OBX 2012

Just a few highlights from our wonderful trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina!  We all had a fabulous time and hopefully created lots of new memories that our children will remember for a long time. 

Home *Sweet* Home!

I love it when you return to your home after being gone a while, you seem to appreciate what you have.

I loved getting home and sleeping in our own bed.  I think we all slept like babies that night.  And we all were excited to see our fluffy hair-ball dog, Charlie.  Oh how he missed us....and we missed him.  (Thanks to Papa & Jane for keeping him for us!) Just getting things back to normal is a great feeling for me. 

So even though we don't have any food (still have to go to the store!), there are piles of clothes ALL over the house, there is mail to go through, and phone calls to return....it's so good to be home!

Traveling Home!

Okay...I just want to take a minute and post this on my blog so that I can look back at it before we take our next long road trip. 

MY FAMILY IS AWESOME!

The kids were such great travelers.  We ended up driving straight through, and they did not complain one time!

I had my reservations about taking a long road trip (you all know that!) but it was a wonderful experience.  So yes, I'm admitting to all of you out there who read my little ol' blog, that my husband was right and I was wrong!

I'm SO looking forward to our next adventure! 

Vacation - Day 5

 Today is our last day in Breckenridge.  It's been a great, but short trip.  We have enjoyed every single second of our time here and can't wait to come back. 

Today we took a tour at the Country Boy Mine.  It was really interesting and we got to experience just a tad of what these guys had to do to "hit the jackpot!"

After our tour of the mine, we went to the top of Boreas Pass.  It's amazing up there.  We drove to the top on a long, and winding gravel road....with breathtaking views.  (Some were just a little too close to the edge of a drop-off...if you ask me!)

 Standing up through the sunroof....was a big hit!  Since we were only going about 10 mph....I was okay with it! 

Our time was short, but we made some awesome memories.  As we head back home....we don't say "goodbye" to Colorado....we say, "See ya soon!" 

Vacation - Day 4

 Today we decided to get on our bikes and do a little riding.  We took a shuttle to the top of Vail Pass.  It's basically a 12-mile downhill bike path.  It was awesome.....pretty much no pedaling.  But you see those gray clouds in the first picture.....well we stayed dry until about the last 2 miles.  Then it poured!  Andy (always thinking) brought along three kitchen garbage sacks from our condo.  They came in handy!  The kids were troopers...but we were freezing and soaked by the time we got back to the car.  Maggie and I were laughing the entire time.  Definitely a memorable experience.  

Aren't we cute!

After we had some lunch and warmed up in the hot tub.....we headed back out to Loveland Pass!

for hiking.... 

climbing...

 and standing on top of the world!

(Can you see them up there...pretty cool, don't ya think!)

Vacation - Day 3

 Today we took a ride on the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad.  Max was so excited.  It was about a 2 1/2 hour ride....and we enjoyed every minute. 

 Max bought a train on the train ride.....he's pretty proud of it...can you tell!  A big thanks to Grandma & Paca for the kids spending money.  Even after buying the train he has a little bit of money left. 

After the train ride and a little lunch at Tennessee Pass Cafe in Leadville (Thank you Urbanspoon....it was an awesome lunch!) we stopped to check out this little rock.  The pictures really don't do it justice.  It was a mini mountain in my opinion.  Maggie was dying to go rock climbing....so that's just what we did.

 

Can you see them....Maggie & Andy are on top....they came back down and got Max and I just so we could see how amazing it was....and it was!

Right now we are just chillin out while daddy is out for a "real" mountain bike ride.  Then we'll head back into Breck to do a little downtown shopping.   We are having so much fun....don't want it to end.

 

Vacation - Day 2

 Today was another fun day.  We took the gondola up to the top of the ski resort in Breckenridge.  While there we decided to ride both the alpine slide and the gold mine coaster.  They were so fun.  We also found some snow to play in.  The kids thought it was pretty neat to be able to stand in the snow with their shorts and flip-flops on. 

We also did a little outlet mall shopping (for mom), got a Nick & Willy's Pizza for dinner (it brought back such fond memories....I had my first Nick & Willy's in Colorado years ago....way before it came to P town!) and later rode bikes in o town for ice cream! 

Vacation - Day 1

 This was taken the first night we arrived....we took a little walk down Main St., Breckenridge..and yes, we totally needed our sweatshirts.  To all our friends back home, I'm really not trying to rub it in, but the weather here is better than fabulous!

On Saturday, we spent the entire day at Copper Mountain Resort for the MS Hike.  It was just an awesome day.  We chose to just hike the 2-mile, (kids wouldn't have been able to do the 5 mile or the 10 mile) and along the route we met a very inspiring lady named Nancy.  She was diagnosed with MS over 25 years ago and has a pretty gimpy ankle.  She hiked the 2 mile hike.  It took us (with kids) only about an hour, it took Nancy all day.....but she did it!  She is a true testament that you can do anything you put your mind too.  Way to go, Nancy!

Here are two of my favorite "Traci's Troops! team members!

Hiking and talking...one of those very few, precious moments!  Did you see their shirts...I fancied them up a little.  I added the arrow pointing to "Traci" and the words, "that's my mom!"  We got lots of compliments on those lovely orange shirts. 

 A great group shot!

When the hike was over, there were so many fun things to do: 
We went on a chair lift ride to the top of Copper Mountain, and did some more hiking.  The kids did the trampoline jumping thing, rock climbing wall, putt-putt golf....

These cool digglers (a great big scooter), bumper boats, go-karts...and of course, the free concert of Freddy Jones Band. 

It was a great day filled with lots of fun things to do...and doing it for a great cause made even that much better! 

I will survive!

We all know the song, right?!....Gloria Gaynor sang it so well.  Even after all these years....this tune remains a favorite!

I woke up thinking of that song this morning.....with just a few tweaks!

"I will survive, I will survive....
I will survive the very, very long 18 hour drive....

I should have packed some extra chips, and hope I didn't leave my keys...
We're headed on a road trip....prayers for me... oh, please!"

Okay, Okay, I know....I'm a total dork and I shouldn't give up my day job (whatever that is at the moment!) but you guys still love me, right?!


More from the mountains tomorrow!  Yippee!