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!!!!!!
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