Is it really Wednesday?

Bethany & Chris drove out from MPLS for the long weekend! Yeah!! What fun! We had been planning a visit with them over Christmas, but the holiday weather was NOT cooperating for long road trips... So the January holiday of MLKJ became the "new" Morrison-Moeller-Fletcher gathering date!

Saturday we planned a family outing to Deer Mountain and the Tubing Hill! We weren't really sure what to expect, and after raiding our extra supplies of cold weather gear, we were all "dressed" and read for some SNOW FUN! (except Liv who was graciously invited for a play-date at the Welch home) After a quick lunch in the "chalet" (can you call it that in SD, when it's really just a snack bar and picnic tables?) we braved the lines at the tubing hill.

40 degree weather and bright sunshine made for some interesting conditions... It certainly wasn't cold enough to be a bother... Dirk & Chris ended up shedding a few layers. One "path" of the 6 available was out of commission because the snow melted down to the grass and gravel beneath. One path had melted and frozen a few times too many and was slick (read: HARD) ice over much of the way.... but also made for the most adventuresome of the 5 remaining trails!!

Anika, the youngest and least adventuresome of the group loved EVERY trail, but preferred the icy-er quicker trails. She really didn't want to get up and have to pull her tube very far -- back to the rope-tow line! She would give us the "princess commentary" about every 5 minutes of the 3 hours we were there:
- This is the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!
- This is SO MUCH FUN!!
- I LOVE THIS!
- Daddy I want to go down the spiny-around-in-circles one!
- I want to go with Bethany this time.
- I LOVE TUBING!

Needless to say, Thor was having a great day too -- just with less adjectives. :)

I think I broke a couple of "distance" records for the afternoon -- there was a 5 or 6 ft high embankment covered in snow at the bottom of the icy run, meant to stop riders if they got up a bit too much speed. However, most people saw this as a challenge to hurdle the embankment -- which happened many times with riders young and old. One of my first runs I sped over the embankment, across the road behind it and into the snow pile on the other side! One of my last runs of the day, I went over again.. at a different angle, and ended up running into the light pole on the other side road at well. I didn't run into it with much speed, and the tube was the only part that actually hit the pole... so either way I was just fine... but it did remind me that perhaps putting ones feet down to slow yourself might not be a bad idea! :)

We ALL had a great day. The last 3 or 4 runs we tried to make a group run, by holding onto each other, or the handles of the tube next to us (instead of just our own tubes handles). Other groups had been going down with as many as 15 tubes together... giving great speed and momentum... not to mention camaraderie! It took a few runs for us to realize what we needed to do. One attempt ended up in a tube sliding down the mtn. without a rider, as we were trying to position ourselves for the group run... and Chris lost hold of his tube. No worries, he just shared a tube with Bethany!

The last run we finally made it down, all together, with Thor & Anika riding on the same tubes with Bethany & Chris respectively, (on purpose). It was a great way to finish the day!

Sunday we went to church at Dove together; then brought home Golden Phoenix Chinese food for lunch (so Dirk could watch the Cowboys lose to the Vikings...:( ) The afternoon was not meant for resting (as usual Sundays are around here)... but found us going in two directions. Bethany, Chris, Mom, Dad and Bethany went to Hot Springs for Theo's 2nd birthday party. Dirk, Thor, Liv and myself went to Thor's hockey game against the Black Hawks.

We couldn't just leave well enough alone for the day... and stayed up until 1:30 a.m. playing Settler's of Catan... and Catan Germany. (why do we always stay up WAY too late when company comes? because we just don't want to waste a second of the time together!!)

Monday Bethany & Chris had massage appointments scheduled (good idea for a vacation weekend!!) with Tanya... so I did some errands with the kids while they relaxed (or were they being tortured? Just not sure yet...? ha ha ha :) We went out for sushi (their first time) and then shopped at the kitchen store for a few basics they needed for their newly-wed home. (is it still a newly-wed home when it's more than 1 yr?... well, anyway) With new pots, pans and a good knife, I think they are one step better prepared for "good cookin!"

Tuesday morning they left for home, and I sent the big kids back to school. I wasn't sure how I was going to start my day: laundry, picking up and reorganizing, dishes, sorting through left-overs in the fridge.... and then I remembered... Today is MOPS! I had 30 minutes to get myself and Liv out the door... we made it just in time! A vacation moment for ME!! How fun! We made beaded bookmarks with ribbon and pretty beads hanging from silver clasps... But the girl-chat time was even MORE fun!

Long weekends are HUGE fun... I just need an extra day before and after to get everything done. You'd think I'd have figured out how to do that being in my (cough) thirty_(something-th)_ year... Seems like every time I'm confident we have the life organization stuff down I end up in a ball of craziness -- must be to keep me humble?? Or maybe I'm just not as good as I think I am (ha ha ha ... ) Or at least not as PREPARED as I think I am!!