Road Trip Time - Gunnison, Telluride, and Raef's Graduation

 Our Spring/Summer road trip is underway.  Leaving Dallas around 4 p.m. (yep, right in time for traffic - so express lanes are our friend) on the last day of May means we likely won't see our home the entire month of June.  Crazy, right?  The car is truly loaded down with deliveries to be made along the way.  The plan is stops in Telluride, CO, Billings, MT, Bigfork, MT, and Provo, UT before making our way home again.  

Utah and Baby Blessing of Torsten

 Finally!!!  I am making my way to Utah for Torsten's baby blessing.  It's a beautiful day to fly and I'm plugged into a movie --- happily on my way.

This newest grandson makes #18 for me.  Wow --- what a troop I've got.  Each one is such a blessing and I'm eager to put the newest member into my arms AND spend time with his older siblings.  The last time we were together was in June at the family reunion.  Ahhhh, bring it on and let the hugs begin.  I'm ready.

Just look at these beautiful snow-covered mountains.  THIS is another thing I miss looking at.  I am not to the point of missing the cold it brings along.

Family Reunion - Day 3

With an early departure for sleep last night, our condo is awake early and spending some much loved time visiting on the upper back deck once again.  Mister and Becca went up first and then I joined them with Jen following shortly after.  Well, perhaps we woke her as we were sitting right outside her room, but . . .  Before it was over Matt, Jacob, Cassie and Mairead all spent  some time with us.  I cannot express how much these moments meant to me.  It is our last day with everyone and I want to make every minute count, if possible.

Family Reunion - Day 2

Ahhhh!  I think I'm the first one up.  Well, at least in this condo.  Grabbing a glass of water and my book, I am off to the front porch.

After a bit, Zyra joins me and is surprised that we're the only ones awake.  We have such a fun talk and when Mister joins us, we decide to get out of the sun (which has come over the top of the house and is blasting me) and checkout the upper level deck at the back of the house.  Perfect.  Watching the wildlife below makes for some fun and then peeking at the other condo deck shows little movement on the other side still.

Family Reunion - Day 1

 The gathering is happening.  We are in full swing and loving it all.  Mister and I have decided that this will just be "mostly" a picture blog.  If a story is warranted I'll add it in - so enjoy. (I'll name each grand at their first appearance.)

Caleb and JP

Merry Christmas to All!!!

 Merry Christmas!!!  Mister and I have joked for a couple weeks now that we will get up Christmas morning and look at the oven and the television and tell each other Merry Christmas.  We followed through with lots of oooohhs and aaaaaahhs.

Raef, Ryan, Caleb - Day 7 and Good-bye

It's our last day and I'm just so sad.  Seriously.  The last time they came to stay it was for 15 days and we were talking about how we needed more.  At any rate, let's make the most of it we possibly can.  They have asked for the Children's Garden and all requests are being granted this week.

Raef, Ryan, Caleb - Days 5 and 6

Staying home today is the request - with a caveat.  "Can we go to Nickelrama tonight, with Grandpa?"  Yep, we can do that.  So, what to do today?

The first thing they ask is to watch the third movie of Twilight.  Okay -- we need to be out of the office, so , . . . a set up in the dining room works.  It has the added bonus that I can work on a project at the same time.  Win, win.

After the movie --- COOKIES!!  Ryan is my dedicated helper through the whole dough/frosting making process.  I love this one on one time with him.  So, so great.

Since he helped with the whole process, he gets to cut out his cookies first and apparently one must be square.

Raef and Caleb follow up with their batches of dough.

Let the frosting commence.  I didn't get a picture of Caleb frosting because we were working on it together and no free hands.  It is what it is.

Caleb's cookies -- one is a sandwich, apparently.  Yes, I helped a bit.

Ryan's - notice the square - and he did a sandwich too.

Raef's - spelling the name -- great effect.

Once the mess is cleaned up, we are off to Tony's for dinner and then Nickelrama.

Basketball won Raef's affection and I don't think he moved too far after that.

I even managed to win a free game of pinball.  Yep, love that stuff.

16th - I have tickets for Adventure Landing and it's going to be hot, hot, hot today.  We are off to play and then hide in the house for the afternoon.  First up is mini golf.

And a hole in one response caught..  Perfect.  (Psst, he got another one later and I made two as well.  We rock.)

Next is lazer tag.  I tried to get some pictures, but most didn't turn out.  Sorry Ryan.  We had so much fun!!!  I loved it.  Plus it was indoors.

Our last event is go-karts.  I truly can't remember the last time I drove one of these.  Had to be in Rapid City while Matt was playing soccer --- what is that??  25 years ago at least?  Well, here goes nothing.

That's Ryan ahead of us.  Yes, I'm taking pictures and driving all while Caleb is saying -- speed up, he's beating us.

And that's a wrap for Adventure landing.  I am soooo HOT!  We finish out the day with the last two movies in our series while I cut out parts for my project.  Inside.  Where it's cool.  Until tomorrow -- take care.

Raef, Ryan, Caleb - Days 3 and 4

The weekend is here and that means Grandpa can play too.  The zoo has been requested and that means an EARLY morning.  We always want to be there when it first opens as the animals are more active and so are we -- before the heat drains us of energy.  Love this pic.

Raef, Ryan, Caleb - Days 1 and 2 - Cousins

It's just after midnight and we are sitting outside security at the airport waiting for 3 grandsons to walk out.  TSA closed quite awhile ago and we were unable to get passes to go to the gate to meet them.  At least we are at Love Field and there is only one way out.  They gotta walk past us.  Flight delays are making this one very late night or super early morning.  For blog purposes -- we are going with morning.  Ahhhh, here they come, finally.  It's so good to hug and squeeze and see them after almost a year and a half.  Straight into the house and off to bed.  Two a.m. has arrived and everyone is beat.

It's sooooo quiet until around 10.  Honest!!  My sweet hubby had to get up and work, but the rest of us slept.  Jen is coming into town today with the cousins and we are just playing with Legos until then.  Easy peasy right?  It's fun to just sit and chat and get reconnected while they play.

The BEST Birthday Surprise

8th -  It's another up, up, and away day.  We are en route to Utah and some time with Cassie for Ophelia's birthday.  Mister booked an unusual afternoon flight so our morning was calm and relaxed as we prepared to leave.  Now, we are on our way and we both have a great laugh at the map in front of us.  Do you see it?  Sure, sure -- ya'll see Douglas Pass, but how about Dolores River?  Hahahaha -- that is Mister's Mom.

Once we land, get our rental car, and check into the very large house Mister rented (???), Cassie calls and wants to meet at a restaurant for an early dinner.  Sounds great and after discovering that we have a waterbed in our room (to much giggling), we are soon on our way to discover that Amanda (with Abe), and Jennifer are there too.  What a wonderful surprise!!!  Through the course of our meal, I find out that Rhiana and Matt are on the way as well.  My sweet Mister put together this weekend as a birthday gift for me.  Now the big house makes sense.

Telluride Once Again

21st - I am off bright and early to Telluride.  Good luck is smiling on me as the entire row is available.  Nap time.

I'll see ya later Dallas.

It was not a joke.  I laid down and slept almost all the way to Denver.  As we are preparing to land, the sunrise is just beginning and as we are coming in from the north (I have no idea why), I am able to watch it out my window.  How lovely.