A Thrilling Adventure

Last week my family and I decided that we were going to go to the Mountains for the day.  I had never seen the mountains before so I was super excited!  We got to Estes Park, and then continued driving through the winding roads, and cliffs, and rivers...it was SO COOL!  (The annoying thing was that for fifteen minutes there was a garbage truck right in front of us which prohibited my picture taking of the beautiful scenery. Oh well. :P)  Just to let ya'll know, if you want to have an exciting vacation/day in the Rockies, take Charlie with you.  It is way more fun to have a six year old screaming at everything, from the backseat, then just the oohing and ahhing of the older children.  *clears throat*  We were curving down the windy road when Charlie informed us, "I am NOT going to climb that mountain! That mountain is over freaky!"  (gotta love him!) 

Need I point out the garbage truck? I don't think so. 

Anyhooo.....we got to Rocky Mountain National Park, but to be more specific, Bear Lake.  Oh, by the way, the mountains are GORGEOUS!!!   So, we got out of the van, and while we are waiting to use the bathroom before our long trek up the mountain, we discover that it's really cold!   Somewhere in our drive from the bottom of the mountains, to Bear Lake it had dropped twenty degrees, plus it was windy.  And us amateur mountain climbers forgot that it's always colder the higher you go. :P  So we get there unprepared for the cold weather, but nothing is going to stop us! *giggles* 
We start our journey on the winding trail, oohing and ahhing at the sites, and Charlie screaming at everything.  And it got harder to breathe!  It was kinda funny actually, I started laughing at myself.

Charlie had to bring his backpack cause, "All mountain climbers wear backpacks!"

One view of the majesty.

the winding trail

my family and the mountain

we saw a few of these cool-looking birds!  I found out they are called, "Steller-jays."

Yup, that's my heroic brother.

About ten minutes  into our hike we hear thunder.  But remember - nothing is going to stop the O'Briens from mountain climbing!! So, we continue up the path, having lots of fun, and in awe of the beauty.  Then it starts to snow.  Big snow flakes.  And we get really excited, and keep hiking....but it didn't take us too long to realize that we were in possible danger.  So, as the flakes get bigger, and the thunder gets louder my dad decides that needed to get off the mountain.   Convinced of the danger, we turn around and high-tail it down the mountain.   Then I came up with this great idea, "Oh! We need to get a family picture!"  and of course, my mom agreed with me.  =)  But, my dad was like,  "No!  We're on a mountain in the middle of a storm - we're not taking a picture!"   (Probably a smart idea. :P)

the size of the snowflakes

Well, we made it to the bottom of the mountain, alive, and so my dad said we could take a picture then.  So, this was our attempt, (we like trying to fit all of us into the pic).

I love this one!

Isn't that incredible?!?!

Of course, after we drive for ten minutes it decides to get gorgeous out, but, at least we were still near the mountains so I could get a couple shot so of them under blue skies.   =)
Anyhooo.....it was an awesome day just hanging with my family, getting caught in a storm in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado!!

God is good.