Out to Colorado and Day 1

We drove out to Colorado when Eric got off work on a Tuesday night two weeks ago.  Our evening drive on I-70 heading west was filled with a beautiful Kansas sunset.  We arrived at the Hastings Family cabin late (1:30 am Wed.) and sleepily unloaded the van with my Dad's help.  We would be staying in Colorado for a week.  3 1/2 days at the Hastings cabin with Mom and Dad, then 3 1/2 days in Tin Cup, Colorado and Taylor Park, Colorado with Mom and Dad, Lindsee and EP, Ernie and Judy, and some of their friends, Carol and Mike.

Wednesday morning - July 29th - Dad's birthday!  Happy Birthday Dad!

We had fun watching the Hummingbirds coming and going and drinking out of the feeders.  The girls helped Popee and Nanee refill two feeders so that we could enjoy watching the Hummingbirds the whole time we were there.

The crazy tiny birds were even trying to drink from the feeder when they were refilling it and while dad was holding the feeder out.  I wanted to see how long he could keep holding the feeder up... sort of like a new Survivor (the t.v. show) challenge, with birds coming and going, zooming and buzzing all around him, but we all started laughing and he gave up rather quickly.  I think he could have held it at least 5 more minutes before his arm cramped up or started to tingle.

We a did little hiking around the cabin that morning.  The girls, especially Phoebe, liked looking at some forts that had been built by previous cabin visitors who were playing in the forest areas right around the cabin.

As we were walking back up from the pond, down the hill from the cabin, Silas spotted the deer in the picture below.  He was the first to see this large female, who was in the squat (peeing) position.  She just looked at us, finished her business, and then slowly walked right past all of us.

The girls and Silas liked playing on the little hills and inclines right in front of the cabin... climbing, sliding, pulling each other up and pretending to rescue one another.

After lunch at the cabin we headed to The North Pole, home of Santa's Workshop, Colorado.  When I was growing up we would go there each summer while we were at the cabin.  I guess it is sort of a fun family tradition to go there, ride the little cars with your Dad or your Grandpa, feel the ice cold North Pole, talk to Santa, and ride the other Christmas themed rides while Christmas carols play all throughout the park.  The Park is celebrating its 59th anniversary this year.

Right inside the gates is Santa's sled... a great place for a fun picture!

The first ride of the day was the little cars.  These are the cars I remember driving my Dad and Grandpa around the track on when I was my kids' age.  Silas drove Eric.

Sarah drove me.  I tried to take a selfie of us while she was driving us.  She kept laughing at me, but would not take her eyes off the track for my selfie.  What a good driver.

Phoebe drove Popee.  They both looked like they were having a good time!

Next up, the big tall swirly Candy Cane Slide.  This ride may have been one of the favorites of all three of our kids.  Climbing the stairs inside the slide, their excitement built for the ride down... I rode with Silas a few times and each time we went FAST!  He loved it! 

Silas liked riding the little spaceships/rockets below.  He could push a button and make it go up and down as it spun around in a circle.

Mom always rides the Tilt-O-Whirl with Sarah and I.  We have a fun time trying to get it to spin and spin by leaning different directions.  This is one of my favorite rides.  Phoebe really liked riding the little horse and carts she is pictured in below.  It was one of her top favorite rides at the Park.

In Santa's Village we stopped in Santa's house for a quick picture and to talk about Christmas presents.  And, for the first time, EVER, no one was scared of Santa.  No one even hesitated when I said go up and sit on his lap for a picture!

In the middle of Santa's Village we also took some obligatory pictures with the giant Polar Bear and the frozen North Pole.  I felt like we all needed a bottle of Coca-Cola in our hands while sitting on the Polar Bear's lap... Here's to Coca-Cola and Christmas!  Definitely two of my faves.

The Christmas Tree ride is still there!  This has to be one of the oldest and most memorable rides at the North Pole.  A huge Christmas tree that spins around while the riders spin around and go up and down in the decorative and festive cars that look like giant Christmas tree ornaments/balls.

When it came time to ride the "highest Ferris Wheel in the World" I very strongly declined refused to ride.  I can't stand this ride.  It makes me so nervous, especially riding with my dear husband who likes to lean forward, tilting the bench and making it feel like we will both fall out, hurling downward like pinballs bouncing off the metal bars of the ride, and finally slamming onto the concrete below in a disgusting dead mess.  Any who.  Silas wanted to ride so he got to ride with Daddy, and Sarah and Popee rode together.  Nanee, Phoebe, and I choose to watch from the safety of the ground.

The next ride we headed to was the Scrambler.  Sarah, Mom, and I had been planning to ride this ride all day long. (The Scrambler is one of Mom's all-time favorite rides.)  As we got to the ride Silas decided he wanted to try this one too.  Mom and Sarah walked in to ride together, and Silas and I walked in to ride together.  It was quite a step up to get into the Scrambler cars.  (The operator of this ride did not come out to help us open the safety latches on the cars or to help us into the ride.)  As I turned to lift Silas into our car, I noticed Sarah had climbed in a car behind me, and Mom was about to climb in... Out of the corner of my eye I saw Mom falling, fast and hard straight backwards flat on her back and head.  (Her head actually hit on a metal part of the ride that was on the ground.)  My stomach turned and I yelled for my Dad.  I caught his eye and saw he was already on his way straight out to Mom and I.  I got a hold of Mom and immediately started to talk to her and ask her if she was okay.  She was sitting up and had her hand on the back of her head.  She told me she thought her head was bleeding.  She moved her hand and indeed it was bleeding, very badly.  Dad and I called to the operator of the ride to get first aid there now!  Another North Pole patron who happened to be near the Scrambler ride heard us yelling for first aid and came over to assist Dad and I.  He was a young man from Nebraska (a small town North of Omaha) AND an EMT!  Thank you God for placing him there at that place and at that moment to help my Mom.  We took Mom's denim shirt off (that she was wearing as a jacket that day over her green tshirt) and used it as a compress.  Mr. EMT had Mom lay back, while he and Dad kept the compress on to try to stop the bleeding.  He checked her heart rate, and kept asking her questions, making sure she was alright as we waited for first aid.  He kept us all calm and took amazing care of my Mom in the moment.  The owner of the North Pole appeared and jumped into action too helping to apply pressure to the wound and trying to stop the bleeding as we waited for a wheelchair.  When the wheelchair arrived Mr. EMT and I helped Mom into the chair as Dad and the owner kept pressure on Mom's head.  Then we all quickly headed for the exit of the park so that we could get Mom to the Emergency Room in Woodland Park.  As Eric went out to get the van the owner talked briefly to me and let me know that I could bring the kids back any day while we were still there for a comp visit to finish riding any rides that they had missed or wanted to ride again.  He also talked with Dad, giving him his card, and wanting to hear back from Dad about how Mom was the next day.

In the van I held the compress on Mom's head as Eric drove us to the ER.  When we arrived at the ER Dad jumped out and went in for another wheelchair to get Mom in.  She was a little faint and dizzy so transporting her with the wheelchair was what we needed to do.  Eric took the kids and I back to the cabin, leaving Dad and Mom at the ER.  I gathered some medical and insurance information that the hospital needed and headed right back to the ER to be with Dad and Mom.  When I arrived back at the ER the doctor had already been in to check Mom.  He had determined that a CT scan needed to be done due to the large bump on the back of Mom's head and that she needed at least 5 staples in the back of her head to close the wound.  The CT scan to check for a concussion came back okay, so the doctor came in cleaned the wound and stapled her head.  He also prescribed a pain medication because he knew her head would be hurting for a few days.

That night back at the cabin, Sarah, Dad, and I helped Mom gently wash her blood soaked hair and head.  Then we dried her hair and tried to help her be as comfortable as we could.  Below is a picture I tried to take of Mom's head and the staples after we got it all cleaned up.  Dad started to try to clean Mom's denim shirt and green souvenir Alaska tshirt but quickly realized it was a worthless cause.  Both shirts had been literally drenched in blood and would NEVER look the same again.  Mom may have to visit Alaska again to get herself a new green tshirt......All kidding aside, I am so thankful that my Mom was okay.  It was a bad fall, a lot of blood, a big gash, and still gives me a sickening feeling in my stomach when I remember seeing her fall and Dad racing out to us. When asked later what her favorite ride was of the day...Sarah told us sadly, "Well, it was going to be the Scrambler, but not anymore."  Poor girl.  She felt bad too.  She watched Nanee fall and couldn't do anything to stop it from happening, just like the rest of us.  

Before bed, on this eventful first day of our trip...we got to celebrate Dad's birthday with some birthday cards and birthday ice cream.  We kidded him a little about spending his birthday in many different places, but this was his first birthday to spend in an ER.  Happy Birthday, Dad!  Let's not do your birthday that way ever again, M'Kay?!!?