My iphone pic of the sun starting to rise on our ride up.
There are a few different routes you can take, one being very scenic and through the mountains on a two lane (one lane each way) in New Mexico OR one very boring route through Kansas, but all interstate. We opted for the boring route. Especially with recent snow on both routes, we felt the major highways were the best way to go with the kiddos. It worked out really well. But, it.is.BORING. We saw a lot of wind farms though, which is kinda interesting?
The first couple days we were in Colorado we stayed with my Aunt Kathy. She was such a great hostess (and a great sport housing our two rug rats) and we loved getting to visit with her. We met up with my cousins' twin boys who are a year older than Blake and went ice skating at a great little outdoor skating rink.
Cousins, Zach and Ryan
My fav pic of the day
The boys had the best time. They are really getting much more confident on the ice and especially Brady is such a natural. Soccer is Blake's favorite thing in the world right now, and hockey and skating is Brady's. We enjoyed it so much we went back later in the trip with Brad's mom!
The boys were lucky in that we had lots of snow during our trip. Blake LOVED playing soccer and football out in the snow with his daddy. And they enjoyed some sledding as well. I chose to stay in the warmth where Brady chose to stay most of the time as well. And because I wasn't there, no pictures were taken of the fun in the snow. BOO!!!!!!!! Next time, I won't let that happen!!
On Christmas Eve, we got the boys dressed in their adorable sweater outfits my parents had gotten them, and went to the aquarium in downtown Denver. It was a great aquarium and we had a lot of fun.
Christmas morning we woke up and did what all people do. We went and had breakfast at an amazing Jewish Deli. My in laws had been before and said it was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and thought we'd enjoy it. And they were so right. YUM! Then we went back to "Florida Grandma and Papa's" house where Santa/Grandma had been busy the night before. Grandma was so fabulous in getting things ready for the boys before the trip. She set up the extra room they have downstairs as the boys playroom. She had a wii hooked up (way to the boys heart) and card games and board games and all sorts of fun. And she set up all the Christmas loot in there to await the boys. The boys were SO excited and Santa (Grandma) had gotten everything the boys had marked on their list (and then some).
Pizza Playdough Creation
After Blake went sledding (and Brady took off his pants?) they played one of their new Wii games
View on Xmas from in laws house
The day before we hit the road to head back to Texas, was both Brad and I's anniversary and Brad's mom and step dad's. So we decided to go to a place that was special to us all, Estes Park. Estes Park is where my in laws used to live, where they got married, where Brad and I were engaged and is just a beautiful place in the middle of the Rockies. So glad we got the chance to spend the day there. The only unfortunate part was it happened to be really windy, a cold, harsh wind, and so the playing in the mountains we had hoped to do, was very very limited. Our first stop was to the Stanley Hotel. Made famous by Steven King writing the Shining there and Dumb and Dumber being filmed there. Plus, its just a beautiful old hotel and happens to be the location of my engagement!
This is the room Brad proposed in on our midnight tour on X-mas Eve. It was set up for a wedding at the time, so was way more beautiful. Right under that archway is where Brad got down on his knee and asked me to be his wife! Nine years of marriage and I can honestly say our love has grown and grown with each passing year. Love love love this man!! Looking forward to a night just for us two to celebrate when my dad gets over the flu. Poor dad!
Then we went to the Y camp in the Rockies and had hoped to have some fun playing in the snow but that wind! Brad did manage to play a game of football with the boys, but not for long. For some reason there was a little pretend home set up in the main lodge and the boys picked up a pic of a family or something sledding to pose with it? It cracks me up!!
Brady's version of a snow ball fight was picking up the tiniest amount of snow to throw. So precious.
And on the drive home the next day, Brad noticed the temps kept dropping. He had to snap a picture, because seriously?!
We had the BEST time. I wish I had gotten more pics of the snow playing and sledding, but there is always next year. We are so grateful to Brad's mom and step dad for making our trip so special and fun for all of us!!
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