Denver Trip!

Last weekend was the 2nd annual Mite trip to Denver to watch a Colorado Avalanche game!  Aaron and Laura Broten (head coach for the mites hockey teams)  arranges everything from the buses we ride down in to the tickets to the hockey game and rooms at the hotel.  We had so much fun last year, we couldn't pass up on the great opportunity again this year!  Since there are so many people that go down the hockey tickets and motel room are at a great reduced rate!  Our hockey tickets (in the first level) would have been $100/seat if we would have went by ourselves, and were only $50/seat with the group rate...awesome!!  Not to mention the memories that the boys make getting to hang out with their friends, as well as make new friends, with all of the kids during the long weekend. 

 

The buses (2 big Greyhound..with tv screens and most importantly...bathrooms:) left the Thunderdome at 12:00pm on Friday.  We drove straight to Loveland where we stopped for dinner (to wait out Friday night rush hour) before heading on in to Denver.  There were several restaurants to choose from, and about 30 of us went to the Red Robin.  The kids were more than ready to get off of the bus...as were the parents...lets just say that the bar was a little overwhelmed when we first walked in:)  After a delicious supper it was on to Denver and our hotel so the kids could get some swimming time in before the pool closed.

Tyson with Caleb Merchen on his shoulders.  The big boys had a blast playing "chicken"

 

We completely took over the pool:)  Thankfully, we were the only ones in there so the kids had a blast playing around until 10pm when it closed. They all then headed up to play knee hockey for another hour before settling down for the night:) The next morning one of the buses took a few of us to the Players Bench, which is a huge warehouse full of hockey and Lacrosse stuff!  Let's just say, it was like heaven to the kids:)  After a quick stop back at the hotel to pick up our things it was off to the hockey game.  The buses left at 11:30 am to head in to the Pepsi Center for the game at 1pm.

 

Aiden waiting patiently to head out to the Pepsi Center

Tyson getting excited as well

Don't forget about Mom and Dad!

Standing just outside the Pepsi center

just a few of the crazy bunch of kids:)

Just inside the doors...looking towards the escalators

Their awesome HUGE screen!

We were able to get tickets with the Bartlings and Merchens, so all of the kids sat in one row with the parents behind them

Colorado Avalanche warming up before the game

Tyson, Landon, and Caleb...they all wore their yellow Thunder Jersey's...several people noticed and commented on them which was really cool.  Plus they were easy to keep track of:)

Displaying the giant jersey just before the starting line up

Avalanch starting line up

They displayed Mount Rushmore during the singing of the National Anthem...really cool!

Opening puck drop

Aiden and Colton playing around during one of the period breaks

 The game was over around 4pm, and the bus took us back to the hotel so we could chill for the rest of the evening.  The kids, of course, headed straight to the pool!

The "big kids"  coming up with a plan

all waiting patiently for Mike Bartling to throw his Fireman's coin into the water, so they could dive for it and see who could come up with it

Parker, Aiden, and Colton

After a couple of hours in the pool we finally convinced them to come out for Pizza and a little knee hockey in the hallway.

all of the pictures of knee hockey are blurry, because they were all moving so fast:)

 Mike and Jennifer so kindly let their room become the grown-ups hang out!  It was great, we could visit while the kids were right out in the hallway playing their little hearts out! :)

 

The weekend flew by, and was so much fun!  We were all exhausted from 2 late nights, and pretty much going non-stop.  Sunday morning the buses left the hotel at 10am.  We made a quick stop in Loveland again, so we could check out Dick's Sporting Goods...for hockey stuff, of course:) and grab lunch before loading up on the bus again and heading to the Thunderdome.  We pulled into the Thunderdome right around 6pm.  I'm pretty sure the boys were asleep before their heads even hit the pillows that night:)