Cooling off in Colorado {August 2013}

WARNING:  Big Picture Post!  This blog is my family "scrapbook" and since I didn't have the time to make collages, this post is full of pictures that I want/need to have for remembering this wonderful escape from "real life"!  Because I had to sift through nearly 300 pictures (sometimes digital photography is a curse!), it also took me nearly 6 months to write this post!  Nevertheless...

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We ventured back to Breckenridge, Colorado this August... to escape the summer temperatures, to relax with nothing scheduled or planned, and to enjoy some time as a family, (including my parents) in gorgeous surroundings.

The trip easily met all of those goals!

It was our 4th family trip to Breck and the best one yet.

We stayed right on Main Street in a house that was gorgeous inside and perfectly charming in back.

The house backed to a mountain stream; treating us to the  sound of rushing water each morning... and a 360 degree view of the mountains!

The patio had a fire pit that was perfect for relaxing and s'more making.

And the kids thought the hot tub was the best thing ever!

"Our" lovely home was about 25 steps from the base of the Gondola that takes you up the mountain to a family fun park.  Molly loved the Gondola itself... screaming "weeee" each time it took off and swung into motion!

At the top of the mountain, the kids were entertained for hours upon hours!  Mini golf, trampoline "bungee" jumping, and Alpine Slides were the top 3 highlights.  Noah, however, did NOT enjoy the bungee jumping and nearly got sick!  The pictures of his face show his nervousness :)

We must have gone down the Alpine slides, enjoying this gorgeous view, nearly 30 times!

Abby wasn't big enough to do much except play on the little playground and look super cute among the  gorgeous flowers and mountain scenery that was everywhere.

I think the flowers in Colorado are a special kind of flower... they are all so vibrant and alive (as opposed to the dead ones that permeate the Kansas summer landscape!)

After Sunday morning Mass, we took a day to drive over to Vail and enjoy it's lush beauty too.  

Vail had several really neat playgrounds.  The one in the center of town was a Pirate Boat themed playground and the one in Ford Park was huge and filled with cool things to climb and bounce on!

 

The highlight, for me, of Ford Park was walking through the Betty Ford Gardens which were full of incredible beauty, lush flowers, and flowing water. 

Inside Ford Park, we jumped off the path to spend some time skipping rocks in a quaint little mountain stream.  This was one of my favorite (if not my actual favorite) part of the entire trip.  It was one of those times when I said "yes"; even though I wanted to say "no".  We started out on the shore, but within no time, the kids were ready to dip their toes in the water!  So I stripped them of shoes, socks, and even pants (in the case of the girls) and rolled up jeans to let them have a chance to walk through the rocky mountain river.  The girls held hands helping one another.  Noah threw rocks; hopeful to see a few of them skip, excited and happy when they did.  Abby followed the lead of her older siblings and joined in the rock throwing.  The sun peeked through the many trees; highlighting the water and picturesque bridge overlooking it.  It was one of those "moments in time" that I love... doing the "little things" that memories are made of.  Kids being kids.  Exploring and taking it all in.  God is evident in moments like these; especially when such created beauty abounds.  In the end, this little bit of vacation heaven was worth the dirty feet and wet clothes!

We took in some traditional "sightseeing".  I guess I should say that my dad got the short end of the stick on this excursion.  He and Vance decided to take the kids on a tour of a mine.  Vance ended up having to leave to bring Abby home because she would not stop crying.  That left my dad with the 3 "big" kids.  Molly, however, took a page out of Abby's book and proceeded to scream her head off the entire time.  My dad was exhausted.  The pic with Vance was pre-tour.  2 out of 4 kids are already crying!  

With the exception of a few, we cooked most of our meals in "our" kitchen which made extra time to do "nothing"!  Doing "nothing" is the hallmark of a good vacation!  We had time to just relax and enjoy the accommodations of our charming mountain home.

 

Gorgeous weather?  Check!
Time to relax?  Check!
Time for fun?  Check!
Time to shop?  Check!
Good food?  Check!
Gorgeous scenery?  Check!
Perfect accommodations?  Check!

I'd say this Colorado excursion definitely met all of my goals; qualifying it as a true "vacation"... not just a trip!  That is... until we started the long drive back to Kansas :)