Day 4: Let It Snow

I love this picture of my husband and our son. It looks like they are sitting there in the snow, just talking about life, which maybe they were. I also know they were waiting for me.

And this is our friend who is 6. He rides like the wind on skis!! I had to smile so big when I noticed he was skiing with his tongue out, hoping to catch those snowflakes and swallow them whole!

Here's Austin again, looking like some futuristic power-fighter-soldier guy. He's a boarder.

Lexi and I are skiers. We don't think it's a boy v. girl thing, this preference for boarding or for skiing. It just works out that way in my family.

I have no photos of J-man on this day. Actually, it saddened me quite a bit this vacation. He said "hello" and "good-bye" quite a bit, and because he's such an affectionate kid, he threw in a few "love ya, mom!"-s for me. He preferred spending time with his friends, boarding at the terrain parks and hanging out at the hot tub. 

He's growing up.

Day 3

Reflections on Day 3.

Motivation to get up and go.

I don't know if it was the altitude, or all the water I've been drinking to fight it, but I awoke this morning completely swollen, fingers, toes, eyes and lips. Oh my lips! Better than any fillers or surgery...

Yes, I know I love that saturation button, but I sware! The sky was really that blue. And look at those meringue mountain-tops!

Daddy-O coming out of the 1/2-pipe.

J-man with a grab.

Lunch break.

Look out... old lady in the pipe!

Little man in flight.

Father & son taking a break.

It was about 55 degrees in the afternoon, too warm even for these southerners.

Not hurt, just tired.

Day 2

Sunrise over Crested Butte.

Hearty breakfast at the Avalanche.

A beautiful day, with breath-taking views. Warm and gentle, easing our southern, winter legs back into skiing and snOwboarding.

A dip into the healing water.

Crested Butte, Colorado - Day 1

Finally! We are going west!

One of Lexi's projects is to take this school bus with a picture on it of everyone in her school, and photograph it where-ever we go. She then has to keep a journal about where the bus went.

(Is there a brown-eyed fox down there?!)

Coming in to Denver.

View from plane on way to Gunnison airport.

First stop! :)

En route to Crested Butte.

(Hey! That rhymes!)

The fireplace where I will be snuggling up at the end of the day.

Austin checking out the view from our room:

And it's beautiful!

And looking straight down...

Hot-tub to ease our pains!

Tomorrow, we play!

A Final Look, Everglades Part III

Oh, he makes a mama proud!

I told you he was secure in his manhood.

On the last day of our trip, we had to resort to plan C., as it was too wild in the ocean to snorkel (plan A.), and the Everglades Outpost was closed on Wednesdays (plan B.) 

We found ourselves at Monkey Jungle, where the monkeys roam free, and the humans are caged.

This is sweet Maymay. Isn't she beautiful? 

And no one was disappointed, least of all me... 

it was a photographic fantasyland.

Until we got back in the car...

                                   (photo by stinky-footed J-man)

It's Alive, Everglades Part II

I know you think the Everglades is a swamp.

A great, big, stagnant swamp.

But it's not.

It's alive. Really alive.

You just have to look closely.

Be open to the possibility.

Be observant.

It's full of critters.

Some are stinky.

(boys)

Some are rare and scary and sweet.

(American Crocodile, and momma Manatee with babe.

Can you see them?)

Some are beautiful, but not so graceful.

(rosiate duckbill)

Some are abundant.

And even though you take hundreds of pictures of them,

you can't stop.

You just take more.

(blue heron in white morph)

The folliage is both vibrant

(palm)

and colorless.

(cyprus)

But it is alive, none-the-less.

There are reptiles.

Lots of reptiles.

Lots of scary reptiles.

(turtle)

And some pretty beautiful ones, as well.

(green iguana, during mating season)

It's the only ecosystem of it's kind in the world.

You must see it.

Really see it.

(green iguana)

It's full of life.