If there’s a dance floor, I’ll be there 💃
If there’s a fire show, I’ll be there 🔥
If there’s a silent disco, I’ll DEFINITELY be there 🪩
Vacation Summer & Mom Summer are 2 very different people 🥳🥳
Does anyone else need a vacation after their vacation to catch up on sleep? 🤣🤣
Room tour of the honeymoon club level suite I stayed in last week at Sandals Royal Bahamian 🤩
Can you picture you and your significant other staying in this suite? 🩷🩵
If so, contact me today for more info!
🌐| www.tropicsandbeyond.com
✉️| [email protected]
📱| 336-202-3662
#sandals #honeymoongetaway #sandalsroyalbahamian #sandalsresorts #nassau
Where are my people at?? 🙋🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️
This military life can get really lonely, especially when your spouse is deployed, but I’ve learned that having a community can make all the difference!! Grateful to have found such a good one here in COS 🫶🏻🫶🏻
#militaryspouse #milspouse #militaryfamily
Toddlers are soooo fun amiright 😝
I said I love the 3/4 age but mannn it’s exhausting.
The questions. The attitude 😅. The power struggles.
But when it’s good, it’s soooo good.
Tell me how you survived this stage PLEASE
I measure things in life by whether I can do it with or without Stephen’s help 😂
I never thought when we bought our @noboundariesrv 10.5 2 years ago that I’d be off taking my toddlers camping solo while he was deployed. It didn’t feel manageable at the time, but its slowly become that way.
We love our little camper and I feel confident not only towing it, but also setting it up solo.
Are you team ⛺️ or team camper??
#campinglife #forestriverrv #nobo10.5
Salida in a day tips 👇🏼
We’ve been to @visitsalidaco about 3 or 4 times now and it’s one of my favorite places to do a day trip, overnight trip, or just as a pit stop to another place in CO. Salida is on the way to many places we’ve traveled like: Ouray, Ridgway, Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP & more.
A typical stop in Salida looks like this:
- a trip to the playground first to get wiggles out (we like to bring our bikes to ride around too)
- a swim in the Arkansas River mid-day (bring a change of clothes & water shoes for littles)
- lunch at High Tide, which is right along the river. Though their service is slow sometimes, I think the food is pretty good. (Lots of friends love @boathousecantina)
- ice cream at @chillsalida 😋 which is soooo good
- visit the shops around town and get a souvenir T-shirt or hat!
If you’re camping overnight, we LOVE @salidarvresort
This weekend they’re having their famous @fibark_ festival so you’ll find a lot of things blocked off and very busy!!
Have you been to Salida? It’s about 2 hours from Colorado Springs by the way ☺️
It’s been 1 month since my 4 year old had her tonsils and adenoids removed as a result of severe obstructive sleep apnea.
Her tests showed that she stopped breathing 17 (!!) times every hour during the night.
This is why she was continuously exhausted throughout the day…because she was simply not getting quality sleep.
And gosh how our lives have changed since that surgery.
She no longer HAS to take a nap each day. Before, if she missed a nap, she simply would just have a terrible evening/night up screaming and kicking.
Now, she goes to bed later, despite not having a nap because she gets gooood sleep at night.
Her speech as improved. Her personality is incredible. She’s able to do more activities - like the 6.5 mile hike we did a few weekends ago - or rock climbing, jumping on the trampoline, riding her bike all day long.
It’s amazing how important sleep is to the human body. So many people don’t get quality sleep and blame their lack of focus on other things.
The surgery was of course so scary and never wracking while my husband was deployed…and for almost 14 days straight…it really sucked. But once we got over that hump, life has been so good.
Has anyone else been through this? Let me know your experience!
Royal Gorge RV Resort in Cañon City, CO is one of our favorite weekend getaways! The kids absolutely love alllll the things they have there: the jumping balloon, sand pit, playground, pool & hottub, etc.
It’s an easy 1 hour 15 minute drive for us from Colorado Springs which makes getting there on the weekend for a 3 day trip super easy. There’s a ton to do in Cañon City: visit the Royal gorge bridge, take a train ride, go downtown, hiking, whitewater kayaking or rafting & more!
This is a campground I feel safe at, has hookups so we can use our AC in the summertime heat & just really enjoy camping in a beautiful location.
Be sure to add @royalgorgervresort to your campground lists if you’re traveling through the area. And follow @outsidethissmalltown for more campground recs in Colorado, travels & military life 💚🤍
If you’ve ever been to Germany, this hike might remind you of a similar one in Garmisch-Partenkirchen!!
Seriously being in Ouray reminded us so much of European mountain towns and it’s one of the main reasons we loved it there.
Box Cañon Park was a great 2nd hike of the day for us when we visited in August of 2023! First hike of the day was to Cascade Falls (see previous reel).
Hike info:
🅿️ free
🐕 not allowed
💰 adults are $7, and kids 4-12 are $5 at the entrance
🏔️ I think you get one of the best views of Ouray from the bridge that crosses over the Cañon. I recommend taking the “harder” trail up first before going down into the canyon to see the falls!
Are you afraid of heights??
We’ve stayed at Ridgway State Park (@ridgway_state_park ) on two different occasions and both times were amazing!
It’s a great place to base yourself if you’re visiting Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park or Ouray.
The views are incredible, but definitely depend on the site you have.
Amenities include:
- restrooms, large sink, laundry rooms
- hookups
- playground
- hiking trails nearby
- a lake nearby
You will have to pay for a daily state park pass on top of your reservation.
Does your family like camping? 🏕️
Follow @outsidethissmalltown for more to come in Part 2 about camping & exploring in Colorado, travel & military life.
#ridgwaycolorado #ridgwaystatepark #colorado #campingincolorado #nobo10.6 #blackstonegriddle
Evan’s Army Hospital has always been really good to us and I know for some it depends on the day, the circumstances, the doctor, etc. but we’ve been consistently happy with our surgeons. I’m so grateful for the environment and the reassurance they provide to our family. It hasn’t been this consistent other places we lived (ahem Grafenwoehr) so I know a good hospital when I see one 🥹
I posted earlier this week about sending my son to full time preschool (tots) and the comments I received were incredible. I had put so much pressure on myself to be a jack of all trades, when in reality I was barely surviving in all aspects of life…and it was literally making me sick and exhausted.
I have felt immense relief at not having to cram everything in during naps and after the kids go to bed.
Being a mother is hard and it’s important to remember that you can’t fill anyone else’s cup if your cup is EMPTY!! Especially when you’re solo parenting for a LONG time!
Tag your favorite mama for this sweet reminder 🙌🏼
And thanks to my hubs for inspiring this reel and caption!
What gets me through deployment: planning trips for when he returns 🥳 and I’m so glad I have a partner who says YES to all my ideas!
In 2023, we spent the most epic weeks traveling with our camper through the national parks of Colorado, Utah & down into Arizona. It was so much fun!!
This year we’re going to mark off a bucket list destination of mine 🤩
Any guesses?! 👇🏼
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Looking for help with an epic post-deployment trip? Contact me today to get started 🤩
🌐| www.tropicsandbeyond.com
✉️| [email protected]
📱| 336-202-3662
She’s our shotgun rider when Stephen is gone! We did Alaska last year and Mexico this year 🤩 I love these mom/daughter trips and they’re even more special (&hectic) with 2 toddlers in tow!
A lot of thought went into choosing a resort that would check all the boxes for me and my kiddos for their first trip to Mexico. Safety, great review of kids club, multiple restaurants, beachside, multiple pools, activities & excursions, etc. Can anyone guess the resort 🤗 #traveladvisor #springbreak2024 #hyattinclusivecollection
I have to laugh to keep from crying 😫
One major problem with Lillie having severe obstructive sleep apnea is her little body literally cannot handle going 12+ hours without sleeping. She will skip a nap every now and then and claim she’s not tired and we all know what our night is going to be like after that 😵💫 we have an appointment with the surgeon on Tuesday and I am PRAYING we get a surgery date in early April because I can’t do this with Stephen gone.
She kicks and screams all night long, not even fully awake, if she skipped a nap. And none of us get any sleep. And it’s so hard ❤️🩹
Btw, if you missed my sleep apnea stories, they’re in a highlight on my profile.
