Changing tunes- GS Camp, CO Vacation, and Vegas Anniversary

We had a fabulous vacation! Prior to that though a few things happened that I want to get down.  Emma and Megan attended a GS day camp. Emma for the first time was not a camper but instead was a Program Aid in Training or PAT. Emma loves getting to be in charge of activities and especially people. She loves to be in charge and she is pretty good at it. The night before she asked if I could come for the pinning ceremony on the last day of camp. I was really bummed that I couldn't be there but it was the last day of work before vacation and I had lots to do. I know she understood but still hoped. There was a fleeting glimmer of disappointment but she let it go and moved on to more stories of the fun she was having. She looks forward to being a PA next summer. Megan, who got to attend this camp for the first time, came home covered in dirt each day, exhausted and happily singing ridiculous camp songs. She loves the PA's at camp and was so happy to have a picture of her group so she could point everyone out.

  We enjoyed a great party with family friends on Saturday and had to go home much sooner than we usually would have because we still had a lot to take care of before taking our 3500 mile road trip. We went to our usual Mass on Sunday and then loaded up the car for the drive to CO.  The girls each had a bag packed for the road and were amazing roadtrippers. Emma and Rachael both knew what to expect and how to entertain themselves. They were set up in the back seat with new lap desks that they helped Jim build. Meg and Bridget needed some packing guidance and lots of help keeping there stuff under control in the middle seat, but they played and traveled well. It was fun hearing Bridget make her toys have conversations. I was proud of the ease in which Megan completed her K - grade 1 workbooks. Reading is really starting to click. I think there was one back seat fight and only one middle seat fight during six days of driving. And no DVDs were NOT playing the whole time.  Poor Jim did get food poisoning from our lunch at Sonic on the drive out but hung in amazingly well.  We were grateful that Kanas had newly paved I70, and were flat and fast. After a night in the hotel, he was on the mend when we arrived.

 
  
Bridget got to see Grandma Kate and PawPaw's real house. The last time we vacationed with them we went to a beach house together and for a year she has considered the beach house to be Grandma Kate and PawPaw's. I think she understood now. We were all so happy to see each other and the girls were really excited to meet the new dog Laddy. They hit it off despite fear on both sides. Jim's parents are amazing hosts. Bill came over most every day and the girls love to have his attention. We got some time to relax and see the local Littleton Museum, play mini golf, swim at the rec center and my favorite was an afternoon hike. The weather was super hot but we hiked a great trail for kids. Lots of amazing vistas, rocks to climb and wildflowers.

     Jim's parents graciously agreed to keep the girls for 3 nights while we went to Las Vegas to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. It was so nice to be on vacation with Jim, just the 2 of us. He showed me a number of places since this was my first visit and we walked all over the place. It was really hot, like 112 degrees hot, I could feel the heat intensify as it radiated back off the blacktop whenever we crossed the street. We shopped, and ate, and enjoyed the pool, and saw shows. It was a great time. We also took a tour to the Hoover Dam, this was the only stipulation I made when we decided on Vegas as our destination. It was impressive. We both missed the girls and were happy to see them when we got back.

     Jim's parents and brother had kept the girls busy while we were gone with a zoo trip, visit to Tiny town and more swimming. Rachael had a blast taking pictures of the things on our trip and was so excited that Grandma let her use her camera while we were away. Now that they are getting older they handle us being away with less stress and Em and Rae were able to help Bridget when she was sad. We ended our trip in CO with family portraits, a Colorado Rapids game, and fire in the back yard with smores. It was an active vacation but it was also relaxing and provided a different pace and tune.