Estes Park

It has been about 10 years since my whole family got together, so after some prompting from Alison, we started making plans back in April. We decided to meet over the 4th of July in Estes Park, CO which is only 90 minutes from us, 8 hours from the Utah folks and 13 hours from the Texans. We scored! We stayed at the River Rock Cottages and they were perfect. Mom & Paul stayed at the Bristlecone Bed & Breakfast across the street. Everyone was there but Ashley and we really missed her. 10 adults and 14 kids. Wahoo! We got a lot of rain, but it was beautiful there and we had a great time. I'm already ready to go back!



Alison, Gregg & their 6 kids drove from Dallas to Castle Rock in ONE DAY. They spent the night at our house, then we made the short drive to Estes the next afternoon. This is what the kids did while mom & dad went grocery shopping. ROCK BAND BABY!!!




Welcome to Estes Park! Everyone was so excited for Queenie and Paul to arrive. And all of the kids were more than happy to help Queenie unpack the 14 bags of candy she brought for the grandkids. They stayed in this 100 year old cabin for 2 nights, then moved to the main house for the last 2 nights. Let's just say they were much happier with the bathroom in the main house. Each night after our kids fell asleep, Jason and I would sneak over to the cabin with our baby monitor in tow and chat with Q & P until we were too tired to move.


After everyone got unpacked and settled in, we all walked down Main Street (Elk Horn Ave) and eventually found a pizza place for dinner. It should've only been a 3 minute walk but Jason turned it into a 30 minute walk - just so we could enjoy the scenery.

The next day, we had reserved a "shelter" at Stanley Park so we spent the day there. When I arrived, the older boys were playing an intense game of baseball. It started to rain so we decided to head for our shelter to eat lunch . . . but right before, Cole got hit right in the nose with a baseball. Lots of blood. Uncle Gregg has some pictures. He's one tough kid!


Trish put Sophie on the swing and she was in heaven. I was in heaven with all the help I had with her. That girl got SPOILED during our trip.


Cate (above) and David (below) doing some Batting practice.


Carter - B the Cute - E


Noelle trying to hold Channing so I can get a picture of his sweet pink sneakers. They were actually mine, but he didn't have any shoes for golf.


Our baby just hanging out, eating Cheetos or something.


Gregg & Ali with their teenage boys. Andrew turned 18 on the day they drove to C.R. Can't think of a better way to celebrate than spend 15 hours in the car. They stopped at a volcano in New Mexico and had a little party though.


Ryan is 16 and helped drive from TX to CO. Hard to believe he was 2 when Jason & I got married.


Noelle, Ludd & Jason eating some lunch


Queenie & Sophie - how cute!


Nicole, Erin, Kylee, David, Cate & Lexi - ready to go fishing with Paul.


Paul arranged for a fishing boat at the Lake Estes marina and took Erin, Kylee, Nicole & Lexi fishing. They had so much fun. Everyone caught a fish (or two) except Lexi so she was pouting for a while, but Paul took her again before the trip was over and she finally caught one. She was so excited!


Gotta love the "Liars Bench"


Getting off the boat. They didn't want to but a storm was rolling in.


Oh man, more liars!


While some of us were at the park and others were fishing, most of the dads and older boys went golfing. You know how boys don't ever take pictures. This is the only one I have. Matt post-golf. He came down to our cottage to visit and this is what happened. I'm so jealous of his ability to fall asleep anywhere at any time.

The next day Max's baseball team had 2 back-to-back games for the State Tournament so Jason & Max drove home for them. While some of the adults & older kids went golfing, Noelle, Alison and I took the remaining kids on a walk and we ended up at Fun City.

Here are pics from the famous Rainbow slide. It was fun for the little kids, but the older ones thought it was lame because it was too slow. Obviously it wasn't too slow for Alison. She loved it!







David the biker dude!


Cate the pony rider. This pony was more like a wild stallion - a little bumpier than she expected.



The bumper boats were a favorite with the kids. None of them were prepared to get as wet as they did.







Cate was the only smart one. She opted to stay on solid ground and squirt the kids with her giant water gun.









At Fun City, we rode on the go-karts. This is Andrew & Lexi cruising in the John Deere.


Paul is in the lead with Channing close behind. Honestly, they were both terrible drivers. Ha Ha Ha! Seriously, they were scary to be around.


Erin, unlike her brother, was driving oh so carefully.


Everyone getting all buckled in!


Watch out for the mother of 6 in the Cheerios cruiser. That's a wicked combination.


Noelle & Nicole in the no-name mobile. Whatever!


The weather was perfect while we were at Fun City. Before we went it was pouring rain and once we were ready to go home, it started pouring again. Only Alison had her van, so she took the little ones home first then came back for the rest of us. This is Noelle, Andrew, Erin & Kylee waiting for their ride.



That night, the weather was awesome. We all gathered in the common area at the cottages and ate dinner together.


Queenie & Sophie with me & Lexi rocking in the chairs.


Jason is so popular - everyone wanted to be around him the whole time. Or maybe it was Sophie they loved???


The boys: Gregg, Paul, Andrew, Matt & Ludd


Trish, Cate, Channing, Cole, Noelle & David


This group was playing Catch Phrase. We had a good game going. Especially when Paul joined in with the "Flower Girl" clue.


Matt the Master Griller


My Girl


Noelle & Ludd in front of their cottage: Chickadee


Gregg, just putting another shrimp on the Bar-Bee


Nicole was such a great helper with Sophie


Lexi & David were so excited when they discovered they both liked Star Wars. They played light sabers anytime they had a chance.

The last full day of our trip was the 4th of July so we had to end the vacation with a BANG! Some of us went white water river rafting down the Poudre River while Gregg took his 3 little ones and Matt & Trisha's little Cole horse back riding through the Rocky Mountain National Park. Jason stayed home with Sophie and Lexi, but that was the day Lexi caught her fish with Paul.


For months before the trip, I refused to go river rafting. I have only heard horror stories about it. Noelle felt the same. But once I did some research and received word from Alison that the company we were using had a perfect safety record . . . and no deaths - very important - I decided to go. We were picked up by a school bus in the parking lot of the High School. It took us to Fort Collins - about a 90 minute drive. It was downpouring rain the whole way and we were not excited. I kept reminding everyone that I told them this was a bad idea.


Noelle & Ludd - the only husband & wife duo on the trip


Trish & Kylee - the only girl cousin to come along


Alison & Queenie - she invited Paul but he respectfully declined


Andrew - the oldest grandchild. He's off to BooooYU this fall.


Paul & Carter - the cool ones


Channing, Ryan (the faker) & Max - the wannabe cool ones


Ok, so we arrive at our destination (almost) and we have to get off the bus to get life jackets & helmets. This was also our last chance to use the bathroom. HOLY FREAKING COW between the moldy mildewy stench of the wet life jackets and the nasty putrid odor of the bathroom and Channing's disgusting jerky nuggest, I was ready to walk home. It was so bad in the bathroom, I came out with my pants down. I had to get out of there. This is how Queenie handled it. Noelle & Trish found a bush behind a fence.


Here's the crew showing off their gear. . . and a couple of other things


This is my favorite picture! I'm going to make it my screen saver just so I can crack up every day. You gotta love Ryan.


Ok, back on the bus for a short ride to the drop off spot. I could feel the maggots crawling in my life jacket. It was still pouring. Queenie even tried to leave her helmet behind so she could get out of going. Trish is smiling but really she's thinking, "Get me outta here!"


Here's Ryan flexing AGAIN! Poor kid - he just has no confidence.


One of the guides asked Max to be his helper to demonstrate some of the rafting rules. I loved the one about what to do if you fell out of the raft and got stuck under it. "Just walk your hands along the bottom until you get free." Yea right!!!


Here's my Maxwell. He was the youngest on our bus.


So, once we got to our drop off point, the sun came out and the weather was beautiful! All of the girls were in one raft and the boys in another. We had a blast! Trish & I were the lead rowers even though Noelle (in the very back) thought she was. We were such good students. We counted out loud as we rowed. Alison kept hitting my hand with her paddle, but what can you do? Queenie gave all the guides a hard time and they loved her. At one point, we stopped and the guides asked if anyone wanted to jump off this big rock into the rapids. Um, no thanks! The water is 32 degrees. Kylee, Max & Carter did it!!! The Texans are pretty wimpy when it comes to cold. I don't know what Channing's excuse was. Bawk Bawk! Anyway, the trip was fantastic and I'm so glad I suggested that we all do it! HaHa!

Although it rained all the way home, it cleared up just in time for the huge display of fireworks over Lake Estes. We wrapped up in blankets and sat on the porch of the Bed & Breakfast. We had the best view in town. Thanks to my family for an incredible trip. Can't wait to do it again. SWAK!