Memorial Day Weekend

I'm sure you can hardly wait to hear about our wonderful weekend - all the fun things we did - all the great pictures I took............keep looking because it's sure not going to be found here!!

For the first time in many years, we had a work weekend - I know, I know, not very exciting at all and I was pretty bummed about it since it was a 3 day weekend!!  But we're still behind at work, the car was still broke down and the list just kept getting longer and longer and longer..............

So we just decided to stay home and work!!  Glenn did diagnose the car with a bad fuel pump and got it removed, but hasn't got it replaced yet!!  He worked on some old batteries we had at the house and got the workable ones figured out! He worked at the shop and got a few things done along with meeting a new client.   And he worked on the hot tub - the poor broken hot tub that we haven't got to use since last Feb!!!  It is now UP AND RUNNING!!!  But it's still having some issues!

I made a list about a mile long and worked my tail off over the past 3 days - I won't bore you with all the details, but just know I did what I had to do for the summer and that's all I'm doing!!!  The house is nice and clean - all the windows are washed - and the garage is swept and even FEELS clean if that's possible!!

In between work I did find time for coffee on the deck with a great book, movies in the evenings and the making of 2 new recipes which I added to my list!!

All in all it wasn't such a bad 3 day weekend except for the fact it was absolutely gorgeous outside and would have been a perfect weekend for ATVing and camping!!  But we can't cry about it now as it's over and done with - now we just need to look forward to the rest of summer - my list is done - is yours???????

Lunch At The Cliff House

Picture a huge Victorian Inn with flowers blooming on the outskirts, a huge covered wrap-around porch complete with wicker furniture and a beautiful dining room that transport you to "The South" and you're looking at The Cliff House!

 

The Inn, as it was formerly called when it was built back in 1873, was once a stagecoach stop for the Colorado Springs/Leadville run.  It became hugely popular when the nearby mineral springs were discovered, and soon became the stomping grounds for the wealthy!

 

After the building survived a flood from the canyon and a bad fire, it sat empty for many, many years before being bought and totally restored to a beautiful inn, bar and restaurant!  The Cliff House has won many awards over the last 10 years for its' lodging and restaurant.

 

Which brings me back to lunch!  We had planned on going to Adams Cafe which is a restaurant we all dearly love, but we had parked up past The Cliff House and as we were walking by, we decided we would rather eat there!!

 

The perfect place to eat would have been on the veranda which was all set up for lunch but it was just too cool for us - so we headed into the dining room and had a fantastic lunch!!

 

We usually all decide on one dessert and then split it 4 ways - and the choice this time was called "Moka" which is chocolate espresso mousse with cocoa sponge cake and raspberry kahlua ganache.

 

It of course sounded delicious but we were amazed when it was delivered to our table!!  Take a peek at the "cup" it's in - that's the ganache!!!   It seemed almost sinful to eat the cup!!  And yes, it was absolutely delicious!! 

 

It's on my list to eat there again this summer when we can sit on the veranda sipping ice cold lemonade or mint juleps and pretend we're real Southern women!!!

First Camping Trip of the Season

Last week was rough -some weeks things just keep piling up till you think there's no good end in sight but of course it DOES get better!!  Glenn and I were scheduled to take off for a 4 day fishing trip up to Wyoming but that didn't happen..............

Our #1 guy Charles, had gotten hurt 2 weeks ago and had surgery a week ago - he tore a tendon in his bicep - ouch - but the surgery went fine and he is home recuperating - which meant a work comp claim and lots of paperwork!  And the bad news is he can't do any lifting with that arm for the next 3 months - yikes - pretty tough when you do granite for your job!!  In the meantime we had hired another full time guy to take his place which is good, but of course we want Charles back as soon as possible.  But without him, there was no way we could leave the business for a couple of days.............

Then on Thursday Glenn's car broke down in Colorado Springs, right as he was getting on the interstate - luckily a friend helped tow it to his business and Friday we had it towed up here for Glenn to work on...............whenever he finds time...............

But we decided to go ahead and go camping and ATVing locally, just to get away from the business for a while!!  Unfortunately we didn't even get out of work till 6:00pm Friday evening but we raced home and finished packing up, got in the truck and guess what - it wouldn't start!!  Oh gosh, was this lousy week EVER going to end????  Glenn fiddled around with it for a while and finally got it started - but since we were only going about 15 miles away, I decided I would drive the car too, just in case!!

First we headed to the gas station to fill up the ATV and the gas cans - Glenn was carrying the full gas can back to the trailer and set it down - but there was no cap on it and it splashed fuel all over my sweat pants...........boy did I smell driving to the camping spot!!

But we FINALLY got there, unpacked and set up and ate our dinner (luckily I had bought a rotisserie chicken and salad ahead of time) at 8:00pm that night - Glenn was so tired he headed to bed at 8:30!  I slept like a log too and we woke up to a chilly morning!!

We bundled up good, packed our picnic and headed out on the ATV - it was kind of strange, not having anything in full bloom yet so all the trees were still bare but of course there were lots of pine trees around!  We rode around and I must say, my new sunglasses were AWESOME!!!  After our picnic, we did head back to the camper because it looked like it was going to rain!!  That was fine with me as I huddled under a blanket and read and read and read.................

Having a campfire that night was great, even though it did start to rain and got pretty windy - but at least we got to have ONE because more than likely, the ban will go on this weekend and stay on throughout the summer!!

It was cold reading that night - and it was SUPER cold when we woke up - the furnace ran and ran but after breakfast, we decided to bundle up and try to ATV - we lasted about an hour - and were both so cold that decided it was best to just pack up and head home to the endless list of things to do around the house..............

At least we got away - we tried out the camper and nothing was too broke this year - ha ha - and I only forgot one thing!!  That's a great start to the camping season!!!  And yes, I KNOW this week will be better!!

The Warrior Games

Does anyone know what the Warrior Games are?  These games are represented by more than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans that participate in seven sports - archery, cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field and wheelchair basketball.  Athletes represent Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Special Operations and the British Armed Forces.

 

The games were first held in 2010 and were designed to introduce injured service members and vets to Paralympic sport competition and to encourage them to stay physically active!  The events are held at the Olympic Training Center and the Air Force Academy.

 

Son in law Brad has participated in the Warrior Games the past couple of years doing archery and this year I met Jaime, Rayna and Kylan at the games so I could watch Brad!

 

I had never really watched anyone shoot their bows before (besides Glenn when he practices for hunting) so it was quite interesting to watch them practice and learn the rules!

 

 

It was a humbling experience watching these guys and gals - many were in wheelchairs, many walked with a limp or a cane and one guy in a wheelchair actually pulled his bow back with a mouthpiece.  To think of all the struggles these courageous people go through with their handicaps and disabilities makes our normal life look pretty easy!

 

There were 2 groups of bow archers, using either a compound bow or a recurve bow and each one would shoot 3 arrows at their particular target - and after everyone was done, they would go out with their scorers to get their results and their arrows.  There were 20 different sets during the morning shoot and it was fun watching through the binoculars to see where Brad's arrows would land!!

Brad did an awesome job and we were sure rooting for him!  The top 8 would move into the finals after lunch - and Brad came in tied for 4th place!!!  We were all really excited for him!!

After lunch the final 8 shot with only the top 4 moving into the final round - Brad did great and stayed in 4th position until the final round - and then he lost by 1 point!!  He was pretty disappointed but we weren't because in the last 2 years, he didn't even place in the Top 8 and this year he did!!!  Final results put him in 5th place overall - CONGRATULATIONS BRAD!!!  We're all so proud of you for doing so well and I'm already looking forward to watching you next year if you're chosen to represent the Special Operations team once again!!

Mothers Day

I was sad to not see Jill for Mothers Day but she was coming to Denver the next weekend so opted not to come twice in two weeks!!

 

Jessi and I and the 4 kids headed over to Jaime's house late afternoon to fix a delicious dinner of shrimp linguine and Caesar salad, along with some wine!!  Jaime arrived home from work and we ate like kings!!

 

For dessert it was fondue!!  Jessi tried a new recipe which didn't work out at all but Jaime came to the rescue with one of hers and soon we were gorging ourselves on chocolate!!  An idea I had never thought of was dipping small pieces of rice crispy bars in the chocolate - yummy!!!

And then it was gift time!!  Jaime gave both Jessi and I a brightly colored serving bowl with microwave popcorn and candy inside and all the girls gave me my annual Rollin With The Flow book of last years' blogs - I LOVE it!!  I can't tell you how many times I sit on the couch and thumb through these books to read what I have written over the years!!

Next on the list was to give Kylan his birthday presents since we won't be up for his birthday - he has the cutest expressions!!  Here he just opened up a gift card for ITunes!!

This gift was sure a hit with both him AND Evan!!  It's guns that shoot these darts that stick to things - they had a lot of fun playing until it was time for Jessi and the kids and me to head back to Jessi's house for the night!!

Sunday dawned glorious outside!!  We walked to church and afterwards, grilled up some brats and walked to their park to eat a picnic lunch!  It was great being outside and food always tastes so much better that way!!

Then it was time for a game of Frisbee - we had a great time playing and all got a little sunburned with the nice weather!!

Jessi and I did some shopping later on and Jessi came home with some new clothes!!  We also went to her favorite yogurt place as they were giving away free yogurt (with whatever trimmings you wanted on it)  to moms for the first 6 oz.  Jessi had to pay 36 cents and mine was a whopping 13 cents - it was delicious, especially since it was almost free!!!

After that jam packed weekend, it was time for this Nana to head on home..........thankfully traffic was moving right along and I sailed home in record time!!  Thanks for a wonderful Mothers Day Weekend!!

Baseball and Play Parks

What was I thinking heading out for Denver during rush hour traffic?  I guess I thought for once I wouldn't be stuck in traffic - but I was - to the tune of almost 45 minutes in Monument at a complete standstill (OK - that's not entirely true - we moved a total of 1/2 mile during that time!!)  It sure made for a LONG LONG drive to Denver but I finally made it - Jessi practically met me at the door with a wine cooler and had delicious tacos waiting for me!!  And of course her 2 kids plus Jaime's 2 kids that were there were all waiting for hugs - sure makes one feel special!!

 

I took Rayna and Kylan home later on and Jaime got off work at 9:00 - she wasn't feeling well at all so we made it an early evening!!  I usually sleep very well at her house but didn't sleep great, mainly because I was worried - Glenn had called me on the way up to Denver and could not find the current boat tags - I had given them to him over a week ago and remember them on the dining room table but that's the last I saw them!!  Glenn was heading to Pueblo to fish and spend the night on the boat and believe me, after the work week we had, he desperately needed some down time!!  All night my mind kept thinking of places where they could be but they never did show up!!!  Glenn went fishing anyway - and luckily the ranger never checked him!

 

Saturday I was up early and headed over to Jessi's to pick her up for coffee!!  Yes, we found a new place and were VERY happy with it - it's called Carino's and after we told them we were Caribou clients and really loved their turtle mocha's, they duplicated it the best they could - and it was excellent!!!  They also have a great place to sit and visit with lots of seating so we were both happy campers!!!

 

Then it was off to hit some garage sales - a fun time with some really good and unique ones - I didn't buy a lot but sure had fun and loved my purchase of mint condition hardback children's books!!  We raced over to pick up Rayna and Kylan and then back to get Evan and Kenzie and then headed to the boys game!! 

 

Did I forget to mention it was absolutely gorgeous out?????

 

 

Aren't they cute in their little t-shirts?  Both boys played very well and it was fun watching them!! 

 

Of course the pictures are all mixed up again (per usual with Blogger) so just skip through them and eventually, I'll write about them!

As you can see, Evan got the medal of the day and was also excited because HIS mom served snacks that day!!

A trip to Burger King was next for lunch - kids are so excited to get Happy Meals!!  They had a play area also which meant they had plenty to do after lunch!!  And then it was off to this super nice park in Centennial - wow - I've never been to a park like this!! 

 

This spider web crawl thing was really cute and the swings below were a big hit too!!!  The weather held out till the last moment and just as we were leaving, it began to rain a little bit!!

We were all tired by that time and a little sunburned so headed back to Jessi's house for a little quiet time for the kids!!  Late afternoon Jessi and I packed up everybody and headed over to Jaime's house for our Mothers Day Get Together - which is where I will start the next blog.................

When One Family Comes, They All Come!

We can go 3 or 4 months without any of the kids coming to our house to stay, and then all of a sudden they ALL come, weekend after weekend after weekend!!  And this last weekend was Jaime and Brads' turn to come down!!

 

We had given Jaime and Brad a gift certificate to stay at a B and B in Manitou Springs for their 10th wedding anniversary (2 years ago!!!)!!  Between their hectic schedules and ours, it finally worked out for them to stay there last Friday night and we babysat the kids!!

 

Jaime and Brad dropped off the kids at our work mid-afternoon and we hung around till around 4:00, grabbed some smoothies for the road and then headed on home!!  Glenn was on an install in Buena Vista so didn't get home till later that evening!!

 

We enjoyed watching a movie that evening and the kids both slept up in the loft with us!!

 

 

 Glenn usually cooks pancakes for the kids and this Saturday was no exception!!  Rayna requested a pancake that looked like a piece of bacon - and that's what she got!!

 I had purchased a big bag full of Hot Wheels tracks and tricks and Kylan and I managed to finally figure out how most of the pieces went together - he had a ball playing with it!!

 Rayna is now 11 and seemed to be stuck to her phone most of the weekend!!  But she took time out to join Kylan and me on the front deck Saturday morning and we played catch and ring toss - and got our exercise every time the ball or ring flew off the deck to the lower one!!

Jaime and Brad arrived around noon and sure enjoyed their stay - they actually got upgraded to a different room and it was the one Glenn and I had stayed in, the Under The Sea room!!

I made Miami vices and taught Jaime how to play Ruzzle on her IPhone - I have NEVER won in this game against Jessi so it was fun to actually play with someone who I COULD beat!!!  We played game after game...............

 The guys actually played SORRY with Kylan which he thoroughly enjoyed but the picture posted in the wrong spot of course!!

And I actually tried one more new recipe this last weekend - Alice Springs Chicken - and it turned out amazing!!!  Definitely a keeper!!

We played some pool that evening - Glenn folded up the treadmill and stuck it in the lower hallway so we had more room to play - I was walking by it and my sweater got on the latch and released it, causing the part you walk on to come down on my shoulder - OUCH - it really hurt!!!  And today I have one sore shoulder so am not doing a lot today!!!

 It was an early Sunday morning for all of us as they had to get up and out the door by 7:00 in order to get back up to Denver - the kids were singing in church and the family was also being recognized for joining the church that day!!!

So another fun weekend with kids and grand kids!!  And hopefully the next time they all come down, the weather will be nice and warm for lots of outdoor activities!!!

Here's To Good Health!

It's arrived - it's all set up - and we're now drinking super healthy drinking water!!  That's right - check out our new ionized water machine!! 

This particular water filter machine produces 5 different water types which can be used for various purposes including drinking, cooking, beauty and cleaning! It not only filters our tap water from our well but also produces ionized alkaline and acidic waters through electrolysis.

Some of the benefits of our "Kangen" water are:  hydration and drinkability, micro-clustering, free-radical scavenging, encouraging longevity and detoxification!!  (and yes, I don't know all of this by heart yet so I'm referring to the website!!)

I had no idea how dehydrated I was before I started drinking this water - it tastes great, even better than our well water and I find myself drinking a lot more than I ever did before!  My energy level is at an all time high and I haven't had a sleepless night since I started on the water!  I also haven't taken any drugs for headaches either since I haven't had one for 2 months!! 

All in all, it's one great investment and we're thrilled we bought it!

No More Squinting!

I've wanted a pair of prescription sunglasses for a long time - progressive lenses - polarized - a cute style................but I just didn't want to pay the price for them!!

Along came a Groupon - $69.00 - so I bought it!!

And I FINALLY made the appointment to go as it involved a comprehensive eye exam and I knew that would take some time!!  I had the eye exam with the latest machine to test for glaucoma and I passed it with flying colors!!  My eyes had only changed a tiny bit from my current prescription so that was good!!

I picked out some frames (they're definitely not cheap) and then she added up the bill - for progressive lenses, new frames and polarization, the total was $297.00 (plus the $69.00 that I had already paid for the Groupon).  I got a complete printout of all the regular charges and without the Groupon, the bill would have been $614.00 - so I must say it WAS a great deal!!

My glasses came in last week so I raced down to get them and although I'm still getting used to them, I do LOVE them!!!  It just feels so strange to be able to see WELL out of them since I was used to just wearing regular sunglasses and not being able to see very good!!

I think they'll be a great asset when I'm riding the ATV and YES, they'll be kept in a case when I'm not wearing them - they're TOO pricey to just lay around!!