Flashback Friday: Westward Bound!

First of all, I've been interviewed over at Jennifer Labelle's blog.  Drop by and say hi?

Secondly, on with the flashback!

July 2002

Our family traveled to Estes Park, Colorado for a week of fun and relaxation.  My mom and grandmother flew out earlier in the week, so we drove out with my dad.  Spent the first night at Little Amana, Iowa, and the kids enjoyed swimming in the pool.  I had decided to use the time to work on book #6 of my Arbor U series, so instead of having my nose buried in a book the entire time, I scribbled away in a notebook.  Dad was amused to see me working at the poolside; I was amused by the way my handwriting got progressively worse while drinking three white Russians!  And two days later, we pulled into Nicky’s Resort, just outside Estes Park and Rocky Mountain Nat’l Park. 

Mom, Grandma, and my sister and BIL were happy to see us, and the next five days were spent shopping in Estes Park; touring RMNP; braving the switchbacks of Trail Ridge Road; and celebrating my mom and dad’s birthdays.

The night we ate at the resort, our friends in Ft. Collins drove over to spend the evening with us.  After dinner, we returned to our suite for some fun and reminiscing.  My sister handed out the presents she and I had bought, and I stood up and read the two poems I’d written at my sister’s suggestion.

We reminisced about past gatherings and telling stories about kids’ achievements.  And finally, around midnight, Mr. & Mrs. H left so we could get some sleep.

Several years earlier, there had been a flood in RMNP; the now-dried area renamed the Illuvial Fan.  We spent half a day in that area of the park.  My spouse and two kids climbed to the top of the rock pile while I parked myself on a rock and wrote nearly four pages.  The scenery was breathtaking; the weather calm; and the only sounds were children playing and the gurgle of the creek.  And all too soon it was time for lunch.

Mom had arranged for a photographer; we had a family picture taken. Mom and Dad are seated in the center with my kids on their laps; My sis and BIL are behind my dad; my spouse and I behind Mom; and Grandma in the center.

On the way back, we stopped at Cabella’s in Sidney, Nebraska.  Got several items, including blankets, socks, shirts, and hats.  We also ate lunch:  Caribou sandwich, buffalo burgers, and pizza.

We stayed at the Ramada Inn in Iowa, and enjoyed the water park.  Got several pictures of my kids and spouse going down the tube slide!  I prefer the open slide, and at first, my then-eight y/o balked at going down the slide.  But when Mommy went down first and agreed to catch her at the bottom, she discovered it was a lot of fun after all!  And went down several more times without needing any ‘catching’.

And my husband cracked me up:  He griped all the way to the Indiana/Illinois border about missing work and how vacations were a waste of money.  But once we crossed into Illinois, then Iowa, he relaxed and enjoyed himself.  But on the way home, he was fine until we crossed back into Indiana.  And all of a sudden, he was mad at me for ‘dragging him away from a perfectly good job.’

But I didn’t care; we’d never had a family vacation like that before, and the kids enjoyed having him around.

Present Day:

Tonight is the Opening Ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London:)  Starting next week, expect Olympic updates at the top of my blog posts.

Tomorrow, I'm going to go see a friend in a production of  Nunsense,  She plays a blind nun, so this should be comical!

Sunday, I'll take MDQ and ME back to Indy, then spend the night on my SIL's couch.  My mom's having hernia surgery next Monday, and then I'll go home with the parents to help out, if necessary.