Santa left me a quad strain on Christmas

December 25th, 2018 was a beautiful and sunny Tuesday in Austria.  The team slept in until around 9:30 excited from a night of excellent food and quality time with Father Christmas.

I was up just a little before everyone in my combination of rooms.  I peeled out between the curtains to see the sun kissing the snow on the Alps.  As I sat there thinking about how lucky we were to have such a fine day, I stopped myself.  What I thought of was not how lucky I/we are.  I thought about how blessed we are to share the gift of love with each other.  Family and friends near and far share their love with us everyday in big and small ways.  Many times without a thank you or the expectation of a thank you.  On this day we have been shown that the most important gift is love.  Given to us in the form of a baby.  We can share that love in big and small ways everyday and I am blessed to have friends and family that do it to/for me everyday.  Merry Christmas.

After our late breakfast, we divided and conquered. TB, EB,KA and SA head out for a morning ski.  Sophie was on her way as well when she had a wardrobe malfunction and returned to the lodge for different ski boots.  Gracie and Abby worked on their turns with Shaka there ski instructor.  Eventually Kari, Lara, Sophie and Ashley all met up to ski and meet our ski team for lunch.  The sun was out and the snow was good.

Merry Christmas Fools!!!!!

Sophie, Kari, Ashley and Lara

The Alps

Ashley and Sophie in the Gondola 

Out on the North Side

This crew went a little farther out

These two found time for a photo shoot

The Butner girls

Looking up at the hill.  You haven’t killed me yet.  So far it is just a flesh wound.

A chaotic lunch

Grace is focused

This may be one of the 5 best Cokes I have ever had

In the afternoon, Grace and TB hit the spa 

We skied this!!

These girls dominate the Austrian Alps on Christmas Day.

Kari and Ashley still smiling before the bumps.  Not so much after but right now all wine and roses

We did fit in some family pool and hot tub time.

A present from Abby!!!!! Yeah baby!!!!!

Tenderly cooked Australian salmon

Desert chocolate with banana and a coconut sorbet 

Not a bad way to end the night.

Christmas is about God’s love and the gifts he shares with us.  I certainly fill all the categories: family, friends, activity, the beauty of nature and the unconditional love of my quad muscle that brought me home safe.