Colorado Birthday Trip - Part 3

This post wraps up everything else we did in Breck...minus the 14er at Mount Quandary, which will be in its own post.

• Hardy & Mary Grace's humble abode - check out those great flowers!

• Arts Festival - MG and Hardy are very active in the community of Brekenridge, so they suggested we make our way into town and see the all of the different artists and booths set up. And the best part? It was a dog friendly environment! :)

Greg and Sarah joined us with Django!

• Breckenridge Brewery - You can't go to Breck and miss out on a home-brewed pint glass from the brewery. Established in 1990, the BB is constantly changing its beers to give you the best consumer experience. I highly suggest the Agave Wheat for a light, refreshing, yet interesting taste! To see current brews and upcoming events, check out http://www.breckbrew.com/.

• Downtown Breckenridge - Due to the holiday weekend, the downtown area was packed with families and visitors. We shopped the boutiques, ate at a few hole-in-the-wall places, and let Jake meet some friends at the creek.

My little athlete...

Thinking back on this trip, I would not change a thing! It was just the right amount of rest and relaxation...as well as activities. Can't wait to go back!

Colorado Birthday Trip - Part 2

Let it be known that Jake loves road trips. Cliff and I honestly believe he slept during 90% of the drive to Colorado. He's definitely a little trooper! But for some reason, while driving through the pass from Denver to Breckenridge, Jake had a tough time staying in the back seat. (note the photo) Other than that, it was smooth sailing for the pup.

We arrived in Breckenridge and Hardy and Mary Grace immediately had dinner plans for us (for Cliff's birthday). They treated us to one of Breck's finest restaurants, Modis. We also had a great view of the mountains at sunset during our meal! Check out http://www.modisbreck.com/ to see their menu or make a reservation for yourself!

As for the rest of our time in Breckenridge...well, I'll let the pictures do most of the talkin'!

• Sawmill Reservoir - We hiked here three times during the trip to let the dogs swim and play fetch. The water was crystal clear and it was so peaceful. It was actually a pretty nice little hiking trail too. In fact, Cliff and I ran it one day and almost died on "Cardiac Hill"...I guess we should have taken a hint from the name!

• Random hiking trails/ski trails - Like I said above, we hiked to the lake. It wasn't until I saw some ski trail signs that I realized we were hiking where we skied back in the spring!

(Next post will continue our Colorado trip)

Colorado Birthday Trip - Part 1

I love Colorado and everything it has to offer: perfect climate, healthy people, gorgeous landscape, and the escape from the flat plains of Texas. This past spring, Cliff and I had the opportunity to visit his relatives in Breckenridge and Denver. Besides being pampered by his aunt and uncle at their humble abode in Breck, we skied and enjoyed our Spring Break. On our way home, we discussed how fun it would be to make the trip back out in the summer...which led to the most recent trip...

Cliff's birthday was during Labor Day weekend (yes, I'm obviously behind on posting) and my schedule was still pretty flexible at the time, so we decided to drive out to The Rockies once again. Except this time we had an extra team member, Jake. :)

We stayed at Cliff's cousin's house in Denver for the first half of the trip, then made our way to Breckenridge for the last couple days. We could not have asked for better weather or better hosts during our stay. Hardy and Mary Grace McCallister are two of the most hospitable people I have ever met!

Here are some pictures from our adventures...

• Washington Park - This park was across the street from Greg & Sarah's house in Denver (where we stayed). The park was HUGE and had so much activity going on at all times of the day. Cliff and I ran here in the mornings, and took Jake out for walks in the afternoons. I couldn't believe how beautiful the flowers were and how perfect the landscaping was!

• Izakaya Den - Sushi restaurant I took Cliff to for his birthday dinner. The place was fancy and the architecture was gorgeous; exposed brick, exposed beams, neat lantern lighting, etc. I didn't get any pictures from this, but here's the website: http://www.izakayaden.net

• Genesse, CO - Before Cliff, Jake, and I left for Breck, I was able to get a hold of my Aunt Mollie. I had not seen her in a while, and knew she lived close by. Turns out, she lived right off the highway we had to travel on to get to Hardy and MG's house. We stopped by her (and her husband, John's) amazing home for lunch and let Jake play with her dogs. These pictures were taken on her HUGE deck over-looking the mountains. Isn't it a great view?!

(Stay tuned...there will be more photos in the next post!)

Introducing Mr & Mrs Zak Thompson!

Another wedding post! But this wedding was especially my favorite, seeing as how my best friend was marrying the man of her dreams and I had the honor of standing by her side...like, RIGHT next to her side. I have blogged about her bachelorette party and bridal shower, but now it is with great pleasure that I spill the beans about the most important day of her life...her wedding day.

I have known Alli Ford since childhood Sunday school, but it wasn't until high school that we became good friends. During our sophomore year of college, Alli decided to transfer to Oklahoma State, where she lived just half a mile away from me. I was beyond stoked to have her so close. We were always accountable to one another over the course of our college experience. Fun times, yes, there were many...too many. It would take me at least an entire week to talk about all of the memorable stories I have with this beautiful woman. We have come to know each other so well. It's an understanding that goes beyond words. Alli is like a sister to me. I know everything about her. So when I met Zak Thompson, I just knew there was something special about him.

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this couple is how Zak and Alli met. You just don't come across very many couples who were introduced through a company who sells knives...but thanks to Vector Marketing and Cutco Cutlery, this love came about. I spent that summer in Stillwater constantly visiting them at work and sharing Cherry Coke Zeros on the regular. Although they didn't express their love immediately, I just knew they would make a great pair because of their complimentary life styles and personalities.

Before Zak even told me he was going to propose, all the signs were clear to me that he was The One...the special looks, the way Alli lit up when they were together...everything just fell in place. I know that Zak and Alli have the foundation for a wonderful marriage: not just lovers, but lifelong friends as well.

The Thompson wedding weekend took place in Oklahoma City/Edmond, Oklahoma. The beautiful rehearsal dinner was hosted by family friends and the weather was perfect for an outdoor celebration. The Saturday ceremony took place at May Avenue United Methodist Church. I have never been to a wedding in such a cute and quaint little chapel. It was the perfect setting for the amount of guests. After the ceremony, the couple was surprised with a Mercedes Benz to drive around the block...a great photo opportunity, especially with everyone throwing rose petals! Guests then drove a few blocks away to The Centre, where the dinner and dancing took place. Actually, to just say dinner and dancing would be an understatement...because honestly, it was a PARTY! The DJs worked the crowd so well. In fact, we got to see Zak's mom break it down on the dance floor! Needless to say, we ALL danced the night away!

Ryan & Mo's Wedding

One word can sum up 2010 thus far. That word would be "marriage." I understand that there comes a time in everyone's life when their friends start getting married...but seriously, people? Twelve weddings in one year?! I must admit, I only went to half of them, but the numbers are still shockingly high. You have to understand something...I did not come from a metroplex, nor did I belong to a sorority in college...so had those two facts been different, we would probably be looking at more like twenty-four weddings!

Last weekend, Cliff and I attended Ryan and Morgan (Collier) Williams' wedding at First Baptist in Wichita Falls. I was actually part of the house party, but Cliff was a trooper for coming with me. Because I had known this couple for so long, I was not surprised to see the oh-so-chic/bazaar color schemes and decoration choices. Do not get me wrong, it looked FABULOUS! Morgan had chosen a deep purple, black, and leopard print for the wedding party. The bridesmaids looked amazing in their purple dresses, and I still have no clue how they walked in those Jessica Simpson leopard cowhide stilettos! Even the flower girls sported the leopard print! (see Brooklyn Grace's outfit)

The reception was held at the Kemp Center, which was once the Wichita Falls Public Library. The venue was built in 1917 and underwent a $1 million renovation just before 2002. It now serves as a meeting hall/exhibition venue, as well as an art gallery. Texas bar-b-que was served at the reception, along with the traditional wedding cake, and groom's cake (which by the way was in the shape of an X-Box). For party favors, goodie bags were available to fill with various sweets from the candy bar.

The night was filled with great music and dancing, as well as memorable speeches made by both groomsmen and bridesmaids.

I can not wait to see how this new family grows in the Lord, especially after seeing how he brought them together at just the right time!