Fun in the Rockies!!!

This picture sums up our vacation to the Colorado National Rocky Mountains. Jackson had a BLAST the whole time!!! Totally recommend camping with a toddler (esp. when you have family for help). It was great! We are excited to do it again in a few years and think it will just get more and more fun. Jackson had so much fun playing around the campsite and on the hikes I think one of the highlights was wading in the water and looking for rocks with Mimi or playing diggers with Dow. It was a great trip and totally relaxing (kind of). Although it did help to have lots of help and not have to cook all the meals or prepare lunches!

So, on a 16 hour car ride, you can read your train book.....

Veg out watching Nemo (which Jackson is now obsessed with). Notice he couldn't even eat his pretzel because he was too into the movie....

OR go nuts and be totally silly because you don't take a nap!!

Here are some shots of the mountain trip:

Pancake breakfast one morning by the campfire

Reading books in the tent with Dow

Fun with a new digger at the campsite (presents from Mimi and Dow and he NEVER let them go the whole trip)

Jackson shows Daddy how to dig with the digger one morning before our hike

Jackson helping to cook (see the spoon)

Mountain view from our campsite

Jackson riding in style! (side note...we actually left Texas WITHOUT our hiker--the one thing we actually had to have on the trip but luckily a quick trip into town and you can rent them! Good to know for future events)

Mama, Daddy and Jackson on a hike to Emerald Lake

Stream on the hike (....so pretty)

SNOW!!! Jackson wasn't such a fan (as usual) but he thought it was cool to stomp in.

Hands up!! As we are crossing bridges we put our hands up

Mimi, Dow and Mike Laura and Jackson all in front of a cool old tree (it's the little things that amused us)

Very stormy afternoon by the fire (like the poncho??)

Hiking to Black Lake (which we didn't quite make it to)

View of Mills Lake (this was a spot we had lunch--right on that rock and Jackson waded in the freezing water)

Relaxing in the hammock (excuse the hair--I think this was day 3 of not showering!)

And after our time in the Mountains we headed back to civilization and spent a few days in Denver. This is Jackson gazing in awe at a large T-Rex skeleton at the Denver Nature and Science Museum (notice the dino skull in his hand)
Jackson and Mike digging for dinosaurs bones!