Colorado- Days 1 and 2

We just returned home from a great trip to Vail, Colorado. This was our first time in Colorado, and it was just as beautiful as I pictured it to be. We had great weather the week we were there. It was so nice to escape the heat and enjoy the cooler weather. 

We left bright and early Sunday morning and had two flights to Denver, and then a two-hour drive from Denver to Vail. It was a LONG day of travel. Flying with a three-year-old is not for the faint of heart. Paige was not happy about buckling her seat belt or sitting still. She would have run all over that plane if I would have let her. Thank goodness for those snack pretzels, because that's about the only thing that kept her still. 

I had a shirt on that day that said "Mama needs a nap." A man on the plane told me that Paige needs one that says "I'm the reason why." Ha! Overall, it went pretty well, and we made it to our destination with no flight delays. Unfortunately, once we arrived in Denver we found out my suitcase somehow landed on another flight. Such a bummer! 

Once we picked up our rental we headed to Vail. It was such a pretty drive with great views. 

The roads were very curvy from Denver to Vail which was not fun, but luckily we all made it without getting car sick. Once we made it to Vail we unpacked and went out the back door to check out Gore Creek. The house we were staying in was in the perfect location. Vail Village was within walking distance, and Gore Creek was right at our back door.  I think one of Ella and Paige's favorite things was playing back behind the house and throwing pine cones in the creek. 

Paige and I went for a walk to Vail Village.  It was just as pretty as I imagined. 

We were also right down the road from Vail fire station. If you happen to be a Bachelorette fan you would know that this is the fire station that Ryan Sutter (Trista's season) works at. I was hoping to have a spotting, but I never saw him so a picture of the fire station was the next best thing. :) 

After a good nights sleep, I found my suitcase sitting on the front porch which was a great sight to see! Monday was our first full day in Vail, and I didn't make any plans for us. I knew we might be tired from traveling the previous day so we took it easy on Monday. We walked to Vail Village to look around and eat lunch. 

That morning Paige threw rocks and pinecones in the creek while Ella "hiked" with her walking stick. 

 I absolutely loved the view. I wish I could bottle up the smell and bring it home. It smelled like Christmas in the backyard. 

We headed to Vail Village around lunchtime for a little shopping and lunch. 

On the way, we stumbled upon the children's fountain, and against my better judgment, I let Paige get in. For some reason, I thought she wouldn't get wet, and she ended up soaked. 

We headed to lunch after this, and things got a little hairy. Paige was wet, tired, and mad she had to get out of the fountain. She was crying and whining almost our entire meal. People were looking at us. I wanted to crawl under the table. Once we scarfed our food down we quickly hurried back to the house to get her changed and rest. 

Paige perked up once we got outside. This tree stump became her favorite spot to sit and throw pinecones in the creek. 

Later that afternoon and Adam stayed back to play with Paige while Ella and I went back to Vail Village to walk around and get a sweet treat.

I still can't get over the beauty of Vail Village. It was the cleanest, prettiest little town I have ever seen. 

Ella loved Vail Village because there were dogs everywhere. This was right outside of the candy store. People would go in shops and just leave their dog right outside. Ella and I had a fun little outing together shopping and eating some treats. I take advantage of any time I get to spend with her alone. 

Stay tuned for day 3 of our trip and our ride on the Leadville train.

End of the school year - Third Grade

Ella just finished up her third-grade year. At the beginning of the school year it felt like it would never end, and by the end of the school year, I always wonder where the time went. 

Ella had a rough start to the school year but definitely ended with a bang. The transition to the new campus was not an easy one for her. Everything about third grade was new. A new school building, new kids, and new teacher. It took her a few weeks, but she adjusted. She made new friends but still kept the old. She, unfortunately, had to deal with some girl drama, but still managed to be nice and a good friend to both girls. 

Overall, I think she did great. 

I also learned a lot in third grade. I learned that "this too shall pass." The beginning of the school year was also hard for me as well. It's not easy seeing your child cry on the way to school every day begging to be homeschooled so she can stay home. I have a very difficult time seeing Ella or Paige so unhappy. 

I also learned that you can't sweat the small things, and you just have to let some things go. 

I hope I can carry these lessons with me once Paige starts school, because I am sure we will have some hard times again. 

I am so proud of my FOURTH GRADER. We are definitely going to soak up every part of summer before the new school year starts again. Here's to sleeping in and no homework!!

Come inside it's fun inside- Paige's third birthday

We celebrated Paige turning three with a Mickey Mouse themed birthday. 

This was probably my favorite party theme so far. I made a balloon arch for the party, and it turned out great. I have to give props to Adam for tying all of the balloons. His finger is still recovering from it. 

Paige has been looking forward to her party for weeks! She knew her party consisted of presents, cake, and blowing out candles. That's all I have heard about lately. 

She was SO excited when she woke up and figured out it was finally party day!

I didn't go too crazy with the party decorations. I really enjoy planning/decorating for parties and start planning months in advance. 

The cake turned out so cute and tasted as good as it looks!

Three is one of my favorite ages (minus the potty training and preschool). I feel like life starts to get a bit easier and enjoyable. It has been so fun watching Paige develop. She is so full of joy and has such a fun personality. She is also very bossy and independent. You will hear her say "let me do it" about 50x a day. She talks from the time she gets up until the time she goes to bed. She truly is a joy to be around. 

Paige was so excited about her party that she was more than happy to pose for a few pictures. 

Paige's party day was also Mother's Day. I told Ella all I wanted was a picture or two with her, and she cooperated with me even though she doesn't like pictures. 

I love this girl who made me a mom!

Paige started opening her presents as soon as everyone was coming in the door. She was not shy about taking her presents and opening them. 

She was not sure what to think of us singing happy birthday to her, but she sure loved blowing out her candles. We are still blowing out candles to this day. 

Love, love, love my mom:) 

The weather was hot that day and perfect for swimming so we ended out the day in the pool. 

It was a great little party celebrating our special three-year-old. 

Holiday World 2018

Paige and I went to Holiday World as an early birthday outing last week. It was such a great day to go because it was a school day so it wasn't busy at all. The waterpark was almost deserted which was great. 

Paige was raring to go that morning. She quickly caught on to how fun Holiday World can be. She loved all the little rides, but she really wanted to go to the water park. 

Look at that smile! Enjoying her last day as a two year old.

She loved picking a duck but would have rather just kept the rubber ducky instead of a prize. 

After a quick lunch, we headed to the water park. Paige LOVES the little water slides and has since last summer. She is very independent so I don't have to help her at all which is nice. 

She could not quit smiling!!

Paige also loved the little splash pad and the wave pool. 

I had to bribe her with ice cream just to get her out of the water park, but I wanted to be sure we were able to ride a few more rides before heading home. She was so brave and rode the little roller coaster in Holidogs funtown. I think she might be a daredevil. 

We had a great day together. I soak up these times with her because it was just yesterday I was bringing Ella for these weekday trips to Holiday World. It's true what they say about the days being long and the years being short. Time flies when you are having fun!