A Covid-Style trip to Colorado

 We were so thankful to finally get out of the house and head to Colorado! It took some concerted effort to mostly quarantine for 2 weeks before we left (no contact with others except for quick trips to the grocery store). The journey up was very covid-aware as we only stopped to use bathrooms at rest stations, put on gloves and masks, and scooted in and out as quickly as possible. It was a delight to make it to a fun dinner spot in Colorado where we got yummy pizza from a food truck and found an outdoor table, enjoying the cool, dry air and watching the storm clouds over the plains. 

Our time with each side of the family was relatively quick (cuz covid), but we soaked it up. It was so sweet to be able to hug Mimi & Pa and take a break from thinking about distancing and masking! We needed to keep some distance from the Burchams since they were not able to quarantine and we were trying to especially protect grandparents and Noah. It was very hard to not be close to them, but thankfully the weather was good, so we enjoyed lots of outside time together and did our best to stay distanced. We played in the yards at both houses, the guys golfed, and and took a walk along the canal. It was very sweet and encouraging to be together in the middle of a very weird, stressful pandemic experience. 

The second stop was near Gunnison with the Tallon/Huffman side. That also felt like a covid-break as we all had quarantined and felt comfortable being together. We stayed in a great property with rooms for everyone, a little pond on site, and the lake nearby for a few hours of tubing. We fished, played games, sat around the campfire, and just enjoyed not being isolated and distanced! We also had an amazing night under the stars, which was maybe my favorite moment of the trip. We were able to see the Neowise Comet with our naked eyes, which was so cool! There was no moon and we were so far from city lights that the whole sky was full of stars. The Milkyway was easy to see and we saw more stars than we had seen in a long time - maybe ever. There was something so satisfying and comforting about seeing that night sky. As we continue to manage covid and all of the effects, it was settling to our hearts to remember that the God who spread out the heavens is with us in these unsettling times.