In The Mountains

Dear Friends,
I hope you aren't getting tired of hearing about and seeing pictures of our trip to Denver.  I took LOTS of pictures and hope you have enjoyed them.

The day we went to the mountains, we stopped in the gold rush town of Idaho Falls.  We didn't see the whole town due to time constraints and my walking limitations, but I was happy to watch the rushing water for a while.

There is so much more I want to do and see in the Denver area.  I can't wait to go back.

Have a fantastic Friday!

Keep smiling and keep creating!

xo Annette xo

A City With A View

Dear Friends,

I can't believe the weekend went by so fast.  Did you have a good one?  I spent some time in the sewing room, but I'll tell you more about that tomorrow!

When we moved Sean to Denver last month, I was really looking forward to seeing the mountains and doing some sightseeing.  He talked about the mountain view after each of his visits there, so I was disappointed that it was hazy while we were there and we couldn't see the mountains at all.  We had only one day to go sightseeing because of the mishaps on the drive there {you can read about those here} and Marie suggested we go to Idaho Falls, an old gold mining town in the mountains.

We headed west and it wasn't long at all before we could see what I longed to see.

I love the mountains.  I love the ocean too, but if I could choose where to spend the rest of my life, I would choose the mountains.  I have to admit that I'm just a little bit jealous that Sean gets to live at the base of the Rocky Mountains and have that experience!   Guess I'll have to visit often!

Which do you prefer, the mountains or the ocean?

Have a great day,

The Never A Dull Moment Trip To Denver~Part 3

Dear Friends,

The Denver saga continues!  After loosing a whole day due to forgetting a bag at the hotel, we got on the road on Sunday only slightly rested and definitely frustrated that we wouldn't get to Denver that day.  We were so thankful when we stopped for the night that it had been an uneventful day!  Unfortunately, we couldn't say the same thing about the next day!

That's the trailer tire on the other side!  Yes, it blew too, and this time it was scary.  We heard the loud pop and suddenly we were in the other lane and Michael was fighting to get the Jeep under control.  I was watching in the side view mirror as the tire was disintegrating and the fender was peeling off.  That metal piece to the right is the fender and was still attached by one screw when we stopped.  I'm so thankful there wasn't a car in the other lane and that the semi behind us was able to slow down til we could pull over.  This could have been so much worse.

This time we were in the middle of nowhere in Kansas.  Michael called USAA and initially they told us it would be four to six hours before a tow truck could come.  Talk about discouraging.  However, after about an hour, the tow truck guy called to let us know he was on the way and he even found a place that had a tire.  This time we were back on the road after two and a half hours.  But talk about paranoid!  Every time we ran over something or there was the slightest noise that sounded like a pop, we held our breath waiting to see if it was a tire!

We were determined to make it to Denver and we made it around midnight.  We missed an exit and drove around in Aurora for a bit before finding our way.  That was a little weird knowing the shooting wasn't that long ago and the movie we saw the night before starting the trip was the Batman movie that was playing.  Anyway, we finally made it to the hotel at 1 am Tuesday Morning.   I was never so glad to finally get somewhere as I was at that moment!

In the end, we figured the trailer tires were old, although they didn't have many miles on them, and they were just cheap.  We upgraded with the new tires and didn't have any more problems.  Michael joked about burning the trailer in Sean's parking lot but he was only half joking!  I don't think we'll be making any more cross country trips with it.

I have lots more pictures and things to share but I'll do that over time.  In the meantime, have a fabulous Friday!

xo Annette xo

The Never A Dull Moment Trip To Denver

Dear Friends,

We made it home from our trip to Denver and boy was it a trip to remember!  I should have realized the day we left our house that it was going to be one of "those" trips.  After weeks and weeks of no rain, it rained ALL day long.  It didn't just rain, it poured down hard.  Michael waited as long as he could to load the jeep and everything got soaked.  We couldn't be too upset though because we really needed the rain.  

On the way out of town we stopped at the bank.  Annie dog decided she wanted to get out of the car with Michael and go for a run in the rain.  Michael was not happy!  Thankfully, Annie didn't go far before she came back to the car on her own.  

The closer we got to Sean's, the more the rain tapered off and the sun came out.  Suddenly, about 5o yards in front of us, a tour bus blew a tire and traffic was braking and swerving while the bus pulled over.  I'm still amazed that there weren't any accidents.  I didn't know at the time that the incident was a premonition of things to come!

The next day was spent loading the trailer and making everything fit. 

Michael, Sean, and Marie did a great job of packing it all in.  

Once the trailer was packed, we left to eat dinner and see a movie.  When you're pulling a trailer, you have to find places to park that are out of the way.   We came out of the movie and had a warning on the windshield that we were parked in the wrong parking lot and would be towed next time.  Good grief!  We parked in the north forty as it was.  And maybe there should have been a sign somewhere telling you about a separate lot.  Oh well, at least it was just a warning.  

We would head out for Denver the next day.  I'll tell you more next time!

xo Annette xo

The Times They Are A Changin'

For our family anyway.  Sean is moving to Denver this week.  It's about 1525 miles away give or take a mile or two.  I've had a couple of months to get used to the idea but honestly, I'm not getting used to it.  Sean has been on his own for the last eight years but I feel like I'm letting go for a second time and this time is much harder.  How does a mama let go again?

Sean met a girl.  Her name is Marie and she lives in Denver.  Michael and I met her in March and we liked her instantly.  She makes him happy which makes me happy, but makes it only slightly easier!

We will be helping Sean move.  Marie is flying in to help and then we will hit the road and be in Denver sometime over the weekend.  A road trip with lots of time to think and prepare myself for the inevitable good-bye.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

xo Annette xo