Wed decided that the first thing to do was to get some skiing lessons. it was the kiddos' first time, and it had been a long while for me, so we decided to all take a beginners class together. We got kitted up at the rental shop and we're out in time for the early afternoon lessons.
Our instructor, Bryan, was a nice guy. Not fantastic at explaining the fundamentals to a bunch of total newbies, but he got his points across eventually and we were soon in our skis and ready to start plows and vees and J turns. Except for my poor baby girl; the art of defying friction on a declined plane proved too much for her definition of a well-behaved reality, and she had to call it a day early. Skiing, she stated quite firmly, was not for her. Fair enough! My son, on the other hand, took to it like a duck to water, enjoying himself tremendously and vowing to return with me the next day.
The day was absolutely perfect for it, too. The sun was out and shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky. Too warm for a coat for me, so I skiid in a (non-water-repellent) pullover. Fortunately I managed to stay dry!
All too soon, it was time to leave the slopes and return to our lodge and get ready for the evening. The resort was alleged to have a truly magnificent fireworks display for New Year's Eve, as well as some excellent live music out on the snow.
it did not disappoint, in the end. While Jen and Elena went to get champagne and wine for later, Gareth and I relaxed at a restaurant, sipping coffee and hot chocolate and enjoying the music and the crowd. At first we thought we'd missed the fireworks, but as we trudged back to the bus stop to return to the other side of the resort, we heard the tremendous booms of fireworks. Rushing back uphill to find a better vantage point, we got to watch one of the absolute best fireworks displays I've ever seen. They were enormous as well as extraordinary close, perhaps only a couple hundred feet over the resort rooftop. As a family, we sat and watched together.
What a wonderful way to end the year: Enjoying the snow and music and fireworks with the people that matter most.
