Denver

Last weekend, Lauren and I flew to Denver to go see Cole and visit our friends at Young Life camp.

The good news: It was a GREAT weekend.
The bad news: I left my camera battery on the charger.

So if you're one of those people that don't really like a blog post if there are no pictures.. sorry, dude. Jackie did get a picture of us at camp though so I have a few that I stole off her facebook!

Lauren and I landed in Denver at 2:30pm, where Cole (bro) and our friend Kenli (also working in Denver this summer) picked us up. We went straight to CROOKED CREEK RANCH!!

Let me explain to you why I love CCR. First, I was a baby freshman camper there 8 years ago. I fell in love with Young Life there and it has been a great relationship ever since. Four summers later, I worked there for an amazing month. The same month that Kanyon and I started our long distance relationship, where he sent me a love package and made the other girls on Work Crew squeal. So this place is very special to me, needless to say. Also, Cole has been a camper there (I think) three times and Mom and Dad have been Adult Guests and Hosts there a couple times. My family <3 CCR.

I haven't been able to be back since then, since I've worked at some other YL properties and took my Young Life girls to a different camp. But we reunited at last last weekend!

(This picture is kind of embarrassing but I feel its necessary to show our excitement.)

We happened to get there on Banquet Night which means steak dinner with big cookie for dessert. You have not lived until you have this meal. I hung with my girls for a couple hours and toured the new stuff before going to Club that night and got to dance with my girls before hearing a great talk about Jesus. And then the time came where we needed to head home because it was an hour and a half back to Denver. We said goodbye to some great friends who are leaders that I haven't seen in a couple months and headed out for a (nauseating) drive back down the mountain.

Miss yall so much!!

Warning: no more pictures.. sorry.

On Saturday, Cole, Lauren, and I woke up and went to Panera for breakfast before she headed to Littleton to see our good friend Sara Snelson. Cole and I hung out all afternoon, hitting up REI.. twice, walking around 16th Street Outdoor Mall, going to (I think) two more sandwich places because I miss gourmet sandwiches out in Welch, hanging out with the homeless people he works with for Dry Bones (I'm pretty sure I had a sore throat Mon due to the amount of hands I shook that day), and just plain ol' good talkin.

Cole is seriously my FAVORITE kid in the whole world. (Landon is also. I don't have to have one favorite.) He has grown up so much in the last 3 months. He even looks older. I'm just so stinkin proud of him. He's hilarious, caring, incredibly genuine, so fun, and a lover of Jesus. Yes, I wish he would wash his bed sheets a little more often but in the things that count, I wouldn't change a thing. Mom has always said he has had a huge heart from the time he was in pre-school, defending the nerdy kid getting picked on. And its shown true that he still has it as he hangs out with people on the streets who get looked past everyday. But not by Cole. As we walked down the street downtown, he pointed out several homeless people to me that he knew and told me some of their stories. AND thats not even his job to know them. He is a mountain intern, which means he's not required to go to the events with the homeless people on the weekends.

I can say that I'm selfishly thrilled that he has become so mountain trek-savvy. Cause now when he lives there later (his plan), I'm totally hitting up the trek guide we'll have in the family. I can't wait to go backpacking again! And I even asked him if I could send my future kids to Uncle Cole's house to go backpacking for a couple weeks. We all know those kids will love some Colorado time since Welch has zilch mountains. Not even hills. Plus I'll have somewhere to wear my Chacos.

Seriously, it was a great weekend. I got great time with Lauren, got to see my girls at CCR, and spent very quality time with my brother in the city that he has come to love. I'll end with this:

Love you Jackie!!

p.s. why didn't you bring Cooper?!?