Monday, May 15, 2017

It's fun to stay at the YMCA

For real ... it is!  Mark asked if I would rather have a gift or go away for Mother's Day and of course I chose a getaway. I figured we weren't going to far from home (given the Track Meet Sat.) and had a pretty good idea that it would be Estes Park area (because it's close and I love it there), but Mark was vague about where we were staying.  
Turns out he and Emmrey did a little research and booked a room at YMCA of the Rockies.

The first thing we did was go for a hike to Hidden Falls. 
Emm was tired out from her meet and I wasn't feeling as energized as the others so she and I turned back about half way and waited at the trailhead.

Mark, Bay and Kars continued on and enjoyed the climb to some incredible views

Okay ... so maybe they didn't enjoy the increase in elevation, but they are always glad when they make it to the destination. The falls were so "hidden" there wasn't much to speak of.  Either that, or they took the wrong trail;)

Afterward, we headed into Estes for some pizza at one of our favorite spots.

After returning to the "resort" we played a round of mini-golf. It was getting dark so we had to stop part way and finish the next afternoon. The great thing is unlimited mini-golf is included with your stay:)
They have pretty much all you need right there on the property. They host a lot of large groups/teams/organizations so they have dinning halls or cafeterias for guests. Two breakfasts were included with our stay so we decided to give it a try Sunday morning. You just pay for the number of meals and then it's all you can eat! The food was pretty good ... at least for breakfast.
We walked around and explored the amenities. They have a nice craft cabin/building where you can go in and pay for as many projects as you want and just craft away. It didn't work out with our schedule, but would be a fun thing to do. Other than the cost of crafts/food/store purchases, all the activities are included. They have mini-golf, tennis courts, a gym, roller skating, swimming, and hiking trails. 
If you want none of that ... the scenery is worth it alone.
My sweet girls had tucked away a few surprises for me. 
lotion from Bay~card from Kars
Emm made me this a few days earlier at the club
We went on a leisure stroll around Sprague Lake.

Crossing the water was the most strenuous thing about it;)
My favorite girls!

We went back to the Y and swam for a bit. I didn't realize until after this that they have signs all over stating that photography was not allowed for the comfort and privacy of guests ..... oops! Kinda weird but I guess I understand the concept. Luckily, it didn't cause these girls any discomfort.
Kars suggested that we take a photo with the traditional YMCA statues before leaving
It was a gorgeous weekend in so many ways. I could get used to seeing this out my window everyday!

Elementary Track Meet

Poudre School District holds a track meet for 4th -5th graders each spring. 
Emmrey was pretty excited to be a part of it. 
She was in four events. The 50 meter dash, 100 meter dash, Triple Jump and Shuttle Relay

Her relay quad did pretty good. I failed at getting all four girls after their race, but did manage to get Isabella.
The Triple Jump was a terrible set up. Spectators (parents) had to be outside the chain link fence, so it was tricky to get a photo of her. She did best on her practice jump and scratched on the two that counted ... bummer!
 I didn't care for the meet at all. It was way too many kids competing at one time (about 30 Elementary schools). It is organized well, but still felt chaotic and impersonal just due to the number participating. Emmrey was so nervous!! She didn't place in any of her events, but she did her best which is what counts....and she walked away with a snazzy shirt.



Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Get On Your Feet

Emm had her Spring dance show May 8th. It isn't the most "professional" dance organization, but we like that it's small and it's local (anything that eliminates extra commuting is a plus).
 Emmrey and her friend Dayonna got to take tickets at the door before the show.
She was in the Kix class again this year. They added poms which she thought was pretty awesome!
 The entire Just for Kix Wellington group
 Emmrey loves dance and seems to want to stick with it.
 We went for ice cream after and it was so nice we enjoyed it at the park.
 We were all pretty proud of our little dancer!

Monday, May 8, 2017

Farm Life

After just 6 short weeks, our chicks were ready for a new home. We took them out to the Hoggan Farm. It was a beautiful day so they gave us a tour and shared a little of what they do out there. They had just got these baby Turkeys and Emm was thrilled to hold one.
 We spent a while touring their property before making it out to the barn where our chicks would stay until they were big enough to be outside. 
Omelette, Betty and Peaches in their new environment.
They didn't have the place to themselves for very long before they were joined by some other chicks
We also got to help feed the baby goats .. a dream come true!
 It eased Emmrey's heart to know they would be happy there and it was fun to experience farm life for a few hours. It made me want to live on a farm. Not the never ending work, but the setting and the space I would love.
Thanks to Lisa and family for giving our chicks a good home!