8.27.2010

Mountain Vacay

Our summer's last hurrah was spent at the condo in Dillon. It was perfect and I was able to sleep in and get naps (hopefully getting rid of this sickness) thanks to Jared's help. We also squeezed in plenty of fun!

Some highlights of the trip:

Gondola ride & alpine slides



*A little video of Grey & I--listen closely and you will here Grey saying "Yeah G!"*

Wandering Breck & stopping for lunch at a yummy steakhouse with a view of the ski slopes




Shopping at the outlets (always!)

Lots of swimming and playing on playgrounds



A date night for dinner & a movie with Jared

Wandering the Dillon Farmer's Market

Spending our whole scenic drive stuck in traffic and finally flipping around illegally on I-70

Many walks to the lake

Boat ride on Lake Dillon




Me Warrior.



(a sample of some of the fun costumes)

(getting ready to start)

After months of planning on participating in the Warrior Dash 2010, I couldn't let a little mono keep me away. haha. I decided to do it last minute and take it easy. I definitely was slow and had to walk quite a bit on the part where we ran for a couple miles up a ski slope. It doesn't look as steep in the pictures as it was. Oh and this picture includes about 1/1000th of the uphill part. I might be exaggerating--just a little bit.



The race begins with clambering over junker cars and trucks then on to tackle the giant bales of hay, a rope up a rocky incline and rows and rows of tires. Then the tough switchbacks up the mountain for miles and miles (it felt like it). Finally we started heading downhill. I was feeling good until my knee started pulling. COME ON! So again I had to walk on and off. At the bottom of the hill=RELIEF. Water and the mud pit. I was ready to jump in just to cool off.

I unfortunately got booed at because I didn't dive in but I did manage to splash mud in my face and up my nose which later formed a nice hard ball that I couldn't wipe off because I had mud everywhere. And running with heavy mud was insane.

After the mud pit came the cargo nets, planks across a ravine, and the wonderfully cold river to run across. Looking back I should have sat down and washed up in the river. At least I got a bit of the mud off my shoes.

The final stretch onto jumping the two sets of flames which were quite a bit higher and hotter than seemed safe. But I made it without catching on fire. The worst part was having to wash off the mud in the FREEEEEZING pond. I was purple for about an hour and I didn't even get all the mud off.

A video montage put together by me talented hubby:

It was an amazing experience and I am looking forward to next year so I can really give it all my effort. Who is in with me??
Warrior G

8.20.2010

Rainbows

After a storm last week I took this picture from our front porch. I love, love, love rainbows. We stood there to look at it for a long time.

8.16.2010

Colorado Road Trip: Black Canyon


We got to Montrose with plenty of time to go see the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. It is amazing because you drive along a small road with grass and bushes and then BAM you see this insane canyon right next to you. It does not look like it belongs there and these pictures just don't do it justice. It has rock that is TWO BILLION years old and the cliffs on the one side are sheer drop-offs. Some of the viewing areas put you right up on the edge where you look over and can't see anything underneath you. Terrifying and exhilarating! I held Grey's hand very tightly...

Three generations


8.15.2010

Colorado Road Trip: Durango - Montrose

This day we drove back to Montrose through Ouray which is unbelievable! The road into Ouray is terrifying with the tightest turns I've ever been on. I pretty much had to stop and then turn while going straight downhill.
These are at the top of a pass before we got to Silverton. It was freezing...


Welcome to Ouray!



8.14.2010

Colorado Road Trip: Cortez - Durango

This was our shortest driving day so we spent some time in Durango at a park by the Animas River. We tried to ride bikes but Durango is not very family-friendly and we couldn't find a trailer or bike seat to rent for the kids.





Later that evening we went into the spectacular canyon for a Chuckwagon Supper Show. Food was DELICIOUS and the show was very entertaining.

8.13.2010

Colorado Road Trip: Denver - Cortez


We just got back from a fabulous road trip with Jared's parents. Jared & his dad had been planning a 5-day motorcycle trip for a while and I really wanted to go. So we were the support car. :) I was absolutely in awe at the beauty of the places we went. Stunning scenery the entire way. I am grateful to live in Colorado and cannot believe I haven't taken advantage of the state more!!

The first day we drove from Denver to Montrose. I didn't take any pictures that day. The next day we went from Montrose to Cortez, stopping in Telluride for a bit. I got to ride on the motorcycle the first half of that drive and it was amazing!


I took a ton of pictures in Telluride because it is stunning and I really want to go back. It is a picturesque little town nestled in between tall, lush peaks. We ate lunch and walked along the main street and river.




8.12.2010

Renaissance Festival

Thanks to my dad and Mona we had the chance to go to the Renaissance Festival the last weekend it was running. I went once in high school but have not been since. It was very entertaining and quite the spectacle! I loved spending time with them and their daughter Isabella as well as Bryan & Emily!

A few of the highlights:
ARCHERY

THE RIDE

A FIRE-BLOWING CRAZY MAN

RIDING ANIMALS

GLASS-BLOWING

And Elise came too....

8.11.2010

Tired

Yep. I have mono. again.

I am glad my sheer exhaustion is more than just being a mom or that would have been depressing. Although now I have a couple months of trying to find rest between chasing two kids. hmmmmm...