Winter Park Day 4

Always on the Lift
A Fuzzy Family Picture
Morgan & Mikayla (holding mine & Kirk's boards)
Morgan & Mikayla Going Tubing
The Icicle on Our Balcony

The very last day was the nicest one outside. It was warm (about 30 degrees) and the sun was out...great boarding weather. Morgan went to her last day or lessons and Kirk and I went back out on the mountain. This time we decided to go up to the Mary Jane and board all the way down to the Village. We lost each other on the way though. I made the turn and Kirk didn't. Morgan made it into Level 4 of lessons and was doing all sorts of tricks and things I couldn't do. I think I need more lessons. That night we took Mo and her friend to Fraser where they have this hill you can tube down. It was pretty cool and the girls seemed to have fun. The next day (Sunday) we packed up and headed back to Denver for our flight home. Morgan had school the next day and Kirk and I had work. We had a great time and can't wait to go again. Hopefully next time we'll be able to take Julian, too. He couldn't go with us this year because he had school.

Winter Park Day 3

Look at those pants!
Heading back out after lunch
Like a Pro
Even Better than a Pro

The Colorado Mountains
A View of the Village
Our Hotel
Morgan & Mikayla

On the 3rd day, we awoke to about a foot of fresh powder as it had snowed the entire night. The wind had also picked up, which made it very hard to go down the mountain at times. At one point, I actually had to stop and sit down because I couldn't see a thing going down one of the slopes. Morgan continued in snowboard lessons and also met a friend the day before who went to dinner with us that night. By this point, Mo was getting to be better at riding than I was.

Winter Park Day 2

Morgan and her Class
Again on the Lift
A view from the lift

The second day Morgan went back to snowboarding school and Kirk and I hit the slopes together. Unfortunately, Kirk started getting sick and that lasted all week...we think he the flu but somehow braved the cold to ride everyday. And speaking of cold, it was again freezing this day and snowing even worse than the day before. The fresh powder made it a little harder to board in since our boards aren't designed to go through high powder. We still had fun though, even if we were frozen.

Winter Park Day 1

Listening Intently to my Instructor
Morgan's Exhausted
Kirk & Mo on the Lift
Taking a Picture of Me on the Lift

We opted out of Mardi Gras this year and instead headed where the rest of the locals were heading...to the slopes. We left Mardi Gras morning and after a flight to Denver and a drive through the mountains, we made it to Winter Park. The weather was a little different than what we were used to. It was almost in the 80s in New Orleans and in Winter Park, it was 3 degrees and snowing. Our first morning, Morgan started snowboard lessons and I decided to take a quick half-day lesson to refresh myself. It was so cold out there and again, snowing.

Endymion Extravaganza 2008

Me & Mal after a day of hair & makeup
Driving Mal's Green Bug
Hey!
Gavin, My Bartender
Me, Sherry & Mal
Sisters, Sisters
Eric & Mal
2 Drunk Idiots (aka Kirk & Gary)
Having Fun (wearing part of Kirk's costume on my head)

Self-Portrait
Are you walkin' or workin'?
Gary's Family (and Kirk)
Kirk & Steve

Saturday, February 2nd was the big day...the Endymion Parade!!! Kirk left early to go to the Superdome for pre-parade things and I headed to Mallory's so that we could get hair & makeup done and run a few errands before the Extravaganza. We had lots of fun, even though it took us forever to get to the Dome and then carry ice chests and food in. Sherry and Gavin joined us, too, and we had a table with Gary and his two sisters. The Dome was packed and the Chee Weez were on stage when we got there. As soon as they were done, the parade started rolling into the Dome. It was so crazy trying to catch beads and things in there but we left with lots of stuff. Needless to say, Kirk, Gary and Steve were three sheets to the wind by the time they got off the float.

Endymion Beans & Jeans Party

Kevin Costner
The Go-Gos

On Friday, February 1st, Endymion has a pre-parade party at the Superdome for the members called Beans & Jeans, and the title really says what it is...wear jeans and eat red beans. They also have bands throughout the night and then the celebrities come in and get on stage. This year's Grand Marshall was Kevin Costner and one of the musical guests was the Go-Gos.

Family Gras 2008

Mitchel Musso from Hannah Montana
Only a small fraction of the crowd
Billy Ray (in the hat)

During the 1st weekend of Mardi Gras, there was a concert series and I was able to get some VIP Tent passes to it. On Sunday the 27th, Mitchel Musso from Hannah Montana and Billy Ray Cyrus were performing (yeah, I didn't know Mitchel Musso sang either). Well since Miley had her concertg the night before, everyone expected to see her that day, especially when her dad was on stage. Unfortunately, she didn't show up and it was probably because she got sick at her own concert the night before. Well, Gavin, Sherry, lil Gav, Mallory and Eric joined us for the day and we were all a little upset Hannah wasn't there.

Hannah Montana

Hannah's Tour Bus
Morgan & Gavin ready to go to the concert
Hannah Montana On Stage (she's the one w/ the swinging blonde hair)
Hannah Still Singing
Me & Mo having fun
Billy Ray Joins Miley for an Encore
Morgan & Gavin by the bus
Cute Picture of Morgan & Gavin Talking

One of Morgan's Christmas presents was tickets to the Hannah Montana concert, so on January 26th we packed up and headed to the Arena for the concert. Sherry and Gavin had seats with us so we all went together. There were TONS of girls there, some older than Morgan and some younger. Everlife opened up for Hannah, but luckily (or unluckily) I was standing in a line for an hour trying to get Morgan a t-shirt. When I finally got to my seat it was time for Hannah. It was actually a really good concert. She did the first half as Hannah and then went backstage and came back out as Miley. For the encore, Billy Ray joined Miley onstage to sing their song together. At one point in the concert though, Miley got sick and had to run backstage. She came back on and finished the concert. Anyway, it was a really fun night for me and Morgan.

Endymion Coronation Ball

Me & the Endymion Mascot

Gary and Lisa
Rhonda (Gary's Sister) & Steve
Displaying my artwork
St. Aug Marching into the Ballroom
Don't ask me what that is on Kirk's face

OK, so I've been a bit of a slacker in posting (as usual). In January, Kirk and I went to the Coronation Ball for the Krewe of Endymion, since Kirk was riding this year. I admit, I thought it was going to be one of those stuffy balls where you have to watch this long, drawn out presentation, but it wasn't. They had different bands going on stage all night, plus there were face painters, caricature artists, people on stilts and more. The best part was the parade that went right through the ballroom complete with small floats, the St. Aug Marching 100 and the St. Mary's Academy band. It was pretty cool.