Third Anniversary: Colorado Edition

So I'm a little behind on updates...blame it on the pregnancy brain and lack of energy. Also, fair warning, this post contains a LOT of photos! But considering I took more than 1,200...I think I showed decent restraint. ;)

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On September 4th, Dan and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary. 3 years feels both short and long at the same time. I feel like so much has happened in such a short period of time. The years have been wonderful, if at times challenging, but I wouldn't trade them for anything.

To celebrate 3 years, we treated ourselves to a mountain retreat in Estes Park, Colorado. It was my first trip to Estes but Dan's first trip to Colorado at all! He was really excited to see the mountains and kept looking for them to come into view as we drove west.
 

Driving through the mountains on our approach to Estes

 We are so thankful to our friends, Jeff and Julie Abel, who recommended not only our hotel but places to eat and things to see as well. We had a room with a balcony right on the river that ran through town with a view of the mountains beyond and were right on the trolley route to and from town when we didn't feel like walking. 

Our View

We absolutely loved exploring the town of Estes Park. Our first couple of days we just explored downtown as we adjusted to the altitude. We enjoyed wandering around town looking at the shops, riding the trolley around the see more of the town when our legs (and lungs) got tired. The Stanley Hotel made for a delightful afternoon of touring and soaking in the gardens.

In front of The Stanley

Enjoying the gardens

Watching the fishermen while waiting for the trolley

After our adventures in town, we spent a whole day driving through and exploring Rocky Mountain National Park. Dan had brought out the map and decided, since the weather was nice, that we would take the dirt road up the mountain, then join the paved road for the rest of the trek through the park. It was quite exhilarating driving that little, one-way dirt road! Thankfully, there were plenty of pulloff areas to be able to enjoy the beauty around us from outside of the car. We also had some fun by setting our GPS unit to display our current altitude and then watching it climb! (Lots of pictures ahead!)

Entrance to Old Fall River Road

One of the first stops...he was bummed it was closed so we couldn't hike down to the river

Looking back down at the valley as we ascend

Spotted this guy at one of our first stops on the road

Love the sound of rushing water

Getting higher!

You can see the snow pack that still hadn't melted over the summer

Finally above the tree line!

At the rest stop at the summit...it was a little chilly up there!

We had lunch at the summit of the trail road and enjoyed looking around a bit before heading down the mountain on the paved road to continue our exploration. Rain clouds poured down on us until we got back below the tree line. The second part of our trip included crossing the Continental Divide, seeing elk and moose, stopping at a pretty lake in the nearby town, and a small yet exhausting hike (on a paved trail) at altitude just off the road. We were wiped out by the end of our adventures!

Dan at the Continental Divide

Both of us at the Divide

The little lake we stopped at just outside the park in a nearby town

They had a perfectly placed post for me to put the camera on to take the picture!

The two huge moose we saw near the park sign...not more than 40 feet from us!

Gorgeous! We totally fell in love with RMNP.

The female moose we saw (much further away from us) in RMNP.

Looking back down at the river valley.

It was amazing to be above some of the clouds!

Well, hello Mr. Marmot. (Seen on our trail hike.)

The trail we hiked (notice you can't see the vehicles for the altitude change).

At another lookout (all I wanted to do was sit down at this point).

Those white specks are birds...flying below us!

The two elk we saw...they were a little camera shy.

Overall, it was an absolutely wonderful trip and one that has had us talking about when we can go back to Colorado. :) I am so glad I was able to see the mountains again and immensely thankful my husband fell just as much in love with them as I am!

Amazing steak dinner at Orlando's to celebrate our anniversary :)

Happy 3rd Anniversary, Love! Here's to many, many more!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan

Meet Ninja Squirrel

Many of you may have heard us refer to one of our neighborhood squirrels as "Ninja Squirrel". He got this name the day we moved Dan into our apartment...

As Dan was bringing in a box to our new apartment, he saw this squirrel running in his direction on the sidewalk. He figured when the squirrel noticed him that it would run off in the opposite direction...but not Ninja Squirrel! No, once he noticed Dan, he flattened himself on the sidewalk and seemed to pretend that Dan couldn't see him. Thus the name "Ninja Squirrel" was born!

On another occasion, I was leaving the apartment and heading towards my car when I saw him. He stopped on the sidewalk then ran off towards a tree after I took one more step forward. Upon reaching the tree, however, he only climbed about 4 feet up and moved to the opposite side of trunk, away from me. Curious about his methods, I took a couple of steps towards the tree. Still some distance away, I leaned to the side to see around the trunk and, as I did, Ninja Squirrel scooted further around the trunk but no farther up!

He's also usually a big fan of knocking over any potted plants I have close enough to the ground. Pretty normal and all seemed quiet for awhile. But NOW? Well, now he has taken to climbing up our screen door on our patio! Most of the time he hangs out upside down and looks like he's licking the screen. We've caught him doing this on about 3 separate occasions.

 

 

Crazy squirrel!

Meghan

Technology Blues

Are face-to-face business meetings really necessary in this age of technology? With the advent of teleconferencing and video conferencing, distance is no longer a barrier for teams located in multiple locations. Just pick up a phone, turn on a computer, and presto! Instant connection! Now, there is something to be said for talking to people in person. Nonverbal communication is an important component in any kind of conversation. So in person meetings are great…for groups located in the same geography. But that’s the point. If you’re all in the same building, the same county even, then there’s no issue. But why make someone drive 1.5 hours one way for a maximum 2 hour meeting then have to drive 1.5 hours back? Especially with all the technological advances of our day! I guess I’m just venting. I had a meeting at the Navy Yard in DC today that could have very well been accomplished via teleconference. In fact, besides putting faces with names, there wasn’t much point in my attendance. But putting faces with names and getting away from my desk was kind of nice. It was also good to see a co-worker that I had worked with until he got transferred to the team out in Annapolis. He and I worked as a team in the field a lot before the decision was made to move him. Before that, his daughter had given birth to twins, one boy and one girl. However, the twins were born with a rare genetic disorder called Zellweger syndrome. They were told it was very rare for children with this to live even one year. But God provided for their birth in the midst of this, allowing them to be born at the only hospital in the country doing research on Zellweger’s. But sometimes God’s plans are not our own. About two months ago, the little girl, Ashley, passed away after only a few months of life. By God’s grace, He allowed her birth and the short time she had with her family. And by His mercy, He brought her back to His side and ended her suffering. But for some reason beyond our simple understanding and reasoning, her brother, Thomas (Tommy), is still with his family. I got to talk with John some today and because of the uncertainty of Tommy’s life their family is celebrating Christmas in July, complete with a tree and decorations. He also talked about how his grandson loves different tastes. He said that they’ll touch a lollipop to his tongue and he loves it! John says that this is the one joy in his young grandson’s life because of the disorder; the boy loves tastes! It seems so often that we overlook the simple pleasures that God has given us in life. I read a line in a book today that stated “Nature is not primarily functional. It is primarily beautiful.” Yet how often do we miss that beauty? If “the heavens declare the glory of God…” (Ps. 19:1a), then how often do we miss God? When’s the last time you slowed down enough to smell the flowers around you? Ate a meal slow enough to savor each taste? Played with a baby and caught their infectious laughter? Took time to hold hands with your sweetheart and just enjoy their presence (one of my personal favorites)? So in retrospect, maybe the meeting wasn’t all that important. Maybe it could have been done by teleconference. But who cares? Tommy’s story puts things in perspective for me. Maybe, just maybe, I’ve been too busy to notice. Maybe you have as well. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matt. 6:27) Take some time to slow down and enjoy life and fellowship with God. Don’t miss out on His presence just because there is a to-do list. Maybe I should pay more attention to my own musings…