"Gorgeous." I must have repeated the word 1,247 times during our most recent vacation. My daughters started teasing me for saying it so often, but I couldn't help myself. There really isn't any word that aptly describes the picturesque scenery found in Colorado.

For Spring Break this year, my daughters and I decided to make an impromptu trip to Colorado Springs. I'd just spent a four days in Breckenridge a few weeks earlier, and could hardly wait to return to the vast expanse of mountains and beauty. As much as I love the state, I wanted to share the experience with my girls.

We booked an Airbnb, deciding to stay in Colorado Springs due to its proximity to many different tourist attractions, landmarks, and Denver. Colorado Springs also provides a closer view of the Rocky Mountains, as Denver is situated a bit farther away from the mountain range. Our rental home was in the Black Forest (on the north side of Co Springs), nestled away from the bustle of the city.

Our choice in rental homes turned out to be worth its weight in gold. I was up for the sunrise every morning, as I didn't want to miss a moment of looking at Pikes Peak from our porch. We had an incredible view. As the sun rose, it burned off the morning fog, burning images of beauty in my mind. There isn't a panoramic camera big enough to capture the majesty of the mountains.

CO

*welcomes us "home" with a sunset on Pikes Peak*

As we made our drive from MN to CO, we planned where we'd go on our adventures. Both girls eagerly contributed to the list of things they wanted to see. I enjoyed involving them in the planning process - it provided the opportunity for their personalities to shine through.

Colorado Springs provides the perfect central location for day trips to many of the things tourists typically want to see during their stay (most within a 30-60 minute drive). Here's some of the things we did:

Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)
Pikes Peak (Cascade)
Royal Gorge (Cañon City)
Breckenridge
Red Rocks Amphitheater (Denver)
National Museum of World War II Aviation (Colorado Springs)
Miramont Castle (Manitou Springs)
Hiking (Black Forest)
Air Force Academy Chapel (Colorado Springs)
US Olympic Training Center (Colorado Springs)

As beautiful as the trip and the landscapes were, my most enjoyable memories come from the time I spent with my girls. The vacation gave us the chance to slow down, enjoy one another, and reconnect in ways we'd lost.

I regained the ability to really "see" my kids - to see them as people with their own dreams, desires, goals, and preferences. Sometimes life gets so busy that we forget to treasure and nurture those connections. Being in Colorado gave all three of us the chance to rekindle our relationships. We also learned more about who we are as people. We talked about our purposes in life, and the dreams we want to see fulfilled before our short time on this earth is over. We relearned how to enable one another to feel heard, valued, and loved.

It is easy to get caught up in life's problems and defeats. Heck, it's even easy to get distracted from what's important by daily mundane tasks. If you sense that happening, just take a trip out west to Colorado. It'll remind you of what truly matters.

There is something about staring a 14,115 foot mountain in the face that reminds you how small you are... and how big life is. Challenges, difficulties, and pain lessens in the face of that mountain. Your problems that seemed insurmountable now seem smaller than the foothills that stand in the shadow of that mountain. You are reminded of what's important: life, love, faith, family, and friends.

When this life is over, and it is time for us to return to earth from which we came, all we take with us are our memories. I am going to make mine count.

With love,

-Rachel