Our whole family enjoyed a vacation in Colorado. We went out there seperately, some taking planes. Matt and I drove out with Eric. We were able to stay at Eric's parents' house. Matt and I rented our own car while we were out there so we could travel around. We were very busy every day and did a lot of hiking! But luckily we also had huge home-cooked meals to come back to and re-energize our bodies.
We went white water rafting down the Arkansas River through the Bighorn Mountains.
I felt horrible for Matt, because I told him that nobody falls out and he did!
There were 7 people in our boat, 3 on each side plus the guide sitting in back. Matt and I were seated in the middle (or Taco section). They call it that because that's where the boat tends to fold in half when it hits things. As we entered a stretch of heavy rapids, we came up to a huge rock that we were supposed to hit and then go over. The guide told everyone to lean in to the center of the boat, the boat folded, and then it snapped back open as we came up over the rock and Matt popped out like a piece of popcorn. I freaked out as I searched the waters for his body, but we were still traveling through a rough stretch of rapids. His head bobbed to the surface a couple times, and I yanked him back into the boat, saving his life! He said he had no clue what was happening; one minute he was in the boat, the next minute he wasn't. The whole time he managed to hang onto his paddle (which you're supposed to do if you fall out). It didn't scare him, though, and he said he was ready for more. I, on the other hand, didn't want any more close calls! God was definitely looking out for him today!
Our guide.
Soaking wet from his swim and ready to go!
This is tiresome!
I wore a sexy wetsuit because the waters were still freezing cold from the melting snow-capped mountains.
The beautiful Colorado mountains.
Eric's parents' house (Pat & Steve).
Eric's parents' house on the left, his grandparents' and Aunt/Uncle's house on the right.
Beautiful landscaping (they own a landscaping business).
They rent out their land to several different things, including horses!
They even have a pond that they stock with fish!
Matt fishing
Steve caught one!
Pregnant Kacie fishing
Eric fishing
Boulder, our first spot for hiking.
The beginning of our hike.
The river, carrying fresh melting snow from the mountain tops.
Me
The trail
They've had a lot of rainfall this summer, so everything was very green, including the cacti flowers.
Matt decided to scale the mountain (just kidding).
Matt and the aquaduct that supplies Boulder with fresh melting snow from the ice caps.
Taking a break.
Pretending to climb.
Pike's Peak in the far background. (Very light).
Matt just before the Royal Gorge Bridge.
Matt by the cables that hold the bridge up.
The Royal Gorge Bridge. I've never been scared of heights until now!!!
After walking across it, we took the cable car back. Aaahhh!!!!
The Arkansas River in the Royal Gorge.
We made it to the middle of the bridge!
This is their skycoaster (like the one at Valley Fair), but on this one you sling shot over the canyon! That little dot is two people.
Looking down. The shelter is in viewing area where people can walk around at the bottom of the incline railway. There is also a regular railroad along the bottom of the Gorge. You can also see two kayakers (red and yellow) in the Arkansas River. Matt and I were suppose to white water raft here the next day, but it got moved upstream due to high waters.
Matt had to ride the train.
People can walk, ride the trolley, or drive their cars across the bridge. It's super scarey when a car drives by and the whole things shakes!
The bridge from the lookout.
Riding the cable car across the Gorge. I'm scared!!!!!
The view of the bridge from the cable car.
A hummingbird we saw while waiting in line (they're so noisy!)At the bottom of the Incline Railway.
Looking up at the bridge. It looks tiny from down here.
I'm holding a shirt that says "I survived the Royal Gorge Bridge".
The Incline Railway goes right up the mountain. You stand while riding it in small phone booth type cars.
Looking down the Incline Railway.
Can you see the station at the bottom? It's that dot.
The phone booths that take you to the bottom.
Cave of The Winds
View of Manitou Springs.
A stalagmite in the cave.
The original entrance inside the cave.
There are some tight spots in here!
One of the tunnels and rope ladders originally used for people exploring the cave.
Cave coral on the ceiling.
Do you expect me to fit through here?
Looking down at the original "parking lot". You can see the turn-around in the road, and people used to tie up their horses there.
The outside of the original cave entrance. It has since been filled with cement due to the occasional bear and teenager.
Just after we left the parking lot, a bear crossed the road right in front of us!
He looked very thin and mangy, but he still posed for his picture. I was worried, as we were sitting there with our car windows open, that his mother would soon be climbing up the mountain after him!
We celebrated Kacie's baby shower in Colorado (her friend Sarah in the background).
The flower arrangement that I put together.
My dad's brother and his family who lives in Colorado. (Right to left: Uncle Boyd, Aunt Dee, cousin Melanie and her kids, Cayden & Brynn, in the pool)
Eric puts on his pirate face for the camera.
Cayden
Brynn
Colton (and his mom, my cousin Jessica)
Trevor
Brrrrr...it's a little cold!
Trevor and his cousin, McKenna.
The kiddie table
Cutie Pie Brynn full of cake!
McKenna full of cake - she also loves to gives hugs to everyone!
Tylynn, Eric's cousin.
Amy holding Colton
Trevor
Eric fooling around with Tylynn.
Eric & Kacie with their cake - it says "Peek-A-Boo We Are Waiting For You!"
The gifts
Her first ballerina tu-tu. Eric's thinking about trying it on.
The biggest box was holding this chair. Kacie also got a brown adult-sized one that matches.
We traveled to Manitou Springs again with my mom to see Garden of the Gods. It is amazing red rocks that stick straight out of the ground. They are extremely beautiful and mind-boggling.
At the visitor center, The Garden of The Gods behind us.
The kissing camels on the left.
The color is amazing!
The plaque reads that the people who found this area said it is to remain open and free for the public.
A little spot just for us.
It's strange how some of the rocks just balance on other rocks. And yet other rocks, like on the right, seem to be carved out by years of erosion while trees still grow on top of them.
Matt's fabulous picture!
An unusual spot for a path.
Pikes Peak in the background.
The Sleeping Giant. His head is on the right.
We decided to explore the trails to the next set of rock formations. Matt and my mom's necks got sunburned and heat exhaustion started to set in. There was miles of desert trail ahead, and we had no idea where we were anymore.
But at least the scenery was lovely.
Pikes Peak again.
I stopped for a rest.
Matt climbed to the top of a rock formation to try and see where we were, but he couldn't see anything so we just turned around.
The Balancing Rock
Then we went to the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. The Native Americans were living here up until 1984. Now you are able to go inside them and even climb into the windows.
One of the shelters.
My mom and Matt.
Old hieroglyphics.
"Welcome to my humble abode"
This is where they kept the corn.
This room is where they kept their dead in the winter while the ground outside was still frozen.
Matt always has to act like a child
"You might want to scooch over a bit!"
"I made it in! Now how do I get out?"
Back at Eric's parents' house, the guys practiced shooting clay pigeons. Matt shot a lot! You can see the two pieces of this one.
Eric manned the clay pigeon shooter.
Even Sarah gave it a try
Matt was a natural! (Like how the guns are sitting on top of the children's play gym?)
Kacie and I helped make Baked Apples. They were delicious!
On our final night there we celebrated Eric's birthday and The Fourth of July. 
