Ski Patrol

Chet has been wanting to be a ski patroller FOREVER! He wanted to do it when we moved to Casper, but it just wasn't in the cards for us. We had twin babies, and had another right away. Long story short, 3 years ago I finally agreed that he could try it out. He took the million classes, paid the million dollars of fees and bought all the equipment. He helped at fund raisers and finally got to the point where all he needed to do was take the ski test, which he could practically do in his sleep, and he would be in. Well, the test day fell on the same day that we were attending a temple wedding in Utah. He was really bugged that he was missing, but he was a great sport about it. Temple marriage vs ski patrol. However, that meant that all the next year he was still a "candidate", which wears different color vests and really has no control to do anything. Then this year the snow has been horrendous. FINALLY, Chet got to be a true ski patroller. This has been 3 years in the making. He was a little excited (just a little!) I stayed home with the babies (story of my life, haha!) and Chet took the boys. As he was skiing down with all the new candidates, he spotted Carter and Caden so he told them he was going to say hi to his boys. He skiis up to them and asks how their day has been. Caden turned around, dazed and blood dripping off his chin. Caden had decided to follow his brothers through the trees, and he is just a little behind their ability. He had face planted into a tree. In his words, "Mom, it felt like I went through the tree, not just hit it!" He said that he just messed up and turned his ski's the wrong way. He bit through his lip and got himself a Jay Leno chin. It was HUGE and scraped from lip to neck. It looked pretty bad! Caden got to be Chet's first patient. He got a snow mobile ride to the top and then got questioned. He wouldn't answer their questions, things like what is today, what is your name, etc. Chet says that is a really serious problem when they cannot answer questions, possible life flight. Luckily when Chet started asking him he would respond. Chet said he was just scared and little dazed. We watched him close for the day and night and he has been perfectly fine! My little boy with 9 lives. I think that he has used about 5-6 of them.