I'm still a little fuzzy-brained from all the de-vacationing, even though we truly had a wonderful time. It's hard to summarize a ten-day trip, so I'll just hit a few highlights.
We took a few days to get to our destination, stopping along the way at Dodge City, Kansas, and the Great Sand Dunes outside Alamosa, Colorado. Both were excellent side trips that we all enjoyed--check out those links if you're in that part of the country.
This was more than just a vacation, it was a family reunion, of sorts. There were nearly 30 of us from 
my dad's side of the family, and we met up at a little cluster of cabins by a stream in the mountains of southern Colorado (and yes, it was just as lovely as that last sentence sounds.)
Our cabin was quaint and rustic--just enough to make me feel like we were roughing it. The life-sized cardboard cutout of Clint Eastwood in our living room just made us feel all welcomed and vaguely threatened every time we walked in. (I can tell you that when a girl is staying up late reading after inhaling enough campfire smoke, ol' Clint's eyes would most surely follow her around the room.)
The little town where we stayed hosts an all-American, hot-dogs-and-apple-pie-type of July 4th. The whole town gathered first for a parade (and yes, that would be the Easter Bunny playing the bass drum. No, we didn't ask.)
After the parade, there was a giant gathering in the town square, complete with foot races (Stephen won first place in his round!) Food, live music and fireworks made for a perfect day.
Other than that, the trip was quiet and uneventful. Okay, not quiet. With all the family there, there were nine children age ten and under. Six of them were age four and under. Still, I managed plenty of good reading and embroidering. My boys roamed our little resort freely on their bicycles, and the adults squeezed in a ferocious tournament of Trivial Pursuit, horseshoes and mini-golf. (Guess which family got its tail kicked? Hint: It was mine.)
I guess the whole week can best be summed up in pictures. There was a lot of hanging out by the river (and no-o-o-o, this picture's not posed at all--my children frequently line up quietly side by side and gaze off into the distance reflectively without elbowing each other into the water, don't yours? *ahem*)....
.... and a good bit of family togetherness (this is my mom and my daughter, followed by my Hubs hiking with the kids):
There were some really proud moments (here's Stephen at the summit of a "fourteener" he hiked with my Hubs):
...and some quiet ones:
And enough gorgeous scenery to mull over for months:
I'm rested. Tired, but rested. (Inside my head that sentence made a lot more sense.) There's nothing like a change of scenery to bolster a girl, especially once I can finally get the laundry done (which, at this rate, should be by about Christmas.)
