My Life's Journey: Family traditions

Me and the girls at the Waffle Cabin (Okemo Mountain).

For the 3rd year in a row, the Kwon-Cho, Pak-Kim and Woo-Kyung families rented a house in VT to enjoy a few days of skiing and fun. When Ebi was just 2.5 years old the first time we took the girls skiing, I didn't ski. Lauren did her private lessons while I stayed with E and basically played with her in the snow. She had her full gear - boots, skis, helmet, etc. but I felt it was too early for lessons. That year, I pushed her up a teeny tiny hill myself and she slid down cautiously.

Last year, Elizabeth received her first set of lessons and did pretty well. Still, she struggled to make it through the full hour of instruction, magic carpets and pizzas. This ski season was completely different. When we took Elizabeth out on the mountain in December at Mountain Creek, she willingly went with her instructor and easily made it through the hour lesson time. My goodness...she even looked like she was having fun! Though she took the lift with her instructor, she didn't have the confidence to take it with us. Fast forward two months, and again, it was a totally different experience than the last. This year, we tried Okemo for the first time. Elizabeth had two days of excellent instruction and on both days, she took the lift with us! I had a moment on the lift where I looked at both my big girls and thought to myself how much they have grown. Our family of four was on the same lift skiing together. It brought me so much joy. Here are three videos of Elizabeth skiing - lesson, lift with Tae and cruising.

Speaking of how much they have grown...on the last night, both Lauren and Elizabeth even slept in the bunk room with Katie, Matthew and Gavin. Lauren wanted to sleep in the top bunk so badly that she was working really hard the first two nights to prove to me that she was ready. Elizabeth of course wanted to stay with Lauren. About an hour after tucking them in, I went downstairs to check up on them. Lauren was in deep sleep snoring softly :-) and my Elizabeth was also in deep sleep with her lovies. They were such good girls on this trip. I was very proud of them.

One more point of reflection...Lucie, Chris and I - as mothers - are the heart of our families. We, like every mother, want the best for our children. We make sure they are warm, have full bellies and smiles on their faces. For me, I know and truly appreciate the fact that life is made up of small moments here and there. This annual ski trip has become one of those cherished moments. I am so grateful for my family and friends always, but especially coming off this trip to Okemo, I wanted to recall specifically how much Lu and Chris are such an important part of this journey that is life.