Lake City, Colorado

Right after we moved we had a trip planned to Colorado.  The trip was scheduled in December and who would have ever thought that it would fall the weekend that we actually got to move.  We moved on Wednesday and left on Saturday.  CrAzY!  I was so exhausted.  For anyone who knows me, you know I am packed and stoked about a trip weeks before leaving.  Well let me tell you I did not pack Jason and I till 1:00 am the morning we left.  Thankfully I had packed the girls weeks before we moved just in case I could not find something.  I honestly think we would have never got out the door if I had not done that.  At least I was prepared for them!  Ha!  The trip was great and hard at the same time.  With Ansley being so little it is hard to really "relax" on vacation.  I was either nursing, pumping, or rocking while Jason kept a close eye on Avery.  We enjoyed our time together, away from the move, the house, and unpacking.  The weather was AWESOME!  We wore jeans, long pants, and sweatshirts most of the time.  I prayed the weather would follow us home.  Wishful thinking......right?  We rode two days, spent one day over in Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte, and one day in Silverton.  The towns are so quaint and historic.  I love the the simple life in Colorado.  But I am a Texas girl through and through and I will just visit for now!  We saw moose, elk, deer, bucks, chipmunks, and a ton of other little creatures.  Avery loved riding with Daddy and Papaw on the four-wheeler!  Ansley and I rode in the Gator with an enclosed cab to keep out of the weather and dust.  On our last day, our "do nothing but sit outside, take a nap, hold baby, relax, do a word find, pack" day, our accident free trip quickly changed.  We had built a campfire Thursday night and at 10:30 we called it a night, smothered the fire, and went to bed.  Friday we headed into town, had breakfast, and stopped by a few more places/scenic areas before heading out Saturday morning.  When we got back to the camper I had sat down in a lawn chair while Avery was playing.  Not three feet from me.  Jason had walked down to his Dad's camper about thirty feet from us.  In a blink of an eye I saw Avery back up and trip backwards over the rocks that were outlining the fire pit.  Each site had a designated area for a fire.  She let out a blood curdling scream and I threw everything out of my lap and grabbed her.  I knew something was bad because of how she was crying.  I started patting her down, because I thought she was on fire and all I could do was tell her breath......take a deep breath and tell momma where it hurts.  She finally let out "my hand" and I immediately saw the blisters already forming.  Later, after we got back, we found a smoldering rock under all the ashes that must have been what her hand landed on.  My father-in-law said to put mustard on it so I ran to the camper and grabbed the mustard.  Then another neighboring camper came over and her and her husband own a health food store.  She gave me burn cream.  After five minutes and still seeing how much pain she was in I told Jason we had to go the medics.  We flew 60 in a 30 with our flashers on and got to town within 15 minutes.  The hospital staff was amazing and treated Avery with such care.  Her right hand was covered in 2nd degree burns but the outcome was very promising.  Today, three weeks later, her hand looks great and I don't believe she will need any further treatment.  God protected our sweet girl and I am so thankful.  It could have been a thousand times worse and that tugs at my heart still today.  I try to not think about the what ifs.  She was in such pain, kicking her legs, screaming, and at one point in the car heading to town she got real quiet and looked over at me and said "I love you Mommy".  I just lost it.  No parent wants to see their child hurting like that.  The staff has since called three times to check on her!  They are so kind!  That night she went fishing and had a good time!  I took the sweet lady her burn cream back and another neighbor brought Ave a stuffed toy.  We were showered with concerns and well wishes for our sweet girl.  Such nice people.  I changed her dressing for her hand twice a day for three weeks.  Glad that is over.  After sleeping at a rest stop with both kids, we made it home safe and sound Sunday afternoon.  Home never felt so good.....even if we had only lived there three days! 

A beautiful waterfall we found on our way to Lake City.  Jason's dad knew about it and thank goodness because you can't see it from the road. 



Lake San Cristobal



Avery feeding the chipmunks

Jaws packed!

It ate right out of her hand!

Loved this church on a hill

The only bear we saw!  Ha!

Headed to get ice cream with Papaw

 

Beautiful Lake City

View from about fifty feet from our camper

First ride up Carson Road to see the ghost town.  We saw a momma moose with her two calves!  So cool!  Avery loved it!



The ride on the right was mine and Ansley's!  We stayed rather warm and dry....it was nice!



Loved that little pink helmet sticking out from behind Daddy!

Ghost Town up Carson Road

 

Could this be more perfect!

God's Creation

Getting ready to leave for day two!  We had to dress a little warmer!  There was rain, sleet, and hail that afternoon up where we were.  Avery got in with me so the girls and I were super warm and DRY!  Jas wore his Frog Togs and he was still freezing.

Happy Girl

Downtown Silverton, Colorado.  We had to park on the hill and walk (it's a hike with two kids.....I needed an oxygen tank on the way back up) because the four-wheelers can not be rode in town.  We ate at a super cool place called Handlebars! 

Vacation home?????

We took a back rode to Crested Butte and the Aspen Pines were breath taking.  While visiting Gunnison, Colorado one of the locals told us about the road.  Worth the scary drive!

We rode the ski lift up to see the views.  For some reason I feel much safer with snow below me rather than rocks or it could have been we had both girls with us and that somewhat freaked me out. 

Nice form while playing putt-putt!

 

The morning she got hurt.  We stopped by the river to skip rocks and pick one out for her to paint when we got home.  It wasn't an hour after this picture when she fell.

Loved the ski lift swings.  Clever idea!

The wonderful facility that treated our baby.  We took this pic while driving away.