Thanksgiving with an extra Helping of Thanks

Branson had the entire week of thanksgiving off from work so we thought it would be fun to spend it up at his parents condo and we convinced the rest of the family to come too.

We got all packed and ready to go on Monday and left the house at about 2pm. We met his parents up in Kaysville and followed them in their truck. It was lightly snowing and we were excited to get our vacation started.

The Condo is up right at Powder Mtn ski resort and is pretty much at the top of the mountain. The roads were great until we started up the canyon right at the base of Powder. Then it was turning into a lot of slush on the road. We wanted to turn around but there was no room in the narrow canyon. Our little car started slipping and we were getting nervous. His parents big truck had no problems so they went ahead to the condo.

We made it to lower Powder Mtn ski resort and pulled into the parking lot which already had several inches of snow and decided to wait for his parents to come pick us up. After a few minutes we decided to try and make it up the rest of the way. We made it up to our turn off and then started on the dirt road that led to the condo. We didn't make it far when it was too slick to go any further. So we turned around and waited again. By now it was dark and the few inches had increased to about half of a foot of snow.

About twenty minutes later Branson's Dad came with their big truck but we had to figure out what to do with our car. We couldn't just park it on the side of the road or the plows would get it. After much deliberation and turning around of the car we decided to take it all the way down and park at the base of the mountain. We started sliding and just parked it at the lower parking of Powder.

We were so glad all that scary driving was done. We quickly moved all our stuff to the back of the truck and hopped in. The snow was about a foot deep by now. Karl started the truck and we started sliding. So we left the kids in the back seat, unseat belted and with Caden (5) holding Lana (1 1/2) and got out to push.

Pushing a giant truck is not the easiest thing ever and it just wanted to slide over the top of us. I was getting pretty nervous. Pushing wasn't helping so Karl just went for it and floored it. The truck slid about twenty feet sideways down the parking lot and was heading for the ravine. I have NEVER been so terrified in my life. My babies were sliding down a mountain unseat belted. I started freaking and was screaming a prayer, Please Heavenly Father, Please. After a few seconds the wheels caught and the truck spun onto the road and stopped going the right way.

We rushed into the truck and seated belted everyone. We got up the main road fine and started up the dirt road. This road is a little over a mile long and on one side is the mountain and on the other a cliff that goes down several thousand feet. The truck started sliding again, towards the cliff. After two tries I begged my father in law to let me get out with my babies. I stood a few hundred feet ahead of the truck with the kids in the blizzard while Brans and his little brother pushed the truck into the side of the mountain to park it for the night.

At this point it was 7 pm, dark, deserted, there was about a foot of snow on the ground and it was still coming down fast. We had no cell service at all, so our only choice was to hike up to the condo. We all had tennis shoes and coats but no gloves or hats and Lana was only wearing a hoodie. We wrapped an extra jacket around Brecken and two blankets around Lana and started off.

I know Heavenly Father was with us that whole walk. It was about 17 degrees out and I wasn't cold. Also, the kids never complained or whined even when Lana was laying down with the snow on her face. We took turns carrying Lana and Brecken. Caden walked the entire way. Luckily the condos had a bright light to lead our way. I kept thinking of how people get stuck in the mountains over night and freeze to death. We just kept walking and didn't stop. It took us about 45 minutes but we made with no harm done. Grandma had a warm dinner and hot cocoa waiting for us.

I have never feared for the lives of my children before. I was so thankful to make it safely there that all I wanted to do was drop to my knees and thank a watchful and loving Father. After a few minutes we did just that. We slept that night in just our clothes since all of our belongings were in the back of the truck but we didn't mind one bit we were so happy to be warm and safe.

So, on my list of things to be thankful for this thanksgiving were the normal things: food, family, the gospel, our savior, a good job- but at the top of the list was BEING ALIVE and a Heavenly Father that hears and answers prayers. It also made me think about the pioneers and wonder how they possibly could have made it trekking through all the snow.