Climbing Mt. Elbert

We wanted to make sure we'd reach summit as early as possible to avoid the thunderstorms. So that meant we needed to leave at 2am to get started at 4:30!

It was worth it though once we saw the amazing sunrise.

The hike was a lot of hard work... it was a 4,700ft elevation gain which means a lot of very steep climbing! At the summit the drop off was pretty amazing. No one fell while we were there which was good.

Look....flowers that survive living 14,000ft in the air!

Here I am on top of Mt. Elbert

Look Aunt Terry...horses!!

When we made it back into the forrest we were so relieved...we were beat!!

There is our mountain..the pointy one. Can you believe we were just on top of it! It was awesome being up so high....14,433 feet in the sky!

Okay, okay here is a post!

Jeff recently celebrated his 28th birthday. As you all know, I made him his favorite cake rainbow chip with rainbow chip frosting. And yes, this may be available during our rehearsal dinner if Monica uses our kitchen and makes it for everyone. ;) He got a dart board to put down in the basement, or as he refers to it, his 'man room.' He also got a big bag of red vines his favorite candy. Little side note, if you eat an entire bag of red vines in two days do not be alarmed when your next bathroom visit turns red. (tmi? I got a frantic phone call from Jeff regarding this, so it may be useful to someone else out there.) Last Saturday, the Overman's hosted a BBQ in honor of me and Jeff. We had a blast playing outdoor games and eating all the wonderful food that they'd prepared. I even got to meet Jeff's cousin that I have never met before, even though he is in our wedding party and lives an hour away... I was beginning to think he didn't exist! After the party we had a bunch of left over beers taking up the back seat, so Fiona had a pretty hard time trying to figure out how she was going to fit. She found that her head rested much more comfortably on the box rather than her skinny butt.

In other news, today I picked up my bridesmaid dresses with Lori. We also had time to shop for my bridesmaid gifts AND finalized my invitation look. Look how productive I was this weekend. Next weekend... we climb Mt. Elbert, I can't wait!

Rafting the Gorge

I've had my share of white water rafting trips; New River, Snake River, Arkansas, Clear Creek... But my favorite trip so far was definitely this past weekend at the Royal Gorge on the Arkansas. Our guide, Allan said that the water was higher than it's ever been in 10 years. Jeff and I led the way and got to taste most of the river. The bridge was really cool to go under, it looks a lot different underneath than from above! Next trip I'll try my luck jumping off with a bungee...We went skiing at Chattfield and Jeff even gave it a try! After 4 attempts though I had to get out there and show him how it's done. ;)

Family Fun

This past weekend has been quite eventful! My dad and brothers came in from Ohio Friday evening, and we have been busy ever since. We've watched the Denver Symphonic band perform at Red Rocks, went rafting down the Arkansas River at the Royal Gorge, checked out Garden of the Gods, and went tubing and skiing at Chatfield Reservoir. It's been a blast! Above are pictures from "Scary Lane" a road that was built specifically for the Governor coming to Canyon City to check out their prison system. It was built entirely by the prisoners. The picture on the water is my boss and myself tubing. It makes me laugh because I can see my pained expression...this type of tube is AWFUL on your behind.