Archive for category Fun Videos

To celebrate Andrea’s birthday we took the whole Wilson clan to Brighton for skiing. This was Nicole, Jared, and Ellie’s first time to ski…they loved it. We put them in lessons for a couple of hours; by the end of the day they were doing really well, especially Jared, who was cruising down the slopes with Andrea in hot pursuit. Riley hadn’t gone since she was 6-years old; she did really well, too.

Here are a few photos and videos memorializing the day:

Anticipation for a day of New Adventures

Jared can't Wait!

Jared & Ellie in their Ski Lesson at Brighton

A good chunk of the Wilson clan went sledding for a few hours on New Year’s; then to Uncle Matt & Aunt Shirlene’s house for lunch. It was a fun day. A highlight was when Nana was convinced to riding a sled with her grandson, Brady. Mom has never been too adventurous, so this really surprised me. Way to go Nana!

Unlike our normal yearly trip to the San Juan mountains of Western Colorado, for 2009 we decided to explore the ATV trails of Utah. After hours of deliberation and research we selected the Duck Creek area of the Dixie National forest in Southern Utah, East of Cedar City. We really didn’t know what to expect. We had driven through Duck Creek once several years ago, but neither Andrea or I could recall details.

Well, let’s just say that we made a great decision, and had a fabulous time. We rented a large cabin whose property touched the Dixie National forest. We arrived on a Sunday evening, unloaded, took everything into the cabin, and hit the trails for a quick exploration. What we discovered immediately is that this is a very picturesque area. Elevation is about 9,500 feet with 100-feet-plus Ponderosa Pines (that smell of vanilla), huge stands of Aspens, meandering creeks,  occasional hoodoos, and gently rolling meadows, our eyes were the recipients of a visual smorgasbord.

As always the kids really enjoyed riding our ATVs. Unlike our trips to Colorado, because we didn’t have to trailer our ATVs daily, we rode a lot more, and the kids got to drive a lot more. Below is one of the river crossing they really loved.

Duck Creek Property

Duck Creek Cabin

We had a great week, loved the cabin we stayed in, fished, hiked Bryce Canyon, and rode about 200 miles. For more pictures and details of our trip, visit Andrea’s blog.

Ellie started saying this cute little line and we couldn’t figure out what it was, and then all of a sudden we got it…”I am the Dread Pirate Roberts and I’ve come for your soul!” One of the best lines from one of the funniest movies ever made: “Princess Bride.” We still can’t recall when she saw the movie…hum.