Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Family Vacation

About thirty years, my aunt had the wisdom and foresight to buy a house in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It is on the mountain, about a hundred yards from the ski slopes, and it's nestled into a wooded lot with trees and wildflowers in the summer (in the winter it is covered under about a gazillion feet of snow). A few years later, my dad bought into the house with her. So . . . here we are. For two whole weeks!

There is something about being in a new environment that is entertaining for children. I'm not just talking about the wonderful outdoors and rafting and hiking. I'm talking about being in a different house. We have not turned on the TV once, and the girls have discovered sledding down the carpeted stairs, the joys of a hot tub, and the thrill of performing plays. Here is their curtain call from their interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood (that is a wolf mask on Julia, if you're wondering).


Here's the other wonderful thing. My oldest daughter is ten. I love having little girls, but having older girls is a whole new world. Anne can do lots of really cool adult things with me that I like to do. Here we are hiking up to 9000 feet. It was wonderful and tough and there was no whining. From either of us.
Dad and little sisters spent the morning scoping out pawn shops for bikes that we can use while we're here. Oh, and we're wearing fleece at night and sitting by the fire. Just in case you were wondering.

sf

14 comments:

Katie Anderson said...

Oh good golly miss molly do I wanna be there! beautiful!

Let's do a writing vacay up there sometime :-)

See ya soon!

Kimberly Derting said...

I love your comment about older daughters because my oldest is my best friend now (of course she's 22 and no longer has to follow my rules). Our relationship is so easy and silly and perfect! Someone told me that when you have a son, you have him until he has a wife of his own. When you have a daughter, you have her forever. (But I really hope my daughter-in-law likes me so I can keep them all!)

Sounds like a fab vacation spot!

Katie Anderson said...

I forgot to agree with you about daughters too! Yes, I just love having an almost teen - even when she rolls her eyes at me, which is happening all too often.

Take today for example, when she and her friend wanted press-on nails to wear to the big Harry Potter premier, and I said no.

I was already just trying to get used to them dressing up and going ALONE (not to mention the fact that they look older than they are), so I surely didn't want them waving press-ons around.

Maybe I am becoming a fuddy duddy in my 30's - yikes!

Kelly H-Y said...

Sounds perfectly wonderful!!!! Enjoy your time away! Love the hiking picture too!

lisa and laura said...

You guys are so cute! Makes me excited for my kidlets to grow up...well, maybe not that excited. Something tells me 10-year-olds don't appreciate sitting on your lap and cuddling quite as much as the average 2-year-old.

Corey Schwartz said...

Oh, it sounds beautiful there. Do you go in the winter too? My husband is dying to take the kids skiing in Colorado.

Christy Raedeke said...

One question: how do you look that good afetr hiking to 9000 feet?

Hardygirl said...

Katie--yes! Writer's conference fer sure! Paul Aertker and his wife Katherine came by for drinks tonight, and we were saying the same thing.

Kimberly--These girls are fun, and Anne talked non-stop while we were hiking. I loved hearing all about what is going on in her brain. Each phase just gets better and better.

Kelly--Thanks! It was a great day!

Christy--Full disclosure . . . I took about ten pictures, and the sun was hitting just right in this one. The rest were quite frightening (of me--not Anne who actually looked cuter in some of the others).

Corey--I'm a ski bum! Love it in the winter, and we brought the girls up for the first time last year. It's SO expensive, though.


Lila--I do still get some good cuddles from my ten-year-old. We'll see when she hits twelve!

sf

Little Ms J said...

I love the pic and had to laugh that it took a few takes to get the one for your blog. I could care less if hubby has a double chin if I look cute. I will retake and retake and retake until I'm my thinnest, most vivacious version of myself. Good thing your ten year old probably doesn't care to argue that with you yet!

Enjoy Colorado!

StaffPicks said...

SF and John:

Great seeing you last night. What a beautiful place for a beautiful family. I think Katherine and I could have easily stayed all night on that porch. I loved hanging out with you and John and am now trying to figure out how we can go catch some of those fishies. Here fishy fishy!! :~)

Irene Latham said...

How cute are y'all? Sweetness. This from a mom of 3 big boys. Which makes them "guys," they tell me... but yeah, fun in a whole different way.

Anne Spollen said...

Great pics -- you guys look like you are having so much fun.

Ten year old girls -- I have one, but she is my youngest. They are a blast, totally different from boys, but a whole new kind of fun.

Yik -- my word verification is
REWORM

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

man you guys have exciting summers! you all are all over the place - you and katie./ Im jealous.

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