of fun! Heading west on I-80, waiting for those mountains to appear... it's so exciting!! Trying to beat the sunset, so we could see those mountains we were so excited for, before it was too dark.  Then there they were... not big yet, but just in the horizon, it was so great!! We were getting close!! :)

Every since I went skiing for the first time a year ago, I knew I wanted to go back! I just had to. The mountains are just so perfect! And skiing down those mountains, no matter how slow or fast one can go, is an amazing feeling! And being so high up, looking all around, amazed by what God created! It just calls your name to come back! :)  So I got a group of us to head out west, a couple of my sisters, brother-in-law, and some friends! There was eight of us total! It was perfect!  We left on Thursday, and got to our Airbnb condo by 9:00pm. Because it was so late, we of course didn't get to see the scenery, or know where exactly we were going. All we knew is that we were going up and up, winding roads, ears popping. But as we got closer, into Silverthorne, where we stayed... the glow of the street lights and house windows, just brought me joy and giddiness (just ask my passengers)!! I could tell it was going to be all we dreamed of! Once we got there, unpacked, we kept looking through the patio window blinds... hoping we could see the mountains... even though we knew we wouldn't be able to... but maybe, just maybe! :)  So we all went to bed, and set our alarms super early, so we could see the sunrise and these beautiful mountains we were all so excited about!!

Oh... and a big milestone happened on our drive to Colorado... my car had a big birthday!! It turned 100,000 miles! We made kinda a big deal out of it!  We were so proud of her! Listen to the video! And yes, you can call us crazy if you want! :)

So Friday morning... 0600 wake up call... so worth it!! :)  Here is what was our window/patio south side view!!  Breathtaking! Good morning to us!!
{WARNING:: I take a lot of pictures} :-)

Ruby's cheerleaders!! :)

The sun was glowing off the side of the mountain!

Thank God for the selfie stick! :) (and the person that brought it)

So then we rented our skis, and helmets of course.... need those for sure! And off we went, to Copper Mountain!  So excited! Never being there before, it took us some time to figure out where to park, where to go, where to meet later... you know just all those logistics. But once we got our skis on and pointed in the right direction, up the lift.... we were set! I would have to say, I was nervous, as didn't know if I would remember how to ski, if I should take lessons again. But once I had a little reminder session of pizza pie vs french fries, I think I was ready! :) Down the bunny slopes, easy greens we went! The beauty of the sun, mountains, snow, air all around. I just couldn't get enough! It was all I remembered and more!

Here we go... all ready!

The first ride up!

This view.. these mountains, the sun rays! Love!!

Smile! :)

She did it!

It's gonna be a "thumbs up" kind of weekend!

Sisters

Friends are the best!

We kept wondering if I really was this much taller than Kristina! :)

Me and my gang!! (minus two)

This view.... (insert heart emoji here)

We may have just both wiped out! ;)

I did it!!

All I can say, is after this run, we were both glad we had helmets... some flips, losing skis, and trees may have been included in this run down the mountain. :)  (this was the only time I was nervous about my neck, and her tailbone)

Enjoying some drinks at the MooseJaw in downtown Frisco!

First day... we all survived, all bones still intact, no sun burns, and still all friends! :) It was so great! We, or at least our legs needed rest, but we were so excited to do it all again tomorrow!! Starting with the sunrise again! Mountains never get old!

Our condo view

Yay for snow, sun, skis, and friends!! :)

When on the lift.. pictures are a must!

I loved the little kids skiing with the instructor-- like a momma duck and her ducklings! Priceless! :)

So glad this girl came and gave skiing a try!! :)

This was our warm up!

So proud of this lady too!! 

So great to vaca with some of my family!! ;)

This was the best feeling... flying down the mountain, knowing if I slowed down, I would fall, so I had to just go, and go fast I did, weaving back and forth, wind in my face... nothing can describe it... even if after a few minutes, the end result was in the trees... it was all worth it!! :)

"There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship." ~St. Thomas Aquinas

On top of the world! It felt... near the top of Copper Bowl!

Sisters!!

I felt like this was fake! the mountains painted into the background, of the haze and clouds.. it was breathtaking!

On top of the world!!

I just had to add this... we were so tired, our legs were exhausted... we needed to get to the bottom, but these darn flat spots kept appearing randomly... so this was a little, "I am beyond exhaustion" period...  at the moment, we maybe wanted to cry, but now we can look and laugh and smile and say... WE DID IT ALL!!

I didn't want to leave!!

Love these gals!!

Sometimes I just wanted to sit, and take it all in... do we have to go back??

Sadness... back to the rental we must go. 

And so it was over... these beautiful mountains we had to say goodbye to. No, we never made it down the blacks... but I am totally okay with that. No need to kill myself on my second time skiing. Maybe someday I will get there, but right now, I had the absolute bestest time skiing with my best friend, down the slopes (maybe greens, maybe blues), laughing, loving life!! 

But we couldn't leave without one last morning to wake up to this.....

As these beautiful mountains got smaller and smaller in my side view mirror.... yes, a sadness came upon me.. but yet a pure joy and gratitude.... for wonderful get-a-way trips! For beautiful weather! For health and healing so I could ski again! For amazing friends! For blessing of family! For beautiful mountains! For laughter! For memories! For this life we get to live!! Even though it may seem at many times to be so messy, so imperfect, so unfair... it is a true GIFT we are given, a true blessing from the one who loves us most!! A thanksgiving for the life we are blessed with to live, to be able to share the water of grace with others! Thank you Jesus!!