MORE OF COLORADO - ESTES PARK - YMCA OF THE ROCKIES

So every time we travel home to Colorado to visit my family, we always do a couple days in the mountains.   Estes Park is one of our favorites!  


I believe I failed to mention earlier that Jacob did not go with us on this trip, sadly.  I know he was disappointed about that but he stayed behind to work as many hours as he could.  


Thanks to my sister, Marcie and Uncle Lance, we stayed at the YMCA of the Rockies where they treated us to the fun and rooms!  It was such a wonderful experience!  We are so grateful!  Not the whole family came up, but many of us did.  


Estes Park is just about an hour drive up into the mountains.  It is a gem of a town nestled into the valley and has become quite trendy so there are some beautiful homes and lovely "cabin resorts", but still earthy enough for even a backpacker to find a place to stay.  

View of beautiful f Estes Park, Colorado (photo courtesy google images) 

  

The Stanley Hotel where the movie The Shining took place!!  Spooky!!  (photo courtesy google images) 

YMCA of the Rockies, where we stayed!   (photo courtesy of google images)

  

Our family name, Luthjohn, on the welcome sign!! 

The view from our back patio where we had nice rocking chairs!  There is a playground right across the path and a swimming pool too.  Down to the right, many more activities for families.  My kids and I shared a room with my sister, Polly, and her son, Aaron.

Another pretty view

My sister, Polly, with Katie Grace Hua Hua.  Look at all the pretty wildflowers too!  

Our room.  Simple cabin type rooms with no TV!  Matthew (13) said, "where is the TV??"  I said,  go sit on the back patio and look at that view!  That's your TV."  Then Joshua (6) said, "yeah, there is no bigger screen or sharper picture than that!"
Hehe!  Cute!  

Just a really cool wasp on my car 

Colorado is overrun with prairie dogs.  They are cute little critters who make holes in the ground everywhere.  There are bazillions.  The funny thing is, Coloradans are known for there love of nature and love of protesting.  I grew up in Boulder, a super "granola" town as I like to call it, lovingly.  :-)  So, the prairie dogs have  now been completely protected and it is impossible to walk through any natural area without them scurrying around!!  lol!

Uncle Lance bonding with Hua Hua at lunch in town!  They had a great time together and he taught her their secret "fist bump."  Uncle Lance is the best!  

Cousin Tyler (22) is in graduate school at CU studying music, a talented musician/bassist and just an awesome kid, Joshua and Aunty Marcie (my sister and Tyler's mom) were enjoying working on coloring and activities.  

Everyone went out to play basketball and we all joined in!  Lance took time to teach Joshua and Hua Hua for quite awhile and they had a lot of fun!

Even Mimi, My MOM went out and played!!  So did my dad but I was out on the other court at the same time, so I didn't get a pic of him.  My dad loves to play basketball, tennis, and bike ride.

Just another view.  OH HOW I WISH my camera could capture how beautiful this actually looked.  You see, the sun was shining on the high peaks in the background and they were magnificent.  This picture doesn't show it at all... :(

Swim time for Matthew, cousin Aaron, Hua Hua and Joshua.


 

Late that evening, my sister and I took the boys down to the game room and they played until they were tired.

Matthew playing pool with his cousin

Cousin Aaron taking a shot

The next morning we went to the craft building and decided to paint creations!  

Sometimes you forget how therapeutic crafts can be.  Matthew getting started and choosing his colors.

Christina with her cousin, Alyssa, by her side working diligently

Hua Hua with her smock on and loving her colors!  

My sister, Marcie, completed her doll.  Isn't it wonderful?  She has always  been one of the most artistic of the girls.  

I painted a pretty cross with flowers on it to hang in Hua Hua's room to match her room colors.  

Joshua took so much time and put so much detail into this snake.  He painted each ring and kept the pattern going.   He was so proud of his work and so was I!  

Matthew (13) was the last one left wanting to get his little traveling gnome just right!  I loved how the kids got into these crafts!  

This is totally random, but a trip to Colorado, especially Estes Park, is not complete without getting a cute pair of moccasins for someone!  Katie Grace Hua Hua loved these cute little pink, fringed moccasins!  I got each child a little momento from the shops in town.  Joshua picked out a little box of fools gold, Matthew got a pocket knife, Christina some earrings, and Hua Hua these beauties.