Mesa Verde ~ Fall Break

On our drive back home from El Paso we decided to stop in Cortez, Colorado for the night and to spend some of the next day in Mesa Verde seeing the Indian Ruins. The kids were a bit disappointed that we didn't stay in the 'grandma hotel' again, but were happy when the saw how nice the place was we found. Vika and Ethan got to share the fold out mattress on the floor. It was really funny because she was trying to trade anyone because she kept saying that Ethan likes to cuddle too much! I really thought it was funny to wake up in the morning to find Ethan's half of the bed empty and both of them scrunched back to back on the other side! Adorable. We packed the car and made the gorgeous drive into Mesa Verde.

There really was only one hike and dwelling that we could get to with the wheelchair so that decidion was pretty easy.  We went to see the Spruce Tree House dwelling.  It wasn't really that long of a hike, but it did get pretty steep in spots!  I was happy that Spencer was the one in charge of Mason's safety!

I'm the only one who has visited this area before and none of my family really anticipated what they would see.  It really is pretty incredible to see such amazing dwellings in such obscure places.  They were all amazed.

Mason was really fine and happy until we arrived at the ruins.  I held him most of the time and that helped.  The park rangers had some weird suggestions as to why he was so upset, referring to ancient indian spirits, but I think he just wanted to be moving and not lingering at the noisy stopping point.

Ezra really was enjoying himself and had a hard time following all of the rules and staying in the allowed areas!

 

Lucky for us, not a lot of people noticed that after Ezra climbed down into the Kiva he wet his pants.  It really helped us decide how long to stay, but was a bit embarrasing!  I think everyone saw everything they wanted to see at the Spruce Tree House.

Spencer and I really want to visit and spend a few days either with just our big kids or by ourselves to tour all of the ruins here.  It was well worth the detour on our drive home!

 

Fall Break ~ El Paso, Texas

This year for fall break we wanted to take the kids somewhere to visit family.  We haven't really taken them anywhere in a long time and thought it would be fun.  The sad thing is that once we were talking about it we realized that we have never been to El Paso to see Spencer's Grandma and Grandpa or his aunts who spend the 4th of July with us.  Grandma Bea has never met any of our 4 children.  That meant that it was very overdue for us to make the drive to Texas.

Our kids were all very excited.  They were pretty good in the car.  We were happy that the landscape was pretty bare so we could make frequent 'pit stops' for our potty training boy!

We stopped in Cortez, Colorado for the night on our way there and had plans to go out and see the area.  Unfortunately, I was pretty sick with a sinus infection and strep throat, but was lucky enough to get in touch with one of my Dr.'s to call in a prescription for me.  Spencer booked a hotel online and when we got there it was pretty old.  Ezra walked in and immediately asked, 'what does it smell like!'  and 'is this a grandma hotel?'  From then on that hotel was the grandma hotel.  The next day we packed up and finished our drive to El Paso.  We drove straight to grandma Bea's house and the kids got a bit silly as we arrived.  Ethan really liked the shape of the shrubs they had outside their house.

We had a very nice visit at their house with grandma Bea and grandpa Ralph.  Lizett and Cindy came and brought take out for dinner.  Ethan and Victoria were so excited because they had planned to stay with Lizett and Cindy at their house and not with us at our hotel.  They were looking forward to meeting Lizett's 6 dogs, and Cindy's 3 dogs.

They had a good night and the rest of us were nice and spread out at our hotel!  We met the next day for breakfast and to go see the school where they teach.  That night we made the 45 minute drive to a cattle ranch restaurant named Cattleman's.  It was a working ranch in the middle of nowhere.  There were animals to see complete with a rattlesnake pit and buffalo.  We walked the grounds before being sat in the restaurant.

There were playgrounds and stations to purchase food to feed all of the animals.  It was a huge place.

The restaurant is the most delicious steakhouse I have ever been to!  The menus boast that the meat that is served is cut the same day.  It was amazing.  Lizett and Cindy really outdid themselves.  Victoria could not get over the bill for dinner.  Spencer kept saying that this dinner was worth the whole drive! 

The next morning we met again for breakfast.  Victoria couldn't understand why all of the restaurants serve beans and Mexican food for breakfast!  Ethan and Spencer were absolutely loving it.  We then drove downtown to visit the 'Chalk the Block' that was going on.  It was a very big event.  Grandma had a hard time walking the whole way so we left her to eat her treats while we found a few of Lizett and Cindy's students.

One thing about Grandma Bea (or Grandma Bete as Ezra called her) was that she has a sweet tooth.  She always had a treat in her hand.  She was nice enough to share with Mason.  She was so tender and sweet with Mason.  She connected with him almost immediately.  He shared her entire coconut Popsicle!  She was a very brave grandma to share Popsicles with the Moose!  That's something that usually only a mom or dad would do.  I thought it was so darling.  He was LOVING it.

One of the interesting things they had was a giant 'light maze.'  We decided to give it a try.  It was kind of strange, but very cool.  Mase couldn't stay in there very long because it was pretty hot.  All of the lines and color strips on the gray maze create colored light inside.  It was pretty cozy and relaxing.

Ezra and Ethan had the most fun.  They didn't want to leave.  I just chased Ezra around and hoped that everyone else was OK!  We spent some time relaxing.  After we left downtown the kids wanted to go and see a movie.  We spent our last night with grandma and grandpa at their house and were so sad to have to say goodbye.

Ethan was in heaven staying with Lizett and Cindy.  Victoria joined us at the hotel on the last night.  Ethan was in love with all of the dogs.  He spent hours just petting and playing with them.  It almost made me think about getting a dog.  I decided instead to ship him to Lizett and Cindy's more often!  He was pretty upset to leave.

He insisted I got his picture with each of the dogs.

Ezra loved the dogs and loved to follow them around trying to hand them their toys!  Everyone of our kids asked us how soon we could go back.  They all want to visit El Paso again soon.

We were just so happy to finally get to see where everyone lives and meet all of the dogs we have heard about for years.  It was great to see the school we have been told about and especially to get to see Grandma and Grandpa finally.

It was a very long drive, but was very worth it.

Thanks for making us feel so welcome!

 

Arizona Thanksgiving 2011

This year we decided to drive to Phoenix, Arizona to join Spencer's family for Thanksgiving.  It was a lot of fun.  Grandpa has a pool (unheated) that was the immediate interest of the boys.  It didn't last too long.  Ethan jumped in first and was on his way out before he actually got in.  Sam (Ethan's 9 year old uncle) jumped in but was so hesitant and knew how cold it would be that his head never even went under!  It was amazing.

 After they all tested the freezing waters, Spen wanted to get the crowd involved so he ran jumping in the pool around all of the edges making sure to get all of the spectators wet.  It was funny.

 Ezra was dying to swim so Spen took him on a little ride.  It didn't last long!

 Grandpa's house is great for the kids.  It was so warm and nice that they all spent the entire weekend outside.  The tractor rides were a hit too.

 All the kids who wanted a turn got to try driving the tractor.  Ezra was not going to let that chance pass him up!

 Ethan had his Grandpa help him drive. 

 Even Mase got to have a chance to ride in the back.  He was very happy the whole trip.  I was thrilled that he got comfortable so quickly.

 When it came time to get the turkey out of the fridge they realized that it wasn't quite defrosted.  We needed a place to soak it in cold water for a few hours.  Where better than the swimming pool, right?!  They bagged it up and tossed it in the pool.  It floated around all evening and most of the night.  It was pretty hilarious.  A Thanksgiving first for me!

 Another Thanksgiving first was having it warm enough outside to actually eat Thanksgiving dinner together outside.  It was a lot of fun.

 Ezra and Ellie had their own little table.  Ezra is pretty much a trouble maker and Ellie was keeping her eye on him. 

 Another first that we had this year was both a turkey and a spiral ham.  I've never had both for Thanksgiving.  It was really delicious.  Spencer has such a great family and they are all so much fun.  We were so happy that they all got together close enough that we could join them.

 Dinner on a ping pong table was interesting.  We got the side that was a bit slanted so we had to be careful how we positioned our plates with the gravy!

 Victoria had her first ever American Thanksgiving.  I was pretty impressed by her this holiday.  We went around the huge table of family all telling what we were thankful for this year and rather than refusing to participate she said she was grateful to be in America with her family.  It was very sweet.

 Ethan was grateful for his family and that we could all be together too.  It really was a fun year.

 Spen with his parents.  Aww.

 Grandpa has several citrus trees on his property.  Ezra exploited that and his aunt Kate to harvest and peel them for him.  He was in heaven.  This was him finishing his 5th orange in one sitting.  And he wanted more!

 We got to play games with everyone too.  That was a lot of fun.  We usually end up playing games around a table when we are with Spen's family.

 One night Mason just wouldn't settle down and was very agitated.  I was kind of worried about him and held him hoping that would help.  It didn't.  Ethan was still awake and asked if he could lay with him for a little while and see if he could help.  Of course that would help.  Mason and Ethan are kindred spirits.  They are the two people in the world who know each other best.  Mason was asleep in minutes and so was Ethan.  We left him there on the couch with Ethan all night.  It was his best night's sleep of the whole trip.

 Another first for me was playing horseshoes.  I stink at it.  Spen and I played his parents.  Spen and Larry were actually pretty good at it, but Susan and I were hopeless.  Spen and I lost, but we were ahead there for a while!  It was really a great trip.  I'm glad we made it.

Our October Trip to Las Vegas

It's been a while since we have visited our friends in Las Vegas so the beginning of October we decided it was time to take Victoria there.  We were excited to show her downtown for the first time.  We typically don't venture there on our trips anymore, but it's fun to see a thing or two every once in a while.  I did learn that we shouldn't try to walk the strip with our kids anymore.. Too much to see if you know what I mean!  Here is Ethan and the Hartshorn kids at the garden in the Bellagio.  I love it there.

 Mason wasn't a huge fan of the crowds.  The real reason for this trip was to pick up a very much needed trailer hitch to put the wheelchair on the back of the van.  Since Mason got his new chair I can no longer get it in or out of the car.  Our friends found one for us and gave it to us.  It was the greatest gift I could have ever received..  mobility!  I can now leave the house with my kids.  Ethan and Mason explored the Bellagio garden and loved seeing the gianormous pumpkins..

 We walked over to the worlds largest chocolate fountain.  It was pretty cool.  The kids wanted to eat it. 

 Victoria loved this tree.  Truth is she loved being with Melissa.  She followed her around like a shadow.  It was funny.  She wasn't really a fan of Las Vegas though.  She kept telling me she likes it better at home where it doesn't smell like Ukraine (smokers) or people don't dress so strange (slutty). 

 The best part of the strip is the Bellagio fountain.  I could watch that thing all day long.  The kids liked it and we were lucky enough to catch a double show.  It was fun.

 The other place Victoria was dying to see in Las Vegas was the M&M factory.  Strange, but we went.  We watched the 3D movie and wandered around the huge crowd.  I haven't been in Las Vegas with it that crowded in so long.  It was not as fun as you might think!  The visit with our friends was definitely the highlight and I always forget to take pictures of that part.  We had a great time and I have been loving my wheelchair hitch. 

A Weekend Getaway~

We had a chance to spend a weekend away just as school was starting.  It turned out to be such a fun little trip.  We didn't go far which made it even better!  The first night I took Ethan and we checked in and had our own special night away together.  We literally checked in the hotel and I asked him what he wanted to do and he was already putting on his PJ's watching Clone Wars on the cartoon network.  We don't get that.  That's all he wanted to do!  Oh yeah, and try on the robes.

They had a carousel there for use if you bought tokens.  Or if you are as cute as Ethan and ask really nice I guess.  He and Ezra rode that thing 4 times without ever once buying a token.

Ezra just yelled, "weeee" and "again" the whole time.  He really had fun.

Mason hated it.  We watched.  That was better for all of us!

They had a little goat farm you can walk up to and pet and feed the goats.  After Ezra and Ethan sat picking grass to feed them we walked down and bought the baggie of food at the gift shop.  They both loved feeding the goats.

It was darling and frightning how fearless these kids were with the goats.  Ezra didn't hesitate one bit.  He wanted to just hug them.  He tried a few times and they did not like that nearly as much as they liked him feeding them dog food.

Does it get more darling than this?

We went on a walk.  I took pictures.

 Really the big thing for Ethan was the indoor outdoor pool.  He swam at least 6 different times.  I hated it because it was freezing.  I even complained a little bit about how cold it was when we were checking out.  Ezra couldn't swim because his lips would turn blue after 5 minutes.

With our 2 nights we got 2 free Sunday buffet certificates.  These were worth $40 a person.  This buffet was good.  Really good.  I feel like it was wasted on me and Ethan because we aren't really huge eaters.  I know someone could have put away a lot more food.

This is where we stayed.  We really hope to go back sometime soon.