Ski Party

Spectacular weather on the heels of the great snowfall last week, made for one terrific skiing birthday party at Dodge Ridge. Everyone was in high spirits, eager and cooperative, which made equipping 7 Tippett kids and a Harrelson a quick and easy task.

The four younger boys --Athan, Leon, Aliou and cousin Kyle-- took a 2-hour lesson in the morning which made them ALL ski-worthy in no time. Meanwhile, Michael skied first with Mary Autumn and then with his older children--August, Anna Mae, and Gianna as well as some of the Little Red Schoolhouse contingency who were on the hill yesterday. Back at the lodge, JL, Cindy, and I got the birthday party ready on the deck in the beautiful sunshine. Clare poked around entertaining folks who were coming and going with a congenial "Hi!" Cindy snapped pictures of anyone we spotted skiing on nearby hills using her long range lens.

Soon a bunch of hungry kids started trickling in. Once they were fed, we sang happy birthday to first Leon and then Aliou, who wore their birthday crowns with pride and clearly enjoyed having a ski trip birthday.

Papa and August were tardy to the party, but just in time for Mama to don Papa's ski pants and equipment and take off skiing with the children who were rushing from the deck party to get back on the slopes. Once suited up, JL headed for the rope tow and then skied across to Chair 2 with Athan and the rest of boys. A fifteen year lapse since she last skied had not cramped her style one bit. She shushed right into the swing of things. After a zig-zagging decent down Chair 2 with Athan, she met August and Anna Mae in line at Chair 3 with Leon and Aliou following and begging to go to. "Sure," she said and soon half of the Tippett family was settled in swinging chairs to climb the face of the mountain. We didn't see them again for over an hour. (If you click on the pictures below, you can see JL and Athan crossing the hill, and five Tippetts in two chairs--Mae & Aliou in the 1st chair, JL, August, & Leon in the 2nd.)

This prefect mid-week ski excursion and the ease with which my daughter took to the slopes made me think I could ski again. Uncle John, are you there? Can you get Dearma back on the hill?