Yesterday we took the kids up to the mountains for a little sledding. It was the baby's first time in the snow. He seemed to be okay with the idea as long as he was being held. Don't even think about trying to put him down though. Overall, everyone had fun...until we lost Lauren. She had already discovered a small river next to a snowbank and given me a heart attack in the process. She rounded out the day by disappearing when we were on our way to the car. One second she was there and the next she was just...gone. I retraced our steps expecting to find her right around the corner but she wasn't there. I began to call for her and asked if anyone had seen her but with no luck. I went up to the balcony and made a frantic visual search but still no luck. I looked over to see Doug standing at the corner of the building still without her and I panicked. I began to cry. I walked back down to the lift area and noticed that Doug was no longer standing there. I began to run over (as well as I could in snow boots and carrying a 1-year old). Thankfully, as I rounded the corner he had her in his arms. She was bawling and so was I. Apparently she went to the back side of the first-aid station and got stuck up to her waist in snow. She couldn't get out but didn't bother to call for help. Needless to say it scared me to death. Life comes at you so fast. I'm just thankful it all worked out. She was pretty funny when we got her back to the car though. She told me, "Mommy, tell Daddy that I NEVER want to come to this place again!" So much for our plans for a family day in the snow!!
