This weekend we had a fun excursion to the mountains. Rusty and Josh went on the Father and Son’s campout on Friday night (post to come soon) and had a great time. We had heard from a friend that Brainard Lake was a great place to take the kiddos–short hikes, lots of water, picnic tables, etc–so we decided to give it a try. Halle, Blake and I met Rusty and Josh in Nederland and we went up to the lake. It was BEAUTIFUL!! It was the perfect weather to be in the mountains. We had a picnic lunch by the lake and the kids threw sicks and rocks in the water. Then we decided to try the 0.5 mile hike to Longs Lake. I have to say, this was the best hike we’ve been on with the kids. Halle did awesome–she hardly whined at all. And Josh did pretty good too, although Rusty did have to carry him on his shoulders for long stretches. Blake just slept peacefully in his sling. Longs Lake was gorgeous, clear blue water, the 13,000ft mountains in the background, and a cute little stream feeding into the lake. It was so refreshing to be in the cool mountain air and just enjoy the beautiful scenery. I was hesitant to go (it was a 1 1/2 hour drive) but I am so glad we did!