We always knew that a cross-country move would be hard, but we got some curveballs that made the road even bumpier than expected. The biggest one was that Chris unexpectedly lost his job about four weeks after we got here. And then there's the fact that we still haven't sold our Chicago condo (meaning we are carrying two mortgages and have to delay things like buying new furniture, finishing the basement, and even putting blinds on our windows), the fact that we have struggled to find a preschool where Danny didn't sob hysterically at drop-off every morning, and the fact that the cat decided to start peeing on the furniture again...let's just say my anxiety level has been outside of a healthy range for three months now.
Thankfully, just last week Chris received a job offer and Danny got in off the waitlist at a preschool he loves. And we are grateful to have good friends (old and new) that have made us feel welcome and supported. We also take solace in the beauty of the Rockies and all of the amazing things that we can do now, like walk right out the front door and hike up a mountain. So it's not all bad. We know that eventually this will feel like home. It just takes time.
Anyway, here are some pictures from our early days in Colorado, as we adjusted to the new house, new neighborhood, and new activities.
Cuddling with kitty on the 14-hour drive to our new home.
New house, no beds.
Checking out the local playgrounds...
...and the local wildlife.
Meeting up with Kristen and Donald at Cannonball Creek, one of our go-to breweries.
"Working from home."
Exploring downtown Golden.
Daddy and Aaron building a bunkbed for Jill and Danny.
Camera thief.
Checking out the Denver Children's Museum.
Looking spooky in the mist waterfall.
Sure hope those are clean.
Getting creative in the building center.
Mt. Zion has an "M" on it for the School of Mines, which is located in Golden. But I told the kids it stands for "Mommy," so now we call it "Mommy Mountain."
Excited to open a care package from Opa.
Our first official hike with friends.
Mountain selfie.
Kids on the rocks.
On the edge.
They have a slightly different taste in furniture than Mom and Dad.
D and I checked out the Railroad Museum one day while Aaron and Jill were in school.
We also hiked the trail at "Dinosaur Ridge."
The trail had a lot of cool dino fossils, and a view of Red Rocks Ampitheater.
Lunch break.
Proof that dinosaurs walked the earth!
Clear Creek runs right through Golden, and it's perfect for tubing on a hot day (as long as you don't mind getting smacked in the butt by a few rocks on the way down).
Opa and Oma came out just a couple of weeks after we got here to help us get settled. Opa's building skills came in handy when we needed to "adjust" the specs for Aaron's new loft from IKEA.
Another hike!
Brave Broyles.
We found the waterfall!
And some wild raspberries.
Reconnecting with Chicago friends, who are now Colorado friends.
There was definitely poison ivy in there.
Lunchtime hike up North Table Mountain.
Wildlings in the creek.
Feeding the giraffes at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
Don't let your guard down!
We stuck Jill in the trunk.
Birdfeeders.
What is it about a carousel?
The weather here is weird. Crazy snowstorms followed by summer weather within a day or two.
Reading to "comfort dogs" at the Golden Library.
They say that a rainbow comes after a storm, so we're keeping our eyes on the sky.
(In the meantime, know anyone who is looking for a condo in Chicago...?)
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