Off to Cheyenne - Days 8 - 9

Monday - Early morning with 5 kids but all were great.  Grandpa made french toast for breakfast, complete with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar.  Yep, we are grandparents!

At one point, I have to tell you that I simply cracked up at Ryan and Raef as they literally licked their plates clean.  They had absolutely no idea that I was holding a camera.  Awesome.

Malea was just great until she realized that her hands were dirty -- then, oh my goodness, let's get them washed now!.

They all played wonderfully all morning.

A cracker/cheese/meat lunch and then Malea just couldn't make it any longer and fell asleep in my arms on the sofa.  I really hated to put her down, but knew she would sleep better if left alone.  Rhiana arrives after her massage to pick up the girls and the house seems oh so quiet after she is gone.  I have really enjoyed the time with both her and my incredible granddaughters.

While we are sitting on the sofa, everyone gets cookies and after a short time, I notice that there is something between Raef's toes.  He reaches down and puts in in his mouth.  Yep, both Mister and I crack up.  He then looks up at us and says, "tastes like lemon."  Oh goodness -- I laughed so hard.

 We spend the afternoon making sure everything was done in the house before Trent and Amanda arrive back.  Yes, there is also time for fun and games.  I catch Mister having fun at Ryan's expense.

Amanda and Trent arrive back and we visit for awhile to hear their stories of Vegas.  We get the kids fed before Amanda, Mister, and I go out to Freedom's Edge Brewery for a sampler and then to Steamboat Steakhouse for dinner -- just the three of us as Trent is still not feeling well..  While we are at dinner, we are informed that Ryan has lost his tooth with some help from Dad.  Yay!

It is time to head home, but Amanda has told me that she doesn't have any pictures of the two of us so Mister takes a quick one.  I absolutely love how it turns out.

Back at the house, we quickly get ready for bed as we are leaving in the morning.  Rhiana is picking us up around 7:30 in the morning for our drive to Denver.  This has been so much fun.

Tuesday - We are homeward bound today.  My poor daughter is huddled in the bathroom with the flu.  I cannot tell you how much I hate leaving her this way.  After we are packed, we help get the boys off to school and Raef so touches my heart when he says, "Can't you stay for another couple of weeks?"  Oh my -- what a sweetheart.  I guess that means we did okay this week.

We are able to get a picture of Ryan sans tooth and the note from the tooth fairy.  He is one lucky boy with his $5.00.

Rhiana arrives and we are off to Denver while Amanda lays miserable in the upstairs bathroom for the day.  So sad.  My thoughts are with her and wish so desperately that we could stay and help.  Mister and I even checked flights to see if we could call Cassie and work something out with Jet Blue.  Nope -- we are stuck and heading home.  My heart is breaking.

We arrive at the airport with plenty of time to wander around and check out areas we have not been to before.  We actually find several of the "conspiracy" areas.

There are galleries and murals everywhere.  After an hour of wandering, we head for security and our gate.  It is time to go home and I am ready.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this trip and my time with grands.  I am so blessed to have these moments and treasure them way more than my children realize.  I can't wait for the next opportunity -- which it turns out will be in just a few days.  Jen needs help and we are on our way down there next weekend.

Once we board the plane and are in the air, I ask for a Pepsi.  Check out my can.

I am in America, right?  Wonder where this American flight was before arriving in Denver.

Off to Cheyenne - Days 6 - 7

Saturday - Snowed all morning!  Seriously, I told Mister that the forecast was for a "dusting" of snow.  At some points it looked like a blizzard out there.  Mister made eggs and toast for breakfast while I worked away on a quilt top that I wanted to finish.  Once I had that behind me, I called Raef in and we got to work on his pillow.  I brought 4 leftover blocks from making his quilt and the backing with me so his first task is to sew the 4 blocks together.  He does a really great job and we are soon cutting the backing to fit.

Caleb wants to help and holds the fabric in place with one finger while big brother makes the cuts.  Back to the sewing machine we go to attach the front to back.  Raef has an easier time controlling the speed this go round and soon his speed is quite manageable.

Once that is finished, he turns the pillow right side out and works to get his corners pulled out nice before adding "fluff" until he has the desired fullness to his pillow.  It takes all that his mom had on the shelf, but fortunately I have also brought a big bag and after grabbing a good couple of handfuls, he has the amount he needs.

Now to hand sew the opening closed and we have a pillow.  Yay!  Since we were not here when Raef received his quilt, he goes and gets it to have a picture taken.  That rapidly turns into a game of "I Spy" and I win after sending them to look for the horses.  Yep --- woohoo for me.

Now for some shots of Raef and his quilt (and pillow).  He loves it so much and my heart is definitely full.

Wrapped in my love two ways!

Me and my boys!

While I was looking something up on the computer, a picture of President Obama popped up on Facebook and Ryan was standing near me.  He saw it and asked who it was.  Before I could answer, he said, "Is that Obama?"  I said yes and his next comment made me do a double take.  He said, "Oh, I didn't know he was a brown skin."  I told him that technically President Obama is black and is the first black president ever.  He thought for a minute and then said, "I didn't know he was a black skin."  Kids.

Grandpa and the boys did some homework and then three of them went outside to play while Caleb and I napped.  The snow has just finished --- yep, check out this dusting.  The plows have just come through and Mister has found the front walkway.

Boys and snow --- such fun.  The three of them went over to the playground across the street from the house.  Of course - fun can be had here at any time of year.

The next time I peeked out the window (couldn't sleep), I found them busy making a snowman.  Ryan came running into the house in search of a scarf and mittens.

After the snowman is finished, the boys come in for some much needed hot cocoa to warm everyone up.

Caleb wakes and after some time playing, we all get ready to go and meet Rhiana and the girls at the Twin Dragon for some much requested Chinese food.  They boys just can't stop asking for sweet and sour chicken.

Finding things to keep Malea happy is a full-time job for Rhiana.  However, the award for best behaved person during dinner goes to Caleb hands down.  He was a perfect little angel -- I was so impressed.

After a wonderful dinner, we go back over to Rhiana's to decorate cookies and let the cousins play for awhile.  Rhiana and I get things set up and soon the kids join us for some fun.

While we are working on the cookies, Mister calls Rhiana into Elena's bedroom as he smelled something burning.  Turns out that a Barbie was being cooked on the heater.  Time to totally rearrange the bedroom as Elena's bed was pushed up against that very same heater.

The kids settle in once everything is in place and start creating a game to play.  Naturally, it requires costumes and it seems to take a tremendous amount of time deciding on those and the props to go along with them.  Finally, the game is one and they are off and running until it is time for us to go so that Rhiana can get the girls settled down before she has to go to work.  This has been a fun night and everyone play oh so nice together.

Back home for baths and bed, everyone is tired but there is always time for clean boys to have some fun with Grandpa.















Sunday -

Amanda calls and they will not make it home today as Trent is sick.
Breakfast turns into an animal building moment --- how to use Halos for fun and nutrition.















 We do all the laundry and get the boys ready to go bowling, but once we arrive, they do not wish to go.  Gammy is grumpy but we go back home and the boys (including Grandpa) go outside to play.  They build a slide.  How cool is that?

The boys destroy their snowman - in all fairness, it was rapidly melting away -- and bring the scarf and mittens back into the house.  Rhiana comes over late in the afternoon.  She has hired a babysitter for the evening and the kids are going to have a sleepover.  We get the beds set up for a campout and the gang gathers for a quick picture.

I have a wonderful tilapia dinner at Los Abuelos while Mister enjoys a chicken mole dinner.  We are able to take a deep breath without kids for awhile and enjoy some adult conversation with Rhiana.  It is a nice couple of hours.

Upon returning home, we send Rhiana to take the babysitter home and then for her to go to her own home alone for some much needed sleep and her massage in the morning.  We have got this under control.

Kara, the babysitter, took a couple of pictures for us of the kids during their movie.  I am so glad they had a good time.

Malea is causing issues sleeping with others so I bring her downstairs with us and Grandpa moves her little bed into our room.  In no time, she falls asleep on the couch and we take her upstairs.  When I retrieved her from the group, Raef let me know that he was not at all happy about having to go to bed and wanted to watch the rest of his movie.  I told him to lay quietly until the others fell asleep and then to come down and we would put the movie on.  We never see him.  Hmmm.  We sit together quietly and watch an episode of House of Cards before heading to bed.  Another great day.