I loved having a full week to spend with my parents, and I know Camille did too. Nana and Granddaddy properly spoiled us, and Dad and I took a nice hike up the cabin’s mountain road where we enjoyed fantastic sunset views of the surrounding peaks and valley.
I also loved spending so much time with Lee and Camille. Lee and I even snuck away to the Estes Park Brewery to have a drink and celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary. I sat in the booth across from my sweet husband, thinking how pleased I would have been seven years ago to know we’d be spending our anniversary still very much in love, and on a fun vacation with our daughter, family and friends.
Jeff, Michelle and Stella joined us for the second half of the vacation. Camille really liked Baby Stella, who has the habit of flashing the most adorable smile when she’s happy, which is almost all the time.

I enjoyed spending more time with her, and while Camille napped one afternoon and Stella’s parents took a hike (literally), we snuck outside and played on the swing. And later, when Camille woke up, the two girls continued the tea party tradition, played with the toy zoo set, or chatted on the phone.

One morning, Lee, Jeff, Michelle and I took a horseback ride up a winding mountain trail, and it was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It had been so long since I’d been on a horse, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it.

This was Lee’s first horseback ride, and I was very glad he was willing to give it a try – and he did great. We saw lots of pretty scenery and some baby elk and their mamas. And I took in deep breaths of leather and horse hair – a combination I find intoxicating, strange though it may sound. It felt very good to be in the saddle again.