Colorado Discoveries: Part 1 -- Denver and Stoor Wedding

Earlier this month the family paid a trip to our neighbor state to the west: Colorado. We were invited to our friend Rose's wedding at Buckley AFB near Denver! We worked with Rose in Florida, and I had a chance to work with her again while I was deployed in Spring 2009.

After a VERY uninteresting drive, we found our hotel and some yummy dinner at Bonefish Grill (yay Bang Bang Shrimp!!!), we had fun at a local western wear superstore: Shepler's.

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

On Saturday, we spent the morning and lunchtime out in Denver with our college friend Adam. First stop: Caboose Hobbies, the biggest hobby store west of the Mississippi, if not the universe. I've heard Dave tell me about this store for 16 years, so even I was curious about it. It's quite large: a former full-fledged grocery store! If you look at the front window of the store, you can see the photographer in the window:

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

We visited Adam's house in Denver, which is an enormous work in progress both inside and out. He's replacing the lawn and reworking bathrooms, bedrooms and the kitchen. Phew!

After visiting the house, Adam did some sleuthing via his sisters and took us to one of the best Mexican restaurants in Denver: D'Corazon. I had a fabulous chiles relleno!!!

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

We returned to the hotel to get ready for the wedding, the REAL reason we were in Colorado in the first place! I don't have any pictures to document this, but about an hour before the wedding (and about 5 minutes before we were heading out the door), Dave hollered "I have no pants!!!!".

No, he wasn't being naughty -- what he had meant was that he had no SUIT PANTS to wear to the wedding. They were sitting in our closet back in Nebraska!!! I had apparently put Dave's suit in the truck when packing without checking for all the components. After about 5-6 minutes of significant...uh...venting at each other, Dave and I together had a plan: Rose and Brad were getting married at Buckley AFB and the base has a BX (Base Exchange, like a department store). Just the night before Brad was saying that the BX at Buckley was bigger and nicer than the one at Vandenberg AFB. So perhaps we could pick up some black pants there?

Success! We made it to the base at 4pm, Dave found the pants (and belt) he needed and changed in the restroom at the BX...and we made it to the church on time for the 4:30 wedding!!!! Actually, we made it before the bride did...and most of the guests, who were bussed onto the base due to security.

But here's Dave and the pants...what do you think? Hopefully the answer is "Well, if you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have known, but yeah...the pants are indeed a little darker...."

Hooray for base exchanges!!!

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

The wedding was beautiful, the boys had a good time, and the reception was really cool: Brad had proposed to Rose at the top of the Eiffel Tower, so there was a beautiful Eiffel Tower ice sculpture on the dance floor, and all the guests received Eiffel Tower-shaped chocolates as wedding favors. Rose's "signature color", bright pink, was so elegant in the cake, the flowers (including the gorgeous rose in her hair!) and the bridesmaid dresses. I'm going to shut up now and finish this off with pictures from the wedding and reception. Enjoy!

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

I enjoyed this stained glass honoring Buckley's space mission.

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

Jacob really enjoyed dancing, while Timmy stayed at the kids' reception watching Pixar movies.

From 2010 08 06 Denver Trip & Stoor Wedding

Until Part 2: Golden!!!

Now is Time We Talk About Our Feelings....

Before I get going with my Colorado blog posts, I'm going to take a moment to discuss my feelings.

"Really? You RARELY talk about your feelings....you fill this blog with things you've seen, things you've done, things you would like to do...."

Yeah, I guess you're right, my dear imaginary blogosphere friend. I think the only emotions you ever see out of me are:

"I'm so excited we got to do ^insert activity here^!!!!!!"

or

"Would you believe folks eat ^insert high fructose corn syrup, trans fat-laden food here^?"

So now I'd like to discuss the Inner Mom Peace emotions I'm feeling.

"Aww....how sweet! Whatever do you mean?"

I mean this:

Feeling the peace....

I don't think I realized it until yesterday, the first day of school for my boys.

Yes. Boys -- in the plural! My little Timmy started Kindergarten yesterday!!! Jacob's old hat at this now, and he had no problem making his way to school almost on his own.

From 2010 08 16 First Day of School & Timmy's 1st Day of Kindergarten

From 2010 08 16 First Day of School & Timmy's 1st Day of Kindergarten

Yes, it was emotional for me as Mrs. Brockhaus read the Kindergarteners "The Kissing Hand".

So...after the 30 minute parents' time in Timmy's class, Dave went on to work and I was left with a house to myself.

All.

Day.

Okay, so it wasn't really all day -- but it was 6 1/2 hours! And today, it was 7 hours!

And for the first time in a long time, I was finishing things around the house without one of the kids interrupting me in some way. Whether it's the two of them arguing, one of them asking me a question, or my having to stop everything because it's mealtime or snacktime. Part of being a Mom, I know.

All of our traveling contributed to the disorder in my mental being, I'm sure. It was a fun-filled, action-packed summer, but the return to routine is very welcome!

It isn't really the physical tasks of doing things around the house that's bringing me the peace, it's the mental part of it -- that my brain isn't getting flooding with other things. I'm not thinking "Oh my gosh! I have to get this done NOW!". I know that these things will get done eventually while the kids are at school.

Yesterday I caught up on yard work, laundry and cleaning floors. Today I caught up on filing paperwork -- I had a stack of bill statements, medical insurance statements, military paperwork, even stuff from taxes last winter...a single stack that was growing and growing since New Year's!!! I used to file this stuff MONTHLY! I also put the boys' completed schoolwork in a pile in our office area...I later decide what stuff to keep, what stuff NOT to keep (remember, we're a military family, we can't keep everything!).

This feels great! And it couldn't come at a better time as I have to start preparing for our move this fall. We're planning a yard sale for much of our unneeded stuff, but I've also discovered that some of our items will sell well on Craigslist or eBay. I feel like I have time to do all this now.

It's a nice feeling.