Treasure Falls, Pagosa Springs

 On Monday we took another drive (this one was much shorter - and earlier in the morning so it was cooler) to Treasure Falls. If you asked the kids about this waterfall they would probably tell you all about the chipmunks that ate sunflower seeds out of their hands. Bekah, Jacob and Beau all fed the chipmunks, but Marianne was equally fascinated and scared of them. She loved to watch them but didn't want them to touch her.
The hike was short but steep and Marianne did a great job of walking the whole way up. She rode on my shoulders down but would have preferred to walk, she was just too slow and distracted. Can you spot Jacob in this picture?

Piedra Falls, Pagosa Springs

 On Sunday, after realizing we had missed the only church meeting at 9am, we decided to go on an adventure to find Piedra Falls. It was a little bit of a drive to find, but the hike was short and manageable for all of the kids. I didn't have room to take the kelty pack for Marianne, so she rode a little bit on my shoulders but actually walked quite a bit. The drive to find the falls was beautiful, lush and green. A fire was burning somewhere in the distance and it made the sky just a little bit hazy. Louise spotted this regal hawk on a road sign, and he was kind enough to stay and pose so I could get a picture of him.

 Soon after that, Jacob yelled, "fox!" I looked off to the left of the van and there was a coyote running in a field. He was very proud of himself for spotting that first.

 Nana and Cutesy and Marianne made a good team. I loved how they laughed and marveled over every little thing Marianne did. I love Louise and my mom so much - there were some hairy times on the trip where I really lost my patience with the kids and then felt embarrassed to show my face to Louise and my mom. But they were always loving and kind with me, reassuring me that I wasn't the worst mom in the world.

 We stayed at the falls for about twenty minutes, playing in the water and enjoying the spray.

 Marianne's favorite thing to do was plant her padded little bum hiney on the ground and throw rocks into the water.

 And here we all are. If you'll notice, Beau is wearing an eye patch on his good left eye, a daily ritual that will hopefully help his right eye get stronger. I learned, though, after two days of hiking on trails with large rocks to climb on and narrow drop offs, that eliminating Beau's depth perception while hiking was not the brightest of ideas. He didn't get hurt, thankfully, but Nana, Cutesy, and I each took turns fearing for his safety as he blindly navigated the trail.

Pagosa Springs, CO

 Rus is a scout leader to the 14-16 year old boys in our ward. Last fall he found out that he was going to be able to attend Philmont scout camp this summer with the young men he is over. He was delighted, and when I didn't show adequate enthusiasm, he said, "It's like Disneyland for boy scouts!" I soon realized that an invitation to Philmont entailed the purchasing of hundreds of dollars of equipment, like boots and gear and more gear. I also learned that Philmont would be two weeks long...effectively draining Rus of any additional vacation time to spend with me and the kids. So, being the proactive person I am, I called up my Uncle Casey in January and asked if we could use his time share in Pagosa Springs this summer. I will love him forever because he made it happen, almost effortlessly it seemed, and within a few days I had an email in my inbox with my reservation. I guess I should clarify that I made the reservation for when Rus was going to be gone at Philmont (because he wouldn't be able to come with us anyway, no matter when I made it). In a stroke of genius I decided to invite my mom and mother in law, reducing the adult-child ratio to almost 1:1.

Anyway, enough of an intro...Our trip was really fun. Everyone was such a good sport when my air conditioning in the ManVan died the day before and we had to travel with the windows rolled down and warm wind in our faces. Rus could've fixed it, and he will have to next week, but he wasn't around then! But the trip went by fairly fast, only four hours, and before we knew it we were in Pagosa, looking for our vacation home. The section we were in was called "Eagle's Loft" and I think you can see why:

Would you like to hazard a guess as to what was in the bottom of that odd little structure? A gigantic whirlpool bathtub. Why not. The kids loved bathing in it, all four of them at once.
The unit also had two bedrooms with a queen bed in each and a loft with two more queen beds. It had a living room and a "full size" tiny little kitchen and dining area. It was perfect, really. The kids loved the loft...I mean they loved throwing pillows down and running up and down the spiral staircase...they didn't actually love sleeping there because Nana and Cutesy and I were "too noisy" at night. This picture is such an accurate portrayal of my children it's scary.

Right outside our unit (rental? loft? apartment?) was a little lake hemmed with geese and swarms of gnats. The kids really enjoyed chasing the geese, and watching a hot air balloon land just across the lake.

One great thing I have to mention about the place we stayed - they had a fantastic activities center. There were free activities everyday for the kids to take part in - like making "chia catterpillers", painting birdhouses, and making smores. There was also a miniature golf course and a badminton net that we took advantage of. And there was a pool, which was indoor and huge and not too deep. Marianne learned to love the water, Jacob proved he was a good swimmer - under water - and Bekah improved her swimming skills as well. Beau happily shivered and dog paddled wearing his life vest the entire time.

Pagosa was a fun town to explore - my favorite shop was the Choke Cherry Tree because the ladies there let you sample any or all of their delicious sauces, jellies, vinaigrettes and syrups. And they had the best caramels I have ever tasted. I don't even really like caramels, but these nut-packed ones were GOOD. We also ventured into a few antique stores and a great second-hand store. My mom somehow discovered a "blackmarket" turquoise dealer (a native american woman and her grandmother selling jewelry from their car), who talked me into buying an opal ring. I think opals are beautiful because they sparkle and capture light so well.

The other thing I loved about Pagosa was the river than runs through it. And the bakery. Whoops, that just slipped in there...must be the amazing molasses cookies I tried. Twice.

Anyway, the river was really fun. Louise, Jacob, Beau, Marianne and I played on the bank for at least an hour one day...scooping up sand and building little rivers and dams for a piece of bark to travel through. Marianne loved having her feet buried in the sand. We enjoyed watching people raft and inner tube past us. One day that will be my family...when they all know how to swim. (Bekah and Cutesy were busy at a delicate butterfly painting class.)

I'll have to tell you about a few other adventures...in another post...