The hardest holiday for me in Alamosa has always been Thanksgiving. I love huge family gatherings full of chaos, conversation, cooking and of course eating!
Now that we live painfully far away from family, it is too far to drive for Thanksgiving. We've tried inviting other people over, and while it is fun, it just isn't the same and I always end up feeling a little depressed on a day I should be feeling thankful.
Nathan and I decided after last Thanksgiving that we wanted to do something different this year, so we started looking for cabins online. We found one we liked in Cuchara, CO and had it reserved by January.
I have fond memories from my childhood of renting a house at Graeagle, and so I already had some hopes and expectations of what this trip would be like. I wanted to have quality family time without outside distractions. I wanted to play games, read together, spend some time outside looking out the beautiful landscapes, watch a couple movies, and just plain relax.
I am happy to report, that it was just what I hoped it would
be. We learned a new game called, "And it Came to Pass," that everyone could play. It was a lot of fun, and wasn't age dependent to win.
We also played many rounds of the Bean game, Dominoes and Risk. I don't think we've ever played so many games at one time.
I had lots of time to read, both outloud to the kids and to myself. I found a new series that I love called Little Britches. It's a true story about a boy whose family settled in Northern Colorado. It was nice to have hours at a time to read in front of a cozy fire in a deep armchair.
It was pretty cold outside, but when the sun was at its highest we managed to explore the area around our cabin and found a couple frozen ponds, a running waterfall and some little bridges to cross. There was just enough snow on the ground for the younger kids to play in, and Brandon had a chance to shoot his B.B. gun and airsoft to his heart's content.
The day after Thanksgiving, Nathan took the kids to cut a Christmas tree just a few miles away. It was too cold and steep for Danielle and me, but I enjoyed a couple hours alone.
They came home with a magnificent tree. I really think it may be the prettiest tree we have ever had.
The cabin itself was really nice. It was pretty new with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a family room downstairs, and a kitchen, dining area and living room upstairs. There was a deck that wrapped around the cabin with a beautiful view.
We took advantage of the woodburning stoves on each level as much as possible. Our bathroom had a steam shower, and I'm pretty sure that was Danielle's favorite spot. There were two flat-screen t.v.'s that had satellite, so we could watch a movie when we felt like it.
Our dinner wasn't up to our usual standards, because we weren't sure what the kitchen would have. We didn't have a wisk for the gravy and the oven cooked a lot hotter than ours and overbaked our rolls. Still, we ate well, and had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. It was the best family time we have had for a long time.
Tonight, we sat at home around our tree and sang Christmas carols. It was a great ending to our weekend. Then Nathan told the kids stories and sang them his own Christmas songs: Randolph the Red-Nosed Beagle; Hark, the Beagle; and O Come All Ye Beagles.
This weekend was so great that I think we will stay home next year. I don't think we could re-create our time if we tried, and I'd hate for the expectations to be unattainable.
Plus, I don't want to eat burnt rolls next year.
The hardest holiday for me in Alamosa has always been Thanksgiving. I love huge family gatherings full of chaos, conversation, cooking and of course eating!
Now that we live painfully far away from family, it is too far to drive for Thanksgiving. We've tried inviting other people over, and while it is fun, it just isn't the same and I always end up feeling a little depressed on a day I should be feeling thankful.
Nathan and I decided after last Thanksgiving that we wanted to do something different this year, so we started looking for cabins online. We found one we liked in Cuchara, CO and had it reserved by January.
I have fond memories from my childhood of renting a house at Graeagle, and so I already had some hopes and expectations of what this trip would be like. I wanted to have quality family time without outside distractions. I wanted to play games, read together, spend some time outside looking out the beautiful landscapes, watch a couple movies, and just plain relax.
I am happy to report, that it was just what I hoped it would be. We learned a new game called, "And it Came to Pass," that everyone could play. It was a lot of fun, and wasn't age dependent to win.
We also played many rounds of the Bean game, Dominoes and Risk. I don't think we've ever played so many games at one time.
I had lots of time to read, both outloud to the kids and to myself. I found a new series that I love called Little Britches. It's a true story about a boy whose family settled in Northern Colorado. It was nice to have hours at a time to read in front of a cozy fire in a deep armchair.
It was pretty cold outside, but when the sun was at its highest we managed to explore the area around our cabin and found a couple frozen ponds, a running waterfall and some little bridges to cross. There was just enough snow on the ground for the younger kids to play in, and Brandon had a chance to shoot his B.B. gun and airsoft to his heart's content.
The day after Thanksgiving, Nathan took the kids to cut a Christmas tree just a few miles away. It was too cold and steep for Danielle and me, but I enjoyed a couple hours alone.
They came home with a magnificent tree. I really think it may be the prettiest tree we have ever had.
The cabin itself was really nice. It was pretty new with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a family room downstairs, and a kitchen, dining area and living room upstairs. There was a deck that wrapped around the cabin with a beautiful view.
We took advantage of the woodburning stoves on each level as much as possible. Our bathroom had a steam shower, and I'm pretty sure that was Danielle's favorite spot. There were two flat-screen t.v.'s that had satellite, so we could watch a movie when we felt like it.
Our dinner wasn't up to our usual standards, because we weren't sure what the kitchen would have. We didn't have a wisk for the gravy and the oven cooked a lot hotter than ours and overbaked our rolls. Still, we ate well, and had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. It was the best family time we have had for a long time.
Tonight, we sat at home around our tree and sang Christmas carols. It was a great ending to our weekend. Then Nathan told the kids stories and sang them his own Christmas songs: Randolph the Red-Nosed Beagle; Hark, the Beagle; and O Come All Ye Beagles.
This weekend was so great that I think we will stay home next year. I don't think we could re-create our time if we tried, and I'd hate for the expectations to be unattainable. 
Plus, I don't want to eat burnt rolls next year.
Jealous!! It sounds like an absolutely wonderful weekend.
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