Colorado |ˌkäləˈrädōˌkäləˈradō| 1 a state in the central US; population 4,939,456 (est. 2008); capital, Denver.
I can hardly believe we are a month into the New Year already! We’ve been staying busy with our normal routine of work, school, basketball practice and games. I’m just now getting the time to post my Christmas album from our family trip to beautiful, Breckenridge!
I couldn’t imagine a more perfect place to spend Christmas with my family than in this magical city. It is located 2 hours from the Denver Airport, right at the base of the Rocky Mountains and is known for its ski resort, tourism, and Victorian-themed charm. The old Main Square is breathtaking (especially when it’s snowing) with its colorfully painted shops, art galleries and local eateries.
The kids absolutely loved waking up to snow on Christmas morning (of course, so did I!). With the 20-degree weather and 20 inches of snow we received that week, they had plenty of it to play in. The blizzard we had on Christmas Day made our home for the week feel extra cozy (we rented a beautiful cabin on VBRO that was large enough for our 24 family members!). There’s something so peaceful about being snowed-in on Christmas Day in the mountains with those you love!
We spent most of our time playing out in the snow and skiing at the local resort. (Side Note: We used Black Tie Ski Rental Delivery Service again this year — love them! The ski equipment is delivered to you, allowing you to be fitted in the comfort of your own home or hotel, taking the hassle out of renting!) Breckenridge has a very polished ski resort with lots of terrain for all abilities. They had many gentle and intermediate slopes—we stayed on Peak 7 & 8 most of the time, and I skied green and blue runs.
I love to ski, but it is so much work! The equipment is heavy and it is especially difficult when you’re carrying your kids’ gear on top of your own! (It’s a good thing I’ve been going to my Soul Cycle and CrossFit workouts – ha!) We would take the gondola up the mountain and start ski school between 8-9:30am every morning and not quit until about 3:30pm in the afternoon, only taking breaks to meet for lunch. The slopes would close at 4pm, so we would stay as long as we could! It was a less relaxing trip than I had expected it to be because we ended up skiing every single day, getting to the slopes early to catch some sun early morning and to avoid the long lines. But it felt so good being active every single day and I was so proud of how well my kids did on the slopes. This was only Christian’s second time to ski. He went to ski school and even made a few friends while he was there. I love watching him ski!
Some of my favorite lunch spots to eat in Breckenridge are Kenosha and Flip Side (super fast, and really good)—but we had delicious home-cooked family dinners most nights at our rented home. Each member of the family took turns cooking each night and sharing their favorite recipes. It was so fun and great to spend quality time with everyone while cooking, playing games and watching movies.
One of my favorite days was when we took the family to a sledding park. We rented tubes and sleds for the kids, but I think the adults had just as much fun as they did! We tired ourselves out from racing down and hiking back up the sledding hill over and over—the kids just couldn’t get enough. We were finally forced to go home because it got so dark, but I’m convinced we would still be there if the sun hadn’t set on us!
Field had to leave for Dallas a few days early to make it back for some end of the year meetings. We missed him and the kids and I were excited to come home to see him. Field Christian dropped his suitcase outside the door of our house and ran into our bedroom as soon as we arrived home yelling for his dad. It was the cutest. *grin* There is truly nothing better than family!
I loved spending my Christmas in Colorado, but I’m glad we made it home to Dallas for the New Year! We made it home just in time to get to church on Sunday morning and to make it to church for the midnight New Year’s Eve service. I have never missed this service since living in Dallas, and it is always one of my favorites. I love committing my year to God—ending the old and beginning each new year praising Him for leading and guiding us every single day of the year. This experience helps me to keep my eyes focused on Him all year long!
Ski trips are definitely not the easiest with big groups of people, but we had a wonderful week with family. I hope and pray you and your families enjoyed a wonderful Christmas filled with joy, laughter and time spent with one another.
I hope you’re all enjoying the first month into the New Year – and I pray it is your best year yet!
XO-
Sabrina
