We just got home from a week in Colorado Springs. It was a great trip and we're glad we got to visit with Jake's parents and show our kids real mountains. There was lots of hiking, good food, some getting a little lost, ice cream every day, and beautiful Colorado weather. Some things to remember from this trip: Amelia raising her arms over her head and yelling "wheee!" as the plane took off on the kids' first plane ride; cool rental minivan where Gavin controlled the radio with his mind; kids finding wild rabbits all over the place; cold rain (unlike our warm summer rain in GA); bribing Amelia with M&Ms to stay at the movie half way through Beauty and Beast; the kids attached to the water bottles Grandma gave them; Jake pulling over on Pike's Peak as soon as we saw snow to play with the kids; taking a wrong turn at the paint mines and walking the dirt road back to our car (great view!); The day after we got to Colorado Amelia asking if we would have to take the airplane again to see Grandma in town that day; When the docent at the Peterson AF museum told Amelia he is a pilot and flies planes she said "me too"; finding lots of local parks for the kids to play; Gavin deciding he wants to be an olympic skier after going on the tour at the olympic training center; meeting up with friends from GA at Palmer Park; lemon ice at Culver's; lots of bathroom breaks but no accidents; Gavin eating oatmeal with toppings every morning at the hotel free breakfast; the kids watching Mary Poppins for the first time as they fell asleep each night in the hotel; Amelia confused saying we "lost our car" because we had a rental; the kids asking every day to play with Ellie the dog at Grandma and Grandpa's house; blowing bubbles in the wind at Palmer Park; Gavin leaving toy cars at the cemetery; having lunch the last day with Uncle Den and Aunt Judy; 3 yr old attitude - on the car ride to the Denver airport Gavin said "I'm glad Amelia fell asleep so I can look out her window."
I have more pictures I may add later but these are my favorites:
1st plane ride for the kids:
flight wore them out:
Grandpa's Nomad:
Hiking at Garden of the Gods:
Hiked up Helen Hunt Falls:
Cheyenne Mt Zoo with Grandma and Grandpa:
Grandma, Gavin, and Grandpa on the zoo sky ride in the car in front of us:
Amelia's first trip to the movies. While the guys watched Fast and Furious the girls watched Beauty and the Beast:
Saturday morning we drove up Pikes Peak:
The kids were so happy to throw snow balls:
Eating lunch at Fargo's:
Hiking at the Paint Mines:
Mexican food at Grandma's:
Learned about racing on Pike's Peak at the Penrose Heritage Museum:
Culvers!:
America the beautiful park:
Air Force Academy chapel:
Olympic Training Center:
Palmer Park:
Amelia's friend Lilly from GA:
