Colorado: Part Three

Our 2-week marathon vacation came to an end on Friday night.  Really, I should say Friday morning at 5 AM. 



That's when we got in the car with our kids, who are just about the most miserable car companions you could fear to have. 



There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth on the 17 hour drive home, but that is not the point of this post. 




After leaving Sarah and Bryan's awesome house, we met my childhood friend Kacie for lunch.  We used to live down the street from each other when we were five.  We hadn't seen each other in person since we were about 10 (I think?) -- 18 years ago.  It was fun to spend an hour together, re-getting to know her and, and to introduce her to our kids.
 

The last week of our vacation was beautifully low key. 



We mostly stayed around the cabin, watching humming birds and playing with the kids on the floor, on the bed, and on the porch. 


 
I think we got through the week with only 2 or 3 splinters, which is not bad--considering how often we were on the porch.



It was amazing how much the kids changed during these two weeks.  Lucy went from basically nothing to full out counting to 10 all by herself. 



And, she can enunciate "humming-bird" really clearly.  And lots of other words, too.



Elliot went from total spoon-feeding to mostly self-feeding. 



We went back to Sprague Lake for another hot dog and s'mores cook out.    Have you seen the square marshmallows they sell now??  They are so cool.  Big fan. 



This duck (top right) stayed under our picnic table almost the whole thing.  He reminded me of someone's pet puppy, looking for scraps--sure there would be some if he just waited patiently.



Lucy had fun playing with this faucet.  Good story, right?  I'll tell it again sometime.



We finished out the week with a series of family portraits. 
 

Nickie's family was first.  This is the best family portrait I've taken---which I'm happy about, since I spent some money educating myself on family portraiture, and It's nice to see improvement!  But also, it's nice to have good pictures of my sister and her family.



Next was my parents.

Aunt Karen lives in Iowa.  She is so fun.

And my Aunt Karen.



And Ginnie and Jack.  We missed the rest of the family who couldn't be with us (or couldn't be with us the whole time).  And I really missed the photo-opp of having the entire family together. 

Carrie is at her Air Force Officer training school, and besides a day in December, we won't see her for a couple of years (SAD DAY).  Heidi is training on a new helicopter up in Ohio, so she couldn't come this year, at all.  We missed you, Heidi. 

Daniel and I reflected several times during the trip about what a difference a year makes.  If I had a dollar for every time I said to myself, "one day at a time," I would be rich. 

A year ago, I was 7 months pregnant with Elliot.  We prepared our home (before we left for CO) for 13 holes to be drilled through our foundation and piers placed.  We came home to bare concrete floors and a thick layer of dust and dirt everywhere.  We were just embarking on a year-long housing situation that was rewarding but challenging.  We were 5 months into meeting with a community group that recently went WAY south.

Photos by Bruce Edstrom (Thanks, Dad)

It is amazing to look back on the past year and see God's faithfulness - His love and care and generosity to us.  Never in my life have I so frequently had the opportunity to see God's love for me as in this past year--particularly as I compared his merciful, kind parenting with my own.  I am learning more and more that I can't make myself be patient.  I can't make myself be merciful to my children.  But I can be grateful for the patience and mercy God gives me.  He is so generous with those things.