This trip to Whistler was extra special because LB lives there now, working for the Olympics. She’s in charge of the transportation to/from/all around the Sliding Center at Whistler so we got the super, behind the scenes, tour. Unfortunately, that didn’t include a bobsled ride down the mountain, but it was cool (runnings) nonetheless.
If interested, all of our Thanksgiving weekend pictures are HERE. Kevin has some neat ones from the top of Whistler and on the glass bottom gondola!
Today is such a great day to reflect and think about what we’re thankful for in our lives. Thanksgiving is the unofficial start of the holiday season, where the warm fuzzies start to embrace you and simple things, like pumpkin pie and Christmas lights make us happy. There’s something different about this time of year and I wonder why it can’t always be warm fuzzy land. Then I’m slapped in the face by work and sadness and stress. Life.
I was recently turned on to a book called Even Happier by Dentler. I’m not far into the book, but so far I can absolutely, without a doubt say the first chapter was the best and will probably be the most influential to me. It’s titled “On Being Grateful” and gives you an assignment at the end to list five things a day that you are grateful for. It could be anything. Of course I’m grateful for my family who is forced to love me no matter what. For Kevin who does the same (by choice even!). My friends who are the most amazing people I know. But what else makes me smile? Husky basketball, Starbucks serving peppermint hot chocolate, couch time and keeping this blog are among the many. I don’t know why it was such a revelation to me. But it works. When gratitude is a habit, we don’t need special events to keep us happy.
So, this Thanksgiving, I’m just as thankful today as I was yesterday and as I’ll be tomorrow. Specifically, today, I’m thankful for all these things:
Jason, who continues to invite us up to Whistler, year after year.
Thinking about Kevin getting to snowboard today with Jason. I know he’s having a blast his first time out this season.
Being lazy and not feeling guilty because I literally have nothing to do and nowhere to be. I was going to snow shoe but there’s not enough snow on the ground…..so I’m still in pajamas, working on picture books.
Cousin’s pumpkin bread recipe, that I’m snacking on right now.
Still getting to eat turkey and pumpkin pie with Lauren and Co., despite being in Canada, where it’s not officially Thanksgiving.
Avoiding the “Black Friday” lunatics by shopping on “Black Wednesday.” (We hit the outlets yesterday on our way up to Whistler. We got all the deals – so we were told – and missed all the crazed bargain shoppers.)
Part of me wishes I was in Spokane right now with my people, but knowing I’ll be there soon for Christmas and knowing they wish I was there too, makes it ok that I’m not.
Happy, Happy Thanksgiving!
April 5, 2010. Indianapolis, Indiana.
Hoops season starts today! This is why, this is why, this is why we’re hotttttttttttt.
Go to about the two minute mark to watch IT dunk over MBA. It’s gonna be a fun season.
We just got back from a super fun weekend in LA. We went down to see the Huskies play UCLA – which was really just an excuse to go to Cali to visit Kevin’s friends (also Husky alums). Holy smokes, these LA Dawg fans are no joke. We ended up on a school bus (yes, you read me right, I said a school bus. like for kindergarteners.) with 80 other Huskies, confident, happy, drinking our breakfast, crammed three to a seat with paralyzed knees from jamming them into the seat in front and no bathroom. It didn’t matter. We were headed to the Rose Bowl to beat the Weasel! Fast forward three hours later…defeat. A very sad game and long, traffic filled, bus ride home.
Thank goodness for Disneyland! Where all your worries are left behind (nevermind that we went Friday and the game was on Saturday). I haven’t been since the fifth grade and it was as magical as I remember. We were blessed with Disneyland expert guides, free tickets, little to no lines (I guess a 30 minute wait constitutes ”no lines”) and a beautiful day. We hit Space Mountain first, our Disney guides favorite, grabbed a fast pass and waited in the short line. We ended up riding it three times, without cheating, in less than an hour which we are told could quite possibly put us in the Guinness Book of World Records. That set the pace for the rest of the day. Bouncing from ride to ride, park to park (California Adventure didn’t exist my last visit) and meeting our favorite characters. They were slowly starting to put up Christmas decorations, which I LOVED. We rode the “ride this ride last because you’ll crap your pants and nobody wants to walk around all day with crappy pants” ride – and did not crap our pants. And got SOAKED at Splash Mountain. We thought we were so smart by sitting in the middle. The middle happens to have water spill over and soak you. Not splash. Soak. My entire right leg, butt and shoe were soaked for hours…but it was my favorite!
We had such a good time as big kids. I can see why parents get so excited to take their little kids. The kids were sooo happy. They really were on cloud nine. And so much fun for us to watch. I thought often about Alli meeting all the Princesses and how much she would love all the rides. When we go back, it might not be free (oh by the way, tickets are up to $97/day for a park hopper pass. Yeah. HOLY freakin’ CRAP! Plus food and souveniers….enough to go broke.) but we now know to go mid-week in November to get your money’s worth! If I had to wait 110 minutes for a ride, I’m pretty sure I would not be able to smile at the happiest place on earth.
Another magical weekend with awesome friends! We’ll get ‘em next year, Dawgs!
