Whirlwind

In total we had 11 days in the US for our recent trip - this meant that we had to plan very carefully and try to cram as much as possible into a very short time. We didn't get a chance to catch up with nearly as many folks as we would have liked, but were still thankful for the friends that were able to deal with our crazy schedule and short timeframe to squeeze in a meal or visit. The big news of the trip is that Heidi is now graduated from PT school and is a full Doctor of Physical Therapy - she still has to pass her boards before she can practice on her own but we're confident she'll fly through just fine. Otherwise the rest of the trip was filled up with eating and sleeping - if we weren't doing one then we were likely doing the other!

Days 1 - 3 found us starting out in Phoenix for the Heidi's graduation where we got to catch up with Grandma Betty, Auntie Jo, cousin Ben and the rest of the immediate family (oh yeah, and Heidi of course). It was also the first opportunity for us to meet step-brother David from LA. Lots of fun in the pool and one of the earliest wake up calls for running that we've had in a long time were both great ways to spend time with family.

Days 4-6 and we were on to Denver for the serious portion of the trip with bookings for dentists, doctors, realtors and financial advisors to make sure that we were all set for our permanent return to Denver. Time flew by, but it was worth the effort to take care of some of those housekeeping things before our move home.

Days 7-9 included a quick trip up to Gillette for more family celebrations of Heidi's graduation with Wyoming family and friends. We also managed to fit in a round of golf with the pronghorn and grasshoppers. Of course while traveling through Cheyenne we made the required stop at Sierra Trading Post and it was tough to keep Josh from buying all the fancy flyfishing gear and bike bits they had on sale!

Our last two days (10-11 if you're keeping track) were back in Denver for the final dash to the finish - more friends to see, shopping to do and packing for the return to Melbourne. We had thought we wouldn't bring too much back, but somehow we still ended up with four checked bags!

Our time in Melbourne is coming to a close with Josh's role finishing in October. The plan is to travel a bit more and visit some friends outside of Australia before returning to the US. There is a lot to cover in what seems like a very short time but this quick trip home really helped us prepare mentally for all the work that will be required when we finally are back in Denver for good. The next few months will fly by and before we know it we'll be home and heading to the mountains for ski season!