Ski break 2010

So one year ago I was in a car accident on the way to germany where we were supposed to go Boarding with some students and my arm ended up looking like this after a surgery that involved a plate and 6 screws.

SO this year we decided to give it another try-why not?! BUT instead of driving we flew:) Our flight ended up getting cancelled and then delayed so we sat in the airport for 7 hours-fun times! At least I had packed some games in my carry-on so we played lots of uno, nerts, banana-grams and solitaire. But we got there safely in the end!

So there's something you should know about me- I have only been skiing once-and that ended with me doing a full flip in the air-NOT on purpose! so this was going to be an adventure to be sure. Nathan-our snowboarder in residence(in the white jacket) promised me he would be patient with me. So we went up the first gondola where you put your board on the outside. then Nathan shows me how to strap the board on one foot and we get on the second gondola-the kind where it is open and you have to board off-problem was-they all got on the one in front of me and i was by myself. The thoughts running through my head included- "I am going to die, how do i get off this thing?, what if I can't get off and they have to stop the whole thing?, i wish these other people on here with me spoke english!" So sure enough we get to the top and I fall off and have to duck in order that the chair does not knock me out(thank goodness for helmets) and I crawl over to where the others are cracking up! Nathan then shows me how to strap my other leg into this death machine called a snowboard and I look down the hill. (this is a picture from the bottom)

Now the thoughts running through my head come out my mouth as I ask Nathan if this was really the easiest hill he could have taken me to learn on? of course he answers, "no" and I'm like- then why am I staring down an ice covered cliff? could he not have taken me to the bunny slopes to start with. I guess that what you get when you let a 17 year old guy teach you snowboarding! needless to say it was an interesting journey down and was followed by me going and getting a proper lesson(with me and all the 8 year olds!)

So I boarded for 1 1/2 days and decided that my butt and knees could take it no longer! Really I do not think anyone over the age of 25 should take up snowboarding. But the hot tub was a nice reward after all my hard work:)

I also got my fill of games and was able to shock and awe everyone with my ability to play Buzzword-being old does have it's advantages sometimes:)!

All in all a much more enjoyable trip than last years! and to top it all off- while I was in Germany I got an email from one of my favorite people-Fiona- telling me Kelly Clarkson was coming to Brussles on Sunday night. Now I have NO musical talent and am truly not obsessed with music but I AM obsessed with American Idol and so fell in love with Kelly about 7 years ago(or however long Idol has been on) As a matter of fact I have only been to 3 "real" concerts and they have all involved Kelly:) so of course I jumped on that-thinking- what girl doesn't want to rock out to some female angst?!!

Me, Fi, and Megan at the concert-

funny thing happened when we were there-we got there for the last song of the warm up act and when the lights came up we looked around and saw a seating section in the back(most of the hall was standing room) and Fiona says-look at the losers sitting. And of course I was in TOTAL agreement(I mean you need to be able to rock out to Kelly Clarkson) and I look in the front row and I see Lizzy-one of my awesome YoungLife girls! so of course I SCREAM her name before I have a chance to think I might be embarassing my British friends- oh well-it was fun to see her:) Anyway-Here's Kelly "Doin' her Thang" and you can't see it but we were jumping around with the best of them!!