Beaver Mountain

For Kaiden's 13th birthday, Robb and I decided to take our boys skiing for the first time. We went and stayed in my parents' condo in Bear Lake overnight and got up the next day to go skiing at Beaver Mountain. The night before skiing, my twins were VERY worried. They kept asking a lot of questions concerning injuries and accidents (my children are very cautious). At one point, Cooper said, "What if we hit into a tree with our heads and die or become paralyzed?" I couldn't believe it. My children are What About Bob. I reassured them that everything was going to be fine. A tree was the LAST thing they needed to worry about. So...we got up and headed to Beaver Mountain.

Here we are with all our gear....ready to go. Robb and I decided the best idea would be to pay a couple of ski instructors to spend the first part of the day with the boys teaching them the fundamentals of skiing. Can I just say that was the best money we have ever spent? Here's Kaiden, Cooper and Connor with their ski instructor. He's teaching them the basics....pizza (snowplow) and french fries (parallel). I don't know about you, but I was hungry just listening to him talk.

And Cannon got an AWESOME ski instructor all to himself. At the end of the lesson, he was going down the slope with no problem. It was so fun to watch. After the lessons were over, Robb and I looked at each other because we couldn't believe how PERFECT the day was going. The weather was nice, the boys were picking it up, and they were loving it! We couldn't get them in to eat lunch. Finally, after some coaxing, they inhaled their sandwiches an wanted to go on one more run. So, for the last run of the day, Cooper, Connor and I went together. As we were making our way down the trail, there was a grove of trees of to the right. Before I knew what what happening, Connor said, "Watch Mom," and he disappeared into the trees. I screamed, "Don't go down there," but it was too late. Next thing I knew, Connor had lost all control and ran head first HARD right into a tree. I COULDN'T FREAKING BELIEVE IT!

Cooper automatically started crying hysterically and I rushed to Connor. When I got to him, he was in total shock. He kept saying, "I feel so weird, Mom. I can't feel my body." I thought for sure that he was paralyzed. I turned to Cooper (who was sobbing) and told him to ride down to the lodge and get Dad. I put my body on top of Connor so he wouldn't move because I didn't know if he had broken his neck. He was in total shock and was freaking out. Luckily, the accident happened close to a lift and several people started screaming for ski patrol, so I just laid there on top of Connor till they got there.

Ski patrol was awesome. After they pried me off of him, they checked him out. As they were examining him, I couldn't believe that he actually hit into a tree. It was the LAST thing I thought would ever happen. I know it's sick and twisted, but I had to take a picture of him, so here's Connor as ski patrol was examining him:

And here's ski patrol getting the tabbogan ready to take him to the medic place. (I have always been fascinated with the tabbogan and always wondered who had to actually had to ride in those things. Well, I can now check that off my list....MY SON HAS!)

Once they got him to the medic room, they determined that he had not hit his head, but his chest showed some trauma, so they put him in our car and we drove right to the ER. A few hours and X-Rays later, we found out that Connor kissed that tree hard enough to break his collarbone right where it connects to the sternum. I guess that is one of the worst places to break a collarbone. He was quite a bit of pain and had to sleep sitting up for a week, but I have been amazed at how quickly he has healed. I am also SO VERY VERY THANKFUL that his injuries weren't more serious.

Connor has been awesome about it as well. He never really complained and is already asking to go skiing again. I have to end this incredibly long post with the awesome bruise that came with the break. We tell him how awesome he is because his bruise looks like the symbol on Batman's chest. Pretty freaking sweet.