The Dunraven Inn

On Wednesday of our week in Colorado we all took a break from cooking and had a lovely dinner at The Dunraven Inn.

Dan and I were both "fat & happy" for the short ride back to the cabin for the evening.

Shauna called it an early night since she had to be on the trail by 3:30am. Hikers need to summit Long's Peak and begin their descent before the mid-morning storms rolled in. Otherwise the hikers risk being exposed to the lightning "strike zone." That sounds pretty nasty to me! Waking so early and hiking so far made for a very long day for Shauna, and even with as exhausted as she was upon returning we all knew she was glad to have accomplished her goal. WooHoo Shauna!

Look carefully at this photo to see the hummingbird's wings fully extended. I've never seen so many hummingbirds in my life! Dan took several photos at Charlie Eagle Plume's on Thursday but I haven't downloaded those photos yet. We took some video as well but haven't had a chance to preview those images either! So much catching up to do!

More Candid Shots

I picked up the photos from four more of the disposable cameras this afternoon. I like being able to get the images on CD so I can share the pictures so easily!

Now THAT'S CUTE!

My Girls! I attended Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) with Becky (left), Elizabeth (center), and Jennifer (right). Madison (center, left) is Elizabeth's little girl. Look at that gorgeous red hair!

Is someone sitting to take this picture or is this the handiwork of one or our very short photographers? Julie, Vivian, & Emma Grace had a blast running around taking photos...at least the developed film would indicate so!

Awww, happy couples! Models to live by :)

I am so pleased with how the wedding cake turned out! The wedding cake was much prettier than I imagined. Speaking of which...I had a piece after lunch today...YUM! Michelle Hyzak made both the wedding cake and the groom's cake. (Hyzak Cake Designs 512-423-8770)

Nature Shots

I love how vibrant the colors are in this photo. I'm hoping the colors pop as much for you as they do for me.

When I took the photo of this stalk of pretty purple flowers I didn't notice the colony of ants swarming the top of the stalk.

Isn't it neat how pretty daisies pop up wherever they like in Roosevelt National Park.

This fallen tree is full of swirls and whirls that I find fascinating.

This little guy was not afraid of people near the waterfalls. A couple taking a photo in front of the waterfall were actually trying to shoo the chipmunk away. Fortunately he came back so I could get a photo of him. It became clear that this rock was his place to "people-watch" from.

What a long day!

On Wednesday Steve was in charge of the babies so Laura, Shauna, her uncle David, and I hiked for 6.4 miles and spent a fantastic day taking in the beauty. There was such an eclectic mix of people on the trail. Some people looked like they were prepared to spend a month "roughing it" in the wilds of the mountains while others looked as though they got lost on their way to the mall.

Here is an aerial shot of yesterday's Bear Lake. Pretty neat to see it from so high up. The brown pine trees dotting the landscape have a sad story...pine beetles are killing trees throughout the forest and so far rangers and tree specialists don't know how to stop the prolific bugs. Dan and I had noticed patches of dead trees on our drive to Estes but assumed there had been a fire in that area. Now we know...

I love the way the mountains reflect off the still pool of water in this shot.

This is at Lake Haiyaha. We all were blown away with the serene beauty of this lake.

Estes Park, Colorado

Look who went camping! What a fun day out and about with Will and Alex! Shauna, Matt, Laura, and I went for a 2.4 round trip hike in the Roosevelt National Park. The boys were full of happy, excited noises! Lots of chattering occurred between the twosome of as they reached for tree branches and scanned the skyline for things to look at. Matt "took one for the team" and carried Duck all the way UP and most of the way down. Shauna "power-walked" Will (Duck) the rest of the way down because he was getting fussy and needed to get out of the carrier and move about on his own.

What an incredible view! I believe this is Bear Lake. The water was teeming with life and covered with lily pads and blooms.

Another shot along the way.

I snapped so many more shots but wouldn't have space to post them all!

There were so many little lakes and streams to stop at and enjoy. I could have spent the entire day just listening to the water.

Catching Up

Hello All! I figured it was time to catch up on some posts! We haven't gotten our professional photos back from the wedding photographer yet. We should have them within the next two weeks.

Here is a photo from the Bride's room prior to the ceremony. Pictured left to right are: Becca, Vivian, Lisa (ME!), Caroline, Courtney, and Emma Grace.



After the ceremony we had the opportunity to take a photo with our pastor Dr. Fred Morgan. Dan and I really love the words he chose for our wedding. I look forward to receiving the audio recording from the wedding. At our church Sunday services are recorded for the homebound and our wedding service was recorded as well so we will have an extra special memory captured to listen to for many years to come.

Mom captured a great photo of her girls, minus me, while the photographer was busy taking photos of the Perkins family. Pictured are Julie, Wendy, Missy, Michelle, and Erin. This photo goes on the wall :)

Dan made arrangements for us to stay at the historic Driskell hotel in downtown Austin on our wedding night. What a great surprise! The room was beautiful and the hallways were full of Austin memorabilia.