Odds & Ends in Colorado

Before moving on to more recent trips, I'm going to share the last of my photos from my trip to Colorado in (gulp) mid July. It's just like Mish-Mash Monday, only it's not Monday and it's Colorado, not Michigan!

First, photos from the whole reason of the trip: my niece's renewal of wedding vows on her fifth anniversary (they did not have a ceremony before as her husband was deployed to Iraq days after their marriage).

You'll recall I had my nails done for the first time at age 43. We all look silly because that's how we are, not because we were drinking! The rest of the mall had closed by the time we were done (hence the drawn shades in the background).Left to right that's me, my sister in law (niece's mom), my niece, and my niece's other aunt (well, she actually has five other aunts, but for the sake of this post, that one is Niece's Other Aunt or Noa — got it? She's also the one who dolled me up for the wedding.).

Niece's bridesmaids, Friend and Noa, did have to work hard tightening the bodice of Niece's dress, but this pose is exaggerated for effect (my idea, thankyouverymuch!).

Niece and her bridesmaids, Friend (who I think has no idea how drop-dead gorgeous she is!) and Noa. Check out their roses--they have petals of different colors!
Niece and Nephew clean up well.

They've always been cute!

And of course the couple at the ceremony. I love this photo which I stole from the photog's blog. It was lightning on the mountains (50 miles away) during the ceremony and there was a brief hail shower just as the ceremony ended, but the reception was in a covered location. I love weather!

After the ceremony, the photographer was taking a lot of candid photos. We were doing jazz hands at one point. I still don't have the official photos, but Noa was snapping photos along with the photog and even though all three of us (me, Niece, Niece's Hubby) look a little goofy, we were having fun. The photog wanted me to move in closer to Niece, only that meant she had to lift her dress and I had to step under it!

The next day we visited North Cheyenne Cañon Park in Colorado Springs.

Like the rest of the city, the park had amazing views of mountains, up close...

...and personal.

It also had Helen Hunt's Falls — can you make us out standing at the middle of the bridge?

Then, after trips to the Denver Botanical Garden and Pueblo, I drove back to Michigan with Niece and Niece's Hubby for a reception they were having here.

Niece's dogs, Koda (left) and Xerxes, are eager for the car ride. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! (They are, incidentally, very polite and loving doggies.)

Leaving Colorado Springs, I was sorry to bid the mountains farewell.

They even out by eastern Colorado...

...and disappear altogether in Kansas.

There were some cool windmills along I-70 in Kansas... and then it was on through Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and then on home to Michigan and my own garden!