Couch Back Flips

My family and I are gearing up for a much needed vacation. It's been AGES since we've been on a real vacation and I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do next. When my husband mentioned the possibility of a vacation to Colorado I nearly did a back flip off the couch. Yes, that's how excited I was at just the thought of getting in our little Honda Civic and driving for two days, straight, to camp out in a log cabin in an old mining town. My mind immediately started planning things out. What to take? What kinds of food should we pack for snacks and meals? What will we do for entertainment for Violet? I'm wanting to pack healthy, but tasty, snacks for our trip.

We'll be arriving at our destination, Creede, Colorado, on the 4th of July. We'll miss the town's zany parade in the morning but should be there to watch the fireworks show (hopefully the ground isn't too dry for them to do it this year). There's really nothing like a good fireworks show on the 4th of July! Last year was Violet's first experience with fireworks and she talked about it for weeks afterwards. So, I'm really hoping that Creede has theirs this year.

The cabin we'll be staying in is right off the Rio Grande river. We'll actually have to carry our gear across a suspension foot bridge, something that'll be an experience in and of itself with Violet (she is very much like her mother and can be quite timid with things like that). It's a wonderful little place that we've only been to twice before with Gregg's family. (One year in the same cabin that we'll be in this time and another in a hotel room.) I love listening to the river, especially at night. It'll be a different experience for us this time around though as this is our first trip there as parents. The river that I've loved and enjoyed in the past is something that I'm trying not to fret over now. We've been talking with Violet about outdoor safety alot lately, trying to prepare her for our trip.

Something we've NOT told Violet is that her Mimi and Pops (Gregg's parents) will be joining us in Creede. We thought it would be a wonderful surprise for her to just "run into" her grandparents. I can't wait to see her face when she sees them for the first time. It'll definitely be a moment where the camera will be out and ready.