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next stop: wyoming

August 15, 2014

i think i have been to wyoming when i was a kid.
at least i think there is a picture of me there with grandparents.
i vaguely recall it.
i remember a horseback ride… a fence… getting teased… and maybe Old Faithful but once we saw it again i don’t think i remember the first time from life experience. i think i remember a photo.
ANYWAY... we made it to wyoming and it is SO BEAUTIFUL!
we stayed in Colter Bay in Grand Tetons National Park.
Craig found us a little family cabin there.
he also said EVERYTHING in yellowstone was sold out. every. single. thing.
so if you are planning a trip next year… book now. 🙂

so that is a pretty ok view i would say?!
how amazing is that?!
we walked around the harbor and made it to the shore line before we went to dinner that first night.

apparently….my kids are getting tall.

someone else had been there for quite awhile building rock towers all over the shore before we got there.

calves.
that is all.

isn’t it a cute little cabin? there was electricity, a shower and bathroom and… beds.
that is all we needed.
we slept hard!
then ate breakfast out on the “porch” each morning.
breakfast was cereal or pj&j.
and since craig wakes up before everyone (always) he would get me a coffee when he went to get a newspaper each morning.
vacation is rad.

the kids burned off some energy in Jackson after dinner.
we were looking for a movie theater since it was raining and only 7 PM but nothing decent was playing.
so rock climbing in a park worked out.
then dairy queen for dessert.
ice cream every night is a vacation must.
(except the first night we went to perkins for pie… annie thought it was THE COOLEST restaurant ever)
we went to Yellowstone to see the geysers.
they are….cool.
i guess.
it wasn’t my favorite.
they smell… and they almost all look the same.
i appreciate their uniqueness and that it could all explode into a super volcano (or whatever it’s called) at any moment but i was glad that wasn’t the only thing to do in yellowstone national park.

we pulled off the road for a lunch stop and let the kids run wild.
it was just a picnic table but they figured out how to get to the water.

we decided to try one more hike for the day.
Mount Washburn.
it had rained… there was a bear siting down the road and it was getting close to the end of the day.
so i think because of those things the path was E M P T Y.
and it was awesome.

this was the road down below way on another mountain that every one was looking at the bear and her cub.
it was way up in the tree line on the right by this time.

we were hiking and they were talking and i was very last behind everyone and i yelled “COYOTE!!” just at the same time that they saw the fox right in front of them.
i knew it was a fox.
but coyote is what came out.
and i felt like it was SO LOUD but i don’t think any of them even heard me.
so… moral of the story… you don’t want me in your group in an emergency.

it had a rat and wanted nothing to do with us but to get on its way to eat dinner.
so we moved aside.
poor raggedy thing.
go enjoy your rat.
thank you for leaving my children alone.
goodbye.

and i made them take a portrait with the timer since the path was empty and too gorgeous!
if only lauren had been there!
our christmas cards could be mailed tomorrow.
she is 19, in college and working and couldn’t come this year.
she would have liked all the hiking.
we let her know that she was missed. 🙂

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Lori - I love these photos. What a beautiful place!!

Amber - I know these little heaps of rocks as Cairns. We went to Alaska this summer and at one of the glaciers we visited there were several. We also made one of our own. It was a very friendly feeling around those rocks, nice to know that someone else had shared what we were sharing at that moment! Here is an article on them: http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2013/features/cairns-history-building-maintenance.cfm
Love your blog Megan, God Bless you and your lovely family!

Jen - Love your vacation pics. Colorado and Wyoming are so achingly beautiful. We spent a couple nights in St. Louis this summer and visited the City Museum based on your post last year. You are so right about every sentence in your post. The place defies description and is a magical place to spend time with kids. We loved every second and wish it was closer to our NH home so we could go again. Thanks for the tip!

Karina - Hoo hee, that part about the fox…made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!

That should be your Christmas card. You can add one of Lauren in a smaller box…

It looks amazing there, I’ll add it to my list…

Jenn - Wow! Awesome pictures! Thank you for sharing.

Sharla - We climbed Mt. Washburn probably a week before you did – it rained on my husand and oldest on the way down. My 8-year-old kept saying “You should thank me mom for turning around! 🙂
= we made it to the very top curve and headed down. My husband said the top was the only place he got cell service in the whole park. LOL!

arlene - Just keep taking those trips….you are making wonderful memories. We did the same with our family over the years. Your family is beautiful! Enjoy.

Morgan - I worked at a Camp for kids with terminal illnesses. We built Inuksuks (rock towers) along the river, as the Inuits did- leaving a mark, intended for someone else to find and letting the know ‘someone has been here’, ‘it is safe’, ‘you are not alone’. Each rock supports and is supported by another. We need others to succeed, alone we would fail. There are many beautiful symbolisms and stories of Inukshuk’s! Love your photo!

Ruth - Thank you for all the beautiful pictures! Lovely. Inspiring. Perfect.

Kristin S - Those are “towers of remembrance”. I’m pretty sure our summer mission project that stays there probably built those. Like in the Bible where God told the Israelites to build towers of remembrance to remember His faithfulness.
I could be wrong but we do those all over the US every summer and have for 30+ years.

Tiffany - Too bad Lauren couldn’t make the trip. I bet you missed her tons! This looks like an amazing trip… Certainly has been put on our list of road trips to take with our family!

Heather S. - We did Yellowstone and the Tetons last year. It was my second time to Yellowstone, and honestly, not.a.big.fan. I’m just not. It’s too crowded (even though we went before “season”) and I just don’t find it all that pretty. Now, the Tetons? Gorg! I absolutely loved our float trip along the Snake River and hiking around Jenny Lake. Looks like y’all had fun, but seriously, what was up with all the rain?

Julie - Wow – such stunning scenery and I love those wildflowers, o different from what grows wild in New Zealand. Looks like you are all having a great holiday and making lots of family memories.

danielle - It seems like all the blogs I follow are going to yellowstone this year! Hopefully that means if we go next year it will be empty 🙂 What great memories!

Lacey - I found your blog about a year ago and I love how inspirational and crafty you are. I love that you are a light and joy in your posts. Family is so important and I love how you share a bit of that journey and part of your life with us. Have a wonderful day!

Tanya H - The Tetons is my favorite place in the world! When I was a kid we went to Yellowstone almost every year. I loooove being there but I get very tired of the photos- they really are all the same, haha….

Kimberlee Jost - That last pic…the best.
I’ll still take a copy.
🙂

laura oyler - well now i want to visit wyoming. it’s soooo pretty!

Kristin - Love, love, LOVE the Tetons. Yellowstone…eh, not as much. We stayed one night in one of those cabins in Colter Bay before camping the next day. Little critters in the walls and ceiling kept me from sleeping! It looks like you had a great time!

chrissi - your family is just too cute.

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local spots

August 12, 2014

after our super long hike that ended in rain, taking the wrong bus and a less than stellar dinner afterwards i just wanted to go to bed.
but craig is much more fun than i am so he drove around a bit and found Tiny Town Mini Golf in Estes Park.
i’m a sucker for vintage signs.
and at $3 a person… how could we NOT?

i loved every quirky little detail of this place!
you pick your ball and your kids just golf… no snacks… no arcade… no go karts?!
it IS possible.

everything was old and maybe a bit falling apart but the VIEWS!!
and it’s mini golf… it’s always hard to make it in anyway so the age of the course seemed to make it even more fun.

my favorite part was all the flowers.
it has to be the owners pride because they were everywhere.
but it looked like a grandpa’s backyard… not a gardening crew that comes through every week.

we played two nights in a row because the kids begged to go back.
and on the second night sean won the free game. 🙂
you get to write your name on the hand written poster board and date it.

seriously… if you go to Estes park.. you have to come here.
it’s the cutest place!

the second night we walked across the street afterwards and ate at Baba’s Burgers & Gyros.
it was equally “local” and kitchy.
totally delicious.
my family loved it!

and both nights we also went to Dairy Delite in Loveland, CO.
it was the perfect local ice cream place.
like the kind you went to when you were a kid. 🙂
and there was a Ms. Pacman and Galaga machine!!!
it seemed to make the ice cream taste even better.
dairydelite
we did go horseback riding… at least the girls did.
we signed up at the YMCA of the Rockies on the first day to come back the second day.
the boys went hiking while we rode.

we had signed for 1:20. the 1:00 group was about 15 people and the leaders.
our group was us.
and Sam our wrangler from upstate New York.
so my girls and i got a private two hour tour of the Rockies on horseback.
annie had never riden and i think talby had once.
it couldn’t have gone any better.
except i did have the lamest horse ever… i told craig “i get enough difficulty in life raising kids and even the dogs… having a horse that listened to me would’ve been nice. i just paid money to have an animal ignore me for 2 hours”
but the other horses were great…perfect for my nervous girls.
they were so confident by the end! i loved seeing that.

photo-71
and that is all we did in colorado.
we got up the next morning and left for wyoming.
we debated on just staying in colorado and forgetting wyoming. seriously.
i am really glad we didn’t but we easily could’ve kept finding things to do everyday and had a perfectly great time in colorado.

have you ever been to colorado?
what are your favorite places there?
because we are totally going back… and i want lots of ideas.

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meg duerksen - i THINK that shirt was from my nephew. He went there? i think. 🙂

Emily - Catching up on your blog, but love the Georgia Southern shirt! Do you know someone there? That’s my school!

Lori S - I live in Colorado…an hour away from Estes Park. Its funny, wehn you live here you don’t go do those things..too bad for me, I think I will try that horseback riding!!!

Kristen - You must go to Durango and take the train from there to Silverton. Then, we stayed a week in Silverton and rented a jeep to take ALL around. If you aren’t comfortable doing that on your own look into a jeep tour doing the Alpine Loop. Seriously the most gorgeous 360 degree view I have ever seen was on that loop. I think they called it Oh point because all you can say is “oh”! This trip is still a favorite of our kids and they are begging to go back and do it all over again.

Lori Immenhauser - I traveled out of state for the first time in my adult life. I am 48! I live in South Texas! We drove to Crested Butte,Colorado. We stayed in a cabin on Cement Creek and spent most of our time going up into the mountains on ATVs and then hiking. It was hard to hike at the high altitude! I loved it. We visited Crested Butte one evening. It was a beautiful little town.
Blessing,
Lorilee

Staci from PA - We went to Breckenridge during the Winter…….
1. We went to Snowmobile through the Rockies……AMAZING!!!!!!!!! (Did this 2 different days)
2. The DEW Tour was happening and lots of events to watch/visit were free. Your kids would LOVE this at their age. We were in AWE at the tricks of these athletes.
3. We did a Horse Drawn Carriage ride at night to a cowboy style dinner……this turned out to be a Bucket List item just like the Snowmobiling was!!!! http://dinnersleighrides.com/ Apparently they have a Wild West show in the Summer too.

Kelly - I live in Colorado! Colorado Springs. I’ve only been here three years so far so we are still learning all about our state. We were at YMCA of the Rockies last year. Fun! We will have to check out that mini golf place. Helen Hunt Falls is my favorite place in Colorado Springs. Happy travels! Kelly

Melanie - Wow you were visiting my part of the world! So happy you and the family loved it. I’ve lived in Longmont, CO, since 2004 and the entire Front Range has so much going on, especially for family vacations. Estes is a great start! Of course, when you come back, please see us in Boulder County. I’d love to share my ideas for fun and good eats. See us again soon!

Ruth - Wonderful! If you went to the Tetons in WY, you are not far from Yellowstone and Bozeman MT. Seriously Meg, you and your family NEED to come here! You would LOVE it. Just puttin’ it out there for next year’s trip consideration. 😉 Beautiful people, gorgeous scenery, super fun!

Mollie @ Sprinkles of Life - We went to Estes for a day when we were in Boulder last month. Beautiful!

I rode that same horse trail when on my senior trip 11 years ago. We stayed at the YMCA. I have the exact pics from the trail ride. too funny! 🙂

Rachel Jeter - Hi Megan! 🙂 I LOOOOOOOOOOVE Colorado. My uncle lives in Loveland! I have spent many summers in Estes Park! IT’s so beautiful! I also have a sister in Breckenridge. I highly reccomend going there in the “snow season”. It’s a beautiful little downtown. Even if you aren’t skiers, (I’m not!). There’s something so magical about Colorado. The Mountains are incredible! Loved all your pics! 🙂

Karie - Estes Park is my favorite! We went there every summer when I was a child. We would camp in Loveland, too.

Lydia Skaggs - 5 years ago, my husband and I spent the summer working at the YMCA of the Rockies back when we were dating. Love that place! We can’t wait to take our daughter someday! Next time, you’ve got to drive out to Allenspark and have breakfast at Meadow Mountain Cafe. Its literally a tiny bungalow house that’s been converted to the most cozy restaurant ever. Homemade bread every morning. Beautiful omelets. Totally kitschy & unmatched coffee mugs. The bacon, oh the bacon! But seriously, your crew would take up the entire living room, so I’d suggest eating out on the porch surrounded by Roosevelt National Park. Every time, best place I’ve had breakfast. I hope Meadow Mountain Cafe is in heaven someday. 🙂

Christy - I love Colorado so much, I try to figure out how to move there every time we visit, and we have visited lots of times. 🙂 My husband and I went to San Isabel in May. It’s such a hidden gem! We also stayed in the Vail/Avon area and fell in love. Breckenridge is a fun place to go in the summer too. You really can’t go wrong anywhere!

mel - I was born & raised here in CO, and I totally love that miniature golf place. My husband and I went to Estes for our honeymoon(!) 20 years ago. We went for two days because my husband was starting medical school a couple weeks later. We had no time or money. So we played miniature golf there several times so my husband could work on his short game. I would recommend any hike in the Park… but especially Chasm Lake. I think it’s 4 mile one-way, and a pretty good climb, but it’s right at the base of the face of Longs Peak and SO worth it! Longs Peak would be awesome for your older kids. Wild Basin is incredible too. Really, anywhere you end up in the mountains is pretty great. 🙂 Just close your eyes and point to any random spot on the west side of the state! Love that you guys had so much fun!

Kathy - I have to say that your comment about paying an animal to ignore you for two hours made me laugh out loud. 🙂

Janel - I’m a Denver native…if you loved Estes Park,

You will LOVE Grand Lake, just 45 min west of Estes Park or so…lots to do there for a family….also amazing fishing! My dad is a native and an expert sportsman..one of his favorite fishing holes is at the Granby reservoir…south east of Grand Lake by 30 min…you can google Grand Lake for accommodations etc….

Straight west on I-70, 170 miles west of Denver is Glenwood Springs..my favorite place! Hanging Lake is. 1 mile hike to a lake up top..gorgeous in the summer! Perfect for family photo. Bring Blue Lily with you! You can take THEIR family photo too! Glenwood is a H uGE natural hot springs and hot therapeutic pool. Bowling, putt putt, go carts in area… There is a huge slide at the pool….you can reserve a cabana too for the day for $75 so you have shade..Aspen is 40 miles away with amazing hikes and trails, a gondola to top…amazing food..views are amazing.. Glenwood offers family rafting too…and they have a gondola too to a mt top restaurant. There are also fairy caves to explore…on way to Aspen is Carbondale…cute little town… Head south of there and you’ll see RedStone and RedStone Castle. There is a hotel there…it s a beautiful little day trip as is Aspen from Glenwood.

On your way out of town headed back to Denver, you could take Independnce pass out of Aspen… It’s a BEAUTIFUL drive down 20 or so hair pin turns and a road that can sometimes be only wide enough for ONe car hanging on a cliff…. I pretty much blare my horn so people know I’m coming around the bend and to slow down…so they don’t hit me head on…regardless, the pass is stunning! The drive is a tad scary as you head down, then it evens out and is fine….

Steamboat Soring is another area to visit, or further south to Salida or Buena Vista.

As I said, I’m a native. My dad was born and raised in Salida. The family vacation you just had was my childhood, my whole summer, every summer, my whole life. Only we did a LOT of tents too! Every weekend pretty much. I wouldnt change it for a thing, and if given the chance to relive it, I would in a heart beat!

Marilyn M. - We love Estes Park. My husband I go there almost every year except due to illness we didn’t go for two years. Rocky mountain has some of the best hiking with well marked trails. Go across the mountain to Grand Lake. Day trip. Stop at the Alpine center. Grand lake has a small town with a beautiful lake and lots of little shops. Saw moose this year on the way back. We’ve golfed at that same course multiple times. Owned by an older gentlemen who lives local. Next time through try Smokin Daves barbeque, go early or otherwise long lines. Dunraven Inn on highway 66. Italian. The Appenzell Inn on highway 34 and for an amazing donut fix “the donut haus” on the corner by the big slide. Views are gorgeous and wildlife very cool. The big horn restaurant great place for breakfast. Your boys would get plenty to eat. For an adventure take the “Old Fall River Road” One way on gravel to the continental divide….the best……

Cassie Moore - I love love Colorado!!!! So many favorite places, I love Breckenridge…their little main street is adorable and has the best junk store, Marigolds! Alpine slides are a blast in Colorado!!! Mesa Lodge about 20 minutes from Powderhorn Ski Resort is an awesome place with tons of lakes & rustic log cabins you can stay in! I could go on and on how much I love that state!!!! 🙂

Lee Johnson - Oh Meg what beautiful pictures and I live here!!!! Came to the craft w/e with my daughter and friends from TX. Loveland is my home! You drove almost by my house on HWY 34. Wish I’d known you were in this neck of the woods!

Michelle from Australia - It is our biennial family trip to the USA this December. We will be going to Breckenridge, CO for Christmas. Being Australian, and from the tropics, Christmas to us is hot, Hot, HOT weather, air-conditioning, eating salads and swimming. We are very very much looking forward to finding out what a cold Christmas is like.

Barb - Awww, Meg, that is my hood. In live along the Big Thompson river in Drake. Next door to Tiny Town golf is Smokin Dave’s Barbeque. Thee best ever. My hubby and I go at least once a week all year long. Buy a “Rocky Card” in Estes at the hardware store. It is only $10. With fabulous discounts in and around Estes. It will save your big family a ton of money. Next year, Old Fall River Rd. should be open (closed this summer from the flood in sept.)…. Anyways, it is an absolute gem of a drive that takes you up the back way to the top at Trailridge. Creeks, meadows, serenity. Even funner in a jeep, that you can rent in Estes. Email me for more ideas if you are interested, I have bunches. Glad you enjoyed Colorado. Love your blog. Have been a quiet follower for a few years :).

Christy - My husband and I lived in Estes Park for a while during college and worked at the Day Camp at YMCA of the Rockies! We really miss that place!

angela - …..and there is a Christmas tree in the office. Awesome.

Jenny B. - Woops! I’m a dork. Mesa Verde IS in Colorado! 🙂 http://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm

Jenny B. - So fun! I love all the local stuff. That hamburger and fries is seriously making my mouth water! YUM. I’ve been to CO twice. Once on a ski trip to Breckenridge with friends in college, and once with my parents (I’m an only child) on a two week road trip “out west” that included camping at the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon was grand and all, but I looked at it, and said (with all of my ten-year-old wisdom), “It looks just like it does on TV.” My parents were flabbergasted. Ha! I WAS impressed, though, by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, which is in Montrose, CO (I had to Google that to see if it was actually in CO or not). 🙂 Here’s a link: http://www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm. I also really enjoyed Mesa Verde, which of course, is not in CO, but AZ. The most disappointing stop on that trip was Santa Fe, NM. I think I had high expectations, and it was just kind-of a rundown town at the time. Nothing spectacular whatsoever. The most memorable part of that trip, though? Learning to whistle. I sat in the middle seat of my dad’s pickup truck the whole trip, and we got some good three part harmonies going for “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” Good memories. 🙂

Gretchen P - love Estes Park. I was there for a high school trip, it was amazing to see fireworks over the Rockies. Colorado and Wyoming are some of my favorite places. i need to get my kiddo out there, but it is quite a drive from Ohio.

Jenn - How fortunate for you to live in such a central location. We so very much want to do the Great American Road Trip. We just have to get over that 4 hours of driving includes just getting out of Texas. We want to travel to Mt Rushmore and circle back around through Colorado. The pictures have been great! Looks just heavenly!

Kim - Estes Park is one of the most beautiful towns in CO…love it! My husband and I did a big two week tour of CO a year before we had our first son. Best vacation ever!

Karyn - I grew up in Emporia, KS and moved to Denver when I was 22. Seeing your family sporting lots of KU gear while enjoying beautiful Colorado makes my heart smile!

stephany - Meg-
I was born and raised in Colorado! Lived there for the first 30 years of my life…went to college in Boulder!
Next time you are planning a trip e-mail me!
xoxo-
Stephany

Jennifer - We did Colorado for our family vacation this year and really liked it. Estes Park was great, we enjoyed some of the same things you did, and really went in for looking at all the great art shops they had there. Overall, Colorado got to our family of midwesterners – the mountains. The mountains!! I have roughly three million photos of them and love them! In Denver we did Hammonds Candy Factory (free + candy), a Rockies/Braves game, great food, Dinosaur Ridge, Red Rock, Garden of the Gods, so many drives into the mountains, and Casa Bonita. Good times!

jenni - We live in a small town outside of Durango. From Durango it’s just a short drive to Pagosa Springs (1.5 hrs), Silverton (1 hr), Durango Mountain Resort (30 mins)… hiking, rafting, tubing, alpine slide, hot springs, quaint shopping, horseback riding, dinner shows, fishing, boating, kayaking, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad…

Michelle - We spent a week in Colorado Springs when my kids were 16, 13, and 10. It was the best vacation EVER! There is So much to do there! We did one or two activities every day and could easily have found more… Can’t recommend it enough!!!

Cathy - Been to that very place! and it was our boys favorite – especially writing their names on the poster. We love Colorado – especially Buena Vista, Salida and Lake City. So glad y’all had a vacation 🙂

Emily - We have a mini golf very similar in Springfield MO. Total classic for the town! They do have batting cages and so we always have to take our turns in those too. And trail horses are always on auto pilot! Not surprised at all! Looks like lots of fun!

Angela Storm - We grew up going camping in Colorado and doing all the tiny little towns and some of the big ones too. There is a small town near Colorado Springs called Green Mountain Falls – a restaurant there called The Pantry is excellent. I think it may be a breakfast/lunch place only. C-Spgs. also has cool hiking at Garden of the Gods.

Riding the train in Georgetown or the train from Durango to Silverton is fun. And we loved going hiking/driving up Engineer’s Pass. My parents love Pagosa Spgs. I could go on and on and on – I love CO and need to get back there ASAP!

April R - Thanks for sharing the vacation 🙂
We didn’t go anywhere this summer so it’s nice to vicariously virtual visit Colorado. (alliteration!)

We lived in Colorado Springs one summer and LOVED it. First place I’ve ever been that I knew the first week – I could stay here and be happy.
We visited Garden of the gods, went horseback riding at the AF Academy, hiked, climbed, visited Pike’s Peak and spent a lot less time indoors! (sigh)
My favorite was the sky! Every hour was a new “show!”
Grateful for our time there.
btw – sorry if you’ve already said this somewhere but I was wondering if the pics were iPhone or dslr? thanks!

Erin - I grew up in Colorado! There is so much to do here. Next time check out Boulder and Pearl Street. Or head up to the mountains and visit Breckenridge or Telluride or Winter Park. Or even go jeeping in Ouray and stop by Durango. You will love everything 🙂

amy jupin - i love the miniature golf place.
i love that it was worn and looked homemade.
and those flowers!
i was looking at your pictures thinking “this was someone’s dream! (to build and own it) and that made it awesome all the more.

Lee - I saw your Pacman photo on Instagram last week and KNEW it had to be from Dairy Delite! 🙂 We live about a mile from there and pass it everyday driving. Glad you had fun exploring our lovely state! 🙂

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vacation rocks.

August 11, 2014

we started our vacation this year in colorado.
we were staying in a hotel but we stopped by the YMCA of the Rockies.
craig & i had been there in high school for a youth conference but hadn’t been back in 24 years.
Estes Park YMCA camp has all kinds of activities for kids and families… but we weren’t staying there or signed up so we missed out on those.
if family camps are your thing… it did look awesome.
it is a HUGE camp with a million options.
we may look into it more for another year.
(this is not an ad for the Y…it was just me telling you that it looked very cool for family activities in the mountains all in one place)

we hiked up to Dream Lake and then even further up to Emerald Lake.
it took some bus rides to get up to the start of the trail and it was still a really long hike.
GORGEOUS!

annie spotted the first wildlife.
we climbed up on a rock and there it was! elk? moose? we weren’t 100% sure.
she was proud to be the first one to spot it.

the trail ends at Emerald Lake.
it was truly amazing.
it was a long way to get there and annie almost didn’t make it without tears.
but she DID it! 🙂
the others were way ahead of us the whole time.

it rained on us on the way down… and quite a bit the rest of that afternoon.
because it does that a lot in colorado.
you’d think we would have brought some rain gear.
but we didn’t.

we stayed in a hotel during this part of the trip.
did you know embassy suites has a huge breakfast buffet included in your room price?
i would hate for you to not know that! 🙂
our kids like to eat a lot of food… maybe yours do too?
we almost always stay there because it has space for all of us to sleep and the buffet.
and there is a pool too.
our kids think its super fancy.

and it is not NOT fancy but craig and i love it for the buffet.
HA!

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Lisa - LOVE that green hutch! What color is that? I have a old dresser, turned TV stand, that would look GREAT in that!
Thank you, Lisa

Kristin - Ohhh…we did that hike on our daughter’s 10th birthday! It was lovely. I’m glad Annie made it, and that you had a good time.

Tiffany - Family road trips are hopefully in our near future. We would love to go to Colorado! I’m hoping 6 and 3 aren’t too young. Maybe we will wait a few years. I love to go exploring and hiking, so it looks perfect! And yes, we only go to hotels with a pool and free breakfast. That’s a must. I’m so glad to hear you had a wonderful time.

Jen Cnristians - Welcome to CO…. We <3 YMCA of the Rockies! We have lived in CO for three years now, and still find amazing hikes and hidden gems. Have fun in CO!

Marilyn M. - We have hiked to Emerald lake multiple times and the view is worth it. The trail is improved a lot over the years, but there is a stretch along the trail that I start getting tired too. So good for Annie that she made it. All the lakes are worth hiking to in that area.

Rebekah G - We were in Estes Park two years ago. Stayed just up the road in some fabulous cabins called Machins. Truly beautiful! Did the same hike too. Our twins were 3 at the time. We carried them most of the way! Emerald Lake was definitely worth the hike! Thanks for the wonderful reminder of a great trip!

Nancy - My first trip to the Y Camp was at age 6 years old, some 52 years ago. The Y Camp has a multitude of activities and many guided hikes of various difficulty. The uprooted tree is our “Grandpa Tree”. We have a photo of my grandpa, my brothers and me standing around it in 1962. Our most recent photo at the “Grandpa Tree” was with his nine great grandchildren peeking out around the roots. Next time you are there you can hike to the top of the glacier above Emerald Lake and slide down! Thanks for a post that took me down memory lane!

Krista Wiehle - We love us some Embassy suites!!! It is the only practical choice with a big family! And we were in Colorado early this summer and my hubby and I swear those pancakes were the best we had ever had! 🙂

Angela Atkins - I have a plan in my head for our family to go to Estes Park next year. I almost talked myself out of it but this post ended that! Thank you for the awesome pictures and lodging suggestions.

Jenny B. - Had to come back and comment again because I read on Ashley Campbell’s blog that THEY just got home from a week at Estes Park! How funny. Did you see each other? 🙂

Jenny B. - You guys are so adventurous and make so many great family memories together! Also, I’ve never noticed before, but in the first picture, Talby looks a lot like Scott (in the face), and Annie looks a lot like Sean. 🙂

BaileyC - Beautiful photos! And…it’s a cow (female) elk.

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family togetherness

August 4, 2014

I was reminiscing about family memories from MY childhood and I asked my kids, “What are your most favorite memories of OUR family time?”Oh, it was so fun to hear their answers!The first thing shouted out was “CALIFORNIA!!”
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Such a great family vacation we had that year! We were able to fly there and then rent a car to explore the coast.I remember visiting my grandparents in South Padre Island once. The main memory i have of that trip was that my grandpa bought me a Cabbage Patch doll. It was a dream come true.Another answer shouted was “THE BEACH!” Going to the beach is such a great place to bond. 6a00d8341c469c53ef013485d24aa6970c-640wi

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My family can play for hours at the beach.Relaxing by the water has been a favorite past time of mine my whole life.
i would choose that over any other place to visit.”GETTING WAFFLE!” Oh, how we loved our little Waffle baby.

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Growing up we had a dog named Toto who only had three legs. He was so special to our family… it’s weird how animals work their way into your heart.
And when Craig went off to college my friend gave me a puppy for my birthday! I named him Seton after craig’s college. 🙂

My kids shouted “CONCERTS!” referring to Taylor Swift and U2. 6a00d8341c469c53ef0120a5f6257d970b-640wi

Those were amazing memories.
There was always music on at my house. ALWAYS. But the concerts I got to go to were small but still loud and lots of fun.

I know they think these BIG things are their great memories — because they are.
But the more I thought about family togetherness I realized to me it is more about the everyday.
Making pancakes every weekend…
giving haircuts on the back porch…
watching our favorite movie again and again…
playing games on a Friday night…
making chocolate chip cookies…
taking the dogs on a walk…
basketball in the driveway…
drawing pictures at the coffee table…
doing the dishes… folding the laundry…
gathering the eggs…
cuddling the kittens…
making silly videos on the computer…
one last game of catch before bed…
bedtime prayers…
Those BIG events like airplane rides are that much more special because of all the amazing moments in the ordinary days.

Things are very different now than 20-30 years ago but yet so much is the same! I love that. We still just want to be together with people we love and who love us back. No matter what we actually DO with our time.

but i really would like to be at the beach right now. 🙂

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There’s no better vehicle to bring the family together than the Chevy Traverse. With seating for up to 8, everyone in the family can join in on the fun. A 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score for safety^2. helps keep everyone safe on your journey to find new roads, no matter where, or how far, it takes you. And best-in-class maximum cargo space makes packing for family road trips, or hauling around children’s sporting equipment, a breeze. With all these great features and more, there’s no question the Chevy Traverse is the ultimate family vehicle. Learn more at http://www.chevrolet.com/traverse-mid-size-suv.html.

Standard on LS and 1LT. Available on 2LT. LTZ seats 7.
Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s New Car Assessment Program (www.SaferCar.gov).

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Katie - I love our Chevy Equinox!!!!

Stacey - Love your blog, follow you on IG, not a huge fan of the traverse. But I have 1 kid. Do they pay you to promote the vehicle or do you drive it and recommend it?

Stephanie - Lisa–you didn’t ask me, but I thought I’d put in my two cents since we have seven kids. We now drive a 12 passenger van that my husband put seven bucket seats in (vans come with bench seats, which means no head support!). I wish we could drive something better and safer, but we are doing our best.
When we had just six kids we had both a Honda Pilot and a Ford Expedition. Both seat 8, and we would go back to those in a heartbeat. The Pilot had great safety features, but not such good AC which we needed living in Las Vegas. The Expedition was much roomier and was definitely my husband’s favorite. We miss that truck.

Beth - Stacy P. – bahaha! I saw that, too, and thought, wow, Meg is reeeeally pushing the limits here. Thanks for the smile this morning.

jen - LOVE the Traverse.

Lisa… we have four kids and our Suburban has been great for road trips. Just my 2 cents. And congratulations on baby #5!

stacy p. - I *LOVE* that it seats 81! You’d never know that from the look of the car from the outside. 🙂

Lisa - I have a question for you regarding vehicles for a family of 7… But not about a traverse. :/ We will be having baby #5 in January and am wondering about cars. We have a minivan but for trips it’s not going to be the greatest option in the near future. Especially since we love camping. Do you guys sometimes use a passenger van? (12 or 15 passenger van) It looked like in a couple pictures that was what you were driving. Would love your opinion on that if you have a chance. Thanks!

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a new favorite book

August 1, 2014

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KEEP PRAYING FOR MY FRIENDS IN LIBERIA.
I think about them every other minute and my mind has been racing for days.
i trust in God and know He has all the details worked out.
What appears as CHAOS to us is part of the plan to Him.
please keep praying for strength to continue on, health, and the details to fall into place in a miraculous way.

************************************************************************************************

i ordered this book a few weeks ago.
oh my goodness!
it is THE SWEETEST!
i ordered several sewing/crafty books and returned all but this one.

WE LOVE TO SEW – BEDROOMS by Annabel Wrigley.

i told annie she should look at this new book i got in the mail.
she was filled with inspiration!
she looked through it over and over.
then she said “mom… we should start at the beginning and make everything in this book”
then that evening she said “is it ok if i keep this on my bedside table mom? because i want to look at it as soon as i wake up”
i would say THAT is a ringing endorsement.

🙂

she chose to make the Party Mouse Door Stop as her first project.

isn’t it adorable?!
we had so much fun putting it together.

she writes it for kids.
it’s written for kids to be able to complete projects on their own if they needed.
and i really like how she talks to them on artist level… validating that their ideas are important… finding THEIR inspiration… finding THEIR style… not their mom’s.
and it is not ALL sewing machine projects.
some are hand sewn and some are even hot glue!

clearly we loved this book.
last year i was in hobby lobby and found her first book WE LOVE TO SEW – 28 pretty things

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i thought it was AMAZING.
i went home, read from cover to cover and ordered several more for friends immediately.
seriously i did!
and then i googled the author (adorable blog too btw…) and wrote to her to tell her that she made a FABULOUS book and i just wanted to be sure she knew it.

you will want to pin every single image from her blog.

So.. there you have it.
a non sponsored report of two REALLY fun, well written sewing & craft project books for little girls.
because i like pretty things and i know you do too.

We Love to Sew: 28 Pretty Things to Make

We Love to Sew – Bedrooms

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beki - I LOVE Annabel! She is the sweetest!!

Deb Meyers - please tell Annie that the first picture of Party Mouse I thought was the BOOK picture. Then I saw SHE made it! great job annie duerksen!!

Mindi - I think this would be perfect for my little girl! Bookmarking this for her upcoming birthday!! Thnanks!!

Lisa - Very cute! I need to know where you got that aqua/white polka dot fabric behind the mouse…it matches the chevron fabric I got recently at Hobby Lobby, I have re-decorated my oldest daughters room as a guest room and used gray and that aqua and still looking for a couple more fabrics for pillows…

Aubrey - These look so fun! I hope my almost 12-year-old isn’t too old for them because she’s already a good little sewer and would probably really like these projects. Thanks for sharing! And darling doorstop Annie! I hope Pam and her family will be okay. I know it’s hard to always accept God’s plan and submit our will to His, but it does always work out for the best and one day, we’ll understand everything.

jen - That mouse is adorable!

I will definitely need to get these books for my daughter. This very NOT crafty mom ended up with a daughter who would love to do crafts all day long, so these books would be a lifesaver for us both. Thanks for sharing.

Jenny B. - SO CUTE! Or, maybe I should say “SEW CUTE!” 😉

Karen, If I remember correctly, I think Annie is the same age as my oldest son (who is 9), so I’m guessing she’s 9. 🙂

amy jupin - i know this lady!
i remember when she had a little bitty garage she made into a workshop.
maybe one of my first pins ever!
http://coatsandclarksewingsecrets.com/blogcategory/sewing/sewing-studio-tour-little-pin-cushion
now i must must MUST get my hands on these books.
i’m going to need annie to teach me to quilt.
and maybe finish my apron one day!

i am praying for pam and the fam every day.
i know you are scared for her.
hand that fear over to Him. He’s your comfort.
love you!

Megan - Ohhh! My 11yo step-daughter will really like these books. Thank you for the recommendation. Which to choose? We often don’t have much in common and I love finding positive things that we can do together. And prayers of health for everyone who needs them. Thanks Meg!

Traci - This looks like so much fun! I would buy this book for myself, haha.

Jenn - I’ve been staying on top of the news coverage and checking the Samaritan’s Purse web site for updates on Dr. Brantly and Nancy. I am praying for your friends as well. I know its hard to just let go. God does indeed have a plan and every moment we think of them and ask God to help it brings them closer to healing.

Great book and review. I have two girls too and these seem like great projects for them. Thanks for sharing.

Hugs!

Karen - How old is Annie? My daughter is almost 8 and loves to craft but wondering if this is too old for her?

Kristine - Oh. My. Word! That mouse is full of personality just like Annie! Oh I wish I had a girlie! You obviously have nurtured her creativity!
Praying for your friends in Liberia.

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