Colorado Springs Day 3

Locked and loaded! 

Off we go to the Air Force Academy.

The campus is absolutely beautiful. There is a visitors center with information about the Academy. We enjoyed looking at the history through pictures and displays. They also have an informational video but our babies were fussy this morning so we couldn't slow down that long. The Air Force Academy tour is another FREE Colorado Springs experience.

The Chapel is stunning.

We asked a fellow tourist to take our photo in front of the chapel. He wanted to get a good angle so he literally laid on his back and took this picture. It was such a sight. I appreciate his commitment to the task. We laughed pretty hard when we realized that all the pics he took were tilted.

We loaded back in the van and passed out lunches. Next up...Whit's End at Focus on the Family. The kids were so excited for this! They like to listen and watch the Adventures in Odyssey program put on by Focus on the Family.

Family Selfie at the Whit's End Soda Shop.

I took the little three to the Camp What-a-Nut play area while the older three went with Daddy to the big slide. They enjoyed going down the three story slide over and over again. I can't believe we forgot to get pictures!

We had a lot of fun playing and taking pictures. This is yet another FREE Colorado Springs Experience. Thank you Focus on the Family!

What a good looking bunch!

Tonight's Menu: Taco Soup

(two thumbs up from EJ)

Colorado Springs Day 2

We drove up to Pikes Peak today. I have never driven to Pikes Peak before. I HAD NO IDEA. The drive is TERRIFYING if you are afraid of heights. There are several stretches of this road that have a straight drop off. One jerk of the wheel and we are all going to die. 

It didn't seem to bother EJ at all. The man has nerves of steel. Any man who can drive a 15 passenger van up that dangerous road while listening to the sounds of his panicked children in the background should be given an award. He never even got nervous. I was freaking out inside but I held it together to comfort my children. All the while I was thinking, WHAT HAVE WE DONE?

I was turned around trying to calm them all down. "Look at your Daddy." I commanded. "Does he look scared? No. He is just fine and so are you."

Please notice that I did not say, "Look at me." That would have been dumb. I WAS SCARED. I was just acting brave because that is what a Momma does in this situation.

Praise the Good Lord we made it to the top.

We calmed everyone down and convinced them to get out of the van. We took some pictures and then ate our lunch in the van with all the children safely strapped into their seats. I was NOT looking forward to the drive back down. Turns out it is much less scary going down.

The cost for this ride up the mountain was a $34 gate fee and a lifetime of trauma.

Next stop.

Coffee.

To calm my nerves.

Then we headed to the Garden of the Gods. Another FREE experience. We went to the visitors center and then drove the loop. We had to get out for a little while to see these amazing rocks up close and take a couple of pictures.

Tonight's Menu: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Late that night, we put the little men down for bed and then the older four watched the blood moon with us. It was beautiful. I will always remember sharing that moment with them.

Colorado Springs Day 1

The packing. 

Oh the packing.

Family Vacation time!

I have to prepare for a long time to get this wild bunch out the door for a week long vacation. The adventure is worth it.

We stayed at an awesome VRBO (Vacation Rental by Owner). If you ever need a place to stay in Colorado Springs book this house! It is a PERFECT house for a family.

Our first morning in Colorado! Off we go to Peterson Air Force Base. We had to get our names on a list by calling beforehand. That allowed us to get on the base and then go through the space and air museum. There were fantastic guides who also happen to be Air Force Veterans. We learned a lot from them and got the opportunity to thank them for their service. Our visit to the museum was FREE.

This airplane simulator made it glaringly obvious that we do not have video games at home. There was a lot of crashing.

I love this picture of Mr. Q and his daddy.

When we were done at the Air Force Base we headed back to our rental house for lunch and naps for the youngest four. The older two boys headed out with EJ for a hike at Palmer Park. They enjoyed the adventure. They couldn't wait to tell Mom how high they climbed. 

They came back to the house to pick up the rest of us and we headed back to Palmer Park to spend some time on the playground.

I worked hard planning and preparing meals to bring with us for the week. This was tons of work but worth it. It was so nice to come back to our rental house and have a hot meal waiting for us. 

Tonight's Menu: Chicken Soup