Valentine's Day!

We spent the night before Valentine's Day at my parents house, so we were able to wake up, leave Elizabeth with them and go on a morning Valentine's Date.  We decided to go snow shoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park. Neither of us had been snowshoeing before, so it was a new experience but we quickly got the hang of it.

We started the long trudge up the mountain to Nymph Lake; we were on a snow packed hiking trail with a lot of other hikers.  It was a long steep hike and I am not sure Ben was having that much fun (he kept saying he felt like a pansy with treking poles).  It was really cool when we reached the lake, because it was completely frozen and we got to walk on it.  

I am standing IN THE MIDDLE of Nymph Lake!!

 

Instead of continuing up, we decided to go back down but to leave the 'beaten path' and take some cross country ski path's back down the mountainWe quickly learned some big differences between cross country ski's and snow shoes.  Both keep you above the snow but the skii's go down steeper hills on soft snow MUCH better than snow shoes.  It was hilarious trying to get down the mountain but so much fun (at this point Ben was happy to have the treking poles).  Because of the snow (~4 ft deep) we were able to leave the hiking paths and go pretty much anywhere (without hurting surroundings)- and we did.  It was so much fun tromping through 'untouched' territory and finding new paths down.  Ben liked to jump, like he was cross country skiing, and expected it to just take him down- but he would just stop and tip over.  Being off a path you have to pay more attention to wear your feet are and I would constantly step on my own snowshoes and topple over.  And let me tell you, it is hard getting back up (when all you have to push off of is a mound of 4 ft deep soft powder). 

At the end of our descent there was a pretty steep hill (aka cliff) and Ben decided, instead of going around, to go down.  I stayed on top and took pictures; I still laugh just thinking of it.  I was not able to get a lot of good pictures but it was hilarious to see him upright one moment and his feet in the air the next.  He made it down, without injury, but he lost a lot of grace points. 

These are Ben's feet- IN THE AIR! Haha

  We ended up coming out at Bear Lake so we walked around there for a while and saw a beautiful frozen waterfall (I don't think it was supposed to be a waterfall but it was just a ton of huge icicles all together).  It was a fun date and it was so nice to have the morning together.  Thanks to Nana and Grandpa for watching the girl!

 

 That night we decided to just 'stay in' because we had already done a date but Ben had to run some errands, so on his way home he picked up 5 different types of french fries.  I have always wanted to do a fast food blind french fry tasting- to see who was actually better.   He brought them home, blind folded me and had me do the test. He asked me to rate them 1-5 and guess where they were from. I am a little surprised how it turned out. 

He got Wendy's, McDonalds, Burger King, Good Times and Good Times Breaded.  I guessed Wendy's and McDonalds correct and I didn't like the Good Times Breaded (they tasted like maple).  I surprisingly liked Burger King the best; and I am not a Burger King fan (with Wendy's as a close second).  It was super fun and Elizabeth thought it was a little silly to see Mom blindfolded.  It was such a fun day and so great to spend so much fun time with my Valentine Ben!! (awwww)

 (Elizabeth has learnt how to fake belly laugh and it is hilarious. I will do it back to her and soon we are both really belly laughing with tears in our eyes.  Ben took pictures!)