it was just what we needed...a getaway for just the two of us for dave's long overdue birthday celebration. i had never been to Colorado, so i was totally looking foward to experiencing some serious mountain air. this was our view on the way to our gracious hosts' house. i cant believe this is their backyard...they get to see it every single day.
the main reason for our trip was to see our favorite band at Red Rocks Amphitheater. it has been a venue we have been wanting to see them at for a looooong time and although it may seem a tad ridiculous to fly across the country for a concert, it was totally worth it (and it was a 2 show event, so we at least got our money's worth and saw them twice!)this is the entrance to the park....i waited patiently for a shot with no car going through the tunnel, but now i kind of wish there was one there to show the scale of this thing. its pretty impressive.
{inside the park and view from the top of the amphitheater}
red rocks everywhere....
this shot is midway down the amphitheater. its not a great shot, as we were there during the day and midday sun was bright above, but its a shot of where the band played and the gorgeous rock at the back of the stage. on either side sit the two huge rocks that enclose the amphitheater.
see where the girl is walking in the lower left corner? This again is midway down the seats, and where we sat at night for the shows. the rock on this side is Ship Rock.
and this shot is taken from where we sat, showing the other side, Creation Rock. the sound bounces off the rocks, making the music sound crisp and perfect.
the inside of the visitor center had a really neat hallway with history of music at Red Rocks, back to the first concerts held there in 1910, including a list of all of the performers and every year they have played.
i wanted to take my camera in at night for some concert shots and to get the views of the skyline lit up, but security put the kibosh on that. since i didnt want to get arrested so far from home, i complied.... i was pissed for a short time, but then decided it wasnt worth my energy and took some crappy shots on my ipod for the memories. they will certainly do.
to say that this weekend was amazing is an understatement.
the music - fabulous
the mountain air -magical
Coloradans - welcoming
the weekend away with my love - unforgettable
happy birthday, dave. you are my climb to safety.
a few months ago, I did a client session and the little girl wore her mom's wedding dress. after Big A saw those photos, she nagged me non-stop to take mine out of the box so she could wear it. I decided against it, but came up with the second best thing...a very old, quite worn frilly dress, repurposed as a long skirt for her to run around in.
and then we finished off our day in eden with a picnic lunch and a trip to the mall for some new flip flops. 
Big A was her usual self...being goofy and living it up in the dirt
and mastering her roasted marshmallows. her technique is amazing and she gets just the right char on those suckers. trust me, I ate a lot of them.
Big P kept her creative juices flowing by impromptu painting sessions
and she fully embraced our photo scavenger hunt we did on our hike.
Little C was up to her usual antics and did a lot of hanging around
and the littlest P was a true joy to spend time with...we didnt have the easiest of starts in our relationship (bad first photo shoot w/ an unhappy one year old), but she warmed up to me and I loved hanging out with her
we ended our first night by making a welcome sign for tinkerbell (because fairies live in the woods) and the girls made a few little homes for them to bunk in overnight
and super delicious s'mores and a roaring fire...
