Day 5 - HOME!

What a horrendous travel day. It started out with a nice breakfast at Carrie’s house and then the long drive to Salt Lake City. Instead of the interstate we took the more scenic Highway 40. We had to be in Salt Lake City by 7pm to drop off the kids with their mother. We made only one quick sight-seeing stop at Buffalo Bill’s grave, hit a bit of rain, and got stuck behind quite a few slow moving semi-trucks. We finally rolled into Salt Lake City 10-hours after leaving Denver. We waited about an hour with the kids for their mother to arrive and as they headed home towards Elko, we turned south towards San Diego. Time check: about 9:30pm.

We made a few gas stops and had dinner at Denny’s in Cedar City, Utah. Reached Las Vegas about 3:20am where Robert refueled with Sun Chips and an energy drink. I, of course, was asleep by then. Robert knew how much I wanted to get home to the cats, so he pulled an all-nighter and drove straight through to San Diego. After 24 straight hours of being on the road we were ready to get home, but unfortunately we hit rush hour traffic in Escondido and we're delayed about an hour. Finally about 9am, 5-days of travelling and 2,423 miles later we pulled into the driveway. Waiting inside were my little babies.

Our hotel room was rather nice, especially the HDTV.

Taking the toll road to Carrie's house.

Breakfast at Carrie's house.


Gutters and Yoder. So cute!

Jacob with his beer glasses.

Downtown Denver - Puppy Chow manufacturing plant.

He's so cute when he's sleeping!

Sight-seeing at Buffalo Bill's grave site off I-40.

A lunch of buffalo burgers at Shake n' Burger in Kremling, Colorado.

Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Vernal, Utah.

Dinner at Denny's in Las Vegas.

My two reasons for coming back home....Cierra & Heyoka.

Day 4 - The Day After

It is the day after the wedding and I am starting to wind down and get tired. Sleepy tired, traveling tired, homesick. I was hoping to sleep in again, but this time I awoke about 7am with a stomach ache and couldn’t fall back to sleep (although I took a 2 1/2 hour nap later in the afternoon while everyone else was at the pool). I am ready to go home. I miss my little cats. It didn’t help that we went to brunch at Todd and Carol’s house in Parker today and I saw Maynard. If you’ve read “Day 11” of my honeymoon posts, you’re already acquainted with Maynard and his sister Marla. Update: Maynard is still a cutie-pie and a brat. Marla now lives with Carol’s daughter (and new bride) Laura and has become quite spoiled. Playing with Maynard made me miss my Poka and Cierra even more. For dinner we ate at TGI Fridays - pretty good - and then called it an early night. Tomorrow we leave for home.

Maynard playing with the strap to my camera. It was difficult to take his picture since he kept grabbing the camera!

Quick! Take his picture! A moment of stillness.

Little Lulu - she loves scratches and sitting on laps.

A doe and her fawns in Todd & Carol's neighbor's yard.

Harassing Grandma - I love her!

Time to open wedding gifts.

I wonder what this could be? An ironing board!


Dinner at TGI Fridays.

Katie eyeballing the fried macaroni and cheese appetizers.


This was a brownie obsession - brownie, chocolate fudge sauce, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream. Robert and I were supposed to 'share' it, but I think I ate most of it. I know. I'm a pig.

Day 3 - Fire! Fire! Fire!

Oh, it was a good day to sleep in, but it was not to be. About 7:15am the fire alarm went off. In my haste to gather the children and flee the building (along with all the other guests), I forgot my camera. In the distance the wail of a fire truck siren broke the morning calm. In the immediate area the blaring of the fire alarm grated on the nerves. After only a few moments a Hyatt employee gave us the all-clear signal to return to our rooms. Rumor had it the cause for the alarm was a piece of burnt toast. That is how I started my day.

And it ended with me consuming too many beverages at Laura and Gary’s wedding, but it was all good. We had a great time! P.S. The temperature today was a mild 103-degrees, breaking a 130-year record!

Packed like sardines in the shuttle (heading to the wedding at Louviers Village Clubhouse)

Robert, Carrie, & Jeremy (before they started drinking, except for Carrie - she's prego)

Sisters and the mommy (Betty, Jane, Carol, Loretta, Lois)

Overcome with emotion, Robert falls asleep...

The beautiful bride & groom

Lorretta & her great grandson Gabriel

I couldn't decide between a Mai Tai or the Vodka Raspberry Lemonade...decisions decisions!

Touch my cake and you die!

Day 2 - Destination: Denver!

We rolled into Denver about 1pm after about a 4-hour drive from Grand Junction. The trip was rather uneventful, but incredibly beautiful in some spots. Instead of going straight to the hotel, we met Robert’s family at Cherry Hill State Park. Laura and her fiancé, Gary, were hosting a family BBQ. It was nice. Got some hot dogs into my stomach and waded into the lake to cool down. Unfortunately, Gabriel, Katie, and I forgot our swim suits, so after checking into the Hyatt (great rooms!) we headed over to Dillards to go shopping. Then it was back to the hotel for a quick dip in the overly chlorinated pool and then a dinner date with the family at California Café....

Robert and Ella (the Element)at the Colorado River


I stubbed my toe on tree branch. That's what I get for hiking in flip flops!


Rafters on the Colorado river


What Vail looks like from a speeding car on I-70


Robert and Katie at the family BBQ

Robert and Gabriel enjoying the BBQ

I love hot dogs!

Cooling off with the family in Cherry Hill Lake

I love green apple lollipops!

Dinner at the California Cafe in Denver

I had peach proscuitto pizza - not bad, just overpriced