End of Summer Wrap Up

Well, summer has obviously kept me busy, so here's an end of summer wrap up!

Since my last post, we spent a week at Schlitterbauhn in New Braunfels, TX and Fredericksburg, TX. You'll have to visit my FB for pics because right now I am too lazy to add them. Three days at Schlitterbauhn were fantastic and exhausting all at the same time. I am proud to say that at the age of 30. (cringe!) I rode every single water slide, thrill ride, and stepped in every pool in the three park resort that is Schlitterbauhn. Now you understand the exhausting part. Fredericksburg was cool. Derik found a new love for breweries after dining at Fredericksburg Brewing Company. I found a love for Scottish Egg...yum! The museums were cool and I can see another visit to this quaint little town in our future. Sadly, at the end of the week, we had to part company with not only Derik's family, but our boys too. (tear) It's always hard to say goodbye at the end of summer.

After that action packed vacation with the Carleton Family, it was back to just the three of us (Derik, Braden, and yours truly). We holed up in the house for a solid week. Other than going out for the required groceries and school needs (as the start of school is unavoidable, despite our attempts to pretend otherwise), we didn't leave the house. This housebound week lead me to plan one last 'getaway' before the dreaded school routine sets in.
For the first time EVER, the three of us hit the road. I hadn't realized that we haven't taken a trip unless the boys or my parents were with us. This time it was the three amigos. We headed for Colorado Springs, which is my new home away from home. I love those mountains and tried (and failed) to convince Derik we could move there. We didn't do a lot, a little shopping, visited 4 (count them, 4) breweries, enjoyed the scenery. Braden's one request was to revisit Seven Falls, which we had gone to in 2006 when we went to CO with the boys in tow. Braden was too small to climb the steep stairs then and he wanted to give it another go. The three of us climbed who knows how many stairs to the first landing and that was enough for my guys. I decided, out of stupidity or a desire for adventure I'm not sure which, that I would continue up the to the top. 244 very steep stairs altogether. And another 244 very steep stairs back down. My legs were jello for days. This climb was the equivalent of being on the StairMaster for over an hour. Stupidity must have been the right answer. BUT...I have some cool pictures from the top! Again, see FB for pictures. There are just too many.

So we are back home, halfway into the last week of summer. Meeting teachers on Friday. Starting school on Monday. Trying, half-hearted mind you, to get Braden and myself back on that school sleep schedule. He was out by midnight and up by nine am, if that tells you how we are doing. It's going to be a rough first week, I think. We have a few plans left. Maybe another visit to the pool and a movie. We are just savoring the free time, which can be enjoyed by doing nothing (or so I am told).

I just cannot believe how fast this summer went by! Hope the school year goes by just as fast!