Camping At Buffalo Peaks

 Between all the dr appts and family events, we have only camped once this summer!  So it was definitely time to pack the 5th wheel, hook up the trailer with the razor and head out!  We decided to go to our old standby, Buffalo Peaks!  This particular area has 2 sides to it and we usually go to the one side every year, primarily because the other side is closed until June 15th for elk calving AND there was a fire that went through there 3 years ago! 

The only problem is that there are hardly any camping spots on this side that we can fit into!  We pulled into the area for a ways and then dropped the razor off so we could go look for spots.  Of course the one we wanted was taken - there were several way back in but it would have taken us close to an hour to get that far back on the rough road and just wasn't worth it - so we settled for a spot that was just OK - but we knew we had the side by side to get everywhere else so it's not a problem!

MOSQUITOS - there were mosquitos where we camped - yikes!!  After the first couple of bites, I opted to stay inside, set up and just relax until it was time to hit the trails in the razor!    And as soon as we took off, I started noticing the beautiful wildflowers - WOW - there were just hillsides of them and I couldn't stop snapping pictures of them!  Glenn said there were so many because of the ash from the fire and all of the rain we've been having!

Columbines - our state flower!  SO PRETTY!!

Glenn had fun looking for mushrooms - he picked an entire bagful!!  They were just huge from all of the rain!

The hillsides were just gorgeous and even though I kept snapping pictures, they couldn't capture the beauty of just seeing them!

We had a great time on the razor driving places we hadn't been for a while!  I LOVE these pink flowers!

Yes, it clouded up and rained but we were back to the camper by that time!  There was quite a lightning storm!

It must be lunch time if Glenn is getting the lunch bag out - we sat among the wildflowers and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

The last morning before we headed home, we did a trail that goes around and you end up where you started!  We were almost to the creek and we met 3 guys on motorcycles (and they're usually going pretty darn fast!)  We had barely gone 1/2 mile and there lying in the middle of the road was a cell phone!  I got out and picked it up and we both knew it had to be the last motorcycle rider!  It was locked and there wasn't much we could do but continue on our way and hopefully would run into him again before we left!

After a nice ride, we stopped at the intersection and talked about what to do with the phone - Glenn had watched for their tracks and knew they weren't in our camping area at all.  He decided we would go over towards the road that led to the highway and that was a wise move!  Just as we got over there, we saw a single rider going back over the same route we had just come from!

So we waited right where we were (above picture) and sure enough, about 15 minutes later, the rider came by!  I walked up to him and asked him if he was missing something and oh my gosh, he was SO excited we had his phone!  He thanked us over and over again - we visited for a while - he was from CA with 2 buddies and their wives were driving a car with their luggage and they would all meet each night at a hotel.  He gave us his card and insisted we send him an email when we got home so he could give us a little something for our time spent trying to track him down!  It's nice to meet up with GOOD people in this world!

A few days after we got home, I did email him and he responded right back - he was back home and once again thanked us for finding him!  Told us to check our email as he was sending us a little something - and sure enough, there was an email from Amazon with a $100 gift card - wow - wasn't expecting that at all!!  But he certainly appreciated his phone as he's a realtor in CA!

Anyway, a great trip with beautiful flowers!!

The ESCAPE ROOM

 Have you done one?  Do you want to do one?  GO DO ONE!

Jessi decided for her 40th birthday that she wanted ALL of the 8 adults to get together and do something without the kids - this is a rarity because for so many years, the kids were young enough they all had to have sitters and these days it's not easy to find sitters, let alone the cost for them!

So she picked out something we have all read about and at least me, thought about doing - an Escape Room!  We were all beyond excited!

Since we had to bring Gwyn home anyway, it worked out perfectly.  Jaime, Brad and Kylan rode up with us in our car (thank you Jaime for driving) and we went early enough that Gwyn could spend a little time with her mom and dad, since she'd been at our place for 3 nights!

All 8 of us piled in the Keppys' large expedition and we headed to The View House for lunch - what fun getting together with the kids and enjoying time together!  

We ordered a variety of different meals and it was all great!  Lots of glass in this place and we were up on the second floor which made it nice!

3 of the guys decided they wanted to have a shot of whatever before we headed to the Escape Room!

But we corralled them for a picture before we headed out!

And then it was off to the Escape Room!!  Before the gal sent us in, she told us the rules - Jessi had chosen the themed room - Rock and Roll - perfect for us girls who all love music!  The gal asked us if any of us knew how to run a record player - uh, that would be me - guess that ages me huh?

So we headed in the room and she locked the door behind us!  It was like NOTHING I had imagined in my mind - it was definitely a 60's vibe in the room with all sorts of clues and locked items.  Between the 8 of us, we all started looking around and picking up items and trying to find clues!

I had visions of taking pictures but that sure didn't happen - you know you're on a time clock and every second counts - at times it was stressful and almost frustrating but then when we would discover a clue and unlock something, we were all cheering and happy!!

I did have to put a couple of albums on the turntable and figure out the clues - I had to laugh when Gary walked over and asked how I knew where to put the needle for the 2nd song on the album!!  The song title was scratched off but there was a clue on the 2nd song!  Putting it with another clue on another album's 2nd song gave us the combination to open another locked item!

If you get completely stumped, you can ask for a clue - and the gal said don't be afraid to ask for a clue because if you wait too long, there's no way you will ever finish!  We all got completely stumped for a while so asked for a clue and with that clue (which came up on the television screen - there are cameras in the room as they watch you) we were able to solve that particular piece easily!

We were ecstatic when we placed a final item in its place and a secret door opened!!!  There was either 15 or 20 minutes STILL LEFT!!!  But then our feelings turned to despair as we realized we had ANOTHER entire room to solve the clues in!!

This room seemed even harder ( and there were no lights - just a portable lamp head) - we asked for another clue that definitely helped us along and we're running back into the other room to check the tv (that's where it had a time clock on how much time we had left) and we were all frantic!  When we unlocked the final clue, we had NO IDEA what to do with an item so Gary run back in the other room and asked for a final clue - we got it, punched in the numbers and we were OUT!!!!!!  Oh my gosh - we were whooping and hollering and could hardly believe that we MADE IT OUT!!  Jessi had looked up the percentage rate on this room of how many people solved it and it was only 25%!!

It seemed the clock ran a little slower at the end and the gal did tell us that since we were so close, she gave us an extra 5 minutes!  So between that extra 5 and the 3 clues, we were champions!!

We're all holding clues from the room!!

And Jessi thought to take a picture of the tv screen - how cool is that? (with 53 seconds left)

We were all still on Cloud 9 when we headed out to the car!!  And you can bet we talked about it all the way home!

One last picture of us in Jessi's back yard - full of beautiful sunflowers!

Are you ready to do an Escape Room now????  I'll warn you - it's not cheap - and it's definitely hard - but it's SO WORTH it to do it once in your life!  And if I ever have another opportunity, I will do it again!!

Campfires and Fun Times With Gwyn

 One of the things Gwyn wanted to do was to have a campfire and roast marshmallows!  So that's exactly what we did after an afternoon of painting and swinging!

It was a beautiful evening out!!  I made Gwyn change out of her good leggings and put on an old pair just in case!!  

And we had to put the sweatshirts on as it got cooler and cooler!

This girl was beyond happy to eat roasted marshmallows!!

Her snack that evening was the strawberry bars that we made a special trip BACK to the store to get after the museum so they wouldn't melt!  Note her little dinosaur beside her - it had to go everywhere with her!

Saturday morning we headed into Dick and Jane's pond in town for a fishing expedition!  It's pretty darn easy to catch fish out of this pond but they were being pretty tricky that morning!  Glenn would no sooner cast in then a fish would get on but Gwyn would try to reel it in and it would get caught in the grass and get off!  Her goal was to catch 5 fish!  Pretty ambitious for a 6 year old!

I can't tell you HOW MANY fish got on and then off before she could get them in!  But she finally settled on 4 fish so we could leave!

I asked Gwyn what she wanted for dinner that night and of course she said her favorite that I make - cheeseburger soup!  So that's what we made!  There's not a lot she can help with on that particular recipe but she could pour the cheese in at the end!!  And when we ate it, she made sure to tell Papa that she helped a LOT on making the soup!!

An evening ride in the razor is always fun!

Gwyn enjoyed the hot tub a couple of times, in between the lightning and the rain, and I played a LOT of cards with her - Go Fish and Crazy Eights!  Won't be long before she'll be playing the card games the older kids play!

She slept on the floor in our room (on a mattress of course!) and I think enjoyed sleeping with the nice cool air coming in - she usually has NO covers on at her house and I found her all cuddled up with a blanket AND a bedspread on when I would come into bed later!

An awesome time with her - she's such a blessing in our lives!

It's Gwyn's Turn

 We're pretty early risers so had decided the night before to get up about 6am and head to Denver in order to miss the morning rush hour traffic!  Don't get me wrong, there is STILL traffic that time of the morning but it wasn't bad and we always get off on the toll road right as we enter Denver.  Even though we have to pay the tolls, it's so much less traffic that way so makes it worth it!

Jessi and Gwyn were waiting for us!  I had decided earlier to take Jessi out for breakfast for her birthday so Glenn stayed with Gwyn and we headed to La Peep!  They have such a nice menu and even have special coffee so we didn't need to go elsewhere for that!

We both shared a yummy crepe filled with ham and veggies and a fancy french toast!  It was a great time to catch up and enjoy each others' company!

Gwyn was READY to go by the time we got back so we headed home!  Always a long drive for a little one!  And we spent the rest of the day playing together inside and outside!

Pancakes were on the menu for breakfast - this girl is ALWAYS all smiles!

Papa was being silly!

Gwyn decided she wanted a chef salad - ha!  Papa was picking lettuce to take to the organic store!

Friday morning we headed into the Dinosaur Resource Center!

The outside dinosaurs are always a hit!  We went right when it opened so it wasn't very busy!

Checking out those teeth!

This one was one of her favorites - don't ask me its' name - I'm really not into dinosaurs!

The last room you walk into is the "ocean" room - she loved this huge set of jaws!

Of course you ALWAYS have to walk through the gift store when you exit!  Gwyn looked and looked and finally ended up with a darling pink t-shirt and a small dinosaur to use in the hot tub!

After the museum we headed to McDonalds - once again the parking lot was full but you couldn't even park there if you wanted to because the drive up lanes were backed up through the lot!  We parked way over to the side and walked in - unfortunately it's not a fun experience there any more - you can't sit inside - they REQUESTED that we order on the kiosk but I said no, I wanted to order in person!  The wait was SO long - but at least they had what we wanted!  It took FOREVER to get our smoothies and french fries but I do feel sorry for them.  They desperately need help so don't have enough workers and every time we drive by, the line is LONG!  It's just a shame that nobody wants to work any more!

We headed back to our car and drove to the Divide Park to eat our fries!  By this time, Woodland Park and the traffic were getting bad (all the campers heading west) so we were glad to get back home!

 A great day spent with Gwyn!!  With more to come....

If It's July - It's Birthday Month

 I was starting to look a little more normal in July since I got my stitches out on July 6th!  I had heard horror stories about how painful it was going to be when I got them out, especially since they were on my face so I even took one of my pain pills before I went!  Luckily it was a piece of cake!  And the Dr. was very pleased with how my face was looking!!  Hooray!

Saturday the 10th was Jessi's 40th birthday - how can my "baby" be 40 years old????  She celebrated by going to a nearby town to hear a local 80's band that she loves!  Gary, Jessi and Jill danced the night away and I KNOW they had a great time!!  Happy Birthday Jessi!

I actually worked my volunteer job at the Food Pantry on that next Monday - I had missed both times in June as we were in Iowa and then I had my surgery!  So it was great to be back and help out!  Glenn and I ate a quick bite when I got home and then we headed up to Ft Collins - wow, what a nice trip up with not a lot of traffic!  It seemed to be the perfect time to go!

We arrived around 8:30 that night at Jill and Robby's - their new dog Penny was very excited to see us of course!!  I'm still a little gun shy around dogs but Penny cuddled up to me the next day on the couch and we were all just fine!

And the next day, Tuesday was our birthdays!!  Jill turned 41 and I turned 68!  We grabbed some coffee to go at the drive through and went to Loveland to walk around the sculpture park!  I was really impressed with this huge park and all the wonderful statues!

It's a great place to walk around and although there were a lot of people there, it's large enough that you don't really feel like it's crowded!  A nice gentleman took this picture for us!

And how cute is this statue?

Glenn and Parker had left that morning to go fishing in Glenn's kayak!!  I'm not sure where Parker sat but they both had fun and Parker caught a fish!!  He also had fun jumping off a cliff into the water!  But I guess he was pretty darn cold after that and put his seat warmer on for the way home - ha!

I opened my birthday present from the girls before we went out for dinner!  I had requested a specific CD (yes, I still have a CD player in the house) by my all time favorite artist, Gordon Lightfoot!  It was a 4 pk CD and although I had a lot of the songs, many were very early ones that I had never heard so I was excited to get it!  Add in a package of my favorite dark chocolate and it was the perfect gift!  Thanks girls!!

We took Robby and Jill out for their anniversary, and of course it was a double celebration for our birthdays!  Jill had made reservations at a Mexican place which is housed in their old post office building downtown - a cool place and GREAT food!  The mango margaritas were outstanding!  I had fish tacos with mango sauce and they were excellent!

Jill and I both received a yummy, chewy brownie with ice cream - it was good!!  Unfortunately because Jill has to eat gluten free, she only could eat a little bit of the ice cream on top but Robby enjoyed the rest!

My margarita sure matched Glenn's shirt that night!!  We had an awesome meal together and then walked around their downtown a little bit!

When we arrived home, we sat outside by Jill's birthday gift, a cool looking firepit!  It goes great on their new cement out back and I know they'll enjoy it all summer!

A great day - and many more birthdays to celebrate!

A Birthday, An Anniversary, and Celebrating the 4th

 The 4th is always celebrated in our family!  Happy Birthday Wishes to Aleah who turned 12 on the 4th - she loves celebrating her birthday in Iowa and fireworks are always included for her birthday!

Robby and Jill celebrated 18 years on their 4th of July anniversary!    This picture was taken when we went to Ft Collins and took them out for dinner!

And Glenn and I?  We didn't do much of anything!  I was only 5 days post-surgery so still had stitches in although was feeling pretty darn good!  We had a nice campfire with hot dogs and just enjoyed relaxing!

At least I'm smiling, huh?  Probably a good idea it was a distance picture because I sure wasn't much to look at yet!

I always believe that once the 4th of July hits, that summer is 1/2 way over - how can that be?  It feels like summer has JUST started!!