Easter Dresses 2016

This is going way back, but scrolling through my pictures, I had to add Easter pictures for the girls.

 This is more like how they love to be photographed.

Sand, Sand Everywhere (and alligators too!)

Rachel has been asking when we will go to the Sand Dunes.  We had somewhat planned to go last year but that fell through so this year we went on a quick trip over Memorial Day weekend and had a lot of fun getting sand everywhere!  Our first stop "on the way" (about 1/2 detour out of the way) was to Bishop's Castle.  Yes, we have our very own homemade castle here in Colorado, but it only dates back to about the 1970s.  We put our lives at risk going up turrets as I'm sure things weren't built to code but it was a fun tour reading the rants against the government and seeing the unique architecture of the castle.

You could purchase a stain glass window as a donation to the Bishop's Castle organization.

 A view of one of the towers from the other

 Rachel daring to go out the stairwell bridge that led nowhere.  My fear of heights precluded too much adventuring but Rachel wanted to go everywhere.

 The stairwell up one of the towers.

 Our next stop was to the alligator garden where we got to hold our very own baby alligator.

 A few of the residents.  They even have a class on how to wrangle one that we got to see some students show off their skills.

 I just liked this sign.

 Some good camouflage.

 Don't worry, it's only a gator skin.

 

 An albino gator

After the gator farm we headed over to the dunes just to check things out.  It's kind of crazy how you have kind of the high brushy desert and then the mountains and bam, there's a lot of sand dunes.  The wind currents were just right coming from two directions to create them and they actually don't even change that much.  We didn't stay long at the dunes our first day but headed back to our hotel in Alamosa, chilled, and came back the next day for more, beating all the crowds first thing in the morning.

Rachel, Elizabeth and I hiked to the top of the dunes, this picture is at the highest point.

 Our walk from the parking lot, across Medano Creek, to stake our spot out for some sand sledding.

 Dunes with snowy peaks in the distance.

 Ah, look how cute we are.  This shot has the creek the kids loved playing in along with the dunes and mountains in the background.

Yes, we all did tried sand sledding, and yes I think we all biffed majorly at least once.  I had sand coming out of my nose and ears for a few weeks.  Since my own video isn't working, here's what it looks like.

Winter Mountain Time

One of many catch-up posts.  Once mid to late January comes, tax season goes into full throttle for me without letting up until mid-April.  The kids have random days off school but aren't able to enjoy them much because I'm either working at home or at the office.  Spring break comes and same scenario.  Wanting a break from tax season and coming at the tail-end of spring break, we booked a room at the YMCA of the Rockies just outside Winter Park and enjoyed some much needed family time for two nights.  No TVs, limited Internet, snow and beauty.  Most of the activities could really be done at home like sledding and swimming but the scenery while doing them can only come from the mountains.

 Watching the sled dogs in action.

 Petting the dogs

 Playing Hungry Hippos

 Archery, mom and dad even got involved.

 Our expert wall climbers

We also went sledding and Eric took Rachel out to try some snowshoeing.  We love our CO mountains but don't get up to them enough in winter!