Summer 2016 Mega-Trip

We went on a three week vacation this summer to attend our Aicardi Syndrome Family Conference in Colorado Springs.  It was my last year (of six) to serve on the planning committee.  It went smoothly but I was so busy taking care of things and having fun that I actually don't have many pictures from it.

After the conference, we traveled to some National Parks in Colorado and Utah and then attended my niece's wedding in Provo.  It was a long trip, but we had so much fun seeing our Aicardi family, going new places as a family, and being able to celebrate with my niece on her happy day.

Aicardi girls group photo

The conference planning committee.

The 14 year old friends

Aicardi Siblings

The Founders with their gift from the group--this year's conference theme. The logo for the Foundation (and on this sign) is the profile of their Aicardi daughter who passed away several years ago.

Having fun at the dance!

Justin leading the Q&A session with the researchers.

Annie with her best friends

I owe Cindy so much thanks! She and I spent the last two years planning the entire agenda for this conference. She's the best!

Two of my favorite Aicardi mom friends

Justin was in charge of organizing child care for the conference this year, so what's better than a video game trailer!...

...and Nerf laser tag!  Child care was a hit this year.

While in Colorado Springs for the conference, we went to see Garden of the Gods which was pretty neat.

We stopped for a short break to see the Great Sand Dunes National Park.  We all had so much fun that we wish we had planned to have more time there.

You can rent sandboards and sleds to ride down the sand dunes behind us.  We didn't have time for that, plus walking across the super hot sand to be out there in the sun wasn't too appealing, but it would have been a lot of fun earlier in the day.

So we just played in the water and sand close by.

Annie had a really great time in Mesa Verde and was able to see a lot there.

I took Molly and Lexie on a hike to one dwelling.

We were able to see almost all the others from just small walks to overlooks.

And lots of surface dwellings were fully accessible.

The Monticello, Utah LDS temple

Natural Bridges National Monument had lots of accessible trails to overlooks to see the bridges...

...but some trails got rather steep for Annie.

We stopped for a short while at Capitol Reef and had a nice picnic.

In Salt Lake we were able to meet Justin's brother's new dogs.  The girls ate them up...

...and they ate up Lexie too.

Then we got to see all of my side of the family at my niece's wedding. She was a beautiful bride and it was a happy day.

The cousins all had fun together.

My parents and siblings

Ryan's family

Kami's family

Eric's family

My parents