Crested Butte - Day 3

We had the breakfast buffet in the hotel and then headed over to the Oh be Joyful trail. The kids seemed to be recovering from the hike from yesterday or this one was a little steeper. We did make it to see the waterfall, but the trail head started further up then we expected. We turned around after an hour or so and then let the kids throw rocks in to the stream before leaving. We then decided to take the chair lift as our lodging included free tickets. Avery and Ryan did great and we just held on really tight to them and they enjoyed the sights and waving to everyone passing by! We only got off for a few minutes at the top as Ryan was ready to get back on the lift. We then had to pack up and check out of the hotel We had lunch in town and then it was time to drive home! We took Monarch Pass on the way back and the views were amazing. We were so glad we were able to do a quick weekend in Crested Butte and look forward to spending more time exploring next time.

Crested Butte - Day 2

On Saturday morning, we grabbed coffee and breakfast at Camp 4 Coffee and took off to find the trail head to Judd Falls, which is past Crested Butte Mountain and the town of Gothic. We got started around 9 and weren't sure if we would make it to the falls or not, but the kids started to get into the hiking - we even spotted a red fox. It took us about an hour to get to the Falls and it was pretty neat. We took a snack break and some pictures and made our way back. This was their longest hike yet and they were so proud of themselves and so were we! We had lunch at Pitas in Paradise and found a huge jungle gym.  We then hit the pool for a bit and got ready to head back in to town. We wanted to try a pizza place, the Secret Stash, but the wait was over 1 1/2 hours.  We decided to stick with pizza and went to the Brick Oven. Afterwards we grabbed some ice cream and walked around the town a bit.  The kids crashed as soon as they got into bed!

Crested Butte - Day 1

We decided a few weeks ago to go to book a trip to Crested Butte. We have heard great things, but just haven't been yet. We picked up the kids on Friday before nap time and off we went. We decided to take Cottonwood pass which is supposed to be a little bit more scenic and cut off some miles. We got to to top of the pass and grabbed a few pictures (it was pretty cool and rainy). The other side of the pass was not paved, but was fine. We ran into some road construction near Almont, so that slowed us down a bit. We arrived at our hotel around 5:30 and got checked in and grabbed the public bus to go in to town. We settled on The Last Steep for dinner, which was pretty good. The town is quite small with one main road with little shops and restaurants.

Sophie's Party

Avery and Ryan were invited to a neighborhood party of one of their classmates, Sophie. I took them while Andy got the house ready as he was hosting the monthly neighborhood poker game.  The neighborhood had a fire truck stop by and the firemen went through all their equipment explaining what everything did and then let the kids walk through it.  Afterwards, they played with Sophie on the trampoline and bounce house.  They had a wonderful time.

Back to the Zoo

We have stayed away from the zoo the last two months due to the opening of the new Asian Tropics, but decided we were ready to go back. We had a great time and this was probably the longest time we have spent there.  The animals all seemed very active.  The lions were eating when we arrived and were very territorial and there were lots of roars!  Avery and Ryan were very happy to see the elephants again and our timing worked out that we were able to catch the Elephant demo with Bodhi. It was very cool!  We then headed over to see the primates and then did a carousel ride.  The kids were all smiles!

Waffle Maker

Andy had his 10 year anniversary this month with Qwest, now Centurylink,   He picked a waffle maker as his service gift, which we put to use as soon as it arrived.  The kids loved their "new waffles".  Look forward to using the waffle maker often!

Snooze

We have been wanting to go to Snooze in SouthGlenn for several months but every time we try to go the wait is way too long. We finally made it there around 8am and only had to wait 20 minutes or so. Probably not the healthiest menu, but everything is yummy.  We did head to the gym afterwards!

Wild Animal Sanctuary

We decided to go check out the Wild Animal Sanctuary, which is northeast of Denver off of I-76.  We weren't really sure what to expect. We packed a picnic lunch and off we went.  As we drove in to the entrance we saw bears, camels, alpaca.  Before beginning on the walk, an employee gives you an overview of the Sanctuary, which was helpful.  They have the story for every animal they have rescued, which are all carnivores. The Sanctuary provides a second chance for these animals that are pulled out of bad situations.  They have an elevated walkway that allows visitors to view the animals and reduce the animals exposure to humans, called Mile into the Wild.  We saw lots of tigers, bears, lions, and wolves.  We had a great visit and Avery and Ryan enjoyed the experience.

New Bicycles

We went bicycle shopping over Memorial Day weekend and Avery and Ryan picked out new bicycles. They have been enjoying riding them around our neighborhood. Ryan is a little speed demon and Avery is a bit more reserved, but they both love their new bikes!

Wings Over the Rockies

On Sunday, we decided to check out Wings Over the Rockies in Lowry.   Avery and Ryan loved the huge plane outside of the building, gong into the tower, and running around and seeing all the planes.  They actually got to sit in the cockpit of a simulator, where we were told they weren't allowed to push any buttons.  Not an easy task for the parents of two three year olds!!

Firetruck & Madagascar 3

On Saturday morning, we discovered a fire truck parked by the clubhouse and forgot that our neighborhood was doing a bike parade for the 4th. The firemen were nice enough to come by with their truck. The kids had fun talking to the firemen and taking pictures with the fire truck. It definitely made their day. Afterwards, we took the kids to see Madagascar 3 and it went much better than our first movie (far fewer potty breaks).

July 4th

We spent the morning of 4th of July at Lifetime working out and then hitting the pool.  Avery and Ryan got to try out their new goggles - which they both seemed to like. After the kids napped, we headed over to the Carlson's.  Keith decided to do some science experiments since fireworks were banned.  He bought 20 2 liters of soda in various colors and lots of Mentos.  It was quite the hit with the kids and the adults.  We had a great spread of food that consisted of kabobs, corn casserole, and the best baked beans.  And, I made a patriotic dessert and a smore's desert and the kids enjoyed some orange creamsicles.  The kids all got out their motorized vehicles and Avery and Ryan enjoyed catching a ride.  And, Ryan even got to take a spin in the green car and he had the biggest smile on his face. What a fun night! Too bad it was a school night!

Independence Day kick-off

We kicked-off celebrating Independence Day on the 3rd with the Baughmans. Avery and Ryan were so happy to see Maggie, Audrey and Gillian. They had fun playing soccer together in the backyard  The cake pops were a hit!

Rocky Mountain National Park

Last year, we got an annual pass to the Rocky Mountain National Park and wanted to make sure to get one more use out of our pass before it expired. We decided to take a different route as well as we had never been past Winter Park. It was a nice drive and then we entered on the west side of the park. We stopped at the Ranger station and we were able to get advice on a good hike with kids. We did the hike which ran along the Colorado River - unfortunately we didn't run into any wildlife but were on the lookout! Afterwards, we went up to the Alpine Visitor Center for lunch. We then continued the drive towards Estes Park, and got to see a large herd of Elk! The kids loved checking them out! We spent some time at the stables by the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center. Avery and Ryan enjoyed learning about the horses and their names and were talking about how when they are bigger they are going to come back and ride Jackson and Hobo (their favorites). Our last stop was in Estes Park for some ice cream before it was time to head home.