EMS Conference in Keystone~

 Now that ive had a few days to wind down from the weekend, i can share some photos and stories with you.  Every other year i attend the EMS Conference in Keystone, Colorado for 3 nights...my rare break away from the family and a little alone time.  But its not really a vacation, as we spend 8 hours each day in a classroom looking at grotesque slides and sharing horror stories in EMS.

 Its amazing how exhausting sitting in a classroom all day can be, but at least we had a beautiful view when we got back to the condo.  This year we stayed at the Hidden River Lodge, and it was a great place.  There was a gym (not that we used it), and hot tubs (not that we used them), and even a lovely foot trail behind the lodge (so im told).  What did we do, you ask...

 Power Lounged!  Connie had just gotten back from a vacation with her mom back east, and i had the crazy 4-day Halloween weekend, so we were both still trying to recover from all that activity.  After a few days we did start to unwind though...

 hmmmm....i dont seem to be getting a pulse!  We had some laughs at the reception hall...lots of booths, vendors and freebies, along with a very expensive cash bar.  No worries, we had ample booze back at the condo!

 

In fact, after a whole weekend of classes, we decided to kick our last day off with some red beers...we are volunteers after all...so i think we earned it!

 Afterwords we drove over to Frisco to return our keys and scope out the town.  Isnt this a pretty place!  We made the mistake of not stopping here to eat last time on our way home, and sadly realized there is not really anywhere else to get food on the way home...so this year we stopped at the Boat Yard.  Red beers, falafel with fries and sliders for lunch hit the spot!

 Then we drove through the town of Rand...this store is about it.  But this store was awesome!  If you get the chance, be sure to stop here.

 There are fun things to explore...

 and if you have to go to the privy, or even if you dont, be sure to take a peek at their Necessary room!

 thats right...i took photos of it...but i couldnt help myself, it was so cute!  Never thought id say that about a privy :)

 And look at this lovely quilt display.  I purchased the book, Love of Quilts: A Treasury of Classic Quilting Stories, by Benberry and Crabb.  Its a collection of 28 short stories about quilts and quilters and i look forward to reading it during the chilly winter months.

It was a nice end to the weekend...i say that of course, because about 1/2 an hour after we left this store i got a call from home telling me jordyn had an accident and was on her way to the ER in our ambulance.  Long story short, apparently she fell earlier in the day, then about an hour later she collapsed just inside the house...we're uncertain if she passed out, fainted or even if the fall earlier had anything to do with any of it, but it spooked justin enough to call 911.  By the time our ambulance rendezvoused with the town ambulance she was completely fine.  She was basically glanced at by the Doc and then released.  He said he didnt see any reason to do a CT scan or MRI on a perfectly healthy 4 year old, and that we should just keep an eye on her.  Then he said, welcome to the great uncertainty!  (thanks for that doc).  Anyways, that was on Sunday and she seems fine, thank goodness, but what a nightmare that drive to the ER was.  Im still processing it.  Meanwhile, our cat Spooky disappeared on that same night and hasnt been home since, so we are really sad about that.  I havent given up hope, but she's never been gone this long.