vail

Before I go on and tell you about all the other fun stuff we’ve been busy doing this summer, I need to share the rest of our vacation pictures. I need closure. Maybe you do too.

We had an amazing time in Vail, Colorado!! We spent every summer in Vail for a good part of my adolescence. I was 11 the first time I went, and I believe I was 20 (Bri was just a baby) the last time I went. We have lots of great memories. And we were able to create even more this year!

We stayed at Hobart House. It was one of the first homes built in Vail. It could’ve used a little TLC, but it worked perfectly for our family. It had 5 bedrooms and was 3 stories tall, built on the side of the mountain. I can’t say the stairs were fun to climb, but I guess that’s why Coloradoans are healthier than Kansans!

Vail village

  

How cute is this guy? They were having an art show in Vail. I would’ve loved to have this for my classroom. If only I had an extra $8000 laying around. Boo!

The Children’s Fountain was the perfect place to cool off during our mid-afternoon walks.

      

Delaney had a blast splashing around in the fountain.

  

And then I told her she could run through it and get wet. She was shocked. And pleased.

And then the clouds covered the sun and the wind picked up and she was so cold in her soaking wet clothes. She told me it was all my fault. Yep, it usually is.

          

We played games in the evenings.

Saw beautiful gardens.

                

Took tons of pictures.

 

And then it was time to go home.

Before we left Hobart House, we took this picture. It was a re-creation of a picture of the Hobart family taken many years ago. (Wish I’d taken a picture of that picture.) Let me tell you, taking a picture of 13 people is no easy task. Especially when we’re crammed into the stairwell. But we did it. And we survived 4 nights under the same roof. We have some new funny vacation stories to share. And they all pretty much revolve around Jason. Just like old times!

colorado vacation day 2

By now this is very old news. I misplaced my USB cord for my camera, but found it this morning (in my camera case…oops!) So I’m just now getting around to looking at the rest of my vacation pictures. Pitiful!

On the 2nd day of our vacation, we went to Garden of the Gods and Cliff Dwellings at Manitou Springs.

These are the remains of Cliff Dwellings built by the Anasazi Indians.

  

This is an actual doorway. No way I was squeezing in there. These people lived in a “house” that was the size of a very small bedroom.

This was a second story balcony. It had 3 more “houses” in the second story. Notice the tiny door by Delaney. I skipped that part of the tour!

Later that day we met up with my parents (who had Allison in tow, feeling slightly better) and Scott and Erika. We went bowling with Scott and Erika and if you’re on Facebook you were lucky enough to see pictures of that. Ha! Sorry, but they aren’t blog worthy.

such a slacker

We’ve been home from our vacation to Colorado for a week and a half and I’m just now getting around to posting about it. I guess I needed an extra long post-vacation recovery. Traveling with 2 teenage girls will do that to you!

The morning we were set to go, Allison got sick. We decided to leave her at home under my mom’s care and then my parents brought her to Colorado with them a couple of days later.

Growing up, we spent many vacations in Colorado. My family has LOTS of funny vacation stories. “Chevy Chase” kind of funny. Well, one of those stories involved mini golf in Colorado Springs. I’ll probably mess up some of the details, but here goes…

My dad and brothers were playing miniature golf in Colorado Springs. Scott hit the ball too hard and it went onto the interstate. My dad had to go ask for a new ball for him. Next thing you know, he hits a ball into a water feature. Rather than going back and asking for yet another ball, my dad decided to go in and retrieve it himself. He rolled up one pant leg (apparently my mom always made everyone dress for winter when we went to Colorado), took off his shoe and sock and stepped in. This is where my details get a little foggy, but I believe somehow my dad bumped into a metal score stand and scraped his back causing him to lose his balance and then step into the water with the wrong foot…the foot with a shoe and full length pant leg. Oh family vacations…great memories!

So back to our vacation…we started the first leg of our trip in Colorado Springs. Right next to our hotel was a miniature golf park. Well, not just any mini golf park, but the infamous one from so many years ago. Of course we had to go!

Fortunately there were no mishaps during our round of golf. But then again, now there isn’t a story to tell.

The next day we went to Santa's Workshop at The North Pole. It’s at the base of Pike’s Peak. Delaney rode rides, rides and more rides!

       

For a kid who is scare of almost everything, she sure does like fast rides!

I’m not really one for rides anymore. Rides that go around and around tend to make me queasy. And I’m scared of heights, so that pretty much eliminates the ferris wheel. But while Bri and I were sitting in the shade waiting for Jeremy and Delaney to finish their ride, the ferris wheel operator offered to take us on our own personal ferris wheel ride. No stops at the top (which is what I hate the most). So we took him up on it and he let us go around 3 times while there wasn’t anyone else around.

Now I can say I rode on the world’s highest ferris wheel!

another 4th in the books

We had a rather quiet and laid back 4th. Which is fine with us.

As a kid, the 4th was a HUGE holiday. Probably one of my favorites! We would spend the day with friends or family shooting fireworks, swimming, eating and shooting more fireworks. As an adult, I don’t get the same enjoyment in shooting fireworks. Maybe because of the awful mess it makes. Or because of the fear of doing damage to our property or someone else’s. Or maybe because I don’t get pleasure from watching our money blow up. (Have I turned into my dad??) The older girls like to hang out with friends and make the mess somewhere else. And Delaney is indifferent. So we enjoyed a nice BBQ and then watched the neighborhood displays along with the city display over the lake.

   

Happy Birthday America!!!