Anyway.
Autumn of last year did not consist of very much besides work (Dugan at homedepot and me at The Cheesecake Factory) and as much family&friends time as we can squeeze into all the blank spaces.
First things first, I traded in my metal mouth for some pearly whites. THAT was a good day.
My teeth looked fake. It was nuts. I was definitely happy to be rid of my brace face for good!
The days in Phoenix were still deadly hot so every chance we got, which was about once every other week or so, we ran away to flagstaff or payson for a long hike in the woods or a camping trip or both.
And all the days http at we couldn't run away, we spend hours and hours at the dog part, which is conveniently located about a quarter mile behind our house so it's just a quick 10 minute walk there and back.
Then, in October, we went to Colorado for a vacation.
I knew to expect the mountainous scenery and he peace and quiet. I knew to expect cool nights and warm sunny days. I knew to expect cowboy coffee, campfire meals, and long walks.
I didn't expect the jaw dropping site of the sun rising behind the winding mountains and making the aspens glow as we descended from Telluride into Ridgeway.
I did not expect the gut wrenching ache I got as we drove through lizard head pass and Rico and Delores because those small towns, those gorgeous painted mountains were calling my name.
I did not expect the good nights' sleep I got on the floor of our tent, hearing nothing but the rustling wind and the pitter-patter of puppy paws as Odin and Dusty kept watch around the camp.
I did NOT expect Odin to jump out of the jeep the moment we pulled up to Fruitland Mesa, make himself right at home, and show me that he belonged there and that he was home. (Sidenote: I have NEVER seen my dog behave as well as he did on this vacation)
Long story short, I fell in love with that state. Every bit of it. I fell in love with the site of my husband on his father's property. I fell in love with the views of the sun setting on the mountains that Fruitland Mesa overlooks.
All along, the dream has been of Oregon. But, honestly, that was a place and a dream that we knew nothing about. Like Neverland. As I lay in my tent the second to last night before leaving, I thought hard about life and thinking about living in Colorado with my husband just felt right.
It meant being only a drive away from our home of Arizona- our friends and family- our roots. It meant snow in the winter for Dugan and sunshine in the summer for me. It meant a wildly vast opportunity for Dugan educationally with all the agriculture programs available to us.
Going to Colorado means wide open spaces for my dog to roam and for us to roam with him. It means biking trails and hunting seasons. It means Dugan fulfilling his calling as Craig's only son and will be there to help Craig, when the time comes, to build his house. This thought alone brings so much glee to both of those men, I can't even begin to put it into words right here and now.
We plan to be I'm Colorado no later than July of this year (2015) . We are so eager to start this new journey in our life.
