Denver!

Friday morning we left for Denver!

Here is James with airplane hair....

He had some "optional" training that his work made more enticing by inviting and paying for the spouses to come along. Yea for me! 

So we sort of had this mini-all inclusive-paid for vacation to Denver. (James just had to go to training for eight hours a day - twice!)

The  first night we hooked up with these fun people. Co-workers from James' work and their wives. We went to a fun restaurant called Papadeux. It was sort of a Louisiana/Cajan/Seafood restaurant and it was delicious! The company was buying and we had appetizers, blended drinks, desserts....the works! 

The next days the husbands went to training (poor husbands) and the wives went and had mani's and pedi's! 

After lunch I dragged the wives to "Unsinkable" Molly Browns House! 

It was charming.

Here's Jen & I on the porch waiting for the tour. 

The didn't let us take any inside photo's. Boo. They had 15 watt bulbs throughout the house for authentic purposes and the real estate agent in me was having a hard time, it took everything in me not to open the blinds and let some light in! (That and I kept trying every closet and cupboard.) 

We actually talked them into letting us see the third floor although it wasn't part of the tour. When we were in the kitchen at the last leg of the tour, we learned that there was another flight of stairs to the attic where the servants slept Jen and I snuck back up the two flights of stairs to find it - but had no luck. We did have luck sneaking back downstairs through the servants staircases and avoided running into the tour group behind us or having our tour guide notice we were missing. 

Whew. Such real estate sleuths!

We drove by the art district and I got a quick picture of this lovely/odd statue...

We had catered breakfast and lunches with our husbands at the hotel each day and then at night the company would take us out to dinner. Saturday night it was an Italian place, Sunday a steak and seafood house. They paid for everything. Sunday night we went back to the hotel and I taught everyone the "name" game and we laughed and laughed. Later we hot-tubbed and then Monday we got up bright and early and went home. (Sigh.) So nice.

Here are the couples we hung out with:

Richard & Jen 

Bill & Dawna

Erick & Jean

And here's James and I

We had rain and showers off and on throughout the weekend. Sunday after dinner we walked out to see this double rainbow.

Kambree held down our fort and I am happy to report that the house was standing and everyone was alive and no worse for the wear. People that is. On of our cars and a door waiting to be hung in our garage, are slightly worse for the wear but nothing too major. 

Kambree told me Monday morning that she was sure glad I was home. She doesn't like being me. 

As I approached nine loads of Mount St Laundry, I can't say I blame her! Being me isn't always fun. Since being home, not only have I done all nine loads of laundry, mopped floors, cleaned carpets, lectured Alex about video games and his lack of self control, lectured Devree and Austin about their friends acting like circus animals in our house, paid bills, gone birthday shopping, tutored Alex, and followed up on work emails, inspections, and appraisals, I have also felt rejuvenated and relaxed from my weekend away from it all.

Thanks James' work for the lovely weekend!