Our first Colorado trip together

Of course I am super late at updating about our trip from Colorado!  We were in Colorado from Feb 6 until Feb 9 for Eve and Neil's wedding.  Z and I arrived in Denver that Wednesday night with a wind chill of -27 degrees... Do you realize how cold that is?  My body is accustomed to the Texas weather, so there was no way it was handled well.  Apparently facing a -27 degree wind chill means that your body forgets how to breathe, or of the fact that your lungs are instantly experiencing frostbite...at least that's I felt. 

Because we were carpooling to Vail with our dear friends, Matt & Mattie, we had the morning and early afternoon to explore the downtown Denver.  What a charming city!  The cold definitely made it more difficult for us to walk around a long period of time, but we sure got to see lots of snow and cool architecture.  The downtown felt more open than other downtowns that I have been to. 

Once we picked up Matt and Mattie at the airport, we immediately headed for Vail because we weren't sure how the weather was going to hold up.  Since Z was the only somewhat of an experienced driver in the snow, he had to do the entire driving during this trip.  Vail is about 2 hours west of Denver, and there is really only one way to the mountains, so the weather plays a huge role in the travel time.   We learned that Vail is one of the premium ski resorts in the country, so it consistently attracts ski and snowboard lovers throughout the year.   Z brought his snowboarding equipment for that reason. :)

While Z snowboarded one of the days we were there, me and our friends walked around Vail Village, exploring various coffee shops and mesmerizing in the local arts.  We people-watched as avid skiers/snowboarders were taking the gondola to the top of the mountains.  Little kids were taking group lessons; there were extremely adorable and cute.

It was, of course, still cold in Vail, but it was a beautiful place to be.  I pretty much decided to call this place a "winter wonderland."  I didn't get a chance to be on the slope this time, but I would love to revisit and experience my first ski in the future.

Matt & Mattie.  They had visited Aspen for their honeymoon before.  This was their second visit in Colorado. 

Saturday night was Eve and Neil's wedding!  Their wedding was held at Cucina Rustica, a beautiful restaurant located in Vail Village.  It was a perfect location for a small wedding, and it really had a great cabin wedding vibe to it.  It was such a joy to watch them get married, as Neil's brother officiated the ceremony.

The first dance

Neil was Z and Matt's first college roommate at Texas Tech before he transferred to UT a couple of years later.  That's where he met his future wife!  I just love when I witness a lifelong friendship.  We have been there for each other's wedding, which I think is a very neat thing to do as friends.

Congratulations Neil & Eve, and wish you guys a lifetime happiness!