Reflections

On the way back from Colorado we stopped by Grandpa & Grandma Schuett's grave site at Fort McPherson National Cemetary. It has been a little over one year since Grandma has passed on and quite sometime since my grandpa passed on. (when I was 5 years old) When we were here one year ago, Livia was in my tummy and we were in the beginning stages of mourning our loss. This time around for me was calm and reflective. Liv was so peaceful around their headstone. Harper was a tad antsy from all the driving we did before we arrived so she danced around all the head stones.

My Grandmother was an amazing woman. Every since I can remember, my visits with her were memorable. She was always so invested in my life and was supportive of all who I was and am. She was so genuiune in her presence and always saw the best in every situation. She prayed a lot and I always found peace in her prayer. She was a great listener and encouraged me to be the best I could be. I really miss my grandma but can find solace in the fact that she is watching over all of us and lived a great 90 years.

Headin Out

Before we left Colorado, we hooked up with my college buddy Bob. (aka Bobbie and Erbie) We met for lunch before getting on the road back to Nebraska. It was so GREAT to catch up with him. It had been way too long!

Speaking of long...so was the car ride when two little peanuts decided not to nap the eight hour trip. Liv fell asleep for maybe 20 minutes and Harp had no shut eye. This is what we did instead of resting;)...

played with the dolly

ate the dolly

watched DVDs

admired Grandma's toes

and Livy's too:)

played peek a boo

and lots of talking and singing goin on!

Day 4: Dinner

Still day four and we eat again:) And guess what? It's with friends again. Elise and her parents invited us over for dinner at their place in Denver. Elise and Teaf have been friends for years. It was so nice to finally meet his good friend and her family. After dinner we headed back to Scott and Merris's house where we had a game night playing Cranium. I laughed so hard that my face hurt and I nearly peed my pants. WOW, what a fantastic day/night!!!

Day 4: Denver Aquarium

We spent the afternoon on Day 4 enjoying the sea life at the aquarium. It was a pretty cool spot with unique exhibits, making it "not just another aqaurium." One of my favorite animals were the sting rays. They were rather rambunctious that afternoon, swimming about and splashing the crowd. Harper was a bit weary of them and wasn't all about "petting" them. I was also a big fan of the otter. He was very playful with Harper which was way too cute. Towards the end of the outing Harper was getting rather tired and therefore had a major meltdown when leaving. Vacation is SO much fun but can be taxing when naps are minimal to obsolete. The last picture displays what can happen when a two year old is wipped out from all the fun.

Day 4 Part 1: Lunch

Kinda crazy that I have a whole post focused on such a simple task: lunch. The thing is that lunch in a different state, on vacation, with awesome friends and family means so much more than just the task itself. We headed to a great seafood resturant called Pappa Deaux where we enjoyed the spread of seafood among great company. It was beautiful outside so we sat on the patio and took in the atmosphere. Good times!!!

Day 3: back to Denver

On Sunday, the third day in Colorado, we headed out of the mountains and back to Denver to spend a couple days with dear friends. We layed low at Scott and Merris's house for the day/eve. We ate Omaha steaks cooked by Scottie (the grill master) and had great conversation. Merris and Harper watered their porch plants that turned into a 30 minute session of water play...mostly their feet:) Harper was also in love with their cats, who weren't so much in love with her and took a few days to come out of hiding. The minute the cats knew the girls were asleep, they would meander out and hang with the adults. They just weren't too sure about the little people. What a great day spent with great friends!

Day 2: Breckenridge

Day 2 was a fun filled day in Breck. We had some not so pround parenting choices though when we let our 2.5 year old go on the alpine slides. You have to ride the lift into the mountain which was the first scary part. Then, you cruise down the mountain on a sled which has the potential to flip off the track. ( we did not know this until we witnessed a mom carryimg her young child down the rocky mountain who had flipped out of the track) The first trip down was Lateaf, grandpa, and Harper. I wanted to try it out but instead of just going with Lateaf for a second run, I allowed for Harper to go again. Luckily we had no injuries but once down the second time we realized the intensity of our decisions. One bystander told us he has been doing this slide for years and it has never been this fast. He was showing us all his burns from the track. Another lady had an injury and was bleeding from her ear. What the heck where we thinking?! I mean helmets would have been nice for starters. Plus the staff were NO help when this little girl was hurt. They just turned their back. In the end we learned a lesson and although it was fun and Harper loved it, it wasn't the smartest move we ever made. After our dare deviling experience, we walked the town, shopped, and had a snow cone. It was an eventful and beautiful day.