1,500 miles of fun

Don't get me wrong. Not every one of those 1,500 miles was fun. Some were downright miserable. But overall we had an absolutely wonderful family vacation.

Our adventure began with a drive to Colorado Springs where we stayed with my brother and sister-in-law who are expecting their first baby...a sweet little girl. It was so great to be in their home again and spend time with them. Levi and Ben had A LOT of energy after being in the car for 9 1/2 hours, and after Graham decided to cry all night long for no explainable reason, they are probably scared out of their minds about having a baby. I warned them ahead of time that we are NOT easy guests.

The next day we made a stop in Denver to have lunch with our good friends Jill & Stuart and their sweet little girl McKenna and then made the drive to the mountains where we spent the next 6 nights. We had such a great time - It really was the perfect family vacation. We had a spacious condo where the kids could spread out and play, although we tried not to spend much time inside.

We spent a few days hiking, and I use that term very loosely because when you are with a 4-year old (who often got tired of walking and wanted to sit on top of the stroller), a 2-year old in a jogging stroller and a 10-month old in a backpack (who got sick of the backpack after a while and wanted Mom to hold him), it is more like a leisurely walk along very open and easy paths. No matter how easy the hikes, the scenery couldn't have been more beautiful.






We had several picnics and spent lots of time hanging out by rivers, fishing and just playing. Levi and Ben absolutely loved throwing rocks in the Snake River. It's funny how the simplest things bring them the most joy!





The boys spent lots of time playing on playgrounds at Keystone because, after all, we have no playgrounds at home. (Ha, Ha)




They also loved the miniature golf course that sat right outside our condo.

Jill and McKenna drove up from Denver for a day and joined us for a great little hike.


We spent one afternoon and evening at Breckenridge and had a great time. The boys loved playing by the riverwalk.



Our last day was rainy and cold, but we were blessed by the arrival of our dear friends Ben and Amy and their little girls Kinsley and Hallie. It was so much fun to spend the day with them! It's hard to believe that it had been so long since we've seen them.



After a 12-hour drive we were more than happy to be home. It's amazing how constant requests for snacks, water, dropped toys, new movies, etc. can absolutely drive you insane. Towards the end of the drive Michael asked me for the box of Hot Tamales, and I just about bit off his head. No more road trips for us...I think we're going to stay put for a while.