Gloria and daughter take trip for her birthday
I never thought I’d get to go out West until our friend Mandy offered to host us in Colorado. A year or two before Daniel passed, he told the children he would take them on a trip for their 12 or 13th birthday. Each child would then help choose where they would go to spend a few days with Daddy. Daniel’s goal was to add value and relationship to their bond as a father and son or daughter.
Daddy died. Okay… recalculating. Now what? Though in my heart I’d be the one to take his place, I still couldn’t bear the thought of a trip without Daddy. “How can I go? It just doesn’t seem right,” rang in my head.
At last I was able to let go of myself and an excited 12-year-old was helping me plan a trip to Colorado. It sounded too good to be true as Mandy told of hot air balloon rides, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, and camping in the mountains.
When Daniel’s brother Tobias heard about our ideas, he suggested we all travel to Columbus, Ohio, where they would pick up the children and take them back to Danville, where they, along with Daniel’s other siblings, would take care of them while Julia and I would fly out of Columbus to Denver. Ya, the mommy part of me was a bit skeptical about leaving the children, still I knew it was the thing to do; after all, wasn’t it Julia’s turn to have some quality time with her mom? Being the oldest of six children, her times with Mom tend to be rather sparse.
A couple months later, Julia and I sat next to each other on a jet, waiting for takeoff. Really? Yes, really it was true and we were both excited.
The jet sped across the runway and into the clouds. My concerns about the children had disappeared much like the earth which was gone from view. It was awesome knowing the children were well taken care of, but honestly, I was tired. The dark circles around my eyes were telltale marks of a lack of sleep. The week ahead looked appealing.
At the Denver airport, we headed for luggage claim, the underground train adding adventure for both of us. On the other end we were delighted to see a familiar face: Mr. Shepard, who had come to take us back to Colorado Springs to their house where we would meet Mandy and Leanna, a church sister who was also in Colorado. It didn’t take us long to get to know the Shepard family. Their fun-loving ways with top-notch hospitality left us relaxed and grateful.
The first morning our alarm clock was beeping at 4 a.m. Julia’s dream of a hot air balloon ride was about to come to reality. Watching the Rainbow Ryder team unfold, blow up, then finally set up the balloon and shoot gas in was an adventure all its own, not to mention the feeling of being up in the sky at the mercy of the wind, with no steering power whatsoever.
Julia and I enjoyed having Mandy with us and together marveled over the rising sun and beautiful view.
The following morning was another early one, we were heading out to go whitewater rafting. When Julia talked about whitewater rafting, my first impulse I wasn’t sold on the idea, but then why not try it? We were delighted to have Mandy, Mr. and Mrs. Shepard, and Leanna along. Our guide carefully went over many details such as leaning in when she calls out, “Bump, bump, bump!”
We were outfitted in helmets, life vests, and rafting booties and were off. At first there was that feeling of apprehension, but then when I learned to relax and enjoy the ride with twists, turns, and water spraying all over, I couldn’t get enough of it.
We were blessed with an outstanding guide who even offered to pray for us before we reached our destination. And oh yes, at one point she offered that we could get down into the water. I laugh as I write, in moments Julia and I were down there together in cold water. When it dawned on me that it’s melted snow from the mountains, it made sense why it was so frigid.
The next two nights were spent in the San Luis Valley at Mandy’s house. Sand dunes, Zapata Falls, and a drive to New Mexico came the day following. The 488 miles were worth the trip, and climbing the dunes was worth the trek in the soft sand. The weather was absolutely perfect with blue skies and fluffy white clouds to keep the sand from becoming unbearably hot.
On the side of a hill, I brushed away several inches of loose sand to get farther down where I could write in it. There, with my daughter, surrounded by mountains I etched the words, “I luv u Dan.” It felt as if he were there with us. We will forever be changed by his love, and though we miss him, God is so good.
I’ll be saving the most scenic and relaxing part of the trip for next time.
For now join us as we eat Leanna’s breakfast wraps on our way to whitewater rafting. Winding our way up through the mountains, I savored every bit of our conversations and breakfast wraps.
SAVORY BREAKFAST WRAPS
Tortillas
Eggs, scrambled and fried Sausage, crumbled and
fried
Cheese of your choice Dressings of your choice, we enjoy ranch, mayo, barbecue sauce, or honey mustard
Use the number of tortillas to match the amount of people you will be serving and spread dressing over each one. Fill with eggs and sausage. If desired throw in a handful of bacon bits or several slices pepperoni. Fold in sides of tortillas. Leanna wrapped them in wax paper and tin foil and placed them in an insulated container to keep them hot.