road trip... a journey to colorado in the car

A few weeks ago Matt, Berkley, Beckham and I headed to Colorado for a road trip. (We decided to leave Brenner with Marmie & JT; knowing that Berkley, Beckham, and I would be enough of a struggle to keep happy in the car for twelve hours!!!) Matt's cousin, Kimberly was getting married in Keystone. She had invited both Matt and Berkley to be in the wedding. We were honored by the invitation and knew that we had to find a way to make it to Colorado. At first we discussed turning it into a family vacation, where we could have a few extra days before or after the wedding to "experience" the adventures of the mountains with the kids. (For example... skiing, tubing, snowboarding, etc.) Unfortunately since Matt is working so hard right now and is only in his second month as a State Farm agent, we knew it was not possible for him to be out of the office that long. We knew that it was going to be a LONG trip for such a SHORT time, but we also realized that it would be worth it. So... we packed up our stuff; loaded up the car with movies, books, crafts, snacks, etc.; and hit the road!

We left at about 10:45 AM with a long road ahead of us, but our spirits were good and we were all excited. Besides, we had brought along lots of things to keep us entertained! We immediately put in a movie, hoping to buy us some time so we could stop for a late lunch. Beckham was thrilled to watch one of the new movies he and Berkley had picked out for the trip. Besides, he wasn't feeling his best either, so just sitting and watching movies truly was fine for him. I had taken him to the doctor a couple of days before we left for his cough, so we had lots of medicine to help him along the way! Even though he had a slight fever, he was definitely excited to be headed to the mountains full of snow!

Berkley was excited to watch some of the new movies we got for the trip too, but she did get bored after a while. Good thing she enjoys art! She stayed busy for a long time coloring pictures. It was also a good thing that she had packed her purse with such thought. As soon as the sun began shining in her eyes, she simply whipped out her sunglasses and she was good to go!!!

Berkley even shared with Beckham when he needed some shades. We made a quick pit stop in Plainview only for a potty break and to drive through the golden arches. We ate a late lunch in the car. With full bellies and the constant sound of the truck on the highway, naps were definitely in order.

This guy really needed some good sleep, and for the most part he got it. Berkley and Beckham both slept a couple of hours.

They woke up rested and somewhat regenerated. We played several rounds of "I Spy" in the car to try to pass the time. For the most part our spirits were still good.
Matt kept on trucking without any complaints. (I wasn't behind the wheel for a single second on our trip!)
We drove through what seemed like days of flat lands all around us. It was exciting when Matt pointed out the "baby mountains" up in the distance. Knowing we were still no where close to our final destination, the sight still seemed to give me a glimpse of hope.
The kids truly were incredible on the trip. We pushed on into Pueblo, New Mexico for a late dinner. (The only stop we had between lunch and dinner was a very quick pit stop on the side of the road for Beckham.) Seriously, Berkley and Beckham couldn't have been better. However, by this time they were growing pretty tired of their car seats. I didn't blame them one bit, because I was tired of my seat too. We decided we needed to stop for a nice, long dinner to give ourselves a break. Beckham wasn't feeling very good by this point, and he really hadn't eaten much all day, so we asked him what he wanted to eat. His answer was not surprising at all. He wanted pizza. We spotted a Carino's and decided that it would be perfect. (Especially since Berkley would be delighted to have salad and bread!)

It was really nice to be out of the car for a little while. We all agreed about that!

By the time we finished with dinner, it was already way past the kid's normal bedtime. We put them in their jammies, got them situated with their pillows and blankets, and wished them good night. They were both able to sleep the rest of the way to Keystone.

We arrived in Keystone around 12:00 AM. We got checked in, unloaded, and all went straight to sleep. As excited as the kids were to be in Colorado and see the snow and mountains, they were even more tired and were able to go right to sleep once we all got settled.

We woke up the next morning to snow falling. This was the view from our balcony. It was breathtaking.The kids were in absolute amazement. They truly couldn't believe how mighty the mountains were and all of the snow that surrounded us. Matt was just about as excited to be in the mountains as the kids were. I truly wish that I could have the same enthusiasm as he does for the snow and mountains, and even for the skiing. It is beautiful. The problem is I want to enjoy the beauty by a fire sipping on some hot chocolate, not flying down a mountain feeling helpless. There is no rush that I get from that except a rush of pure fear!!! Fortunately for me we would have no time to hit the slopes this trip, but Matt assured me that we would be back sooner than later.
After seeing the excitement on the kid's faces, I definitely think Matt is right. And that is fine. I know they need to experience things like that. But at that moment, I was just grateful that we had reached our destination and were ready to have some fun. We were in Keystone.
And skiing or not this trip, my Bs were still excited; which made the trip worth it all.