First Snow
The first snow of the year is something that winter sports athletes receive with joy. It is a palpable reminder that what they practice so hard for is just around the corner.
In a ski town like Salt Lake, you can almost hear the muted howls of joy drifting down from the mountaintops. Or is that the sound of dogs rolling around in city parks?
But this is the mountain west, not the east, and snow does not stay very long. It left quickly enough for a few pictures of my visiting brother and RZ outside.
If RZ were a perfect genetic copy of me, I am not sure she would create as much emotion as the fact that I see every member of my family in her face.
Her coloring, however, is certainly Jessica’s, as are the feet. Her personality is entirely her own, and that oddly adds to the appeal.
My very wise friend Susan, battle-tested mom of 2, just wrote to me;
And no beating yourself up with guilt about going to skate or on a ride or just for a 15 minute drive alone in the car to nowhere.
Like the flight attendant says: put on your own oxygen mask first.
Thanks Susan, I needed that, and sleep, I could use that too. But all good things will come in their own time.
Besides, if I am already awake at 5am, it makes short track practice so much easier to get to.
Filed under: from home
Thats the spirit!!
Ho-ho! The banner at the top changed! Where’d your lightning-blue boots go?
Did you order RZ a set of custom boots yet from Bruce?
Ahhh, I can hear the whooping and hollerin’ about having a snow day from here! …Or maybe it’s just coming from here.
Ski towns are the only places in the country - possibly in the entire world, who actually have “Pray for Snow” parties - and MEAN IT!!! Which causes city folk to scratch their heads incredulously and wonder if we’ve all collectively lost our marbles.
(In all fairness however, by March, we’re all having “Oh Please God, let it END! Parties.) LOL
As for feeling guilty about taking ‘me’ time, - don’t. And little RZ will be all the better for it. As my brother said about having his kids “Just continue doing what you do, get the kids into it at an early age, and they’ll go along with it”. As a result, young-un’s were thrown into little kidlet backpacks and taken for a hike or into the back of an attached rolling bike trailer and taken for a ride, for which they were all happy as clams. When they were finally old enough to get around on their own steam, they were already ‘with the program’. As a result, my nieces and nephews have nothing but happy memories of visiting “Aunt Shell”, and still love coming here to this day. Auntie is certainly touched to be a part of memories that give them the warm fuzzies.
The family that plays together - stays together!
Looks like RZ got the dark hair
Yes she does have her mom’s Italian coloring.
But I think the face is pure Love/Snow family (snow is my mom’s maiden name).. Lets see what she looks like as she grows up..
and hey Brian, give her a few years to grow, then I promise she will have only the best gear!!!
no matter if it’s skates, or her interests lie elsewhere… the most important thing my parents did for me was encourage & support my dreams. I can only hope to return the favor as best I can
so you know how to get her interested in skating. Take her to the rink to see kids having fun and also take her with you when u go to the rink. Keep telling her that NO she can’t skate and then she’ll want to skate.
I heard Johnny Miller (golfer) do this with his kids to get them interested in golf…..the old reverse psychology. Keep telling her NO then eventually when she does skate she’ll love it. It was a funny story by my hero, Utah resident and NBC analyst.
No honey, you cannot go to college, no you cannot be a lawyer or a doctor or a veterinarian. No sweetie, you cannot travel the world. You could never be president. And no my dear, there’s no way you can compete in the Olympics.