Our first stop was with my (Nicole's) extended family. My grandpa's body was fading from ALS by this point, so we knew it was important to stop one more time. This time around we stayed with my aunt and uncle. I loved being able to spend time with everyone in this house! My cousin's daughter brought so many smiles!!! We also spent hours with my grandma and grandpa. I soaked up all of my grandpa's stories that I could. His body was failing him, but his mind was still sharp. Alyssa and I sat and listened. The time was so precious. Right before we left, Grandpa insisted on coming out to see the new tires we had just gotten on the car. Despite the hurdles he had with his wheelchair, this was important to him. His last words to me were "They put those tires on wrong, but it'll be ok!" With that he wheeled into the garage...and we drove off. That was the last time I would see him until we meet again in Heaven one day. There are no words to describe how grateful I am for the FOUR times I was able to see him between June and November of this year. God gave those times to me, and I will forever be thankful.
Next we headed to Glenwood Springs for Alyssa to show me where her grandparents' lived. :) We had not known where to stay for this time, so as a last resort we had called her grandma's church and left a message. A few days later, Alyssa received a call from a couple willing to host us!! It was crazy! I love how God provided for us each step of the way. We absolutely loved staying with them. They were immensely welcoming and so very sweet. :D
During our time in Glenwood Springs we drove by two of Alyssa's grandma's houses and church as well as enjoyed lunch at a Chinese restaurant she enjoyed as a child. It was so fun to see where she had childhood memories, especially after having the chance to share mine with her the month before. :)
One of our other adventures while there was to hike up to an old cemetery where someone famous we had never heard of before, but was well known in the area, was supposedly buried. My lungs decided to act up on our way up, so we had to take it slow with many breaks. However, the views on the hike up were pretty incredible, PLUS we got to see snow on the ground for one of the first times on the trip. It was incredible how old the graves were in this gravesite...and tragic how young most of them were. We saw 1 that was above the age of 30. Many were children. How rough life must have been in the early days of the frontier!
During our time in Glenwood Springs we drove by two of Alyssa's grandma's houses and church as well as enjoyed lunch at a Chinese restaurant she enjoyed as a child. It was so fun to see where she had childhood memories, especially after having the chance to share mine with her the month before. :)
One of our other adventures while there was to hike up to an old cemetery where someone famous we had never heard of before, but was well known in the area, was supposedly buried. My lungs decided to act up on our way up, so we had to take it slow with many breaks. However, the views on the hike up were pretty incredible, PLUS we got to see snow on the ground for one of the first times on the trip. It was incredible how old the graves were in this gravesite...and tragic how young most of them were. We saw 1 that was above the age of 30. Many were children. How rough life must have been in the early days of the frontier!
My favorite memory of this time was the splurge that was made possible by the financial gift of my grandparents: going to the Glenwood Springs Hot Spring pools. I had always wanted to swim in a hot spring, and this was my chance! One of the pools was slightly cooler than the other, so that's where I spent most of my time. However, I was brave enough to join Alyssa in the 104 degree pool a couple times. ;) We loved our few hours of floating, talking, and simply relaxing. It was a gift and a chance for Alyssa to re-visit her childhood. <3
These stops in Colorado were almost not in the plan, but I am forever grateful that we chose to take the risk and do it anyway! The weather was amazing and clear for the entire time...although it snowed before we got there and the passes closed the day after we left!!! Isn't God good giving us the perfect timing?!
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