The entire clan gathered for Thanksgiving this year - and we have so much to be thankful for! There are 14 family members now (how did that happen?). Bree is expecting a new one any day (am almost sitting by the phone). More on that after my ramblings.
News about my work situation is fairly good. I have been a secretarial substitute for Pueblo City Schools for a couple of months. I average from 2-4 jobs a week, but am off for 2 weeks during the holidays. I vary from elementary to high school, and have worked at transportation as well. Since my boredom threshold is low, I much prefer the action at middle and high school. Central and Centennial HS have called me back fairly often. I am becoming a networking pro. The Steel Museum (Bessemer Historical District) is run by my former CSU-Pueblo Co-worker. She has had me help with several projects recently and more to come. It is fun to stay connected with the neat people I met there. I have lunch with the other 4 girls about once a month to get caught up on the latest news. I need to work more, but have not found much with 10% unemployment in Pueblo. This week I was at Sunset Elementary School and a little 5 year old came in the office to test his blood sugar. He had his kit (just like Owen's) and managed to do the test and record the results. I told him I had a grandson with Diabetes and his name was Owen and he was 4 - the little guy said - well, my name is Owen, too. How crazy is that! He was a cutie.
Shep and I have not been bike riding for quite a while. I really miss my attempts to summit the hill (actually it is not huge, but pretty challenging for me). As the trail rises from the river it is a real leg burner! My goal before the end of the summer was to make it to the top. Well-what are goals for if not to be revised! I did not make it clear up, but I did make it more than half way. Becky and Brenda would speed up there without breaking a sweat! I have been working out at Curves for quite a while now. I started when the stress at work was causing tooth grinding, sleepless nights and other related issues. I figured $34 a month was cheaper than dental bills and sleeping pills. I find that, although it is a 7 mile drive one way, it is well worth the effort. I need the stamina to keep up with 6 (almost 7) grandchildren. The older they get, the more energy they take!
We have been doing small home improvement projects. The house had no baseboards - as usual- when people carpet over hardwood floors, they remove the baseboards and never put them back. Along comes Linda, removing the carpet and leaving funny looking paint at the bottom of the wall. Shep and I finished the living room, hall, and one bedroom. It was pretty funny trying to get the miters right. My mind is kind of weird when I try to visualize how to cut the corners, it took a good ten minutes of consternation. Got the trim done, and it looks great. We've re-arranged the basement area to create a work table and storage. My goal this year is to get rid of junk, but it is harder than I thought.
Shep and I have become involved in the neighborhood watch program and met some great people. What an assortment of personalities. It is nice to get to know the neighbors and watch out for each other. There are a couple of abandoned homes, so we are hoping eventually to develop a community garden.
Thanksgiving was crazy and fun! Brenda, Ben, Cavan and Amelia stayed in Pueblo, and Becky, Devin, Laila and Logan stayed with Josh, Bree, Owen and Wyatt in Colorado Springs. We took turns each day arriving at one house or the other from 10:30 to sometime after dinner. The kids had a great time playing together. Owen and Logan were hilarious with their talking, games, and giggling. They got to have sleepovers in Owen's room and it worked out well! Amelia and Laila were the noisiest of the kids. They would run in a circle at our house up and down a stair and yelling at the tops of their lungs. The two little guys, Wyatt and Cavan would go along with any of the older kids, not realizing they were smaller and younger. No child got munched or bonked the whole time. Shep took the futon mattress off of the frame and put it on the floor. The kids jumped and squealed and thrashed around. It was the hit of the day. Owen and Logan rode on my yard sale tricycle one entire afternoon (we had one warm day). They were hilarious - reminds me of my childhood riding doubles! When the kids all left, I continued my own reading marathon - just not children's books. Amelia and Laila are crazy readers and no amount of talking would convince them to read a different book. What fun - I am looking forward to Christmas.
Shep and I are going to Bailey for Christmas Eve and coming back on Sunday. Becky and Devin will be through Pueblo Dec. 22 for the night, so we will see them coming and going from Los Alamos. Bree and Josh are waiting for the baby, so who knows what they will be doing on any given day!
Make sure you look at the kids' posts on the right of this page. They have great pictures and stories to tell. Aren't my grand kids just the best???
Merry Christmas to all of you. I am hoping you have a joyous holiday season.
Linda
Dec 21, 2010
Nov 8, 2010
September and October were busy
I began mid September looking for jobs - of which there are FEW! I applied with Pueblo City Schools to do secretarial sub work and have had four jobs, but have been unavailable for a couple of weeks, so I am hopeful it will work out for the long run. I recently increased my school choices, so I will see if I get more calls. I have the "C" schools, so far. Centennial, Central, Columbian and Carlile. Centennial HS has requested me twice, so that looks hopeful for future calls. It is fun to be back in the schools.
Bree and Josh had me sit for Wyatt while Owen had a diabetes check up. Wyatt's question when I walk in the door is always, "Hap". (translated that is Papa?) He always asks if Papa is coming down. Sometimes he will ask a couple of times. Shep loves it! Wyatt and I had fun outside in the sandbox and using a squirt bottle to wet the garage door. Oh, the simple things it takes to keep these children entertained. Owen writes books (with Bree's help) about monsters and comes up with the cutest names and illustrations. When I was over the other day, Wyatt was cooking on the floor with pots and pans and had opened an envelope of instant oatmeal - such fun!
I went to Los Alamos the second week in October. Devin was on his annual Moab trip, so Becky and I watched kids, did projects and generally got caught up (but not on sleep for her). It was fun and the fall drive was beautiful! I found a better route through Ft. Garland, and Taos, so it is only about 4.5 hours. It won't be so great in the winter to go that way, but I am a fair weather traveler. Logan and Laila are really growing up and are such fun! Becky did a 10K run and improved her time from last year by 7 minutes! Laila did a 100 yard dash which had us all cracking up. She's pretty athletic and loves to run with her buddy Mabel. Logan and his friend Ella did the 1K race. Logan fell once but held up well. They got ice cream and a medal after the race - we had a good time. Becky and I had a project - cute animals on shirts for the kids cut out of fabric and sewn on. We had quite a lot of fun designing them, but it took the whole weekend to get them cut out and ironed on the shirts. Laila was so cute running in the front yard. She would count to twelve and take off in a mad dash. Logan & Laila often just hug each other for no reason - pretty cute. Each night after dinner they would have a dance party - such moves!
The boys, Shep, Ben & Josh went Antelope hunting this month. The Hobgood kids were all at Bree & Josh's house. We had quite a good time with all the little ones. We took them to the Fountain Nature center and threw rocks in the river - that is always a great activity! We had a picnic after a great hike and the kids came home for naps. We actually had 4 kids sleeping at once! That must be a first in this family. Owen and Amelia had a lot of fun together. Cavan loved walking around and heading for the stairs. Wyatt was cute as ever and talking a bunch! They boys got an antelope and returned late in the afternoon. Josh & Ben started cutting the meat, and I helped Ben finish packing all the meat for the freezer - brings back memories of my childhood. We had a quick family meal and returned to Pueblo. Fun weekend!
Amelia is growing like crazy and liking her brother Cavan a lot more these days. Cavan is entertainment central from what Mom and Dad say. He has been such a character since he started walking. Amelia is just as adorable as ever. When she talks on the phone she has this cute little voice that is purely innocent (yeah). I am anxious to see them during the Thanksgiving Holidays. They will probably stay here, so I can catch up with them. Brenda's brother Troy moved to Colorado from Wisconsin and stayed with them until he could find a place to live and a job. He's working at Whole Foods and hopefully can join us for Thanksgiving, too.
Shep and I went on another trek to the Nature Center headed for Pueblo Reservoir. I finally got to see tarantulas, but, alas, they were both dead on the trail. We also saw this enormous caterpillar that will probably be a huge moth (have yet to identify it). The laugh of the day was when I was riding ahead of Shep (who gawks and is a bit slow). Shep was looking at a bird, stopped his bike and stepped off the side into thin air. He tumbled down a ditch about 2 feet. I couldn't figure out why he wasn't moving along, so I backtracked and found him sitting on a bench examining his "owie". Fortunately, it was not a bad scrape, I guess you could call it a mild case of weed rash. The boys always get awesome road rash from their mountain bike rides, so I guess he was just trying to compete. My oh my, we are getting old!
October 19 we went fishing on the beautiful Arkansas River just west of Canon City. The day was 70 degrees, sunny and perfect fall colors in the canyon. Before we left, we spent a good 45 minutes putting cleats on boots for Shep to prevent slipping in the river. Shep fished and I read a book in my easy chair. After putting on the waders, boots (all new) and putting the fly on the line, Shep headed down the embankment to the river. A few minutes later I saw him out in the middle casting the line looking like a real fisherman, except his wet shirt. He had gone no more than a few feet into the river when he slipped and fell spread eagle face first in the cold water. Fortunately the waders kept him fairly dry, but when he finished fishing an hour later, he was soaked down his front from his shirt to his toes. The breeze was pretty cool! I really enjoyed the ride home in a nice warm car! (First time that has happened). On the way back to Pueblo I was bemoaning the fact that I never saw Big Horn Sheep in the canyon. Not five minutes later, we saw a herd of 5 sheep, and got pictures with the cell phone. There was one huge male with great horns, and he literally hopped up effortlessly about 10 feet off the side of the road onto a steep embankment. It made my day!
Our neighbors Carol and Ken had us over for waaaay too much wine. We really enjoyed the visit and are planning dinner here this month, and a visit to a Blues Bar afterward. They are so much fun! Ken works for a local bank. The VP of the bank is on the CSU foundation board, so I knew him, and his daughter (the bank VP) took my place at the Foundation Office. Small world. Carol and I had fun at the Latka Art Studio one day - we rode over on our bikes and took a hour's tour. We plan on getting together more often. It's nice to share common interests. Ken grew up in Olathe, worked in Paonia, and their daughter lives in Grand Junction.
I took a trip with Cindy Jobe to GJ over Halloween weekend. We had a great time. I got to see a bunch of people from Fruita 8/9 School and FMHS, too. It was great to catch up with everyone and to share pictures of the grand babies. It was great to see Debbie and Chakotah (they are doing so well), the Feathers and their family and grandchildren. Maria's kids have grown so much. Stacey and Luke have two girls and one due about the same time as Josh & Bree (Dec. 24). Joanna and I have bets on who goes first this time. Jo won when Stacy delivered before Becky! Sherry and Terry were fun as usual. Terry gave me a sink, so I can hopefully replace the counter top and the avocado-green sink in my kitchen. White will look so much better. The drive was beautiful and Cindy and I got to catch up on our families and stuff! Much fun.
I best go for now or I will never get this published.
Our neighbors Carol and Ken had us over for waaaay too much wine. We really enjoyed the visit and are planning dinner here this month, and a visit to a Blues Bar afterward. They are so much fun! Ken works for a local bank. The VP of the bank is on the CSU foundation board, so I knew him, and his daughter (the bank VP) took my place at the Foundation Office. Small world. Carol and I had fun at the Latka Art Studio one day - we rode over on our bikes and took a hour's tour. We plan on getting together more often. It's nice to share common interests. Ken grew up in Olathe, worked in Paonia, and their daughter lives in Grand Junction.
I took a trip with Cindy Jobe to GJ over Halloween weekend. We had a great time. I got to see a bunch of people from Fruita 8/9 School and FMHS, too. It was great to catch up with everyone and to share pictures of the grand babies. It was great to see Debbie and Chakotah (they are doing so well), the Feathers and their family and grandchildren. Maria's kids have grown so much. Stacey and Luke have two girls and one due about the same time as Josh & Bree (Dec. 24). Joanna and I have bets on who goes first this time. Jo won when Stacy delivered before Becky! Sherry and Terry were fun as usual. Terry gave me a sink, so I can hopefully replace the counter top and the avocado-green sink in my kitchen. White will look so much better. The drive was beautiful and Cindy and I got to catch up on our families and stuff! Much fun.
I best go for now or I will never get this published.
Jul 19, 2010
Ramblings from Pueblo
I just have to share some truly hilarious things the grand kids have said.
When Bec & Devin visited, Shep had told Logan a while back that he lost his hair from the wind. We were sitting outside in the wind, so Shep asked Logan how he lost his hair. Logan's response was, "Papa, you lost your hair because you drink too much."
Becky & Devin were in the car with the kids having an animated discussion about something. Logan pipes up, "Mom, dad, you aren't sharing your words!"
When visiting Owen, we got a game out to play. He very politely asked me if I need to have the directions on how to play. I said yes. Bree remarked that Nana and Papa played Caribou once before, and he explained to Papa what the directions were, too. Bree then asked if Papa had listened, and Owen remarked, "He did not."
Owen asked Josh and Bree how stickers were made. Neither on of them had an answer, so he said that he thought Nana would know how to make them!
I was in Bailey last week and out of the blue, Amelia said, "Is Papa Shep your friend?" Pretty cute!
Now for the adventures of Linda:
Since leaving my job in June, I have been on a vacation of sorts.
Over the weekend of July 4, I went to Grand Junction for 5 days to visit, and catch up with people. Becky was there, too, for Mara Phillip's wedding reception, and we saw people we have not see for many years. I stayed with Feathers and Sherry White, and had the usual laughs!
Becky & the kids visited here for a week the end of July and we had a great time. Becky got to do some shopping while I watched Logan & Laila. Los Alamos does not have the best shopping! We met all three families for a camping trip near Canon City for the weekend. I was not going to spend the night, but I did anyway. So much for a comfortable night's sleep! We had so much fun and the kids were great together. We celebrated Amelia's 3rd birthday with cupcakes, a scavenger hunt, and that night we had S'Mores - always a big hit.
I managed to visit Los Alamos to give Becky & Devin an anniversary night away. They went to the Santa Fe Opera and spent a night in Taos. By the way, for any adventuresome soles, both of these are great ways to get away and enjoy the best of the best. Logan and Laila were so much fun. We went to the "Bomb Museum", I don't know the real name of it. I did not get to read a lot about the building of the bomb, but they have a play area for the kids that is great. The museum was free, and really awesome! Some day I will have to go by myself. We read a lot of books on my visit and generally had a great time visiting with both kids. They are really fun and active. I took the back way from Pueblo and really enjoyed the ride over LaVeta Pass - it is beautiful. One highlight of the trip was a cow and calf elk crossing the road right in front of me, but not close enough to be a danger! However, I have decided that road signs in NM are really rare and sometimes not very informative, either. I came back on I-25 so I could shop at Trader Joe's. Before I left, we dropped Laila and Logan at daycare/preschool. It was so cute to see little Laila with her pink lunchbox go over to the fridge, open it, and put the lunchbox in. It made me realize how quickly these kiddos are growing up. Logan couldn't wait to get to his room! The visits are so much fun because of the different things to see. Becky and I took the kids to Bandalier and climbed ladders into the Indian ruins. It was great for the kids, but like a coronary watching them climb up! Laila is so athletic and sure on her feet. She always gives me a scare. Logan, fortunately is very careful. Logan still has a bunch of questions about trains (that is one of his favorite reasons to visit us in Pueblo) Laila likes to come here to see the stuffed monkey. I have this huge stuffed monkey that is a favorite of both Laila's and Amelia's. The Close garden did quite well this year and we harvested 2 cherry tomatoes and checked out the pumpkin growth a couple of times a day. Make sure to check out their blog-they have great videos and pictures. There are also updates on Becky's new job.
Josh, Bree, Owen and Wyatt are close enough we see them every couple of weeks. The family is not venturing far from home these days since Owen has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It is requiring monitoring, shots, food on a regular basis and just watching him carefully. He is adapting extremely well. Josh and Bree have handled the situation so well! This weekend we were visiting and he was explaining all about how to set up his blood test, talked about his shots, and bragged about his variety of band aids. Bless them all - what a lot of work. The boys have both grown a lot. Owen is still interested in dinosaurs and Wyatt is interested in everything "Owen". It is so fun to watch the sibling thing going on. Wyatt calls Owen Owie, Papa Shep is "Hap", and that is all he says when I come in the door even without Shep. He is a guys guy, I guess, because Shep is the main man when Wyatt is around. He calls me Nanny or something similar. We have helped Josh with his terracing in his yard, a little anyway. For our birthdays, Josh and I got the grass planted for the kids' play area and around the sandbox he built. They will have an awesome yard, but it has meant that Josh has dug and hauled tons of dirt! It is great to see them often and play with the boys. What a treat. Bree is doing great with the pregnancy - due date about Dec. 24 or so. Josh's work is better this year, not quite so hectic.
A couple of weeks ago I went to Bailey to give Ben and Brenda an anniversary away, too. They went to Breckenridge for two nights and played golf and enjoyed conversation without interruption. Amelia and Cavan were great. Amelia is growing up, but still a real cuddly one! We had the usual fun reading books and playing with her toys. Cavan is walking and really getting his "mountain feet". He can walk all over outside on the uneven ground. We had a fun visit and Ben and Brenda got to get away for a breather. Brenda has done 2 triathelons and Ben did the 100 mile mountain bike race (Bailey Hundo). I am not sure how they do it all. I also went up for 5 days and helped Ben with the kids while Brenda went to a conference. It is so nice to have the freedom to do those kind of things, and spend more time with the kiddos. Ben and I did the usual thing for the two of us. We were in the middle of a card game, and couldn't hold all of the cards in our hands, so we went to the garage and built wooden card holders (10:00 p.m.) so we could finish the game. I don't know any other two people who would do such a thing - too fun!
Shep and I went on a 3 day adventure to Carlsbad Caverns. I always wanted to go, but it is 520 miles from Pueblo, and there is not a lot along the way unless you do the Taos, Santa Fe way. I was blown away by the vast size of the caverns. It isn't the least bit claustrophobic because they are so enormous. We went into the natural entrance and walked for an hour downhill to the bottom and did an additional mile loop, It was so quiet the drops of moisture echoed through the caves. What an awesome sight! You should all consider this great adventure. It is worth the drive. The night we arrived we were able to listen to the Park Range talk about the bats that live in the caves. At 7:15 they started flying out by the tens of thousands to feed in the vast fields south to Texas. We watched them for 45 minutes, until it was too dark and they did not quit pouring out of the cave. It was the most incredible sight - well worth seeing! On the way back we detoured to Capulin Volcano (Spanish Flower) - an extinct volcanic cinder cone. It was beautiful and an easy drive off of I-25.
I visited with Cindy Jobe for a few days. She broke her arm and couldn't drive much, so I went to Highlands Ranch and we took the Lite Rail to the 16th street mall for the day and had a blast. I went to help her out, but we just visited and had fun, instead. What a great trip!
Shep and I are generally enjoying an easy life. I have read more great books in the last couple of months! What a treat. We have met some nice neighbors and will be socializing more at the end of this month for wine and dinner. We put baseboards in the living room and it looks great. Household repairs are never ending.
My lawn has been overtaken by grubs, so I have been furiously battling them. I even dug some up to feed to the ants (I figured they were hungry). I finally gave up and had to spray for them, because the parasitic nemetoads cannot be found in Colorado. They would have been a great solution, but unavailable. Now I have to replant the grass. It is almost cool enough to plant and keep it watered until it germinates. My flowers have been great, but I have discovered a whole different assortment of bugs and stuff here as compared to GJ.
Our newest adventure is bike riding. We both bought new comfort bikes with gears and good brakes. (It took me a while to learn to brake and switch gears. We ride about 3 times a week and go anywhere from 5 to 13.5 miles. We can leave the house and ride all the way to the Lake Pueblo Dam. The nature trail is beautiful. We have seen a deer with two fawns in spots, a snail, several snakes, a swan on the river, lots of beetles, some Cormorants sitting in trees along the river, Blue Herons, Ducks, and lots of people. The nature center has a cafe with great coffee and cheap breakfast and lunch meals, so there is always that incentive to ride. The weather is beautiful so much of the year, that I hope to be able to stand the colder weather that is fast approaching. On the way back there is a steep hill and my goal is to make it to the top (maybe in my wildest dreams). It is a lot more fun going down that hill.
I am hoping to talk Shep into a visit to the eastern desert region near here, just past the University The tarantulas are out this time of year and I have always wanted to see one. We almost hit one on the road to Carlsbad, but I would rather see them in their element. I guess it requires a night visit, however, so we will see.
We found an incredible art studio in Pueblo "Latka" - you might want to look it up on the internet. They are making a special art piece for the new aqua center at Mesa College. It is really a neat, eclectic kind of studio tucked into a neighborhood not far from the house. It was fun to tour it with a neighbor who helps the two artists. Very much up my alley with collections of odd things put to different uses.
I still have lunch every couple of weeks with the girls from the Foundation Office. It is great to keep in touch with them and have a few laughs.
Job hunting is on again. I have applied for several jobs from the newspaper, still looking into temporary work, and have signed up with District 60 for a secretarial substitute. I will have to get serious really soon, so here I go again. Semi-retirement is great, but the pay stinks.
I think that is about all of the news for now. Please email me and let me know how all of you are doing. If you read this, feel free to post comments!!!!!!
I was in Bailey last week and out of the blue, Amelia said, "Is Papa Shep your friend?" Pretty cute!
Now for the adventures of Linda:
Since leaving my job in June, I have been on a vacation of sorts.
Over the weekend of July 4, I went to Grand Junction for 5 days to visit, and catch up with people. Becky was there, too, for Mara Phillip's wedding reception, and we saw people we have not see for many years. I stayed with Feathers and Sherry White, and had the usual laughs!
Becky & the kids visited here for a week the end of July and we had a great time. Becky got to do some shopping while I watched Logan & Laila. Los Alamos does not have the best shopping! We met all three families for a camping trip near Canon City for the weekend. I was not going to spend the night, but I did anyway. So much for a comfortable night's sleep! We had so much fun and the kids were great together. We celebrated Amelia's 3rd birthday with cupcakes, a scavenger hunt, and that night we had S'Mores - always a big hit.
I managed to visit Los Alamos to give Becky & Devin an anniversary night away. They went to the Santa Fe Opera and spent a night in Taos. By the way, for any adventuresome soles, both of these are great ways to get away and enjoy the best of the best. Logan and Laila were so much fun. We went to the "Bomb Museum", I don't know the real name of it. I did not get to read a lot about the building of the bomb, but they have a play area for the kids that is great. The museum was free, and really awesome! Some day I will have to go by myself. We read a lot of books on my visit and generally had a great time visiting with both kids. They are really fun and active. I took the back way from Pueblo and really enjoyed the ride over LaVeta Pass - it is beautiful. One highlight of the trip was a cow and calf elk crossing the road right in front of me, but not close enough to be a danger! However, I have decided that road signs in NM are really rare and sometimes not very informative, either. I came back on I-25 so I could shop at Trader Joe's. Before I left, we dropped Laila and Logan at daycare/preschool. It was so cute to see little Laila with her pink lunchbox go over to the fridge, open it, and put the lunchbox in. It made me realize how quickly these kiddos are growing up. Logan couldn't wait to get to his room! The visits are so much fun because of the different things to see. Becky and I took the kids to Bandalier and climbed ladders into the Indian ruins. It was great for the kids, but like a coronary watching them climb up! Laila is so athletic and sure on her feet. She always gives me a scare. Logan, fortunately is very careful. Logan still has a bunch of questions about trains (that is one of his favorite reasons to visit us in Pueblo) Laila likes to come here to see the stuffed monkey. I have this huge stuffed monkey that is a favorite of both Laila's and Amelia's. The Close garden did quite well this year and we harvested 2 cherry tomatoes and checked out the pumpkin growth a couple of times a day. Make sure to check out their blog-they have great videos and pictures. There are also updates on Becky's new job.
Josh, Bree, Owen and Wyatt are close enough we see them every couple of weeks. The family is not venturing far from home these days since Owen has been diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. It is requiring monitoring, shots, food on a regular basis and just watching him carefully. He is adapting extremely well. Josh and Bree have handled the situation so well! This weekend we were visiting and he was explaining all about how to set up his blood test, talked about his shots, and bragged about his variety of band aids. Bless them all - what a lot of work. The boys have both grown a lot. Owen is still interested in dinosaurs and Wyatt is interested in everything "Owen". It is so fun to watch the sibling thing going on. Wyatt calls Owen Owie, Papa Shep is "Hap", and that is all he says when I come in the door even without Shep. He is a guys guy, I guess, because Shep is the main man when Wyatt is around. He calls me Nanny or something similar. We have helped Josh with his terracing in his yard, a little anyway. For our birthdays, Josh and I got the grass planted for the kids' play area and around the sandbox he built. They will have an awesome yard, but it has meant that Josh has dug and hauled tons of dirt! It is great to see them often and play with the boys. What a treat. Bree is doing great with the pregnancy - due date about Dec. 24 or so. Josh's work is better this year, not quite so hectic.
A couple of weeks ago I went to Bailey to give Ben and Brenda an anniversary away, too. They went to Breckenridge for two nights and played golf and enjoyed conversation without interruption. Amelia and Cavan were great. Amelia is growing up, but still a real cuddly one! We had the usual fun reading books and playing with her toys. Cavan is walking and really getting his "mountain feet". He can walk all over outside on the uneven ground. We had a fun visit and Ben and Brenda got to get away for a breather. Brenda has done 2 triathelons and Ben did the 100 mile mountain bike race (Bailey Hundo). I am not sure how they do it all. I also went up for 5 days and helped Ben with the kids while Brenda went to a conference. It is so nice to have the freedom to do those kind of things, and spend more time with the kiddos. Ben and I did the usual thing for the two of us. We were in the middle of a card game, and couldn't hold all of the cards in our hands, so we went to the garage and built wooden card holders (10:00 p.m.) so we could finish the game. I don't know any other two people who would do such a thing - too fun!
Shep and I went on a 3 day adventure to Carlsbad Caverns. I always wanted to go, but it is 520 miles from Pueblo, and there is not a lot along the way unless you do the Taos, Santa Fe way. I was blown away by the vast size of the caverns. It isn't the least bit claustrophobic because they are so enormous. We went into the natural entrance and walked for an hour downhill to the bottom and did an additional mile loop, It was so quiet the drops of moisture echoed through the caves. What an awesome sight! You should all consider this great adventure. It is worth the drive. The night we arrived we were able to listen to the Park Range talk about the bats that live in the caves. At 7:15 they started flying out by the tens of thousands to feed in the vast fields south to Texas. We watched them for 45 minutes, until it was too dark and they did not quit pouring out of the cave. It was the most incredible sight - well worth seeing! On the way back we detoured to Capulin Volcano (Spanish Flower) - an extinct volcanic cinder cone. It was beautiful and an easy drive off of I-25.
I visited with Cindy Jobe for a few days. She broke her arm and couldn't drive much, so I went to Highlands Ranch and we took the Lite Rail to the 16th street mall for the day and had a blast. I went to help her out, but we just visited and had fun, instead. What a great trip!
Shep and I are generally enjoying an easy life. I have read more great books in the last couple of months! What a treat. We have met some nice neighbors and will be socializing more at the end of this month for wine and dinner. We put baseboards in the living room and it looks great. Household repairs are never ending.
My lawn has been overtaken by grubs, so I have been furiously battling them. I even dug some up to feed to the ants (I figured they were hungry). I finally gave up and had to spray for them, because the parasitic nemetoads cannot be found in Colorado. They would have been a great solution, but unavailable. Now I have to replant the grass. It is almost cool enough to plant and keep it watered until it germinates. My flowers have been great, but I have discovered a whole different assortment of bugs and stuff here as compared to GJ.
Our newest adventure is bike riding. We both bought new comfort bikes with gears and good brakes. (It took me a while to learn to brake and switch gears. We ride about 3 times a week and go anywhere from 5 to 13.5 miles. We can leave the house and ride all the way to the Lake Pueblo Dam. The nature trail is beautiful. We have seen a deer with two fawns in spots, a snail, several snakes, a swan on the river, lots of beetles, some Cormorants sitting in trees along the river, Blue Herons, Ducks, and lots of people. The nature center has a cafe with great coffee and cheap breakfast and lunch meals, so there is always that incentive to ride. The weather is beautiful so much of the year, that I hope to be able to stand the colder weather that is fast approaching. On the way back there is a steep hill and my goal is to make it to the top (maybe in my wildest dreams). It is a lot more fun going down that hill.
I am hoping to talk Shep into a visit to the eastern desert region near here, just past the University The tarantulas are out this time of year and I have always wanted to see one. We almost hit one on the road to Carlsbad, but I would rather see them in their element. I guess it requires a night visit, however, so we will see.
We found an incredible art studio in Pueblo "Latka" - you might want to look it up on the internet. They are making a special art piece for the new aqua center at Mesa College. It is really a neat, eclectic kind of studio tucked into a neighborhood not far from the house. It was fun to tour it with a neighbor who helps the two artists. Very much up my alley with collections of odd things put to different uses.
I still have lunch every couple of weeks with the girls from the Foundation Office. It is great to keep in touch with them and have a few laughs.
Job hunting is on again. I have applied for several jobs from the newspaper, still looking into temporary work, and have signed up with District 60 for a secretarial substitute. I will have to get serious really soon, so here I go again. Semi-retirement is great, but the pay stinks.
I think that is about all of the news for now. Please email me and let me know how all of you are doing. If you read this, feel free to post comments!!!!!!
Jul 7, 2010
Summer & many changes have finally come to Pueblo
Hello to all of you who have either not heard from me or wondering if I have dropped off the face of the earth. I am still here, and finally have the time to let you all know what is going on.
Work - well, as of June, I am unemployed once again. The job at the University became too much, so I resigned and am on to a new adventure in retirement and part time work. As of yet, I have not looked for employment, I am regrouping the rest of my life and hope to find some work that is rewarding if not financially, then just plain easy and mindless!
Shep and I have found quite an agreeable lifestyle, not only unconventional, but unencumbered by expectations. We have both some financial freedom and personal space which works well. It is so nice to have another person to take side trips with, to eat with, cook for and clean up after! Believe it or not, I enjoy all of the above. With my partial retirement, I have been lucky to keep expenses low and still maintain some level of enjoyment!
We visited Bent's Old Fort east of LaJunta and enjoyed the trip immensely. It is a huge fort in the middle of nowhere. We had an interesting tour of the rooms and a great background on the visitors to the fort over the years. I recently read a great book "The Old Ace in the Hole" which describes the Fort and some occupants. It was a great read!
The Royal Gorge visit last week was really fun! Not only had Shep never been there, but I was a visitor as a young child and there was only a bridge - not much else. It is a huge entertainment meca for kids and parents alike. I balked at the $25 admission fee, but we ended up spending most of the day enjoying the activities. It is a good thing we went last week, because there is a fire there right now, and the park is closed. If you are ever in the area, it is worth the visit. We also happend to be there when the T-Buckets were touring. The cars are really fun, and some owners gave both Shep and I a ride across the bridge. It was really fun and the cars were incredible.
Since February I have visited the Close family in Los Alamos for 5 days, seen Josh, Bree, Owen and Wyatt a lot, and been to see Ben, Brenda, Amelia and Cavan as well. What a nice experience to get to visit them and watch those children grow up! They are growing so fast.
Becky and Devin really like Los Alamos - it is really a unique community with a whole lot of educated people and many are very outdoorsy! They ski, hike, and Becky is doing half-marathons and Devin does a lot of mountain bike riding as well. Logan is 4 - can hardly believe it- and just as curious as ever. He loves trains. When I visited, we went from Santa Fe to Albuquerque on the Rail Runner. Logan talks to adults so well, he was speaking with the engineer before we got on the train. After the ride (which he loved!) the engineer saw us and gave him an engineer pin. It was real brass, not the plastic kind. He was so funny and the engineer was amazed at his questions! He quizzes me on the types of trains in books and pictures, and of course I can't answer the questions. When they come to Pueblo, he gets to go over the 4th street bridge where the switching stations are - what a treat. On one visit, we went to the River Walk and there is a coal train that passes by the end of the walk. It just happened to be going through when we were there. Becky says he is out of library books to read on trains now, so I don't know what she will do. That is his favorite activity - going to the library to find train books. Laila is just precious and what a talker. She is two now and has the cutest mannerisms - she reminds me of Becky. When they were through a couple of weeks ago, she came in the door saying "wanna see the monkey". I have this huge stuffed gorilla and the kids all like it in the living room where they can lay on it. She will spend a long time reading books to herself. She carefully turns each page and reads - mostly not clearly - but she will finish the whole book and start over on another one. She is a great little dancer with some remarkable moves. Look at the videos they posted - what a crack up. She is not nearly as reserved now that she is old enough to remember me between visits - I love that! Becky is being a Mom and may work part time in the near future in an environmental consulting firm. She isn't in any great rush. Devin really likes the lab he is in. They are lucky to have some great skills he brings to the job.
Ben and Brenda are trying to sell their house this summer to get closer to grocery stores, etc. Things aren't moving in the mountains any better than anywhere else, though. They will just hang on until something breaks. Ben likes working from home and it is easier with the kids, because Brenda commutes twice a week to her job that moved closer to the Denver area. Amelia just loves her Nana and our visits are always fun. She will be 3 in August! Her favorite things to play with are her kitchen and babies. We dress a lot of dolls and read a bunch of books when I visit. It is so fun to watch her in the yard running up and down the hillside - she is quite the mountain kid! She is like Laila with the dance moves, and she knows most of the words to songs, which she sings to me. When I am around she lets me help her with toothbrushing and hair combing. I love doing the pigtails and can't wait til I can braid the girls' hair! Cavan is just 1 and a smiley as can be. He is happy and active! He does the army crawl a lost of the time and loves to go in and out of the house down a step. He tumbles once in a while, but he can spend his time happily in the doorway. He has a real belly laugh and the sparkling eyes. He and Amelia look a lot alike right now. Ben just did a 100 mile mountain bike race-the Bailey Hundo. Check out his blog for the pictures when they post them. I went up to help and we got to go to the Romer Ranch for dinner the night before the race. Chris Romer was the brain child. We had a great dinner and met a few politicians. The ranch is not far from their house - just beautiful. The race the next day was crazy-we met Ben at the half way point and helped him with water and snacks (briefly). It took him from 6:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. to complete the race. He did great because the terrain was incredibly technical. It was really fun! Brenda ran the Bolder Boulder (sp). They are busy this summer going to Wisconsin, Tennessee and I don't know where else.
Josh and Bree are really enjoying their house in Colorado Springs. It is so much roomier for them with the boys getting older. Josh has embarked on a terracing yard project. I went down one day to watch him with the skid loader-I held my breath most of the day because the yard is so steep. He enjoyed it, and when Ben arrived it was like they were both kids again! Josh really loves his job as an Assistant Principal at Fountain Middle School. Being so close to home has been a great advantage compared to his commute when they lived in Pueblo. Bree is still doing tutoring on-line and taking care of the kiddos. She has a great group of friends and keeps busy with them. Owen is 4 and quite the expert on dinosaurs. He can say all of the names and is quick to correct me if I mispronounce the names. His visit to the Dinosaur museum in Woodland Park and in Oklahoma were big hits. He is full of information about every aspect of each dinosaur. He doesn't sing as much as he used to as a performance (I miss that). He likes his books just like Logan! Wyatt is 1 1/2 and just as cute as Josh was at that age. He has that little grin and those long eyelashes. What a joy he is, running around immitating his brother. They have a great blog showing him jumping-it is a must see. He is really happy following Owen around and loves to throw balls. I got to spend a few nights babysitting this spring while Josh and Bree played softball. It was great to get some extra Nana time with them! Josh is bringing them down this Friday to give Bree a break. We'll either go to the zoo or the swim beach at Pueblo Reservoir. They love the water and I am sure there will be plenty of rocks to throw-isn't that what boys do? There will be another Hobgood baby in late December. We're pretty excited - that will make 7 grandchildren from 0-4.
I went to GJ for a week and just got back on July 6. I saw more people there than I did when I lived in the area. What fun to catch up with old friends! Mara Phillips had a wedding reception, so it gave Becky and I an excuse to visit. Becky had to drive 8 hours! She met Wendy in Salida, and left her car. Coming back, Becky and I drove to Salida and she continued on from there by herself. It was great to get caught up for four hours in the car. I wish I could have seen everyone I wanted to on the trip, but people were out of town or times didn't work out. I surely do miss the Monument and the Grand Mesa. I like where I live, but there is nothing quite like the view from the valley. I stayed a few nights with Sherry and then with the Feathers. Sherry and I had a great time and her hospitality can't be beat. When I got to the Feathers, Larry and I did the usual fix it things like swamp coolers. trapping and/or shooting pack rats and a little landscaping thrown in. Joanna is always good for a laugh - after we left a movie, she was gesturing as she spoke and threw a cup of popcorn on my head. We laughed so hard the tears ran down our faces - then three ushers came with their dustpans and brooms to clean up the mess. It was like old times.
My future plans include finding part time work. I am officially retired but the income is certainly not going to be enough to live on. I made some great contacts at the university, so networking should not be as hard as it was when I first moved here. I have faith that things will work out. I just feel like my life is so blessed with a great family and lots of good friends. What more could I ask?
Work - well, as of June, I am unemployed once again. The job at the University became too much, so I resigned and am on to a new adventure in retirement and part time work. As of yet, I have not looked for employment, I am regrouping the rest of my life and hope to find some work that is rewarding if not financially, then just plain easy and mindless!
Shep and I have found quite an agreeable lifestyle, not only unconventional, but unencumbered by expectations. We have both some financial freedom and personal space which works well. It is so nice to have another person to take side trips with, to eat with, cook for and clean up after! Believe it or not, I enjoy all of the above. With my partial retirement, I have been lucky to keep expenses low and still maintain some level of enjoyment!
We visited Bent's Old Fort east of LaJunta and enjoyed the trip immensely. It is a huge fort in the middle of nowhere. We had an interesting tour of the rooms and a great background on the visitors to the fort over the years. I recently read a great book "The Old Ace in the Hole" which describes the Fort and some occupants. It was a great read!
The Royal Gorge visit last week was really fun! Not only had Shep never been there, but I was a visitor as a young child and there was only a bridge - not much else. It is a huge entertainment meca for kids and parents alike. I balked at the $25 admission fee, but we ended up spending most of the day enjoying the activities. It is a good thing we went last week, because there is a fire there right now, and the park is closed. If you are ever in the area, it is worth the visit. We also happend to be there when the T-Buckets were touring. The cars are really fun, and some owners gave both Shep and I a ride across the bridge. It was really fun and the cars were incredible.
Since February I have visited the Close family in Los Alamos for 5 days, seen Josh, Bree, Owen and Wyatt a lot, and been to see Ben, Brenda, Amelia and Cavan as well. What a nice experience to get to visit them and watch those children grow up! They are growing so fast.
Becky and Devin really like Los Alamos - it is really a unique community with a whole lot of educated people and many are very outdoorsy! They ski, hike, and Becky is doing half-marathons and Devin does a lot of mountain bike riding as well. Logan is 4 - can hardly believe it- and just as curious as ever. He loves trains. When I visited, we went from Santa Fe to Albuquerque on the Rail Runner. Logan talks to adults so well, he was speaking with the engineer before we got on the train. After the ride (which he loved!) the engineer saw us and gave him an engineer pin. It was real brass, not the plastic kind. He was so funny and the engineer was amazed at his questions! He quizzes me on the types of trains in books and pictures, and of course I can't answer the questions. When they come to Pueblo, he gets to go over the 4th street bridge where the switching stations are - what a treat. On one visit, we went to the River Walk and there is a coal train that passes by the end of the walk. It just happened to be going through when we were there. Becky says he is out of library books to read on trains now, so I don't know what she will do. That is his favorite activity - going to the library to find train books. Laila is just precious and what a talker. She is two now and has the cutest mannerisms - she reminds me of Becky. When they were through a couple of weeks ago, she came in the door saying "wanna see the monkey". I have this huge stuffed gorilla and the kids all like it in the living room where they can lay on it. She will spend a long time reading books to herself. She carefully turns each page and reads - mostly not clearly - but she will finish the whole book and start over on another one. She is a great little dancer with some remarkable moves. Look at the videos they posted - what a crack up. She is not nearly as reserved now that she is old enough to remember me between visits - I love that! Becky is being a Mom and may work part time in the near future in an environmental consulting firm. She isn't in any great rush. Devin really likes the lab he is in. They are lucky to have some great skills he brings to the job.
Ben and Brenda are trying to sell their house this summer to get closer to grocery stores, etc. Things aren't moving in the mountains any better than anywhere else, though. They will just hang on until something breaks. Ben likes working from home and it is easier with the kids, because Brenda commutes twice a week to her job that moved closer to the Denver area. Amelia just loves her Nana and our visits are always fun. She will be 3 in August! Her favorite things to play with are her kitchen and babies. We dress a lot of dolls and read a bunch of books when I visit. It is so fun to watch her in the yard running up and down the hillside - she is quite the mountain kid! She is like Laila with the dance moves, and she knows most of the words to songs, which she sings to me. When I am around she lets me help her with toothbrushing and hair combing. I love doing the pigtails and can't wait til I can braid the girls' hair! Cavan is just 1 and a smiley as can be. He is happy and active! He does the army crawl a lost of the time and loves to go in and out of the house down a step. He tumbles once in a while, but he can spend his time happily in the doorway. He has a real belly laugh and the sparkling eyes. He and Amelia look a lot alike right now. Ben just did a 100 mile mountain bike race-the Bailey Hundo. Check out his blog for the pictures when they post them. I went up to help and we got to go to the Romer Ranch for dinner the night before the race. Chris Romer was the brain child. We had a great dinner and met a few politicians. The ranch is not far from their house - just beautiful. The race the next day was crazy-we met Ben at the half way point and helped him with water and snacks (briefly). It took him from 6:00 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. to complete the race. He did great because the terrain was incredibly technical. It was really fun! Brenda ran the Bolder Boulder (sp). They are busy this summer going to Wisconsin, Tennessee and I don't know where else.
Josh and Bree are really enjoying their house in Colorado Springs. It is so much roomier for them with the boys getting older. Josh has embarked on a terracing yard project. I went down one day to watch him with the skid loader-I held my breath most of the day because the yard is so steep. He enjoyed it, and when Ben arrived it was like they were both kids again! Josh really loves his job as an Assistant Principal at Fountain Middle School. Being so close to home has been a great advantage compared to his commute when they lived in Pueblo. Bree is still doing tutoring on-line and taking care of the kiddos. She has a great group of friends and keeps busy with them. Owen is 4 and quite the expert on dinosaurs. He can say all of the names and is quick to correct me if I mispronounce the names. His visit to the Dinosaur museum in Woodland Park and in Oklahoma were big hits. He is full of information about every aspect of each dinosaur. He doesn't sing as much as he used to as a performance (I miss that). He likes his books just like Logan! Wyatt is 1 1/2 and just as cute as Josh was at that age. He has that little grin and those long eyelashes. What a joy he is, running around immitating his brother. They have a great blog showing him jumping-it is a must see. He is really happy following Owen around and loves to throw balls. I got to spend a few nights babysitting this spring while Josh and Bree played softball. It was great to get some extra Nana time with them! Josh is bringing them down this Friday to give Bree a break. We'll either go to the zoo or the swim beach at Pueblo Reservoir. They love the water and I am sure there will be plenty of rocks to throw-isn't that what boys do? There will be another Hobgood baby in late December. We're pretty excited - that will make 7 grandchildren from 0-4.
I went to GJ for a week and just got back on July 6. I saw more people there than I did when I lived in the area. What fun to catch up with old friends! Mara Phillips had a wedding reception, so it gave Becky and I an excuse to visit. Becky had to drive 8 hours! She met Wendy in Salida, and left her car. Coming back, Becky and I drove to Salida and she continued on from there by herself. It was great to get caught up for four hours in the car. I wish I could have seen everyone I wanted to on the trip, but people were out of town or times didn't work out. I surely do miss the Monument and the Grand Mesa. I like where I live, but there is nothing quite like the view from the valley. I stayed a few nights with Sherry and then with the Feathers. Sherry and I had a great time and her hospitality can't be beat. When I got to the Feathers, Larry and I did the usual fix it things like swamp coolers. trapping and/or shooting pack rats and a little landscaping thrown in. Joanna is always good for a laugh - after we left a movie, she was gesturing as she spoke and threw a cup of popcorn on my head. We laughed so hard the tears ran down our faces - then three ushers came with their dustpans and brooms to clean up the mess. It was like old times.
My future plans include finding part time work. I am officially retired but the income is certainly not going to be enough to live on. I made some great contacts at the university, so networking should not be as hard as it was when I first moved here. I have faith that things will work out. I just feel like my life is so blessed with a great family and lots of good friends. What more could I ask?
Make sure you keep checking for the family updates. Just click to the right on their site.
Miss you all
Linda
Feb 10, 2010
Well, time is flying by and it has been 4 months since I have updated! Just think, we are all 4 months older and don't even show it.
Back in October (I can hardly remember now) Shep and I did the traditional pumpkin carving just t get in the Halloween spirit of things. I made a cute smiley pumpkin with the word Boo on it. I must say it was a work of art! Took a long time to create the masterpiece. Well, Shep did a very scary fact with jagged teeth. Our neighborhood squirrels really enjoyed our pumpkin delight. They devoured the o's on my Boo the first night and I had a smile with a B left. They didn't even touch Shep's until several weeks later. It was so funny each day as I left for work to see the pumpkin diminishing. The squirrels are quite the pests - from patio furniture to pumpkins - what appetites. I did figure out how to keep them from eating the furniture, though. I put a plastic bag of nesting materials out for them. I am sure they were happy with the selection of bright colored fabrics, sticks, and pillow batting.
Back in October (I can hardly remember now) Shep and I did the traditional pumpkin carving just t get in the Halloween spirit of things. I made a cute smiley pumpkin with the word Boo on it. I must say it was a work of art! Took a long time to create the masterpiece. Well, Shep did a very scary fact with jagged teeth. Our neighborhood squirrels really enjoyed our pumpkin delight. They devoured the o's on my Boo the first night and I had a smile with a B left. They didn't even touch Shep's until several weeks later. It was so funny each day as I left for work to see the pumpkin diminishing. The squirrels are quite the pests - from patio furniture to pumpkins - what appetites. I did figure out how to keep them from eating the furniture, though. I put a plastic bag of nesting materials out for them. I am sure they were happy with the selection of bright colored fabrics, sticks, and pillow batting.
The holidays were a flood of activity with the little ones. Becky and Devin had his whole family for Thanksgiving and she cooked her first holiday meal! It was nice for them to be able to spend a holiday at home and not travel with the kiddos. Shep and I went to Ben and Brenda's for Thanksgiving, and Bree and Josh spent their time in Monument. We had a great visit as always! Cavan and Amelia are just adorable. Amelia really does like her Nana, and was oddly accepting of my attention to Cavan - we wondered if she would be jealous, but she wasn't. I read the Lorax more times than I can count. She knows most of the story by heart. If I quit reading she would fill in the rest of the sentence. She loves her babies and we did a lot of diapering and dressing of them. The visit was absolutely great.
After Thanksgiving, Shep and Becky left for a trip to Spain. Georgie stayed with Logan and Laila in Los Alamos. They did great, and the Spain trip was awesome. Becky has pictures posted. Georgie came through on her way back to Lyons and spent a night here. We had fun catching up-it has been ages since I have seen her. We had fun visiting the riverwalk, even in the icy cold weather.
After Thanksgiving, Shep and Becky left for a trip to Spain. Georgie stayed with Logan and Laila in Los Alamos. They did great, and the Spain trip was awesome. Becky has pictures posted. Georgie came through on her way back to Lyons and spent a night here. We had fun catching up-it has been ages since I have seen her. We had fun visiting the riverwalk, even in the icy cold weather.
During Christmas, I had two weeks off work. One week the university closes, and the other 3 days I took vacation/comp time. Becky and Devin stayed at our house and Ben & Brenda in Colorado Springs. Each day we would gather all of us together from 10:00 a.m until 6:00 p.m. The kids would play, we would all do lunch and dinner together. It was such a joy to see all the kids playing and having a good time. Logan and Owen were really funny together. They will be 4 years old in March & June - wow! Laila and Amelia played together well, but Amelia was coming down with a cold, so she was not her perky self. Ben and Brenda had to leave early, since Amelia and Cavan both were coming down with the crud. Wyatt and Cavan will be pretty funny when they get a little older and can interact some more. Cavan is about as big as Wyatt.The vacation was so fun. It seemed like most of the time we had two kids sleeping, 4 kids playing and some group of adults watching them. They guys got to disc golf, the girls got to take walks, and we went t the zoo one day. The weather was frigid, but we still had fun.
Devin's family came down two days after Christmas to see all of the kiddos, since we had Christmas in Pueblo. Georgie, Randy, Jenae and Anthony all visited. We had such fun! You can't imagine my house, which is not big, with 17 people in it. Fortunately at least one child was napping most of the time, and adults were coming and going as usual.
A couple of evenings we kept the kids and let the adults go to Josh and Bree's to play the new game Guitar Hero. With so many children, they don't often get together without children. It made it great for all of us. I was ready for bed early, and the adults could sleep in a little in the morning.
Devin hurt his back in January falling down their wood stairs while holding Laila, a computer and cup of coffee - Ouch! Becky had to nurse him (he was on his back for a week), and could not get to Santa Fe to shop, so I drove to Los Alamos on Saturday, helped her out, and came back on Monday. It was a quick trip, but Devin was doing lots better when I left. He is fine now, but had some therapy to help out. I never mind an excuse to visit. I took a couch with me that my grandfather had built for me in the late 40s. He had built a wood frame and upholstered it. It is the perfect size for dolls. I thought since my Mom had it and Becky never played with dolls, that Laila would enjoy it. I recovered it (to the best of my ability) and Laila loves it. Logan and I played with his space shuttle and read a lot. They are so much fun. Laila is walking like crazy. She does the splits (I hope they have a video of it) in her tutu. Logan is so happy in preschool three times a week - it gives Becky time with Laila, too.
Went to Baily a couple of weeks ago to spend the weekend and Cavan has grown like crazy! He is crawling with his little butt in the air - it is so funny. He is Mr. Happy Man - I got him to growl so much that he would just look at me and start in. We never did get a very good video of it, but it was hilarious. Amelia and I did our usual doll play and reading. She is so loveable. We went to the bounce house on our way back and it just about wore me out keeping up with Amelia - she is such a daredevil. Cavan even liked getting bounced around, too.
Last weekend I went to sit for Owen and Wyatt while Josh and Bree shopped for Owen's 4th birthday party. The boys and I had a fun time. Wyatt is crawling all over the place. His favorite spot is the tupperware cupboard and spoon drawer. He crawls clear inside the cupboard and just laughs - he has the cutest crinkled nose when he laughs. He will be quite the tease I think. Owen had a bunch of fun making up names of toys he built - he just cracked me up. He made a transformer at the Lowes class they go to on Saturdays (free) and he played with it the entire time I was there.
We got the families video cams for the computers to use Skype, so we can all have video conversations. Last weekend we did a 3 way conversation with Josh, Bree, Owen, Devin, Logan, Laila, and me. It was so funny to listen to Logan and Owen conversing. There is no video with the 3 parties, but the boys didn't care. They were pretty hilarious. On Saturday mornings it is fun to call them up and watch the kids. Laila will show me her splits and ask to see the monkey. I have this huge monkey stuffed animal that Sherry bought me when I was in Fruita. It is all of the kids' favorite. She asks for it, so I run to the room and get the monkey and she tries to touch it. One time I had 5 animals out and she got upset because she couldn't get to them. Logan always has some neat thing to show me. He is really talkative on the camera. Owen likes to talk about his latest toy, and Wyatt just wants to grab the camera. Amelia will show me dance moves and sunmersaults - pretty cute. What fun!
Work is work. After the first of the year we get really busy. We are doing a lot of events. We have had speakers like Denish D'Souza, Naomi TuTu, Dr. Sarah Weddington and Danny Glover. We sponsor a VIP reception, so I have to create invitations, VIP cards, etc, and help with the reception and signage. In addition, we do lots of huge mailings for all sorts of fundraising. We are getting into the scholarship award season, too. Two weeks ago I got to register and attend a great Jazz concert by Al Eberhardt and the Changing Times. It was remarkably good! Got some events like a Squash Court dedication, a Walk/Run event, another speaker and who knows what else. I think I am half administrative assistant and half event planner. Our biggest event will be the Gala which has turned into a 60s Happening - that one should be fun. It will be May 22 - what a lot of work. We have pre-events leading up to it. I am gathering some comp hours, which will be nice. The only drawback is the stress and working long days. The events are evenings, so I work til 7 or 9 on those nights and back to work at 8:00. I am too old to keep those hours. The work is at least interesting even if a bit disorganized.
Life in Pueblo is going great overall. The time just speeds by! I don't know where it goes.
I hope this finds you all well. Make sure you look at the kids blogs. If I wait to post pictures, I will never get this done. They have some great ones.
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