Vacations & Weekends
Last Updated: 9/26/2026
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The reason we work - to enjoy our time off together and with family and friends! An added perk is that we live in the middle of a vacation wonderland where we spend many weekends enjoying the outdoors. A few of our highlights from the past months (in reverse order).
In September, Tami and Brad took a trip to southern Utah (and northern Arizona) to see some natural sites. The trip included Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, Glen Canyon Dam, Horseshoe Bend, Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon, and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. It was a whirlwind, but we saw many great sites. For pictures and/or videos of this, click here.
At the beginning of July, we had some fun family activities. We rented a pontoon boat and a tube and enjoyed a day on Horsetooth Reservoir as a family with some of the girls' friends. On the 4th, we went to the Ed Sheeran concert at Empower field. For pictures and/or videos of this, click here.
In May, Tami had a work trip to London, so the rest of the family joined her for a post work vacation. On the day we arrived, we started our trip going to Windsor Castle. The next day we stumbled across the House Guard practicing, and then headed to the National Gallery, the Lego store, and the M&M store, before going to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The next day we toured Westminster Abbey, took a cruise down the Thames to Greenwich, and rode the London Eye. On our third full day we toured the Tower of London, went to Borough Market, took some walks across some bridges, and went to Sky Garden. Our last full day consisted of The Changing of the Guard, the Churchill War Rooms, a walk through Hyde Park and Kensington Park, and another play - The Mousetrap. A fun vacation that we were able to squeeze in, as a family, before summer obligations kicked in. These are just a sample of the photos we took. For pictures and/or videos of this, click here.
Allison finished up her final sport of the year, outdoor track, in May. She continued focusing on the 3000m Steeplechase this season. At Conference, she ended up placing 7th in the event. The parents were able to make it to one of Allison's meets in Ft. Collins, and then the Conference Championships in Clovis, CA. During the time in Clovis, the parents stopped by the Forestiere Underground Gardens to pass some time. For pictures and/or videos of this, click here.
At the end of February, Allison went to Reno, NV to finish her second collegiate indoor track season by participating in the Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championships. She ran the 5000m and the 3000m, and placed 11th and 13th, respectively. She also got a new personal record in the 5000m. The women's team came in 3rd, and the men's team came in 1st (for the 3rd time in a row!). A fun way to end a quick indoor season. For pictures and/or videos of this, click here.
In February, Sydney finished her second season of collegiate swimming at the NSIC Women's Swim and Dive Championship four day meet in Fargo, ND. While there, she ended up getting new personal records for 2 events (100 Breaststroke and 200 IM). As a member of the scoring team, she helped obtain points for the team (by placing in the top 16) for the following events:
800 Freestyle Relay: 1st
200 IM: 9th
200 Freestyle: 9th
400 Medley Relay: 11th
100 Breaststroke: 11th
100 Freestyle: 7th
400 Freestyle Relay: 1st
And, the team won the Conference Championship for the first time since 2022! A great finish to a fun season! For pictures and/or videos of this, click here.
While the kids were home for Christmas break, we tried to keep busy. We went to a couple of local things... Thornton WinterFest, Denver Christkindlemarket, and a local production of Frozen. We also did some typical Christmas activities... making a gingerbread house, opening presents (and playing with them - e.g. putting together a puzzle), and enjoying some crab for dinner. An unusual thing we did was that we went to a farm to go check out some Highland Cows. And, Brad and Allison enjoyed a little snow in the mountains. For pictures and/or videos of this, click here.
At the end of October, Brad and Tami went to Fresno, CA to watch Allison race with her team at the Mountain West Cross Country Championships. Their team ended up in fifth place. Following the race, Brad and Tami killed some time before their flight playing mini-golf at Ghost Golf (since it was Halloween). For pictures and/or videos of this, click here.
In October, Brad and Tami went to Minnesota for Family weekend. The focus of the weekend was watching Sydney swim at the Rochester Invite in Rochester, MN. Her team won the meet. Brad and Tami also treated Sydney to some meals and re-supplied her apartment/food needs. For pictures and/or videos of this, click here.