Winter Park 2011

John, Kate, and I just got back from a quick trip up to Colorado. It was sooooooo nice and relaxing. We really had no agenda so it was great. Mark didn't go this time, he wanted to spend some quality time with Gam and Pops. I'm sure they'll be ready to see him again in about 2012! Last week when I told him that John and I were going on a trip that day he literally jumped up and yelled, "yes!" Hmph....guess he wasn't to broken up about the whole deal.

Anyway, here are a few pics from our trip. We first stopped off in Denver at the Bronco's (now called the Sports Authority) stadium for a private tour by one of John's fraternity brothers, Chris. Here they are standing in the field. John was in heaven...he couldn't get the grin off of his face!

Also in Denver we stopped at REI and got some great deals! See Kate's cute hat?

We stopped on one of our hikes to get a drink, but Kate and I were feeling too photogenic to drink, so we just grinned at the camera instead. We took Mark to Colorado when he was Kate's age and we were actually trying to copy a picture of Mark and John from that trip with me and Kate. See below. But like I said, we were too busy smiling!

This hike was on 9 mile mountain. Up at the top is an actual mailbox that says, God's mailbox. We chose this hike because it has great views and goes through a grove of beautiful aspen trees. Here is John at the top - missing a leg apparently.

The actual Winter Park resort was like a ghost town. But we did find this really cool polar bear to pose with. Kate thought he was hysterical I guess!

This picture is our favorite mountian town, Frisco. Its not really a great pic of Kate and I but I'm posting it so you can see the gorgeous aspen trees! We timed it just right this year in order tosee them all brilliantly yellow and orange and glittering in the wind. Really, pictures never do it justice huh?

Family pic (minus Mark) at the Berthoud pass trailhead. We didn't actually make it to the top because storm clouds, lightening, and thunder moved in when we were a little over halfway up. Had we been childless we would have kept going, but since Kate is still such a little munchkin we had to turn around. She loves hiking by the way. She is silent on the way up, but when we turn to come down she is little miss chatterbox the whole way. She has also managed to learn how to say "DA-da-da-da" this trip. Makes me so mad!! After all that training I've done since Day #1 to get her to say "Ma-ma" first! =)

Kate and her grin. She really is such a happy baby and is always charming everyone with her infectious little smile. She has started sticking her tongue out for pictures now, saying "Da-da", and blowing raspberries. She thinks she is soooo cute!