Ski Day 2019

A year ago in January, Ryan and his friend Shawn went skiing at a place down in southern Indiana called Perfect North Slopes. (You can read about that here if you need a Monday throwback.) They decided it was so much fun that they should make this an annual outing. 

Because of Ryan's mom's health, we haven't really felt comfortable making plans for adventures, so the guys didn't end up scheduling a ski trip this year. But a couple of weeks ago, Ryan dared to wonder if the ONE free Saturday we had in February might just happen to work out for Shawn, so he asked. He didn't expect it to work, but it did! So they tentatively planned a trip, understanding they might need to cancel at the last minute. But when this past Saturday arrived, the weather was amazing, everyone was healthy, and the trip was ON!

We got up crazy early, Shawn arrived at our house, and we headed out...to Starbucks. Gotta have a good start, right?

I look so awake there, don't I?

I wasn't.

Ryan was so good to me (because he knew I was going to do day-in-a-ski-lodge-with-a-million-youth-groups, round two) so before we ever set foot on Perfect North's property, he took me to the donut shop. 

THEN it was time to ski. Because it was such a great day, this place was packed. It was even busier than it had been last year (if that is even possible).

You may or may not remember this, but my day in the lodge last year gave me a myriad of germs that ended up leaving me with a disastrous cold, pink eye, and all sorts of other winter fun. Because I was determined to NOT repeat that, I told Ryan we needed to show our respective ski gear:

Ha! I did not wear my mask and gloves all day, but its possible I'll come to regret that. 

The guys headed out to start their 8 hour day, and I hunkered down inside the lodge to read, write, and people-watch. (Yes, Ryan is wearing a really old Colts jersey. Last year he wore his black coat and black hat, and I couldn't find him on the slopes for pictures. He hoped the brightness of the jersey would help me find him, and it worked!)

They had a fun morning skiing! 

They came in for a late lunch and to give me a bathroom break.

Then they went back for more fun, and Ryan even conquered Center Stage. He tried it last year but couldn't bring himself to do it. This year he did it THREE TIMES. I was so proud of him!

Having fun!

I did really well in the lodge until about the last hour. I was able to stay really occupied, but eventually I couldn't focus anymore, and the chaos behind me was just too much. 

But that was okay, because they were almost done!! SUCCESS!!

We called it a night, headed home, stopped at Skyline Chili again like we did last year, and got home about 10:30 that night. 

They're already planning next year's trip. ;)