Colorado Day Three and Four

Day three started off with a short drive over to Lindsee and EP's house from Rex and Angie's house.  (They literally live about 5-10 minutes from each other.)  We carried our traveling bags into their house and loaded up a picnic and headed for Boulder.  We found a great place along the big creek to have a picnic and relax for awhile. 

~ A little side note here... my Dad is the best picnic packer guy I know... Growing up we had a lot of picnics at the lake in the summer and while on family vacations we had lots of picnics on the way driving to and from places we were visiting.  Nothing elaborate, in fact very simple, but delicious.  Sandwiches, fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, some chips, and a cold pop, juice or water.  Very plain and yummy. ~

There were lots of people in the creek water, swimming, wading and tubing.  Sarah could not wait to get in and get her feet wet too.  Lindsee and Eric took turns in the water with both girls.  Before I knew it both Sarah and Phoebe were soaked up to their belly buttons and having a great time!

After our picnic and water time, we headed to the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory just outside of Boulder. They give free tours there of the factory and have a tea sampling room.  No limits, you can sample as much tea as you like over and over, any flavor they make, all day long if you want.  You have to be five or older to go on the tour and you have to wear a hair-net that is provided by the Celestial Seasonings company, and in some cases a beard net to cover facial hair.  So that being the case Sarah wanted to go on the tour, but refused to wear a hair-net... so, she was left behind with Nanee, Phoebe and Lindsee, while Popee, Eric and I went on the tour of the factory.  We all sampled a lot of flavors of tea.  I could have bought about eight different kinds after sampling, but was limited to three by my wonderful husband.  The three we ended up with were Tangerine Orange, Sweet Harvest Pumpkin, and Raspberry Cool Brew.  Any of the teas can be made cold or hot.

After the tea tour and sampling we headed back to Lindsee and EP's house for the evening.  We ate dinner at Tokyo Joe's, a place I had gotten to eat when I went out to Denver for Lindsee's birthday in February.  Then spent the night at their house.

The next morning, day four, we got up and headed for Breckenridge.  We drove through some lightening and rain, and the Eisenhower Tunnel.

Breckenridge was beautiful!  Cool temperatures, still some snow up on the mountain, and the condo that Dad had rented for us had a fabulous view of the ski resort and lake.

Sarah and Phoebe were very excited to go swimming, so we did that after checking into the condo.  

Phoebe let Daddy throw her up in the air several times before crashing down one time sideways... then she did not want to be thrown up again.

Sarah loved jumping in, twirling around, splashing, kicking and showing off her new swimming skills.

A little hot tub time for Phoebe, Eric, Sarah, and Lindsee...

Reading stories before bed with Nanee and Popee in the condo....

And, after the girls went to sleep, Eric and I went out for a night walk in Breckenridge.  We found the Cold Stone Creamery and look what my wonderful husband got for me.... Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice Cream!  It was delicious.  I enjoyed my time with my wonderful husband and my ice cream out on our balcony of the condo that night.

Colorado Day Two

On our second day in Denver we got up and headed to the Denver Children's Museum.  I had been there once as a kid and remembered it being pretty fun.  Rex and Angie's girls have been there several times and enjoy it everytime.  The first room we went into (the firetruck room) was not a hit with Sarah and Phoebe, but as soon as we went upstairs they found lots of things that they had a great time doing.  The first room upstairs that they both had fun in was the bubble room.... Sarah made big bubbles, Phoebe tried to make bubbles, Sarah caught bubbles dropping from the ceiling, Phoebe popped bubbles coming out of a air machine, and Sarah made big bubbles around herself and Lindsee.

The next area enjoyed by both our girls at the DCM was the make something out of recyclables area.  Phoebe and Daddy made a cross, Sarah and Daddy made a princess hat, and Popee made a butterfly.

Some other areas Phoebe liked were the grocery shopping area and the puzzle area.

Both girls liked painting.  And, they tried dancing, puppets, and rocket building.

After the DCM, we ate a late lunch at a mexican food restaurant, then all the guys headed off to a big tool store while all the ladies and little girls headed to Rex and Angie's to "rest".  

That evening Sarah and Lexi helped their daddies catch some small fish in a nearby creek.

Beautiful, beautiful Colorado.... One of my favorite states, and places to be....

Colorado Day One

About a week ago we headed out to Colorado.  We had plans to go to Denver then on to the Hastings Family cabin, but the cabin was in a pre-evacuation area due to the Waldo Canyon Fire, so we decided to change our plans just a little not knowing for sure what the fire would do... even if there was no evacuation order given for the cabin area I was not real excited, and a little nervous, about the smoke, the chance of  a weather and wind change bringing the fire closer, and the displaced animals (bears, elk, mountain lions) that being at the cabin with a fire so close could bring.  So, my dad called us two days before we left and said, "How about getting a condo at Breckenridge for a few days instead of going to the cabin...?"  Bingo!  So, that is what we did... Denver with family and friends, then on to Breckenridge with family.  We had a super-great time seeing and doing new things.

Here is day one.

We got to our good friend's Rex and Angie's house late Friday night.  The next morning after getting up and letting the little girls play together for awhile, we planned out the day.  Then we were off.  Rex and Eric headed to Rex's job site at the Denver airport.  Rex showed Eric all around.  Eric really enjoyed it and his time with one of his best friends.  In the meantime, all of the little girls (five of them to be exact), Angie and I, along with my parents, sister and EP headed out to lunch and then on to the Butterfly Pavilion.  We had fun too.  The little girls have all been together several times before and always get along great and have a good time together.  

Four of the little friends... Avery, Lexi, Phoebe, and Sarah.  Not pictured, Layla.

At the Butterfly Pavilion we all had a chance to hold the Tarantula.  Angie, Lindsee, Dad, and I did it.  There were many other bugs and critters to look at.  Sarah and Lexi liked looking at all of the different kinds of Tarantulas.

When we got to go in the actual Butterfly Garden Pavilion area, Sarah was fascinated!  She is very into Butterflies right now.  Technically people are not supposed to try to "catch" the Butterflies in this area... but, if one lands on you then it is okay to hold it and look at it until it flies off.  Sarah had a few "land" on her, and was excited each time.  She walked around with her hand and arm held out, just hoping for the pretty Butterflies to "land" on her.

Here we are being silly... There was a room with all mirrors to go through when exiting the Butterfly Garden Pavilion so that you could check to make sure no Butterflies where exiting with you or on you.  Lastly, there was a fun area to learn about Butterflies and other bugs and to play.

We ended the evening with a yummy cook-out for dinner and fun at Rex and Angie's house.  Sarah and Lexi liked driving the small-FAST jeep around and Phoebe liked the slower 4-wheeler.

Swimming Lessons

Sarah was in swimming lessons in June.  There were about five kids in her class and two teachers that helped them practice things like kicking their feet and legs, moving their arms, floating on their backs, jumping in, and the biggie.... holding their breath and putting their faces/heads in the water.

The first couple days she was very excited to go swimming....  One day though, she was nervous and didn't want to go, even shed a few tears.... She told us later she didn't want to put her face in the water and one boy that was sitting on the side of the pool next to her kept splashing her.  

The last day however, she was a rockstar! She held her breath and put her face in repeatedly, she kicked her legs like a crazy, and she floated on her back several times with no assistance!  Each time she floated on her back all by herself she couldn't stop smiling!

Now, she is loving the water and swimming!  We may have a little summer fish on our hands.  Look out pools, here comes Sarah!