Two Weeks in Telluride: Part 3

After the rain showers on the 4th of July, we had cool, rainy days for several more days. The sun typically came out in the morning, and the clouds rolled in by early afternoon. We still spent a lot of time outside, going for walks and hikes and, of course, riding the gondola.

One of our (Kent's) best ideas was buying a baby backpack for Miles. M loved being able to stand up and see things from our vantage point. And we got to venture out on longer hikes. 

This was a park on the edge of Telluride where Grant enjoyed watching ducks and throwing rocks.

We saw a herd of wild elk along the road one day.

We discovered via Facebook that a good friend of Kent's from law school was also in Telluride with his family, so we met up for dinner one night. Grant enjoyed playing with their 2.5-year-old daughter, Ava. The guys also golfed on another day. Grant thought hitting golf balls and riding in the golf cart was the best thing ever.

 Here is Miles learning to walk at 10,500 feet.

Two Weeks in Telluride: Part 2

After a few days of resting and recovering from our travels, we decided to take a short road trip to the town of Ouray, about an hour away. Ouray is nicknamed "Little Switzerland" because of the towering mountains that surround the town. It was stunning.

We spent most of the morning hiking around Box Canyon Falls, where we saw the amazing waterfall from several vantage points, including a bridge above the falls

It must be said that Kent was the hero of the day, carrying Miles in his arms most of the way on the steep trail that led to the bridge above the falls--while holding Grant's hand. The Ergo carrier, a lifesaver when Miles was a baby, is just not popular with this squirmy, active guy these days. 

After our hike, we had lunch in the courtyard of the lovely, historic Beaumont Hotel.G thought this fountain was as cool as the waterfall.

The next day was the 4th of July, so we ventured into Telluride to get a good spot for the town parade. It was hard not to get into the spirit of the day, as the whole town packed the streets for the celebration. It was a beautiful setting.

 By the time the parade got under way, poor Miles was exhausted and fussy, so we left early. It turned out to be a good thing, because moments after we got onto the gondola to head back to Mountain Village, it started to rain, which continued most of the afternoon. This was a good thing for Colorado, which has been fighting several terrible forest fires this summer.And because of the fires, there was an open fire ban (even smoking outside was banned), so there were no fireworks that night.

Two Weeks in Telluride: Part 1

We had a great two weeks in southwestern Colorado--our first extended vacation as a family of four. We rented a cabin in Mountain Village, a short gondola ride from the beautiful mountain town of Telluride. After a flight into Denver, we embarked on a very long drive--8 painful hours. About four hours west of Denver, we saw one of the forest fires that the state was battling this summer, a surreal sight.

The kids were good sports in spite of the long trip, thanks to lots of snacks and new toys. We finally made it to our place just as the sun was going down. 


We woke up to amazing mountain views the next morning, and it was all worthwhile.

We spent our first days riding the gondola up and down the mountain, exploring and adjusting to the altitude. The weather was lovely: in the 70s and 80s during the day and 50s at night. This was a big relief compared to the temps in the 90s at home. Our cabin didn't even have air conditioning.

The cabin was managed by the Peaks Hotel, across the street, so we had access to the hotel's pool, spa and workout rooms. We spent many afternoons poolside.

Other days, we rode the gondola to the top of the mountain and looked down over Telluride and Mountain Village. We never got tired of the views. Here are a few photos from about 10,500 feet.

Up next: the 4th of July and the beautiful town of Ouray.

11 Month Baby M

He can't possibly be nearly 1! A few developments this month:

• He scoots along furniture.
• He loves to walk around holding hands or pushing a walker.
• Not only does he want to go up the stairs, but he loves to go down them holding our hands.
• He's becoming more expressive and opinionated: pointing when he wants something; whining when he doesn't.
• He says "duck" and "dog," which basically sound the same. 
• He nods his head, "yes," and shakes his head, "no."
• He helps put toys away. When we say, "time to clean up," he puts toys into his toy basket.
• He loves to read books, as long as he can turn the pages. Current favorites include "Barnyard Dance," "Goodnight Moon," and "In My Tree."

Past monthly photos:

Millions of Peaches

Peaches are in season around here, and the boys can't get enough of them. Especially this guy. 

Kent handed him the whole fruit the other day, and he ate the whole thing. He was a sticky, dripping mess when he was done. But he loved it so much he cried when we took it away.

Happy 4th of July!

Veggies

I  know I shouldn't be complaining because a lot of parents can't get their kids to eat vegetables, but we have the reverse problem in our house. We have to beg Grant to eat proteins. This is a typical conversation at dinner:

 G: "More cucumber please!" 

Me: "Eat your dinner first."

G nibbles at his dinner. 

"I ate a bite! More cucumber please!"

"Just take two more bites, and then you can have more cucumber."

I recently bought a veggie tray for a block party, but the block party was rained out. So that night after dinner, when I asked Grant what he wanted for dessert, I kid you not, he said, "veggies, please, veggies." He begged me for the veggie tray for dessert. Which we gladly gave him.

Poor kid thinks veggies are for dessert. I must get more sweets in his diet.