Just Lauren

My life has been fairly interesting and busy lately. Two weeks ago I went to Grand Lake on a family vacation. I loved getting to spend time with my family – two of my cousins even came. I went hiking and kayaking, played games and watched movies, and ate lots of food. I even made it to the top of Mt. Ida – FINALLY! Third time’s the charm. That hike was just as impressive as I remembered and this time I actually came prepared and dressed warmly so no issues there. Didn’t see any sheep this time but we did see plenty of marmots, a few pika, and even a ptarmigan. Something I really enjoyed on the trip though was a brief moment – I went outside at night and looked at the stars. The stars were so bright and the rest of the world so dark that I could actually see the Milky Way. For the first time in my adult life I saw the Milky Way and I was legitimately awe struck. I think that moment makes it to the best moments of my life so far. Gene said the stars look even better at the farmhouse so I’m definitely going to have to go up there sometime to confirm his statement.

After vacation I immediately jumped into my new role at work – supporting 8 people instead of the previous 4. It’s something I wanted to do and it came with a nice raise but I had chosen to go on vacation at the wrong time it turned out and last week was the busiest I had been in probably a year. It wasn’t a bad thing, it was just a bit crazy and exhausting. But I believe I have a handle on things now and everything appears to be going quite smoothly.

Last weekend we met up with our friends Brittany and Josh again and had brunch with them at Denver Biscuit Company, my favorite brunch place in town. We went to their new location at the Stanley Marketplace, a place I had never been before (it’s pretty new). While we were waiting for our table we wandered around the shops and discovered that a survey group was giving away $20 gift cards for taking selfies. So we all did it and now I have a gift card to a Mexican restaurant at the Marketplace – means we’ll have to go back! The food was delicious, the best I have had at the place, and I had a great time.

Later that evening, Elisabeth, Gene, and I went to the Cheese Festival, a festival that happens once a year, each time in a different state. This was the first time it had come to Denver and according to sources would be the last for at least another 10 years so we figured we better go. Best. Decision. Ever. As I continued to tell Elisabeth throughout the evening, I was in heaven. This is also another top moment of my life. Tables upon tables were filled with different kinds of cheeses with crackers, nuts, honey, and jam sprinkled throughout. I shoved cheese into my mouth almost as fast as I could, not even bothering to see what I was eating. We also tried chocolate, cookies, and meat. We spent 1 ½ hours wandering around a room eating mostly cheese and crackers. I loved it (cheddar and honey = amazing combination). We then bought cheese afterward. The “store” was three long tables of a variety of cheese blocks. You either grabbed a small bag and filled it for $30 or a big bag and filled it for $60. We chose to go with the small bag and ended up getting NUMBER of cheeses for a total of 11.5 pounds. Needless to say we are hosting our own mini cheese festival next week.

Tomorrow, Elisabeth’s parents are coming into town to bring Elisabeth all the things they had been holding for her and to visit for a bit. We’re going to eat at Beau Jo’s for dinner! Life is certainly not boring right now so I hope I can keep up with this blogging.