Colorado Trip - 2015: Outings

We stayed on the go quite a bit while we were in Colorado.  We couldn't do everything we wanted and see everyone we wanted....but we made a pretty good stab at it.

Noah's number one choice when asked what he wanted to make sure we did while in CO?  Visit Focus on the Family.

The view from the FOTF campus - like everywhere in the city - is breathtaking:

We had a great time touring the visitors' center.  My long-lost sister got to come also.

So she's my sister-in-love...close enough.  Steph and I married brothers, but people have asked if we're sisters many times (except for the one time that lady asked if I was her mother....arghhhhh!)

Steph and I first met when we were 20 and 24, respectively.  And even when Jared and Steph were off for a while, we were still friends.  (I am so glad Jared came back to his senses and then proposed to her!)

Steph and I don't get to talk near as much as we used to (she is working full-time again now, and we have 10 children between us)...and OH, I miss her so much!

We were so glad that Uncle Jared (Jason's youngest brother) could take the week off work.  He is such a ham, he keeps us all in stitches...and G-man fell in love:

While at Focus, we got to step through the wardrobe into Narnia....

...and play over at Whit's End:

And we even got to order a WodFamChocSod while at Whit's End!

Yum!



We got to eat our way around the city some, and had a great time.

Abigail looks shell-shocked sitting with Uncle Robert (the middle brother) during lunch at Freddie's:

She is still such a mama's girl, and it took her until the end of the week to loosen up some...but Uncle Robert never stopped trying!



And thanks to some inspired thinking by Jared, all eight of us adults got to go out to eat supper together one night:

Jason's parents have been divorced for about 30 years now...and hats certainly go off to them for how they made it easier on everyone else by being fine with us all doing stuff together all week.  

Jared and Steph found two brave souls to watch the 12 children....and everyone had fun this night!  (G made quite the impression on Mrs. Cheryl, and she said twice before leaving that night that she wanted to "take him home with me!")




We took the opportunity during our visit to enjoy the local do-it-yourself frozen yogurt place.

Multiple times.

Another must-see on our list that we did get to check off....the zoo.

Beautiful Cheyenne Mountain Zoo:

As the sign says, we were 6,700 feet above sea-level here.

Just as neat as all the animals, is the view from this zoo-on-a-mountainside:

But we did thoroughly enjoy spending time with family...

...while we checked out all the neat animals:

G's Elephant impersonation

While at the zoo, Grandpa Phil treated the grandchildren to a carousel ride:

Daniel was hamming it up here, but seriously, this carousel went soooo fast...I've never seen one this fast!

Grandpa Phil loves going out to breakfast, so on his last morning in CO he had to twist all of our arms (not) to go to The Egg & I:

Ah, three wonderful guys - they deserve their own post!

Grandpa Phil ("Fee-ul")  and G-man had their own little game they liked to play all week...

....and they were so cute together:

And when Grandpa Phil took off for the airport, the rest of us headed to the roller skating rink - another on the kids' "Must-do" list:

We've only ever been skating a few times...but my kiddos love it.

And G had never skated before...but he now he loves it too!

Jacob and LK high-fiving

"We'll be fine as long as you stay out of my way, sissy."

Don't really know what happened here, but Jas and E both blame the other one...

...but no hard feelings!

Ahhhh....good times, with good people.