Our Anniversary Trip To Vail, CO

December 20th is mine and Davids 7 year anniversary! I really can't believe how fast the time goes! We haven't done anything super special on our anniversary in a while, so we decided to take a ski trip out to Colorado. We actually lived there for the very beginning of our marriage, so it holds a special place in our hearts;).

I'm not going to lie, leaving the kids was harder than EVER. We vacation quite a bit, and half the time leave the kids at home. But this time was different. I have my house all decorated for
Christmas, we've started our advent calendar, the kids and I have been baking, ...I guess I've just REALLY been enjoying the holidays around the house. So to pack up and say goodbye - it was just hard.

BUT, we left Saturday late afternoon. We had planned on leaving last Sunday, but at the last minute changed out minds and took off not sure how far we would make it. We were almost to Wichita, KS by 9pm and needed to find a hotel. THANK GOODNESS FOR IPHONES. I got right on to Priceline, booked a 3 1/2 star room for only $64!! We stayed at the Hyatt, which , ironically, is where we got engaged! And that was totally not planned, thanks Priceline!

Anyways, we made it to Denver the next day. We stayed in the Westin which was right downtown and was SUPER nice! We met up with my friend Kelly and her hubby, Taylor that night for Mexican. It was so fun! Kelly and I met when I lived in Denver...we lived in the same apartments and both had little puppies...we've always kept in touch. It was so good to see her and meet her family! Her daughter Lia got to hang with us for a little while and she was TOO cute!

Here we are at Rio, where the margaritas are so strong they only allow you to have 3! I stopped at 2!!;) David and Taylor:


Walking back to our hotel....we took about 500 pics in front of this clock tower...we couldn't get the setting right....but we finally felt this one was the best shot!

Next morning, we drove into Vail. I woke up homesick and missing my boys. I even cried a little bit. Crazy. I know. I always feel like I want a break, then I get one and I want to go straight back home! Poor David...he didn't know what to do with me!;)

Then we checked into our hotel...well, um,...what should I call that place....hotel may be too nice of a word. It was a great location...right at the bottom of the mountain, we walked to the lifts! Wonderful! But the room...ICK! I had gotten spoiled rotten with the Hyatt and the Westin. This place was for true ski bums. Ones that didn't care where they slept, just cared about skiing. I'm a little more high maintenance than that! Sorry Dave! He didn't know!

But Vail was beautiful! We had passes to ski for 3 days. The first day was a little shaky! It had been a long time since I skied!

Truth be told, the second day I didn't really want to ski again. (What is WRONG with me???) I just wasn't feeling it! I did a few runs, then parked myself at the top of the mountain in a restaurant with a coffee and let David go have fun on his own!

That night we walked around Vail, which is just the neatest town. I felt like I was in another country! We ate at a place called Pepi's, which was, like, Swiss food or something. I don't know. But the waiters were dressed up in costumes and "wiener schnitzel" was on the menu.

Day 3: David left me in bed to hit the mountain. It was snowing HARD! I just wanted to curl up and relax (well sort of, as much as you can get cozy and relax when you are trying to not let the bed comforter touch any part of your body because it looks like it is from 1962).

So we decided to meet at lunch. He had a GREAT morning...all by himself! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! Hahaha!!! I got dressed and went up the mountain with him to do a little more skiing. I didn't want to , but it was our last day.

I have to say....does it get much cooler than this?? I mean, the views were amazing! Here I am!

But here is where I'd rather be....sitting by a warmer with a warm drink watching the other people ski! Haha! I used to love it, but something changed, I just don't love it anymore. ;(

So, I do have to give David some MAJOR props for taking me on an amazing date while we were there! This was BY FAR my favorite part of Vail. He didn't tell me where we were eating, just to dress nice. Hmmmmm...

So we walk down to the Gondola, after the mountain has closed down, and they hand us big cozy blankets. The guy just instructs us to ride the Gondola up the mountain and find a girl named Hiedi.

We took this picture in the Gondola, if you look real hard you can see the beautiful trees and scenery behind us!

Once at the top we waited in this little room. There were other people there at this point going to the same restaurant, but I still had not clue where it was! Then we all had to load onto a snow cat (which is basically a tractor on the mountain, but thankfully heated) and took a winding, steep drive to our destination.

Once we got there it was so beautiful. It was called the Game Creek Club. I couldn't tell you where in the world on the mountain we were. It was so secluded! And they knew it was our anniversary, so they had champagne waiting on us! Perfect!

I wanted to take a million pics, but this place was so super nice, I just felt a "flash" would be tacky, so excuse our dark pics!

I'm so happy!!!!!

Our food was unpronounceable, tiny portioned, but super good!

And look at our adorable dessert they brought us!

After dinner we sat by this fire and exchanged gifts. It was pretty neat.

Here is a picture of the snow cat we rode back to the Gondola on. You should have seen the sharp edges and cliffs that thing took us on!!! Crazy!!! But so memorable!

And bundled up on the Gondola ride back down the mountain. I took this picture 6 times. Each time David closed his eyes. I was getting frustrated.

So I finally got this: Hahahaha!!!

SO WHERE WERE MY KIDS???

Davids mother, Sandy, kept them the entire week for us. She did a great job. Let me tell you, they did not just sit around the house. She packed them up everyday and took them somewhere fun! They loved it! They even made crafts, which I thought was adorable!

Santa is an apple, and snowman is doughnuts:

Thanks, Sandy, for keeping our babies!!

I am so happy to be back home and in my Christmas "groove"! I have gotten more hugs and kisses from Maddox and Cruz than I know what to do with! Life is good!

Thank you David for a great vaca! Sorry I was not the skier you remember. Hope you still love me;)!!!!