Christmas 2024

 It sure wasn't a "white" Christmas this year as we spent it at the Savages in Ft. Collins - BUT the nice thing was it was cloudy on Christmas Eve and at least part of Christmas Day so that made it seem more "Christmasy"!!

We had errands to run before we left - who doesn't? - but I sure underestimated the time it would take - after stopping at the mailbox to get our mail which we hadn't gotten in a few days (like 5 - HA!), there was a pink slip for a package that had been in there a few days - and if you don't pick it up within 7 days, it is shipped back!  But the name on the slip wasn't ours, just our correct address - so a side trip to Florissant to check it out!  The package was NOT for us - the sticky part of the address label covered up part of the address - so it wasn't 63 but 463, not ours!  But I'm glad we stopped so the correct person could get the package!!

Then it was off to W. Pk to the bank and City Mkt and wherever else we stopped - and then FINALLY coffee for me in the long, long line at Human Bean - but always worth it!

The drive was an easy one - we didn't even have to go around Denver on E-470 as the traffic was flowing on I-25!  And it was great to get to Jill and Robby's place in time for a late lunch!

The girls played games until it was time to get dressed for the 5:00 Christmas Eve Service at their church - there were 6 services going on that day and you had to be pre-registered for seats!  It was a beautiful candlelight service with the singing of plenty of Christmas hymns so I was happy!!

We all ordered Chinese for dinner that evening which we shared and enjoyed!!  And then we watched Christmas Vacation together and laughed!!

It's always fun to watch the grandkids get ready for Christmas morning as a lot of the traditions are ones that we did with our girls!!  Parker and Aleah sat at the top of the stairs till Jill said it was time to come down!!  We loved watching everyone open their presents!

Glenn got coffee beans and I received some "woodland" towels for the guest bathroom - I haven't had new ones in years so a much needed gift!

There was a large bag for Glenn which Jill said was a gag gift from Robby - I love Glenns' expression here as he opens it - it's an old electric blanket!!  Anybody that knows Glenn, knows he tears apart most anything that is broke and uses their parts!  We all laughed and laughed!

Breakfast was butter braids and cinnamon rolls - and of course COFFEE!

In the afternoon, Jill made me a cranberry drink that was delicious AND beautiful!  YUM!

Robby cooked the prime rib!  We had brought up one and Robby had bought one so there was PLENTY of meat for the meal and leftovers - it was excellent!

Later on, Jill, Aleah, Glenn and I, along with one of Aleahs' friends drove around to see Christmas lights - always a fun time!

We also played games that afternoon which will be in the next blog - what a wonderful Christmas Day!

Gunnison Ice Fishing

 ....which almost didn't happen!!  After I got back from the Keppys' on Saturday, I found Glenn in bed, quite sick!!  We were supposed to have 2 sets of neighbors over for dinner that night and we were serving beef tenderloin that Glenn had laid out the day before and had all set to smoke and grill!  But he was feeling tough - said to go ahead and clean the house, and he would get up at noon and surely feel just fine!  NOT!!  So we cancelled the get together and rescheduled for the next weekend! ( but of course that large beef tenderloin had to be cooked so Glenn did that on Sunday, and we just sliced it and bagged it up and froze it)

Glenn did not feel great at all on Sunday either (but he realized it was not a bug - just his acid reflux and hiatal hernia acting up) so he laid around all day, trying to get fishing gear ready when he felt better!

Monday morning came and he hadn't eaten much but WOULD NOT cancel an ice fishing trip so we went ahead and headed over after lunch!  The drive over is always so pretty - COLD but pretty!

This year we had reservations at The Alpine Inn - it was right next to the place we had stayed at a couple of years ago - and a straight shot out to the lake for Glenn!  I did find a room that had a nice comfy chair showing as I don't like just sitting in bed for a couple of days!  So the room worked out well!

Here's the view from the steps looking down at the tables where breakfast is served.

We checked in and I got unpacked and Glenn napped - he wasn't very hungry so I suggested we just go somewhere and split something - he opted for a hamburger and fries and I told him there was a place not too far that was rated as having the best hamburgers for 14 years!!  OK - let's head there!!  I knew it was a restaurant inside of a gas station and kwik store - but it was really NOT our type of place!  It was absolutely freezing inside and we both decided to just get our order to go which we did!  And yes, the hamburger was great!

Glenn and I ate breakfast there the next morning - some hot items which made it nice - and then he was out the door to go fishing!

I had brought a couple of projects to do, along with my laptop and plenty of books on my kindle!  The little building was still there when we drove by the day before which was a coffee drive through and it's walkable from the hotel - I had walked it before from the other place!  I bundled up good and walked down there - icy and cold out but tolerable!!  It seemed a long way back after I got the coffee but SO worth it as it was excellent!

I found a Christmas station on the TV playing songs with backgrounds from different towns in the U.S. so enjoyed listening to music, reading and drinking my coffee!

Glenn came home tired but happy that he had caught a lot of fish (no fish pictures though) but wasn't feeling good at all and didn't want anything for dinner - he was willing to take me out but I could care less if I eat and I had plenty in the little frig for my dinner - so we just stayed in!

Wednesday was a repeat of the day before - Glenn felt better - caught lots more fish - I once again walked down to get my coffee but this time I about froze - the wind was blowing just a little and I had forgot to pack a scarf - BRRRRRRRRR - I couldn't get back to the hotel fast enough!!  HA!

We did go out that night and had a nice meal!  It was super cold out and I guess I'm glad I don't live over there because it is DARN COLD!

Packed up the next morning after breakfast and headed home - check out the temperature!!

There was a cold fog coming off the lowland there and it was so pretty to see as we drove!

Yes, Gunnison had a LOT of snow - much more than we had at home!

So all in all a pretty good trip - Glenn was feeling back to normal - I got to read a LOT and he got to fish so we were both happy!

Denver and Concerts

 Since Evan had a couple of band concerts, I decided to head up and go to them - after all, he's a senior and there's only SO many times I will get to hear him play!

I left early and got up there in time to head out for coffee with Jessi at our favorite place!

Then it was back to her place to have a quick bite to eat before we headed out again to see the movie "Wicked" - I didn't know much about the movie at that time but just knew it was good and LONG - yes to the tune of 2 hours and 40 minutes!!!  Add onto that 1/2 hour of previews (are you kidding me?????) and it sure made for a long movie - but it was great and I sure enjoyed all the singing in it!

Back at home, a quick picture of the kids - I had brought cake pops for the girls and some cracker mix for Evan (who absolutely LOVES the cracker mix I make each Christmas)

And then it was time to get dressed for the concert band performance!  Yes, Evan is tall - yes, I am short!

The concert was amazing - there are 3 levels of concert band and Evan is in the most advanced one - they played excellent - you would have thought it was a professional orchestra when they played "Sleigh Ride"!!!  SO GOOD!

The next morning the sunrise was beautiful!  Gary, Jessi and I took Kona for a walk before they all headed off to work!

I headed to Costco (a complete fiasco there!!) and a couple of other stores before I'd had enough - Denver traffic and people is just TOO much for me!!  But I got what I needed and that's all that counted!

Jessi had put a roast on to cook and it was excellent!!!  And Evan's girlfriend Reese came down to attend the concert also so Evan had a great group to support him during the Jazz Concert - again, excellent!  He had a solo and I'm always amazed at how well he plays!

This picture is from the FIRST concert as he wears a black shirt for the jazz concert but it's still a great picture of him and his saxaphone!

Reese had brought down gifts for everyone - even me!!  Sweet girl!

And after the jazz concert, we all went out for ice cream!

I headed back home early the next morning as we were to have company for dinner that night - which got cancelled because Glenn was sick - poor guy!

Making Jam with Jaime

 If it's December, then it's also time to make jam with Jaime!  She came over early one morning and we set to work making it!  This year it was 2 batches of peach, 1 batch of strawberry and 1 batch of triple berry!

By this time, Jaime and I have it down well as to who does what!!  She usually does the stirring and I do the prep work and then put it into the jars!

It's always a fun time together and here's all of the finished product!

Home Holiday Tour

 It's December - time for the Home Holiday Tour!  And this year Jaime and I were planning on going and we were glad when Rayna and Irene decided to come along too!

This year there were 6 homes:  2 in Divide, 2 in Woodland Park, 1 in Grn Mtn Falls and 1 in Cascade!

I met Jaime and the girls in Divide and we headed to the 2 homes there - both were newer homes and were absolutely gorgeous!  It's always fun to see the Christmas decorations that they have up and both homes had beautiful views of Pikes Peak!

Then it was off to Woodland Park - one house was really quite strange and had been added onto so many times that you would get lost - definitely not our favorite!  But our trip to Grn Mtn Falls was SO worth it to see the house there - it was set on a stream and was an old cabin!  It used to be a lodge and there was a beam down the center of the large living room - 1/2 of the room was in Teller County and 1/2 of the room was in El Paso County!!!  When it was built, Teller County was a "wet" county and El Paso was a "dry" county so the bar was on the Teller side and the little restaurant was on the El Paso side - such history!  We all enjoyed seeing this place!  Here's the entrance by the stream!

Then we were off to our last house in Cascade and then back to W. Pk for lunch!

It was a wonderful day to spend together!

Black Friday

 Black Fridays sure aren't what they used to be!!  Back in the day, we all reminisce about getting a couple of newspapers, scouring the ads, and making our lists and plans for the day!  AND getting up at the crack of dawn to stand in line to get in the stores - oh what great memories we have of those times!

But these days, it's no newspapers, no looking at ads (only online) and NOT getting up very early at all!  Yes, we still shop a little - but basically most of my shopping was done with a click of the button on Amazon - and then it's delivered a week or so later.......just not the same!

Regardless, 3 of us headed out Friday morning - Jaime had to work this year so Jill, Jessi and I headed out - Aleah, Kenzie and Gwyn were holding the fort down and of course the guys were all fishing!

We sure didn't go to many stores - Kohl's, Target and Hobby Lobby - I think that was it!!  We found a chicken place to eat at and it was great!

The girls with their cake pops - which should have posted at the end, oh well!

Once we got home, we fixed nachos with all the trimmings for everyone - it was a hit and everybody ate their fill!  Jaime joined us when she got off work!

I brought out this game and we all took turns beating each other!

Robby and I even had a turn!

We had plenty of pumpkin and apple pie left this year so that was our dessert Friday night!

And I forgot to note that Gary had to work on Friday so he got up super early on Friday morning and headed back to Denver (they had driven 2 cars down).  SO unfortunately he missed ice fishing !

Saturday morning we cooked breakfast and the gang started packing up to go home!  I fixed special coffee for Aleah and Kenzie - and then Kenzie opened her birthday gifts from the Savages and us!

We can hardly believe she'll be 16 on Monday!!

And then they left - and the house was quiet again - but we all had our wonderful memories of Thanksgiving!

Ice Fishing

 Glenn decided he wanted to go ice fishing on Friday (since the girls always go shopping) so he alerted all the guys and they were game to go!

They packed sandwiches and Glenn made a pot of chile and they headed in 2 trucks to Antero Reservoir for the day - and it was a cold one - 22 below when they reached the lake - certainly not appealing to the rest of us!!

I do believe Hezekiah was the designated photographer of the day (Rayna's boyfriend)!

He's smiling at least!!  They had 2 ice huts so plenty of room!

This is Evan, sitting in the sun!  Still it looks darn cold to me!

This must have been early in the day as Robby is smiling - ha!!  Not sure I would be as they caught NO FISH and only had a couple of bites!

They all came home about 5:00 that evening and were pretty darn tired!!  But we had a nice meal waiting for them - next blog for that!

Family Thanksgiving Pictures

 We always take "family" pictures on Thanksgiving day but unfortunately we forgot to take a large group picture - no worries - our Christmas together is right around the corner!

Matias was missing on Thanksgiving Day as he was at his girlfriends' house!

And I love this picture of Glenn and I with our grandkids! They're certainly all growing up!

Thanksgiving 2024

 And another Thanksgiving has rolled around.....  A time to reflect on all of the blessings we have and to come together as a family and celebrate those blessings!

It was a cold but beautiful day here - the Keppys and the Savages both drove down that morning to Jaime's and we headed over as soon as the ham was done!  It's always so fun to ALL be together!

What a cute picture of Gwyn and Papa!

Check out how TALL this girl is getting!!  It won't be long till she's as tall as I am!!  She always helps me make the punch each year!

Jessi didn't get the memo that we were wearing our Thanksgiving shirts that Jill made us - oh well, she definitely looked cute though and matched Gwyn!

Rayna working on ham and turkey roll-ups - they don't last long!!

Quite the crew working on the relish tray!

Last year these two made a turkey veggie tray - this year it was fruit!

Parker is ALWAYS the first one up when I yell downstairs that the punch is ready - he loves it!

We actually ate on time this year since Brad had smoked 2 delicious turkeys that didn't take as long as he thought they would - they were excellent!

And the crew at the bar!

 Finally the adults at the big table!  The meal was fantastic! 

The boys did most of the clean up this year since the girls had helped with the meal prep!  I had brought over my cute apron (from my dear friend Jo) and I didn't even have to put it on to do dishes this year - wow!!

We played games in the afternoon while the guys watched football - ate delicious pumpkin and apple pie - watched 5 dogs play together nicely (most of the time!) and just enjoyed our time together!  Planning out our Estes Park menu and plans took a while too!

We are SO BLESSED to have a wonderful family!

Evan and Parker stayed at the Smiths' while the rest of the Keppys' and the Savages stayed at our house!  I had bought a nice blow up mattress for the office that Jessi and Gary slept on and they said it was comfortable so that's good!!  We were all pretty tired at the end of this awesome day!