Family Vacation 2012

I ate my weight in chapstick.
I drank enough water to sink a ship.
I watched for bears and mountain lions like a paranoid zebra.
Yup... I think that sums up our family vacation for me!
Haha... yea I did those things FOR SURE,
but there was SO much more awesomeness to our trip!!!
Come see!

The original plan was Nathan + Me + Colorado
to celebrate our 3rd anniversary... and then life happened!!!
Our love started multiplying shortly after we got married in August '09 and I just couldn't "bear" (I am such an old lady!) the thought of leaving our little ones behind. After all, they are STILL so little.
And Judah nurses like it is his J.O.B.



Really, leave these two crazy heads behind?!?

Romantic getaway turned into our first official family vacation! We've been here and there for long weekends, but nothing this drastic.

It was such an adventure!!!
We picked up my sister, Aunt Anna, in Iowa on the way out there to be our nanny!
One of the many perks of having lots of siblings.
Siblings that are HOMESCHOOLED at that.
Thanks for making good choices, mom!!!

The kids loved her.
We loved her.
And she was probably ready to throw herself into the gorge by the end of the trip!
I know there are only so many times you can watch Finding Nemo
and pop fruit snacks into a kid's mouth before you start pulling out your hair!
Thanks for your help, Annabell :-)

So we found a vacation rental home website that seemed pretty legit.
3 reviews. 2 were really bad and 1 was really good.
Odds were not in our favor, but we ran with it!
I'm a girl who is used to "vacationing" on the lake... in a gutted trailer-made-cabin and using an outhouse all summer long.

**thinking** ...if the Colorado rental home has running water... it is practically the Taj Mahal compared to the "Club!"
We were not disappointed!






Our favorite part of the trip was spending time together at the cabin and property!

Picture this: NO city lights, NO yard lights, SILENCE... followed by howling wolves. Straight out of a horror movie, right?!
The moon and stars were spectacular. They LIT UP the entire yard - and we enjoyed that view from the HOT TUB!
We even watched a storm roll in one night. Lightning over the Rockies.
I freaked out a little. OK A LOT!
Nathan and Anna thought it was funny. I practically saved their lives.

Nathan and I got to spend time "dating" each other on this vacation too!
Hiking and the SCARIEST LUNCH DATE OF MY LIFE!
I kept looking over my shoulder expecting to see a mountain lion posed to pounce and devour ME for lunch.
I figured if I threw my tomato-mozzarella sandwich at him I would have a good 30 seconds to RUN FOR MY LIFE.
So glad we survived that picnic.
Nathan and his huge walking stick were not afraid. Such a man!

It was awesome watching Isaiah discover his echo and shout praises to God from this rock! Judah loved observing. He just wanted to run and jump off of everything! Life with boys. Sigh. Can we just sit down and be safe for one minute??!? Ha.

Garden of the Gods

Focus on the Family

**please note the CHEESE-HEAD trying to get in on our picture! Life with Zay!**

Florissant Fossil Beds

.... I almost caught that rabbit!

Lake Manitou @ Pike National Park

Royal Gorge Bridge & Park

AWESOME cabin near Woodland Park, CO (city above the clouds!)

So happy that we were able to celebrate our 3 years with 2 of the most precious gifts (plus ANNA!) that God has ever blessed us with!
I love my life with you, Nathan!!!

I love the fruit of our love - Isaiah & Judah!

I love the AUTHOR of all that love... our God!!!

Looking forward to making more memories with you boys as the years unfold!!! XOXO