We Made it!

Ok, so we didn't get to go all the way to the top. We had a minor "spit" of snow last night so they closed the top lookout point. We were still able to get to the second to last point where I found myself shaking just taking this picture! I am terrified of heights...but somehow I still rock climb!

A View from the Shrine...

This is a gorgeous view from the shrine! We read that on a clear day you can see up to 130 miles away! Today was one of those days so we snapped all the photos we could. Although we seem high up now, we are only on the first lookout point!

Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

When you visit the zoo, you also have the option of visiting the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. It is WAY up on Cheyenne Mountain, and is over 130 feet tall. A gentleman named Spencer Penrose began building it in December 1934, and finished it in 1937. Himself, his wife, and two dear friends are built in the structure's chapel located on its north side. If you go inside you can actually climb the stairs all the way to the top of it...you better belive Wayne and I went for it!

Totally "Gnarly!"

Ok so I just couldn't help myself when I saw the name of this gigantic tree in the children's center! Yes, it was me who made Wayne do the silly pose and hang loose sign, but I think it looks wicked sweet!

Take a Seat!

There is a children's "Barckyard" section at the zoo that I personally found to be totally awsome! Everything was giant sized! There was a pretty sad petty zoo with only two billy goats who didn't do much but sit on tree stumps, and some chicken looking things that just pecked at you the whole time!

Up Close and Personal at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!

Ok, so Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is pretty much the coolest place I have ever been! The very first exhibit you run into is the Giraffes! You walk out on a platform and can actually feed them crackers by hand! This morning, however, they enjoyed the snow that had accumulated over night. Wayne found it amusing to feed them snowballs and watch as they licked it up with their ginormous tongues!

Purple Mountains Majesty...Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak! "Purple Mountains Majesty" actually came from this particular peak. At 14,110 feet, it is one of the highest peaks in Colorado. You can hike the 13 mile trail to the top, or take the scenic Cog Railway Train. It is indeed on our list of things to do here in Colroado Springs! The list, howver, keeps growing each and every time we go somewhere and meet new people who share exciting places to go!

Tasting "The Springs"

Manitou Springs was named after its many natural springs. You can walk along the town today and still drink from them as you please. Many people still bring containers to fill with the fresh mountain spring water. I had to try it! I sipped a little bit but immediately spit it out! It tasted like the worst club soda I've ever had! The locals told us that every spring has a different taste or "flavor," but I honestly didn't want to try any more!

Batman is Too Big for the Batmobile!

Wayne chose to ride in the Batmobile! He could really only fit one hip and leg into it before he got stuck. The batmobile made him as excited as a kid at Christmas! If only it were life size...

YEEEEEHAW!!!

On the main street in Manitou Springs there is a mini carnival where there's about 20 different quarter machine rides! We all took turns riding a different one...I chose the bull because it looked like it would be the best ride! It really sucked though. The good news is I didn't spill my ice cream!

Miramont Castle...It's Haunted!!!

We vistited the Miramont Castle while in Manitou Springs...yes, it is indeed haunted! The hostess told us to make sure we had our cameras with us while touring because certain "ghosts" like to appear in pictures. There are a ton of stories about encounters with these spirits, as well as a book of photos when you first come in the castle. We snapped all the photos we could, but in the end only had one worth freaking out about. It was an old piano with some sort of blur on the keys. We saw some of the ghost pics that looked quite scary!

Manitou Springs

Manitou Springs is a Historic City, but really I like to call it "Hippy-town!" There are real life hippies and all kinds of cool shops along the street! Wayne found a toy store with massive hula hoops out front. He immediately played a game of "shake what yo mama gave you!" while entertaining everyone who came by.

Garden of the Gods State Park

Wayne, Corey, Liz, and I all went to Garden of the Gods State Park last Saturday. It is only about 15 minutes away from our home and absolutely beautiful! It reminds me a lot of Southern Utah...I think that's why I like it so much. There is a ton of rock climbing, trail running, and mountain biking so I don't think we will ever get bored!

"The Grandpa Chair"

We purchased a new couch and recliner while we still had the U-Haul. Wayne is really excited about his "Grandpa Chair" combined with Comcast! Now he can watch TV in style!

What A Mess!

After moving all of our boxes and belongings into our townhome, the next project was to turn the water back on and let it run, or "de-winterize" Someone comes along and winterizes it by putting antifreeze in the drains and toilets. This is part of the purchasing a home process.

Wayne connected the proper pipe and then proceeded to turn on the water. Immediately we heard water running everywhere! We ran around frantically turning faucets and showers off. It was then that we heard the gushing sound! Corey and I ran upstairs to find that the hoses had not been re-connected to the proper valves in the laundry room. Water was shooting out across the room to the other wall! I jumped on the dryer while laughing hysterically and tried to pull the valve closed. Finally the water stopped! I was soaked, but laughing! I found the mop and bucket and went to work cleaning up! What a great way to start our new life in our home!

Movin' To Colorado Springs!

After a ten hour ride through Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado...we finally made it to our home in Colorado Springs! All of our "stuff" just barely squeezed into the moving truck, and when unpacked seemed to be ok. Our friends Corey and Liz came with us to help us move and we were indeed grateful for that!

We came across wind, rain, and even snow on the drive here. I honestly have never seen so much road kill as I did along the way to Colorado! There were so many semi trucks as well!

I am glad that we made it here safe, and am looking forward to starting a new life in Colorado!

A Big Wet Kiss for Valentines Day!

Wayne has been out of town in Virginia all week on business, so I spent some time playing with the new pup Heme. He's so cuddly and loves to be held. He sleeps most of the time, but really enjoys play time as well!

"Hemi"

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of Whizzer, our beloved family dog whom we were very sad to have to put to sleep. Whizzie had been battling with stomach cancer and was in too much pain to stick aroung any longer. Last weekend my mom and dad drove up to Northern Idaho to pick up this little guy. My dad wanted a macho name so he picked "Heme." Yes, this IS after the thing in the truck! He is only 7 weeks old in this picture which was taken just yesterday. He is absolutely the cutest thing I have ever seen!

The Funky Bunch

Wayne has known the twins, Megan and Chelsea, since High School. Although all of us are now married we still like to get together now and again to catch up on life. We enjoyed the raclette dinner, followed by a massive game of "Catch Phrase."

This is Totally Awsome!

We had our friends over for raclette dinner a couple weeks ago. (Starting from the left: Megan, Corey, and Chelsea). Raclette is an amazing dinner that consists of a mini grill, fancy cheeses and all sorts of sausages! OK, so about the care bear...Wayne's uncle is the owner of a company called "All in Fun." He rents out moon bounces as well as frequently hiring Wayne (or in this case his brother Trevor) to dress up as a character and entertain at kid's birthday parties. We made him put the suit on to pose with our friends! Lookin Good Trevor!