The First Ski Lesson!

Checking in at ski school - we're ready to go!

Duck-walking to the chair lift line

This past weekend, we stayed at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa which offered a Veterans Weekend special for the military.  The hotel was gorgeous, the linens fluffy, the breakfast buffet sumptuous, and the staff extremely friendly.  There was only one problem - Vail wasn't open yet!  (Hence the special rate, we realized).  Luckily, Keystone and Breckenridge were both open, so we had some options.  

Alex and Kieran got to try skiing for the first time this past weekend at Keystone!  We weren't sure how the kids would feel about skiing for an entire day (9:30 - 3:30, lunch and hot chocolate breaks included) but our fears were groundless.  They LOVED every minute!  Even with all of the spills, bonks, and the -24F wind chill factor, they enjoyed ski school so much that they eagerly attended two days in a row.  After the first day, Kieran asked in earnest, "So when do I learn how to jump, Daddy?" Jeff tried to explain, "You need to learn how to turn first."  Kieran replied, "I already know how to do that.  I'm ready to learn how to jump."  It probably didn't help that the beginner's chair lift went right alongside the A51 Terrain Park where boarders and skiers do tricks on rails, boxes and jumps.  We didn't get great footage of the kids skiing because of bad timing, but hopefully we'll get some more as the season progresses.

And what did Jeff and Larissa do during these days?  We got to hang out with friends for two-hour lunches, go shopping in the village, oh - and do a few runs, too.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

We visited the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo today which is located in southern Colorado Springs.  We were joined by our friends Mike, Sara, Kim, Camille and Stuart.  Unlike the San Diego Zoo, this venue is much more manageable and easy to walk around in 1 morning.  We were also amazed at how close-up we were able to see the animals!  It was exciting to have only glass between our faces and the grizzly bear, only 1 fence between us and the tiger 5 feet away, and absolutely nothing between us and the giraffes!

"These pretzels are making me thirsty!"

Kieran particularly enjoyed how this peacock seemed to follow us the entire time we were at the zoo.

Labor Day in Aspen - Breathtaking Views

Jeff had Labor Day off, so we went on a weekend getaway to Aspen!  

None of us had ever been there, and we really loved hiking in the mountains.  

Hello Mountains!

Yes!  We have moved to Colorado Springs, home of the US Air Force Academy!  We are now The Rocky MounTans and looking forward to a lot of adventures here.  Our road trip out here was a lot of fun.  We drove to Phoenix and got treated to a sumptuous Mexican dinner by our friends Dave Weitz and his lovely wife, Jane.  On the next day, we stayed at a beautiful hotel in Albuquerque and the kids got to gorge on their first sopaipillas.  We rolled into town on the third day.  While we were originally scheduled to stay on base in temporary housing, our reservations were cancelled because of the Waldo Canyon fire.  Thank goodness for wonderful friends!  Our buddies, The Andersons, were kind enough to take us in, cook us a delicious barbecue Fourth of July dinner, and give us much needed room to rest.    The kids got to reunite with their black lab, Bosco, and we all got to meet their adorable children.  During evening beers, Jeff lamented giving up his carefree civilian ways.  He garnered very little sympathy from our Army friends who quipped, "It's the Air Force!  It doesn't even count!"

House hunting as gone well and we were able to take a break today.  We went on a hike on the Falcon Trail at the Academy.  Alex and Kieran particularly revelled in the enormous ants, bubbling streams, horseback riders, and loads of mountain bikers.  Halfway through our hike, we pondered how much longer to go when we heard an ominous clap of thunder.  Kieran practically sprinted all the way back to the car, "I don't want to get wet!  Quick, the lightning is coming!!!"  We made it back to the truck just in time to see lightning bolts and hear extremely loud thunder.  As soon as we got back into our room, buckets of rain came pouring down.  Kieran exclaimed, "Good news it didn't storm on us.  What does it feel like when lightning zaps you?"

Bye Bye Beach

We said goodbye to San Diego by having a couple of last days at the beach.  So long to our favorite town...we will miss your sandy shores, gorgeous weather, friendly people, and delicious carne asada fries.  Onto the next move!

Vegas Vacation

The Sun Tans attended Alzira's wedding in Las Vegas this past weekend!  Alex Sweetie and The Bieran did a great job as Junior Bridesmaid and Senior Ringbearer.  We all had a fabulous time reuniting with the family, eating ridiculous breakfasts at Jean Philippe Patisserie, and lounging by the pool.  Congratulations, Alzira and Isaac!

"Auntie Alzira, what do you think of the outfit?"

Sebastian, Kieran, Alex, Kiera, Braden and Kaitlyn 

With Kaitlyn at the Bellagio courtyard

Chihuly Chandelier at the Bellagio

Prepping for the wedding

Steps of a staircase - Kaitlyn, Kiera and Alex

"My favorite parts of our vacation were the wedding and the pool." - Alex

The Dance Floor (aka The Play Area)

Kiddies with Great Aunties Denise and Tonya

A Hug From Goong Goong

Winding down at the reception...after having eaten THREE desserts!

Pool Time!

These two were like sisters after one minute with each other!

This is how the kids walked every time they were together...in a chain.

What A Wonderful World

The kindergarteners had a performance this morning.  Wearing fancy clothes, they treated family members and friends to several musical numbers.  This was probably the audience's favorite song...