June 1st, it was time to take the pictures off the walls and get the truck loaded for Denver. I procrastinated packing as long as I could, but moving day came ready or not.
I was dragging my feet to go, but Sloan was so excited, he gave us pep talks and kept me going. I couldn't imagine what Denver would have to offer that Henderson didn't, and it was too far from my family and life-long friends. I was afraid of being isolated, lonely and cold. Sloan was ready for a fresh start, but I was comfortable and content. I've never resisted change like this before.
But Sloan's partnership contract was signed, the new house purchased, and half of our furniture sold. We were moving to Denver.
Last jam in our rumpus room ...
moved out of the shed
good luck with the baby grand dear!
somehow he managed to get us both out the door
meanwhile...
thanks Reg, that helps
skateboarding
farewell lunch with Arrowhead Ward buddies at Zupas
fun & inspiring group of ladies!
Ruth's 1st grade graduation
goodbye Ms. Hobbs & Seniora Noriega
Thanks to our ward's buff Elder's Quorum, we had about 20-25 guys load the truck in 2-3 hours. They warned us it probably wouldn't all fit, and unfortunately they were right. Sloan got me a smaller trailer to tow behind the Volvo, and he and Reggie hit the road.
Excited to ride in the big truck
McDonald's
some welcome hail
between unpacking & painting, they went to the zoo
Sloan's note in Reggie's journal:
Road tripping with Reji. Driving to our "new house" in Colorado. it's
late at night. We've stopped at a rest stop next to all the truckers. he
is sleeping beside me.
Fun to be one on one with this guy. My tender feelings towards him as I scrolled past this first picture on my phone make me think this has been a valuable and much needed experience already. Over the past few years of dental school I have too often thought of him as simply part of an amalgam of noise and motion emanating from the playground or the backseat, rather than the unique soul and personality that he really is.
Leading up to our
departure and even until now the most important part of this trip has
been to get to Colorado early to get the bedrooms painted while trying
to figure out how to keep Reji from interrupting. But my softened heart
seems to imply the objective is different. More elevated and
transcendentally meaningful.
Hello Gabriel.
Meanwhile, back in Vegas...
we're all banging our heads against the walls trying to get all our junk out!
made some last minute returns to Walmart (the trash can, not the kid)
final farewells at Papa's
squeezed it all in!
on our way
beautiful drive, especially on the I-70 east
We stayed the night in Richfield, UT and treated ourselves to breakfast at the Little Wonder Cafe.
Rest stop in Glenwood Springs
You have arrived
reunited
first item of business: Ikea
sensory overload
checking out the neighborhood parks
Luke's first 2 word phrase: 'help me'
flashing the locals
so hungry, he climbed up on his own
at least he was wearing his helmet
nothing to eat, he decided to try the soap
2 days later, Sloan's brother Clayne & his crew of 8 kids came for the night on their 45-day road trip cross-country to visit church history sites
they are amazing. we loved having them stay even though we had boxes everywhere and no food. they instantly made our empty house feel like home.
cute Calvin
race up the sledding hill
Denver Children's Museum
ummm... Children's Museum dad! Not Dad's museum!
he was having the most fun of all... even went off to try a new exhibit without the kids.
Denver has so many family-oriented activities... the trick is choosing one!
the pool at our Rec Center
we happened try it out on a day when a large day care decided to come - a little overwhelming at first
but they loved it
The Mitchell Family - we sat behind them our first Sunday in the Crestmoor Ward and Mindi invited us for dinner. They have 2 daughters for Ruth to play with and 4-year-old twins for Reggie. Scott is laid-back and has a great sense of humor, and Mindi is the sweetest person I think I've ever met. But she's also a go-getter! She always knows what's going on around the city, and invited us to this 5K "Go Play" run in City Park.
Denver's Mayor
on your mark
get set go!
Reggie's crying because he wasn't the winner
cheaters
after the run, we spent a couple hours checking out the booths - some from the national parks, some from health food vendors, tree-huggers, etc. We got tons of free stuff, including backpacks and fishing poles.
Sunday afternoon bike ride
Can't deny, I'm loving Denver so far
so are they!
found a spider
Bishop Carlson & his kids stopping by to say hi
He & his wife Amber do a great job of welcoming new families. They are very social and active - fun to meet other families with similar interests and kids our kids' ages.
catching crawdads in the river
catching crawdads in the river
FHE and world cup at their house
playing in the fountains at Stapleton's "Founder's Green"
such a good big sis
even to other people's little sisters!
Duncan's bday party
Luke & Duncan preferred to watch from window while the big kids jumped in the rain
Luke & Duncan preferred to watch from window while the big kids jumped in the rain
Stapleton pools - this place is unreal!
Garage Sale hunting with Reg-vader
First date in Denver... dinner at Watercourse Foods (yum!) and the Rockies game -in the nose bleeds
Visiting the Garmire's in Highlands Ranch
back to Central Park
Anther FHE at the Carlson's - Reggie showing off his skills
And the EYRE'S VISIT!!
Aja drove out with her 3 youngest and stayed Mon-Fri. It flew by - we tried to cram everything in, including the zoo...
Eyre kids have the best cracks!
We all love that baby Ezra, but Ruth was head over heels!
I've never seen her so baby-hungry.
I've never seen her so baby-hungry.
bike ride gone wild!
In Denver, you never know when the hail's gonna hit
poor Elsie was traumatized
these guys stayed pretty dry
but Aja was drenched!
nothing a little hot chocolate can't fix
last stop - VooDoo Donuts and city park
bye Eyres :(
To ease our mourning, we left the next day for Rocky Mountain National Park to camp with the Mitchells & Aumonts
the kids' fort
luscious Luke
rainmaker Reg
mini Mia
lover Luke
magnificent Mindi
why we camp...
look at these clouds comin in!
Our prayers were answered and we had a patch of sunshine continuously over our campsite until right after we finished our s'mores. (and then it poured & blew all night)
tin foil dinners
down by the river
the next morning we woke up to this
always joyful Jessica
Kid-magnet Doug
you can't tell from the pictures, but it was extremely windy
oh wait...
maybe you can tell :)
refreshingly funny Scott Mitchell
fairy makers: Karli, Ruth & Kate
Walking around Sprague Lake
Luke & Henry
Love seeing these boys in their Sunday best
first time riding his bike
my new running buddy! he's always up around 6am anyway, so now that he rides, I take him with me on my early runs. He giggles the whole way.
Sunday afternoon picnic with Carlsons, Mitchells and Robinsons
lovin the Stapleton parks
Last up, our last FHE in June, doing our assignment to find the "lost sheep" in our ward boundaries. We had 3 people to find in this rather run-down neighborhood. It was scary and humbling. Sloan was right at home, going back to his missionary days, but I was nervous to have our kids there with us. They seemed to be touched by the experience though and very cooperative.
or was it the promise of ice cream?
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