Jet lag...for real? It's only 2 hours!

I'm baaaaack!  Denver sister-cation was SO FUN.  We drank a little lot of good beer, did some shopping, went to Boulder, and of course the Ray LaMontagne concert Friday night at Red Rocks.  It. Was. Awesome.  And Meg's roommate is really great and I'm glad I got to meet her before she moves to Ghana to teach for 2 years! 

But, it was definitely good to get back to my guys and their smiles and to sleep in my bed. Back to reality!

Mer and I flew out together on Wednesday morning...

coming into Denver - couldn't quite get the mountains for the glare of the sun, but it was gorge.

Bathroom self-portrait in homage to SkinnyRunner:

can you tell I'm a little freaked out taking my first bathroom self-portrait?? deer in headlights.

Super happy to see baby sister!

Now let's get some food....I'm STARVING!

awww

We went to Larkburger on the way home to Meg's place.  Delicious!  I got a huge burger and their truffle-parmesan fries.  Seriously the best fries, hands down, I have ever tasted.  Ever.  I ate every bit of it!

Those aren't actually ALL my fries...that's 3 orders, 1 for each of us. Although I probably COULD have eaten them all!!

Then we got to see her place (very cute!!), meet her roommate (super cool) and relax a little bit before getting moving again.  We walked to Vine Street Pub a couple of blocks away and met her roommate and a friend for some beer and nachos.  Yummy blackberry wheat and Belgian white ales were thoroughly enjoyed.

Thursday morning, it was time for some activity.  We walked to City Park and had a little run/walk (Meg and me) and bike ride (Mer).  First time running at altitude for me and it felt pretty good actually.  (It would hit me later on in the day, though...) 

It was a really pretty park and lots of people were out walking dogs, jogging, and I even saw a woman running with the same double BOB stroller we have that was super inspiring.  Her arms were incredible and she was running FAST with that double stroller.  AND she was still smiling.

sister-cizing! Ignore my 5 chins...

that's right!

baby sis

perfect view!

 Then we got cleaned up and headed to Boulder for some shopping and lunch.  After working up an appetite with our sister-cizing, we made sure to eat first so we could really get down to shopping business :)  We went to Pearl Street, a great outdoor walking-shopping time all around!  They have street performers, too, which was really neat - kids playing (amazing) music, fire-eaters, acrobats, and a very bendy man.  I wish I'd gotten a picture of the bendy man.

first things first...sangria (red and white) and grapefruit margarita!

 I found a few things for me and the boys, and found the cutest wedges at (of all places) the Crocs store!  They are sooo comfortable it's ridiculous.  We all ran out of steam and decided to take it easy that night after a full day outside.  Pizza and ice cream and a movie and we were done!

why yes, that is a beaver.

Friday morning we went out to breakfast after a slow start.  We went to Lucile's Creole Cafe - awesome.  We ate so much food, it was astounding, but completely perfect.  I got TWO cafe au laits that were perfection, and can you say TWO beignets?  I could eat those every single day I think.  

Then I got the Eggs Jennifer, a veggie version of eggs benedict that was absolutely divine.  Meg got a bloody Mary that had a shrimp and a pickle in it :) and Mer got a poinsetta (cranberry and champagne).  Mer got something with Oysters Rockefeller that she loved, and Meg got something that I can't remember anything other than how good it looked, too!  Who would have thought I'd have some of the best cheese grits ever in Denver?

We enjoyed our drinks under cover while it rained.  I was happy for my coffee :)

We went back, regrouped, and then after a bit went to Bull & Bush Brewery and that was so fun.  We ended up sitting and talking and trying all kinds of different beers for a lot longer than we'd thought we'd stay!  They have so many to try and for $3, you get 3 3-oz pours, so naturally we got 4 "flights."  And then we got our favorites in pints and got some paraphernalia for the guys.  I mean, how could we resist with a logo like that??

A pit stop, and we were on our way to the concert!

HA!

Mer got pics from the concert, so I'm going to have to get some from her to post up here (hint, hint, sissy!) :)  

It's beautiful! Pictures can't even do it justice!

At night you can see the whole city lit up from the seats on the hill. We sat over on the far side, about 3/4 of the way up under some trees. Every seat (and non-seat) was packed!

After getting in late from the show, packing, and pumping (I brought home a TON of milk for the nursing babe), then getting up early for my 8:25 flight back home, I was zonked.  Like totes.  Still kind of dealing with jet lag.  Even though it's 2 hours behind there on Mountain Time, I really didn't expect to be affected much.  But Saturday by the time I got home, I was pretty sleepy, and after I got the boys to bed, I was ready to sleep, too!  Sunday being Father's day, we all went to C's soccer game at 8am, came home and had his parents over for brunch, and got everyone down for a nap (ahhh!) and then my folks came by and I took C to meet the limo (yes, that's right) he was taking to the Phish concert.  Yesterday was definitely a Monday...it was all I could do to stay awake to get through work things, kid bedtimes, and dinner before crashing into the pillow!  

Caffeine, it is my friend...