Summer Vacation 2011

Aka: Emily's First Trip to the Mountains!!
Destination: Estes Park, Colorado & Rocky Mountain National Park

This summer's vacation found us in -- you guessed it, none other than the rocky mountains in Colorado. Funny how many Texans vacation there during the summer....hmmmm. We hadn't been in there in two years, and boy were we ready to get back. And we got to introduce Emily to the mountains for the first time!

So what did we do, you ask? Well, after braving a tedious 16 hour long drive with a toddler in the car (yes, we drove it all in one fell swoop), we relaxed. And we enjoyed the cool weather ranging from 50 to 80 degrees. And we relaxed some more. And it was wonderful.

We did a little bit of hiking too. I say little because we took Emily on her first hike ever, but that was all for mommy and Emily. Daddy and the rest of the gang went on several other grueling day-long hikes. However Emily and I were perfectly content staying back at the cabin and entertaining ourselves.

It was also quite an eventful trip, starting with Emily turning 14 months while there. She also cut a tooth, which is always a wild ride with our spirited toddler. One of my personal trip highlights was seeing rain for the first time in months - several times! It sounds crazy, I know, but if you live in Texas during the summer of 2011, you get it. And not only was the rain exciting, but we witnessed several rainbows as well. Simply beautiful.

We couldn't leave without doing some of our favorite activities - driving on Trail Ridge Road up to the alpine tundra, taking a leisurely stroll through downtown Estes, bundling up on the porch and looking up at the night sky, and playing a round of competitive/friendly putt putt golf (just for the record, I cleaned everyone's clocks).

Our souls were refreshed by the crisp mountain air, the beauty of the scenery, and the company of each other. Bryan and I hope that we pass this love for the mountains, hiking, outdoors, etc. to our sweet girl. There's nothing like it, and we praise God for giving us this gift.

So to give you a window into our mountain escape, I give you the below photos (part 1). Unfortunately I can't provide the sounds of a rushing rocky mountain stream, or the scent of fresh pine, or the chill of a cool breeze....but, well, you get the picture.....