Pikes Peak YMCA - Estes Park

    Every Spring Break we usually try to go somewhere.  We no longer have our house in Arizona, so we can't go down there any longer.  This year, we decided not to take a long trip because Emmy is still pretty young to spend long stretches in the car.  Joey and I decided that we did want to do something with the kids.  We decided to take a two night trip to Estes Park.  None of us had ever been there before, so it was a new and exciting adventure for all of us.
    Estes Park was the perfect destination because it was only about a 2 1/2 hour drive.  The drive was pretty scenic and there was lots to look at along the way.  We are members of the YMCA and they happen to have an amazing  hotel/cabin property there.  Since we were only going for two nights and it was the off season, we booked a hotel room and not a cabin.  We were not sure what to expect, and we were completely blown away when we saw the property.  It was gorgeous and I can only imagine how incredible it is during the summer months when everything is green!  There was so much to do there that you didn't even really have to leave.  Our room was pretty basic, so we had to drive into Estes Park for all of our meals.  We enjoyed trying out some new restaurants.

We saw a lot of elk

The hotel

Elk roamed around the property.  

Where we stayed

The view out of our window

     The first afternoon we arrived, we checked in and settled into the room.  There was a craft building that was one of the neatest things in the world!  It had areas to make every craft imaginable from tie dye, ceramics, leather crafting, mosaics, and jewelry. Ashlyn insisted that we get right over there and get started.  The kids all picked a different ceramic to paint.  

Relaxing in the room

So scenic

One of the cabins.  Joey and I really want to come back in the summer and stay in a cabin

    After we did some crafting, we checked out a museum they had that was in an original YMCA camp building. They were encouraged to touch things and the kids really liked it.  After the museum, we headed into town to have dinner.  The place we wanted to go was actually closed when we got there.  We used Yelp and found a good place to have some New York pizza.  It was pretty good pizza.  After dinner, we were all pretty tired, so we went back to our hotel.  They had a skating rink there, so Ashlyn, Gracie, and I all went skating.  Gracie did not care for skating at all, so she watched as Ashlyn and I skated for a bit.

They do love each other

They had a museum at the Y that we toured

Checking out life long ago

Playing with the old switchboard

Checking out some old toys

Pretty girl

   While Ashlyn was busy painting a Harry Potter mug, Joey took the kids outside to play at the park. The park was pretty neat, we just wished it was a little warmer.

Pretty girl

Getting crafty

Dawson was insistent that he wanted to tie dye something.  They had a bunch of different designs to pick from.  He knew immediately he wanted to make a red and black shirt.  He had such fun making his shirt.  This has now become his "at home" shirt.  Right when he gets home, he puts on this shirt and wears it every night to bed.  He is very funny.  

Dyeing his shirt

    We all slept really well that night.  We all woke up the next morning ready for some breakfast!  We headed to a local breakfast spot.  Ashlyn got a waffle with apple toppings she really liked.

Yummy!

Our only complaint about the Y property, was that all the activities (besides the craft house) were only available during certain times.  The pool was only open during certain hours as well.  The kids were dying to go swimming.  We got all dressed and headed to the pool to discover that they were at capacity and weren't letting anymore swimmers in.  The kids were bummed, but we decided to go mini golfing instead and swim later that evening.  Golfing was a bit cold, but the kids still had a great time. 

Pausing for a quick snack break.

   We went to dinner at a place that is supposed to have some of the best pie in the country.  We all sampled a different flavor, and it was pretty tasty pie!  After dinner, we made our way back to the Y and finally got in some swimming.  Joey went in with the kids while Emmy and I watched.  The kids swam for a solid two hours and had a lot of fun.  They were all very ready for bed after that.  

Swimming

Hanging out with mom

  Sadly, on Wednesday, our time in Estes Park had come to an end. We all agreed it was such a wonderful little vacation.  We hope to come back, and hopefully when it is warmer so we can take part in all that it has to offer. Next time, we would like to do some hiking in Rocky Mountain National park as well.
   We still had one more surprise for the kids on the way home.  We surprised them with a trip to Dave and Busters.  I hadn't been to Dave and Busters for many years.  The kids had never been and I don't even think they knew it existed.  I had forgotten how neat that place is and how much there is to do.  It happened to be half off game day, so the place was absolutely packed, but the kids had a great time and it was the perfect way to end our short little spring break trip.

Playing some air hockey

He liked this one a lot

Emmy just long for the ride

Happy boy when he discovered Mario games

They have all these new video games that are like games on steroids.  You go inside a big booth and shoot at different things.  Gracie was actually really good at playing.  

Emersyn at 3 Months

   I am trying to get this post up before Emersyn turns four months in a matter of days.  There is just not enough time in the day for me to blog!  Joey and I are both so busy.  I have been doing more tutoring which also takes up a lot of my time.  
    At three months, Emmy has changed so much.  She is no longer a newborn and now more of an infant.  She loves to smile and smile.  She smiles so big for her siblings.  She is already so fond of them and they all love her to pieces.  In the mornings, she lays on the couch as they all take turns showering her with love and affection.  She eats up every second!
     She continues to be such an easygoing and laid back baby.  She is so content all of the time.  The only time we ever hear her cry is when she is tired or hungry.  She truly never cries for anything else. She is my sweet, sweet little love bug.
    She is meeting all of her milestones and I can tell she is going to be a smart one just like her siblings.  She continues to love to bat at and grab her toys.  She started doing that right around the time she turned 3 months.  One day she couldn't grab her toys, and the very next day she is grabbing them like a pro.  She is really working on the rolling over thing.  She rolled over from her front to back several times April 9th. She rolled over from her back to stomach the next day. She does it, just not consistently yet, but she has the ability for sure.  She also has started to move a bit when I put her on the floor. She is never in the same spot. She is going to be mobile very, very soon and I am so not ready for that at all!
   Sleep has been very touch and go lately.  She slept so well from the time she was born until about three months. She would only wake up a two or three times a night. She went through the 3/4 month sleep regression and it hit us hard!  There have been nights she would wake up on the hour.  I can't explain what kind of torture that is!  Joey will take her some nights so I can get some solid sleep which is a lifesaver.  It is just hard when she is nursing.  She has done a little better that last few nights and I pray that she continues to do better.  We will probably start working on some better sleep habits in the coming weeks.  I  am ready for some long stretches of sleep consistently since I have not had very many in almost four months!
  Poor sleep aside, I want to her to stay this age forever. She is such a bright spot in my life and I thank God everyday for blessing me with this amazing little girl!  She is truly a perfect little angel.

3 month pictures

Love her sweet face

Showing off her cat outfit.  She wasn't too happy when I took this picture

These two already share such a special bond.  I know they are going to be super close and the best of friends.  

Grace holding Emmy

She likes her cat clothes

Big girl

This was the first time she started playing with her toys

She still loves her frog chair

We went to a Nuggets game and she was the cutest thing with her earphones on.  She did so good during the game.

Rocking at tummy time