Over the summer we took a road trip out to Colorado. It was such a long drive, but in order to keep costs down and bring our camping gear, we had to do it. The kids were awesome and kept busy watching movies, playing DS games, talking our ears off, and spatting here and there. Who could blame them, being all crunched in the car for a pretty much straight through drive there? When I was young, we traveled to Florida from Colorado every summer and I can just remember fighting the whole time with my sis and brother out of sheer boredom. We had a couple chicken bones thrown at us and a broken wooden spoon that my mom was unsuccessful in using on us. So I knew to be a bit more lenient with Nathan and Hannah based on personal experience.
Shawn absolutely loved it out west! He didn't know what he was missing. We had a blast and just can't wait to go back. Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to build a house there one day in the foothills facing the mountains.
Here is the first pic from a Texas rest area. There was nothing for miles and then we rolled up on this. Rattlesnakes and the temp @ 110 degrees. Yikes!
This was our first camping spot. The Great Sand Dunes are amazing! They are pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but totally worth the stop. We had fun climbing them and there was a waterfall nearby that the kids had fun playing in. This was also where the kiddos got their first Junior Ranger badges. They loved that part!
This is our campsite at Turquoise Lake. We had lots of fun exploring the area and playing in the lake. It was absolutely freezing, so it was hysterical to see Shawn jump in (trying to be all tough) and then try for the next hour to warm up. Because of the fires taking over the west this summer, this was the only campsite we were able to have a campfire at, so we thoroughly enjoyed cooking a delish dinner on it and roasting marshmallows.
Here are some great pictures we snapped in Leadville after all 4 of us took a shower at a laundry stop. It was not our choice place, but we took what we could get. I love this old town and all of the brick buildings it has. There was also a cute coffee shop there, so of course I had to get a warm caramel latte with creamy whip on it and quiche for the fam. Yummy! And take a look at Nathan's bangles...
This is Rifle Falls. We camped here for 2 nights near a creek. This place was super cool because of the falls and the caves we were able to hike through.The kids loved being able to play in the streams without fear of alligators. They look like true Floridians. Hannah hiking barefoot and in her bathing suit and Nathan without a shirt...Silly kiddos!
Here are some pictures taken with Shawn's waterproof camera @ the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool. This place is so much fun. The water in the pool is fed by a natural hot spring and feels oh-so-good.
This is downtown Glenwood Springs. Hannah found a cat that she loved and Nathan found some BBQ that he cried for. Go figure! He couldn't eat it fast enough. Check out his face! The crazy part is that his face generally looks like this no matter what he eats. A true messmaker, but a cute one at that!
Hummingbirds! They were at a fish hatchery that we went to. Pretty cool to see them so close!
These were taken in Estes Park. It tends to be one of my favorite places to visit because of its beauty and wildlife. I LOVE the elk that literally roam the town! We also saw a black bear the first day there. That was so exciting for us. Seeing bears in the wild is just amazing! The kiddos had fun feeding the chunky chipmunks too. We also made it up Trailridge Road in one piece! With the straight down cliffs, no guard rails, and a husband taking it all in on mountain roads he is not used to driving on, I usually yell at him and make him turn around because it is just too much for me! I have visions of flying off of the mountain and that being it. So, I'm glad we made it and at the top we found some snow. Snowball fight!
Love this guy! He totally thought he was blending in. Look at how he matches the rock so perfectly.
Here is Nathan at Balanced Rock in Garden of the Gods. I love this place!
Well, that is just scratching the surface of what we did there this summer. We have sooo many more pictures, but in order to not hog up the blog, I had to cut it short-ish. It was a blast just hanging with the family and getting to see such neat things! I am hitting myself for not taking one family picture there.
And now, for the real reason we went out west this summer...(for the few of you who don't already know!) After having our sweet Hannah we thought we were so done with babies. We had a boy and a girl pretty close together and we were super young, so we thought to ourselves that we had it all figured out. We decided to "fix" that and make sure there was no way I could get pregnant again and we did just that. Shortly after Shawn had his vasectomy, we knew it was a very bad choice for us personally. Our decision was all driven by selfishness. I didn't want to ruin my body yet another time. I didn't want to go through another delivery. I didn't want to go through more sleepless nights, poopy diapers, breastfeeding, you name it! Quite honestly, I was operating out of my flesh, which I tend to do too much.
Anyhow, I started to do research on reversals. They were all very expensive and there was just no way for us. Until I came across Dr. David Wilson in Oklahoma. He is a christian doctor who only does reversals and he is radically cheaper than anyone else. A bargain wasn't going to be the only determining factor though. Especially when we are talking about a certain appendage here. You know what I mean? So, off and on for about 3 1/2 years I researched him and came to find out through mommy blogs that he truly was amazing, the best price, and very skilled. And, to my amazement, there were hundreds of other couples out there who were seeking reversals by him. Amazing! So after lots of prayer for God's will to be done, lots of talking to Shawn, and lots of fear, we decided to go through with it. He is always booked out far in advance, so we were anticipating a long wait. To our surprise, an appointment got cancelled and we were able to snag it before any other website stalkers did. It was exciting and scary, all in one, but we stuck with it. We got our little vacation out first and headed to see him on the last day. It all went well and now we will see what happens. I'm sure our chances are pretty high, seems how Shawn just has to look at me and I'm pregnant. I already have the name Lily Grace picked out for a girl, so my fingers are crossed. A boy would be awesome as well! I'm not too picky. I just go nuts over dressing up little girls.
With all of this being said, I'm sooo glad our God is a God of second chances. I cannot tell you how many "reversals" he has made in my life for the better! He's so faithful and loving no matter what we choose to do. He is also so willing to bless us tremendously! I'm eager to see what the future holds and I know that it is good!
"I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." Psalm 69:30
Take the time today to think about all of the second chances you've had in life and thank God for them. He is the giver of all good things!
