Rocky Mountain National Park

Memorial Day we decided to drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park.  I think it was a good day to go--the Bolder Boulder was being held that day in Boulder, CO and there were tons of people in town for the weekend.  The park was quiet and it was a good drive.  This is definitely a driving or hiking park.  We have been used to Yellowstone, which is a drive and then get out and walk and see all of the pretty sites type of park.

With 3 little ones, we didn't feel up to hiking any of the 14,000 foot mountains.  On our way in, at the first stop, a visitor's center, Evan was playing with the camera and dropped it.  The camera (which we bought at Christmas because our old one had died) was now dead.  It would still take pictures, but they were all fuzzy and made for some good seasickness.  So out came the trusty old PHONE camera.

This is the park.  We took the drive up Trail Ridge Road.  It is the highest continuous paved road in the US.  It takes you up 12,183 feet.  This is on the spine of a mountain with drop-offs on either side.  Not so fun to look down, but we made it.


My kids love to go rock climbing.  ANY rock is good enough.

We started down in the vally with the serpentine stream and the green meadow.

 At the top of the world at the Alpine Visitor Center.  We are 11,796 feet up.  It was freezing in the Arctic Tundra.  And windier than Pocatello.  We were very smart and dressed in warm pants and had jackets on to keep us warm.  NOT.  Elsie and I had to run to the bathroom across the parking lot and wait in line with only one old worn sweatshirt to keep us warm.

Above the treeline and 11,000 foot mountains

At the "bottom" of the park, we took a ride on the bus to another little lake area.  The kids love riding on buses.  We did the Junior Ranger program while there, and the kids had fun "writing" down all of the the things that we saw and heard.  At the end, they were given little ranger badges.

Overall, it was a good day spent with family.

Little Boys

SO, Thursday as we were making dinner, all of us--Mom doing dishes, Dad cutting veggies for burritos, Elsie setting the table, and Evan stirring the refried beans on the stove.  Elsie decides she wants to stir and proceeds to push Evan's chair out of the way.  Mom hears screaming, turns, sees pot flailing in Evan's hand and burns covering his arms.  Poor little boy had brushed his arm against the burner.  He is the toughest little trooper.  Just give him a sink full of ice water and a rock to play with and he's good.

Boulder Creek Festival

 Saturday, I got up early to make my wonderful husband breakfast in bed for his birthday.  Then we went to the Boulder Creek Festival with Emily, Sammy, Laurie-Anne, Josh, and William.  The Husbands met us there after helping friends move.  The kids had a blast riding on the train.

It was a hot day with lots of walking and carrying a hot baby

Dads and their Kids: Neil, Evan, Elsie, William, Josh, Don, Sammy, Russ

The coolest bike--seats up to 4.  Only 1 driver though.

Art Boulder style--see how many rocks you can stack on top of each other in the creek

Hello World

I've created this blog for one main reason.  To stay in touch with the fabulous people I've met and want to keep in my life.  There will be lots of tidbits posted here that you may or may not be interested in.  Beware that I will post random things about genealogy and quilting and so on and so forth.  I hope you enjoy my wandering mind.