See the previous post if you want to get caught up on the beginning of our recent Colorado trip. Before we left downtown Denver, we stumbled upon the Firefighter Museum. Zach totally geeked out over the old trucks, tools, and uniforms. It was really neat to see photographs of giant factory fires from the early 1900's and read stories of how the fire alarm we know today came to be. A group of preschoolers were there for a birthday party, all donning fire boots, coats, and helmets, and they were LOVING all of the equipment. It was neat to learn about the history of the profession, and to spend an hour away from the 95 degree heat. Zach grabbed a Denver FD shirt on our way out and we headed to the hotel.
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| Wedding location |
We stayed in Lone Tree, Colorado, at an Extended Stay hotel with a small kitchenette. Not a bad way to spend a long weekend, and the area was quite ritzy--lots of restaurants and giant houses on golf courses. After meeting the bride and groom and their families, we headed to a nearby park for the wedding rehearsal and then went to Thai Basil for a delicious rehearsal dinner. It was so great to get to know everyone a bit better. I could really see why Zach became such great friends with the guys in Afghanistan. It had been nearly seven years since they'd seen each other, but they were caught up and cracking jokes within minutes. They all seemed giddy to be together again. We've already discussed making an annual get-together a must.
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| Wedding party and my ever-appropriate husband |
The wedding itself was gorgeous. The bride and her family did almost everything themselves--the centerpieces; bouquets; jewelry, veil, and petticoat; music, favors, and dessert were all put together by the bride, her sister, her best friend, or their parents. It was a Pinterest lover's dream to see everything come together! I've been toying with the idea of becoming a wedding planner for a while now, and with my best friend Leslie's recent engagement and the homegrown Szambelan wedding the fire is now burning bright. I've been doing some online research on how to get started, and I plan to document every step of planning Leslie's nuptials to see where I can go from there. Contacts or advice are welcome from anyone with some experience in this field!
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| The Army buddies and the officiant just before the ceremony. Zach took a lot of flak for the shorts/boat shoes combo, but I think he looks rather dapper. |
The wedding was at Chatfield State Park near the reservoir. Foothills were visible in the distance underneath a giant western sky. It was hot during the ceremony, but the winds came in and cooled us off for the delicious barbecue dinner and pie.
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| Zach on our way down from 11,000 feet |
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| View of the last mile of Fall River Road |
The next day Zach and I took off for Estes Park. My family has been vacationing there since I was 6 months old. It meant a lot to be able to share that huge part of my life with my husband. We set out on our trip with the intention of making our own memories and traditions, but I couldn't help but squealing with excitement when I recognized a landmark. We took Old Fall River Road, a one-way gravel road with lots of switchbacks and a steep drop-off all the way up to the Alpine Center at 11,700-some feet. When we left Denver that morning it was 92 degrees, but when we reached the summit it had dropped to 53. I immediately went inside to buy a hoodie and we snapped pictures to prove we'd made it up there as fast as we could. We were lucky enough to pass by a giant moose (which prompted us to pick up a stuffed version for Norah's souvenir) and a herd of elk along our trip. We also stopped at the Alluvial Fan, a leftover waterfall of sorts from a 1980's flash flood. We climbed up about halfway together, but then I stayed poised on a safe, flat rock in the middle of the water as Zach scrambled up toward a giant boulder. I realized I have lost the American Gladiator bravery and nimbleness I once possessed. I had to analyze each possible route to take before moving a step for fear of falling in the rushing water. It was so much fun to enjoy nature together, though. We also saw the Stanley Hotel (home of the amazing "The Shining") on our daytrip.
Our last day in Colorado was spent perusing the giant mall near our hotel and catching an afternoon showing of "Savages" before heading to the airport. It was a completely wonderful trip full of great finds and sightseeing, new friends, and some alone time for the Wild couple.
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| Alluvial Fan |
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| Donning my must-buy hoodie! |
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| Mr. Moose! |
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| Denver's courthouse |
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| A locker at the Firefighter's Museum |
** In light of last night's tradegy in Aurora, Colorado, I am thinking of our trip with a heavier heart. It's saddening to think that we were within an hour of the shooting just a week ago. I cannot stop thinking of the families of those affected and wishing this could have been prevented somehow. Makes me appreciate my loved ones even more today.**
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