Monday, May 12, 2008

Weekend in Colorado

Early Thursday morning last week, Chris, the boys, and I went to Fort Collins, CO, one of our favorite little spots to visit. We were excited to visit Jon, Emily and Abby, and especially to congratulate Jon on his completion of his Masters in Fine Art from Colorado State, and to see his Masters Thesis show. This visit was a little bit bittersweet as the Hales will be moving to Detroit this summer and we won't have a good excuse to visit Fort Collins again any time soon. I probably said "Maybe we'll have to move here," one too many times.

We stayed at the Hilton near Jon and Emily's home, and the boys were THRILLED with our choice. Not only did the hotel have a nice indoor swimming pool, it also had an elevator with glass doors and an open foyer, so you could watch the lobby sink below as you rode up. We were on the 8th floor, so the elevator alone provided enough pleasure to last the whole trip!

Our cute little bugs right before bed-- I couldn't resist sharing this cute picture of Gordy and his crazy/awesome hair




Gordon sharing the view with Abby



One of the coolest things about Fort Collins is the Old Town area. We enjoyed eating and touring around there on Friday afternoon. There are some great little shops and a lot of beautiful trees, so the atmosphere is really enjoyable.

The Cupboard, one of our favorite shops, has a bunch of tasty gourmet candy that we had to try. Chris and I shared some fancy truffles-- incredible-- and the boys picked out an assortment of weird gummy things and suckers.

Tom and his "pizza"


"Mom said I could get Bubble Gum!"


The next stop was a funky little toy and children's clothing store, where we found a couple of gender-neutral outfits for Munchkin 3. The boys (and I mean all three of them!) were in heaven with all of the cool toys.

Don't mind the dancing cowboy man in the stuffed animal section, kids. He's not for sale.



Later that evening, we went to the opening of Jon's gallery. He presented along with another girl who specialized in metalsmithing. The art was really impressive and we really enjoyed seeing Jon's work. I'll be the first to admit that I don't have the grasp of art that I would like to, but I could still appreciate the creativity and work that went in to each of his pieces. We're really proud of Jon and we're sure that he'll put the same great effort into his next adventure!


I didn't feel well on Saturday, so the boys spent most of their time swimming and riding up and down on the elevators, while I spent most of my time laying in bed and watching Cast Away. Despite not doing much, the boys still managed to have a good time. It's fun to be a kid!

On Sunday morning, before heading back across the great and wide expanse known as Wyoming, Emily and Jon hosted a lovely Mother's Day Brunch at City Park. The kids had a blast with bubbles and the ducks, and the adults enjoyed yummy quiches and artichoke dip before the long ride home.

I think this picture of Gordon chasing a bubble is just hilarious! No one can ever accuse him of not living in the moment!


Duck, duck, duck


Happy Mother's Day!



Thanks again, Jon and Emily, for hosting everyone! We had a great time!

13 comments:

Emily said...

Your Chris reminds me of my Jeff. I love when he acts goofy like that, and that he does not mind me putting the evidence on the blog!

Glad you had fun, your baby belly is darling!

Elena said...

I love Gordy's hair! So cute. And aren't you looking dashing and glowing and so cute these days?! When do I get to see you again?

Ann-Michelle said...

fun for you! i love that you take your family on trips- and am jealous!! see you soon!

Holly said...

That looks like so much fun. I've heard Fort Collins is such a nice place to live.

And I promise I'll post a picture of my hair soon. I'm just picturephobic.

Are you going to find out if you're having a boy or a girl, or are you waiting?

Kim said...

What a fun trip. I love the way you documented it. Everyone looks so cute--including you!

Amanda and Andy Hansen said...

Sounds like it was a fun trip. We wish we could have been there to see Jon's art.

Emily said...

Abby just loved the boys! They were so fun to play with. Hope you're enjoying the rice krispies treats cereal. And I know you love visiting us in Michigan too!

becky ward said...

great picture of chris in the toy section. sounds like a wonderful trip! and you look adorable! were those saltines that chris was holding for you or the duckies? hope you are feeling better.

Caitlan said...

That sleepy picture of the boys is ADORABLE. All of your pictures are really good- it looks like the trip was way fun! Hey when do we get to see you again?

Becca said...

Though it's not too fun to travel for long distances when you're prego, it is nice when your kids are old enough to talk to (if not actually reason with).

Why do they have to pick the gross gummies? I mean, of ALL the candy there is? Those terrible gummy pizzas and hamburgers--yeesh. Looks like you had a great time. I hope you've recovered from the gas gouge.

Esther Ogden said...

That looks fun! You guys have such a good time together. That's what family is for! =)

Ashley said...

Elise, your family is so dang cute, and YOU are looking SO GOOD!!! WOO HOO HOT MAMA~~~

Christy said...

Ooo, that trip sounded like a good time. Wasn't Fort Collins on your list from the "find your spot" thing? Maybe you guys should move there...then that would give us an excuse to travel somewhere we've never been. And come visit us in lonely Gooding...I have no friends.