road trip!

we decided to take a drive to loveland, colorado yesterday. there is a ski resort there and we were contemplating getting season passes for the family. loveland is only about an hour / hour & 1/2 away. as we drove, we saw the temperature dropping. our expedition has the temperature thingie on the inside so we can see how cold it is outside. we left highlands ranch and it was 64. brrrrrr ... coming into loveland, the kids were counting down ... "9 degrees 'till it's freezing" ... "3 ... 2 .... 1 ... it's reached 32 degrees!" yes, it dropped over 30 degrees. the snow was falling - flurries, it wasn't sticking to the ground. but we drove higher than loveland - we're gluttons for punishment, i guess. we found snow. on the ground. like sticking to the ground. a few piles. everyone but mom got out of the car. they all threw snowballs at mom sitting in the car refusing to come out! snow? in october? egads ....

on our way back home, we stopped in a little town called idaho springs, colorado. it was so cute!! there were lots of little shops, totally rinky-dink. but so fun! we went into one shop where they had homemade soap. well, store-made soap - they made it on site there. of course, i had to buy some. a girl's gotta stink perty! they had one that smelled like wintergreen gum - i LOVE that!! the girls and i had such a good time smelling everything. joey - not so much. he tolerated it. then, we headed to a gelato store where mak, joey, michael, and i got gelato (yes, when it's cold outside - don't ask). katy and becka got these really long suckers. oh - there was also an old train that we could look at and walk around.

i think we may take the mother's to idaho springs when they come in december. it really is a cute little town! and everyone says there's a restaurant there that has the best pizza ever. so we've got to try that, right?