Colorado & a quick photo tip!

Our drive from Texas to Colorado was successful and slightly uneventful...just the way we wanted it. It was slow going due to the fact that Jon had to drive a 23 foot long truck loaded to the gills. We stayed over night in Lubbock, TX and once again in Trinidad, CO. Charlie was a champ staying the the hotels with us. What a good little dog.

And then on Saturday we finally pulled into Denver!! Woo Who!

Many people have asked us what is taking us to Denver and the answer is...us. We just want to live here. When Jon and I were married (almost 10 years ago) we both said that our ideal place to live would be the Denver area. We like 4 seasons, snow (in manageable amounts), sunshine, mountains, and being only 8-10 hours away from our families in Idaho and Nebraska. For us, it is perfect. AND the thought of getting out of the heat and humidity of the South was extremely appealing.

The whole "getting out of the humidity" thing was great however...it was so hot the day we arrived. Hahaha! Just our luck. Maddie kept saying, "I thought Colorado was supposed to be cooler that Texas!" She was slightly put out (as was I) but it was still wonderful!

Our first stop in Denver was pulling over to figure out where the storage unit was located...

The kids did so great, (except for the million "Are we there yet's?") They had so much stuff to entertain them they didn't have one reason to complain. :)

Jon and a few others unloaded the truck while I took the kids to McDonald's to run and play. After getting to our room, ordering pizza and watching an episode on the Food Network, Lyndon was out for the count...

And Maddie pretended...

A picture of the toilet?...you're asking you yourself.  Yes, but I wanted to show you the fun floor. And the great shampoo and conditioner. I love when a hotel provides quality bath products! (It's one of the first things I check.) :)

The remains of our dinner...

The next morning Lyndon woke up with renewed energy...

And Charlie was still being Mr. Adorable...

And Maddie still as silly as ever...

Trying to make herself smile even bigger...

Upon Lyndon's request, we ate at IHOP for breakfast... who couldn't love a pancake that looked like this?...

or this?...

I love their buttermillk pancakes...

And I have to use a little dab of each and every one of their syrups. I can't commit to just one...

maple, strawberry, boysenberry, blueberry, oh my!...

To the kids surprise and enjoyment, there was a balloon artist who made some pretty cool animals for the kids. Lyndon chose a turtle...

And Maddie chose a penguin...

After breakfast we headed toward the mountains...this is what we absolutely love about Colorado. They are just breathtaking. We'll be buying land in the foothills so we look forward to seeing this everyday...

During our drive to Steamboat Springs, we drove through a really long tunnel right through the mountain!...

More beautiful views...

And then we made it to our condo in Steamboat Springs. We LOVE this place. We stayed here last year as well and had such a great time. The little ski town is adorable and there is a lot of fun stuff for kids.

We went mini-golfing...

We all ended up getting a hole in one...even the kids. Lyndon was beyond excited and couldn't help himself but to do a happy dance...

And then we headed over to the Alpine Slide!! It was so much fun! Lyndon was nervous so Jon and Maddie when down first to check it out...

After they came down, he was ready to try it out himself, so we all went back up the mountain...

Here is part of the slide from the view of the chair lift...

Finally at the top...

For the next 2 days the kids kept asking to go back to the slide. It was a huge hit!


We also saw some horses but didn't have a chance to ride them...maybe next summer...

Coming up in the next post: Our drive through Wyoming and Idaho. Who knew how beautiful northern Wyoming is!!


Photography Tip:
To take pictures of your life and family you have to have your camera with you. duh, I know, but hear me out... There are days that I keep my camera in it's bag tucked away in a "safe" spot. That's good and all except for the fact that I then go days without taking one single picture! For me, out of sight, out of mind. So that is why I try to keep my camera out and handy. If it's sitting there, I'll use it. If it's put away, I don't...simple as that.

So my tip is this: keep your camera out and easily accessible. It's more sturdy than you think and just think of all of the photos opps you would be missing if you never have it out!

note: all of these pictures are taken with my 30mm lens on my nikon D80 camera.