new memories in estes park, colorado

Last week the Preacher and I took a few days off and went to Estes Park, here in Colorado. We stayed at the Elk Meadow Lodge and RV Resort, which is becoming one of our favorite campgrounds. It isn't near the downtown area so you will have to drive to and from the shops and restaurants, but by it not being near any of the tourist areas, you are left in a relatively quiet area.

The views from the campground are breath-taking. The picture of the Preacher and of our camper show Long's Peak in the background.

When driving up the Big Thompson Canyon, Highway 34, on our way up to Estes Park, we always have memories that seem to coming flooding back. I first visited Estes Park when I was 14 or 15 years old. 


My family came to Colorado for a family vacation and I remember walking around the town visiting the shops. I took this picture of my ice cream cone because while sitting in front of the ice cream shop, I noticed they were advertising taffy. Taffy was one of my dad's favorite. He would always buy a box of taffy in various flavors.

The Preacher and I vacationed with the Preacher's mother a couple of times, and with our son. Those memories are the freshest, of course. We remember the Preacher's mother's favorite restaurants and her stories of when she and the Preacher's father came to Estes Park on their family vacations. We remember the hikes that we took with our son - Old Man Mountain, the Twin Sisters, Long's Peak, and so many more. 

I was laying in bed on the second day of our trip, again remembering all of the good times that we have had in and around this mountain town. I began wondering how many more memories are there to be made?

Later that day the Preacher and I decided to take a small hike up to the Birch rock cabin. It sits up on a knoll that overlooks the town. Albert Birch, City Editor for the Denver Post, built the cabin in the early 1900's, and then it burned down in December of 1907. The shell of the cabin and the fireplace still stand. A piece of history and a new memory!

This is the view from the rock cabin, overlooking Estes Park

On the day before we were to travel back home, the Preacher got up early to take our dog, Porter, out for a morning walk. He left and then came right back in and asked me why was the driver's door on the truck open. I, of course, had no clue. Upon further inspection we found out why. A bear had visited our campsite the night before and had opened the truck door and proceeded to climb in and walk around the front seats. Thankfully we did not have any food in the truck and the door had not shut back on him, because we were told later, that that is why the bears will tear up cars...they can't get out. 

The bear paw print where he placed his paw on the door when opening it.

Bear snot, where he was smelling the back seat where our Porter dog sits

This definitely is a new memory!

We look forward to many more memories in one of our favorite mountain towns here in Colorado...Estes Park!

Escape, But Don't Forgot Who You Are

In the Preacher's sermon last Sunday he spoke of a paralyzing fear. The kind that makes you not think correctly. The kind of fear that makes your body do things you know are not good — racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, queasy stomach. His sermon was not just directed to those seated in our church that day, it was directed to the Preacher and I as well.

That is the kind of week we had leading up to Sunday. A week of stress. A week of paralyzing fear. A week of wondering, over and over, "What do we do, what if the choices we make are wrong?" 

It never seems to fail that whatever the Lord leads the Preacher to teach, He leads us through it so that the lesson becomes even more clear.

When these trials come there is one thing that we enjoy doing -- escape! Of course we pray through our trials but after the storm settles we go and find something fun to do. Something to take our mind off of the hard decisions that we may be facing.

So this past weekend (our weekend consist of Sunday afternoon through Monday) we headed up to Estes Park. One of our favorite places in Colorado. We stayed at a local campground. We enjoyed eating at the restaurants. We enjoyed the beauty of the mountains. 

We sat on the porch swing and tried to relax and for a while we felt the tension leave our bodies.

But even when you try to escape the devil tends to find you. The devil came through a phone call and we tried really hard to continue to see the beauty all around us.

We since have come home and have gone back to work and that fear just seems to stay with us, the questions are still there. There are questions regarding personal issues and ministry issues.

Everyday we have been praying, asking the Lord to help show us how to work through these questions, and today, I believe, He sent me a song, "Remind Me Who I Am" by Jason Gray. 

When I lose my way, and I forget my name, remind me who I am

In the mirror all I see is who I don't wanna be

Remind me who I am

In the loneliest places when I cant remember what grace is

Tell me, once again

Who I am to You, who I am to You

Tell me, lest I forget

Who I am to You, that I belong to You

To You

This song helps to remind me that I am a child of God and He will not forsake us in our times of trouble. Yes it's good to escape to a quiet place in the mountains but don't forget that the Lord, who created those mountains, will be there too!

Love from the Preacher and I

Rocky Mountain Memories

I have an interview this month with Cheryl Grigsby, owner of Rocky Mountain Memories in Estes Park. I am so looking forward to meeting her and seeing what could be in store for us.

I also have two scrapbooking jobs that I need to get started on right away. One is an invitation card for a college graduate. And the other is a high school graduation album. Two albums to be exact. That is the big thing here in Yuma. If you have a son or daughter who will be graduating you must have an album made for all your guest to look back over their school years.

My Mother-in-Law, Joan

This lovely lady was my mother-in-law, Joan Smith (Joanne). Unfortunately she had a stroke on Dec 25, and passed away on Dec 27, 2010. The Christmas and New Year holidays took on a whole new feeling. While the rest of the world was celebrating we were in shock and in mourning. It was hard to read all of my favorite blogs and hear them talk about what a wonderful time they had and tell of their New Year's resolutions. All of that did not seem to matter this year.

We spent the first week of 2011 driving back to Indiana for a memorial service with all of our family. It was wonderful seeing everyone but also bittersweet.

The memorial we had here in Colorado, at our church, Yuma Christian Church, was a celebration. We celebrated her life and her love for all the people who had come to know her as "Grandma". The church was packed with standing room only. Some came because they wanted to honor her and others came to honor her son, my husband, Don. It was a wonderful service.

This picture is of her at her favorite places in all of the world, Estes Park, Colorado, at her favorite restaurant, Nick's Steak House, and her favorite hotel, Deer Crest Resort. She and her husband used to stay here when they would vacation in Estes Park.

She will be forever loved and missed. (Our home seems way to big now.) But we have the assurance of knowing that we will be reunited with her and all of our loved ones that have gone on before us. We all will meet in our Father's House.

For all of you who are out there that sent cards or flowers or even sent up a prayer for our family, we just want to say thank you for everything.

Thanks for visiting with me today.