Change of plans...

This blog post is coming at ya from a laundry mat way up in the mountains of Colorado. We are staying in one of Colorado's top 10 state parks, and let me tell you Muller State Park is stunning! 

Muller State Park on the Raven Ridge Overlook trail

Muller is definitely one of our favorite state parks so far!

Being silly with my best friend!

Eric pointing to something very interesting in the distance...

Originally we thought we would be in Colorado for a week or so. That plan started out well enough, we spent about a week in Denver visiting with some of our favorite people, the Lumley's! We were able to time our visit with our friends closing on their home, so we could help them move in. It worked out perfectly and our friends new home is gorgeous! 

Isn't this the sweetest family?!?!
We love the Lumley Love Birds so much!

We stayed at Chatfield State Park which is just outside of Denver. Cydney, Garret and baby Wren came over for dinner at the campsite one evening, which was loads of fun. We grilled a bunch of yummy kabobs and made the most delicious grilled sweet potato salad… I’ll have to give y’all the recipe at the end of this post! Later we made s'mores and discovered Cydney is the master at Cards Against Humanity! It was just one of those perfect summer evenings spent with friends, laughing and grilling tougher as the sun sets over the mountains. Simply perfect!

Right were they should be... making us dinner ;)

Wren is the sweetest baby... So happy!

Here is where the plan went awry… On a whim we decided Eric should apply to some web dev jobs here in Denver. We have always loved this area of the country and would totally love to spend more time here! We figured why not put some feelers out. Well, he got an interview, and then another and another. Each interview went very well, then he attended a tech job fair in Boulder. It was becoming clear to us that, while DBC in San Fran is a great program, Eric has acquired enough knowledge to actually start as a Jr. Developer now. I credit this to all of our set backs early on. Like when we missed our list day goal, or that time we had to replace the septic tank, and then there was our buyer's issue with financing, and my personal favorite when our closing date was pushed back one last time. Eric left his job way back in February when we were still hoping to be on the road by April. Each set back gave Eric more time to focus on his studies. 

Here's a funny picture of Eric with a baby :)

Now that we have decided to stay in Colorado for a while, things are a bit more relaxed. We aren't racing a deadline to be in San Fran, so we have really been able to explore this area. I'm really hopeful Eric gets a job in Boulder... have you ever been? It's soooo great! Once you get past some of the nanny state bullshit, it's fantastic! The people there are different... and I mean that in a good way. It's an artistic and outdoorsy, healthy, happy, beautiful kind of place. I can't wait to spend more time in Boulder!  We hiked the flatirons, which was beautiful, but I was definitely winded getting up there. I think my Florida lungs are having a hard time adjusting to the lack of oxygen at these higher elevations (at least thats what I'm telling myself). On the hike up we were passed by a guy running up like it was nothing! As I watched him navigate the rocky terrain with speed and ease I told myself I must get to that point eventually... then I sat on rock and caught my breath.

The Flatirons in Boulder

I'm kind of in love with this place!

So thats where we are now... I'll keep you posted on whats to come and I promise to get you caught up on where we have been! In the mean time, enjoy this recipe!

4 medium sweet potatoes, pealed and halved
1 ear sweet corn,
1 (15 oz) can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tomato, diced
2 avocados, cubed
chopped cilantro
Lime Juice
Salt and pepper, to taste  

1) Grill the sweet potato halves over medium heat until tender (or if you’re impatient like I am, grill them long enough to get those pretty char marks and then microwave those suckers for another 5-6 min)  

2) If you’re feeling extra feisty go ahead and grill your corn too! I jumped the gun and cut the kernels off the cob before I thought to grill it. It's probably amazing with grilled corn, because it was pretty damn good with fresh uncooked corn! 

3) Cube the sweet potatoes and, if you haven’t already, cut the corn off the cob.  

4) Toss everything into an attractive bowl and now you’ve got a totally amazing, super clean, delicious, healthy salad.  

Note: Be sure to rinse the black beans throughly… I was trying to conserve our fresh water with just a quick rinse and the color of the salad seemed a tiny bit muddy.