Colorado 2010

At the beginning of June, Delaney and I had the opportunity to head out to Colorado to meet my Great Uncle Dick and to see his ranch. I was excited about this trip, but nervous about the traveling aspect. This was to be my third time flying by myself with Delaney, and all of you mamas out there know how enjoyable flying with a squirmy, independent monkey child can be! We actually flew to Salt Lake, had a 2 hour layover, then flew to Albuquerque, where we meet up with my parents. Then we got in a car and drove 4 hours to Colorado. All in all, it all went ok, but I'm not anxious to do any of that again.

Once we were in Colorado, we were joined by my brothers Jimmy and Jeff, and Jeff's girlfriend Evie. Our time in Colorado was limited, so we did some pretty big things in just a few short days. The first main attraction was Mesa Verde National Park. This park is home to many Ancestral Pueblo Indian ruins. The third grade teacher inside of me loved every minute of this experience and wished my students were there with me. We hiked down to the the most famous ruins, Cliff Palace, and it was breathtaking. Delaney was strapped to Grandpa's back and she enjoyed the ride.

Before the hike...

Cliff Palace

Grammie & Grandpa...with a little Delaney head poking out

On the way back up...Uncle Jimmy was Delaney's spotter to make sure her head didn't get knocked into a rock

After our time in Mesa Verde, we headed over to my dad's cousin's house. We meet my Dad's cousin Rick and his wife Helen, as well as their son and daughter-in-law and kids. My Great Uncle Dick was also there and this was our first time meeting. He is almost 92, in great spirits and health, and a really fun guy to be around. He kept saying goofy little things to Delaney that really reminded me of my Grandpa Lee, who was his brother. My Grandpa died when I was 9, so it was extra special to spend time with his brother and hear all of his stories.

At Rick & Helen's house. Delaney was entranced by the horsey.

These are Delaney's third or fourth cousins...I don't know, that stuff makes my brain hurt. As you can see, Delaney has no problem warming up to boys that she just met. Please start praying for us now!

Here we are with my Great Uncle Dick. He took a real liking to Delaney, and she to him. My favorite goofy little song he had for Delaney was "You're a pretty little lady with a pretty little figure. You can like the boys, but not 'till you're bigger!" Classic stuff.

Jeff & Evie. So cute!

Dad & Uncle Dick

This meadow was the original site where my Uncle Dick's log cabin used to be. They would run their sheep up to this meadow to graze and stay in the cabin. It was a very beautiful, serene place.

This is the pretty little lady with a pretty little figure that I was talking about...

After spending time with my Great Uncle Dick, it was time to head home. This time around my parents, Delaney, and I drove to Salt Lake, UT to catch a flight. Yep, we drove for 6 hours, and then boarded a plane. A major bonus of this travel plan was that we were able to stop by Arches National Park for just a bit. Our time there was short, but WOW! That is one amazing place. I'm really thankful that my parents have taken us to so many amazing national parks and sites here in the Western U.S. There is so much to see and so much diversity in a relatively small region.

The bug and I. Can you tell we're a bit tired?

Bye, Mom & Dad. Thanks for the short-but-fun adventure!