We have lived in Denver for a little over two weeks and things are finally starting to calm down. Denver is a great city, and our trips to the mountains on the weekend have been wonderful (save for a few dozen meltdowns).

The kids are finally starting to adjust to their new house and new town. Adam’s fellowship has allowed us the opportunity to explore different parts of Colorado each weekend and we hope to continue doing this every weekend.

Weekend 1: Echo Lake and Mount Evans

The view from this lake was absolutely stunning. We packed a lunch, and after walking around Echo Lake stopped for a picnic. We continued the afternoon by driving up Mount Evans, which is the highest paved road in North America. The summit is 14,264 feet, and both Claire and I got elevation sickness. Worth it. The views were gorgeous.

Weekend 2: Dinosaur Ridge and Matthews / Winters Park

Everyone was really looking forward to this day. Aaannddd…. It was a total let down. Dinosaur Ridge was definitely not all it was cracked up to be. As in, I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone. Towards the end, the kids were just over it, and over the day, so we decided to just head back to Denver and plan for Matthews/Winters park on a later date.

Weekend 3: Lair O’ The Bear

I envision this being a spot we come back to more than once. The trail followed a beautiful stream that the kids just loved. There were a ton of places to picnic and all of the kids did super well (well, Claire needed a few snacks—not shocking 😉  ). We got there a little too late and only managed a few hours, but stopped in a nearby town for an ice cream treat. It was the perfect day.

School starts for Eli on August 15 and Sam and Jack on August 22. I think all parents are in agreement here when I say, “THANK GOD.” They need the consistency, the time apart, everything school brings. We definitely plan to make the most of our next few weekends before back to school, but I’m so ready to start the new adventure that is Kindergarten. It will test everyone, mostly Sam, but it will be so good.

Thank you for all the well wishes! We are enjoying this “one-year vacation” and making the most of it.