What to expect: in Rocky Mountain National Park

I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to these majestic places more than once in my lifetime. I hope to continue these travel opportunities as long as my body and mind allows. My dream is to visit all of the national parks in the United States before my time on Earth is over. The next destination: Niagara Falls! But for now, here are some tips on how to make your time in the Rocky Mountain National Park more enjoyable for yourself and your travel companions. 

What to expect in the Rocky Mountain National Park:

1. Weather change. Mother Nature is something we can not control but we can control our attitude and prepare ourselves better for any situation. One thing to do before you set out on your travel is to check the forecast. How has the weather been? What are they predicting? TIP: Dress in layers! We went to RMNP during the first week of June this year and it was cold! It rained on and off and it got windy from time to time then it got sunny which made us warm. It's important that you dress your little ones in extra clothes as their body temperature is much cooler than yours. During the nights, it got as cold as 30 degrees and on top of that, it was really windy. We dressed our little guy in a long sleeve onesie, put two pairs of pants on him and a pull-over sweater on him. The most important thing I think though is adding socks and a warm beanie. That'll keep them really warm under the blankets.

2. Campsites fill up quick on weekends. So, reserve ahead of time. If you have children, stay nearby bathrooms. I reserved our campsites during the early month of February and got to pick out which campsites I wanted. Since we've been there once before, I knew exactly which ones to pick out. If you would like my recommendations, I suggest you choose site A037 or A038. These sites have great views, it's close to the bathrooms, and has its own food storage unit. When we went the first weekend of June, the Moraine Campground (where we stayed) was full. So, I really recommend you to book in advance!

3. Estes Park is nearby (where we stayed at Moraine Campground) if you need groceries, gas, etc. There are no Walmarts or Shopko's though so if you're tent has a hole in it, you won't be able to find those kind of stores to buy a new one at. Your best bet will be a small, locally owned sport shop.

4. No showers in the park. This is a downfall to the park but not to worry! Again, Estes Park is nearby and there are pay showers at Dad's Maytag Laundry that you can use. It's about $5/person (you have to pay for kids too- even if they shower with you. Around $3/kid.) and there's 3 shower stalls in the women's and men's room. While you shower, you can throw in a load of laundry too! NOTE: portable showers or enclosed areas of the park may allow you to bathe. Check on the campgrounds you choose to stay at for rules.

5. Cell service is spotty. But I bet you already knew that. And if it's really cold, your battery life will diminish quickly. So, it's a great idea to bring a portable rechargeable battery to recharge your cellphone. 

6. Check for road closures and ice. We went at a time where there were still some snow in some areas. And because of the flood damage last year, some trails are closed for repair as well as roads. So it's always a good idea to check on their website ahead of time and plan accordingly. 

I hope you all get a chance to get out there and explore nature. RMNP is such a majestic place to travel and explore. What are some of your tips if you've gone here before?

Anakin's (belated) First Birthday Party

Thank goodness the spot I reserved had a large umbrella to shade us and protect us from rain sprinkles.

Even though we had a cake for Anakin's birthday on the roadtrip, we felt that since most of our family members - including his Grandparents, weren't able to come with us that we should have a party for him at home. We decided to rent an area at a local swim pool (since there are tons of little kids in our family) and Anakin loves the water! The day came and it was cloudy and although we did get sprinkled on, we still kept swimming and I think the kids didn't even notice they were being rained on until they got out of the pool to dry off. LOL! Overall, it was a great first birthday for Anakin and we couldn't be more blessed to have such a huge family to share it with!

Anakin's Star Wars themed cake from Sam's Club. Of course the cupcakes were a hit and the first to go!

A little DIY and you have yourself a personalized cute banner for the party. Every body loved this!!!

My Summer Wishlist

1 - The Beach People round towel
2 - Honest Sunscreen Spray
3 - Gap Two-band Sandals
4 - Rarotonga Sun Hat
5 - Hangfire iPhone Case

My birthday is coming up real soon and I would love any of these, especially the round beach towel from The Beach People! What's on your Summer Wishlist?

Family Summer Activities and Events in and around Green Bay

I love Summer in the Midwest, even though the mosquitoes are quite vicious and the days could get so humid. Either way, I love it because it lets me get involved with the community and experience fun events. The month of June was quite the bipolar weather but, I was still able to take advantage of the nicer days by hitting the local aquatic center. There's only so much a 6 month pregnant lady can do! If you're new to the area of haven't heard of any of these (some are new this year), here's my top 10 Family Summer Activities and Events in and around Green Bay.

1 - Farmer's Market: Wednesday nights on Broadway and Saturday mornings on Washington (the new location since Monroe is under construction now). I love going on Wednesday nights because we can never wake up early enough to go on Saturdays. Broadway also has some cute shops that I love stopping into to see what's new.

2 - Aquatics/Pools: My favorite is Resch Aquatic Center because heated zero depth wading and swim area for the tiny tots. The only fallback is that you have to be a resident of Green Bay to receive the lesser price to enjoy. Plus, this pool is pretty popular so it's packed right away (there is usually a long line 30 minutes before open pool time) so if you want to get a spot under the umbrella shade, you'll have to go early and wait in line. Otherwise, I just brought my stroller in and they've allowed it.

3 - Movies in the Park: The Neighborhood Association of Green Bay had this last year and we attended a showing of Jurassic Park on the City Deck. This year, they have a list with dates and shows playing. And new this year to De Pere (a suburb of Green Bay) due to high requests is also a movie in the park series. Last week Friday they showed, Back to the Future. The next one is set for July 25th (my birthday) and they will be showing, The Princess Bride, one of my favorites!

4 - Summer in the Park is a free weekly summer series at Whitney Park every Thursday from June through August.

5 - City Deck: There is just so much to do on the City Deck that its overwhelming at times but if you know how to manage your time well and have a group of good friends to hang out with, this is the place to be. I think this is geared more towards family with older children but hey, if your little Tot loves to be social, this could be your new thing too! They have Dine on Deck and Friday's on the Fox and Yoga... they even have a splashpad. Check it out if you're in the area!

6 - Bay Beach Amusement Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. This has long been a favorite among locals. Why? Because tickets are cheap (tickets cost .25 cents each and some rides only take as little as 1 ticket) and kids really enjoy it. Every year we take the kids and every year they act like it's their first time there. Go on weekday to avoid crowds.

7 - The New Zoo recently got a new addition and it's called Adventure Park! Sounds fun huh? I haven't been there yet but I've seen videos and pictures and it looks amazing! Good job Green Bay (well, technically it's in Suamico which is a 20 minute drive North of Green Bay).

8 - I love going to the Green Bay Botanical Garden for its lush gardens and peaceful walks. They also hold many events such as concerts and have classes here and there. Did you also know that its FREE on Wednesday nights from 4-8pm June through August? I had no clue until recently! Bring a camera to take pictures of your kids in the cool kids area.

9 - Events: Summer is really happening around here and you can tell by debating about what your family should choose to do on the weekends. Here are some events during the Summer you won't want to miss... Art Street in August, Packer Family Night in August, The Hmong Sports Festival on Labor Day Weekend, and since it'll be the 4th of July in a few days - there will be Fireworks over the Fox in Downtown Green Bay which always draws out a huge crowd every year. Go early for the best seats!

10 - Since there is so many activities, check out the City of Green Bay's website here to help plan your Summer days. Have fun and be safe!

Long Overdue Post - Catch up Time!

Wow! Sorry, it's been so long since I last posted an entry. Things have been kinda hectic lately, especially since I found out I'll be having another little one in October! I've had all sorts of morning and motion sickness and actually lost 10 pounds in the first trimester of this pregnancy. I'm well into my 21st week now and feeling much better. I probably gained all that weight back. Here's a few things that has happened since the last I posted ...

Anakin's Baptism

We had Anakin baptized in the Catholic community on Easter Sunday. He was a total brat that day and would not stop crying and fussing. It was horrible. Everyone there probably thought he was the devil by the way he acted and would not stop. We have it all on video too. I'm going to use it as blackmail one day.

We also just recently got back from a long 10 day roadtrip to Colorado. It was our first vacation as a family and for Kao and I, it was unfamiliar territory. We were blessed for almost 10 years without having to deal with a baby when it came to our vacation. I'm glad we took full advantage of those years! Having to pack for a baby is so so difficult. You read about it online and hear stories but, when you actually have to do it - man, is it an eye-opening experience! I think it was more difficult that we had 3 other family members tag along with us in our tent and car. I think the next roadtrip, it'll just be us. We will have a lot more room that way. It was just way too cramped for me, especially being pregnant and all. 

We did get to celebrate Anakin's first birthday on the roadtrip though and in the Rocky Mountain National Park no less! I hope he will remember this forever because I have lots of pictures and videos to show him when he's older!

A family roadtrip would not be complete without a family picture by the NP signs

I love this picture Kao took of us. This was our first scenic picture opportunity before driving into Rocky Mountain National Park.

Going off to take some pictures...

Our campsite had beautiful views all around.

Anakin's cake we bought at Safeway in Estes Park.

Anakin Sandwich!!!

Eating cake

Perfect day for a photo op in Moraine Park, RMNP.

After our 4 day stay in the Rocky Mountain National Park, we headed south to the Great Sand Dunes National Park (actually, we stayed 1 night in Denver before heading down). Unfortunately, we were met with cold, and very windy weather down in the Great Sand Dunes. Good thing we only stayed 1 night. And of course, the next day when we left, it was all sunny and chill. Just our luck! We made the most of it though and now we can cross off another national park off our list. Next up, Yosemite or Acadia National Park.

So windy, our tent almost flew away.

Medano creek was flowing with lukewarm water.

Snot shooting out of our babies' noses all the time!

The Sand Dunes behind us.

Good bye! Till next time... May the Force be With You.

I already have so many things planned for this Summer that it's kinda ridiculous! My sister who lives in California, will be visiting for 3 weeks in the beginning of July. Then, there's the Farmer's Markets which I look forward to every summer. And brand new this year are the Movies in the Park series in De Pere this Summer. I don't know how I'll hold up with being so pregnant but I'm excited!