Provo to Denver

Saturday, July 25th, was our drive to Denver day. Sam and Ben and Bethany and Kyle sat towards the front of the van and we talked about our favorite and least favorite things about all the schools, at least seven, that we've been to in the past eight years of school life, as we drove through the pine tree green mountains.

We always stop in Grand Junction, that's where my father's father lived on a corn farm. I lectured the kids on rest stop safety and Rob assured me that the unsavory types hanging out by the restrooms were my cousins.

Back on the road we passed out sandwiches with ham and ham without sandwiches, and cookies and cheese sticks and listened to Bob Dylan on the ipod. I love passing through Vail and all the mountain towns and winding up to the summit and then driving down in to Denver. We have good travellers.

We got to the motel at about 6:00 p.m. Our very excited children met a very excited Grandma Martha. They ran up to her room and found a spread of Maine themed toys on her bed that awaited them. We stayed at the Ramada on Zuni street, with a view of Elitch Gardens, of course. It has a pool, that we didn't get a chance to use this time, and even more importantly, a generous breakfast buffet with those make-your-own Beligian waffle irons and a they-make-it-for-you omelet counter

Saturday evening we walked with Grandma to one of Denver's many delicious and authentic Mexican restaraunts. It was sprinkling as we walked back to the motel. We got back in the van and drove a few blocks to where my Annie (my sister) and Eric live. Thier little red house has a crop of sunflowers outside so enticing that some stranger was out front picking them in the rain that was pouring down when we arrived. It was a fun reunion. We exchanged gifts. The boys showed off their movies. Everyone played with the dogs. The cats hid, of course.

Sunday morning we went to church and then took a drive to the LDS temple.

We drove around Littleton, where Rob went to middle school and ninth grade. Returning is important to us.

We went back to the motel to finish up the left over travel-food for lunch. Sam and Ben went for a walk with Grandma to check out the views of Elitch Gardens...Monday's adventure.

In the evening we met Annie and played at an elementary school with a great playground and then went to another delicious Mexican restaurunt for dinner, Eric met us too.