Maddie's 3rd Birthday

I plan to go back and put a few more things to get caught up- but I wanted to go ahead and write about Maddie's Birthday!

Last Friday was the big day! We had such a fun day.

The morning started with discovering her present and going to get donuts with Daddy.

Then we had a Tea Party Lunch! We love being closer to family! My mom, grandparents, sister, and her kids were able to come, along with several friends! It was just perfect! I was thankful for all my family to help me get ready for the party. The kids all seemed to enjoy it!

After everyone left, the kids enjoyed playing with some of the new toys.

And we ended the evening going to dinner at Chili's with daddy (sadly I didn't get a picture with Daddy!)

Maddie is such a big girl- she is potty trained! She is such a good helper. She loves to play "mommy." There's not much she loves more than playing with her brothers. She is so much fun- I'm so thankful to have her in my life- and look forward to all the years we have ahead to do even more together. I love you precious girl!!

Refreshment

After all the craziness that has been going on in our lives for the past several months, we knew we would be needing a break. We decided to make a trip to the mountains and go somewhere we had never been before. Usually we travel to New Mexico because it is close, but this time we decided on Colorado.

The mountains hold a very special place for me. I was blessed as a child to travel there regularly to my grandparents' cabin. It holds a very special place in my heart where many wonderful memories were made. I absolutely love the mountains.  The fresh mountain air, the snow in the winter, the afternoon rains in the summer with cool crisp mornings, the sound of the wind in the pine trees, and the flicker of aspens leaves- it is good for my soul.

We decided to be brave and drive all the way to Denver in one day (12 hour drive). We stopped for lunch at one of our favorite places in Amarillo- another place that had memories for us.

We stopped in Manitou Springs for dinner. The kids were kinda crazy because they had been in the car so long. We sat outside and they were up walking around the table, but I don't think they were too disturbing to the other guests- we were all tired! We then drove on to Denver.

The next morning we went to the Denver Zoo. We had a nice time, although we are at a stage with Maddie where she doesn't always want to ride in the stroller so there were some battles.

We did a little shopping that afternoon, and then went to a delicious restaurant for dinner where we got to sit outside again.

The next morning we left Denver to head to Vail. As we drove into the mountains and the elevation climbed- we were greeted by one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. The aspens were all changing colors for the Fall. The beauty of God's creation brought tears to my eyes, and I couldn't have been more thankful that I was able to enjoy this amazing time of year (which is my favorite). We stopped and walked around in Breckenridge for a few hours. Again- just absolutely stunning beauty and perfect weather.

We drove on to Vail. It is in a little valley and beautiful as well. While there we stayed in a condo which was easier with the kids. They enjoyed running around and spending time on the porch.

 We spend 3 nights in Vail. While there we enjoyed walking around town, the kids enjoyed several playgrounds, and we went on a hike too. The last night we went to a very nice dinner, and the kids did great.

We left early and started the 14 hour trek back to Texas. Although we weren't ready to leave, we all enjoyed the trip and were ready to hit the ground running when we got home. We all need a little break sometimes, and a place to stop and just breath and reflect on our blessings. The mountains do that for me- and I won't forget the beautiful aspens (my favorite tree) anytime soon.