Summer Camp
The whole group (almost) ready for our first hike
Finally I am posting about our trip to Colorado with our church. This has been a very busy week for us.
Our trip was great. Our family really needed a vacation after a very hectic June. We flew to Colorado Springs which was so much easier with Katherine than driving. The week was full of a lot of free time to relax which was great. We spent some time doing activities like hiking and other times we just hung out at the lodge. It was an especially great vacation to take a toddler because there were times when there was childcare provided and times when she could take a nap.
Most of the group went on an “acclimation hike” that was pretty easy and designed to get us used to the altitude before we took more difficult hikes later in the week.
Most of the group went on an “acclimation hike” that was pretty easy and designed to get us used to the altitude before we took more difficult hikes later in the week.
Katherine “hiked” in the backpack. She has the hat on in this picture but it was off most of the time. All week we were trying to make sure she did not get a sunburn. She liked the back pack until we stopped at the stream. We let her out and she walked around.
Katherine “hiked” in the backpack. She has the hat on in this picture but it was off most of the time. All week we were trying to make sure she did not get a sunburn. She liked the back pack until we stopped at the stream. We let her out and she walked around.
For the 4th of July we went into Westcliff to see the parade. It was quite comical and yet refreshing. Pretty much anyone could be in the 15 minute parade. We saw the American Legion, the Purple Heart recipient, a few tractors, some horses and llamas, some kids twirling batons, etc. Katherine did enjoy it and waved to the pony.
Much to Sam’s delight there was also a car show going on. It was surprisingly very good with a large number and variety of old cars. He was in heaven and probably took about 80 pictures of cars. There were at least 25 pictures of the truck that was exactly like ours except for it is finished!
Much to Sam’s delight there was also a car show going on. It was surprisingly very good with a large number and variety of old cars. He was in heaven and probably took about 80 pictures of cars. There were at least 25 pictures of the truck that was exactly like ours except for it is finished!
Katherine got tired after the parade and walking around at the car show and she fell asleep. She could not be comfortable in there. As it goes with toddlers, she thought that 20 minute nap was all she needed for the day.
We had a bit of a camera fiasco on this trip. Our new DSLR has been acting up. I took it to two camera shops and called Nikon. I thought I had it working again but when we were at camp, it would only take pictures about 50% of the time. I had already decided to return it to be repaired under warranty when the lens broke off! Very frustrating because now it was working 0% of the time. We had a smaller camera as well, but the LCD screen on that was always white and that was the only way to see what you were taking a picture of. Luckily our good friends Jen and Richard had 3 or 4 cameras with them so they let us borrow one for the rest of the trip. The lens that was available was a single focus 55 mm lens so we had no zoom but it had a much lower fstop capability than my camera so I was able to take some different pictures. All of the rest of the pictures were with their camera.
We went to a nature hike that ended up being an outdoor education time where we learned about fossils. Katherine did not care too much about the fossils but did love collecting the rocks.
The camp has a pony named Glory that is great for the kids. Katherine had her first horseback ride.
She enjoyed “hiking” around. I was really amazed at how far she could walk and how well she did on the uneven terrain.
One day a large group of us went to Bishop’s Castle. It was pretty crazy. One man has been building this castle using all of his free time and extra money since 1969. Anyone who met him while there would hear him explain how the entire thing was built “with my own two hands.” I admire someone who has such a passion for something that they devote all of their resources to it yet I pity him because he has chosen such a worthless pursuit.
We were really glad that we had Katherine strapped to Sam’s back. The place was very dangerous. There were balconies with no railings, windows several stories up with no railing, a bridge that went nowhere but dangled over nothing. We will not take Katherine back until she is old enough to not wander off.
Don’t you love men who wear their daughters on their back for the day? What great dads you guys are.
On the last day a large group of us went to the Royal Gorge. I have been there before but we only went to the edge and looked over. This time we paid to enter the park and do all of the fun things. I was not sure if it would be worth it but it was a lot of fun. They had a carousel, inclined railway, aerial tram, petting zoo, western town and movie.
Katherine actually was not too fond of the carousel. She kept shaking her head no and signing “all done” and grabbing on to mom for dear life.
Katherine was not scared at all. She walked all the way across the bridge by herself. It was a quarter mile long. She loved to look over the edge at the “waaa” (Water).
Mommy and Daddy were a little nervous. I knew that there was no way for her to fall but being 1530 feet above the river was a little scary, especially when there would be a larger 2-3″ crack in the boards and you could see down to the ground.
It was hot and Katherine fell asleep. Again, the mid day map in the carrier ruined the rest of the day. She did not take a nap later and had a hard time getting to sleep for the night.
It was a great vacation. Our family was able to reconnect after a very busy and stressful month. Katherine really enjoyed spending so much time with her mommy and daddy. In fact, this week she changed from calling us mama and dada to mommy and daddy. I love the way that sounds.
Also, there are more pictures posted in my google album. Just click on any of the pictures (except the large group shot) and it should take you to the album.