We’re Baaaaaacccckkkkkk…

We had a fabulous time!  Really…

We needed to get away and it was wonderfully refreshing and rejuvenating.  While Wyoming may be God’s Country, the Rocky Mountains certainly are close to His heart as well.  The dizzying heights and depths, the craggy rock faces and the thick forests packed with evergreen trees, the winding roads over Berthoud Pass, the tall waving grasses–they all are a tribute to a Creator with imagination and creativity I can only dream of.

In fact, I was completely awed by just how beautiful the hillsides remain.  The pine beetle has been destroying trees at such a rate that logging is going on continuously to keep up with the devastation.  But even in death, the hillsides are gorgeous–not just a drab, mournful brown like you might expect, but a fiery orange-red that offsets the deep green of those that remain. 

We hiked some, relaxed around the campfire some, fished some, drove ATVs way up into the hills, took the kids horseback riding and saw an enormous bull moose lazily grazing in the meadow.  I wish I’d had my camera then!  We ate a lot of s’mores, went to bed late and slept late, looked for cool rocks and examined some bones from an animal that might have met an untimely end. 

The kids rode their bikes to and from the stables just about hourly and knew every, single horse by name before we left.  Since the campground was far enough away from civilization, I didn’t mind that they were constantly off, like a little herd, pedaling their hearts out, checking out their surroundings.  We played cards, and Sorry and a fabulous game called Mafia that you MUST learn if you’ve never played. 

We didn’t watch TV, listen to the news, or answer our cell phones.

The wind through the treetops, the sunshine on my face, the cool breezes, the gentle afternoon rains, the nightly thunderstorms, and the brisk morning air served to bring some sanity and stability back into my crazy world.  It was a good time to commune with nature, and reconnect with My Hubby and my kiddos.  I didn’t want to come back.

Now that I AM back (I know you were wondering), I can’t wait to go again. 

You really should go and witness the breathtaking majesty for yourself.  Until you get a chance to pack up your very own trailer and head for the hills, my pictures will have to suffice–though they just don’t quite do it justice.

Pictures of the trailer (perfect, just perfect) coming tomorrow…