I've said this before, but I'm going to say it again. We have been so blessed to have found a Small Church Community within our parish this year. We have really connected with these families in such a short time. They are beginning to feel more and more like family to us. We were fortunate enough to have all of us together for a weekend away in Crested Butte for the weekend of July 12-14. We were missing one couple, but they are in the process of moving to Nebraska :( Between the six families there are currently nine children all under the age of seven, with two more babies due in the next few weeks. We had an amazing time! One of the guys in our group, Brian, grew up in Crested Butte, and his parents still live their and have really great connections. We were able to stay at the Catholic Church in their community center and we were able to barrow mattresses from the Baptist Church. The community center was more than perfect for us. Each family had their own space thanks to dividing walls, we had two large gathering spaces, and a large kitchen to prepare meals in. We also had use of Brian's families home for a BBQ and showers.
Upon arriving in CB, one of the first things we noticed were the abundance of amazing wild flowers and potted flowers. Apparently, CB is known for its rich soil, and flowers thrive incredibly well. I feel like I took so many pictures of the wild flowers this weekend, and yet not enough.
On Friday afternoon, we headed to the base of the ski mountain via bus and took a free chair lift ride to the top. Now, this is the part where I get "Mother of the Year" award. I have somehow been brainwashed by my parents mountain home into thinking that summer in the mountains means warm weather clothes all the time. WRONG! I completely forgot to pack any type of cold weather clothes for my family whatsoever. Thankfully, my smart, non-pregnant, friends who also have kids my size did pack for such cooler mountain weather and let us barrow pants and jackets. Way to go, Beth! It was raining and cloudy for practically the entire afternoon. The girls did pretty good on the chair lift. Lilly Jeanne gave me a heart attack on the way back down though. She was so wiggly, and was arching her back to try and get off way before it was safe too. At the top of the mountain, we admired the cloudy view, played with sticks, let the kids run and explore, and watched all the mountain bikers head down the trails. When we got back to the base of the mountain, their was a live band that invited the kids to come up on stage with them. It was adorable to see our kids up on stage. I think Cecilia really loved it, she was smiling so big.
Saturday morning we went for a hike to Judd Falls. It was a fairly simple hike, and I did way better than I thought I would. I'm so glad I had my maternity support belt! The water fall was not fully accessible, we hiked to an overlooking point, which was beautiful. It was a wonderful moment when we all took time as a group to take in the beauty around us and pray.
Lilly Jeanne took a little snooze in the backpack on the way to the falls. Cecilia did pretty well. (She was pretty grumpy and ornery all weekend. Looking back through the pictures, I see that she was probably fighting a bug because there is something off about her eyes.) Both girls were covered in dirt by the time we got back, Cecilia especially!
Saturday afternoon all of the ladies escaped to shop the town a bit. We were just about to head back to the church when the rain started pooring down. It was like a monsoon! Luckily, Jon came to get us and we plowed into the van. It was so fun to get out with just the girls.
The rains cleared and Saturday night we had a campfire at Brian's parents home. The kids played on bikes in the street, we ate burgers and brats, and we were introduced to woofum's. This is a new campfire treat for us. You wrap a crescent roll dough piece around a wooden cork and roast it until its cooked, then you fill the bread cup with pudding and whipped cream and "woof" if down. They were pretty yummy, but I think I still might prefer the traditional s'more.
Our evenings were spent staying up late after the kids went to bed playing games and chatting. Sunday we went to Mass as a group and hit the art and farmers market in town.
We are so blessed to have had this time with these wonderful people in this beautiful place!!
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