Frontier Days 2009

We went to our family's 7th annual Frontier Days in Cheyenne last weekend. It was the most relaxing one we've had post-babies, I think, since we only had a few kids (The McArthurs were in Cali.) and they're an age where it's a little less chaotic. Once again we enjoyed being served an absurd amount of tasty food by my dad, watching 'world's best' blue-ray movies on the big screen with, again, the 'world's best' surround system. My dad has many of the 'world's best' things, and as I get older I realize he's actually right. He's a video/audio man as long as I've known him, so we get treated to all the world's best and greatest each time we go up there. He did inform us that since he realized he's getting older he may sell his house in a year or so to move closer to Denver. This does mean that frontier days will come to an end for us, which is certainly a sad thing.
Anyway, we had a great time this year! Thanks Cheyenne, thank you Dad, thank you tough men-in-chaps, thank you black truffle butter, blue cheese and port wine, thank you 007, thank you eccentricity to the extent that I will never fathom, thank you big sky, buffalo herd and predictable thunderstorm, and thank you Steven for somehow letting everything in my life make sense just by being in the same room with you.

Minnesota Trip

We went to Minnesota for my grandma's memorial service. I put a beautiful slideshow together for it, which I think was touching for everyone there. It was amazing to see cousins I hadn't seen for a decade and other friends and relatives all in one place at the same time. We stayed at my grandma's lake house where we were surprised by 50 and 60 degree weather. It was a blast watching all the kids collect shells and search for toads, and watch them engage in that place that has always been precious to me. With all the complications of inheritance, we're not sure if we'll ever have much time up there again, but all of us sisters are really hoping we can spend at least a little more time there before it disappears from our lives.
The kids traveled well. We decided Evelyn is pretty much now an adult according to how she acted on the plane. Poor little Ivy is super shy and had to meet new people nonstop. When we got home she was happily pointing at everything and running around in relief!
Part of our trip was spent with my childhood friend Sarah and her family. I always love being able to be with her and I appreciate how she's my last link to the area where I grew up. She lives about five minutes away from my childhood home. She and I (and our girls) stopped by my old house and the new owner actually welcomed us in! This is something I have envisioned and have had hundreds of dreams about over the last decade, so to actually step through the front door was truly remarkable. The house has been remodeled top to bottom and literally had only one or two small areas in it that had any resemblance to my memory of it. The only thing that really felt like "home" was when I stepped back out the front door and saw the familiar trees out across the dirt road, swaying in the breeze and creating their glorious canopy under country sky. That part made me want to cry. I miss living out in the woods like that and it was right there with those trees in that environment where I fell in love with nature as a child and where I was quite easily forever convinced of the sovereignty of a creative God. The experience of seeing my old home was entirely surreal, but I am so glad I got to do it and that the woman was so gracious about it. I also was so happy to have gone there with Sarah, since she really grew up there with me. Wild!

summer

I've fallen behind with my blog. The months have been passing by so quickly. I have loved Colorado's mild summer, with thunderstorms to cool the air every afternoon. We have kept busy with visiting friends, a little bit of traveling, starting projects on our home and a couple classes for Evelyn. Evelyn got a good black eye after slipping on some water and hitting a clay pot.
She took a clay/sculpture class at the Arvada Center and is finishing up her first set of swimming lessons. I gave her my giant box of barbies that I had been saving since I was a kid. It's been fun to see my old 'friends' and to see her imagination at work.
My dear friend Candice came out for a few days. It was so refreshing to catch-up with her after all these years. Evelyn adored her and was heartbroken when she left! I hope we'll see her again soon.
We spent some time in Minnesota for my grandma's memorial service and last weekend we enjoyed our annual time in Cheyenne for Frontier Days (aka Daddy of 'Em All rodeo).