Colorado, cont.

On Monday, everyone except Makenna and me took a wild ride on the river, white-water rafting.  I stayed back with Makenna, and we had a great day.  We went to the pool, took a long nap, and made spaghetti for the hungry rafters for dinner.  Makenna spent a little time rooting through the family suitcase and came away with her Elmo underwear.  She said, "Look Grandma!  I made an Elmo bracelet."  She was delighted with her creation.   When the rafters returned, they put away 2 lbs. of spaghetti, with 6 lbs. of meat sauce.  A very hungry crowd.  Rafting is hard work, and their appetites were huge.  Glad Mak and I could play cooks in the kitchen that day.
Tuesday began with a trip to Peak 8 Fun Park.  We rode a gondola to the park and were pleasantly surprised by the entertaining activities we found there.  We rode up higher on ski lifts and rode down on little carts through a winding tunnel.  You could go as fast as you wanted, and some were flyin'....several trips were taken by everyone but me.  Hannah's favorite spot was panning for gold and beautiful shiny rocks.  Both Makenna and Cora took a turn on the bungee jump.  Mak would have enjoyed it more if they had let Chris in the harness with her.  Cora, on the other hand, flew as high as she could and almost completed a triple flip.  The whole crowd gathered around to cheer her on.  We all rode the ski lift to near the top of Peak 8 and snapped a few photos.  I brought a mini-boulder from the mountaintop and sent it home in the Dede van.  I think that is illegal, but I enjoy a glance at the rock every time I pass by it near my front sidewalk....a reminder of the total peace, natural silence, and colorful terrain I saw up there.  We had the best meal of the trip at "Erik's" that evening.  An end to a great day, though Mak and Maria had to head back early.  :o(  Mak wasn't feeling so well.