Seasons are Changing | Colorado Dreaming

This summer has been one of big change for us. Talk about a change of life seasons. My husband has been hired at a new airline, so with that brings plenty of change in itself. However, we plan to move back to Colorado eventually since he's no longer based in Arizona. We aren't sure when or how that's going to happen, but it's in our future. For now, we're practicing contentment and patience.

hidden gold (leaves) in Colorado Life Magazine

Being the wife of a pilot sure has its ups and downs. <--- Yep, I said it. I know this place of purgatory oh too well, because for the almost last 8 years I've felt we weren't in our forever place. We left Colorado in 2011, and since then we spent just over 3 years living in Florida followed by 4 years here in Arizona. Currently living in the Phoenix area, I'm again struggling to be present in our current situation. I've always struggled with the idea of blooming where you're planted. I mean the desert plants quite literally have shallow root systems (out of survival with the lack of rain). Maybe the desert environment just isn't suitable for my want of deep roots. I suppose I need to get better at adapting. Have I been uprooted too many times to feel really content in one place now? So many questions and not enough answers. Hello in between. One thing I know, we're never ever leaving Colorado once we get settled there! :-D

on our last trip to Colorado we were greeted by the most beautiful sunset

Since my husband was offered his new job, we've already had a number of highs and lows. We had a little teaser of a trip to Colorado back in July. It was just enough to remind us how nice it will be living closer to family again. Our kids played with their cousins, and we enjoyed not being scorched by 114 degree temperatures. We've gone weeks without seeing each other, and the kids have pushed me to the limit at times. Keeping our long term goals in mind is the only things keeping us sane in the meantime.

we squeezed in a quick visit to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs

I'm sitting here fascinated by military families and their typical moving about the country. If I'd been a kid brought up in that environment, I wonder if it would have made moving easier as an adult. Or maybe I'd rebel and been the disgruntled type without friends. Thankfully now I'm just a slightly mature adult dealing with moving cross country. How does one feel "at home" in a place that isn't a permanent home? I'm looking forward to being closer to family and friends... and those Rocky Mountains of course.

our kids snacking with a view at the Westin Denver International Airport hotel

It's bittersweet to see my husband realize goals and dreams. With it comes big, but exciting, changes. However, I can't believe we'll be selling the first home we have ever owned. It's interesting we'll be returning to Colorado, not young and newly married but, with two children of our own. Our kids will get to see more of their extended family, but we'll still be far from some. Sometimes change is a great thing. It definitely opens up doors for growth. I know one thing for sure, the saying "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" holds a lot of truth.

Have you moved somewhere new also?

How do you adjust?

If you could choose one place in the U.S. to live...

where would you live??

Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

This summer we stayed at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess for a two night family staycation. If there's one hotel that's fantastic for families, and even more so families with young kids, it's the Princess! Our four year old remembered our stay from the previous summer, so he was really excited to be staying at the Princess again. He loves just about any hotel, but he especially loves all of the fun that the Scottsdale Princess offers.

#BestSummerEver :: our 4 year old took this shot

We have been making a tradition of visiting the Princess every year for their Christmas at the Princess celebration. You don't have to be a hotel guest to visit, but you do pay a fee to park and enjoy the event. It's fantastic, and it's something we look forward to every year. After learning about their summer event, I decided we needed to stay and make another little family tradition and make the most of the Arizona summer heat.

last summer :: wrangling toddlers in the Sonoran Splash pool

Summer at the Princess offers everything from "dive-in movies" and fireworks to poolside glow parties and nature walks. After our stay the previous year, I had entered their 30 year anniversary sweepstakes to try and win a free night stay. Lo and behold, I was one of their 30 winners, so we obviously used our free night stay for another summer staycation at this incredible resort. I had been waiting to use our certificate for summertime, because they have tons of great activities and things for families and kids this time of year. You cannot be bored with all there is to do at the Princess!

working on our fishing skills

Our kids are four and two, but they really enjoy the resort and everything we do there. There are activities for every age. This year we took advantage of fishing in the ponds on resort property. We had lots of nibbles but no catches. Our kids love the "dive-in movies" by the pool. They set up a huge inflatable screen by the Sunset Beach pool and play movies on select nights in the evenings. They pause the movie for a fireworks show on some nights as well! Our kids love this so much, and the Sunset Beach pool has a sandy area that's great for little ones to dig and play while watching the movie.

fireworks and a "dive-in movie" by the Sunset Beach pool

Our free night stay included a resort credit, so we spent it at a restaurant on property one night. We splurged at Hacienda, and we ordered their delicious guacamole sampler, margaritas, and delicious entrees too. The kids were well behaved all through dinner, so it really felt like vacation. Ha!

last year :: our Sunset Beach room

We stayed in the Sunset Beach rooms both years, because they're the closest to the pool with the movies. It's a trek across their property to get to different pools and restaurants, so with little ones we love being near the pool with the movies so we can make a quick exit and get to bed when they get too tired. We did utilize the pool shuttle one afternoon, when it was just too hot to walk far with little ones, because the Sonoran Splash pool is a bit of a walk from the Sunset beach rooms.

All in all, we just love the Princess! Fairmont does a great job taking care of families with young children too. They do details so well. We look forward to continuing our traditions at the Princess.

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Let me know....

Have you ever visited or stayed at the Princess?

What's your favorite thing about the resort?

Making Sacrifices for Gains

Comparing life before and after kids is like comparing apples and oranges. They are two entirely different animals, or seasons of life, and there's no way to really explain it. There are so many parts of life that are more fulfilling with kids, but there are also parts that are not as enjoyable as life pre-kids. Making sacrifices for those you love is becoming more a part of who we are thanks to having children. They really have a way of changing your life like that.

Raising two tiny humans, who are part of you, makes you reflect and realize what is really important in life. Family, relationships, people, and bringing up the next generation are so overwhelmingly important. You find that past priorities change and bend, much like the seasons change. You find that you will sacrifice things you used to find important for something much more important.

There were days when we would travel more freely. I know we'll do that again. There were also days when I poured more time and energy into this little blog of mine. I figure there will probably come a day when I'll do more of that too. I'm not sad for what I'm missing out on, because I'm so thankful for the two amazing kids we have that it's become easy to overlook what we no longer have. I'm learning, sometimes slowly, that our long term gains are going to be so much better than any short term sacrifices we have to make.

If you have a goal, you typically don't reach it right away. Working towards that goal most likely involves giving up some things here and there to reach it. You might sacrifice your time, money, or freedoms for something that you ultimately feel is worth your sacrificing in the end. Having kids, you'll sacrifice a lot of things that are near and dear to you, because you hope that the payout will be far greater. Great things don't typically develop overnight. They take time.

Raising kids feels a lot like this. We keep making sacrifices to hopefully see long term gains. You sacrifice the freedom of your day to get them their naps and keep their little brains growing & developing the way they need. You sacrifice your sleep, because they need your love & need you to nurse them through the night. You sacrifice your sanity at times, because you can't get through a day without a toddler meltdown or someone screaming over a toy that was taken from them. You sacrifice your money to keep them clothed and fed. Great things don't happen overnight, so you keep sacrificing knowing that you're doing something important.

There are so many things you sacrifice as a parent mainly because you love your kids. We make sacrifices for who and what we love.

Sleeping with Airplanes | Airport Hotels

The ultimate airplane sleepover consists of camping under a dark starry sky among the retired airplanes at an aircraft boneyard like the one in Tucson. That's most likely impossible (and probably illegal) for most of us ordinary folk, so a close second, and more attainable goal, is staying a night in an airport hotel with airplane views from your very own room.

With an airplane crazed 3 year old and husband who works in aviation, an airport hotel is like a boys playground. Who am I kidding? It's fun for girls too! At least once, everyone in the family was caught gazing out of the windows daydreaming about airplanes. I've always wanted to sleep at the airport and watch the coming and going of airplanes from my room. In the last year, we've had the opportunity to stay at two airport hotels. Neither disappointed!

Our first airport stay was last year in June. During our Colorado road trip, we set up camp for a few days at the Westin Denver International Airport. As an architecture graduate, and lover of everything hotels, this hotel had been at the top of my must-stay bucket list since it was being designed. I had been so excited to see what the architect(s) would come up with, and I have to say there's a lot to love about the Westin. The architecture, views, pool, and room service made for a wonderful stay.

The architectural background of the hotel is surrounded in some controversy, when the world renowned architect Santiago Calatrava backed out of being part of the design. Gensler ended up with the project, and they created a modern flight-inspired design filled with some interesting engineering and incredible views from the rooms, lobbies, and the swimming pool. The architecture student in me geeked out while staying there, but I think anyone can appreciate the wall to wall soundproof windows in the rooms and the spectacular view from the pool. There were beautiful and expansive views from just about every window.

From the swimming pool, complete with views of airplanes landing, to the airport and prairie views, the Westin was a hit with the whole family. We enjoyed our swim, room service, and exploring the property. My husband was able to point out the ramp area where the airplanes he used to fly were parked. The Westin Denver Airport was a big hit, and we hope to stay again on another visit to Denver and Colorado.

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The second airport hotel we stayed at last year happened en route to our Disney cruise departing from Vancouver. Our flight landed in the evening, so we opted to crash (probably not the best word to describe something at an airport, but we did crash hard) at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport for a night. It was really convenient walking to the hotel after a late flight with two little kids.

The Fairmont Vancouver Airport was amazing for family travel! Not only is the airport convenient for walking from your flight directly to your hotel, but they had some great extras for traveling with kids. We had a nice crib and children's toiletries plus a rubber ducky for bath time waiting for us in our room. Sometimes it's the little touches that push a hotel visit into favorite territory. Being a parent to little ones, it's nice to have someone else taking care of details for a minute. The Fairmont is always a place where you can take a deep breath upon arrival.

We woke up to mountain views from our room. Plus we had a great view of all the airport happenings and planes landing/taxiing. Our short overnight was perfect, and we felt well-rested (as parents can feel) for the beginning of our trip. Before checking out, we did enjoy a delicious breakfast buffet at Globe@YVR near the lobby of the hotel. Don't miss it if you stay here!

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I hope someday you get a chance to sleep with the airplanes too.

Have you ever stayed at an airport hotel?

Which one is your favorite,

or where do you want to stay?

Word of the Year

I've never been one to do something just because everyone else is, however lately I can't help but notice everyone sharing their word for the year throughout my social media outlets. Usually it takes me a season, two, or maybe more before I'm catching up with what the cool kids are doing. I see people mentioning their word for the year on Instagram. Friends on Facebook are mentioning which word they chose to focus on this year. I can't help but think "should I have a word for the year too?" It certainly can't hurt. So why not! After just a little thought, I chose my word for the year. Better late than never I suppose. My word for 2018 is patience.

... patience is a work in progress ...

I love the idea of picking a word for the year that you can focus on all year long. If I can have something to continually work on through the year, I'm up for that challenge. The great thing about choosing a word for the year is, you can't really go wrong. Just choose something that you're struggling with at the moment, and that is probably your word.

Our culture tends to be one of instant gratification, so patience goes against the grain in that sense. We want our fast food faster, our kids potty trained sooner, our day to run smoothly, and just about any other thing we want to go our way. I love the idea of patience playing into everything throughout the day. Mainly, am I keeping a good attitude and loving others while waiting for something?

Patience is necessary for all parts of life. Driving your car? Patience. Grocery shopping? Patience. Dealing with whining children? Patience. I love how patience applies to every aspect of life, and let me tell you I find myself thinking of my word all throughout the day. I struggle with patience on a daily basis, but having it as my word is making me much more aware of trying to be patient in everything I do. Maybe I should have chose an easier word... like chocolate.

Do you have a word for the year?

I would love to hear...

What word did you choose?

Disneyland with Kids

Coming up on one year ago, our family took a trip to Disneyland. It was everyone's first time there. My husband and I lived in Florida for almost 4 years, so we'd had annual passes and had taken many trips to Disney World. It was fun seeing where all of Walt's theme park ideas began at Disneyland Resort in California. The trip was even more fun visiting with children. There's something magical about seeing a kid experience a Disney park for the first time. Being the big kid that I am, I had just as much fun as our children.

Going along with the theme of our blog, there's no "right season" in life to travel with kids or, for that matter, to visit a Disney park. There are pros and cons to traveling with kids of any age. There's always going to be a reason not to travel: the kids are too young, car seats are too hard to travel with, they don't fly on airplanes well, or there's too much stuff to bring. My biggest fear is that our kids will be out of the house and we won't have traveled with them at all.

We live in Arizona which is within reasonable driving distance to Disneyland. For this trip, we packed up the car and made the 6 hour drive instead of flying. There were the obvious potty/diaper breaks and leg stretching breaks involved, but the drive was manageable. We made it to Disneyland easily, and we checked into our hotel excited for our first visit to Disneyland!

We didn't stay on property, because the Disneyland hotels are rather expensive. The off property hotels are a short walk from the main gates, so you can easily walk to the parks from your hotel if you stay close to Harbor Blvd. We stayed at the Residence Inn near the Anaheim Convention Center. It was about 10-15 minute walk to the park gates, and it was perfect for our family of four. We had a kitchenette, living area, and a bedroom with two queen beds. The hotel was very clean and more than enough room for all of us and plenty of room to park our jogging stroller too.

Disneyland has two separate parks as opposed to the four parks at Disney World. Being on a small budget for our trip, we only spent one day at each park. We visited California Adventure on our first day in the parks, and on our second day we enjoyed Disneyland.

A few tips for visiting Disneyland with Kids

Baby Care Centers. There's one in each park, and I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with with them if you're traveling with small children. We mainly used it for nursing and diaper changes, but they're useful for so many things. They're a nice air-conditioned break as well.

Character Dining. We reserved the Minnie & Friends character breakfast at the Plaza Inn on our morning in Disneyland. It's a great way to see a lot of characters all at once. They come to your table and interact with the kids. Our experience was fantastic. We saw Minnie, Pooh, Tigger, Fairy Godmother, Captain Hook, and many others. The only downside, if you can call it one, is there's so much character interaction it makes it difficult for your kids to focus on eating.

Expectations. This trip to Disneyland was really focused on our small children, and we didn't have big expectations for doing everything. My husband and I had been to Disney World multiple times, so we weren't feeling like we needed to ride all of the rides on this trip. We really just wanted to ride some of the toddler-friendly rides, and we wanted to enjoy being in the park and seeing characters. Mission accomplished.

Disneyland Favorites

Dad

riding rides like the Golden Zephyr and Mater's Junkyard Jamboree with Chase

(Golden Zephyr was especially neat at night)

Mom

seeing both kids in awe at seeing the magic of Disney

riding Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters multiple times with Chase

Chase 

meeting Lightning McQueen

the dance party to music from the DJ car in Radiator Springs

Cars Land and everything Cars

Olivia

Minnie!!!

seeing all of the characters

Seasons of Life

Having grown up in northern Michigan, I know a thing or two about seasons. We're talking literal seasons here: spring, summer, winter, and fall. I experienced four very distinct seasons for much of my life. With each season came new weather, things to look forward to, and things like below zero temperatures that you could do without in your life. Each changing season brought new challenges, joys, and difficulties. This isn't much different than the "seasons" we experience going through life.

Much like the weather changing with each season, life has seasons of change too. It's still a learning process for me, but over the years, and a couple of moves cross country, (to much warmer climates than Michigan and Colorado) I'm slowly learning to embrace each season and what it brings. Emphasis on slowly. Call me stubborn, but I tend to learn things best the hard way.

me through many seasons

People are notorious for looking forward to the next best thing. Or is that just me? When you're in high school, you're excited about going off to college. In college you can't help but think about where you career will take you. While working a 9-5 job you can't help but think about being married and having your own family. Being a new mom, you wonder if your children will ever learn to sleep so you can too. When does the looking forward stop? I know I've not always been the best at being present and enjoying the season of life we're in at the moment. I believe that being present and enjoying every moment, good or bad, is a learned skill. Yes, I think some people are naturally better than others at being grateful and present, but I think it's something everyone can do with a conscious effort. I'm hoping this blog, and the reflecting and writing that goes along with it, will help me be more present and grateful for each season of life.

this life season is called "why is there always someone not looking at the camera?!"

Becoming a mother has been the most crazy, frustrating, exhausting, beautiful, amazing, and rewarding experience of my life so far. There isn't a manual, that I'm aware of, that tells you how to get through all of the crazy ups and downs that parenthood throws at you. Being a mom has been such a learning experience for me, because you go through so many different seasons so quickly. You're forced to adapt, learn, and grow in such a short amount of time when it comes to your children. They're going through seasons so quickly themselves. Growing up, I always loved learning. The funny thing is, life itself has made me a lifelong student... just not in the way I had originally planned. Life has a funny way of doing that.

Having lived all over the country and experiencing seasons ranging from bitter cold winters in Michigan to the hottest of summers in Arizona, I can say that each place has its pros and cons. There were times when I was frustrated with the unpredictable Colorado springtime. One day was sunny & 70 degrees the next you had 2 feet of snow on the ground. The Florida humidity made me feel hot, sweaty, and suffocated at times. The Michigan winters were long, grey, and frigid. Summertime in Arizona is a test of faith at times. Ha! That being said, all of these places have beautiful moments as well. Each place we've lived has shaped me into who I am today. Each season has taught me to look for the positive, because there will always be negative. Life is too short to focus on the negative part of each season when each season also holds such beauty.

Sometimes you have to go through winter to appreciate summer.