Fall of 2012 - where has the time gone?

The summer has slipped quietly away and the mornings indicate that fall is in the air, except the days are mostly in the 80s.  Crazy weather has been the norm this summer.  As much as the heat and yard work make me happy, I am rethinking the heat part of that picture.

June flew by with the Sand Dunes trip and the Bailey Hundo, then July came without much fanfare because of fire bans in Colorado.  We saw a lot of the kiddos in July during various visits.  In August we had a big outside event at work that kept me busy and Becky and Devin visited again with the kids. Josh and I celebrated our birthdays after the JRDF Walk for the Cure.  We had such a fun day on the walk.  You will have to look at the kids' blogs to get the great photos.  The kids got me a camera for my birthday, so I can stay on top of things!  It is a point and shoot which is just up my alley.  I have already forgotten to take it once, when Ben and Brenda came with the kids a couple of weeks ago.  We went to the Pueblo Zoo and forgot to shoot pictures.  DUH!  I still am having trouble with videos - will post some when I can.

Laila and Logan at the Restaurant in Chimayo

Becky and Devin have had a fun packed summer trying to squeeze in plenty of camping and trips to Colorado and San Diego.  The visits with the kids are so entertaining!  During the July trip to Pueblo, Wyatt and Laila learned to dunk their heads in the plastic swimming pool.  Laila had not done the full face thing, and when she
 discovered how much fun it was, she played in the pool for about an hour.  Logan did the usual-vacuum my house-I even labeled the vacuum as Logan's.  He loved attaching a garden cart to the tricycle and pulling it around the yard.  He and Devin enjoyed disc golfing.  We always spend time with Josh and Bree while they visit, so it was fun to get all of the kids together.  In August Becky and Devin went on their 10th anniversary celebration to the Monarch area while Randy and Georgie kept the kids.  They dropped the kids off here and the family spent the night with us.  Shep took Laila and Logan to Starbucks for a treat, and on the way in his truck, he had some BBs rattling around in the console.  Logan said "Papa those BBs are annoying me!" The funny thing is, he left them in the console so we get a chuckle every time we hear them.   Logan was fascinated with the hand cranks on the truck windows and asked Shep if he had to pay extra for them. The end of September I went to Los Alamos to spend a few days.  Becky and I limited our projects to painting one bookcase.  Usually we get in way over our heads, but not so this time.  Devin was on a trip to Moab for his annual guy's thing.  Logan and Laila had birthday parties to attend and we all went to Becky's work BBQ (it was a bit cold) - it was lots of fun to meet the people from work.  The kids had a great time.   Logan loves 1st grade and will be starting basketball soon.  Laila is in preschool and playing soccer.  She just started dance lessons this fall, and her teacher was sure that she had classes before, she was so coordinated. They are both growing up so fast and are fascinating to visit with.  I still get in a lot of reading time.  Logan's Star Wars books really are not my cup of tea.  He loves the technical stuff, and his books on tanks, too.  Laila and I read some great chapter books.  It makes me realize how fast they have grown up because I am not reading the same book over and over.

Wyatt with upside down sunglasses

Molly being her sweet self!

Owen must be thinking

Josh and Bree had a great summer.  The beginning was a bit rough with the Waldo Canyon fire that was quite traumatic for the entire city of Colorado Springs.  The view from their house was frightening. They did their annual trip to Grand Lake and caught some fish - the kids loved it.  I have been down to sit with kids a couple of times a month as Bree meets with school staff to get Owen ready for all day at school.  His school is a couple of blocks away, so it is really convenient for this new schedule.  He has done very well, so things are settled in right now.  Owen is such a little scholar and so diligent about his school work.  It is great to have Logan and Owen both read to me - wow - I don't think I read so young!  Owen has a great grasp of math (Bree's genes?).  One visit this summer Owen couldn't get enough of my goop (cornstarch and water).  It was pretty funny having him try to enjoy the feel of it, but keep it off of his clothes and arms.  He still has that deep voice.  Wyatt is such a character these days.  He talks a lot about halloween, citing everyone's costumes, and what they will do for halloween.  He has talked about it all year!  He still loves dressing up in costumes, fighting with laser swords, and teasing.  He goes to little gym, so we always get a little show of his new moves.  Bree said that he naps some days, but never on the weekends when Owen is home.  Little Molly - oh my - that girl is full of energy and has a great sense of humor.  She will try anything the bigger kids are doing and usually succeeds.  It seems just like Becky was as a toddler - no limits.  She is full of energy and lots of fun.  When we did the JRDF walk, she went 1.5 miles - farther than some older kids.  Molly will be quite a talker like her cousins.  She speaks very clearly and has this cute little voice.  She loves her brothers.  Owen is an awesome big brother -very protective and loving.  He really watches out for her.


Amelia making sidewalk pictures for us

Cavan happily posing with the geese in the background.

Ben and Brenda have had a busy summer.  They put their house on the market, sold it, found another one in Conifer (closer to shopping).  They closed last week, and I will go down to help this weekend.  They came here to visit in September over the weekend of Josh and my birthdays.  We did the JRDF walk on Sept 8 (forJuvenile diabetes).  We had a huge group of people with friends and family all dressed in green.   They stayed with us one night and we tried to figure out what to do in the heat with Cavan and Amelia.  We took them to city park and they chased the geese and ducks.  It was more fun than a playground.  Cavan is really talking a lot and has this deep slow voice.  He is such a lover and Papa is one of his favorites.  Amelia is still my girl and we have lots of fun playing with my Mom's old costume jewelry and reading a ton of books.  She and Cavan enjoyed the back yard with the tricycles and loading stuff in the wagon and pulling it.  Ben and Brenda got to get out a little while they were here.  Cavan started preschool this year and is doing great.  He and papa built a wooden tool box from Home Depot.  Amelia is in kindergarten two days a week and seems to like it.  She loves to read and is now old enough to correct me if I make a mistake.  I noticed Laila does that, too.  She and Laila are really cute together.  Brenda is still the Race Director for the Bailey Hundo, and Ben continues to be waaaaay busy with work.  They are looking forward to the new house in Conifer.  It is on 5 acres with bouldering in the back yard, hiking, and a flat front yard for the kids.  Ben will have an office off of a wood shop that is separated from the house.  There is a 4 car garage, too - what a treat.

Work is still great.  I have enjoyed my half-time schedule.  We did a huge event Aug.4 which will become an annual thing.  Saints 'n Sinners is in November - it is a tour of churches and taverns in the Bessemer neighborhood, last weekend we had a 4 mile bike tour, in February our FACES of CF&I fundraising event.  These keep me pretty busy along with mass appeal mailings and keeping the membership up to date.  I have liked learning a new database program and the people at work are awesome.  I am known for my hard work, ability to fix vacuum cleaners, organize the mess, and know where all of the supplies are.  Lately I have added picking locks to my resume (only one on a display case).  I don't know why I like organizing so much, but it gives me such satisfaction.

I've started more home improvement projects.  The storm windows were messy and the windows all over the house needed paint. I spent two weeks stripping paint with a heat gun and repainting and re-caulking all of the windows (10) on the outside of the house.  I took down the storm windows and cleaned them up.  Some of the window panes were so bad I am surprised they did not fall out.  Now I am into the inside of the windows no that the weather is cooler.  I did the main bathroom - spent 2 days stripping, caulking and painting and my hands are a mess!  I don't know what I would do if I had a house that didn't need work!

We have been wining with our neighbors every couple of weeks.  We have met other Pueblo transplants and seem to have found some fun people to hang out with.  They are real foodies - so we get some great food and good wine.  It has been fun to have neighbors, so we can drink wine and walk home!  How can you beat that.  We also share plants - Carol and Rene like gardening as much as I do.  It hate the thought of winter when I have to see my plants go to sleep!  We are planning to do some winter projects.

The community college (a block away) does gourmet lunches 4 days a week, so we are going to try it out.  It is only about $7 for a fantastic lunch.  They also do gourmet dinners for $14.  We went a couple of times last year and loved our 5 course meals.  We haven't taken any classes there yet.  I just don't seem to find time.

Shep has quit driving a truck after his hip started bothering him.  He is investigating other work options.

We hope all of you are doing well, and please keep in touch.
Linda and Shep