staycation

easter monday

B joined us for breakfast, but had to head home early for work. I spent the day working from the pool while these little ladies swam their hearts out. It was a pretty quiet day at the pool and they were pretty pleased. 
Unfortunately the girls had dance that evening and with recital just around the corner we thought it best for them to not miss class. We had to be home in the late afternoon, but it was a wonderful time and a nice little getaway. 

happy easter

It has been years since we woke up on Easter morning at our own home. We’ve had a tradition of going to a hotel to swim. The girls wanted to attend a swimming party with friends last night so we switched up the plans and stayed home for the night. I sure do love a tradition, but it was nice to see these girls so happy and to sleep in our own beds. 
After going through Easter baskets and finding eggs at home we met up with Meyers for brunch. We met downtown at The Pig and Sprout which is one of our family favorites. 
These kids sure are growing up fast. 
The girls didn’t have school on Monday so we spent the night at Great Wolf Lodge. By the time we arrived most of the crowd was heading home. It was a pretty quiet night and we had the place mostly to ourselves. 
My fabulously, goofy girls
I booked the hotel through Hotels.com instead of through the Great Wolf Lodge website. We got a better deal, but the view was a little less than desirable.  At least we had a patio to enjoy all this beauty… HA!

arcade

The previous night was super snowy, but in true-Denver fashion the roads were clear the next day. It was still pretty darn cold though! We checked out the hotel’s lounges on both the 27th and 35th floors and were not disappointed with the views. 
Just a typical 11 year old expression…
We spent some time at the pool in the morning. I am a go, go, go momma and the rest of my family likes to move a little slower. I am doing my best to slow down. 
The Tyler’s were awesome and braved the cold to come meet us for dinner and games. We introduced the kids to Chicago style pizza at Giordanos. It was delicious and just as good as I remember from Chicago. Giordanos was never my go-to pizza, but having a little taste of the Windy City here might just make it my new favorite. 
After dinner we hit the arcade at the Pavilions. The kids all played games and the parents got to enjoy some beers and catching up. We’ve known those Tylers for so long and love that friendship. We always love an opportunity to hang out. 

harlem globetrotters

Annabelle loves basketball and was really excited that the Globetrotters were coming to town. We got tickets to the afternoon game and grabbed lunch at Brooklyn’s before tip off. 
We decided to stay downtown for the night to kick off a fun weekend of spring break. It was snowing really hard that afternoon so we couldn’t really walk around much. We did grab dinner at our favorite restaurant….yep, Morton’s. They sure do take care of us there. It was restaurant week so we initially had trouble getting reservations. They had over 160 cancellations due to the weather. Yikes! We made a night of it and enjoyed a long, delicious meal. 

mountain trip with girl scouts

We joined Gwyneth’s girl scout troop in the mountains for a ski weekend. Well, the troop skied….between me being sick and Gwyneth’s leg we didn’t do much but enjoy the beautiful, snowy hill. We are not complaining at all. The one good thing about getting so sick this past week is that is has really forced me to slow down. There’s more quiet time together, more reading books, more movies and netflix, more sleep which is something we can all appreciate. 
Friday we picked the girls up from school and made it up to Idaho Springs for a late lunch. Oh man, oh man, oh man, I love Beau Jo’s. I feel as though I’m the only one in the family who really loves it. I think everyone else just appeases me.
Annabelle was goofing around and dropped all the toppings off her slice. For some reason that really struck a chord with me and I got a ridiculous case of the giggles. The girls love when that happens. I can be pretty obnoxious when I can’t control my laughter. 
We dropped Gwyneth off at her friend’s house in Silverthorne. All the girls stayed together there Friday night. Thank goodness for those kind mommas who stayed with 11 little ladies that night. Gwyneth had a blast and even managed to get a little sleep. 
I received this picture from the troop leader – G is in the pink sleeping bag. 
We spent the night in Breckenridge and then B went down to pick up Gwyneth before the group headed off to ski. She needs a lesson but wants to wait until after her surgery. 
Two of her friends and their moms didn’t want to tackle the traffic heading down the hill so they stayed with us Saturday night. There was lots of giggling. It was a pretty great night. 
Sunday morning all were tired. We cleaned up, packed up, locked up and headed back down the mountain. For not doing a whole heck of a lot this weekend we sure were worn out. 
This girl was hangry!
I stumbled onto the listing for a bar and grill in Golden called Wrigley’s. Total divey Chicago bar with Chicago dogs, Maxwell Street Polish, pizza, Italian beefs, etc. Our taste-buds were in a Midwesterne feast heaven. B went as far as to say the Maxwell St polish was better than Portillos (I’m fairly certain that is blasphemy!). My little foodie family raved about this meal, which naturally gives  me a way over-inflated ego for finding this little gem. Can’t wait for our next visit. 

great wolf lodge

All the schools around us started back this week, but our gals were lucky enough to have a few more days of summer vacation. I did a little research and found an awesome deal for a few days at Great Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs. The rooms were more than 50% off so we snapped up the deal and headed down for 2 nights. 
Our first day there we practically had the place to ourselves. It was great! We spent most of our time in the wave pool, but managed to do a few water slides too. There no lines and the girls were thrilled!
B had to be in the Kitchen on Wednesday so the girls and I were on our own during the day. Luckily he was able to make it down to meet us for dinner. 
We were up bright and early the next morning for another day at the water park. 
Our last day was a quiet one too. The girls decided to skip the water park and spent the morning playing mini golf, bowling, and doing the ropes courses. B had to head back to work, but the girls and I stuck around until after lunch time. We realized a storm was heading in so we packed up and hit the road so we could beat the hail.  We made it home just in time and headed right to the girls’ school for their open house. It was a really great few days of swimming and fun with these little ladies. I can’t believe we are counting down for the first day of school already….

DIA staycation

We met up with B’s cousin, Amanda who was visiting Colorado for a work conference. It was great to see her! She is such a sweet gal. We grabbed lunch at 5280 Burger Bar downtown. We had plenty of time to catch up and we appreciate so much that she took time out of her visit to meet up with us. 
After lunch we dropped Ryan and Reagan off with B’s dad and we set off for the airport. We had an early morning flight…early, early! We treated ourselves to a stay at the airport. The price tag is hefty, but when you wake up in the morning you walk a few paces and are already at security. At 6 am that’s a wonderful benefit. 
We grabbed dinner at the hotel restaurant, Grill & Vine. It was ok. I think we need to give it another try during our next stay. We shared a few different small plates, but want to give the entrees a try. 
After dinner we hit the pool, which may have the most wonderful views I’ve seen in quite some time. The pool is on the top floor of the hotel and you look out over the runways. We were able to watch the airplanes line up for take off and one after one take off into the sky. It was a beautiful view! So lovely and relaxing. It was a night to remember. 
Taking in the views
Annabelle is the queen of the pool handstand.
Showers and slumber and ready for our big trip ahead. 

breckenridge

We took advantage of a small break from school and were able to head up to the mountains. B was able to get away for the weekend and Don and Lisa joined us for a night as well. We didn’t have much planned just a few days of relaxing. I really enjoy the down time playing games. It’s such a wonderful treat. 
B had to head back down Sunday night for work, but I was able to work from the mountains and enjoy the Monday and Tuesday the girls had off school. 
We played around town and then I spent Tuesday morning picking up the house to head back home. I took a little too long and we left about an hour too late. It started to snow and by the time we made it to Silverthorne I was very uncomfortable with the limited visability. We got a little nervous and turned back. We stayed an extra night and the next morning was all sunshine making it much easier to get home.  
A lovely day in Breck

We grabbed lunch at Empire Burger and then wandered around town. It was a beautiful day.  

Our lunch spot
The girls requested a crafty afternoon. Annabelle decided to try her hand at canvas painting. 

Gwyneth and I gave mosaics a try. 

Annabelle did a great job on her painting and left it as a gift for my dad and Melissa. 

The mosaics were really fun. Gwyneth and I loved our pieces (after they were cleaned up). We’re eager to try it again and I’m trying to figure out if I can offer it at my studio.

We spent our night playing games and watching movies. Our favorite game these days is Farkle. I’m a risk taker in that game and it never seems to work out for me. The girls beat me every single time.

Tuesday morning started off gorgeous. A bright sunny day….who would have though we would end up snowed in!

We grabbed lunch at Eric’s and then played around town.

And then it started to snow. Just nice fluffy flakes at first. I love snow! I just don’t love driving in it.

This cracks me up! Gwyneth was loving the snow and Annabelle was counting down the days until she moves to California.

Annabelle really hates the snow. She is our beach babe! 

Luckily my dad and Melissa didn’t mind us staying another night in Breckenridge. We went back to the house and snuggled up. Sadly I had tossed out all our food because I thought we were heading home. We didn’t have much with us so we braved the weather for dinner at Breckenridge Brewery. The rest of the night we laid low, watching movies, and playing games. 

happy birthday, B

Our second day of adventures started with a quiet breakfast in the room. I grabbed bagels from downstairs and the girls watched the runners take off for the Runnin’ of the Green. The starting line was right outside our hotel. It made for a little madness in the morning but the girls had front row seats. 
Our hotel was hoppin’ in the morning. It’s such a beautiful, grand hotel right in my favorite part of the city. 
Enjoying the views
We walked on over to the Hungry Lion for lunch but we were all still feeling breakfast. Luckily they had a sensational brunch menu.

What could be better on your birthday than Kegs and Eggs?
After lunch we had a few hours to hang out before the Nuggets game. We explored Union Station, checked out books at Tattered Cover and the girls got a free ice cream at the Milkbox. When you stay at the Crawford each guest gets one free ice cream each day which may have been the absolute high point for Gwyneth.
The hotel offers a free car service. We rode to the Nuggets game in style. The girls are certain we should trade in B’s Jeep for Tesla now. 
We were so lucky to have a weekend full of great games. The Nuggets pulled off a win and we had so much fun cheering for our home team. 
Annabelle decided she could eat all of these plain…
She changed her mind after ONE! 
B’s sister, Jen, and her family were at the game also. We were able to meet up for a half time beer. 
We had a little time to kill before dinner so we checked out the Crawford bar. It sits above the terminal with great views of the mountains and the city. You have to stay at the hotel to access this bar so it was far less crowded than downstairs. Although quite beautiful it was a bit stuffy for our liking. 
We grabbed B’s birthday dinner at Mercantile. We had been so eager to try this hot spot but we were a little underwhelmed. The food was ok and the service was pretty rotten. We are glad we tried it, but we can’t see a return visit anytime soon. 
We had two fun-filled days celebrating B’s birthday. He’s a great dad and husband and we love him dearly!
I can’t get these pictures to flip but wanted to keep the memories. 

colorado springs | cave of the winds and cliff dwellings

We had one more day in Colorado Springs and filled it up. Our first stop was Cave of the Winds. I was really nervous for this because of my fear of heights. I’m so glad we did this anyway, because it was one of my favorites! 
The view from the top is definitely a bit unnerving, but also absolutely gorgeous. 
Then you travel down into the mountain and explore the amazing caves. It’s quite impressive to see and pictures do not do it justice. You just have to get down there and explore! 
Just one of the very narrow passage ways
Everyone loved it!
View from the outside. I think B has a picture of me up here, but it was high, high, high and I was so nervous! We did it though. 
Look at little G up there. No fear!
We planned one more stop before heading home. 
We took a little detour to visit the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. 
The history of this place is amazing and you can read about it here. The girls both learned about the Cliff Dwellers at school this year, but Gwyneth was especially excited to see the dwellings up close and personal. 
All of these gems are nestled in the mountains just a short jog from Manitou springs. Of all the times I have visited that great little town I have never stopped. I’m so glad we took the opportunity this visit. 
By the time we left it was HOT. We were ready to get out of the heat and into the a.c. We had a quiet little drive home. I think everyone was pretty worn out from our excursions.