Colorado Trip 2014

It seems every year we make at least one pilgrimage to Dylan's home state, Colorado. We both love the mountains! This year, we decided to leave Lincoln home, scored a couple really great priced tickets on Frontier Airlines, and headed out west.

The last few years we've really taken to the Breckenridge/Keystone area. This year we decided to try someplace "new." Winter Park isn't actually new to us since we've skied there but have never visited in the summer.

We stayed in a small town near Winter Park called Fraser. The proximity to other small towns and giant lake,s as well as Rocky Mountain National Park was all too enticing.

We had a wonderful time where Dylan could fish, I could catch up on reading (which I find I have very little time for these days), could hike, and view the beautiful scenery.

Monarch Lake
Granby, CO

Big Meadows (that's what it's called) - 7 moose sighted!
Rocky Mountain National Park

Never Summer Mountains
Rocky Mountain National Park

A herd of elk above the tree line at RMNP (and by a herd, I mean 6 or 7)

over 11,500 feet elevation- You can actually drive up to just over 12,000 feet!
It's one of the only places in the world that is that accessible at that elevation.

RMNP

RMNP
 

Ireland!

For Spring break this year we decided our best option would be to visit Ireland. I know, right? When telling people we were going to Ireland, they would look at me in amazement, and I always felt the need to explain that this was not a "normal" trip for us...to just jet off to Europe. You see, my brother and sister-in-law live in Dublin. They moved there this past summer and will probably only be there for a couple years. We figured the sooner we visited, the better. We didn't want to wait too long and then figure out a million reasons why it just wasn't going to happen, so we booked our tickets and away we went!

Needless to say, it was one of the best trips I've been on. Not only were we lucky enough to share this trip with Adam and Nicole, but also with our good friends, Chris and Sarah. We were very busy...after all, when you only have a week, you want to see as much as possible. We decided to tour Dublin, then head west across the island, and finally tour the southern part of Ireland. We had pretty chilly temperatures and rain off and on but that's all part of the authentic Ireland experience! We took a TON of pictures but I'm posting the main highlights of our trip.

Powerscourt Estate and Gardens (Dublin)

Powerscourt (owner built tower for children)

Dublin Castle (original tower dates back to 1200s)

Guinness Brewery

After learning to pour the "perfect" pint

Guinness - Sky Bar (360 degree views of Dublin)

Christ Church (oldest cathedral in Dublin)

Interior of Christ Church

Crypts of Christ Church

Newgrange (County Meath) - oldest monolithic structure;
older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids

Entrance stones

Trim Castle (County Meath) - largest Norman castle in Ireland
(Braveheart was filmed here!)

View from the top of the towers
(Large structure in the background is from an old abbey which is the tallest medieval structure still standing today.)

Cliffs of Moher - by far the most spectacular thing we saw! (County Clare) 

Typical Irish weather - windy, cold, and misty

"In memory of those who have lost their lives at the Cliffs of Moher." 

Bunratty Castle (15th century)

View from the top of Bunratty

Muckross House (Killarney) - estate that was donated and made into a national park

Ring of Kerry (southwest)

driving tour with many pull-offs to see spectacular views!

Ross Castle (Killarney) - We were 5 minutes too late to take the tour inside.

Blarney Castle and grounds (medieval - near Cork)

Blarney House (found on the same land as the castle)

This is where you can kiss the Blarney Stone. Notice we are not in the picture...not interested! 

Jameson Distillery (Milltown)

The guys got to participate in a "special" tasting. 

Our last stop on the tour...Kilkenny Castle (built in 1195) 

Right after this picture was taken, it started raining very heavily (which is unusual), then hailing! We were soaked by the time we got back to the car, but it was all worth it! We highly recommend Ireland to anyone seeking a trip to Europe. Not only do they speak English, but they have the best senses of humor!

Lincoln's First Birthday!

Lincoln's actual birthday was December 9. I realize I'm a wee bit late, but better late than never, right? We had a wonderful birthday celebration with his grandparents joining us. We wanted it to be pretty low key.

I hung up his monthly pictures 0-11 months. It's amazing to see the changes!

All his artwork from his first year. He's a Picasso for sure!

My creative friend, Shea, made the coolest pattern!

The birthday boy!

Happy Birthday, Lincoln!

He loved his cupcake!

 As most parents realize when you hit this milestone, it is really for the parents and not your cute little bundle of joy. We survived the first year! We battled lack of sleep, constant worry if we're doing "the right thing," and overall, anxiety at every turn. Sounds fun, right? It actually is. To come out of the first year victorious, to see your baby grow from an infant to a toddler is truly amazing. That despite all the things you did "wrong," your baby has thrived and you've all grown from the experience.

Top 8 things I've learned from this first year:
1. No matter how many times you second guess your decisions, you are making the right ones for your family and baby.
2. Mother's guilt is a real thing!
3. Your baby will be healthy and happy even if you can't breast feed for a full year (see #2).
4. Developing good sleep habits early is crucial to your overall disposition and marriage!
5. Don't forget to pay attention to your husband.
6. Take some time for yourself.
7. Don't be afraid to ask others for help.
8. You will never experience love like this.

I tried to come up with 10 but got stuck at 8. I think this covers it all. Cheers to many more years and growing as a family!