CUL-DER-RA-DO...Day One

I have decided that I want to share every minute of our trip...those minutes that I can remember and the ones that can be documented by pictures...with you so you can get a feel for our trip. Each day I will elaborate on a Day in Cul-Der-Ra-Do ( Michael's WI,OH,WV pronunciation). And we begin with Tuesday. Actually Monday night...Sarah got packed and loaded ready to head for the Strunk's...her home away from home for the week. With her insurance card, dental card, some money and I think three bags of clothes, she was off. They are very brave souls! Back to the home front. Michael and I are packed, The dog is settled in the neighborhood kennel (Luke's house)and Mark is still looking for clean clothes to pack. WE finally get to bed for a 3AM wake-up call. We are on the road by 4AM which is a miracle! It is warm and raining and I need new tires. We drive to The Dayton International Airport because it is cheaper to fly out 2 hours away instead of our own airport that is about 30 minutes away. Something wrong with this picture. We get just past downtown Dayton and the traffic both ways is backed up as far as you can see. Mark joins me in panic mode! We get out our trusts GPS and find an alternate route...that heavens for GPS. We drive down some of the most deserted roads I have ever seen and I just know that we are going to miss our flight. We make it just in the nick of time. Michael had decided that he is going to sit in the middle seat...OK, by me, I love the window. He also announces that he is afraid of heights. Once in the air he asks me, "Mom, how do airplanes back up in the sky?" Anyone have an answer for that one? All he could talk about was what he was going to do in the snow. Around 7:30AM Colorado time Cassie, Ellis and Alaire have dropped off O'Ma, Trevor's Mom, and have picked up the Ellis crew. (I was O'Ma for the week...Wammy every once in awhile) Michael was somewhat disappointed there was no snow on the ground. We had to go to the mountains...that's another day.
First on the agenda is learning the lingo of CO...Eastern plains...all the land that you can see towards KS(this is what you see out the front door)...foothills...that is all the land at the base of the mountains...high country...the mountains...the Range...the Rocky Mountain Range.
After Trevor came home from work we decided to take a little drive to get our bearings..HA!..I don't think I ever figured out which way was which. Mark on the other, hand went out everyday in the car...I think he was talking to work. But he did manage to come home with lots of food and snacks. We are driving down the road towards Longmont and I see prairie dogs! I about came out of my seat. I tried to get Trevor to stop so I could get a picture, but oh, no...all the entire car did was make fun of my excited WV accent and the excitement of seeing prairie dogs. That's okay, they all will want to look at my pictures. Just as Sarah Beth always says.."making a memory"...I think we made a million this week.



We were getting a little hungry so Cassie said that she had just the place for us to go. We didn't say it because it is one of Michael's favorites in WI.Noodles and Company. The have the best WI mac&cheese you ever ate and Rice Krispie Treats to die for. Ellis was loving it too! We all ordered something different so we could share. Oh...how great it was! By the time we headed back home we all were pretty tired. Michael and Ellis decided to have a camp out in front of the TV.
Ellis discovered Michael Belly button...be-bo as he calls it. Alaire had her first bath. But before getting her wet, Cassie preformed some minor surgery on her belly button. Mark was grossed out by it so we left the evidence on the sink for him to see when he came to take pictures. How awful are we! Alaire wasn't too thrilled about her very first real bath at all. I love the smell of a clean baby. The lavendar scent and the baby shampoo. Nothing better. Then wrapping them in a clean towel and drying that fuzzy little head. Can it get any better than that? I think we all were asleep before our heads hit the pillows. I know for a fact that Michael was dreaming about what he was going to do the next day...see snow in the mountains.