2700 Miles

2700 miles... that's what our Thanksgiving trip consisted of this year! Whew... and are we EVER glad to see our home here in Texas!

We left out on the Friday before Thanksgiving, heading to Glen Haven, Colorado (just outside of Estes Park, northwest of Denver). We spent the first night in a hotel in Sweetwater, Texas, then drove a full day on up to Glen Haven on Saturday. We met our TX friends/neighbors up there -- Brian, Leslie and Emma. We got to stay in a GREAT cabin that we all really enjoyed; the cabin belongs to Leslie's brother's new wife's family (did you catch all that?! ha). Regardless, they welcomed us with open arms & we were so thankful that they were so nice and so trusting to let us stay there for a week!!

My two wishes for this week? First, was to relax (which didn't end up happening since I was chasing both kids up & down the dangerous stairs in the cabin, and then ended up taking care of sick kids by the end of the trip, but oh well). My second was to see some big elk in the wild... that was something I was really excited about...

Austin wasted no time on Sunday morning and quickly got on his winter clothes (along with his pajama pants, you can see) so he could go explore around outside. Justin also wasted no time in settling into the cabin... and reading Kaylee some news out of the current "Guns and Ammo" magazine. These pictures just crack me up...

First, let me introduce you to the cabin. It was amazing -- I honestly think Justin couldn't have enjoyed it more than he did, since it was right up his alley! A huge elk hanging on the wall, rustic wood everywhere, and a wood-burning fire! We four stayed in the upstairs loft, while Brian, Leslie & Emma stayed downstairs with a finished bedroom & bathroom; the middle level (where these pics are taken) was the living room, kitchen, and main bedroom, where Leslie's brother stayed a few nights while he was visiting too.

Our views were simply amazing! Every morning, the sun would shine brightly into the house (thus making sure we didn't sleep past 6:30 most mornings...), and the views from the porches and balconies were simply gorgeous! It never snowed while we were there, but across the street (in the shade of the mountain), there was plenty of snow for us to enjoy...

The first morning, all of the kids got all bundled up and the guys hiked up the hill right behind the cabin with them. Leslie & I tagged a bit behind, taking pictures. I especially like this one -- they were all sitting on a big rock before they headed back down the hill.

Kaylee has never really been in really cold weather, so getting her bundled up was quite interesting. She's not a big fan of boots or hats, but does love her mittens and coat. By the end of the trip, she became a pro in helping us get all of her gear on...

Justin & Brian went to Loveland Pass to snowboard on Tuesday, so Leslie and I were left at the cabin to entertain all 3 kids ourselves!! AARGHHH!! After a breakfast of french toast, we quickly decided we needed to go outside to let them burn off some energy, so we got them all bundled up and went across the road to where all of the snow was. We had great plans to build a snowman, but since it was older snow (and more icy than wet), it was impossible to even make a snowball! So, the kids made snow angels & after only 10 minutes, decided they were cold and wanted to go inside...

That afternoon, Leslie suggested going to a park/playscape that she had seen driving up to the cabin, so we loaded the kids up in her SUV and headed towards one of the local small towns. On the way there, we spotted this beautiful mule deer buck on the road that the cabin is on. I couldn't believe the size of this thing -- certainly puts the deer in our area to shame!!

At the park, the kids played on the playscape, we explored a frozen-over pond and a little stream running out from it, and even got to play a few fun games Leslie came up with. After about 45 minutes, we were all cold & decided to head home so I could start making spaghetti pie for everyone for dinner...

Wednesday morning called for a hiking trip!! We all went & really enjoyed ourselves -- Kaylee probably did the least, but ended up falling asleep in Justin's arms on the way back, so I guess she benefitted from the trip too!! We ran across a frozen-over stream that (of course) Justin had to check & see how frozen it really was. After Roger (Leslie's brother) threw many large rocks at the ice, they quickly decided it was frozen pretty solid, so everyone took turns at walking onto the ice & goofing around. Leave it to me to get a turn & then find the thin spot in the ice & have my foot fall through & get wet -- just my luck!!

After warming up from hiking, we bundled back up and went across the road to the snow and had probably the most fun that we had the entire week... SLEDDING!! The cabin owners had a sled in their basement, so we got to put it to good use as pretty much everyone took a turn! Austin tells me this was the highlight of his trip, and I can see why! He got to sled for well over an hour... and it didn't end until he wiped out & got "snow burn" on his face... but the fun was great while it lasted!!

I attempted to sled once with him. First time I have sledded in probably 15 years. Well... needless to say, I've lost my talent and almost ran into a tree with Austin. Not a good experience...

Austin & Emma won the award for being the best sledders together -- they were amazing and FAST!

Justin, on the other hand, wiped out every single time he got on the sled. Didn't matter if he was by himself or with someone, that poor guy couldn't ever get the sled to cooperate. He eventually gave up... and Leslie forbid Emma to ride with him! -ha-

Wednesday night, I took a break from cooking and we all went out to eat at a great Italian restaurant in Estes Park. We filled our bellies & headed back to the cabin... while heading up the road to the cabin, I looked ahead & right in the middle of the road, with our headlights shining directly toward him, was a HUGE bull elk standing right in front of us up ahead. I yelled for Justin to stop the truck, and I fumbled around for my camera so I could finally get this on camera! One of my week wishes was coming true!!! The elk jumped the fence, and as I rolled my window down & climbed halfway out to sit on the sill, I noticed FOUR MORE ELK in the pasture!! They were ALL HUGE bull elk -- the biggest ones Justin said he'd ever seen too!! And how rare that five bull elk were all traveling together with no cows with them. It was a sight to be seen! Unfortunately, my camera flash wasn't strong enough to catch a great picture, but below is the best I could get. I was just so excited... and still am!!

Wednesday night was rough. Kaylee woke up around 11:00 with a fever and coughing. At some point in the night, she threw up because she was so congested and was getting choked on everything in her throat. By that next morning, Kaylee had two zombie parents and had developed a horrible cough that sounded more like a bark... Happy Thanksgiving. (ha)

Thursday was THANKSGIVING!! I got up & immediately started cooking our big meal -- I cooked an 11-pound turkey, made scalloped corn casserole, fresh rolls, stuffing, and pumpkin pie; Leslie made her famous mashed potatoes and some gravy. We ate right around noon & it was amazing!! We ate & ate, then cleaned the kitchen, then came back to eat our pumpkin pie before we all loaded our vehicles and headed out... That marked our last day at the cabin, and we all went our separate ways. We had all planned on going on to Pagosa Springs, CO together, but Brian & Leslie decided to just go back through Denver to visit her brother for a bit longer, then drive back to Texas the next day. We packed up & left about 2pm for Pagosa Springs and drove through some of the prettiest scenery I've seen in a long time...

But before we left the cabin, we did take a few last-minute pictures:

We drove 6 hours on Thursday night & finally got to our hotel in Pagosa Springs. That night was another rough night -- Austin woke up at one point with a 104 degree fever & Kaylee was running fever again as well, so we were giving both kids Motrin and praying for well children by morning. Of course, by morning time, they were both better & we were anxious to begin exploring Pagosa Springs!!

We had originally planned on going skiing & snowboarding, but since both kids had run fevers, were coughing & were congested, we decided that taking them to a childcare center wasn't the best idea, for many reasons. We ended up going downtown to the hot springs that naturally flow around there & had a great morning walking around town and exploring. We decided that the next morning, we were going to take advantage of the hot spring spas, so we checked out a few of the places and decided to choose "The Springs" to relax in the next morning...

Friday afternoon (Black Friday, mind you), we drove an hour to Durango, CO. We got to see the area that Justin hunts at each year, and saw some huge groups of elk (one group had over 100 head!) right outside of town! That evening, we parked downtown, walked around a bit, ate some delicious pizza, and then headed to the train depot. We had bought tickets to the "Polar Express" train ride on the stream train there in Durango. (I had ridden the same train when I was a little girl, but just not on the "Polar Express" excursion...) We waited outside with our tickets, and soon the steam train came chugging up to pick us all up! On the outside overhead speakers, the book "The Polar Express" was having excerpts read, and it was honestly quite magical! Seeing how all of the kids eyes lit up when this huge train pulled up to pick everyone up was just amazing -- it made me so happy that we could take our kids on this experience!!

Once inside the train, we settled in. We had been told to dress the kids in their pajamas (just like the kids in the "Polar Express" book), so that's another something fun that Austin liked. The train conductor came around & punched our tickets, and then the helpers in our train car brought around cookies and hot chocolate to enjoy. The train chugged ahead & on the overhead speaker, someone started reading "The Polar Express" book outloud -- the helpers walked around with the book, showing pictures to all of the kids. The train ride was about 20 minutes one way, and we ended up at the "North Pole" -- the side of a mountain had been decorated with lights and decorations to look like the North Pole. Even Santa was there... and he got on the train to ride back to town with us!!

All the way back to town, we sang Christmas carols while eagerly awaiting Santa's visit to our train car! Finally, the time arrived! Austin was so excited when Santa popped his head into our car, and then gave him a silver bell (just like in the book!). Kaylee was straight up scared and refused to even look at Santa, but she still got her bell, nonetheless.

Honestly, this was one of my favorite parts of our trip simply because I got to see how excited Austin was, and I got to see the wonder of Christmas and Santa in his eyes. This Christmas is going to be amazing... I just know it!!

Friday night, we got back to our hotel pretty late, so both kids went straight to bed. (Kaylee was up yet again with a fever, but I'd come to expect restless nights by that point...)

Saturday was our hot springs day!! We got up early, had breakfast, and headed straight for the springs. It was in the 30's when we got there, but after jumping into a few hot springs, it was just perfect!! Right beside the river (pictures are further above) is "The Springs" resort... that's where we chose to relax that morning. There are a few dozen different hot tubs spread all around the resort -- all have natural mineral water running into them from natural underground springs. Each of the hot tubs are different temperatures, naturally. We first jumped in a 95 degree tub, then jumped into a 92 degree tub (which was freezing to me since I had already gotten accustomed to the 95 degree one!). After that, we found a 99 degree pool which was PERFECT!! Kaylee & I hung out in the tub while the boys explored around a bit more to see what else was out there. (Justin tried out a 107 degree pool & said he couldn't take it for very long... I never went to one above 100 degrees...) Kaylee absolutely LOVED the hot tubs. I was careful to not get her too hot or keep her in for too long, but she just relaxed & even fell asleep on my shoulder at one point! Austin enjoyed it at first, but in true 4-year-old fashion, got bored with it after about an hour.

After about 2 hours, the kids and I got dressed & decided to head back to the hotel. Justin stayed at the hot springs a bit longer to relax, and I snapped these pictures right before we left. This place was absolutely magical & I told Justin that I'd move to Pagosa simply for the hot springs!! (Some say these springs have the ability to cure, and I can say I believe it. My ring finger on my right hand has major dry skin and no dermatologist has been able to properly diagnose what it is. After just 2 hours of soaking in these mineral springs, it cleared up and has felt better this week than it has for the past 2 years! I know the cure isn't permanent, but it's enough to make me wonder if it'd cure it for good if I could soak once a week for the rest of my life!! Pagosa... here I come!!)

Sunday morning was the last day of our vacation. We had gone to bed the night before watching the snow fall, and the next morning, it was GORGEOUS outside. Pagosa had gotten about 3 inches of snow, and everything was simply beautiful! We ate a quick breakfast & got on the road -- first, stopping in town for me to snap a few snow pictures of the river and the hot springs. (You can see the steam rising from all of the hot springs in the second pic below!) The kids were excited to see snow, and our ride home was beautiful, going over and through the mountains towards I-40.

These are just a few pictures that I snapped out of the truck window (as we were moving) on our way out of Colorado. They turned out so much better than I expected. This area of America is simply gorgeous!!!

We got home LATE Sunday night, around 11:30. We had driven 15 1/2 hours that day & were all exhausted. 2700 miles round trip. My poor Tahoe needs a break...

I got Kaylee an appointment with the pediatrician the next morning (by this point, she had run a fever for 5 nights straight), and come to find out, she had developed a double ear infection. And that cough that had stuck around for all this time? Started as croup, and is now the end stages of croup.

That's our only souvenir of our trip to Colorado... a double ear infection & croup. What a trip!!