Denver

The Friday and Saturday before Easter we left the kids with Grandma and Grandpa Sundquist and drove to Denver. We had been wanting to go down to the temple. Our bro-in-law was able to acquire some free tickets to a Colorado Avalanche game, so we killed two birds with one stone. We went down Friday night and wandered around the 16th Street Mall. This is no ordinary shopping mall where you enter thru one door, visit several stores, and then exit the same door. No, no. This is a 16-block pedestrian stripmall. The road is closed off to allow for the bus-train-thing, and there are chess tables in the center where people actually play chess. Pretty cool. Anyway, we wandered around for a while. Then we met Chad's brother and his wife at The Cheesecake Factory for dinner. YUM. MY. Highly recommend it.

We stayed the night (at a hotel, not at the Cheesecake Factory), and the next morning we went to the temple. That is always such a boost. That afternoon we went to the hockey game. It was the last game of the season, and the Avs are pretty much the worst team in the NHL right now, so the game wasn't very exciting; there wasn't a single good fight! Whats a hockey game without a couple decent fights. But it was still fun. I learned a few things: 1. Hockey is a very aggressive, in-your-face kind of game. 2. I don't think my kids would want to play it because they aren't very aggressive. 3. Even if they did want to play, I think I'd encourage something else because I'm not an aggressive person. 4. Hockey players are NUTS!! My sister thinks that baseball is the most difficult sport to play because you have to hit that tiny ball that is going 90+mph with that not-very-big stick. I beg to differ... Hit an even smaller puck with a skinnier stick while speeding down the ICE, with 5 guys coming at you at equal speeds, and try not to fall down. Sounds tougher to me.

It was a fun weekend. Spending time with just Chad and me is always so nice because it helps me remember that I am more than just mom and housekeeper. Thanks to everyone we spent time with, and thanks to everyone who made the trip possible.