steamboat springs

Last August our family took a perfectly wonderful trip to Steamboat Springs when Colton was less than five weeks old. The trip was fabulous, unexpected, and the catalyst to selling our business.

I did not write about this trip last August because our world was in commotion. I did not feel I could write about it without divulging our decision to sell our business. Now that everyone knows... I can tell you all about our little trip to steamboat.

When Colton was two weeks old, Nate got really sick. Scary sick. He was unable to talk, sleep, or even write down a coherent sentence. I have never prayed harder in my life. Prayed that the symptoms were not manifesting mumps or meningitis. Prayed that my newborn would not get what daddy had. Prayed that the older two boys would stay well. Prayed that I would have the energy to care for my family despite the post-I-just-had-a-baby-exhaustion.

For days we did the best we could to treat it, but it continued to get worse. Finally, Nate drove himself to the emergency room at one in the morning, had a minor surgery, and came home with pain killers.

Unable to find substitute teachers, I drove the lortabed Nate to and from school - because you can not drive when you are lortabed. While he taught, the boys and I hung out at the campus library while I prayed that I would not have to nurse the newborn while simultaneously keeping the two year old quiet.

It was kind of intense.
I cried a lot.

My wonderful in-laws dropped everything and hoped in the car. They spent an entire week at my house playing with my kids, cleaning, grocery shopping, and cooking while I slept and slept and slept.

We had a lot of conversations about stress levels and changes. We decided to run away to Steamboat Springs... just for a couple of days.

It was fabulous.

I love this little mountain city... my little refuge from the storms of life.


The boys loved the hotel elevator, swimming in the pool, phones, watching the hot air balloons, and playing with the hotel flashlights. We enjoyed Tibetan monks, mandalas, walks, the cute little library, and visiting the hot springs. I spent a lot of time watching Hannah Montana and trying to figure out my DSLR - I took a lot of practice pictures adjusting aperture and ISO, Nate rode his bike a lot and enjoy some much need down time.

The trip was simply wonderful.

I heart Steamboat. It was everything we needed it to be.

If you ask Conner what his favorite part about the trip was, he will tell you that it was the elevator while Caleb liked the "uhh" part.