Tori’s Christmas Break
Tension and excitement increased as the plane wheels hit the frozen Alaskan ground. The thought of seeing my family and friends put a huge grin on my face. I was most thrilled to see my sister Zoe, who I haven’t seen since she had left for college in August. From the airport I was dashed off to the rink, where my mom was coaching and I jumped on the ice to play with some old friends. My legs were shaky, but I was so excited to see everybody it didn‘t matter.
The majority of my break was spent with family, attending gatherings and Christmas events and parties. Christmas Eve was the big one; lots of family, with a big feast and tons of little cousins running around and hanging off me as if I were the tree. We were happy to all be together. One of our best family traditions is to open one present on Christmas Eve, and my present is always pajamas.
I woke leisurely on Christmas morning in my new pajamas to a winter wonderland. As I walked upstairs to the living room, all I could see outside were huge snowflakes falling slowly from the sky, a perfect white Christmas. On Christmas Day the other traditions take place, with my mom making her special cheesy egg recipe and fruit salad. We always Skype my grandparents and open their presents they send to us while they watch, and they open the gifts we send to them. In my family we aren’t all about the gifts for Christmas, but Zoe and I got a few nice things and were excited to get hockey tape in our stockings.
One of the biggest highlights of my break was to go skiing at Alyeska Resort, the best mountain we have. I haven’t been skiing for a long time so I was very anxious to get on the hill. The snow was coming down hard and I enjoyed the time on the mountain with fresh powder and smooth slopes.
To top off the end of my break, my sister, dad, and I headed out to my uncle’s cabin on Nancy Lake for New Years. The drive is about two hours from home out to a frozen lake with a 30 minute snow machine ride to the cabin. We bundled up and strapped our bags to the machines tightly for the bumpy, frigid ride. Once we arrived we were greeted by the family and continued to ride around in the fresh, light powder. As the day darkened and the temperature dropped into the negatives, we prepared the fireworks to light off for the midnight celebration on the new year. At ten to midnight we statred the light show, with huge roman candle fireworks and hand held sparklers. The clock struck midnight and the year 2012 began with magical moments in the presence of friends and family. The dark, black night giving way to our vibrant sparklers.
Early the next morning we were up packing up to leave, to get home quickly for Zoe and I to pack up for our departing planes that night. Getting ready to ride we see that it is -30 below, so we piled on extra clothes and duck tape on the face to prevent frostbite. We had to stop more than a few times on the way back to fix our face masks with the freezing wind seeping through the seams of our helmets. Finally getting to the truck we pull off our helmets and it looked like I was the only lucky one with no frostbite. Zoe and my dad had frostbite on their cheeks, and my dad had it in his eye from the cracked goggles he was using. Arriving home we were greeted by a cozy warm house and a concerned mother tending to my sister and dads frostbitten faces. Leaving the house for the airport was bittersweet. Zoe was to leave at the same time as me but on different planes. Before we went through security, Zoe and I had Yogurt Land with my mom so we could visit for the last few minutes before heading back to school. It was sad saying goodbye, Zoe heading back to Duluth and for me a long journey back to Vermont. My three long flights were terrifying! The turbulence was horrible, and I was in the back of the plane. Arriving in Burlington and being greeted by a few of my teammates restored some comfort from the frightening flights. It was an amazing feeling to be back at NAHA and most of all to see all the girls again and get back out on the ice.
Kayla’s Christmas Break
I got my Christmas break off to a jolly start being picked up from the Anchorage airport by my parents, and coming home to warm greetings from my big brother, his wife, and their two children. It’s always a fun time to have my brother and his family at the house. His outgoing personality makes for the most joyful of times, fun filled nights, and lots of boisterous laughter. My flight had gotten in fairly late so I said my hellos and updated my family on my experiences this year, then after what felt like forever, I hit the sheets. Because of exhaustion, for the next couple of days I took it easy and apart from a few practices I spent little time on the ice. My sister, her husband, and their two children arrived in Anchorage two days after my arrival, and it was so pleasant to see their faces. Having the majority of my immediate family members in the house was chaotic to say the least, but their outgoing and outspoken personalities make them so much fun to spend time with. Overall, my first few days of break were filled with leisure, remembering to enjoy the even the simplest luxuries of being at home and taking advantage of the time I get to spend with the most wonderful, supportive family out there.
The Christmas festivities began early with a Chinese auction, which always gets pretty interesting. The catch is picking the last number out of the hat so that you have the option of picking a present or taking one that has already been opened from a family member. Unfortunately this year I got number two, and I almost ended up with a set of knives, but my brother-in-law was kind enough to trade me for something that I loved. After the Chinese auction we watched the little ones open their presents from Grandma and Grandpa. Three boxes sat in front of the small children and as each one was opened a different child’s face lit up with excitement when they pulled out a new iPod touch. All three proclaiming, “Grandma, is it fake?” It was so fun to see their smiles as they examined the small electronic gadget, obviously very satisfied.
After sending the little ones to bed we usually play some sort of game. This year my dad decided that it’d be a good idea to purchase Mind Flex, a game in which you use your “mind” to guide a levitating ball through an obstacle course. My brother and I decided we’d give it a try. He put his headpiece on and started the game, he was thinking so hard he started to shake and we all began to laugh. I had such a fantastic time seeing my family; they fill my life with love and great fun. I have been so blessed to have them around as much as I do, and although we definitely have our arguments, at the end of the day we’d do anything for each other. After being at NAHA last season, as well as half of this season I have learned to appreciate the time I spend with them much more and I am so grateful for the support they give me day in and day out.
Why I love Alaska 
