School's Out For Summer!

Sunset at our campsite

It's official-my first year of teaching art in Denver is over and it is time for summer vacation! WAHOO!

Andy and I started out the weekend by heading up to Jack's Gulch in Poudre Canyon outside of Fort Collins, CO. It was a GORGEOUS ride along the Colorado river up to our campsite. We were both amazed at how the mountains had quickly transformed from being snow covered to being lush and green. Summer has officially begun in Colorado and it is beautiful! We passed lots of kayaks and rafts running the river as we made the ascent up to Jack's Gulch. It was so pretty that it was hard to take it all in- and something about the smells and sounds from the river made me nostalgic for the many summer days spent on river trips in North Carolina as a camper and counselor at Merrie-Woode=) Here are just a few pictures from the trip.

Isn't it gorgeous?! Summer is by far my favorite season out here!

The river rafters

Another wonderful treat was getting to spend one last time with our dear friends Natalie, Drew, and Honey Hill!! We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Hills and are so sad that they are moving back to North Carolina but we are excited about their new adventures in the dash...and I think that Andy will always fondly think of them when we eat at a Chick-fil-A in CO, so they will be with us in spirit=)



Some of our other friends, Matt and Kristen are also moving=( Matt and Andy are fellow residents, but with the end of the residency program, Matt and Kristen (with their two daughters Addison and Abrie) will be moving back home to Wyoming. We will miss them both and Andy is going to miss his buddy, Addison! Here they are at the park...taking a break from watering the plants together!