Summer Vacation 2013

This summer, our vacation was a little different. Instead of flying directly to the US from Copenhagen, we flew to Frankfurt first, where we had a five hour layover before flying on to Denver.

A five hour layover is something I would have liked to avoid before I had kids, but a layover is your friend when you’re traveling with energetic little people who are used to being able to run around all day long.

Except for a few minutes of icy fear caused by “ESTA” (the for-profit private agency that handles US Visas) when they refused to let Lisbeth board the flight despite the fact that she had a valid visa, it was a pleasant time. But the best part of this itinerary was that once we made the long flight to the US, we were done. That’s a lot nicer than having to face a domestic flight after the Atlantic flight.

In Denver we stayed with my cousin Sarah and her husband Troy. Their girls are almost exactly the same age as Ellen and June, so that was quite a bit of fun. There was one cruel shock for Ellen though. She kept talking to Cora in Danish, and when we told her she had to use English because Cora didn’t understand Danish, Ellen laughed and said “Of course she does” (but in Danish.)

The next day she tried again and realized that, in fact, Cora could not understand her. Ellen actually cried upon realizing this, but recovered quickly and started speaking English to a much higher degree than she had before. (Apparently having a dad nag you to speak English is not as motivating as having a playmate you want to communicate with.)

The reason for our altered travel plans was because of a family reunion in Branson, Missouri. So, my parents met us in Denver and from there we drove for two and a half days to arrive in an uncharacteristically cool Missouri, where we conducted the first family gathering since grandpa and grandma passed away. The weather was absolutely ideal (considering we’re talking about Missouri in July here) — almost too cool to enjoy the pool. We had such a nice time that we stayed an extra day.

Then it was off to New Mexico for two weeks. They’d gotten some rain prior to our arrival, so it was greener that I’d expected to find it, but there’s no escaping the fact that the area is being ravaged by drought. Lisbeth and I took one of my favorite hikes near Hermit’s Peak, and I was shocked to see that it was no longer the shady, cool trail by the river it used to be. Many of the trees are dying, even close to the river.

We discovered (or re-affirmed) that although Ellen is capable of having fun in pool, she’s a reluctant swimmer, and June is even more so. But we also discovered that Ellen is very much at home on a pony. Just look at that self-satisfied face!

We spent two days in Albuquerque, which as usual is marked by visiting with Ben and Heather and shopping, in that order. But overall I felt like our stay in Albuquerque was terribly brief. This is no doubt because we normally fly into and out of Albuqueque and that wasn’t the case this time.

The whole visit seemed to go by very quickly. Before I knew it, it was time to head North, back to Denver. On our way we stopped to see the ranch (the first time since grandma died) and overall I wish I hadn’t seen it (hence the lack of pictures). It’s good we found some renters, but seeing someone else set up shop in a place that was magic your whole lifetime is not pleasant. But we did get to visit with Donna and Clarence, and that was nice.

In Toronto we had a seven hour layover, which worked out fine. The girls ran around and wore themselves out to the point where we were worried they’d need to sleep before boarding the plane, but the timing worked out nicely. And the best part was that once that flight was over, we were home. Overall a much better way to visit the states, but unfortunately quite a hassle for my family since Denver is five hours away from where my parents live.

But the biggest treat of the whole trip was seeing Ellen in action. I’d been pestering her for ages to speak English to me, and she had largely refused. I was beginning to worry. But it turns out that fear was unfounded. Every day I heard her use new words and get more confident. And by the end of the trip she was bossing her much older cousins around. Over a month after returning, and she still addresses me in English without being prompted. (It probably helps that dad suddenly doesn’t seem to understand anything she says in Danish, despite the fact that he used to…)

Ellen is a great traveler too. It’s harder for June, due to age and general energy levels, but Ellen is a natural, and rarely causes trouble. (Some of that might be due to her passion for the iPad though. How parents of the past went on vacations without iPads to pacify fussy kids, I do not know…) I’m proud of both of my girls, but there’s something special about seeing your oldest treading into new territory.

And so I’m looking forward to Christmas, when Ellen and I will get some father-daughter bonding time and take the trip by ourselves.