We knew we needed a car to get to the wedding which was just south of Denver so David left early to reverse our trip to the airport and pick up our car. Mr. 3 slept a little later but by 6:30am everyone was up in our room. I managed until about 7:30 but we needed breakfast. Nana and Papa to the rescue again. We met them in the lobby and found a place for breakfast just around the corner. David joined us and we decided to all head out to Dinosaur Ridge. The visitors center wasn't open yet so we parked and set off. It was a beautiful hike with fossils and dinosaur footprints but the best part was the beautiful scenery around us.
We got to the other end of the trail and the kids did not seem excited about the walk back. Nana and I stayed with the kids in front of the visitor center (still closed) while Papa and Daddy went to get the cars. While sitting in front of the gate eating snack, a woman drove up and told us she was there to open the center (at 11:30). We followed her inside and found a tiny museum with a shop that sold fossils. All the kids loved picking out fossils (thanks Nana) and Mr. 3 found a book on dinosaurs. It was getting late but we couldn't resist driving up to Red Rock and seeing the amphitheater. It was beautiful but our crew was hungry and tired and not appreciative of any more scenery. Time for lunch!
Mr. 3 was in a grumpy mood. We discovered on the way there that he did not like the booster we had brought for him. With his 4th birthday next week, taking the booster seemed so much easier than a big car seat but unfortunately he can unbuckle a seatbelt and took great pleasure in doing so. I sat in the back with him on the way back and did my best to keep him strapped in but it was not pleasant. Surely he'll get used to it and stop unbuckling (nope - turns out we just had to buy a booster with a harness but that's still 24 hours away). He finally fell asleep just as we returned to the hotel. He napped while the rest of us (minus David who supervised the nap) squeezed in a bit of time at the pool - much less crowded this time!
And then it was time to get ready for the wedding. We all showered and put on our fancy wedding clothes and headed out for the celebration. Everyone kept talking about the traffic and parking and I kept thinking it was kind of crazy. Turns out there was a Kenny Loggins concert right next to the wedding venue - so that was the traffic and parking - but we made it in plenty of time! It was sprinkling but stopped just in time for the outdoor ceremony. It was beautiful and short and even Mr. 3 managed to stay quiet for most of it. After the bride and groom headed back down the aisle, Mr. 3 turned to me and asked "we party now?" and started dancing in the aisle. It was hysterical.
The reception was fantastic - chips and guacamole with mojitos as the appetizers, fajita bar, and the most incredible band ever! My cousin J (the groom's brother) is an amazing trumpet player and played with this band all through college. The band members are all friends of the family and are all incredible musicians. Our entire family danced and danced - yes even Mr. 12 was out there on the dance floor! Trying to reign them in a bit so they could have fun but not take over the dance floor was a little rough, especially with Mr. 6 who will not be out-danced by anyone at his wedding, but the boys did great! Such a fun night. And just to make sure everyone had plenty of energy, the groom's cake was donuts from a local donut shop. Tired and happy, we couldn't imagine a better celebration for such a special couple!
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