Snow Day in Kyrgyzstan

Mountains. Snow. Fresh Air. Skiing.

These people know the way to my heart.

I didn't even mention the scrumptious, healthy, sugar-free, CHOCOLATE smoothies!!! 

We spent the day checking out the local ski and tubing hills then found a spot for some more sledding and a picnic. What a day! Sitting in snow overlooking pistachio trees, a small village, and some of the most rugged mountains I have ever seen. 

This crew? I used to stay at their house a week at a time growing up. I'd find any excuse possible to baby-sit the kiddos, we don't have to discuss how many years back. Now they're like family. Playing card games proves it. Tonight I was informed, "First time players win because we're nicer to them." Fifteen minutes later I was creamed. Ohhh the LOVE!

We've done some reminiscing. I mean, we're all from IOWA. Now they're in K-stan; I'm in China. That's not exactly normal for us midwesterners, but it's our new normal and we're all pretty okay with with that!

They've visited me every place I've lived: Chicago, Wyoming, Colorado. Now I've had the pleasure of meeting up with them in Istanbul before hanging out in their new Central Asian digs. That's just cool, ya know?

Adding to the "cool" factor? This week was the four year anniversary of the ski accident. I spent well over a month recovering at their home. They experienced some of the worst of it with me: sleepless nights, painful spasms, unending ice packs, help to the bathroom, pushing my wheelchair or finding my walker that the little ones had ran off with.

All while providing unceasing entertainment in forms of laundry folding, homeschooling, book reading, card game playing, and the beginning of a strong coffee addiction!

To say it was a special day being able to ski and sled with my peeps...well, that would be a vast understatement. 

To say skiing with a piece of wood attached to a metal hook tied around our wastes was anything short of terrifying would also be a vast understatement.

It's for the pulley system thingy. I'm super technical with my terminology. 

The best was when the rope flew off our waste halfway down the hill. I may hire a sherpa for the metal object next time.

Notice her form in preparation for unhooking the metal hook thingy before it went flying into the electric swivel turning thingamabob. She's a pro.

Yes, we tried skiing down the hill with the ropes around our necks at first. 

The terror factor wore me out in a whopping two runs! I opted to just take in the views....

....and did a different sort of crashing.

Thankfully, I had some company!

The only one missing out of the crew was this lovely farmer lady. She's back in Iowa doing her thing: businesswoman cattle farmer extraordinaire.