Colorado with the Doerr's

Our first stop on the cross-country drive was just outside of Denver, at the home of Tom and Mary Beth Doerr.  Tom is Zach's uncle and we were so excited to able to visit with them and their awesome daughters, Maddy and Lian.  Their home is beautiful and welcoming and their neighborhood is one I would love to live in someday.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and unloaded the car and hit the pool.  After eight hours in the car, all the kids were ready to stretch out and release some energy.  It was really great to have a home to spread out in instead of just a tiny hotel room, that's for sure!

Tom and Mary Beth knew that the boys loved trains, so we went on the Georgetown Railroad Loop on Saturday morning.  Dan and Ben had never driven in mountains like the Rockies before so they were very impressed.  Hannah slept.  We rode the train through the woods, over trestles and a river, and enjoyed the view from the open cars.  People were running a race near the tracks (the Slacker Half Marathon, because it's all downhill!) and Dan and Ben liked waving to them for encouragement.

The boys requested more pool time Saturday afternoon after naps.  I don't think the pool session was very relaxing for Zach and Tom since they had to tread water while Dan and Ben launched themselves off the diving board.  Good exercise!

The highlight of the trip, for me, came on Saturday night, when all the kids in the cul-de-sac gathered in the Doerr driveway for an outdoor movie.  Toddlers were sitting in the laps of high schoolers and everyone was eating popcorn and candy and enjoying Toy Story 3.  I think Zach was a little shocked that such a perfect little neighborhood exists in America in 2013. 

On Sunday, I took Hannah and met up with an old squadron friend for coffee.  Everyone else hit the Denver Botanical Gardens and saw the sights there.  I met up with them for a quick trip through the childrens' section before we headed back to the house.  I stayed home with Hannah that afternoon while everyone else went hunting for crawdads (which Lian then cooked and ate!).  While they were gone, I started feeling very achy and flulike, but I knew from prior experience that I had mastitis, so after a quick trip to urgent care, I was on the mend.  Well, I still felt terrible, but I had hope in the form of antibiotics.

The next day, Monday, we packed up the Explorer and headed out.  We had a perfect weekend with family that we don't get to see very often and I'm so glad they opened their home to us during our cross-country trip.