I won't be too wordy here because the pictures are better. But we packed in the fun - hiking
A selfie with the baby cyclops
Family selfies get harder as your family gets bigger.
Craig has longer arms so that was a bit better...
A stranger took pity on us and got a pretty good one although Craig's really got to work on his preschooler holding skills. You'd think he be better at it by kid #3.
2019
I think last time we had to use a tripod. But our family has grown quite a bit since our last visit to this hike. (But Jude wore the same red fleece jacket that Jonah is wearing below on this trip and that's the same chambray shirt I have on (it's my hiking shirt I guess!)
2013
Downtown for some ice cream. Jude didn't get his own cup but don't feel bad for him for a second. There was a line of siblings waiting to share their flavors with him.
But fishing was a hit! Lucy caught her first fish here on this very lake on our last trip and Jonah and here this trip on our first night of fishing. A storm was moving in so only to big two got to go out on the boat but Norah was patient and flexible. I was actually very proud of her.
And then she caught two on our next fishing night. The first when she got to go out on the boat with my Uncle Rick. Sshe said he helped her catch "a big fish. Not like other fish - a movie fish!" I'm not sure what " a movie fish " is but it impressed her.
Then when the bigger kids got their turn on the boat, she got another with the help of a cousin. This one wasn't a movie fish - it was a cat fish. But she touched the side of it and was happy with that.
I'm not really a big fisherwoman myself. Well, I do like fishing except for touching worms or fish which really makes the whole process difficult. But it was fun to have the kids do this with family that has a bit more skill than I do. I guess we'd better bring Jude back in a couple years for his first fish catching experience since they know what they are doing here.
No need to touch worms to enjoy the scenery which truly is one of the best parts of Colorado.
Another first was that I actually went to the Hot Springs. They are probably the biggest attraction of the town but I'd never gone before. It was a lot of fun. The 97degree pool was quite enjoyable. As a kid, cold pools never bothered me much but the adult me really likes the warm water.
And clearly the kid's didn't mine the comfy temperatures either.
Jude and stayed home for the trail ride but Norah was happy to be included with daddy and the "big kids" for a trail ride. One hour was just perfect for everyone but Lucy - she said she could have gone longer.
Walked around the town and river area
Visited the Rocky Mountain Wildlife center.
Here's my picture of the kid's looking at the center's cat that followed us on the walking loop. But Craig's perspective was a bit funnier because right behind them was this big black bear! But no, the cat was much more interesting.
He (she?) was actually my favorite animal there. He got very close and was eating dandelions. I didn't realize so much of a bears diet was leafy stuff.
And of course, we had to go to the Red Ryder Round-up Rodeo!
Ah, the preschooler who insists on inspecting every picture someone takes of her.
Fourth of July fun with the cousins. Eryn had gotten us all matching shirts and decoration which the kid's painstakingly arranged.
Then we hit up the smalltown parade, made some patriotic desserts,
telling "Alexa" to play the Star Spangled banner so they could wave flags before we finished off the night with their first big fireworks display. Every year I think we'll go to one then I realize how late they are and convince myself to wait until the next year. But this year, we did it. They loved the first half with Norah exclaiming "Oh, that's a pretty one! Oh, I like that one!" with each explosion. But either all the fun was exhausting or the back of a pick-up was too comfy because by the end they were all asleep.
I can't give them too much grief because I definitely took my fair share of naps on this trip. Although I prefer this location:
Actually, that's probably the best part of the trip. Time. We took hikes around the cabin, grilled, caught up with the family with popsicles and ladder golf in the afternoon and with smores around the fire in the evenings. My aunt helped Lucy and Norah set up a fairy area with twinkle lights in the woods next to the house (tricking the lights to come on with a towel bc otherwise it wouldn't get dark enough until after bedtime) and Jonah was a game playing fool. They learned card tricks (which still require a pretty big dispension of belief for the audience ;-) and new games like Speed and Spoons and we all just took a few deep breaths.
One thing we failed at was getting a good picture. I only got one with more than half of the whole group in it and I won't be posting it online because I think a few of them wouldn't appreciate it very much (just the general, candid photo shot issues of blinking and middle of a sneeze looks kinda thing). Oh well, next time!
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