Some more Colorado Pictures

Colorado is an amazing place. That's all I can say.

 

 

I wanted so badly to go to Europe and see the sights and visit some castles, but I never imagined there would be a castle right in the middle of nowhere in Colorado.

Bishop's Castle was an awesome adventure!  I loved it, but I will admit it was extraordinarily unsafe.

 

  

Colorado Adventures

 A few years ago our family attended the Reformation Day Faire, down in Morton, IL, and we met this wonderful family. Well, they moved far away a couple of years ago and we really don't get to see them much anymore. So, when everything worked out for them to pick me up and spend a day hiking and having fun at the Colorado Sand Dunes I was THRILLED!!!! It was a great day and I am just so thankful to God that it all worked out.

 

We went to Zapata Falls first, which is a stunning waterfall back in a groove in the mountain. You have to climb pretty far back through the ice cold water to get there. 

 

 

I love climbing all the way up next to the waterfall. It is so beautiful and so loud that you can't hear anything but the roar of the water. If it weren't so painfully cold, I could spend a whole day there.

 

The only waterfall selfie that worked. Haha

 

 

This little river is under the sand for most of the year, but in the spring it makes an appearance and boy is it refreshing and fun to play in!

 

The adventurers getting ready to hike up the dunes.

 

I absolutely love this picture because it is so deceptive! It looks like he's flying down the dune, when in all reality he's hardly even moving. :-)

 

The four of us that made it to the top of a very large dune! I was dehydrated and ready to pass out, but it was so worth the work climbing up.  

 

And some of us decided to bury our legs in the sand at the top. I wonder which pair of shoes are mine?????

Sand beard. Haha I just can't get over the Alaskan hat.

 

Playing in the river.

Photo credit: Gloria Bringe

And because I just couldn't resist......I had to prove that I could slide down faster without a sled than with one. For some reason this picture just cracks me up so bad! :-)

 

It was a great day. I am so happy that it worked out.

 More pictures to come....

An Excellent Article

Here is an excellent article written by Jasmine Baucham that I just had to share!

"On Loving Well Before Love Comes"
http://www.raanetwork.org/2013/06/on-loving-well-before-love-comes/#.Ub9hVHQo7IX


This is great for both guys and gals!

And, I did arrive safely home and there will be more pictures from my Colorado trip. I just have work out a little time to write up a post. :-)

"He calls to us on a new spring day, or on a tawny autumn afternoon with a voice so sorrowful, so sweet, that everything hushes, only briefly, until the wind rises and the leaves start dancing as He sweeps us off our feet. Is that alluring enough, I wonder again, for a young woman to be willing to give up her pitiful lovers and to hope?"
~from "Unseduced and Unshaken" by: Rosalie De Rosset

Basking in Glory

I just love the mountains. A couple of days ago, Grandpa took me through the Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado, and it was like nothing I have ever seen before. It was so stunningly beautiful I just kept saying over and over, "Wow, everything is so beautiful here." I can't help but be amazed when I see God's glorious creation. When mountains surround me on every side, I start to feel a little small in insignificant. They are so big and great. Then I consider how great God is. How mighty and powerful He is. Psalm 36:6 says, "Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast" God's righteousness is like the mountains. Greater and deeper than my own righteousness could ever be. His love reaches to heights and plummets to depths that I could never face.
Not only is God's righteousness greater than even mountains, but He was there before the mountains were even formed. Psalm 90:2 says "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." It's hard to imagine those mountains not existing, or to picture them crumbling away. God was God before there were mountains. Why, He created the mountains! And even when the mountains crumble away, He will still be God. My mind cannot fathom how incredible and awesome God is!

This is why I love mountains; they remind me of the greatness of my God!

Colorado Pictures Part 1

Well hello from Colorado - my most favorite place besides Wisconsin!

I thought I might share some photos from the last couple of days.  Unfortunately, Mr. Gateway here is no cooperating with me and Mr. Blogger decided to also make things more difficult. Anyhoo, here are some pictures, scrambled though they may be. I hope you enjoy! 

 

 

Treasure Falls

We went through the Wolf Creek Pass. Talk about amazingness!!!

 

Some ancient Indian Petroglyphs

At one point on the Wolf Creek Pass we got out and this was my view looking straight down. Lucky for me I do not have a fear of heights. If you fall.....you fall. A. Long. Way. Down.

I just so amazed at God's incredible creation. Pictures just don't do it justice.

 

Grandpa's first Starbucks Frappuccino. The first time I had one was when I came to Colorado almost 4 years ago, so it only seemed appropriate that Gramps should have his first one with me. :-)

And my very own White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino with an extra shot of raspberry. I get one of these babies maybe once or twice a year. Definitely a treat!.

The cowboys

Chimney Rock! I just thought this was the coolest thing ever!!! I took a ton of pictures of it, but this was my favorite.

Treasure Falls

And this is another petroglyph that I saw on Monday.

Oh my goodness, I just about fell in love with these chipmunks that were at the falls. They were the friendliest, funnest little guys ever!!!

This guy was literally 2 inches from my knee.  He just sat there, eating his nuts and watching me.

This little girl was just too cute.

Just a random waterfall on the side of the road.

Santa Fe Trail Memorial

More petroglyphs. I call this one "Crabby."

Snow!!!!!

 

Well there will be more, but that's all for now folks! More adventures soon to come!