Germany-January 22, 2009

This was the day we had come for. We awoke around 8am with sunlight pouring through the blinds and an absolutely breathtaking view of the Alps before us. The sky was a bright sapphire blue and the sunlight set the snowy mountains a shimer.

There was only one problem. We hadn't reserved childcare for this day. We had reserved it for tomorrow. We hurriedly called the child development center to see if we had moved up on the waiting list. No luck. We called our friends the Hatch's who were staying at the hotel with us hoping to ski as well. Shawn Hatch offered to watch all of the kids while the three of us (Kevin, me, and his wife) skiied. Was he kidding??? I couldn't let him pass up an opportunity like this. We finally decided that the wives would ski first and then come back to take the kids while the men enjoyed the latter part of the day. Only one small hang-up. Kim Hatch wasn't ready to get out of bed yet. The men decided to go first and make the most of the day.

While they were out skiing (and they came back raving about the snow and the beautiful views), Weslee and I went to the pool and the hot tub. I felt like I was living in the lap of luxury. Here we were, sitting in a steaming hot tub, under a blazing blue sky, surrounded by breathtaking mountains covered in snow. I looked around and thought, "How many people get an opportunity like this?" I couldn't believe my many blessings, and I thanked God in my heart for them.

I was anxious when Kevin and Shawn arrived at the hotel. They were later than I expected and I had been nervously watching clouds roll in. I was going to ski, but I wanted pictures as well. I was hoping to get to the top while it was still clear. My wish came true. We got in a few good runs, but neither Kim or I are maniac skiiers. We do it for leisure, and we took our time. We stopped to rest every now and then, and enjoyed the views. During these moments, I took lots of pictures. Some of them I really like.

At the end of the day, all were exhausted. I was craving a burger, but the grill was closed. We hit the buffet instead. We ate until we felt like we were going to burst. It was a very good day.