And It's Back To School

 Another school year has started!  I'm not sure the kids are excited about being back in school but the parents - yea, I think they were ready!!

Here's the lineup:

Evan is a sophmore this year up in Denver!  He's already been doing long distance running for cross country!

Kylan will be a freshman - he's our local one so goes to Woodland Park!  He is in soccer already and it will be nice to see him play close by!

Kenzie is in 8th grade - ruler of middle school this year!  She's up in Denver and will be active in track and volleyball this year!

Aleah is our other 8th grader up in Ft. Collins - she's excited about volleyball and basketball for her sports this next season!  

Parker heads to middle school this year as he's in 6th grade and will be in the same school as Aleah!  He's already in football (tackle this year) so it will be fun to see him play!

And last but not least is Gwyn - I can hardly believe that she's in 2nd grade this year up in Denver! Our youngest grandchild is just growing up way too fast!

Nedelle, from Iowa, who graduated last spring is starting college at Wayne State in Wayne, NE.  Chance and Maggie are in 5th grade and 4th grade back in Iowa!  

Our oldest Rayna and Matias are both working in Co. Springs.

And that's all the grandkids in a nutshell!

That Darn Razor...

 FINALLY we made plans to take a camping trip - 3 nights - and I told Glenn to choose where and he decided on Poncha Pass!  It's a great place to camp as you can access a lot of trails and there are several spots to camp!

We headed out Sunday morning and I warned Glenn that the "weekenders" would still be camped but he said no problem!  Gas is starting to get cheaper (though NOT in Woodland Park) and we were surprised when we drove by Hartsell as it was $3.99 for unleaded!  Usually it's really high there!

It was a nice trip over and when we pulled into the area, of course there were quite a few campers!  We unloaded the razor to take for a drive and find a spot - it sure is easier that way instead of dragging the 5th wheel and trailer around!  Our usual couple of spots were taken but we found a beautiful place high up that would work perfectly and got set up in no time!

We had views everywhere we looked and that evening the sky was gorgeous!

Glenn had a nice campfire going and we sat outside for a long time!

We sure made our first days' ride a LONG ride as we left about 9:30 and didn't get back till 4:00!  We rode all of our standby trails - only met 2 atv's the entire day!  Always a pretty overlook is Ohaver Lake on Marshall Pass.

Either some of the trails are getting steeper and rockier or this gal is just getting older and feels those bumps a whole lot more!  I keep thinking I SURE like the smooth, flat trails better!  Ha!

We stopped and had lunch at a place where we had camped before in the pickup and truck camper, right by a nice stream!

After our long day, we were headed home and Glenn kept saying he was hearing a funny sound - I didn't hear it - but he had me peek and see if the front tire was flat - nope it was fine!  So we get back to camp and crawl out and guess what - the back tire was flat and completely ruined!

I told Glenn no problem as there was a nice spare tire on the back - and then he proceeds to tell me that he didn't bring the "special" tool that is needed to take the tire off - REALLY???  He said he didn't think he would need it - hmmmmmmm - wonder why we carry spare tires and jacks in our vehicles because I never plan on having a flat tire!!  I wasn't a happy camper!

Glenn tried to think of other things we could do but I hadn't brought any decent clothes for going in somewhere, nor had I brought swimsuits to go to the hot springs!  I told him he would just have to find something to do while I read all day!

And then dinner time arrives - we had brats and I had bought these quite large sub buns and Glenn and I ended up splitting one - I happened to look at the baggie it was in and there's a hole chewed in it and a part of the other bun eaten!!!  OH NO - a mouse!!!  I was really upset by that time!

We keep all of our chips and breads in the oven so checked it out and sure enough, he had chewed into every single one of them, along with chewing on 2 of my utensils in the bottom drawer!  I was livid!

SO by that time I told Glenn that we WERE heading home the next day because I wasn't living with a mouse (we didn't have a mouse trap in the camper) and sure enough, when I was reading later that night, that darn mouse crawled up out of the stove onto the counter area!  I yelled at it and it raced back down into the stove.

But in the meantime, we did have a beautiful fire that night and enjoyed the peaceful evening!

It did rain most of the night and we woke up to cold and cloudy skies!  I guess it was a good thing to go on home as it rained all day long!  Maybe we'll have better luck on our next camping trip!

The Melting Pot

 Since Jill was coming down this way to pick up all the kids at LVR, she decided to come for a couple of nights and have some "mom" time AND to celebrate my birthday by taking me to The Melting Pot in Co. Springs for fondue!  

We even wore dresses for the evening - more room to expand when we ate - ha!  It was a beautiful late afternoon when we headed down the pass!  Jill had called ahead of time to make sure there were gluten free options and our waitress was very good about explaining it all when we got to our table!

Jill and I both got to choose our cheese fondue due to the gluten free items on her plate - mine was delicous and I discovered "pretzel" bread which I had never had before - very good and moist!

The main course was also split into two pots - Jill and I chose different kinds and I tried hers before I did my chicken (which was not gluten free due to the breaded herbs on it),  Both were great - we had PLENTY of shrimp between the two of us as the chef goofed up and gave Jill a triple portion, along with her other meat!

And then dessert - our favorite!!  But first since Jill had told the waitress that we were celebrating my birthday, she brought out this beautiful plate!

I ordered dark chocolate and white chocolate - Jill ordered the flaming turtle and it was delicious too!  Once again, the chef goofed up and the waitress told us we had more than triple chocolate in our pots and she would be willing to box up what we didn't eat!

You can see how full the chocolate pot is!!  And yes, we ate as much as we could and took the rest home!  The plate we received to share had all gluten free items - and the brownies were delicious!  Jill even asked what brand they were so she could try and find them!

It was a fun experience and we were so full when we left the place!  It was drizzling all the way home in the dark so I was glad Jill drove home!  Thank you Jill for an awesome evening!

Thursday morning we went for coffee and hot chocolate at The Wild Horse - always great coffee and the view to match!

And what did we spend a lot of our time doing?  Planning a Mexico trip!!  The girls had decided that we needed to take a "girls" trip next year to celebrate my 70th birthday!  I had given it a lot of thought and finally decided to go to an adults only all-inclusive resort around the Playa Del Carmen area!  When Jessi was down to take Kenzie to LVR, her and I looked at LOTS of resorts on Apple Vacations (exactly what I used to do when I was planning all those "Gran" farm trips) and started a list!  So when Jill was down, we did a lot more looking and figuring out what we liked and didn't like on a bunch of the resorts!  We're having a ball planning it and now have Jill's travel agent involved!  Looking forward to this awesome trip next year with my girls!

July Photo Dump

 Yes, almost caught up on blogging!  AND August looks like it will be a whole lot slower than July!  Which hopefully means a couple of camping trips!

Rain, rain, rain - HEAVY rain!!  OH MY GOSH!!  It was like a river out front!

Early July is time to get the homeowners' association bills out - I'm the treasurer!  It's a LOT of work!

The next 2 pictures are Glenn's latest project! (as if he needs another one!!)  He got both of these trucks for a song and a dance so hopes to make some good money on them once they are ready to sell!

But in the meantime, I laid down the law and said he needed to get rid of things first!!  And by golly he's doing a great job of it!!  First to sell was the red pickup that we've owned for years!  He sold it for more than we paid for it!!  AWESOME!  Then he sold an old chassis and now he has the old gray jeep and the tractor for sale!  

My glass bottles full of sea glass and lights - I love looking at them!  And they remind me of Mexico!

And last but not least - Glenn and I actually went to see ANOTHER movie - Where The Crawdads Sing - I had read the book and knew I wanted to see the movie so we went to an early showing in Co. Springs after I had a life insurance exam!  Worked out perfectly and the movie was great!

And that's a wrap for July!

Gwyn's Adventure

 The rocks and the swing are always a big draw on our property!  Gwyn loves to swing and play on the rocks and this year was no exception!

Baking sugar cookies which are of course flat as a pancake at this elevation!

Rayna was over for dinner one night - it started raining so her and Gwyn went out to splash in the water!

This picture cracks me up - apparently I must have said something strange to Rayna and she's giving me the eyeball roll!!  We all enjoyed coloring together!

Gwyn's chosen meal - every year it's the same - cheeseburger soup!

Out on our morning walk!

I took Gwyn with me to the Food Pantry to work and she loved helping put food in the boxes!  

Sweat pants and cowboy boots - love the look!

We decided to take her for a horseback ride over at the Dawn of Hope Ranch (which is where we have our coffee at their cafe) but it was set for a Tuesday morning and I was headed to the dr to get a shot in the bottom of my foot!  (OW!)  So Glenn took her over to ride and she loved it!

Glenn and Gwyn get a kick out of this picture because Glenn is always making a joke about getting on the horse backwards!

And all too soon, it was time to meet Jessi at our coffee place in Co Springs to send the little one back home!  Jessi and I had some great coffee before they headed back to Denver!

It's always a fun time having Gwyn come down for a few days in the summer!

It's Gwyn's Turn

 Gwyn was all smiles as she got in the car, headed to our place!  Since she is the youngest AND has no one her age to come with her, she gets Papa and I all to herself - and she LOVES that!

After unpacking and settling in, we played outside a while - with all the rain in the afternoon, I knew outside activities needed to be in the morning!

A tea party with the teddy bear - and then another one at the counter with water and cheerios!

Gwyn loves to help out doing most anything - even putting pills in the different sections!

Time to make fruit salad, which is something she always requests when she comes!

The next morning we headed over to The Wild Horse  - time for coffee and a smoothie for Gwyn!

They have an outside hoop so Gwyn grabbed the ball - and yes, she made it!

Outside under the back deck is the PERFECT place to do chalk drawings!  It's shady and the square pieces are great for drawing!

I even sat on the cement and did several drawings too!  Aren't they cool looking?

We played cards and games - colored - took walks - just an awesome time with this special girl!

Wedding Fun

 I wonder how long it's been since we've been invited to a wedding!  So long I can't remember I guess!  Anyway, one of my good friends daughter was getting married - the friend has moved to TX so I don't get to see her often but her daughter lives in Denver and that's where the wedding was going to be!  Perfect for us as I knew we could stay at Jessi's!

With Kenzie and Aleah in tow, we picked up my friend Arlyne and headed to Denver - it was HOT!  We dropped the girls off at Jessi's office and since we made good time (one never knows on a Friday afternoon) we decided to go to Dairy Queen first and get some blizzards - a great idea and a wonderful way to kill some time!

And finally we were off to the wedding!!  Have I mentioned how HOT it was?

The wedding was held at an old Victorian home which of course has been remodeled.  The wedding and dinner were held outside in the garden with drinks served in the parlor, along with the cake cutting!  Joyce greeted us as we arrived and it was so fun to see her!  We waited outside in chairs until it was time for the ceremony to start!

I happened to look down and saw BARE leg on Glenn - WHAT? - sometimes I really think I have to dress this man myself!  He had worn his short socks with his dress pants instead of the thin tall socks!  Arlyne and I laughed and laughed!  

The ceremony was short and sweet - there was a small crowd and it wasn't too hot in the garden area which was shaded!  Afterward we headed inside to order drinks and have appetizers!  It was all very nice!  I love this picture of the 3 of us by the stairway up to the guest rooms and ballroom!  The 3 of us were part of the "church ladies" when Joyce and Karen lived in the area!

Dinner was served family style at round tables outside and was delicious!  We all enjoyed visiting with other people at our table!  Next was the cake cutting inside - different flavors in different layers!  

Next we moved upstairs to the top floor (extremely narrow steep steps) where the dancing was!  I quickly took this picture of the couple before they went on the dance floor and darn it if Stephanie didn't have her eyes closed - and I didn't check it before we left!

We watched the traditional dances and even danced one ourselves, although the music just wasn't our style so we opted to head out a little early!  One last picture taken downstairs in this neat building!

We headed back to Jessi's place and talked with her about the wedding before we hit the sack!  Arlyne slept in Gwyn's bed and we all slept pretty darn good!  Jessi fixed a great breakfast casserole before we headed out the next morning with Gwyn along for HER special time with Nana and Papa!

Cave of the Winds

 The girls decided for their "special" outing this year that they wanted to go to Cave of the Winds - not for the actual tour but for the package that the 2 boys did a few years ago!  This involves a zip-line ride, climbing wall, the wind walkers challenge course and Geronimo's Leap.  I made the necessary reservations and we headed out for a great day!

We knew we needed to get through the different stations before afternoon because it's been clouding up every day and raining, along with some awesome lightning!  And I knew they would shut down all of the stations once the lightning started!

They decided to do the climbing wall first - and they were both so fast that it didn't take long at all!  I'm glad neither one is scared of heights!

Next was the wind walker challenge course!  I took several videos of them climbing around up there - they really enjoyed it and there were all kinds of different things to walk on!  Aleah did NOT like the one where the log rolled as she was crossing it!  I couldn't believe all the younger ones up there walking around!

Next up was Geronimo's Leap, climbing up those tall green poles to the right of the picture with nothing to hang on to!  There was quite a wait for this and I had to go sit in the shade as it was pretty warm out!

Kenzie climbed right up a couple of times - Aleah almost made it to the top the first time, but opted to try again and went right to the top!  WOW!  They were both impressive!

Here they are standing in line for the zip line ride, which was a lengthy wait also!  By this time we're all really thirsty so I said I would run up and get a bottle of water - the wait was long there too but the girls were still standing in line so it wasn't a problem!  They loved the ride - too bad they only allow you to do it once!

This cute chair is in the snack area!  We looked in the gift shop awhile and decided to call it a day!

For lunch we stopped at McDonalds and got french fries (we all love Mcdonald's fries!) and caramel frappes for Kenzie and me and a smoothie for Aleah.  They have FINALLY opened the seating area there in W. Pk so we got to actually sit and enjoy our items!

We played a LOT of cards and games during their stay and yet they still had plenty of time to just hang out and be together!  Time always goes TOO fast when they stay!

Aleah chose Papa Murphy's pizza for her choice of dinner and we ate that the first night - Kenzie chose Crab Linguine so we had it the last night - here the girls are helping prepare it!

We did get to have a campfire one night so the girls had fun roasting marshmallows and swinging on the swing!  They also decided to make cards for Peggy, our next door neighbor!  One year they had went over there and had so much fun playing her drums and organ, and seeing her "band" setup!  Peggy is dealing with some health issues so the girls jumped into action!

I couldn't believe the cards they ended up making - wow - they are both talented!!  Take a peek!

The time went way too fast and soon we were back in the car, heading to Denver for a wedding and dropping them off at Jessi's work on the way!  What a great time!