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nashville

October 7, 2016

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last week i got to get away for some girlfriend time.
it was just what i was needing!
i met up with my friend shannan in nashville, tennesse.
her book “Falling Free” launched that week and her publisher is in nashville.
she was doing some press work with them and i just tagged along.
🙂

after arriving we took a nap. seriously.
we are wild.
off the charts.

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Shannan was speaking at an (In)Courage event that evening and i decided to join them too.
there was a panel discussion about friendship, then we chatted in small groups and made new friends. 🙂

the next morning shannan left early for book/work/promo stuff and i literally stayed in bed all day.
D R E A M Y!
(yes… i did bring my own mug! i knew i’d be in the room a lot, drinking lots of coffee and hotels either have teeny tiny mugs or paper cups. so i thought ahead and threw a REAL size mug into my suitcase to help me relax even more!)
after Live with Kelly (& Chris Pratt) AND The Price is Right… i clicked around the local Nashville news channels and there she was!
Shannan cooked tacos on Today in Nashville & got to share about her book.
how fun is that?

after it aired i texted her “i just took 72 photos of your news cast!”
i wanted to be sure i got a good one!

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that evening her publisher threw her a party at a very lovely restaurant called Adele’s.
i wish i’d taken 100 more photos but i didn’t.
doesn’t she look ga-ga-gorgeous in that vintage dress!?!
perfect choice!
it was so fun to get to celebrate her accomplishments and meet so many of her Nashville area friends!
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and see some of my own!
so fun to get to sit with laura at dinner!!!
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it was such a fun night!
i was so thrilled to be her plus one.
LOL.

we goofed around in nashville the rest of the weekend doing more eating and talking.
we are pros at NOT finding the cool things to do in cool cities.
neither one of us like to plan or make decisions so we end up at a strip mall or mcdonalds or dairy queen.
no joke.
but who cares – all we want is time to talk & the tables at mcdonalds over a fountain Coke work just fine for that.
seriously though you do not want us to be your tour guides.
we’re terrible.
three
we did hit Anthropologie.
that store is so pretty and so awesome and so ridiculous all in one.
usually i leave empty handed but filled with inspiration!
inspired because of things like this – check out this quilt (below)
IT IS MADE OF ENVELOPES!
one
it’s P A P E R!!!
who thinks of this stuff?!! who sews envelopes together to make a quilt?!
brilliant artists – that’s who!

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our friend tara lives close by(ish) and came to join us for saturday night!
she IS a wonderful tour guide and found us great spots to eat and shop.
she saved the day!
tara always brings the laughter to any party.
i feel lucky to be her friend.
the three of us stayed up waaaay too late talking about everything imaginable while enjoying our stash of party food.

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the goodbyes always come too soon.
AND i forgot to have shannan sign my book!

.
several times during the weekend i had moments of overwhelming gratitude to God for putting me with certain people at the perfect time.
i had some truly important DEEP talks with brand new friends that i NEEDED to have.
it blew me away with how specifically God was meeting my needs that i didn’t even voice out loud that i needed.
more than once i thought “wow God! thank you so much for this conversation! you really DO know my heart!” while the other person was still talking!
not to mention all the ways my “old” friends blessed me too!
i am a verbal processor and i needed several days to get allllll my words out – and processed. 😉

i felt loved by God in nashville.
(maybe that’s how everyone feels in nashville?! HA!)
that was not what i was expecting to get from that trip but i’m not complaining one bit.
so now…. the most important part of this post is this:

have you read Falling Free?

i loved it for so many reasons and i know you will too.
you can order it here on Amazon or it is available anywhere books are sold!

shannan – i am so proud of all the hard work you did to bring your words into the world.
you continue to be an example of humility, grace, wisdom and all with no frills.
i just like you so stinkin’ much.
the end.

🙂

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Tara - I was just getting lost in your blog, enjoying all the eye candy you enhance my life with and WHAT??? it’s me and you and shanbam and margs and ice cream and laughter and happiness and i want to do it all again. i love you so my friend!

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Friends that you can say “hey, I want a nap” to are golden. Truth.

Tessa - I just started reading “Falling Free” and I can’t wait to read more tonight after the littles are in bed. I found Shannan’s blog when she went to Ecuador with Ashley Campbell. Oh my goodness, she has rocked my world in every good way possible and I haven’t read her book yet. In some ways, it is like I have finally found a kindred spirit and in other ways, she is pushing me out of my comfort zone by reminding me about the simplicity and importance of loving thy neighbor. I also have to add that I could totally relate to not needing to see the “tourist attractions” and instead, just wanting to veg in a hotel room and talk over a soda at McD’s. Sounds absolutely wonderful! 🙂

Heather - That Flower Patch girl is the best!! I love her va va vintage dress!! Hey can I ask what paint color you have in your “new” house!!

jo - Shannon is stunning looking in that dress. What a humble lady. Wish her much success with the book. Looks like you had a lot of fun.

Laura - Love you!!!!

Su - So I just got the following email from my mil and then I see this post. Perhaps I should order the book, eh? Here is the email. Pass it onto Shannan; I am sure it will encourage her 🙂

Email:

I have a friend that I am anxious to tell you about who, in agreement with her husband and children, have made a decision to give up the life they have been living and step out in faith to follow Christ – the kind of stories that excite you. Part of their decision was confirmed by a book, “Falling Free”. Below are reviews of the book and her blog if you are interested. Maybe you are already familiar with her. mom

sharon / tpt - Geez how fun! Good on ya.
I follow you both. Have her book already:) You are great lights in the world. For reals.

and #anthropologyNeverwrong !!

Tiffany - Girl time, Girls Night Out, Girl Talk – Priceless!!

Stephanie L. Robertson - Hi Meg!
Enjoyed your post. Nashville is lots of fun.
Just two words: Nashville Flea Market! Oops, that was 3. Anyway, I live about an hour and a half south, so send me a msg the next time you guys all get together. Looks like so much fun!
Blessings!
Stephanie

Marcia (123 blog) - People on amazon are calling this book as “in the vein of Francis Chan’s Crazy Love” and that swayed me – I will buy it and I can’t wait to read.

SoCalLynn - I have read it and I love it. It has come at the perfect time for me as I am examining my existence and what I’m here for for the next 20 years. My youngest is graduating high school this year so that means I’m finished home schooling and I need to do something meaningful.

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5 days in colorado

August 14, 2016

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we left early in the morning which was not fun for anyone but about 20 minutes into the trip everyone had settled in and our car was silent and looked empty for the first few hours. i can’t say that i don’t love that!
i get to talk with mr. duerksen!
and i got to finish Falling Free.
heart eyes! heart eyes! heart eyes!
(go preorder this book people!!! it’s sooooo good!)
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there were plenty of gas station stops and snacks and mcdonalds bathroom selfies.

they eventually began to wake up and talk or play games or… braid hair.

30 minutes after we arrived at our rental house we were already hiking around.
we stayed close to Breckinridge so everywhere we hiked or explored was in that area.
i didn’t pay attention to which trails were which… sorry if you wanted to know.
basically ALL the trails are great.
it’s Colorado!

that’s a mama goat and her baby behind them… the mama looks headless but it wasn’t.
ha ha ha

pretty nice place for morning coffee (and cereal).

more hiking….

i wiped out hard crossing this spot.
this was off the trail and i told craig it was fine and i could do it like the kids were… and i DID but first i had to get really dirty and break some nails and bleed a little. HA!

teenagers are fun.
i used to roll my eyes when i heard that phrase but i have found out it that it’s actually true!
of course not ALL the time but for a lot of the time it’s fun to have people around that can have regular conversations and are enjoyable company!
and that can feed themselves and don’t need you for things nearly as much as they used to.

and they make me laugh so much.

their goal was to get high enough to touch snow in july.
and they did it!

goat selfie!!

my 6 favorite people in the whole world.
and all my people with me!

hats
breckinridge is completely touristy and i’m ok with that!
i didn’t go into any shops that i would have chosen but it was nice to just walk around before or after dinner.

the sock store was everyone’s highlight.
who would’ve guessed that an entire store of JUST socks was a good idea?
but it is!
ANY kind of sock you can imagine was in that shop!

another day we rented jeeps to go off-roading.
we wanted ATVs but i can’t recall why it didn’t work out… numbers or drivers or not available?
but we ended up with two jeeps.
and for some reason i was completely terrified.
i think i thought i would crash? or get stuck? or fall off a cliff?
so after awhile i let scotty drive and i was so much happier in the passenger seat – crazy right?
but he was SO HAPPY to be in charge and get to play.
we had a blast in our jeep!

we stopped to eat lunch waaaaaay up in the middle of nowhere.
BEAUTIFUL!

craig only had to help us get unstuck one time.
in our defense… our 4 WD low wasn’t working and that contributed to our issue… which makes no sense because you can’t see the very steep hill just to the right out of frame in this picture.
we couldn’t make it up and went backwards to try again but got stuck.

Sean gave it a shot as well on the regular roads… not the mountain stuff.
then i got back in the drivers seat once i was more calm and comfortable.
and i fell in love with it!
i think i need a white Rubicon Jeep now. 🙂

we climbed down and played in the water after all our driving around.

on the night i got to choose dinner… i was the only one who was pleased with their meal.
oops.
sorry picky eaters! my meal was DELICIOUS!
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our oldest daughter was on this trip with us this year.
it’s been a few years since she has joined us.
🙂
it’s weird when you’re kids become grown ups…

i got creeped on in my selfie.
i was loving the green wall… but scott didn’t care.

do you play Dutch Blitz?
it’s a favorite over here.
we have two sets so more people can play at once.
also we played spades and scum and trivial pursuit during our stay.
and watched Everest because it was on.
🙂

our fourth day Craig woke these three hikers up early on and they climbed Mt. Quandry!
i think i may have died if i’d tried it…
but they did GREAT!
they “complained” the rest of the trip about their sore muscles but i know they were proud that they accomplished it.

i sat and read a book the whole time they were gone.
i was equally proud of that.

more of pretty breckinridge.

on our last night we went into denver and went to the Avett Brothers concert at Red Rocks!!!
we offered it to all our kids but we didn’t have a lot of takers.
weirdos!
so we got tickets off craigslist the day of and went!
craig and i had always wanted to go to Red Rocks.
bucket list – check!
the big kids went to movie and got an uber back to the hotel.
see? big kids are awesome! they can get their own Ubers!

it was something i will always remember!

annie even laid down for a little rest towards the end.
🙂

colorado is so good.
we love spending time there… i am so glad we got to be there again this summer.

now here’s the deal… i love photos and i love vacations.
i love to keep memories but be sure to know that pictures don’t always tell the whole story.
blogging and social media makes most everything everyone’s doing look perfect or very close.
and of course we all know that no one has a perfect life!
no one.
did we have an awesome time in colorado – YES!
but….
with 5 big kids we also had some big struggles because there are lots of personalities & lots of opinions.
BUT even with those struggles… even if there were some knock-down-drag-out fights… even if i cried…
i still love to be with my people.
it’s WORTH IT to make the plans, take the time off work and GO – even if it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.
i want my kids to know that i WANT to be with them.
I want them to know i enjoy spending time with them.
i want them to know that we can get through the fighting and the feelings and frustrations.
to know that there’s nothing they can do to be unloved, uninvited or less special.
i want them to see different places and get out of our town.
i want them to appreciate nature!
it doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy.
intentional family time together is so important to me and i hope they will remember it forever.
i pray they remember more good than the bad.
because there truly is SO MUCH MORE good.
thanks colorado for more memories!!!
your mountains are my fave!

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Stephanie L. Robertson - I love Colorado!

We live in north Alabama, so it’s such a different climate for us. We stayed in C Springs a few years ago and my dd and I (who was 5 at the time) ran around town while my husband was working.

My favorite was Garden of the gods. Beautiful!

Andrea G. - Oh Meg…what a GREAT trip, but your words at the end are what got to me! We just got back from 14 days on the road and we had all the struggles too!! I love family time and being with my peeps and exploring the world too!! Thanks for sharing great pics…May have to put CO on the dockett some summer!!!

Juli - Am I stupid to admit that I cried looking at your photos? We have kids (ages 15 down to almost 2) and a trip like that would be impossible with the tiny ones. We did a calm mountain stream last weekend and that was nerve-wracking with the 3 youngest and yes, one fell in and had to ride 2 hours home wet! BUT it is also the fact that I’ve been reading your blog for forever and the reality of how fast your kids have grown is just heartbreaking because that means mine are too…and far too fast. When I get irritated with my wee ones and all of the annoying stuff that goes along with that, I remember going all the way to the beginning of your blog one night when I was bored, up too late, probably with a baby in my arms and reading that you were bemoaning the fact that Annie wouldn’t let anyone else have their choice of DVD and you wanted advice on how to tame the toddler. Now, look how big she is and that was such a small thing (but bothersome enough to write about back then) and I still get upset about those daily things despite the fact that I know how quickly it’ll all pass. AND YES, thank you for the last part of your post. So many frustrations, especially with a big family (my husband likens it to pebbles tumbling together and knocking off the rough edges (and doesn’t God use that to make us more beautiful?)), but so many more wonderful things and I hope they’ll remember the good stuff.

Jenny B. - Love it all! When I saw the first bathroom selfie, I immediately thought, “Lauren is there!” 🙂 So glad you got to have everyone together. I remember all the vacations I took with my parents. Your kids are lucky kids!

Di - I miss hearing all the trip details in person. Waah! 😢 You made it with ALL of ’em before you launched Scottie. Love the pic of Talbs & Sean 💛 miss you!

amy jupin - why you gotta make me cry?? MEANIE!!

p.s. you’re so right and it’s so hard and so many thoughts of strangulation…BUT, it’s worth it.

Lisa - Loved seeing the beauty from your pictures! But loved your honesty at the end the most. Seems 4 of my kids are in a phase of not being the kindest to each other. Something we are working on but can feel so discouraging. Thanks for the reminder we aren’t the only ones. 🙂

Chris - You got to see mountain goats? I guess we didn’t get high enough because I was on the lookout for them. Still can’t believe we ran into you on the trail. And even funnier, my sister saw your pics posted on instagram and asked me if we ran into you!! So funny that we actually did. I love Breckenridge and now I need to go back, go higher and see the mountain goats!

meg duerksen - Melanie these are all from my iPhone 6S.😀 I edit them a little too. I brought my big camera but never took a picture with it.

Fpmomma - Yes it is worth the tears and frustrations. When we took a vacation with our adult kids and their significant others there were tense times, a few shouting matches and definitely tears. . I was afraid it would leave lasting impressions. It did. But to my amazement and thankfulness all of them say it was a great time!! And are looking forward to another. . We do try to keep it no more than 4 nights and each couple gets their own bedroom.
Hang in there. You are doing many things right.

Lisa - Meg – thank you so much for your ending comments!
I very much appreciate you sharing the good and the bad. I appreciate the honesty! It looks like you had a lovely trip!
I want to go, too! 🙂

Angie - Have to admit that when I read the after thoughts.. I teared up .. You are sooo soo right.. We go on vacation as a family (kids, sister family, parents, husband 11 total) every year and there are ALWAYS adult arguments, frustration and crying. And sometimes I say this is the last vacation EVER.. but then I think of the good parts and the memories I want my kids to remember with their grandparents and/or their cousins.. It’s all worth it.. I wouldn’t give those memories up for anything..

Marla Jensen - My parents, bless them, took 3 of us every summer to different parts of the country. We have been to 48 states as a family. I was 12 when we started and 20 our last trip together. Ooooohhhh the fights!!!! Bad bad yelling, screaming, and crying. It was like the first few days were a huge adjustment being together 24/7. We stayed in our super teeny tiny camper and spent long hours on the road. But man the memories! Those were amazing times. And I moved to my favorite place when I graduated from college, Montana!

Iris Brown - You know, as I was reading & scrolling through your beautiful pictures I was thinking “Man, their family trips are just perfect & snag free” but then I read the full disclosure portion in the end. Thank you for that. We just did a family trip of 6 (age 8-13) to Chicago and Wisconsin Dells and I could’ve tazed all my kids with a smile at some point. But in the end, it is worth it. It really is. Thank you for the reminder. 🙂

Gillian Currie - Wow love your post… Very inspiring. I too have 5 kids, thanks for your honesty in your post… That’s real life individuals with their own personalities not always easy but always worth the effort… Memories last a life time 😊

Helen - I have lived in Colorado all my life and think our mountains are the best ever. I also think Red Rocks is the perfect spot for a concert. Glad you were able to spend time here and enjoy our beautiful state.

Lori - You can’t beat CO in the summer! My husband and I went 2 years ago and LOVED it! We hope to go back and see a concert at Red Rocks. So beautiful!

Becky Zuithoff - I loved these pictures, and your perspective at the end. It motivates me to embrace the trouble and expense of getting somewhere with my people- it IS so worth it. Glad you had a great trip.

LindaP - Loved the pictures but loved your comments at the end even more. As a mom of 13 and 15 year old boys who can make things painful at times, I still love all the time with them and am willing to work through the rough moments for all the cool moments. You said it perfectly and I always appreciate those moments of reality.

Rebekah - Estes Park, Colorado is our families favorite! We visited in June. It has the same **SOCK STORE**! ☺

Melanie - Breckenridge looks beautiful!! Thanks for sharing your pictures. They are so clear and sharp and the colors are so vibrant. May I ask what camera you used? I’m shopping for a camera. Thank you!

Julie - Thanks for sharing your holiday with us. Looks like you all had a great time, and I love seeing new places in the world.

Maureen - Reading this now after we just got back from a dream trip to Ireland with the 5 of us. So much fun, so many memories but ones that also included us arguing about directions, husband driving too fast (so scary with the driving on other side of the road over there, me getting hurt feelings when they all tease me at once. But so many laughs with older kids, 24, 22, and 20 year olds! Agree with all you said. Love all the pictures as well, thanks for sharing.

Lori H - I have watched all of your children grow up – cannot believe how big they all are now! What a great looking family and I love when you share your fun trips with us. I have marked Dutch Blitz to get before our next family vacation.

K - Amen!! I just had this very same conversation with my husband in reference to our family! I completely agree with everything you said, yoru candid, honest reflection is so welcome!

Kelly S - Thank you so much for keeping it real about the struggle parts of vacation (and life). So true. Our family went to Cancun for Spring Break (we have 17-year-old twins) and we had a GREAT TIME, BUT ….there were moments where it stunk and someone had an attitude or felt grouchy or whatever. I got mad because my kids were moody after a long day of sun and the beach, and they were grouchy about taking a family photo. hahaha So thanks for keeping it real. Beautiful photos with a gorgeous place to make memories. Thanks for sharing. Share what books you are reading lately, if you get time. 🙂

se7en - Dutch Blitz for the win!!! Gotta love your holidays and your kids and the real life of it all… teens are the best, but my word the going can get really tough. And you just have to pick up the game and keep it it, because it is totally, totally worth it!!! Good on you for making marvelous memories!!!

Nicole - Colorado is beautiful! and vacationing with big kids is so much fun. My teen and tweens make me laugh all the time. i love their energy!

Angela - My parents have that exact Jeep and I am kind of in love with it.

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anniversary perfection!

December 9, 2015

back in september, on our 21st anniversary craig gave me a card that said he was taking me on a trip on Nov. 18.
he told me to bring a swimsuit and a book.
and that was it.
i never asked for details once! 🙂
craig loves to plan!
he loves to think about all the things you could do when you visit a new place.
he is really good at details.
he is a people person and can handle people & noise together easily.
his brain can take in lots of information and make decisions.
i dislike planning.
i like to do practically NO things when i go away from my house… meaning i like to sit & relax & just BE with those i am traveling with.
i don’t need or enjoy tours or crowds or small talk or corny stuff.
basically… i prefer very little human interaction on a vacation from anyone who is not ON the trip with me.
(i sound ridiculous!)
i cannot make decisions with lots of information…. i shut down.

i say all that because he took in all that he knows about me and made THE BEST trip ever!
i felt so loved & seen & understood & beyond special.
it brought me to tears many times.
we have been through a lot in 21 years and this was complete paradise for us.
the best week of our entire marriage!
we were like newlyweds but so much better because we KNOW we can get through hard stuff… we’ve done it.
and we just like each other so darn much!

plane
we left our house at 4:15 am and traveled all day ending up in Tortola, an island in the British Virgin Islands.
we picked up our rental car… stopped at a grocery store for some food (which was a good hint that we weren’t going to a resort and i was happy to hear that) and then we found our house.
and i nearly died from extreme J O Y.
i mean… whaaaaaattt?
is this real life?!
am i oprah?!
PicMonkey Collage house
shower housedetails

craig is AMAZING!
he is amazing at lots of things but he is a PRO at using vrbo.com and that is how he found this place.
it was an absolute DREAM!
perfect for just two people.
excellent for those seeking quiet and rest.
and SO CRAZY beautiful in every way.

this was the view from every window!
no other houses around.
and about 3 minutes from the prettiest beach we’d ever seen!

all the furniture was like this… heart eyes!!!
lizard
we took the house manager’s advice and took our 4WD car waaaay down to this beach.
the roads in Tortola are… wild.
i have never driven on anything like it.
SO steep!
or not even a road… just a dirt trail with huge ruts in it.
also… no street signs.
none!
and they drive on the “wrong side of the road”!
craig loved the challenge of all of those things and i was completely happy to attempt to navigate based on possible familiar landmarks.

one other couple on this entire beach came as we were leaving.
they asked us to take their picture in the water with a #12 flag (Seahawks) and in return they took this photo of us. 🙂

and then… we found out our 4WD wasn’t working!
two local surfers were coming to check the waves and attempted to help us… it was a no go.
that #12 couple eventually came back up that “road” and gave us a ride back up to the house.
everyone was super nice and helpful!
even the car rental people who just brought us another car that afternoon with working 4WD.
it’s close to impossible to drive there without it.

my favorite detail of the house was waking up in the morning and opening all the windows and doors right away.
and climbing back into bed for awhile.
the sounds of the ocean & birds and all the plants everywhere.
the breeze blowing through the whole house…
sighhhhhhhh.

we found the world’s prettiest basketball court.

we took a ferry over to Peter Island.
it’s private and only has the Peter Island resort on it.
if you sit in these chairs and raise the flag… a waiter comes to your lounge chair!!!
craziness.
it was a lovely place to spend the day.

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we both read a lot during this trip.
i read Everyday Grace and craig read a gigantic book called Wooden: A Coach’s Life all about basketball.
gosh i love that guy. 🙂
and he really truly loves… basketball.
and me too i guess.

HA!

on one beach i stopped and bought a coconut.
i drank the water in it and then they chopped it up with a machete and gave me the pulp to eat.
i had never had fresh coconut!
it was so much better than coconut in a bag from the grocery store! (duh!)

we went out to eat the first night and after that i asked if we could just cook at our house.
because that house was PERFECT and there was no reason to leave it!
i was craving quiet SO much and even a restaurant was too many people for me.
i wanted good food on the deck with my favorite person.
and wine.

here we are halfway through our trip…
look what just three days away from regular life does to our faces?!
who are those young happy carefree people???
five kids? who has five kids? surely not those people up there. 🙂

we went snorkeling at Peter Island.
It was like swimming in a fish tank at RainForest Cafe. HA!
it didn’t seem real… the only time i see that kind of sea life is at the zoo or theme restaurants.
i saw a sea turtle but when i tried to get craig’s attention i scared it away.
but can i say that there might not be anything less graceful than putting on snorkeling gear… the flippers!!

rocks
look who found me a heart rock in the BVIs?!!!

there are wild chickens EVERYWHERE you go in Tortola.
on every road… every beach… every restaurant.
i felt completely at home! ha ha ha! 🙂
drink
we watched about 25 surfers and it was so interesting!
We had never seen that in real life either.
(kansas doesn’t have much surfing…)
and basically we concurred that SURFING IS AWESOME.
we had major respect for them because we were both grossed out every time the ocean water got on our lips!
so the deep swimming and wave crashing and total hard work was really cool to watch.
my little phone camera couldn’t capture it though… i wished i had a big zoom lens.

cow
ummm… your cow is loose.
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different surfers on a different day at the empty beach near our house.
they came on that boat and got off and started surfing!

it felt like we were on Lost.
everyday.

and that’s how big the surf was….his board cracked in half!

that day we decided to not try the road we had gotten stuck on the first day.
so we walked it.
i mean… HIKED it.
think of a treadmill incline at it’s highest level… that was this road… but worse.

and the second we reached our car at the top it started to pour!

ummm… your sheep are loose.

it appeared to be a thing.
livestock roaming freely where ever they please.
BVIflower
on our last day we took a boat to Virgin Gorda to see the baths.
WOW.
again… it did not seem like it could be a real place!
it was the most beautiful place imaginable!
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that night we ate the best meal we’ve had maybe… ever?
it was a restaurant in Virgin Gorda called Coco Maya.
it could be because i was literally so hungry that i almost cried when we sat down.
for real.
(and maybe i did cry… but just a little)
but i think it was the best tasting food as well.
It was a tapas restaurant but it also served one entree… pad thai.
YES!
it was so good and i have thought of it everyday since we came back!
the restaurant was gorgeous too…it was ON the beach… open air… no windows… just perfect.
this pic is from their website. it was dark when we were there and completely packed.

AppleMark

it was the best week!!!

an open letter to mr. duerksen:

craig –
you made me feel like luckiest girl in the whole world.
i mean it!
how can 21 years seem so short?
thank you for every minute of planning you did & every dollar you spent.
thanks for not thinking I’m a weirdo for not wanting to be around people & for cooking my own food.
or at least for not saying it.
and thank you SO MUCH for the gift of quiet and relaxation.
we needed it!
i’m so glad you’re mine.
let’s go back next week!!!
-mrs. duerksen

airport then it was time to travel home.
sad face.
not because we didn’t miss our kids… but because kansas isn’t an island!!!
and that is a total drag!
why isn’t it? why don’t we live on Tortola?!
reality.
we went right back into it.
complete with an ice storm the next day!
oh kansas… you’re dumb and i’m not speaking to you right now.
call me when you get an ocean.

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Lori - I LOVED going through these photos Meg! Beautiful doesn’t even do it justice. I’m so happy you got to take that trip. What an incredible gift 🙂

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Oh Meg – this looks amazing! I’m so happy for you!

Janelle - You were in my backyard! I can see Tortola from my house! And no ones cow or goats are loose – they are all just free roaming. I have two random cows in my driveway right now. Stinky things.

Sarah - Would you please, oh please post a link where *someone* may be able to rent this same house? It’s dreamy in every sense of the word!!!

Mindy - How amazing and beautiful – Happy Anniversary! It looks so beautiful and relaxing there and how fun – chickens 🙂 (The Seahawks are from our state so I hope the people were representing us well there.)

Rebekah - Meg! I’m grinning like a fool on your behalf right now. That’s one good man you’ve got there. Congratulations! 🙂

Kirsten J - Heavenly. Wow, Craig’s a keeper….for 21 more years at least. Thanks for the vicarious vacation. And go Hawks!

melissa@joyineveryseason - you look like kids! thanks for the vicarious vacation 🙂

Jenn B - What an amazing trip and the fact that your hubby surprised you with it is icing on the cake. I love to see long lasting marriages that get stronger by the year! Great photos and recap of your vacation. I want to go there! It’s beautiful.

sarah m - Do you mind sharing the link to this place. It looks AMAZING!!!

Cheryl - If you don’t mind, could you please email/post the details as to where you stayed. Thank you so much! 🙂

Kristin S - Oh my word. So perfect. I love how he knows you.

Cornelia Krahn - Wow! That looked fabulous! Silly me, I was worried about you when you didn’t blog for so long. I “look” for you everyday. You’re a real inspiration. I grew up in Kansas and I still love it but there are no mountains which is why I live in Colorado now.

Tammy - If Craig ever wants to plan a trip for an old married couple, we are going on 22 years and 4 kids:) He is hired! Way to go!

Rita - My husband and I honeymooned in Tortola 16 years ago. Glad to see not much has changed. Hoping to go back one day! Thanks for sharing such a special trip!

kassondra - I loved every bit of this post!!! you stole my heart at “am I Oprah?!” ahahhahaa and now I have another place to add to my bucket list!!

amy jupin - ok craig.
you get the gold star.
you win, craig.
forever and ever.

chrissi - i love your blog. really. but this may be the best post. ever.

Michelle from Australia - Beautiful! We too are fans of VRBO and use it when we come to the USA.

But the next USA trip booked for October 2016, is JUST ME!! So no big houses needed. Just room for one. And I’m more than a bit excited to have scheduled a few day stop in Kansas on my way between Upstate New York and Los Angeles. I might not get to Craft Weekend but I am going to at least get to see Kansas and that makes me happy 🙂

Jenny B. - I love it!

Tiffany - A vacation sounds lovely right about now, Congratulations on your 21 years!

Cheryl - Were you married straight out of the womb? Neither of you look old enough to be married for TWENTY ONE years! Do you have the fountain of youth in Kansas? Me = Envious. Can your husband call my husband and give him all the details of that trip? Please and thank you.

🙂

Jenn - How unbelievably awesome! You are one lucky girl! Beautiful pictures.

Rachel - I’ve literally been waiting for you to blog about this so I could live vicariously through you. So incredibly happy for you. The house reminds me of the one in The Thomas Crowne Affair. And the 12’s? My people! 😊

Michelle - This post made me so happy! You two are blessed to have one another.

Carol Spenst - Reading this post was like a breath of fresh island air. The pictures are stunning, and it truly does look like an amazing place – so glad y’all had a great getaway!

Iris Brown - I went through a bunch of emotions reading this post from sheer envy to the warm fuzzies in the end with your letter to Craig. I live in Minnesota so I can definitely relate to your issues with Kansas. Thanks so much for sharing & blessings to you and your family this Christmas. 🙂

Corinne - Since there is no good news out there I consider your report on your trip the news of the day so thank you!

Beth - A. You’re hilarious!

B. I’m so insanely jealous right now that I could slap myself and not feel better. Buuttt, what an awesome trip!

Thanks for sharing!
Beth

C. The bell just rang and I have to go deal with high school juniors. Lawd help.

Laura in Sacto Ca. - I loved following you on Instagram with all your pretty BVI photos. So glad you had the very best time. I have used VRBO because I am a weirdo too and like to chill with my people and cook!

Chris - “Am I Oprah?” hahaha! I loved this post. Glad you had such a great trip. You bring so much joy to others with your super cozy, creative, craft house. You deserve it! And the part about not speaking to Kansas. LOL!!

Amy - Oh my…all the beauty:)) You are one lucky lady!

katey - Yes it’s all these things!! We have sailed the BVI many times and it’s just these pictures and memories that gets us back there at every change we get. Thank you for these awesome photos. They will surely getting us planning our next trip!!! Katey

Heidi Durant - I love your blog. I am so happy to see happy and successful marriages. Marriages that work together to make them successful. Congratulations on beating the odads. The trip did look magical! Thanks for sharing it with us,your readers.

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vacation – part two

August 26, 2015

the house that we were in was just up the beach but also had a stream next to it (way down a high ledge) that fed into the lake.
so everyday we would come out to the beach and see how the stream had changed.
it was different everyday because of rains at night.

our rental house is the dark one in the trees just above annie’s head.

i brought my rainbow sun hat that i got in gulf shores alabama. 🙂

talby
everyone’s favorite thing to do in the water is wave crash.
we had several days of good waves.
of course i prefer it calm but i don’t ever get in the water so i doesn’t really matter.

one night we packed up and drove to the La Porte Co. Fair for some entertainment.
we watched a pig judging contest, a lawn mower demolition derby, a figure 8 race, gambled on mouse roulette, ate at a church fundraiser and ate funnel cakes. it was good old fashioned fun!
fair

we always go bowling.
always.
because it’s inexpensive… it’s fun… and all ages enjoy it.
bbowl2
Team Hot Moms win again!
no dishes for us!
bowl1
big kids are so silly.
i didn’t think it would be very fun having a house full of big kids… i love babies so much.
i am so glad i was wrong!!!
they are so much fun!

bowl3
and we always play wiffle ball.
this year they played on the beach!

selfies! seany

wrestling.
why do boys love to wrestle so much?
wrestle
please notice how empty the beaches are.
that is the only family we saw all week… and they were leaving when we got there.
people walk by throughout the day but there is NO ONE at the beach.
and that is why i love michigan.
i LOVE that there are no crowds and it is gorgeous every where you look!

football on the beach passed a lot of time for scott.
being 17 on vacation with your family may not be the most fun thing you could be doing but he was really fun to be with!
i liked hanging out with him… almost like another grown up was there. football2 annieheart annie found me so many heart shaped rocks!
i came home with a pocketful!

on our last day we had craft time because it’s ME!
we kept it simple and painted sticks, rocks and pinecones from the beach.
🙂
rocks

it was easy and sweet.
we came home with some pretty souvenirs.
every vacation we take a group photo.
oh my goodness have they grown!!!
dave and jenny!!! you guys are the best!
thanks for being such a sweet friends… for sharing your vacation time with us… for being hilarious… for loving our kids…. and a hundred other things. we love you!

we packed up and drove the 12 hours back home.
it’s far.
and we get tired.
but it is SO worth it!
taking time away together is something we are very intentional about with our kids.
every trip has meant so much.

(and YAY for waaaaay less hiking this year compared to yellowstone! ha ha ha)

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Elisabeth - So, I’m pretty sure you were on the beach where I grew up. And maybe you rented from the Allegretti’s? Dark little cottage right? Was there a beach shack with a Swedish flag on it a couple beaches south? Small world. Love that spot. My original happy place.
We live in Minneapolis now and go to a different Great Lakes beach in th U.P. that reminds me very much of all the childhoods I spent on the beach in your pictures. So happy you visit every year and love it there. Thanks for sharing your memories and pics.

Rebecca Torzewski - Looks like you guys had a wonderful time and the pictures are gorgeous! Thank you so much for posting this as it inspired me to possibly stay at a lake house next year with our family and have actually already started looking. (I’m from Indiana about 45 minutes from St. Joe, Michigan). It gave me such great ideas. I have been following your blog for so many years now and honestly cannot believe how much your kids have grown, and even though they have grown it is so nice to see that they still all want to be together and spend time with their family. Your family has really given me a lot of inspiration for my own and after I read your blog each time I always feel so motivated. So thank you and thanks for sharing your lives and pictures with all of us 🙂

Rachel V - Loooove that you come to Michigan for vacation! My hubby and I are from Grand Rapids — about 30 min east of the lake — and we feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place! So glad you love it! 😊

teresa - I’m so glad you had such a fabulous time in Michigan – It’s where I live! I would have loved to stop by to say “hello” (not too long of a visit – wouldn’t want to interrupt your family vacation).

Sive - I enjoyed reading this so much, reminded me of your posts a few years back. I love that you can enjoy a vacay with your teenagers, my kids are very small yet but it kills me to think we couldn’t holiday together in ten years time…anyway, beautiful photos, Great post, hope the comedown wasn’t awful!

Kirsten - Perfection. Can you email me the rental information? It looks perfect.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - This is so awesome! I love the painted rocks. You made me want to go to Michigan!

Amy K. - I never dreamed that you could have a beach and a stream right next to each other like that – my kids would LOVE IT!

Gina - I love to see your vacation photos!! We have always stayed in a beach house on the NC coast but I am intrigued about Lake Michigan. The salt water bothers me and there’s that whole “shark” thing too. :/ I had no idea the lake could have waves until I saw pictures (maybe yours 🙂 ) a couple of years ago. Just curious how cold the water is? I may not ever make it a week long vacay since it is farther that the ocean but I would love to visit some time in my life. 🙂 I love following 33shadesofgreen on Instagram for her photos of lake Michigan!! 🙂

Amy M in Indiana - Great Vacation! We were at the LaPorte Co Fair one night –I would have freaked if I had seen you –it would have been like seeing a celebrity!

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the super hike

August 27, 2014

we talked about renting canoes or kayaks for this area (Colter Bay) but then decided on taking the boat tour.
that way no one would tip, get soaked or drop oars and much less fighting would occur.
the boat tour was a good choice.

we saw a bald eagle. 🙂

hey… who is that?
oh yeah – MOM!
you know one great thing about a vacation where you hike all day and sleep in a “cozy” cabin?
no make up.
i used it once the last night when we went out with friends. 🙂
i like no make up.
a lot.

reality.
also on a vacation with lots of hiking and cabin-y things… no cell service.
so here we were out on a boat in front of the most gorgeous scenery and suddenly someone noticed that we had service! i admit that it was even exciting to me. but this picture of scott cracked me up.
because literally this is him.
all the time.

talby was the age where life jackets were still required.
she was thrilled about it… just kidding.

funny kids.

“here mom… let me take a picture of you taking a picture”

we also took the hike down (all paved sidewalk ) to see Mammoth Falls in yellowstone.
CRAZY awesome.
and scary.
i don’t like heights.

it was so high. you can’t even grasp it by the picture.

i like her.

then we drove farther and went to see where we HAD been.
so to the left of the fall you can see tiny little specs… those are people.
that where the family picture was taken.
SO HIGH!

our next hike was Cascade Canyons by Jenny Lake.
it blew my mind.
one thing i learned on th boat tour was that Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks have a “let it burn” policy.
so if there is a forest fire… it is left to burn out on it’s own.
and that it is part of nature… killing off certain bugs or plant diseases.
interesting isn’t it?

so this trail obviously had experienced a forest fire.
but it made it look SO COOL!

i kept saying things like “doesn’t this look fake?”
“this looks like a movie set!”
“this can’t even be real!”
“where are the ewoks?!”
“are we going to find ET?”

a couple that did not speak english was looking at this chipmunk.
i took the picture and they asked “what do you call this?”
i said “chipmunk”
she repeated “CHIP-MUNK?”
i thought it was so funny.
it’s not but i was laughing to myself all day about it.
and still now i can’t stop smiling.
CHIP-MUNK?

it was a long hike.
according to google… 3.5 miles each way.
no wonder i was tired!

he’s a cutie.

annie was my hiking buddy for most of the time.
the boys were so fast and talby was trying to keep up with the boys.
and craig was keeping up with her.
so annie and i just went as fast as we could.

“Look Mom! A huge heart rock!!”

this was where our hike ended.
we were ready for a break!
the kids all found ways to get in the icy cold water but not fall in.

then scott decided to take the shortcut back.
oh my.
with his phone in his pocket.

he made it.
crazy kid.

then we hiked all the way back down at hyper speed because it was about to pour.
the kids were so far ahead of us that we couldn’t see them.
the trail was almost empty… kind of eery.
i was sure a bear was going to appear in my path and i would be its dinner.
thankfully that didn’t happen.

as soon as we go to the car it did start to rain.
but we were dry!

and then the vice president and his motorcade drove by!
that isn’t something that happens every day… at least not for me.

on our last night we walked out to catch the last sunset.

sean said “mom… here’s a rock that looks like africa!” 🙂

we left Grand Teton National Park and headed to Sheridan, WY to visit some friends for one evening.
(gorgeous drive – oh my word!)
and then on sunday we drove the WHOLE way back to kansas.

to be honest… i was not looking forward to this vacation.
i just couldn’t imagine that it would be fun.
but i knew craig really wanted to go… so i halfway went along with it as he planned.
i wasn’t cheering him on… but i wasn’t refusing.
and i am so glad i was wrong.

This was a FABULOUS vacation!!
i loved every hike.
i loved being outside.
my kids do so well with physical activity…less fighting when you are hiking.
it was so beautiful every where we went.
i highly recommend Yellowstone & Grand Tetons & colorado.
in case you were on the fence…. go for it.
you will love it.
but book your lodging now for next year because it fills up QUICK.

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danielle - Looks like so much fun! Hopefully it will not be as crowded if we go later in the year next year 🙂

Shellie - Unreal beautiful!!

Sheridan Eketone - Sheridan is a PLACE?? I never knew that. My mother named me Sheridan after an American friend she made before I was born! Loved all your pics. It looks amazing! Please come to New Zealand & hike here so you can come meet me 😉 xxx

adrienne - my parents used to drag my sister and I to lake Dillon in Colorado, we hated it. looking back, I wish, almost daily, that we could be back there! hiking, horseback riding, going in the cheesey native American stores.. it was the best. dairy queen was our big reward after every hike. dad would make sandwiches on cheese onion bread (gross then, gross now!). just the best.

Leslie - Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!

Kristin - Love Cascade Canyon Trail!!! But I can’t believe you didn’t talk about how scary the trail to get to Inspiration Point is. Scared the heck out of me! I’m so glad you enjoyed one of my favorite places on earth so much.

Lisa - Beautiful! What a wonderful trip for all of you.

Mindy - What beautiful pictures! Sounds like an amazing family trip.

Jenn - Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing.

Maureen - We live in Chicago suburbs and have driven twice to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons for family vacations. Favorite trips for all of us. Kids now all in college and were just saying that they wished we had gone again this summer but like Lauren all were working. I think that every family should make the effort to go. Nature at its best!!!

Kimberlee Jost - All of it gorgeous.
Even without makeup.
😉

Kimber-Leigh - your pictures are just beautiful. i hope to take our family one day soon! And i giggled about chip-munk…because all my children call them “chick-munks” and i just can’t bring myself to correct them!

Flower Patch Farmgirl - Amazing, Megz! I love it. I want to go now. Your pics were perfection! Good job, God!

Carol S. - AAwesome trip and pics! I planned that trip from Chicago to Yellowstone, rafting in Bozeman, MN, then drive thru Black Hills, to Mt. Rushmore and stayed at national park lodging throughout. Very different active driving vacation, but memorable and fun for all of us. Fun for me to experience things first time with my family. You’ll never forget that trip.

jodie - chip-munk? hehheh

Jenny B. - Beautiful! I am so glad to read that you didn’t want to go but went anyway and had a great time. That’s me. I would never be excited about a trip like this, but I think I would probably love it if I would just do it. 🙂 Also, I am very impressed with Scott’s jumping ability. Good grief! I don’t know how he didn’t fall in. 🙂

Melia - Meg-do you mind sharing what lens you used on your vacation pics? I’m assuming you didn’t haul a whole bad of equipment-I’m looking for an all-around lighter weight one to use for things like that.
Thanks!
Melia

Jen - I’m so envious about this trip. I have the exact photo of the falls that you took but it’s from 1980 when I was last there as a 10 year old kid! I would love to go there with my family but we live in PA so it would be a looooong trip.

stephany - The cell service thing is funny! When we go up to northern idaho to lake pend oreille the best place for cell service is the middle of the lake. My dad and husband have been known to go out on a jet ski to get on conference calls for work when we are there!

Erin - Your pictures are truly breathtaking!!!!

Kristin S - Absolutely beautiful. The scenery and your family!

Lisa - Wow! My Family and I toured Grand Canyon, The Arches and Bryce Canyon this summer. I, too, was a little hesitant (lots of driving; more my sons and husbands dream trip) and (just like you) I was so happy we went! It was stunningly gorgeous. A once in a lifetime trip. And the same is true about forest fires. We saw entire mountains of burned forest. So shocking. There was even a fire burning in Grand Canyon that the Ranger said was a low level burn and they were letting it go. Loved my family’s faces as we toured–pricelessly happy.

Anita - Oh my gosh my family just got back late last Friday from out trip to Yellowstone and Tetons. We did the same boat ride from Colter Bay. It such a beautiful part of the country. I love seeing your puctures.

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next stop: wyoming

August 15, 2014

i think i have been to wyoming when i was a kid.
at least i think there is a picture of me there with grandparents.
i vaguely recall it.
i remember a horseback ride… a fence… getting teased… and maybe Old Faithful but once we saw it again i don’t think i remember the first time from life experience. i think i remember a photo.
ANYWAY... we made it to wyoming and it is SO BEAUTIFUL!
we stayed in Colter Bay in Grand Tetons National Park.
Craig found us a little family cabin there.
he also said EVERYTHING in yellowstone was sold out. every. single. thing.
so if you are planning a trip next year… book now. 🙂

so that is a pretty ok view i would say?!
how amazing is that?!
we walked around the harbor and made it to the shore line before we went to dinner that first night.

apparently….my kids are getting tall.

someone else had been there for quite awhile building rock towers all over the shore before we got there.

calves.
that is all.

isn’t it a cute little cabin? there was electricity, a shower and bathroom and… beds.
that is all we needed.
we slept hard!
then ate breakfast out on the “porch” each morning.
breakfast was cereal or pj&j.
and since craig wakes up before everyone (always) he would get me a coffee when he went to get a newspaper each morning.
vacation is rad.

the kids burned off some energy in Jackson after dinner.
we were looking for a movie theater since it was raining and only 7 PM but nothing decent was playing.
so rock climbing in a park worked out.
then dairy queen for dessert.
ice cream every night is a vacation must.
(except the first night we went to perkins for pie… annie thought it was THE COOLEST restaurant ever)
we went to Yellowstone to see the geysers.
they are….cool.
i guess.
it wasn’t my favorite.
they smell… and they almost all look the same.
i appreciate their uniqueness and that it could all explode into a super volcano (or whatever it’s called) at any moment but i was glad that wasn’t the only thing to do in yellowstone national park.

we pulled off the road for a lunch stop and let the kids run wild.
it was just a picnic table but they figured out how to get to the water.

we decided to try one more hike for the day.
Mount Washburn.
it had rained… there was a bear siting down the road and it was getting close to the end of the day.
so i think because of those things the path was E M P T Y.
and it was awesome.

this was the road down below way on another mountain that every one was looking at the bear and her cub.
it was way up in the tree line on the right by this time.

we were hiking and they were talking and i was very last behind everyone and i yelled “COYOTE!!” just at the same time that they saw the fox right in front of them.
i knew it was a fox.
but coyote is what came out.
and i felt like it was SO LOUD but i don’t think any of them even heard me.
so… moral of the story… you don’t want me in your group in an emergency.

it had a rat and wanted nothing to do with us but to get on its way to eat dinner.
so we moved aside.
poor raggedy thing.
go enjoy your rat.
thank you for leaving my children alone.
goodbye.

and i made them take a portrait with the timer since the path was empty and too gorgeous!
if only lauren had been there!
our christmas cards could be mailed tomorrow.
she is 19, in college and working and couldn’t come this year.
she would have liked all the hiking.
we let her know that she was missed. 🙂

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Lori - I love these photos. What a beautiful place!!

Amber - I know these little heaps of rocks as Cairns. We went to Alaska this summer and at one of the glaciers we visited there were several. We also made one of our own. It was a very friendly feeling around those rocks, nice to know that someone else had shared what we were sharing at that moment! Here is an article on them: http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2013/features/cairns-history-building-maintenance.cfm
Love your blog Megan, God Bless you and your lovely family!

Jen - Love your vacation pics. Colorado and Wyoming are so achingly beautiful. We spent a couple nights in St. Louis this summer and visited the City Museum based on your post last year. You are so right about every sentence in your post. The place defies description and is a magical place to spend time with kids. We loved every second and wish it was closer to our NH home so we could go again. Thanks for the tip!

Karina - Hoo hee, that part about the fox…made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!

That should be your Christmas card. You can add one of Lauren in a smaller box…

It looks amazing there, I’ll add it to my list…

Jenn - Wow! Awesome pictures! Thank you for sharing.

Sharla - We climbed Mt. Washburn probably a week before you did – it rained on my husand and oldest on the way down. My 8-year-old kept saying “You should thank me mom for turning around! 🙂
= we made it to the very top curve and headed down. My husband said the top was the only place he got cell service in the whole park. LOL!

arlene - Just keep taking those trips….you are making wonderful memories. We did the same with our family over the years. Your family is beautiful! Enjoy.

Morgan - I worked at a Camp for kids with terminal illnesses. We built Inuksuks (rock towers) along the river, as the Inuits did- leaving a mark, intended for someone else to find and letting the know ‘someone has been here’, ‘it is safe’, ‘you are not alone’. Each rock supports and is supported by another. We need others to succeed, alone we would fail. There are many beautiful symbolisms and stories of Inukshuk’s! Love your photo!

Ruth - Thank you for all the beautiful pictures! Lovely. Inspiring. Perfect.

Kristin S - Those are “towers of remembrance”. I’m pretty sure our summer mission project that stays there probably built those. Like in the Bible where God told the Israelites to build towers of remembrance to remember His faithfulness.
I could be wrong but we do those all over the US every summer and have for 30+ years.

Tiffany - Too bad Lauren couldn’t make the trip. I bet you missed her tons! This looks like an amazing trip… Certainly has been put on our list of road trips to take with our family!

Heather S. - We did Yellowstone and the Tetons last year. It was my second time to Yellowstone, and honestly, not.a.big.fan. I’m just not. It’s too crowded (even though we went before “season”) and I just don’t find it all that pretty. Now, the Tetons? Gorg! I absolutely loved our float trip along the Snake River and hiking around Jenny Lake. Looks like y’all had fun, but seriously, what was up with all the rain?

Julie - Wow – such stunning scenery and I love those wildflowers, o different from what grows wild in New Zealand. Looks like you are all having a great holiday and making lots of family memories.

danielle - It seems like all the blogs I follow are going to yellowstone this year! Hopefully that means if we go next year it will be empty 🙂 What great memories!

Lacey - I found your blog about a year ago and I love how inspirational and crafty you are. I love that you are a light and joy in your posts. Family is so important and I love how you share a bit of that journey and part of your life with us. Have a wonderful day!

Tanya H - The Tetons is my favorite place in the world! When I was a kid we went to Yellowstone almost every year. I loooove being there but I get very tired of the photos- they really are all the same, haha….

Kimberlee Jost - That last pic…the best.
I’ll still take a copy.
🙂

laura oyler - well now i want to visit wyoming. it’s soooo pretty!

Kristin - Love, love, LOVE the Tetons. Yellowstone…eh, not as much. We stayed one night in one of those cabins in Colter Bay before camping the next day. Little critters in the walls and ceiling kept me from sleeping! It looks like you had a great time!

chrissi - your family is just too cute.

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local spots

August 12, 2014

after our super long hike that ended in rain, taking the wrong bus and a less than stellar dinner afterwards i just wanted to go to bed.
but craig is much more fun than i am so he drove around a bit and found Tiny Town Mini Golf in Estes Park.
i’m a sucker for vintage signs.
and at $3 a person… how could we NOT?

i loved every quirky little detail of this place!
you pick your ball and your kids just golf… no snacks… no arcade… no go karts?!
it IS possible.

everything was old and maybe a bit falling apart but the VIEWS!!
and it’s mini golf… it’s always hard to make it in anyway so the age of the course seemed to make it even more fun.

my favorite part was all the flowers.
it has to be the owners pride because they were everywhere.
but it looked like a grandpa’s backyard… not a gardening crew that comes through every week.

we played two nights in a row because the kids begged to go back.
and on the second night sean won the free game. 🙂
you get to write your name on the hand written poster board and date it.

seriously… if you go to Estes park.. you have to come here.
it’s the cutest place!

the second night we walked across the street afterwards and ate at Baba’s Burgers & Gyros.
it was equally “local” and kitchy.
totally delicious.
my family loved it!

and both nights we also went to Dairy Delite in Loveland, CO.
it was the perfect local ice cream place.
like the kind you went to when you were a kid. 🙂
and there was a Ms. Pacman and Galaga machine!!!
it seemed to make the ice cream taste even better.
dairydelite
we did go horseback riding… at least the girls did.
we signed up at the YMCA of the Rockies on the first day to come back the second day.
the boys went hiking while we rode.

we had signed for 1:20. the 1:00 group was about 15 people and the leaders.
our group was us.
and Sam our wrangler from upstate New York.
so my girls and i got a private two hour tour of the Rockies on horseback.
annie had never riden and i think talby had once.
it couldn’t have gone any better.
except i did have the lamest horse ever… i told craig “i get enough difficulty in life raising kids and even the dogs… having a horse that listened to me would’ve been nice. i just paid money to have an animal ignore me for 2 hours”
but the other horses were great…perfect for my nervous girls.
they were so confident by the end! i loved seeing that.

photo-71
and that is all we did in colorado.
we got up the next morning and left for wyoming.
we debated on just staying in colorado and forgetting wyoming. seriously.
i am really glad we didn’t but we easily could’ve kept finding things to do everyday and had a perfectly great time in colorado.

have you ever been to colorado?
what are your favorite places there?
because we are totally going back… and i want lots of ideas.

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meg duerksen - i THINK that shirt was from my nephew. He went there? i think. 🙂

Emily - Catching up on your blog, but love the Georgia Southern shirt! Do you know someone there? That’s my school!

Lori S - I live in Colorado…an hour away from Estes Park. Its funny, wehn you live here you don’t go do those things..too bad for me, I think I will try that horseback riding!!!

Kristen - You must go to Durango and take the train from there to Silverton. Then, we stayed a week in Silverton and rented a jeep to take ALL around. If you aren’t comfortable doing that on your own look into a jeep tour doing the Alpine Loop. Seriously the most gorgeous 360 degree view I have ever seen was on that loop. I think they called it Oh point because all you can say is “oh”! This trip is still a favorite of our kids and they are begging to go back and do it all over again.

Lori Immenhauser - I traveled out of state for the first time in my adult life. I am 48! I live in South Texas! We drove to Crested Butte,Colorado. We stayed in a cabin on Cement Creek and spent most of our time going up into the mountains on ATVs and then hiking. It was hard to hike at the high altitude! I loved it. We visited Crested Butte one evening. It was a beautiful little town.
Blessing,
Lorilee

Staci from PA - We went to Breckenridge during the Winter…….
1. We went to Snowmobile through the Rockies……AMAZING!!!!!!!!! (Did this 2 different days)
2. The DEW Tour was happening and lots of events to watch/visit were free. Your kids would LOVE this at their age. We were in AWE at the tricks of these athletes.
3. We did a Horse Drawn Carriage ride at night to a cowboy style dinner……this turned out to be a Bucket List item just like the Snowmobiling was!!!! http://dinnersleighrides.com/ Apparently they have a Wild West show in the Summer too.

Kelly - I live in Colorado! Colorado Springs. I’ve only been here three years so far so we are still learning all about our state. We were at YMCA of the Rockies last year. Fun! We will have to check out that mini golf place. Helen Hunt Falls is my favorite place in Colorado Springs. Happy travels! Kelly

Melanie - Wow you were visiting my part of the world! So happy you and the family loved it. I’ve lived in Longmont, CO, since 2004 and the entire Front Range has so much going on, especially for family vacations. Estes is a great start! Of course, when you come back, please see us in Boulder County. I’d love to share my ideas for fun and good eats. See us again soon!

Ruth - Wonderful! If you went to the Tetons in WY, you are not far from Yellowstone and Bozeman MT. Seriously Meg, you and your family NEED to come here! You would LOVE it. Just puttin’ it out there for next year’s trip consideration. 😉 Beautiful people, gorgeous scenery, super fun!

Mollie @ Sprinkles of Life - We went to Estes for a day when we were in Boulder last month. Beautiful!

I rode that same horse trail when on my senior trip 11 years ago. We stayed at the YMCA. I have the exact pics from the trail ride. too funny! 🙂

Rachel Jeter - Hi Megan! 🙂 I LOOOOOOOOOOVE Colorado. My uncle lives in Loveland! I have spent many summers in Estes Park! IT’s so beautiful! I also have a sister in Breckenridge. I highly reccomend going there in the “snow season”. It’s a beautiful little downtown. Even if you aren’t skiers, (I’m not!). There’s something so magical about Colorado. The Mountains are incredible! Loved all your pics! 🙂

Karie - Estes Park is my favorite! We went there every summer when I was a child. We would camp in Loveland, too.

Lydia Skaggs - 5 years ago, my husband and I spent the summer working at the YMCA of the Rockies back when we were dating. Love that place! We can’t wait to take our daughter someday! Next time, you’ve got to drive out to Allenspark and have breakfast at Meadow Mountain Cafe. Its literally a tiny bungalow house that’s been converted to the most cozy restaurant ever. Homemade bread every morning. Beautiful omelets. Totally kitschy & unmatched coffee mugs. The bacon, oh the bacon! But seriously, your crew would take up the entire living room, so I’d suggest eating out on the porch surrounded by Roosevelt National Park. Every time, best place I’ve had breakfast. I hope Meadow Mountain Cafe is in heaven someday. 🙂

Christy - I love Colorado so much, I try to figure out how to move there every time we visit, and we have visited lots of times. 🙂 My husband and I went to San Isabel in May. It’s such a hidden gem! We also stayed in the Vail/Avon area and fell in love. Breckenridge is a fun place to go in the summer too. You really can’t go wrong anywhere!

mel - I was born & raised here in CO, and I totally love that miniature golf place. My husband and I went to Estes for our honeymoon(!) 20 years ago. We went for two days because my husband was starting medical school a couple weeks later. We had no time or money. So we played miniature golf there several times so my husband could work on his short game. I would recommend any hike in the Park… but especially Chasm Lake. I think it’s 4 mile one-way, and a pretty good climb, but it’s right at the base of the face of Longs Peak and SO worth it! Longs Peak would be awesome for your older kids. Wild Basin is incredible too. Really, anywhere you end up in the mountains is pretty great. 🙂 Just close your eyes and point to any random spot on the west side of the state! Love that you guys had so much fun!

Kathy - I have to say that your comment about paying an animal to ignore you for two hours made me laugh out loud. 🙂

Janel - I’m a Denver native…if you loved Estes Park,

You will LOVE Grand Lake, just 45 min west of Estes Park or so…lots to do there for a family….also amazing fishing! My dad is a native and an expert sportsman..one of his favorite fishing holes is at the Granby reservoir…south east of Grand Lake by 30 min…you can google Grand Lake for accommodations etc….

Straight west on I-70, 170 miles west of Denver is Glenwood Springs..my favorite place! Hanging Lake is. 1 mile hike to a lake up top..gorgeous in the summer! Perfect for family photo. Bring Blue Lily with you! You can take THEIR family photo too! Glenwood is a H uGE natural hot springs and hot therapeutic pool. Bowling, putt putt, go carts in area… There is a huge slide at the pool….you can reserve a cabana too for the day for $75 so you have shade..Aspen is 40 miles away with amazing hikes and trails, a gondola to top…amazing food..views are amazing.. Glenwood offers family rafting too…and they have a gondola too to a mt top restaurant. There are also fairy caves to explore…on way to Aspen is Carbondale…cute little town… Head south of there and you’ll see RedStone and RedStone Castle. There is a hotel there…it s a beautiful little day trip as is Aspen from Glenwood.

On your way out of town headed back to Denver, you could take Independnce pass out of Aspen… It’s a BEAUTIFUL drive down 20 or so hair pin turns and a road that can sometimes be only wide enough for ONe car hanging on a cliff…. I pretty much blare my horn so people know I’m coming around the bend and to slow down…so they don’t hit me head on…regardless, the pass is stunning! The drive is a tad scary as you head down, then it evens out and is fine….

Steamboat Soring is another area to visit, or further south to Salida or Buena Vista.

As I said, I’m a native. My dad was born and raised in Salida. The family vacation you just had was my childhood, my whole summer, every summer, my whole life. Only we did a LOT of tents too! Every weekend pretty much. I wouldnt change it for a thing, and if given the chance to relive it, I would in a heart beat!

Marilyn M. - We love Estes Park. My husband I go there almost every year except due to illness we didn’t go for two years. Rocky mountain has some of the best hiking with well marked trails. Go across the mountain to Grand Lake. Day trip. Stop at the Alpine center. Grand lake has a small town with a beautiful lake and lots of little shops. Saw moose this year on the way back. We’ve golfed at that same course multiple times. Owned by an older gentlemen who lives local. Next time through try Smokin Daves barbeque, go early or otherwise long lines. Dunraven Inn on highway 66. Italian. The Appenzell Inn on highway 34 and for an amazing donut fix “the donut haus” on the corner by the big slide. Views are gorgeous and wildlife very cool. The big horn restaurant great place for breakfast. Your boys would get plenty to eat. For an adventure take the “Old Fall River Road” One way on gravel to the continental divide….the best……

Cassie Moore - I love love Colorado!!!! So many favorite places, I love Breckenridge…their little main street is adorable and has the best junk store, Marigolds! Alpine slides are a blast in Colorado!!! Mesa Lodge about 20 minutes from Powderhorn Ski Resort is an awesome place with tons of lakes & rustic log cabins you can stay in! I could go on and on how much I love that state!!!! 🙂

Lee Johnson - Oh Meg what beautiful pictures and I live here!!!! Came to the craft w/e with my daughter and friends from TX. Loveland is my home! You drove almost by my house on HWY 34. Wish I’d known you were in this neck of the woods!

Michelle from Australia - It is our biennial family trip to the USA this December. We will be going to Breckenridge, CO for Christmas. Being Australian, and from the tropics, Christmas to us is hot, Hot, HOT weather, air-conditioning, eating salads and swimming. We are very very much looking forward to finding out what a cold Christmas is like.

Barb - Awww, Meg, that is my hood. In live along the Big Thompson river in Drake. Next door to Tiny Town golf is Smokin Dave’s Barbeque. Thee best ever. My hubby and I go at least once a week all year long. Buy a “Rocky Card” in Estes at the hardware store. It is only $10. With fabulous discounts in and around Estes. It will save your big family a ton of money. Next year, Old Fall River Rd. should be open (closed this summer from the flood in sept.)…. Anyways, it is an absolute gem of a drive that takes you up the back way to the top at Trailridge. Creeks, meadows, serenity. Even funner in a jeep, that you can rent in Estes. Email me for more ideas if you are interested, I have bunches. Glad you enjoyed Colorado. Love your blog. Have been a quiet follower for a few years :).

Christy - My husband and I lived in Estes Park for a while during college and worked at the Day Camp at YMCA of the Rockies! We really miss that place!

angela - …..and there is a Christmas tree in the office. Awesome.

Jenny B. - Woops! I’m a dork. Mesa Verde IS in Colorado! 🙂 http://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm

Jenny B. - So fun! I love all the local stuff. That hamburger and fries is seriously making my mouth water! YUM. I’ve been to CO twice. Once on a ski trip to Breckenridge with friends in college, and once with my parents (I’m an only child) on a two week road trip “out west” that included camping at the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon was grand and all, but I looked at it, and said (with all of my ten-year-old wisdom), “It looks just like it does on TV.” My parents were flabbergasted. Ha! I WAS impressed, though, by the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, which is in Montrose, CO (I had to Google that to see if it was actually in CO or not). 🙂 Here’s a link: http://www.nps.gov/blca/index.htm. I also really enjoyed Mesa Verde, which of course, is not in CO, but AZ. The most disappointing stop on that trip was Santa Fe, NM. I think I had high expectations, and it was just kind-of a rundown town at the time. Nothing spectacular whatsoever. The most memorable part of that trip, though? Learning to whistle. I sat in the middle seat of my dad’s pickup truck the whole trip, and we got some good three part harmonies going for “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” Good memories. 🙂

Gretchen P - love Estes Park. I was there for a high school trip, it was amazing to see fireworks over the Rockies. Colorado and Wyoming are some of my favorite places. i need to get my kiddo out there, but it is quite a drive from Ohio.

Jenn - How fortunate for you to live in such a central location. We so very much want to do the Great American Road Trip. We just have to get over that 4 hours of driving includes just getting out of Texas. We want to travel to Mt Rushmore and circle back around through Colorado. The pictures have been great! Looks just heavenly!

Kim - Estes Park is one of the most beautiful towns in CO…love it! My husband and I did a big two week tour of CO a year before we had our first son. Best vacation ever!

Karyn - I grew up in Emporia, KS and moved to Denver when I was 22. Seeing your family sporting lots of KU gear while enjoying beautiful Colorado makes my heart smile!

stephany - Meg-
I was born and raised in Colorado! Lived there for the first 30 years of my life…went to college in Boulder!
Next time you are planning a trip e-mail me!
xoxo-
Stephany

Jennifer - We did Colorado for our family vacation this year and really liked it. Estes Park was great, we enjoyed some of the same things you did, and really went in for looking at all the great art shops they had there. Overall, Colorado got to our family of midwesterners – the mountains. The mountains!! I have roughly three million photos of them and love them! In Denver we did Hammonds Candy Factory (free + candy), a Rockies/Braves game, great food, Dinosaur Ridge, Red Rock, Garden of the Gods, so many drives into the mountains, and Casa Bonita. Good times!

jenni - We live in a small town outside of Durango. From Durango it’s just a short drive to Pagosa Springs (1.5 hrs), Silverton (1 hr), Durango Mountain Resort (30 mins)… hiking, rafting, tubing, alpine slide, hot springs, quaint shopping, horseback riding, dinner shows, fishing, boating, kayaking, Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad…

Michelle - We spent a week in Colorado Springs when my kids were 16, 13, and 10. It was the best vacation EVER! There is So much to do there! We did one or two activities every day and could easily have found more… Can’t recommend it enough!!!

Cathy - Been to that very place! and it was our boys favorite – especially writing their names on the poster. We love Colorado – especially Buena Vista, Salida and Lake City. So glad y’all had a vacation 🙂

Emily - We have a mini golf very similar in Springfield MO. Total classic for the town! They do have batting cages and so we always have to take our turns in those too. And trail horses are always on auto pilot! Not surprised at all! Looks like lots of fun!

Angela Storm - We grew up going camping in Colorado and doing all the tiny little towns and some of the big ones too. There is a small town near Colorado Springs called Green Mountain Falls – a restaurant there called The Pantry is excellent. I think it may be a breakfast/lunch place only. C-Spgs. also has cool hiking at Garden of the Gods.

Riding the train in Georgetown or the train from Durango to Silverton is fun. And we loved going hiking/driving up Engineer’s Pass. My parents love Pagosa Spgs. I could go on and on and on – I love CO and need to get back there ASAP!

April R - Thanks for sharing the vacation 🙂
We didn’t go anywhere this summer so it’s nice to vicariously virtual visit Colorado. (alliteration!)

We lived in Colorado Springs one summer and LOVED it. First place I’ve ever been that I knew the first week – I could stay here and be happy.
We visited Garden of the gods, went horseback riding at the AF Academy, hiked, climbed, visited Pike’s Peak and spent a lot less time indoors! (sigh)
My favorite was the sky! Every hour was a new “show!”
Grateful for our time there.
btw – sorry if you’ve already said this somewhere but I was wondering if the pics were iPhone or dslr? thanks!

Erin - I grew up in Colorado! There is so much to do here. Next time check out Boulder and Pearl Street. Or head up to the mountains and visit Breckenridge or Telluride or Winter Park. Or even go jeeping in Ouray and stop by Durango. You will love everything 🙂

amy jupin - i love the miniature golf place.
i love that it was worn and looked homemade.
and those flowers!
i was looking at your pictures thinking “this was someone’s dream! (to build and own it) and that made it awesome all the more.

Lee - I saw your Pacman photo on Instagram last week and KNEW it had to be from Dairy Delite! 🙂 We live about a mile from there and pass it everyday driving. Glad you had fun exploring our lovely state! 🙂

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