Southwest Colorado, August 2003

This year we decided to stay close to home, take Luna and visit all the wonderful things our home state has to offer.   All in our modified van, the "Holiday Inn on Wheels."  First stop, Colorado Springs and Cave of the Winds, then down to the spectacular Colorado Sand Dunes, next Pagosa Springs, Durango and the ever amazing Mesa Verde.  The beauty of Telluride and the Million-Dollar highway were are next destination and I (Jen) have never seen a place so beautiful!! Hard to leave, but onward we go to Gunnison, the Black Canyon, and then Crested Butte.  Next stop (and a quick one at that) is plastic-ville USA (in the credit card AND surgery sorts of ways), Aspen.  Glenwood Springs and onward home to complete our 9 day adventure.  A great relaxing and re-connecting trip.  We  will marvel at all Colorado has to offer for decades to come.

Before we head out with the
Holiday Inn on Wheels

A quick 3 day get away to Florida.  We landed in Orlando, rented a car, and spent the night in Orlando after a horrifically overcooked "Hog-N-Trough" buffet of seafood.  The next AM we were up early for a quick drive to west beaches around Tampa, went to a fruit wine vinyard and watched the sun set over the ocean, then headed back to Orlando for the night.  Up EARLY (3 AM) in order to make it to Coco Beach to see the sun rise on the East Coast.  Then a quick nap in the car at the Cape Canaveral parking lot and up to Daytona Beach where we had a great time playing in the waves.  Reluctantly we then had to leave the beach to catch our flight home.  Only 3 days, but we sure did see and do a lot!  Once, again a great trip!
 

Mike enjoys a cigar and the beach  sunset in his birthday suit!

Fargo, December 2003

Christmas 2003, a very sad time for the Johnson family.  Our first without Kevin.  But with the bad, also comes the good.  Mike & Jen get ENGAGED on December 26th!!!   We spent the vacation pretty low key at the house with Mom & Dad.  Mike flew up on the 25th, a week after I drove up.  Mike asked me to marry him at a very trendy bar, HoDo's in Downtown Fargo.  I had brought Mike there because it reminded me so much of a bar in NYC we had been to.  So after carrying the BEAUTIFUL ring around in his pocket all day to the Hjemkomst Center, Moorhead Mall etc. etc., and since the plans of giving me the "ice" on the ice (skating rink that is) didn't work out because all 15 or so of the indoor rinks were already booked for hockey practices, Mike decided this was the place.  He gave the ring to the waiter, (whose name was Daniel = Kevin's middle name and grandpa's name),  who brought it over with my drink.  At first I thought the box a joke, because we were always joking like that...but then when I opened it...YIKES!!!  The first words out of my mouth?  "Are you sure?"  I couldn't believe this was happening to me!  So we stopped and got some champagne to bring home and celebrate with Mom & Dad.  They already knew of course because Mike, being the gentleman that he is and knowing how important my family is to me, knew to ask their permission first.  Never thought this would happen in Fargo of all places, but I couldn't have picked a better place, or time.  I think I saw for the first time since February a slight sparkle in Mom & Dad's eyes... especially after many toasts to grandchildren, of course!  Over the rest of the weekend we went to a UND hockey game, which of course was wonderful, and then drove home, engaged!

Mike & Jen at HoDo's in Downtown Fargo, minutes after getting engaged