Living life out of the zone

Yesterday was an amazing day. Around here, we typically spend our Sundays skiing the local hill, paying homage to the beauty that surrounds us. And yes, we pick Sundays so we can get on the hill before the church crowd can get out of services. :-)

My family loves to get outside, no matter what time of year. Of course, I prefer the warm, sunny, sandy beaches the most, but it ain't happening where I live. (For those that don't know, I live in a landlocked state. I'm still not quite sure how that happened.) A few years ago, my husband learned how to snowboard. I was supposed to learn that year with him, but instead was spending my time hooked up to iv's and trying not to puke.

About 3 years ago, the kids and I learned how to ski. I had previously taken lessons and tried to learn boarding, but since I'm not one to risk life and limb, I decided that wasn't my sport. Hubby says I was *thisclose* but... whatever. I still wanted to be able to do something together as a family, however, so I took up skiing. Hey, if an 80 year old can learn to ski, I should be able to. Right? Let's just say, my kids can smoke me on the mountain.

I'm happy to report that after 3 seasons, I have made it to the point where I can go down a normal hill and not feel like I'm about to die. I mean, do any of you realize how steep some of those runs look to a newbie? Yikes! I took the quad lift up, which is the easiest to get off, thank you very much. I made my turns with a bunch of snowplows thrown in for good measure. And I did it 3 more times. Without killing myself. Or falling on my face. (Well, I did fall on my face. But that was so 2 runs ago! Yeesh!)

I'm so very thankful to my cousin, who is pretty much a pro snowboarder. He did give me some advice, but the reason I'm so thankful is that he didn't laugh when I lost a ski in a fall. He didn't mock me when I must have looked like an idiot all scrunched over trying not to bite it. He even stayed with us all when I was the one holding us back. Technically, he's my cousin by marriage. But in my heart, he's family, and I want to publicly thank my "real" cousin for marrying him. :-)

I don't quite know what the point of this post is. I guess it's a reminder that you're never too old to learn new things. Learning to ski was something completely out of my comfort zone. But these days, my zone is expanded. I've discovered there's really no harm in trying something new. If it sticks, great. If it doesn't work out, I haven't lost anything. Even the time spent doing it has not been a waste, as I always learn something from it. I love the feeling of living. And that means taking risks. Measured, thoughtful risks, but risks nonetheless.

What have you done outside your zone? Let me know in the comments. I love hearing about other people's victories.

Family visits ARE fun!

My husband and I moved away from all our family about 12 years ago. At the time, it was solely to follow a job (for him) and, we figured, after he got some experience, we'd come "home." 12 years later, we both agree that moving away was one of the best decisions we've ever made. He and I became closer as a couple, were more confident in our parenting abilities without constant "advice" from my 2 MIL's, and have a much better quality of life due to the cost of living differences.

That said, we love having company! None of my husband's family visits much, so when his stepsister decided to bring her family over for the weekend, we were thrilled! Her kids are around our kids' ages, and we adults get along smashingly. Between floating the river, swimming in our community pool, and zoo visits, we got those kiddos good and worn out. The adults even got to stay up late and drink beer, without interruption!

Could those kids be any cuter?!

There were, of course, a few incidents between kiddos to handle from time to time. Thankfully, no blood was shed, and no feelings truly hurt. So, all in all, I'd consider that a good visit. :-)

I guess my thoughts today, reflecting on our visit, are that family is nice to have around, if only in small bursts. I try hard not to worry too much about those in the family who are a bit toxic to me and my family. (Yes, we have some toxic relatives, don't you?) I try equally hard to nourish the relationships with those who bring me and my family joy. It's not something I would have spent much time thinking about before cancer, but now I really focus on starving the bad and feeding the good in my life.

And yes, that even goes for family.