Skiing Is Easy For Figure Skaters

The first time I went skiing, I was twenty years old. I signed up for a set of group lessons at The Broadmoor Ski School.

The instructor showed us a bit about how to maneuver around on skis, and then told us a bit about how to get off and on the ski lift. She told the class to wait for her when we got to the top. I didn't hear those words....

When I got to the top of the mountain, I immediately skied down without any instruction! It was so much fun. All my years of ice skating immediately crossed over into skiing! There was "nothing to it!"

Joel, Rebekah, and Annabelle learned how to ice and roller skate as soon as they could walk, but they also learned how to ski at about the same time. Every weekend, we took a day trip to the mountains to play in the snow and ski.

Our family likes both cross-country skiing and downhill skiing.

Yesterday, we ended our Thanksgiving break with a wonderful day at the Breckenridge Nordic Center. We all "skated" in cross-country skate skis (except Dan who used snowshoes).

The best part was we stayed together and had a lot of fun enjoying the outdoors. When we go downhill skiing, Rebekah and Joel always take off since they ski faster than me and Annabelle and Dan does a snowshoe hike. This was really special! What a nice way to end the Thanksgiving weekend!

• Sports That Figure Skaters Might Be Good At
  

Annabelle and Joel - Pairs Competition 11-18-2011

Annabelle and Joel have qualified for Junior Nationals 2012! They will compete in Lansing, Michigan on December 13. Both kids are very excited that they've added so much content to their pair skating during the past year. Last year, they didn't do overhead extended lifts...this year, they are doing both a press lift and a fully extended loop lift. They also had single throws last year. This year, they are doing two double throws. The kids both love pair skating and that is what counts!

L'Chaim - To Life!

I'm sharing my kids' performance at the recent sectional ice skating event. I'm a very proud Jewish mother...

By the way, I just read about why we say "L'Chaim." We are thanking G-d for creating us and giving us life.

No matter what difficulty life brings, no matter how hard or painful or unfair life is, life is holy and worthy of celebration. Even the wine is sweet to remind us that life itself is a blessing.

May each one of us have the wisdom to bless our loved ones out loud and then to say to them: "L’chaim, to life!"

Conservatory Recital 11-14-2011

Due to the great partnership Mountain Vista Homeschool Academy has with the Colorado Springs Conservatory, my kids performed today.

They learned how to play the violin and guitar in only 5 weeks, and also sang and danced to Gershwin and George C. Cohan Broadway music! Very impressive!

Sababa's "Beauty of the World" - Definitely "Cool Jewish Music!"

The Jewish musical group, Sababa, came to Colorado Springs last spring. I fell in love with their music and bought both of their albums.

I wrote them and asked if I could put together a slide show to go with their song "Beauty of the World."

I am so excited about this video and song, that I MUST share it! Enjoy!

• "Beauty of the World" Video

Beauty of the World

Music & English Lyrics by: Sababa;
Hebrew Text: Traditional Blessing for rare beauty

Clouds lift, sun breaks through
A day of beauty, a gift from You
Mountains rise, wind calls my name
Each day renews creation - never quite the same
And I thank You for the
Beauty of the world

Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheynu
Melech Ha’olam
Shekacha lo, b’olamo (2x)

Sun sinks - darkness falls
As night descends, I hear You call
And I thank You for the Beauty of the world

Blessed are you, God, Creator of the Universe, Who has such beauty in the world.

"Beauty of the World"
©2010 Sababa (Steve Brodsky/Scott Leader/Robbi Sherwin)
www.SababaMusic.com
All rights reserved

More about Sababa and their "Cool Jewish Music" can be found at:
http://www.sababamusic.com/

Count Down to Midwestern Sectionals 2012

It's been a very "interesting" year as far as figure skating training goes. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we lost our ice dance coaches.

During the spring and summer, I made sure Rebekah and Joel passed the necessary tests to qualify and I paid for the kids to compete in the Midwestern sectionals even though I was uncertain who would coach them this season.

Thanks to the combined efforts of Ryan Jahnke, Erik Schulz, and Tiffany Hyden-Dombeck and the Colorado Springs Ice Dance Academy, (and with some help from Rachel Tibbetts and Collin Brubaker, Melissa Gregory & Denis Petukhov, Tanith Belbin, and Bruce Hurd) they've been able to somehow pull things together and they will compete in novice dance in less than two weeks at Mids in Fort Collins!

Annabelle and Joel have continued to improve at pairs and will also compete in sectionals. In preparation, they performed in Broadmoor Skating Club's Fire and Ice exhibition last Friday 11-4-2011 and skated a clean program. Coaches Dalilah Sappenfield, Larry Ibarra, John Coughlin, and Becky Bradley have done a terrific job with their training. Joel is so excited that they are doling press lifts and overhead loop lifts on the ice. Annabelle lands clean throw double jumps most of the time. Off the ice, the kids are doing star lifts and step-up lifts! It's been fun to see their progress.

Rebekah and Joel will perform their competition free dance in this Friday's Fire and Ice. Last year's Fiddler on the Roof free dance program (with an additional lift added) has come back to life!

Then...on to Sectionals!