My parents and I went to Colorado to visit children, grandchildren, and the new great-granddaughter. But as many of you know, we are moving to Colorado next year. Initially, that was set to happen in March. Still, it appears that we will all be crazy enough to make that leap in January or February. What better time to move to Colorado than the dead of winter? We are all very excited to have four generations of family in one state. The new granddaughter stole our hearts the minute we laid eyes on her and gave us another reason to move sooner rather than later.

Speaking of my precious new granddaughter, it is an emotion like none other when you meet a grandchild for the first time. Seeing how much she changed during the week we were in Colorado was amazing. I had forgotten how quickly newborn babies develop during the first few months of life. Her ability to focus and track with her eyes changed so much; she loves to stare at contrasting colors. Additionally, her strength to lift her head and turn it from side to side vastly changed while we were there. She has already become a piano prodigy; if using your feet to pound out your own tune on the piano keys at the foot of your activity mat makes you a prodigy. In the eyes of this Oma, it does make her a prodigy.

Another part of this trip was seeing my daughter and son-in-law as first-time parents. They are doing a fantastic job dealing with all the new items thrown at you by a tiny eight-pound ball of demanding energy. They remain very calm all the time, including what they call the witching hour, when their sweet daughter decides to stay awake and be fussy for an hour or so in the middle of the night. Whitney and Michael have developed an excellent system for playing to each other’s strengths when sharing parental responsibilities. I cannot wait to watch them grow in their role as parents.

Additionally, we were able to spend time with Kyle in the evenings for some great meals and family time. We went to our usual place for Italian food, Gallo’s, and had Mexican food twice. Still, the restaurant that stole the show was Postino Wine Cafe in Highlands Ranch, Colorado  https://www.postinowinecafe.com/states/colorado/. The bruschetta boards are a must-try; there are so many to choose from, and they were all wonderful. The food was so fresh and delicious that I would encourage anyone in the area to try it out. I cannot wait to take Robert to this location because I know he will love the quality of the food.

In addition to spending time with family and enjoying great food, we made several trips to Colorado Springs to look at houses. We viewed hundreds of homes online before narrowing it down to nine to see in person in one day. Let me tell you, looking at nine houses in one day is not for the faint of heart. After narrowing it down to one house, we drove back to Colorado Springs to look at the home again. Then, we went back another day to look more in-depth at the surrounding area. So, it appears that my parents may have found their next home, so all the trips to Colorado Springs were well worth it. We put more miles on Whitney’s car in 7 days than she had in the last four months.

This whirlwind trip made my parents and I invoke Whitney’s quote about needing a vacation from vacation. When she was eight years old, we were returning from a 3-week vacation, and as she pulled her wheeled duffle bag across the parking lot at the airport, she informed us that she needed a vacation from vacation, and that is how we felt as we were pulling our luggage off the baggage claim carousel. But, of course, we cannot wait to see the Colorado family again.