Memorial Day

**Images added June 6, 2009.**

Well, for me, it's strange to start a blog without photos, but as we drove up to Frisco, I realized about four things that I forgot to pack. Two of the most important were Adrianna's favorite friend, Bunny, (without which she has not slept in three years) and -- as you might have figured out -- our camera. I can't really blame myself for Bunny: Scott and I saw Adrianna carrying her right before we got in the car, so we both assumed she came. But I can blame myself for the camera. Right before we left, I reminded myself to get it. Oh well! If I can get a copy of the Chesnut's pictures, I will try to post them soon.

Words will have to be enough do describe our adventures.

After lunch on Friday, Scott, Adrianna, and I set off. We met up with our friends and their two kids by the time we got to Alamosa. We had an uneventful drive to Colorado, stopping at Wild Bill's Hamburgers in Leadville for dinner. Apparently, the hamburgers were a little too wild for Scott's stomach, and he struggled to keep together until the wee hours of the morning. Those distractions, coupled with our one-year-old companion's cries every half-hour to hour, made each one of us pretty tired for our first day in Frisco. We were all worried about what little Abby's crying could mean (ear infection? other illness?), so Jennifer found a doctor's office/urgent care that was willing to fit her in. As it turns out, Abby's working on getting several teeth at once, and wanted us to know she was a little uncomfortable (I'm sure I would be, too!).

Combined with the gorgeous ominous clouds threatening (and occasionally fulfilling) rain all Saturday, that doctor's visit might have been enough drama for one day. But it wasn't. When Adrianna awoke from her nap, still complaining of a sore throat, I had to admit that I, too, was feeling crumby and getting worse. We discovered the doctor Abby saw was closed, and we conveniently already had the name of the other "nearest" urgent care. A forty-five minute trip was not quite as near as I would have desired, but the cost savings over the hospital three-minutes away was worth the drive. At the time, the drive was an eternity for me. A fever had started causing aches and pains in muscles I rarely use. My throat felt like I'd swallowed a dragon. And my skin itself was so tender that my clothes felt like a lead apron upon it.

A two-hour "urgent" care visit left Adrianna and me both with antibiotics and a strep throat diagnosis, and me with the life-saving directions to take both Tylenol and Advil simultaneously to ease my discomfort. By the time we returned to the condo, I was already feeling enough better that I could talk almost normally again!

By Sunday, I continued the pain relievers, and we enjoyed a mostly normal day. After burning energy at the enormous Frisco park, we partook of the shopping at the Silverthorne Outlet Mall, ate at delicious Chipotle, and swam at the very cold pool. We wrapped up our time with a little Seinfeld DVD marathon, and had an actual night's sleep. By Monday, our third day of rainy skies, we slipped in a trip to the natural grocery (finding some delicious dried fruit) and headed home.

Our trip was not quite what any of us planned, but overall, we had fun times. And I'm grateful that we got to see a doctor on Saturday, to be able to enjoy the rest of our time much more fully! And we are so thankful for the time we got with our dear friends before they move away.