The Mountains Were Calling and So We Went

After Missouri, we loaded up in the truck and took a long drive to Colorado. 

A long and windy drive to Colorado....and after a hose popped loose on the truck as we crossed the Kansas boarder, we wondered if we would really make it! 

The truck was really having a lot of trouble. The turbo was not kicking in like it should, and a few times we really wondered if we should just head back to Texas. 

We said lots of prayers and held our breath many times and we did make it to Colorado! 

We camped in Woodland Park. We hadn't been back to Colorado as a family since we moved back to Texas in 2009. It was really, really nice to be back!

For our first day in Colorado, we went to Colorado Springs - just down the mountain from Woodland Park. Our first stop was Focus on the Family. 

This was one of our favorite places to visit while we lived in Colorado and we couldn't wait to take the kids! They rode the 3 story slide, did a scavenger hunt through Witt's End and even went through the wardrobe into Narnia!

Our next stop was the Garden of the Gods. 

The Garden of Gods never ceases to amaze! Such a beautiful location!

Gorgeous girl.

 We even logged our very first out of state Geocache at the Garden! 

We had to venture a little off trail to find it. 

We even broke a few rules....

But we won't tell if you don't! 

The kids love the "Kissing Camels" right behind them here - can you see them?

Gabe really wanted to go rock climbing like these guys. 

He had to settle for going just a few feet up. 

We did a lot of walking and were getting very tired just about the time an afternoon storm started rolling in. That was our cue to head back up the mountain to our home away from home.  

What a fun first day in the mountains!