Where to start part 3

Continuing on through July events:

The Barkers, some of our friends from TX, came to visit mid-July. It was so great to see them and spend time together. We did a lot of things and were exhausted by the end but it was a refreshing time too. We went to Red Rocks twice because the kids loved it so much.

We toured the Molly Katherine mine in Cripple Creek. It was a really neat tour. It is a bit pricey but I highly recommend it you get the chance. It is a historical mine, not currently a working mine. The tour takes you 1000 feet below the surface and then the guide gives you a history of mining and the development of equipment to make mining easier and more profitable. It was fascinating. We also got to do a lot of picnicking as we took lunches a lot while we were doing different sight seeing.

We also drove to the top of Pike's Peak. That was really fun. I had not been up there since the ascent in 2010. I want to drive up again next summer and stop at more of the points of interest on the way up. I had no idea there were so many places to stop and explore along the drive.

One of the Barker kids got altitude sickness the day we went to Cripple Creek so that was the only blight on the time together. We spent a rainy afternoon looking at the shops in Woodland Park. We also toured the wolf sanctuary up in Divide. That is another activity I highly recommend, even though a bit pricey. We did the feeding tour so got to see all of the wolves and watch them chow down on raw meat donated by farmers and hunters. If you want to be really adventurous, the sanctuary offers tours for adults where you can go in the pens with the wolves. Other than that we enjoyed spending time on the property, playing games and eating together. It was a great way to break in our house and make it feel like home.

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Getaway to Ticks Bend....I Mean Beavers Bend State Park

Back in April, we decided we needed to do a short family getaway after the semester was over. The last time we'd been on vacation just to vacation (not going to see family in CO) was when we went to San Antonio when Maddy was 3 months old. We found Beavers Bend State Park close to Broken Bow, OK and decided to go there. We booked a cabin in the state park and eagerly awaited the day we could take off for our getaway. We left on Sunday afternoon and stayed through Tuesday afternoon. It was short, but so fun and relaxing. We had no computer and no cell phones while we were up there. We just got to enjoy being around each other and the beautiful scenery. We built a fire and roasted some marshmallows. Also popped some jiffy pop. Aaron had never done one of those before. This is a 100 year old cabin they had at the visitor center. I like the mud chinking ( I think that's what it's called). A couple named Comma and Mabel lived in the cabin when the CCC was building the

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