As is usual these days, I started this blog months ago, and now I'm back to finish it (with many fewer pictures and words than I originally intended). But here are the highlights:
1. The Ride Up: Yes, seriously. Our 2 kids were amazing on the 12-13 hour drive from Midland to Colorado Springs. My husband is an incredible navigator, and my dad gave us his car (complete with DVD players in the seats) for the drive, and those two things put together with the Lord's amazing mercies to us made for a GREAT trip. Kerith danced to Elmo and Caleb watched Cars, and Rick and I studied Greek together. Actually, I quizzed him. I think we only turned on the tvs for 1.5 movies, too. It was so fun!
2. The Hotel in Colorado Springs: scary. Caleb still says, "Mom, I don't like that hotel in Colorado Springs." Really it was fine, but a little old and dark. With a crawling baby, hotels are no fun in general, but we survived. Not that I would go back or anything, but it was fine. Mostly. I've kept the details secret to spare my mother the stress. :)
3. Cripple Creek: We took a day trip to Cripple Creek, and it was SO interesting! We rode a train, Rick and Caleb descended like 10 stories into the ground to see an old gold mine, and Kerith and I bonded over some Pepsi. (No Dr. Pepper - NOT a highlight.) It was a great addition to our vacation.
4. Estes Park with the Fam: We stayed in an incredibly comfy and homey cabin. We fed chipmunks and squirrels peanuts.
5. Rocky Mountain National Park: We drove WAAAAAAY higher than I ever want to again, but we went to the top, and it was BEAUTIFUL! Rick and Caleb are both afraid of heights, but they did very well, except a few frightened gasps as Rick drove and looked over the sheer side of the road! We got to see everything from tundra flowers to incredible wildlife to a glacier pool.
6. Fishing!!! I love to fish. I haven't fished since High School (I think), where we caught Perch, which is entertaining (since they'll bite an empty hook), but not too exciting. Fishing in the river for rainbow trout is AWESOME!!! I caught one in the stream, lots at the trout farm (including a huge one), and nothing on a trip to the lake with Rick, but that trip was a blast anyway. Caleb caught his first fish (with the help of Coach), and I think it scared the cheerios out of him. But he caught another one, and was a pro by then. Ask him how big it was, he'll stretch his arms way out and say, "THIS big!" A born fish story teller!
7. Breakfast in everyone's cabins and grilled steak/fish out back: yummy. That's all I have to say.
8. The flight back: Caleb LOVED the plane. Kerith slept on my shoulder all the way. It couldn't have been better!
There are so many more great things to remember ... but it's October, and I'm blogging about August! I've got to move on to catch up.
Pics:
My little fisher man.
Do you see the excited looks on these faces? The first day NOTHING was biting.
My grandparents. They're awesome!
As you can see, Kerith and Granna have forged a friendship now. They are super buddies! Kerith says, "Ganna!" every time she sees Mom or even a picture of her.
Love this picture. My dad got some great shots.
The whole fam.
Beautiful stream near the cabin.
Who else's grandmother is so cool that she swings on the playground???? These kids are blessed!
Ask Caleb what his favorite thing about Colorado was, and he'll tell you something different every day. Sometimes it's fishing, chipmunks, Coach throwing peanuts, mountains, but very often it's the playground at our cabins, and a train he found there that the owner let us keep.
Caleb had this surge of courage while we were in CO. Suddenly he was swinging, climbing rock walls, and all kinds of things that lots of kids do, but Caleb NEVER does. (Ref: Fear of heights).
This picture says it all, I think.
What a trip. It was a blast. Thank you, Mom and Dad!!
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