Tag Archives: abattylife

Looking Up

Posted in Liz's Life by

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the many messages, comments and calls I received after my last blog post. It touched my heart to hear from so many of you about your own experiences and stories. Thank YOU for sharing with me. Knowing you’re not alone as you go through something difficult is sometimes the best thing to bring you through.

This past week I feel as though a weight has been lifted and life has gotten back to being good. Scratch that, great. I have so much to be thankful for and this week I really tried to slow down, notice and appreciate the joy in my life. Like…

Little girls who love their daddies.

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Watching your best friend get married to a great guy.

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Wine tasting outside in the summer air.

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Un-rushed mornings at the Zoo.

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No-filter-necessary flowers.

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Getting dolled up and feeling beautiful.

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This week seemed to be filled with many little reminders to enjoy life. I really believe in the signs the universe sends, and this week they all pointed ahead, telling me “things are getting better and the best is yet to come.”

Dear Lila: You’re Seven Months Old

Posted in Kids, Lila by

Dear Lila,

This week you turned seven months old. You have one tooth almost all the way in on the bottom and four (!!) coming in on the top. You are a little peanut at just 14 lbs 8 oz, but long at 27 inches.

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Lately you’ve been working really hard at crawling. You get up on your knees and hands and rock back and forth until you fall on your belly.

Two of your other favorite things to do lately are scratching and grabbing. All the time we hear your little nails scratching on whatever surface is near you. Unfortunately this also tends to be my skin, so I’ve been diligent about keeping your nails clipped. When I’m holding you, you often reach out your arm to grab whatever is near and sometimes far. This morning you tried to grab the ceiling fan.

I love watching you explore your world.

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You like eating and have tried a lot of food now. Every time you try a new food, you get a confused face with the first bite. But after a few more bites you usually love whatever we’ve given you. Yesterday it was carrots.

You love your independent play time. I set you on the floor with some of your “toys” and you’re content for an hour or so. Right now your favorite things to play with are just every day household objects like an old remote, plastic hanger and wooden spoon.

IMG_3694I try to get you outside to play at least once a day. It seems like the outdoors is your element. You love the wind hitting your face, feeling the grass and smiling at the people and dogs who pass us.

IMG_3747Just recently you started getting very sad when I’m not in the room with you. Right now I’m writing this sitting next to your crib while you fall asleep because you kept crying when I left the room. It can be frustrating not being able to get time to myself, but I know that one day you won’t want or need me like you do now.

IMG_3770Sometimes it makes me sad that you’re getting older, but most of the time I feel grateful that I get to watch you grow and learn every day. I am so lucky to get to spend my days by your side. You’re Daddy and my’s little side kick and you make even the most mundane tasks fun.

We love you always and forever little girl.

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Love,

Mommy

Do What You Love. Love What You Do.

Posted in Liz's Life by

My generation (yes, I am a millennial. I don’t like to talk about it.) grew up being told a lot of things in relation to finding our life’s calling.

– You can do WHATEVER you want. Be WHOMEVER you want to be.
–  Find your passion and live it every day. The money will follow.
– Don’t settle for a career that you don’t wholeheartedly LOVE.

For some, these lofty aspirations have resulted in some negatives… failure to launch, discontentment in perfectly great careers and endless searches for that thing we’re passionate about.

But for others- the lucky ones – it’s helped us take the leap into a career that is so much more than a job.

Today is my one-year anniversary working at Vail Resorts – specifically at Heavenly Mountain Resort here in Lake Tahoe. It’s been without a doubt, one of the most fulfilling years of my life. I’m proud to say I think I cracked the code on this whole “finding a job you love and are passionate about” thing.

Now, I don’t want to make this post a long diatribe about how great my job is. We all know that is annoying. But I do want to highlight some of the things that make me love what I do….mainly because I have some people to thank.

1. The People. I really love the people I work with. Both here at Heavenly and and throughout the company. The relationships I’ve built here are ones of support, encouragement, collaboration and celebration. Sure we’re competitive, but we’re all on the same team when it comes to our end goals.

2. The Passion. Everyone knows you don’t work in the ski industry because you want to make a ton of money. The people in this company are here because they LOVE skiing/riding, the mountains, traveling and sports. It’s incredible what can happen when you build a company with people who have chosen to live their passions every day.

3. My Mentors. I believe you can only be as good as people allow you to be. I’m extremely lucky to have mentors here at Heavenly and throughout Vail Resorts who champion my career, who believe in me and who provide me with opportunities to continually grow.

4. The Innovation. I am a dreamer. Put me in a brainstorm, and I’m the one who can’t be quiet. I love thinking up a big idea and then bringing it to life. Thankfully my company values innovation and is always looking to “try some experiments” as our CMO says. Just check out www.EpicMix.com if you don’t believe me.

5. The Skiing. Duh. It’s hard not to love a job when you have something as fun as skiing in your job description. In fact, this Friday, the whole marketing team here at Heavenly is skiing together to “test the product.”

A year later, and I still think taking this job was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Special thanks to everyone at Heavenly and Vail Resorts for making this year “Epic” for me!

A Man of Grace

Posted in Liz's Life by

Yesterday was my guy’s 30th birthday. Leading up to his day, Luke told me repeatedly that he didn’t want a party or special trip, but that spending the day skiing with me was what he wanted to do.

I felt like I probably should have made a grander effort to celebrate his birthday beyond just a normal day skiing together, but between my crazy work schedule, recent travel, hosting Thanksgiving and helping my sister prepare for the birth of her first child, I just didn’t have time to plan anything.

Well yesterday,  we drove to Heavenly for our “special” day of skiing together. It was going to be even better because Luke’s brother and sister were already up there getting a lesson. When we got to the front of the line and had our passes scanned, we were told by the ticket scanner  “all employees and dependants are restricted from skiing today because of holiday crowds.”

I couldn’t believe it. I totally knew about this restriction, but for whatever reason had convinced myself it ended on Saturday. With everything going on the past week I totally spaced on double checking if we were in fact allowed to ski or not.

Luke was clearly disapointed and I felt just terrible.

After lugging our stuff all the way back to the car, we headed home. Sitting in the passenger seat, I thought about everything Luke must have felt right then. “It’s my 30th birthday and all I wanted to do was ski. Why didn’t she plan this better? Now my birthday is ruined. Am I not important to her?”

I put so much pressure on myself to give 100% to so many things – work, holidays, family – that I ended up letting down the one person who should come above everything else in my life.

My eyes welled up with tears and right when I expected Luke to say he was angry, he took my hand and said “It’s okay babe. It’s nothing to be upset about. We’ll have plenty of time to ski together. You’ve taken on a lot lately and I’m really proud of how you’ve handled it all. Don’t worry about today at all.”

He held my hand the rest of the 45 minute drive home reassured me until me tears were dry.

In that moment, I felt incredibly blessed to be able to love this man for the rest of my life.

Happy birthday Luke. You are the most important person in my life and I cherish our love above all else. Thank you for all the times you lift me up. I love you forever and always.