CO Springs - Day 2

Our second vacation day in CO Springs was a HUGE difference weather-wise! We were so happy that we had gone to the splash park on the first day, because this morning, we all wanted jackets and/or pants. It was, however, ideal weather for our planned hiking outing.

Although we are big hiking fans, Jason and I had not yet attempted a hiking trip with the boys since they'd been born. We knew that hiking backpacks would be essential, so we brought one that we own and borrowed another (thanks again, Jenna!!).

At first, Jaden and Cody weren't very happy about being confined in the backpack. Once they had some nature samples to play with, though, the boys cheered right up. (Mommy and Daddy just had to be okay with occasional pokes in the neck/head/back with sticks or pinecones!)

Here's our family-- all set to go on the trail!

Both of our hikes this day were in North Cheyenne Canon Park, only 30 minutes or so from our vacation rental home. Gotta love the nearness of the mountains in Colorado! This particular hike was the Mt. Cutler trail, just over 2 miles round-trip. Ian was our big hiking adventurer along the way.

Just look at this brave little guy leading the way! :)

Here's our first overlook view-- so beautiful!

We stopped for a bit of a breather (hiking with a 30 lb. child on your back is a good workout!) and then took a few photos of each other.

Right after taking these initial shots, another hiker passed by and agreed to take a full family photo. All the groups that saw us on the trail commented on "all the babies we had along!" It's not every day, I guess, that you see 4 hiking backpacks in a row. :)

Shortly after this stop, the little ones got a small snack break.

Along the trail, we got a distant view of the 7 Falls. Visiting this site up-close and climbing the hundreds of wooden steps, we figured might be a bit challenging for our group. Seeing it from a distance was just fine. :)

Mom and Dad paused by a unique-looking tree with a bizarre root system!

By the end of the hike, the 2-year-olds were ready for some exploring of their own.

Cody and Ryan look like they're ready to try the trail on their own! Abby and Ian enjoy some cousin-luvin'. :)

We attempted to get an age-order cousin picture (a classic tradition from the Sylvester side of the family!). Even though Abby and Cody were the only ones who followed the directions to hold hands, the kids all remained somewhat still enough for a photo.

Here are a couple of the funny outtakes-- Jaden noticing a "CAR!" passing by...

...and poor Ryan having a meltdown. Good photos with this bunch sure are hard to come by! :)

Our next, and final, stop was at the Helen Hunt Falls. The small visitor center at the base of the falls had a few hanging birdfeeders. We were all surprised to see a hummingbird fully at rest.

This stop could hardly be called a hike, as we simply had to walk up a couple dozen steps or so to get to the bridge atop the falls. It was a perfect spot for the little ones, as they could all complete the "hike" on their own. The kids seemed to enjoy being so close to the sound of rushing, falling water. Here's our family of 4 on the bridge in the distance.

And a closer-up shot...

Two of our favorite things-- God's beautiful creation and quality family time!

Quite likely, the kids' favorite part of the entire morning was climbing on all the rocks in front of the visitor center.

Back at the home, after lunch & naptime, Kim brought out a craft activity-- threading colored pasta onto pipe cleaners.

Jaden probably had the most patience for this activity, although several of the kids made a small bracelet.

During the afternoon, we also tried getting a grandchildren picture for Grammy & Papa. Did I mention that great photos of this bunch are hard to come by?? :)

Obviously, Jaden was NOT willing to sit still for a picture. Sorry, Papa!

Abby and Cody, on the other hand, were quite ready to pose for another picture!

Our daily playtime included a variety of activities-- playing with trains,

going for laundry basket rides,

decorating the property with sidewalk chalk,

playing Follow the Leader,

and zooming around cars and trucks. It's great having an entire houseful of playmates!

This evening, we had a special visit from Sarah's brother Nate and his wife Jacqui. These two were visiting Colorado to look for homes/apartments, as they will be moving to Denver later this summer. Jason and I had actually attended college with Nate, so we loved the chance to catch up with him and to meet his bride for the first time. I'm pretty sure that Nate and Jacqui's favorite part of the visit was connecting with their sweet little niece Abby.

We ended our night with some DELICIOUS homemade cherry cobbler from Mom (what a treat!) and, of course, some game-time with the adults.