The last few days of vacation

On Day 6 of our family vacation, my sister, her boyfriend, my brother and my dad went rafting. It was an hour and a half trip each way plus a few hour rafting trip, so Eric and I decided to skip it and to spend more time with the kids, since it was their only vacation of the summer. We went with my mom up the Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak. It was a memorable experience to say the least. It's an hour and a half ride up the mountain, with a 30-minute stay at the top, then 1 1/2 hours back down. Landon loved the ride up but then wanted to be done. Makena got sick on the way up but liked the way down. They both took naps at various points of the ride since they didn't have much to do but look out the windows at the (amazing) view.

The next day, the guys all went golfing so the rest of us had a pretty lazy day at the house, and doing a little shopping in downtown. That afternoon/evening, we all drove to Cripple Creek. It was my sister & brother's first time at a casino, so it was fun for Eric and I to show them around. The kids couldn't spend time in the casinos, so we took turns walking up and down the street with them.

And, then, sadly, it was time to return home. The drive seemed to go quicker on the way back and the kids were very well behaved. Now, 10 loads of laundry and a big grocery shopping trip later, things are getting back to normal. Eric returns to work tomorrow, and I am preparing the kids for the schedule we will have to keep for school.

A HUGE thank you goes out to my parents for a wonderful, memorable family vacation. We could not have dreamed up a better way to spend our week. And we will forever be grateful for the experiences we had with you!