July 8 - Channel 5 Video

http://www.newsfirst5.com/news/mom-meets-colorado-springs-boy-with-her-daughters-heart/

The video will eventually scroll off, but here it is for anyone who wants to see it until then.

July 8 - Media Meeting

Jessica from Channel 5 news filming Jen and Ken as they pedal toward Sunnyside Church to meet Dillon and his family.

Jen giving Dillon a hug.  Brandon, Dillon's dad, stands behind them and Ken is to his right.  That's Dillon's brother, Cooper, in the red shirt.

Dillon gave Jenny the first medal he ever won in the Transplant games.  WOW!

Jen listening to Alex's heart.

Dillon

Jen, Dillon, Brandon, Haley, Cooper and Laura.  Wonderful family!  Alex's heart is surely in the right place.

Brandon and Dillon getting ready to be interviewed by one of the TV stations.

Jen's interview.

Hanging out.  The man in the yellow shirt is Dillon's grandfather.

Dillon and Ken.

Dillon and Jen being silly.

Simon usually steals the show but he growled at the camera men so Jen, Ken, and Galen got on TV and Simon and I stayed out of the way.  After all the television interviews were over (there were three TV stations so the interviews took quite a while) we all went to dinner together, which was so enjoyable and relaxing after all the media to-do.  We hugged goodbye for now but a bond has been formed between our two families and we will stay in touch.

On the way home, we noticed snow on Pikes Peak - something we hadn't seen since we arrived here.  According to the evening news, there was enough snow to close the Pikes Peak Highway.

June 30 - The Unofficial Meeting

We unofficially met Dillon and his family in a park a week before we met with the media.  It was easier on all of us emotionally to do it this way and it turned out great.  Here is the whole gang heading for the trikes.

As you can see, everyone had a blast and then we all went to dinner together at the Mason Jar.

July 6 - Air Force Academy

The chapel at the Air Force Academy is the place to see when you visit.  It is actually four chapels.  The Protestant Chapel is on the top floor and beneath it are the Catholic, Jewish, and Buddhist Chapels.  The photos below were taken in the spectacular Protestant Chapel.

July 5 - Sunset

Galen and I went for a drive in the Garden of the Gods at the end of the day and watched the sun go down.

July 5 - Balanced Rock

This photo of Balanced Rock was taken in Garden of the Gods.  I don't know who the people are but they are good for showing the size of the rock.

July 1 - Pikes Peak

The four of us rode the Cog Train to Pikes Peak today.  It was toasty warm in Manitou Springs but chilly at the Peak.  We ate the traditional donuts and took bunches of photos of the beautiful scenery.  Jen saw one deer and I saw two marmots but didn't get photos of them.  There were only three cars on our train but the grade got so steep at one point (25% grade) that the front of the train was three stories higher than the back.  We were told not to worry if the brakes didn't hold on the way down because there were two large springs at the bottom:  Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs.  :-)