Tag Archives: Denver

Wayfarer's Journal

Rocky Mountain Whirlwind

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Wendy and I made a whirlwind trip to Colorado last week. Wendy’s sister, Becky, gave birth to our niece, Lydia, the previous week and we wanted to pay a visit to welcome her to the family. The trip also afforded me the opportunity to make a client visit and to spend some time with Madison, who is back in Colorado Springs.

We headed west on Wednesday morning, arriving in Denver in the evening. We got to spend some time with Becky, Court and Lydia before retiring for the night. On Thursday afternoon I make my client visit and had a business dinner. Madison drove up from Colorado Springs and I met the who crew at a restaurant after finishing with business. We got to celebrate Madison’s birthday since she won’t be making it back to Iowa until Christmas. Madison and I had some father/daughter time late Thursday while Wendy hung out with the Oakes crew.

On Friday we all spent a few hours together before Madison had to head off to work. Becky and Court then treated Wendy and me to a visit at the Denver Botanical Gardens. It was a gorgeous day to get outside and there was an amazing exhibit of Chihuly glass sculptures that were installed amidst the gardens.

Wendy and I left for home Friday afternoon, breaking up the 10 hour drive with an overnight stop in Kearney, Nebraska. We arrived home on Saturday just in time to get to rehearsal for USP’s production of A Christmas Carol.

It was a quick trip, but we were thrilled to meet the family’s newest bundle of joy and to spend some time with Madison.

Uncategorized, Wayfarer's Journal

Mile High Weekend

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It wasn’t just the Colorado, Rocky Mountain elevation that gave us a high this past weekend. A harmonic convergence of family celebrations in Colorado fell onto the calendar this past Saturday as Madison graduated from her one year program at New Life School of Worship in Colorado Springs and Wendy’s sister, Becky, was wed to Courtney Oakes in Denver.

Wendy and I were up early on Wednesday and made the long trek across Interstate 80. We hit a huge spring thunderstorm in Kearney, Nebraska. It was only 50 degrees and the cold rain made it feel more like October than late May. Within a few hundred miles the clouds gave way to sunny skies and the thermometer climbed 35 degrees. We arrived in the late afternoon and spent the evening with Becky, Courtney and other members of the wedding party that arrived that evening.

Wend and I worked remotely on Thursday and then joined with the gathering family and wedding party members for a trip to Coors Field to watch the Colorado Rockies beat the Houston Astros. Of course, Wendy and I loved being at the baseball game even if it wasn’t our beloved (and beleaguered) Cubs.

More work for Wendy and I early Friday. Wendy then moved on to help Becky with the mid-day rehearsal and preparations for the wedding as I headed down the interstate to Colorado Springs to attend the family picnic for Madison’s graduating class. It was great to meet Madison’s roommates, classmates and teachers. It was heartening to hear one of her teachers compliment Madison’s attitude, participation and spiritual maturity. I had to head back to Denver for the rehearsal dinner while Madison stayed in Colorado Springs to continue moving into the apartment where she’ll be living this summer.

The rehearsal dinner was on Friday night at the home of Courtney’s parents. They have a gorgeous home with a wonderful back yard perfect for hosting the party. We enjoyed a great meal and got a chance to mingle with Wendy’s family members who’d just arrived along with meeting Courtney’s family.

On Saturday morning I enjoyed early morning coffee and conversation with Wendy’s dad. Her mom then joined the two of us for breakfast. Wendy was busy all day getting Becky ready for the wedding as I headed back down to Colorado Springs for Madison’s commencement service. On the way I got a phone call from Madison letting me know that she’d fallen while packing her car and hurt her foot.

I arrived at New Life Church for her commencement ceremony. Madison was in pain and couldn’t walk on her foot, but it wasn’t too swollen and I was encouraged that it wasn’t serious. Unfortunately, her injury kept her from crossing the stage with her classmates to receive her certificate, but they did ask her to stand to be recognized. After the ceremony she got some help getting up on stage to have pictures taken. After the service we had some cake and punch before grabbing lunch at Champs where she works as a server. I got to meet her co-workers and we enjoyed lunch together before heading to Denver for the wedding.

Despite her injury, Madison played photographer at Becky’s house as Wendy and her sister, Suzanna, got their make-up on and helped Becky into her corset back wedding dress. I got cleaned up and dressed at the hotel and then picked up Madison and headed to the wedding which took place at the Summit Conference and Event Center in Aurora.

The wedding ceremony was nice and the three Hall girls (Eden, Adira, and Sophia) were adorable in their white dresses as they stood up with Wendy (Matron of Honor) and Suzanna (bridesmaid). Mr Ed held it together as he offered a prayer of blessing over the couple. Guests enjoyed drinks and appetizers while the family endured the obligatory pictures after the ceremony. Then came dinner and lots of dancing. Madison was a real trooper. Even though her foot was killing her she hung in there and helped take a lot of pictures of the reception.

Madison climbed in Reggie (Wendy’s Nissan Murano) with Wendy and me and we took off for home this morning about 9:30. It was a long, hard drive back to Pella. Madison slept most of the way and Wendy got some shut-eye as well. We made it back to Vander Well Manor about 7:45 this evening to unpack. Madison shrieked with glee as we drove into Pella. She’s excited to be home and very quickly headed up to George’s to meet a friend.

I figured I’d write this post and get some photos loaded. It was a long, but wonderful weekend. We had a ball with family (old and new!) and are so proud of Madison. Madison has decided to stay in Colorado Springs. She will be living in an apartment with a couple of her classmates and plans to attend the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs this fall.

Wayfarer's Journal

2011 Christmas in Denver with the Halls

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Apologies to those who’ve wondered where my chapter-a-day posts were since late last week. I took a few days off to celebrate Christmas with Wendy and her family in Denver. Wendy’s sister, Becky, was kind enough to host us all for the second straight year. We even got to meet Court, the new man in her life. His folks even joined us for brunch on Sunday morning.

Madison’s boyfriend, Kevin, drove up from Mt. Pleasant on Thursday and spent the night here in Pella so we could leave early on Friday. We stopped in Des Moines to pick-up Taylor. It was a long drive, but we enjoyed some great conversation and made it to Denver in the early evening.

Saturday morning was spent shopping with Kevin and the girls. Taylor helped me pick out a few birthday gifts for Wendy, utilizing those skills she’s been honing at her job at J. Crew. Madison and Kevin worked on some gifts for Kevin’s niece and nephew while Madison shopped for some work clothes.

Wendy’s sister, Becky, was a wonderful hostess and we enjoyed hanging out all afternoon and evening. We ate a lot and laughed a lot. Food and conversation were the order of the weekend. I enjoyed coffee and conversation with Wendy’s dad both Saturday and Sunday morning. Taylor got up to join the two of us “morning people” on Sunday morning which was wonderful.

The family gathered around my iPad on Sunday to Skype with Wendy’s brother, Josh who is serving as a dentist in the Army in Germany. It was fun to watch everyone gathered around to visit with Josh who was half a world away. As a Christmas gift to the family, Josh talked his girlfriend into stepping into the camera so everyone could see her.

Taylor brought a party game called Quelf along for the weekend. On Saturday night the five of us played in the hotel room. On Sunday, we made Wendy’s siblings play with us. It’s sort of a zany mash up of trivial pursuit, charades, and truth or dare. We had a lot of fun playing together.

I drove Madison back to Colorado Spings on Monday morning. It was fun to see where she goes to school, to see the house where she lives and to meet her landlord. After a business lunch in Englewood, I headed back to the hotel to pick up Wendy, Taylor and Kevin to begin the trek home. Wendy had been watching the radar and told me that we could expect to drive through snow, ice and rain all the way home as a huge storm front moved north into Nebraska and Iowa. We were extremely thankful as the front seemed to miraculously stay just south of the interstate. At one point the radar showed that it was snowing right where we were, but we didn’t experience one snow flake or rain drop the entire way home. We arrived home in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.

We had a ball and enjoyed the time with family.

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Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Isaiah 25

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Divine appointment at the airport bar. "And here on this mountain, God will banish the pall of doom hanging over all peoples, The shadow of doom darkening all nations. Yes, he'll banish death forever." Isaiah 25:7 (MSG)

Flying through Denver International airport last night, I sat and had dinner at the bar of a restaurant on the B Concourse where I could watch the Cubs get pounded by the Mets (being a Cubs fan requires a lot of faith). It was there that I met Joe, who was quite drunk and sitting to my immediate left. I instantly liked Joe. He seemed like a nice enough guy, even in his inebriated state. He was friendly and charismatic. Joe had been at the bar a long time. He'd missed two flights already according to the lengthy description of his day.

Joe talked a lot, and I got to know him quite well as I ate my caesar salad. He made his first million in Iowa. Joe had everything, it would seem. He was healthy and looked much younger than his early fifties (He thought we were the same age, and told me I looked much older than my age. Sometimes drunk people just can't filter things the way they should.). Joe was good looking. He clearly had a ton of money and all that it could buy. There were, however, two things Joe clearly did not have. He did not have a friend (I was it), and he did not have peace. Joe was alone. Joe had "the pall of doom hanging over all peoples." His spirit was tortured. I could see it in his eyes. It was in his posture. I heard it in his slurred words.

I listened to Joe's story. I learned of his many broken relationships. He told me about his inability to perform sexually with his young girlfriend. His life was a total mess. All the money and success were worthless to provide that which he truly needed. He was an empty shell of a man medicating himself from the pain of his soul. I tried to be a good friend and love Joe well in the few minutes that our lives touched.

Today, I'm praying for my friend Joe. I'm grateful for God's amazing grace in my own life, which I do not deserve. I'm thankful that Jesus came to banish death and it's morbid pall. I'm praying that I will be an instrument of God's peace, that where there is despair I can sow hope, and where there is darkness I can shed light.

Even at the bar on Concourse B.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and drh