Colorado Vacation- Day 1- HikeMS

We started our Colorado vacation with the HikeMS this year and it was a great way to begin our week in the mountains!  Emily and her family weren't able to join us for the hike this year (insert sad face) but Meredith and some of Cory's family were able to come so we ended up having a large hiking group. 

 

Last year we split into two hiking groups and this year we split into three groups.  Meredith, Parker and I did the six mile hike up the mountain.  Cory, his sister Sondra, and his niece Jennifer did the two mile hike at the top of the mountain.  And Granna and Granstan took the three little girls (Eden, Lily, and Taylor) on the two mile hike at the base of the mountain. 

Six mile hikers- Meredith, Parker and Amy

Two mile hikers- Granstan, Granna
Eden, Taylor, and Lily

We all enjoyed breakfast at the base of the mountain before setting off on our hikes. 

 

 

The walk up to the start of the hike was pretty steep and I started thinking that I might should have stayed at the bottom with the girls, but as soon as we got on the mountain trail, it leveled out and ended up being a beautiful hike!  Parker did a great job on the entire hike and we had to hustle just to keep up with him! 

 

Halfway point!

Crossing the finish line

The little girls stayed at the base of the mountain and completed the two mile hike with Granna and Granstan.  They all did a great job and finished with smiles and two thumbs up!

After the hike, they enjoyed playing in a giant sandbox while they waited for the other groups to finish.

Cory had originally planned to hike at the base but changed his mind at the last minute and completed the two mile hike at the top of the mountain instead.  It was hard and it took him a long time with a lot of stops to rest, but he kept on going until he finished!  We were so proud of him for finishing the entire two miles!  He is such an inspiration to us!

At the finish line!

After the hike, we rode the gondola up to the top of the mountain for lunch and family pictures.

 

 

After the closing ceremony, the kids enjoyed face painting, horse rides and train rides down at the Keystone resort area.  It was a perfect end to a great day!

HikeMS has been such a blessing to our family and has given us something to look forward to all year long.  I am so thankful we stumbled upon it last year and can't wait to make it an annual tradition. 

June and July Little Things

We started the summer celebrating my 38th birthday.  Between taking Lily to a swim party, taking Parker to baseball practice, and packing so that we could leave for Florida the next morning, we didn't have much time to celebrate, but Cory and the kids tried their best to make me feel special!  They surprised me with a massage and a new beach bag full of my favorite things like Skittles, sour cream and onion potato chips and Dr. Pepper!

Lily's friend Dylann invited several friends over for a beginning of summer swim party.  Lily had a great time with her friends from preschool!

We were able to squeeze in a dentist appointment for the girls somewhere in our busy schedule.  It is so nice that they love going to the dentist and can make it through their appointments without any tears!

Lily got her first bee sting on the 4th of July.  It got her right on the upper lip- ouch!  It swelled up really big but was better by the next morning.  It  was hard for her to eat or drink for a good 24 hours and her Sunday School teachers even mentioned how long it took her to eat her snack!  They are used to her finishing quickly and asking for seconds!  I was proud of her for being so brave throughout the whole ordeal!

Cory and I were able to get away for a date night at the Rangers game.  We had tickets in the Capital One Club and even though the Rangers lost, we had a good time and enjoyed lots of great food!

Eden got to help her friend Sara celebrate her 7th birthday with a swimming party at Sara's house.  The past two years, Eden has sat in my lap and cried because she didn't want to swim with her friends.  This year, she jumped right in and swam until the very end of the party.  Her favorite part was jumping off the diving board!  I am so very proud of how far she has come in social situations this year!

The girls begged to have a friend over for a play date so I finally let them have Trinity and Grace over while Parker was at Pine Cove.  The all four had fun playing together all afternoon.

Uncle Steven came for a visit in July and the kids had a great time spending a couple of days with him.  He played Mario Kart 8 with all three of them and threw the baseball with Parker.  Hopefully it won't be long before he gets to come back and visit again! 

June and July flew by and it's hard to believe August is already here!  It won't be long before we will be buying school supplies and getting ready for school to start again!