No matter how hard it got last night Jamie never laid any of her pain on me because she knew how bad it would make feel. I know she didn’t sleep much, if at all, I heard her sobbing a lot until her body gave up and she was physically sick. I felt her  eventually crawl into bed beside me and it was all I could to just cuddle up to her and let my body warm hers, I didn’t say anything because I knew it was pointless, her heart was broken and no words were ever going to mend it.
I probably managed a couple of hours sleep and lay awake until she got up at around 4am once up we decided there was no point trying any longer and that was our queue to finish up packing get the car loaded and prepare to say our farewells.

I always feel immense guilt each time Jamie suffers like this, because she makes me so happy, but that comes at a cost to her. I always realise this and always make sure I put her above all else every day!

The goodbyes were heartbreaking for all of us and it was especially touching to see both children show such empathy for their Moms sadness at having to leave her Mom, even though it was almost as hard for them to leave Grandma. To drive away from Pam, Mom Grandma while she stood at the curb waving was terrible.

As Jamie fought her grief and sadness to navigate to DIA she said “Right now, at this moment I would give it all up, everything and stay, I feel that bad…”

We woke to rain and snow, so it was good that today was our leaving day. It was better to be travelling than sitting around moaning about the weather. I went to Micro Centre with Cliff, another chance to bond and get to know him, he has been a lot different this trip and I hope he has enjoyed my company too, anyways we got some access points to extend their WiFi coverage at the house and maybe save them a few bucks in the long run by spreading the mesh coverage over both houses and cancelling one of the broadband supplies which he was REALLY interested in.

When we got back from Micro Centre, Jamie was already on the phone to the airline trying sort out the flights after receiving an email saying the New York to Manchester flight tomorrow had been cancelled due to technical issues(?). So from having a lazy afternoon before the inevitable goodbyes we were thrown into rearranging our whole lives for the next 2 days. Jamie was amazing arraging flights for Sunday maorning from DIA to Chicago then to Dublin and finaly to Manchaester on Monday morning, she contacted budget to extend the car hire for 2 more days, contacted her monday clients to reschedule them. We had to sort out two more nights accomadation, luckily our landlords were very accomadating and just agreed to invoice us for $500 per night for two nights (which should soften the blow, if you know what I mean?) Billy and Sasha have to be retrieved luckily Chris and Kate stepped up and said they would get them and take them to the house (the cat will be fine with food and water for a day or so, Billy will need to be at least let out if we can not find anyone to walk him Sunday night, but there shouldn’t be any shortage of takers for that but will need to arrngae that tomorrow due to it being middle of the night now back home. Schools will need to be contacted I will need to contact at least Rob to inform him of my travel plan rearrangements, which is wierd today is almost the first time I have thought about work since Jamie told me to uninstall Outlook from my phone on day 1 of our trip two and a half weeks ago, that is definately thefirst time I have completely disengaged from my job for any amount of time since 2011.

We will continue to make new arrangements throughout tomorrow and make the best of having an extra two nights of vacation spent with Jamie Reagan and Lincoln being with Grandma, non of them seem that bothered about that senario as I write this blog they are all sitting in the lounge waticng Jungle Book enjoying eachothers company!

It could have been a whole lot worse if we had got to DIA before the cancellation but it would have been truely horrific if we got to JFK and were atranded there! Our new flights are a lot more palatable actually even tough it has taken some organising we now fly much more direct even if we have 2 changes we now check our bags at DIA on Sunday morning and board our first flight at 10am to Chicago then a short layover before boarding our next flight to Dublin and arriving in Manchester at 7am knocking 14 hours off our original plans.

A couple of months ago Jamie booked an Airbnb in Breckenridge to coincide with her moms and my birthday and it seemed so far off but all of a sudden we were in the car driving into the mountains. At this point I must mention the sheer panic at McDonald’s when Jamie lost her phone, but after profiling every customer in there it was found in the car where she’d left it!

Anyway the weather was glorious and the journey was nothing like I’d imagined for the last couple of months clear skies clear roads and very little evidence of “the best snow for 20 years” We’d promised the kids snow up to their necks and fun like they could never imagine and it wasn’t until we almost entered the town that we saw proper snow. At the lodge we stood in amazement at this $2m house with breathtaking views of the mountains and snow 3ft deep all around us.

There were 4 huge bedrooms 3 en suite massive kitchen dinner, movie room games room balcony overlooking the mountains jacuzzi hot tub just for starters. After entering the property and getting settled we took full advantage of the weather which by this time, about 5pm, was in the 70’s easily and it was fantastic to relax on the veranda drinking wine with my in-laws. As soon as that sun dropped below mountains though the temperature plummeted and it made you want to go inside after a short while, but that meant a roaring fire pool, hot tub, TV and great company washed down with beer and wine until bedtime.

The stars were amazing at that altitude, only equalled by the sunrise, both worth braving the cold for although laying in bed watching the sun slowly bring the mountains into view again was breathtaking…and warm lol

Parker is such a lovely little town, and having spent the day there with Jamie’s very good friend Keith and his husband Raul, it will always be a special place for me. We ate lunch at Chilli’s before driving to the school where they both work to see what an American middle school looks like from the inside.

It was a fascinating incite, just like our jail tour, into the real American and to see what children learn about here. We saw their classrooms and their offices too wandering around the whole school before going outside to see the sports facilities, a very important of all schools here.

Returning to Parker we sat and had coffee in town and exploring the main street, looking in a couple of shops before heading back to their house and saying our farewells.