Mile High Hamiltons: Rocky Mountain High

For Labor Day weekend we went to Vail with our friends Jen, Craig and Parker. Jen works for Vail Resorts and she hooked us up with a great deal at The Arrabelle. It was AMAZING! Even upon entering the room we knew that it was spectacular. Fortunately, I had my camera handy. I have learned that if I'm going to capture images of the room, I have to be quick.

The entry way.

The bed and a portion of the sitting area. There is a balcony beyond the curtains.

The sitting area.

The Amazing bathroom.

Check it out... a TV in the bathroom. You just never know when you might want to catch your favorite show.

The huge bath tub and shower.

Why do I have to be quick to capture images of the room? Because this is right on my heels.

By the time I finished taking a few snap shots of the bathroom Oliver and Parker had taken over the trampoline, once known as a bed.

Jen, Craig, Keith and I had the luxury of taking a few moments to enjoy some beverages. One of the beverages of choice was Colorado Native, a new brew created by AC Golden a division of MillerCoors in Golden, CO. It is made from all Colorado ingredients and is only available in the state of Colorado.

Craig and Keith relaxing while Kellan works the room.

It's all fun and games until someone goes diving off of the bed. Immediately following this moment our parenting instincts kicked in and we diverted the impromptu fun.

Jen and Carrie enjoying the sitting area while Parker and Kellan milled around.

I just had to post this irresistible photo of Kellan's dimple.

Before too long, Keith couldn't resist jumping in on the action. He really is just a big kid at heart.

Some time later, Kellan discovered that he could get the toilet paper out of the bathroom and it was great fun to play with. Meanwhile, Parker and Oliver were planning their escape in the back ground.

Hmmm Oliver and Parker's escape plan appears to have worked!?

Kellan was loving the hotel toilet paper since Mom and Dad didn't seem to mind much that he destroyed most of a roll.

Saturday morning the boys were relaxing in the bed like they were on top of a cloud.

I love how Kellan has his feet crossed to demonstrate the pure joy of pillow top relaxation.

The big hit with the boys right now is matchbox cars. They almost always have one nearby. We have also discovered that Kellan likes putting them in things and he doesn't know the difference between a magazine basket, a suit case and a garbage can. We think there may have been a few innocent sacrifices this weekend with matchbox cars in the trash.

Sometimes this guy is just irresistible.

The tub was a big hit and sometimes a big splash. It was so big and deep, how can it not be a big hit with the boys? I'm surprised that Oliver didn't ask for an episode of Curious George on the bathroom TV.

The tub was so deep that I could barely see Kellan over the edge.

Kellan really does love playing with cars, even in the bath tub where he was pushing them along the hand railing.

"Hello, is there anybody out there?"

All cleaned up and almost ready for the day.

The courtyards at The Arrabelle were great. They reminded us a lot like the streets in Italy. Our first stop was Starbucks (in the yellow building) which Oliver was eager to push Kellan too.

We spent a lot of time on the walking/bike trails walking form here and there. It was a big hit with all of us, especially Oliver and Parker who loved to stretch their legs and run.

Thanks to some nice people who put boulders in their front yard, it provided a great place for a photo moment of Parker and Oliver.

Our goal was to get some Starbucks and then head up the gondola but since it didn't open until 10:00 we went to the playground instead. Kellan worked on walking for a bit. He is getting better and better at it every day.

Keith and Oliver throwing down a few "Argh Matey's" from the bow of the pirate ship.

Kellan was very happy and content playing in the bark chips down below.

We found this cool play area with these wind chime type things.

(I'm sure there is some artist out there who would be very upset at the poor job I just did reporting their creation.)

Once again, Kellan was very content to sit and bang them around a bit.

We took advantage of the free shuttle to head back toward the gondola. Parker and Oliver were so cute holding hands on the bus but I also notice Oliver's sly smile and the leg grab he's handing out to Jen. Ahhh.. a ladies man in the making. (definitely more manly than saying he was holding on for security reasons.)

Finally, we made it on the gondola just in time for snack time.

Not a bad view for the ride up the gondola. A bit greener than we are used to seeing in the middle of winter.

Every time we go to the mountains the John Denver song "Rocky Mountain High, Colorado" rings through my head. Unfortunately, that is the only line of the song that I know so I sing it over and over and over again. Even with the one line wonder going through my head I can't help but feel extremely grateful for the amazing place that we live.

Looking over at the ski slopes that I love. By far, Vail is my most favorite place to ski.

It was amazing to look out over the Rocky Mountains as well as notice the steep slope down below. It's funny because in the winter when the ground is covered with snow and we have ski's (or a snowboard in Keith's case) strapped to our feet, we bolt off over the edge and down this slope like it's a walk in the park. It's a bit more intimidating when it is just a grass covered hillside.

The handsome man of the Ham Fam.

You know you want to sing along...

"Rocky Mountain Hiiiiiggh, Coloradoooo"

The Dad's and big boys went to check out some of the kids attractions which included a dirt area to dig for dinosaur bones. Jen, sleeping Kellan and I went for a nature walk around the top of the mountain.

After lunch on top of the mountain we headed back down for naps. The boys were about at the end of their sleep bank and needed to reload.

It was hard not to notice how brilliant and blue the skies were and it was especially noticeable with this brightly colored street sign.

Walking down the brick streets through The Arrabelle to get back to our room.

The boys and I all took naps and Keith went jogging. After our hour of recharging for all of us and a little relaxation we were ready to get up and at 'em again.

But first, Mommy and Kellan enjoyed some fresh mountain air on the balcony.

Oliver finally got to break out his Strider bike to roll around Vail Village. He loved Starbucks hill (see Starbucks on the left). It was the perfect angle so that all he had to do was pick up his feet and ride.

He also enjoyed cruising around down by the gondola. There was more space here but also a few more obstacles that made a Mommy nervous. Oliver was awesome and it was amazing to watch his riding skills grow right before our eyes.

We sat at the bottom of the hill for a bit, watching the mountain bikers come racing off of the mountain. I wish that I had a photo of one of the groups that came by Oliver. They were HUGE riding next to him.

Then, he rode on. Down, down, down the bike path.

He took a ride down by the stream.

After all of that riding, it was treat time.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!

Meanwhile while Oliver and Parker had abandoned their bikes for a refreshing treat, Kellan was moving in to check out their rides.

How do you share your ice cream with your little brother?

You share very nicely, openly and directly.

Kellan was probably wondering what the point of the spoon was.

When it was much more fun and easier to dive tongue first into the refreshing treat.

Eventually, Oliver left his ice cream behind and his spoon so that Kellan could take a stab at it.

Ice cream makes everyone happy.

After ice cream we thought we would take advantage of our gondola day passes and ride up and down one more time. This time, we got a family photo on the ride up.

There is nothing like a diaper change in the fresh mountain air with a view of the Rocky Mountains all around you.

My vision was to have an amazing family photo at the top of the mountain. Earlier in the day I took some great photos of a family with three small girls. At that time, the boys were in no mood for photos. They were hungry and over due for naps. I thought for sure we would get it on the second try. Instead, the boys were in great moods but in no mood to stop for a photo. Kellan wanted to get down and crawl around and Oliver wanted to take photos himself. Oh, the disappointment of a mother who loves photos. Oh well... there is always next time.

Instead of a great family photo, Oliver took some artistic photos of what he saw. I loved this photo of Keith and I taking it easy.

Parker looks so different from Oliver's angle. What a cutie pie!

As I was taking pictures of the Stack's, Oliver was too!

Kellan got his wish and we let him crawl around on the grass for a bit. He was happy as can be to crawl all over his Daddy and tease him a bit.

Sometime later we headed back to clean up so that we could go to dinner. Oliver and Parker really wanted to splash around in the tub, so we let them. When you have at tub like this it is almost a requirement to swim in it several times a day.

While we were getting ready, Kellan was checking out the view. I could hear him but it didn't dawn on me that he was a bit loud and unusual until I saw and heard the people down below. Several of them looked up in shock and relief when the would say "oh, it's a baby." Maybe, because his happy chatter sounds a bit like a wounded dog.

Our handsome boy working on his standing skills.

"Helloooo down below."

On our way to dinner we stopped for a family photo op. It may not have the amazing Rocky Mountain scenery, but it is a great photo of the fun we have together.

Parker and Oliver taking a sit with Einstein.

Hey, what's this? A few self portraits from Daddy and Kellan?

Hey, Hey, the fun is all here!

The Stack's and half of the Ham Fam headed to dinner. Notice Oliver's fun loving side emerging from his taunting tongue.

While we were sitting on the deck at dinner, Keith noticed some wild animal behavior in the woods that he deemed a photo op.

On Sunday morning we went to the farmers market. For the record, we saw one table of vegetables and a very small table of peaches. The farmers sure are different up here. ha ha!!

We also cut Parker and Oliver loose on their Strider bikes. This was much more of a challenge than I anticipated.

Oliver and Parker taking a pause while the parade of other biking kids rode one.

What would a good farmers market be without a jumpy castle?

The farmer's market did prove to have some great food. This potato / chip / spiral thing was MMmmMMmm Good!

Keith met his goal of finding a good Gyro and Craig joined him in the tastiness.

We had been by these bears a dozen times and the boys loved checking them out each and every time.

We headed home after the farmer's market. It was nice to be home a bit early and beat the traffic that was guaranteed on Monday. Oliver was excited to be home to enjoy a fresh peach that he picked out himself at Tony's market.

Kellan prefers a juicy slice of watermelon.

We are not sure what changed with Kellan's love for watermelon. He used to eat it up. Oh, he still loves it but in a different way. Now, he slurps the juice out of it and then gives it back.

Monday was spent doing things around the house, including a detailed detailing on both cars. With two kids the terms dirty and disgusting aren't big enough to describe the car. Fortunately, Oliver is always eager to be in charge of vacuuming. I'm sure that will change someday, but until then, he's learning the valuable lesson of cleaning. HUGE Thanks to Keith and Oliver for the great job of cleaning the cars. They were fabulous once they were done with them.

The job of official vacuumer is very serious business.

Monday afternoon we went to the Martin's for a BBQ. It is fun that both of our kids are the exact same age. Kellan and Cole had a great time in the water table. Kellan's birthday is August 23 and Cole's is August 26.

Kellan loved the water table so much he wanted to dive right in! I had to quickly take the snap shot and then dive to save him from a complete face plant.