Co-op Cabin Snow Trip

 As I've said before (and I'm sure I'll say again), WE LOVE OUR CO-OP!  For years when I started homeschooling, I didn't do anything "extra".  It seemed all I could do to just get up in the morning with tiny kids and figure out a way to entertain and teach them all (not to mention all of the other household duties that needed to be done).  

By the time school was done for the day, I was spent!  It didn't leave any extra time for socializing or getting together.  Fast forward a few years when a friend from my ward stopped me in my tracks.  There was a homeschool mom retreat and she asked if I was going.  When I told her I hadn't planned on it she said, "You know, the homeschool community is just as much for the moms as it is for the kids."

She, of course, was right.  I was trying to do it all.  Be it all and not ask for any help in the process.  It wasn't just hurting the kids, it was also hurting me by not allowing someone else to share the load.  

The good news is I DID go to that homeschool mom retreat and when I walked in, I realized I had met my people.  From then on, they've been a huge part of our lives!  Our friendships have blessed our families a hundredfold!  We see them not just as friends, but truly as extended family. 

This month one of our dear friends in our co-op reached out and asked if we'd all like to spend a weekend at her in-law's cabin in Brianhead.  We packed up the kids, donned them in all of the winter gear we could scrounge up, and went to play together in the snow.  

We played in the snow, had a short lesson on winter survival, and then went in for yummy soups and chili to warm our bodies.  That afternoon we traveled over to the Brianhead ski lodge and rented out the sledding hill for a few hours.  It was so fun to watch the kids (and parents!) zoom down the mountain in a fit of giggles.  

After an afternoon in the cold tubing, we ended with a huge meal and laughed into the night playing board games, playing guitar, and just laughing with our best friends.  

These friendships are so special to me.  I'm grateful to the friend that pointed out just how much we needed each other.  To her, I will be forever grateful.  I've learned that it takes the village to not only raise the child but also to support the mother.