TOFW

Sometime in the summer, Mom asked if I would be interested in going to Denver in October for Time Out for Women (TOFW).  She would already be there with Kimberly to help with baby Claire, so it would be a fun mini-reunion.  We were also hoping that Madi could come as well!  I pitched the idea to Kevin and he was on board, so I bought my ticket and looked forward to the weekend.  

Jerry and Bev both came to watch the kids on Friday, then Kevin could be home with them the rest of the weekend.  The kids are at a great age for me to leave, so I didn't worry too much about leaving them.  But I still needed kisses before I left...

Dad was also in town that weekend (he was going back and forth to California during the 3 months Mom was in Denver), so he was the lucky one to get me from the airport.  We were stuck in major traffic on the drive to Kimberly's apartment, but we had a nice chance to talk and catch up.

Once we finally arrived, I was able to hold Claire and my heart totally melted.  She felt so tiny!  A week or so before the trip, Mom asked if I thought it would be hard to hold Claire since it was so close to the due date of our baby we lost.  I really didn't think it would be hard, and it wasn't as I held her, but I totally cried during the first dinner prayer.  I don't know what happened exactly, but I was expressing gratitude for meeting Claire, and I just cried.  It took me a a minute to regain my composure, but I did and the rest of the weekend was great. The messages at TOFW really spoke to my heart, and I think that was exactly what I needed.  Moms are inspired!

During our lunch break on Saturday, we met up with Dad and Josh and ate at this amazing restaurant called Union Bistro (in Castle Rock). It was seriously delicious, and we shared a variety of what they call "small plates", which included things like crunchy broccoli with sriracha cream, thai flatbread, italian egg rolls with pesto, cuban flatbread, and some sort of tater tots with garlic aioli. We finished the meal with  a homemade peanut butter cup the size of a brownie that was dusted with powdered sugar.  Wow, so good, it makes me hungry just thinking about it!

Sunday was church of course, and it was so nice to just be together.  I really wish that Madi could have been there as well, but hopefully next time she can.  It's hard to live so far away from family, but I guess it makes you appreciate the time you DO get to spend together.  I have a feeling that we'll try to make this a tradition.