Ahhhh, Grand Lake, Colorado

After a few crazy days running around to every possible kid place in Colorado Springs, we got to Grand Lake, Colorado and let out a deep breath as we watched our kids happily play outside our hotel room by the lake.  Nature rocks.  More to come.

Focus on the Family Welcome Center in Colorado Springs, CO 2010

Our last day in Colorado Springs we went to the Focus on the Family Welcome Center. We had so much fun! They had a 4-story slide that the boys enjoyed. And I ran into a homeschooled kid who was working at the soda shop by choice. Her homeschooled sister and brother had all kinds of college degrees, but she was finding herself and hanging out at a J.O.B. for a while, which is admirable. We don't all want to go to college, people!  Nor do we need to. So all you haters out there who wonder how Aron and I can afford to pay for college for our growing brood, you can bite me.  Each of our kids has a savings account, thank you very much, and they will continue to add to it not only from current chores, but also in the future when they are babysitting and mowing lawns.  Then they can use it for college or to start a business or whatever.

We had a fun time there and then dropped some serious cash at the bookstore. Really, when do I EVER shop?  Let me have my fun buying Adventures in Odyssey CDs and books like Dobson's new Bringing Up Girls.

P.S. Happy birthday to my god-daughter, who I know doesn't read this blog (she's smart!), but I want her to know I'm always thinking of her on her birthday and that I love her very much. She is one cool kid.

One More Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Pic

Photos never do things justice, but I had to include this one from the zoo.  See the giraffe down there? That may be the one from a previous post that Michael was feeding. Beyond that you can see Colorado Springs. Like Santa's Workshop, this zoo is also on a mountain.  This means you get gorgeous views ... and a total leg workout!!!!!  Anyway, this place is awesome and I highly recommend the naked mole rats and the resident fox that runs around the place.

Highest Ferris Wheel in the World at North Pole in Colorado Springs

Oh, yeah, baby. They don't call this the Highest Ferris Wheel in the World for nuthin'.  The North Pole/Santa's Workshop in perched on the side of a mountain. The ferris wheel is up on that thar mountain. The last time I was on a ferris wheel was when I was about 19 ... 20 years ago, people.  And it freaked me out then.  But I sucked it up and went on it for the sake of my precious wee ones ... my adventurous kidlets. And I screamed my head off with my eyes closed the first time around.  Then I dug it!  The kids didn't mind it a bit and had a great time!  Then Aron actually got on the darn thing ... he was more scared than I was at first and then got used to it also.  At the top it was windy and you could see all over the place.  I highly recommend it.

The North Pole in Colorado Springs

(above) Ah, Michael, my little reindeer pulling our sleigh.  He's just such a wonderfully quirky breath of fresh air. So literal and so funny.

(right) A nursing pit stop. Notice how matchy-matchy Sam and I are in our patriotic colors and chunky legs?!

This is the ride that broke the camel's puking button, or something like that. This thing went round and round and round. Then stopped. Then went backwards round and round and round. Callie rode this 100 times. I rode it once and wanted to hurl into a trash can. Of course, the Tilt-a-Whirl with Joel before this ride probably didn't help.