July 4th Visitors

Third trimester pregnancy + gallbladder disease and five hospitalizations + my oldest starting kindergarten in one more day {!!!} = no time to blog, but for my memory's sake, I'm bound and determined to record these pictures and stories.

 

Essentially, life is busy during this season, but these memories are too great to not record.

At least I'm trying, right?

: )

 

I'm hoping to blog again in a few days to get totally caught up.

***

 

 

The 4th of July brought my parents and granny here to visit for over a week.

 

The weather was cool and breezy.

Colorado summer is king!

 

We drove to Garden of the Gods to show my granny the red rock spires, the Kissing Camels formation, and the front range Rockies. The snow has finally melted off of Pikes Peak it seems.

 

 

We took my parents to the Sand Dunes for another day of majestic sand cliffs.

We brought sleds, sand buckets and shovels, and extra clothes.

 

We were much more prepared this time around!

 

We hung out in Denver at the Downtown Aquarium, dined with the mermaids, and touched sting rays.

 

We drove to the Air Force Academy to walk the grounds and visit the chapel.

{This was my Granny's favorite place we took her!}

 

And we celebrated without fireworks as they are illegal in most areas of Colorado. Due to the dryness of the forests, it's just too risky.

 

We ate good food, put a lot of miles on the car, and laughed a whole lot.

 

It was good to have family in our home again.

   

Mini Vaca {Great Sand Dunes}

David had a small window of time off from his busy work schedule and suggested we make the drive to an alligator farm and to the Great Sand Dunes, a National Park, located in Colorado.

 

It was a bit of a drive for us, but the Rockies are so glorious we hardly noticed the time.

 

Colorado in the winter is a skiers heaven, but Colorado in the summer is a nature lover's dream!

 

Everything was green, waterfalls were tumbling down rocky crags, and the tip tops of the mountains had traces of pure white snow.

 

Upon arriving at the dunes, we were transported to a desert land from far away-

a story book Aladdin experience!

 

 

   

A Colorado Mining Town

A few weekends ago,

we took an impromptu day trip about an hour away to drive through a few old Colorado mining towns. 

David had read about them and was intrigued.

We love a good history lesson and the scenery was fantastic.

 

We stopped at a real working gold mine for a diaper change

 and the big boys enjoyed these big equipment tires.

 

 We drove through miles and miles of open range.
Cattle meandered across roads and fields, uninhibited by cattle guards or fencing.
I was fully expecting Kevin Costner to ride out on his steed.
Ya know, open range, and all.
: )

 

We happened across several dilapidated mining towns,

their old mining towers rusted over and hardly standing. 

 

It was a bit chilly and we ended up having to buy

Harbor the gray sweatshirt he is wearing at a little boutique type gift shop.

 

 

With the Rocky Mountains peeking over hillsides at every turn, and the trees just starting to yellow,

it was just a gorgeous afternoon to be out driving.

 

My very favorite tree- ever- is the aspen.

So, whenever we happen upon an alpine aspen grove,

I promptly jump out of the Jeep for pictures.

 

You all have a favorite tree, right?

: )

 

 

We took a 30 mile dirt road that wound up into several mountain canyons.

It was a very isolated and beautiful area.

 

Colorado is truly, truly, God's country.