Vacation at home

Our week with Jeremy and Elisha was like living in that Dr. Seuss book, "Oh, The Places You'll Go." In just a week, and without ever venturing further than about 30 miles from our home, we went to Estes Park, The Rocky Mountain National Park, and our own Benson Sculpture Park in Loveland. We also went to the Ringling Brothers Circus, which just happened to be in town, and then on to the tour at the Budweiser Plant. On another day we drove into Boulder and went to the Celestial Seasonings Tour, where the men were subjected to hair and beard nets, and then on to the Leaning Tree Museum. I guarantee you that John was not amused with the hair net. I'll probably never get him back in that building.

In between all those wonderful little excursions, we did a lot of cooking and eating, sat on the decks watching the deer, laughed, talked, played cribbage and "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader," a game they so nicely brought with them and left here for future guests. We all turned out to be smarter than 5th graders at times, and Jeremy and I ended up about dead even by the end of the week on cribbage. I kept looking at the board today and wondering when I'll get my next game. I'll bet he could get work locally really easily...

When night fell, the fire pit beckoned, and we enjoyed the campfire experience without having to blow up air mattresses or sleep on rocks. Usually the quiet house is a good thing, a place of joy and blessings, but today it was kind of sad and empty with them gone. But now I'll look at the photos and smile, remembering all the things that happened between the pictures. To paraphrase a pillow I gave my sister, "I smile because you are my son; I laugh because there's nothing you can do about it."

To see the slide show, please click here.