All Good Things Must End

I could probably spend another month blogging about our trip to Colorado but then my readers might start dropping like flies! I'll share these last few tid bits and then move on. I promise ;)

When we hit Ridgway, I had the rare opportunity of a bird's eye view of my youthful years. I watched Savannah make the homemade heath bar ice cream of my childhood with the same people I did. My grandparents. On the same porch. Same dreamy Colorado afternoon.




And yet another generation of a stringy blond haired little girl licking ice cream off the paddle.





And trips to the hot spring to feed the fish. Same pond. Same joy.





Aside from my memory lane, there were sweet moments for everyone else too.






And we can't forget Ella's enchanted birthday party at Granny Smiles and Papa Mel's.




Endless belly jiggling laughs...





And generations...




And then there there was the much anticipated yearly trip to play in the spray fountain in downtown Aspen, white water rafting without the kiddos (next year we are headed down the 6 foot waterfall!), and then kicking back in the cool evening air and taking in the serene scenery.

When we all know it's coming to a close the inevitable conversation arises..."So, where are we going next?????"

My kind of girl

This is all me. The stringy blond hair, the dirt and mud, the earthworm, and a Colorado summer afternoon. Sometimes looking at Savannah is like a mirror into my own childhood.








Mark and Savannah fiddling for more worms (pic below). If you don't know what fiddling for worms is, you should ask. Boy are you missing out!



Few things make me more proud than to see my daughter turn into a girl who loves dirt, worms, and bugs then turns around and asks for high heels and to help cook dinner. Now that's southern!

The park in Ridgway Colorado

Savannah and her Daddy...sometimes you just need a little of Daddy's help.






Savannah conquering the world one bar at a time.





Hollywood Ella and her Daddy.






Wait a second. Who let the Daddys loose to play?

Still in Aspen...



Mark and I decided we needed a date in the midst of this family vacation. So we arose a 6 am one morning to hike Smuggler by ourselves. For me, the perfect date.

The morning air was refreshingly brisk as we climbed the steep switch backs. Our uninterrupted conversation was as priceless as the silent moments while we watched the sun slowly brighten Aspen mountain and then move across the valley. In the picture below you can see the sun is still hours from reaching us.








The tranquility of watching God awaken his creation inch by inch cannot be understated. But as I looked back at the mountain we were on, I saw the maze of trees beside me creating the forest.
And in this beautiful moment I suddenly laughed.





From my view (picture above) I told Mark, "This is beautiful but do you know what I see when I look out there? Planet Endor from The Empire Strikes Back! I am expecting Luke Skywalker to fly through on one of those thingies with storm troopers tailing behind him any minute! Did you see that? I think I saw an Ewok over there!"

Leave it to me to ruin the moment! Come on, you know you see it too.

Picnic at the Grottos

Aspen trip continued...



After our ice cave quest we laid a lovely blanket out by the grottos. Upon the blanket we spread a magnificent feast fit for a king where we lounged enjoying the peaceful beauty of the waterfall and reflected upon life's greater issues. Yeah right!

We did lunch by the grottos and a blanket did make an appearance. But after sandwiches, grapes, and organic oreos, we hit the river with all the passion and squeals two preschoolers could have for water, rocks, and dirt. Let's just say that after this escapade, there were a few in our group who had to ride home fairly naked! Truly indicative of a good time!

The Ice Caves

Continuing the Aspen trip...

This is our crew: newly graduated and soon to be college student, Aunt La la
Aunt Sissy, 2 year old Ella, and 7 month old Burton
Daddy Mark, Mama Christina, and 3 year old Savannah
And lastly, we brought along the ever-traveling Grandma



So here we are hiking to the Ice Caves, a repeated request of Savannah's after last year's adventure. She had been waiting a year to get back on this trail and explore the cave once more. Something she did as a two year old without batting an eye. And yet, 100 yards into the hike it began. "I'm tired," "I'm sweaty," "I can't walk anymore," "Can you carry me?" Ug.

This is a kiddo who has been hiking since she was in the Bjourn at 3 months old! That's the thing with the preschoolers, you never know what you are going to get from day to day. Being true to my own childhood roots I replied, "You'll be fine, keep walking." They aren't the kind, inspirational words of a tender hearted mother. But, you know what? She made it to the top!





Once we reached the top down into the caves we went.




Check out the snow behind us. Ahhh, if I could just roll in it right now...




This is both entrance and exit to the cave. Grandma stayed at the top with Burton while we ventured below. As she waited for us to reappear fellow hikers passed her by. She giggled to herself as a Mom, Dad, and 8 or 10 year old boy commented on the ice caves. The son was begging to climb down in them but the parents assured him that he was not old enough. When he mentioned he heard lots of voices coming from the cave, the mother replied that there were only adults down there. And there we were with a 2 and 3 year old!

I feel sorry for the boy. That place was a dream come true for a kid that age!




Cool kids...




Snack time on the trail...




Burton is such a trooper. He never cares where we take him.




Our handsome Daddy...




My family...



In the end I triumphed and Savannah enjoyed herself while participating. And she had no qualms about walk the rest of the trip!

Invaluable Road Trip Tips

Always provide entertainment for the children.




Having a multitude of stickers on hand in critical. But realize ahead of time that throughout the entire trip you will have at least one stuck to the seat of your pants.




Always have your picture made after getting up at 2:45 am. Cheese!




Make sure the driver and navigator keep their eyes on the road at all times.




Nap time for everyone is equally important to ensure all excoursionist survive the expedition.





Teenagers too.



Oops, this next one is posted twice. Perhaps it is from my subconscious to desperately emphasize the importance of stickers.



If your noticing there are a lot of folks in this vehicle, you are right. The more the better. There is nothing wrong with a 16 hour road trip with 3 kids, age 3 and under...as long as you bring one sweet, blue-eyed, easy, baby boy. We love our Burton.



The next piece of advice is very important for well. When driving over winding mountain passes and a child begins to yell Mama in a whiny tone, puke is eminent. Find the nearest pull out, or else...




you will be cleaning out your vehicle on the side of a mountain and riding the rest of the way with the windows rolled down. Why is puke always funny after riding 14 hours in the car with a bunch of kids? We could hardly clean for laughing so hard! Ok, maybe Aunt Lala didn't laugh so hard while cleaning it up in the back seat. But man is she a trooper! Not many teenagers can live up to her standard.
This is Ella all cleaned up again.



More advice...never let down your guard and think "what else can happen?" Oh, and never let a poopy diaper sit because you don't plan to stop for another 40 minutes. Explosions equivalent to Old Faithful can occur. And just like Old Faithful, they are scheduled to happen again.



But the most important rule is to stop and absorb your surroundings. Be sure to take plenty of pictures of the view, not in spite of the children, but for the good of the children.




Stay tuned to read the rest of our Aspen Adventure. But there is a warning. Joining this family for a road trip is not for the faint of heart. Seatbelts and crash helments are required,