Christmas Colorado Road Trip: Day 8 & 9 - Saying Goodbye & Colorado Springs Olympic Development Training Center Tour and Night in Raton, NM and Home

As always, we were sad to say goodbye to one of our favorite places on earth. It had been such a great trip and we weren't ready to leave.

 We surprised the kids by scheduling a tour of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

We had planned to spend the night in Colorado Springs but the weather was getting worse and we were afraid it would impact the area the following day, so we decided to head towards Amarillo. When the sun went down around 5:30, we were about an hour north of Raton, NM and the conditions were getting really bad. We could barely see the lines on the road and the interstate traffic was moving slowly at 30 miles per hour with hazards on, due to lack of being able to see. So we were lucky to get one of the very last hotel room in Raton, NM. When we woke up the next morning, it was a bright sunny day and we had a beautiful day of driving ahead of us, getting home around 8PM, to see what Santa had left for the kids.

I'M GRATEFUL FOR...

MB -  such a long history and strong respect for US Olympians, in our country, and having places like the Colorado Springs campus to allow them to train. I’m thankful my eyes fill with tears every single time an Olympic video comes on, out of pride and admiration for their physical and emotional strength. I'm also grateful for driving home safely, jamming to Whitney Houston and Shania Twain, in the car. I'm thankful for the funny moments like when I was trying to be romantic and sing to dad and he was busy putting honey on a tortilla for you, kids! I’m thankful for dad being focused in Eden, TX at that one stop intersection.

BB- all the gorgeous views, driving. I'll remember the views in Raton, early morning, with snow everywhere and the the sunrise in west texas. I’m thankful for jamming to Spotify and for T-mobile having such good service this trip! I also liked our Walmart ice cream stop in Sweetwater.

CB- for dad and that he drove us.

AB- mom getting the hotel room in Raton, New Mexico, during the big snow and ice storm. I’m also thankful dad being such an awesome driver.

DB- for mom when she drives.

Christmas Colorado Road Trip: Day 7 - Relaxing and Ski/Snowboard Day & Last Visit to Our Favorite Game Room

Carter, Addison and Blake skied while Delaney and I lounged around the condo. We mentioned going ice skating but kept putting it off ultimately deciding staying in our pajamas is what sounded ideal! We finally got dressed and explored in the forest and watched the others ski down the mountain the last couple of times.

I'M GRATEFUL FOR...

MB - hysterical moments like when we prayed before dinner, imppromptuly re-enacting the Christmas Vacation Christmas dinner with Addison playing Aunt Bethany, Carter playing Clark Griswold and Blake portraying Uncle Eddie, standing up when Aunt Bethany started reciting the pledge of allegiance. I'm also thankful for our family adventures in the forest to take our traditional photo together and the memory of each one of us racing to press the button and sprint back into the photo.

BB- playing one-on-one basketball with Addison tonight.

CB- snowboarding and having fun with the jumps.

AB- skiing down BLACK Sizzler with Ella. We had a contest on who could fall the least. We both kept falling non-stop and we couldn’t stop laughing.

DB- being silly with my brother and sister in the condo.

Christmas Colorado Road Trip: Day 6 - Christmas Day - Santa Came, Addie's New Phone, Drone, Santa Airdropped, Carter's First Day Ever of Snowboarding and White Christmas Skiing Breckenridge.

The kid's woke up up 6:30AM, to find that Santa had in fact come, but that they had to get their ski stuff on, so we could just really be present and enjoy the morning. He even ate some of the cookies and milk. The conversations turned to how could he eat so many cookies and milk all night! Santa had brought one big present and their stocking stuff.

What Santa brought to Breckenridge

Carter: a drone

Addison: a Champion sweatshirt and her activated iPhone 6s wrapped in an iPhone 11 box.

Delaney: a unicorn onesie, puzzles and a note to see what he airdropped including photos of her brand new bedroom that he and his elves had set up overnight with a new makeup table, furry stool, new body pillow and sheets and the big white canopy that Delaney had just asked for the afternoon prior. Wow.

These are what Santa had air dropped to our phones.

Favorite memory - Addison overwhelmed with gratitude.

By 8AM, we were heading out to get Carter to his snow boarding lesson and for the four us to ski all day together, in our Santa hats. We were shocked that Delaney was on blues all day and keeping up. Addison got to "Check her phone" for the first time at lunch, even though she didn't have anyone's phone numbers. Around 11:30AM, it started snowing very steady and didn't stop until mid-afternoon. Lots of powder and quite the white Christmas. We met up with Carter around 3PM, after his private lesson and he was anxious for us to see what he had learned. He had taken to snow boarding, surprisingly fast, and was quite the natural. Around 4PM, we headed in to relax, play with some toys, relax in the game room and settle in and watch "It's a Wonderful Life!"

I'M GRATEFUL FOR...

MB - Jesus' birth, siting-in the sauna with the family having Delaney tell us about her dreams that involve being allergic to pencils. My other favorite moment was being on the 2 person ski lift with Delaney with the thick snow coming down for 2.5 hours, mid-day, on Christmas. It was the only time it snowed alll 7 days and it was smack middle of Christmas Day! It was God who truly gave us the best White Christmas!

BB- oh my gosh, skiing in the snow, just being on the lift with the girls in the middle of the it snowing, for sure!

CB- my day with Zach, my snow board instructor, and the moment that I mastered my S turn, feeling proud of Delaney hearing that she was on blues all day, having a true big white Christmas. It was Dumpin’! 

AB- for opening presents this morning before we left to ski. I thankful for everything, I was just so overwhelmed with being surprised and feeling so grateful for everything.

DB- for opening gifts in Breckenridge and when I saw the photos that Santa had AirDropped to my parents phone. I saw my new room!