~Throughout the Summer 2025~
=Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP)=
A little over a week ago, I had the joy of spending my birthday with my Mom in and around Rocky Mountain National Park, and what a day it was. From the moment we started out, beauty seemed to greet us at every turn. We spotted moose by the lake and later, as we were leaving the park, we pulled over to snap more photos and I spotted a herd of elk. I tried to capture the moment with my cell phone through binoculars. Let’s just say I’m a little out of practice with that trick, but it was still a thrill to see them up close. Along the way we also spotted cheeky squirrels and “chick monks” (as my youngest used to call “chipmunks” when she was little), darting across our path. The air was crisp, the sky was clear, and the temperature was perfect, everything you’d hope for in a mountain day.
We paused for a picnic lunch at a lakeside spot, where Mom spread out a lovely tablecloth with hand-painted pinecones years ago by my grandmother. With cheese, crackers, ham, and fruit on the table, the meal was as sweet as the memory it created. We wandered around the lake on a peaceful hike, soaking in the majesty of the mountains.
On the way home, we strolled through Estes Park, where tradition and charm always seem to linger in the air. We stopped for coffee and browsed a favorite old bookstore that carries beautiful journals, stationery, and ink pens with wells, a timeless kind of place. We even made a stop at the oldest saltwater taffy shop in town, where we sampled a few flavors (and of course brought a small box home). Hummingbirds zipped from flower to flower as if to add their own touch of wonder to the day.
Looking back, it was one of those perfectly unhurried days filled with laughter, beauty, and little treasures along the way. Most of all, I’m simply grateful for the time I had with my mom, time that is as priceless as the mountains themselves.
Here are nearly 100 photos from our adventure. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed capturing (and living) these moments.
=Colorado Scenery=
I spent a day driving through Colorado recently, and the scenery was nothing short of breathtaking. The skies stretched out in a brilliant blue, the kind that makes you pause just to soak it in. I found myself snapping photos from the car whenever I safely could, and even pulling over mid-highway when the road was clear, because some views are simply too beautiful to pass by.
As I drove, I couldn’t help but be reminded of childhood road trips with my parents, when long stretches of open highway seemed like an adventure in themselves. Those drives left an imprint on me, the rhythm of the road, the ever-changing mountains and hills, the way the landscape always felt bigger than life. This day held that same feeling, like a gift of familiar beauty wrapped in fresh wonder.
The pictures can only capture part of it, but every snapshot holds a piece of that wide Colorado sky and those timeless memories.
Knowing Him Daily 