The Big Finale...

I was bound and determined to finish blogging about our trip to Colorado while it was all fresh in my head, but somehow I lost my motivation. That is possibly due to school starting two weeks ago and I am teaching a new grade, which has left me physically and emotionally drained. More on that later...so finally, here it is, the LAST blog on our trip to CO!

Our last full day in CO we had breakfast in downtown Denver at a place called The Delectable Egg. The food was delicious-they even made Carina a bear shaped pancake with a bacon bow tie! Then we drove out to Colorado Springs to see the Garden of the Gods. It is a beautiful place-strange to see all of these red rock formations appear out of nowhere. It was really hot, so we didn't spend a lot of time walking around. Then there was a thunderstorm that swooped in so we pretty much did all of the sight seeing from the car.

Carina finding all the "O's" in Colorado.
Carina & glamorous Auntie Lori!
Lori, Steve, Carina and me
Mike, Grammy, Carina and me

Hard to believe that it was pouring down rain not too long after we took these pictures! After we left we stopped for lunch, then headed back to Denver. Mike and I decided that we might as well cram as much touristy stuff into our last day as possible, so the three of us headed out on a little family adventure. Grammy and Granddad decided to relax in the hotel room, and Lori and Steve went home for a nap before coming back to join us for dinner...young people these days have no stamina...jk. So Mike, Carina and I walked to Civic Center Park and saw the capitol building, then to the 16th Street Mall where we hopped on the free bus that runs the length of the mall and rode it to the very end. We walked to Confluence Park and crossed the bridge that goes over the South Platte river. Finally, we rode the bus all the way back to our hotel. Carina was such a trooper and you could just see her taking everything in. It was fun to take her to see most of the places that are in her Goodnight, Denver! book. Clearly she was getting a little delirious though since this is what she was doing in our hotel room after we got back:

Yup, you know you are having a good time when your bloomers end up on your head.

We ended the night with a super yummy family style dinner at Maggiano's, a delicious Italian restaurant. It was sad to say good-bye to Lori and Steve, but we had such a fantastic time with them and really can't wait to go back. Mike and I both have said that we wouldn't mind living in Colorado...but I think we'll have to go back in the winter and see if we still think that! Grammy and Grandad dropped us off at the airport in the morning before they started their long trek back to Granbury, Texas. It was wonderful to spend time with our family, and we are looking forward to the next time we are all together!