Thursday, July 5, 2012

Colorado Part 2. Photo and heart dump.



What was so great about Colorado you may ask.  Well, EVERYTHING is great about Colorado. I think it is the best place on this whole United States of America.  Speaking of USA and Colorado - Colorado is where I realized that the United States is called the United States because they are different States United. Amazing right?  I clearly remember the moment that hit me. I remember we were driving from Boulder back to Lyons, I must have been about 9.  It was life altering. Kinda like the Pancakes realization.

OK, back to Colorado. After flying into Denver and staying with my Aunt and Uncle, we headed to Lyons, the small wonderful town I grew up in. From 6 months to 14 1/2.  The feeling of driving up to town was indescribable. It was as if I had never left. I knew where everything was, what everything looked like (sure there were some changes here and there), what everything smelled like and most importantly what it felt like. It felt like home. 

We saw old friends, walked familiar streets, dangled our feet in the St. Vrain River, and made a stop at my old elementary school where Sonny enjoyed playing and running around the playground.  Although the playground equipment had changed, it was still really special for me to see my son doing the same things I used to do, in the same place.




This is a favorite




This is my Colorado Smile. It's different from my NY smile.



this is a favorite too





Every Summer Lyons celebrates Good 'Ole Days.  A weekend of live music, a carnival and a bunch of other things like square dancing, car shows, races and other wonderful small town stuff. Who wouldn't want to live here?  I am very thankful that my parents saw this town's charm and settled here our childhood.



he HATES HATES HATES carnival rides.


One little monkey jumping on the bed.


BUT the very most special thing was what happened next.  I wanted to see my old house. The same house I lived in for 14 years.  The house that was the only place that ever felt like HOME growing up.  When we moved to Florida, neither house we lived in felt like home. The Colorado house was home, and always would be.  So we went there. We drove up the drive way, saw a women in the Kitchen window (which overlooks the driveway) we waved, she waved and before we could get to the front door and introduce ourselves, she was inviting us in.  Once we made it through the door this happened:

Me: Hi, I used to live here and...
Her: OH WAIT!! Are you one of the Scheiner girls??
Me: Yes!
Her: Oh, the younger or older one?
Me: The younger.

Then I walked in my kitchen and started crying like a baby. She was the same lady who bought the house from my parents, she was so nice! so very very nice.  I told her I used to hate her, but now I liked her.  We were there about an hour.  She brought out toys and let Sonny play with them in the living room, which was special to me because again here was my son doing something I used to do, somewhere I used to do it, someplace special.  It brings tears to my eyes even now.

She gave us a tour of the house and I was relieved to see so much was still the same.  The window treatments, the layout, the carpet in the basement rooms.  Every where I looked, I saw a younger version of myself running around, laughing and playing, or just sitting and thinking.

The new owner has decided to sell the house to be closer to her family.  So if anyone reading this wants to be my best friend forever - you can buy it for me  :)



View from my old kitchen window

This was our ash box


Me in my old room



on the deck




This fireplace was designed by my parents
  After Lyons, we headed up to Grand Lake to spend a night in a lakeside cabin.  We drove through Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park.  We took Trail Ridge Road which could be a post all on it's own.   It is the highest continuous motorway in the United States, with more than eight miles lying above 11,000' and a maximum elevation of 12,183'. It is the true definition of awesome.








After Grand Lake, we took Trail Ridge back to Estes then took the Peak to Peak to Hwy 119 through Boulder.  It was just...I don't even have words.  So beautiful.


Anyone wanna come with me next year?

4 comments:

  1. O my goodness yes I want to come next year!!!!! it looks amazing! and i cant even believe that view from your old kitchen window, wow. i really loved this post, reminded me of wanting to revisit a farm i lived on for about 5/6 years i also feel that it was my real home. someday i will go visit! thanks for the post!

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  2. Carly this was so sweet, I know you feel weird about sharing and people reading about your family but you can really learn a lot about some poeple this way and now I know that you were a country girl and I guess its weird that I could hang out with someone for so long and never know this. What else do I not Know? HHHMMMMM...

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  3. Mountain girl is more like it. Country girl is a whole different thing.

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  4. I loved this post! There is nothing like visiting your old hometown. Cam and I are in Colorado this week visiting family and friends. It is beautiful. I think we're going to try the Peak to Peak. Can we all just move here?

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