Powder on President's Day!

It's President's day weekend and once again, we find ourselves in Utah, enjoying the holiday. 

We actually didn't intend on spending the holiday skiing in Utah, 

but Dad was asked to lecture for Invisalign in Salt Lake City on Thursday night and Friday morning. 

 They paid his way and put us up at a nice hotel in the city so Brooke and I tagged along. 

 Brooke headed down to Provo to party with her sister, Ashley while I kept Dad company

 and visited Allie at work on Friday afternoon.

 It started snowing hard on Saturday morning, 

so we all headed for Park City to ski and enjoy a relaxful weekend in the mountains.

Allie, Brooke and Dad skiing down 9990.

Allie and Justin going down Magic Lines (a double black diamond run) on 9990.

Dad and Brooke showing how steep it is on Magic Lines...
the photo doesn't actually do it justice...
it's really steeper than it looks like in this picture.

Our fearless leader, Ashley, trying to find a path through the trees.

Dad is just a little bit happy with all the fresh snow 

and happy that I skied down Magic Lines without any complaining:)!

Allie, carving through the powder.

We woke up on Sunday to 16 inches of fresh powder and it continued to snow off and on all day.  

It was one of those powder days that ski bums dream about...

but we were faithful and got our sunday clothes on instead of our ski gear

and headed out to church.

We love going to the "visitor's ward" in Park City.

They always make us feel so righteous by attending church while we are on vacation!

Yesterday was no exception.  The conductor got up after the sacrament and said, 

"When I was a priest like these boys who just passed the sacrament, on a powder day like today, 

I would have got up and headed out door to hit the ski slopes right about now..."

Really?  Did he just say what I think he just said?  Ha! Ha!

I do appreciate those who preside, conduct and speak at the "visitor's ward."

It is a unique experience to worship with others from all over the country.

We often run into dear friends, reunite with old acquaintances 

and sometimes see friends from home, which is always fun!

A couple of times, Mitt Romney showed up at church.

Sometimes it's a a small group attending the service and other times it's packed with people.

No matter how many or who is attending, there is always a great spirit there 

and I'm grateful that our family can attend and worship, even on the "most incredible powder day ever!"

As we head out on Monday morning at 8:45 (because it's a powder day), skiing down to the bubble chair,

Allie (who is in the very back) shows her excitement about all the new snow!

With all the new snow, we don't mess around and head straight for the 9990 chairlift!  

Dad is pretty excited and a little bit annoyed that I am stopping to take a picture!

Really, Debbie, there is fresh powder waiting for us on the top of this mountain...

would you just hurry and get on this lift?:)!!

Allie making first tracks down 9990!

Allie and Justin are liking the fresh powder and the warm sunshine!

This is a great picture of Brooke...
too bad she is wearing a white coat so it's a little hard to see her, 

and there is so much powder that you can't even see her black pants!

Allie, Justin and Ashley are up to their knees in powder!

Brooke is loving her new coat!  

And yes!  She still shops at the kids stores!  Yay for being tiny!

Allie and Justin are so happy after a yummy lunch and free hot chocolate at Red Pine lodge.

A sisters picture.  Cute!  

Thanks Ash, for lowering your neck gator so we could see your cute smile:)!

Here is a great video of Dad skiing the powder at the The Pines.

Trying to get the untouched powder, he skied just a little bit too close to a tree,

 caught a branch, totally took a tumble and lost his ski.

(Sorry for the loud, "Ohhhhhh!" at the end of the video.

I'm just a beginner using my Iphone video and

 didn't realize that the microphone is so close to my face. Ha! Ha!)

The little girls, waiting at the bottom of the hill, after Dad's encounter with a tree incident.

Dad, who always is such a good sport, 

poses for a picture of himself covered snow from head to toe after his tree debacle. 

Then Dad got such a great idea and talked Allie into hiking up to Murdock's Peak
 to catch some untracked powder.

Dad was like, "Hey, why don't we hike to the top there?  
With all the new snow it should be great!  Who wants to join me?  
It will probably only take about 20-30 minutes to hike up there...
 and we will probably get hot and all sweaty!"

 Ash and I were totally with him until he mentioned the sweaty part
 and that was the deal breaker.

We were so glad that Allie was there to keep Dad happy and be his pal.

This is the mountain that Dad and Allie hiked.  
They are the two small black images that look like they are carrying their skis near the top of the mountain.
The snow around them looks dark and it is because that is where they blasted earlier in the day for avalanches.
Now I really am glad that I didn't join them for the hike:)!

Allie at the top of Murdock's Peak looking down at Boa's run.

Allie and Dad...hiking pals. 

Dad coming down Murdock's Peak.

Allie coming down Murdock's Peak.

Allie and Dad, a little snowy but smiling after they hiked to the top 

and skied down "the most incredible powder ever."

Doc's run at the end of the day, skiing down to our place at Vintage.

The end of another wonderful weekend!