Une Envie de Sel

Just back from our midweek "weekend" in Vail...scrambling to catch up here and prepare for the return of my mum, who will be returning tomorrow from the desert...but I wanted to upload a few quick pictures.
Apparently, the weather has been just as tempestuous and wild in Vail as it has in Denver, but we were lucky enough to hit a couple of really beautiful days with mild temperatures and lots of beautiful skies. Just what we needed!
Even though Vail was once (for many, many years, in fact) our "every-day" life, it now feels like full-on vacation to us, especially after a rather grueling year of keeping our noses to the grindstone, for the most part.
Another thing that we've "discovered" about Vail since moving away is that Vail has the best playgrounds. Of course, we would not have known this before becoming parents. It's a delightful discovery to return there with Q. This one is fondly known as "the pirate park", and is right in the heart of Vail Village, at the base of the ski mountain.
Q had a blast, and we had a hard time tearing her away....little did she know how many more amazing playgrounds we'd visit over the next two days!
It's actually kind of fun being tourists in Vail, after all our years of residence!
It feels different this way.
Letting the dogs play in the Children's Fountain.
This was also Q's first time in a swimming pool since we returned from China last summer. As we expected, she was totally fearless in and around the water, and thoroughly adored the "big bath", as she considered it.

Look at that happy face...and those happy toes!
Lounging with daddy.
And playing water-games with mommy.