Colorado

As with every year for my job, I go to the School Nutrition Association Annual Conference.  This year, excitingly, it was in Denver, Co! 

Denver is where I met Amy LeClaire and her family and took them to the National Western Stock Show Rodeo in January.  She was Dreaming of Three's first Rodeo Kid!  Colorado was also where the wildfires were that we raised money to send to the equine victims and also a semi load of hay to send to a facility located in Colorado Springs. So to go out and spend some time in Colorado was very special to me. 

Franco Harris, (ex Pittsburgh Steeler) is my boss and the owner of Super Bakery.  We have a booth at the convention and also hold a very large party on Monday night during the convention.   This is my part of the convention, putting together this party for a lot of the school food service directors of schools across the nation. 

Since I had just held the fundraiser with the t-shirts, sending $1645 to the Tip Top Ranch, who houses the horses for the Sky High Hope Camp (a week long camp for children with cancer and their siblings), I thought what better way to meet them all!  I invited them to this party Monday night!  It was a true pleasure to meet them!

Jeff & Cindy from Tip Top Ranch & also some folks from Sky High Hope Camp with my
boss Franco Harris and also Lydell Mitchell (Baltimore Colts)

Jeff & Cindy from Tip Top Ranch, some folks from Sky High Hope Camp & myself.

I was able to spend some time chatting with them even though I had the rush around of taking care of "party detail".  

Tuesday, after the conference, we headed out toward Colorado Springs.  It was a very beautiful area, but no doubt made my heart sink when I would see the areas burnt.  Some of the blackened ground came so close to some of the homes there, I can't imagine how scarey that would have been!  Opening the windows to snap pictures, we could still smell the smoke.

As you can see, there were signs all over thanking the firefighters and all the volunteers that helped get those fires out!

Luckily, as you can tell, they got the rain that was needed!  Even while driving around the area, it was raining hard and the bright rainbows that appeared really melted my heart! 

Double Rainbow in Colorado Springs near Pikes Peak

When my step father passed away, my sister recited the "Rainbow Bridge" poem.  That evening when we returned home, there was a rainbow over my home, seemingly coming from our church right into our back yard.  Both of my kids said, "Look, pap is telling us he's ok and made it across Rainbow Bridge".  So, to see these rainbows in Colorado-where my step father's ashes are buried, to know that TEAM DO3 pulled together to help the victims of these wildfires, made me have a very choked up feeling.  I am glad I was able to drive around the area, to see first hand how the fires affected the area, as it made me feel so proud of Dreaming of Three/TEAM DO3 and what we accomplished with our hay drive and fund raiser!

Wednesday was the last day of the conference and therefore I made an appointment for something I had wanted to do for a long time.  I never knew exactly what I wanted, but I knew when I finally did so, it had to have meaning.  I never wanted something chosen from a book or online, I wanted it to be special and unique.  My very first "Rodeo Kid" was in Colorado, DO3's very first National Crisis fund raiser was for Colorado, and my step father's ashes are buried in Colorado, a place he loved dearly.  Those three things combined, made me realize what to get and that I had to get it in Colorado.  Therefore, I DID!

Tattoo

To me, it's a way to honor all the Rodeo Kids that I have taken thus far, to honor my father & step father, for all those initials on my saddle crosses, for the victims of the wildfires in Colorado, and for future efforts that TEAM DO3 and Dreaming of Three put forth.  Some may think it's crazy, that at the age of 43 I got a tattoo, but, it just never was the right time, place, or design.  I drew the logo myself, therefore it was unique and all my own.  (I can also cover it with my hair when needed.  :)  ) 

The rest of the trip in Colorado was wonderful.  Such a beautiful area!  I found myself taking snapshots of all the beautiful flowers in the area constantly!

We toured the Coors Brewery as well.  My husband, Sean loved this part, as who could pass up FREE BEER!

We visited Red Rock Amphitheatre, which was very cool, as Sunday apparently is a huge workout day there!  People running the stairs, doing squats on the bleachers-what better way to workout!  Outdoors in such beautiful scenery!  Wish I had such a gym!

On Thursday we headed to Breckenridge, where Franco's sister had a vacation home.  Another beautiful area!  Even in summer, there is tons to do! 

We took a horseback ride into the mountains.  (However, it truly makes me miss my own horses, that have a faster speed than slow!). 

We also rented mountain bikes and rode the ski lifts up to the top of the mountain and rode the trails down!  Which for me, was a little narly!  I'd much rather be on the back of a horse coming down a mountain, than a bike-but I managed.  However, that right wrist, the one for the back brake, the one that Sis broke several years ago, was really quite sore by the time we made it to the bottom!

We drove around some, headed up some mountains, where the temperature cooled off significantly!

We saw some wildlife, however, not as much as we had hoped.

Fox right in downtown Breckenridge!

Garden of the Gods

I am  happy to be back in the Burgh however, with my children, my horses and dogs!  It was a great trip to Colorado, and very meaningful for me.  If you've never visited Colorado, it is a must see state!

Unfortunately, while there, the Movie Theatre shootings happened.  Another tragedy is not what this state needed!  My thoughts and prayers are with victims and their families. 

Now it is back to riding, and getting ready for Ohio State IBRA Finals next weekend!