Mt. Princeton Hot Springs

What a great background

   On Tuesday, we made a trip to the Mount Princeton Hot Springs.  We went last year and the kids loved it.  We were very excited to go back.  Joey's dad was able to come too which made it much easier to have four kids and four adults.
     It was a gorgeous day and the surroundings can not be beat.  The kids first spent some time in the little baby pool.  They loved splashing around.  The water is truly the perfect temperature.
    We then decided to take the kids for a trip down the water slide.  The water slide costs extra, so we just paid for Ashlyn,, Katy, and I to do it.  We took Ella and Dawson down  and the first things out of both of their mouths was, "Again!!!"  Ashlyn couldn't go by herself, so I could only take one kid at a time.  There is a pretty long sidewalk path you have to walk up to get to the top.  I probably walked up that thing 50 times.  I considered it great exercise for the day. I kept taking the kids every time they asked because they were having so much fun!  The only downside was I forgot to put sunscreen on my back, and ended up with a bad sunburn.
    We stopped part way through the day to have to a picnic lunch which was nice.  We were there almost all day and definitely created some great memories.  The kids really wanted to go another day, but it is a pretty pricey place.  We will have to wait until next year I suppose.  Jameson was the only one who got a nap that day, and all four kids were fast asleep by 7:00 that night.  I consider that a huge success of a day in my book!!! 

Papa and Dawson

Going down the water slide

Papa and Ashlyn

It is such a gorgeous pool

Dawson and I on the slide

Taking a break for lunch

Ella and Auntie on the slide

Going yet again

Papa being silly

Jameson swam his little heart out, and he had to go in the stroller for a little nap. 

Going down the slide again

Ella loved this inner tube.

Ashlyn loves swimming with her papa

He loved that slide so much. 

Heading back up to the top.

Park and Papa's Birthday

   On Monday, it was Joey's Dad birthday.  We were very lucky to be nearby and able to spend it with him.  We dropped Ashlyn off with her Grandma so they could work on a birthday cake for him.  The rest of us headed to Buena Vista to spend some time there.  They have a neat park that the kids always enjoy.  The kids had a great time.  We also stopped by the store to pick up a few things we needed.
    We then headed to Joey's dad's house for a birthday dinner.  The kids were able to take a much needed bath there too.  After a weekend at the cabin, they were dirty!  At Papa's house, the kids got to feed and pet the horses.  They had a fun time playing on the swing set in the yard.  Joey's dad made a great dinner of grilled chicken, cucumber salad, corn, and beans. He is such a good cook!  We finished the meal with the wonderful cake Ashlyn and Grandma made.  It was a great time and we were glad we got to spend Papa's birthday with him this year. 

Those two are like monkeys

They really liked this thing

He loves the swing

Love those smiles!

This park has a really neat shaded grass area with lots of trees.  They had so much fun just running around and chasing one another. 

Playing tag

One day soon Jameson will be able to play too. 

Kisses for Mommy. 

Ella looking for Dawson

There he is

Waiting patiently for cake. 

Papa and Ashlyn eating corn. 

What a nice cake Ashlyn made!  She was insistent to her grandma that the frosting had to be blue. 

Papa put frosting on the kids noses. 

Ella trying to reach it. 

The love Papa's backyard. 

High five for Papa!

First Days at the Cabin

    Since we had such an amazing time last year, we decided to spend another week at the cabin.  My sister kept hearing about what fun we had, so she decided to join us with her kids.  Bryan wasn't able to stay longer than the weekend because he had to work.  We had been counting down until our trip for months.  It is so unbelievably nice to get away.  Even though we only traveled a couple hundred miles, it still felt like we we were so far away.  We did some things we don't get to do at home.  Even though it's hard to adjust to at first, it's even nice having no phone and internet service.  It always allows us to focus on spending quality time and not getting distracted by technology.  The kids often entertained themselves with the simplest things.  I never got sick of watching their delight in something as simple as catching a bubble.  What fun did we have!  We have definitely decided that this will be an annual trip.  We came back very rested and relaxed.  It's definitely one of the most laid back trips I have ever taken!  There is something so peaceful and serene by having no where you need to be and just soaking up nature.  By the end of the week, we were kind of ready to get back to civilization.  We weren't ready to leave the beauty we were surrounded by.  That will never get old.  We took a TON of pictures.  So many, that I am going to kind of break it up into several posts.  I always love blogging about trips because I get to relive the moments as I talk about them.  

     As I mentioned in the previous post, we left Saturday afternoon.  We went to the zoo for the first part of the day then headed up to the cabin.  When we got there we met up with Katy and her family.  The kids were so excited to spend an entire week together.  They had a blast immediately. 

Dawson playing with his trains.

Relaxing on the porch

Ella wasn't a happy girl in this picture. 

At the chipmunks.  This still remains to be one of the kids' favorite activities. 

Ella talks to them in the cutest little voice.

Poor Jameson still isn't quite big enough to pet them. 

Going on a walk

She loves walking Alli.

The hummingbirds.  There is always a huge group of tourists taking pictures of them outside the general store. 

They are so active at the cabin!

Throwing rocks

Joey and I took a long ride with the kids.  We saw this little critter along the way.  Joey thought it was a beaver at first, but then we saw it didn't have a flat tail.  My dad said it was a marmot.  We actually saw several more during the week. 

Taking a snack break

The amazing scenery

At the top of the trail.  It's right at the continental divide and I believe its around 12,000 feet in elevation.  Breathtaking views!

Playing with Daddy

The sign that states its part of the Continental Divide

The general store has geodes for sale.  Ashlyn just had to have one when she learned what they were.  We were hoping for a good one full of crystals, but no such luck.  It did entertain us though. 

Getting ready to smash it.

Joey taking a hit

Nothing good insdie

Lunch time!

Almost every afternoon, we would take ice cream down by the river. I can't describe how serene and peaceful it is down by the river.  This was a treat we all looked forward to every day.

Ice cream face

They love that water

Our afternoon entertainment.  Who needs t.v.?