Colorado

My husband's cell pic of our gorgeous view of the sky as we traveled.

Today we returned from a much needed family vacation. Since we want our girls to grow up seeing the amazing country in which we live, we decided to drive to our destination in Colorado. It was a long trip but our kids did great! Our oldest did get a little tired of driving and finally said at the end of the first day, "Mom, I need to sleep in a REAL bed!" Around the same time, our 17 month old decided to amuse herself by screaming at the top of her lungs and laughing hysterically - for A HALF HOUR! Our ears were ringing and our sanity was a little challenged by the time we figured out how to distract her. But, I digress...

We had a wonderful time visiting our family and seeing the sights in Colorado. We stayed with my husband's Uncle and Aunt - who were amazing hosts. Not only did they feed us great food and provide a lovely and quiet place to stay, they showed us some beautiful and interesting sights - including the Garden of the Gods and the Mountain Zoo. We also hiked a little at Pike's Peak (as far as you can with a four year old), visited Miramont Castle, a huge 46 room home built in 1895 by a Catholic priest (my geeky history buff side came out!), and walked through the Pioneer Museum. We actually had to leave the Pioneer Museum when our baby discovered that her scream sounded really cool with the echo effect of all the marble in the old building.

But, as much as I loved the incredible views, clean air, museums and hiking... my favorite aspect of the trip - by far - was the love we felt extended to us by our family. We had such a nice time visiting with all of them and our daughters loved playing with their little cousin who lives nearby. It was nice to just relax with all of them and enjoy each moment as it came. When it was time to leave and head home, we actually felt rested and ready to go. Tonight, I'm back home, staying up a little late to enjoy the sounds of my own home and savor the memory of last week. Hope you're having a great summer too!