Bursting with Fun in Boulder!

In years past, we have always spent Thanksgiving with Kirby's extended family.  But this year, since we are across the country, we decided we would make the trek to Boulder, Colorado to visit my brother and his girlfriend, Sarah.
It is a 12. HOUR. DRIVE. from Vegas to Boulder!  And we managed to survive with a 2.5 year old, a 15 month old, and a crazy goldendoodle.  In fairness, Rascal was a dream in the car so maybe she doesn't really deserve the title crazy.  We drove the first night for seven and a half hours before stopping in a hotel for the night.  The night sky in Utah was simply stunning.  I wish I had pictures but sadly I don't.  When we stopped it was 1 am and Kirby and I were both exhausted.  Unfortunately the little loves caught a second wind!!!!  One and a half hours later of tossing, turning, crying, singing, dancing and so on they finally crashed.  I couldn't even tell you when but at some ungodly hour Charlie ended up in bed with us and it wasn't much later that he had  managed to push Kirby and I to the opposite ends of the bed with his head next to mine and his feet next to Kirby's head.

He's lucky he is so cute!

With four more hours of driving on Thanksgiving we successfully made it to Boulder.

 

Hanging with Grandpa

The lovely hosts!  I wish I took a picture of the absolutely delicious dinner they made. 

Thanks for the craft Grammie!

Bows, headbands, hats- she doesn't like anything on her head

How sweet it this!  Kali let the kids climb all over her.  

It took only moments before Jocelyn wash smothering Sarah with hugs.

The most even split I have ever seen on a wishbone

Matt and Sarah have a one bedroom place so we rented a place to stay with Grammie and Grandpa.  It wasn't what we expected but it worked.  We kept busy so each day we were really only there to sleep and eat breakfast.  On Friday we decided to take in the Boulder scenery while walking off our second plate of Thanksgiving dinner from the previous night.  Thankfully the park has a playground where the kiddos could burn off some energy.  After a relaxing afternoon we headed to Pearl Street for dinner.

 

I packed toys for the kids to play with but they were much more interested in spinning in the chair.

Dinner at a brewery with delicious food at cheap prices and apparently some good beer that someone had a little too much of.

Saturday was quite an adventure.  We began the day by playing miniature golf.  Luckily we arrived as it opened so no one had to wait on us.  It was Charlie's first time playing and he loved it!  I am beginning to notice a more stubborn side of my little guy as he refused to let anyone help him hold the club correctly.  If his skills this day are any indication of his golf talent than golf certainly won't be his sport.

The winner!

After naptime we all ventured to Denver to visit the Denver Botanical Gardens.  It's about 45 minute drive from Boulder and  it's Denver's version of Longwood Gardens (just a little smaller)

I have no idea what they are doing!

I need to work on taking pictures of Christmas lights.

The Botanical Gardens were beautiful.  We enjoyed the lights choreographed to music and the chilly Colorado air made it feel much more like Christmas.  Afterwards, we headed to dinner at Casa Bonita.  Apparently, this place was on the TV show South Park.  None of us watch it but Matt and Kirby had heard of it through friends.  The place is like a mix of a Dinner theater, Chuck E Cheese, a School Cafeteria, and a Mexican restaurant.  A post of its own would better serve to explain the wildness of it all, but the pictures will have to do.

This would be the dinner theater aspect. Oh and I should mention to the right of the stage is a waterfall dropping twenty feet down to a pool in which actors were earlier jumping in.

Christmas decorations inside the restaurant.  They could also be found in the amusement park line you weave in and out of before ordering your food and getting in the cafeteria like line.

A Mariachi band played outside of this place inside the restaurant.  And to the right of it was where they did the puppet show.

On the way to another room with a full on gift shop as well as an open space where kids could bash open a pinata.

Looking down at the exit.  To the left there was an arcade.

On Sunday we packed and after the Eagles game we began our journey home.  Just like on the way out we drove 7 hours before calling it quits.  Charlie transitioned well and fell asleep easily in the hotel room this time.  Jocelyn "party girl" Miller on the other spent an hour and a half again trying to decide if she wanted to sleep in her pack and play or in the bed with us.
We planned to stop in St. George when completing the last chunk of driving since neither Kirby nor I have ever been in Utah.  We stopped at Snow Canyon State Park and it was breathtaking.  Making it even better for the kids, sand dunes!

Just like the beach....

I hope this video works but if not-- he is making sand angels. 

Love my little loves!

"sliding" down the sand

While the hotel stays were not the best, all in all we had a wonderful trip to Boulder for Thanksgiving.  Next year we may opt to stay home, but this year we were thankful to celebrate the holiday with family.