Summer is gone, fall is here!

It seems like it’s been incredibly fast summer.  Since I last updated the blog much as happened in Hobgood family.

The adults have as much fun as the kids

In June we visited the Sand dunes national Monument and had an awesome time with all family members present. The kids were so funny running from one cabin to the next playing hide and seek and eating on picnic tables. The sand proved to be a building ground for many castles and awesome structures as you can see below from pictures.  The big boys and the little boys spent hours building a great castle. After the day was over we all jumped over the castle ended up tearing most of it down. Amelia was the only one upset about our destructive tendencies. The playground was great for the kids during the evening after we finished baking in the sun. I think the kid that was most excited about the playground was Molly. She didn’t hesitate to go down the slide. The girl has no fear - even of slides built for older children. In addition to that the children all played on the merry-go-round much to the parents chagrin. It is pretty scary as a grandparent to watch them twirling around standing up and not falling off. We enjoyed great discussions with the adults in the evening while enjoying a little wine/beer. It is such a great opportunity to get all the kids in bed at night and enjoy the adults. Laila and Amelia rode bikes around and around and around in circles. Laila had just learned to get on and off of her bike so this was great practice. Amelia already had it figured out and was really patient with Laila. Logan and Owen had races around the campground roads. They were pretty hilarious. Cavan was content to play on the swings and slides and Logan’s light saber. Wyatt had a great time playing with the older boys especially tetherball – and of course there was the typical bonk on the side of the head with that one! 

Cavan in the trenches

Aah, a relaxing day for all

Molly on the Run

Laila, Amelia, Logan, Ben and Brenda

The girls building their castle

Ben,  Brenda, Becky, Laila, Loga

Part of the troops

Nana and the Gator with Cavan, Laila and Amelia

After spending two days at the Sand Dunes we went to the gator farm a few miles away. I must say this was a highlight of my summer. I am posting a picture of me holding a gator for all the grandkids to touch. Needless to say, several grandchildren were hesitant to participate. It was right up my alley. The gator farm is huge and they take rescued animals, birds and amphibians of all sorts. Our picnic by the gator ponds made for and appetizing lunch (ha ha). We all returned home tired after three days of fun in the sun.  What a lucky Nana I am.  The kiddos are just a delight and the parents aren’t half bad, either.

On June 15 we went to Conifer to Ben and Brenda’s house to take care of Cavan and Amelia while Brenda directed the Baily Hundo, a 100 mile mountain bike race.  Ben was a racer, so the two of them were really busy!  I got to spend great time with the kids, both at home and at the race.  They had loads of fun playing at home and at the race site.  It was incredible weather and unlike last year, did not rain us out.  Cavan and Amelia found a family of older children who totally entertained them and trumped Nana’s time!  I met some really great people and had a wonderful few days.  Ben did well in the race, and Brenda survived – what an incredible lot of work for them both!  Ben is still busy and has a great office just a few yards from the house.  What a great deal, he can leave for work and commute all of 2 minutes!  Brenda stays busy with kids and their activities.  The family went to Wisconsin this summer to see Brenda’s family, and we got to keep Ella the dog.  She is so good!  Amelia is in 1^st grade this year and really liking it. She is a budding artist and draws me awesome pictures to bring home. Cavan is still in preschool.  His favorite thing is a light saber from Star Wars.  His cousins introduced him to the whole Star Wars thing, so he can’t go wrong there.

Amelia with her Nana Braids

In July, Becky and Devin visited over the 4^th and we got together with the Hobgood 5.  Owen and Logan had a great time playing with Star Wars stuff, chess, and general boys stuff.  Wyatt and Laila are just great buddies – so cute together.  Molly just floats between kids and joins in like she is just their age!  After the visits they are all exhausted and so are the parents and grandparents.

Laila the budding ballerina

Logan at our GREAT library

In August I went to visit the Close's and had a wonderful 5 days with Becky and Devin.  We made a trip to Santa Fe, and Becky and Devin had two days away in Taos with hiking and biking.  They seldom get away unless I visit them, or they come to Colorado for a few days and do an outing here.  I bought shaving cream and my favorite – corn starch.  The kids played in the goo, jumped on the tramp, went to the library (a favorite), went to Starbucks (they are learning so young), and read a few books.  The weather was really beautiful.  The trip through the high mountain desert was the most beautiful I have ever seen it.  The fields were green ^nd grade (where has the time gone!)  Laila is in kindergarten and all grown up!  When I stay, I get to walk them to school in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon.  What a treat!  The two are so energetic and creative – what fun.
and sunflowers were everywhere.  Becky is still busy at work with extended hours since the kids are in school.  Devin is still loving his research at LANL labs.  They both ride bikes, jog, and play on the weekends.  What a great lifestyle.  Logan is in 2

Cavan at JRDF Walk - love it!

Josh and Bree have me/us babysit at least once a month.  I so enjoy getting the kids to myself.  They even got to go to lunch and a movie – that was a first for a long time.  Now that Molly is older and Owen’s T1D is more manageable, they have some freedom.  Josh began a new job in August as the Principal at Carson Middle School on the post.  He beat out some pretty stiff competition, but of course I was not surprised – he is the best.  He was really excited about the new position, and has found that parents and students alike are surprised that a principal can be that young.  He really doesn’t look 37!  Bree is so busy with Owen in 2^nd grade, Wyatt in preschool (at different locations, of course) and Molly taking gymnastics.   Besides that, she does Yoga, rides her bike, and cooks like crazy.  Owen has to be on a gluten-free diet, so she does a lot more baking!  Shep and Owen can now share the gluten free food and Bree has found some great recipes.

Innocent little Wyatt! ha ha

Owen all grown up

Molly the little angel

Josh had such a tremendous garden this year, with all of the rain, that the plants grew into each other and it was hard to harvest the veggies.  The family squeezed a lot of fun into Josh’s time off in the summer. I am doing pump training for Owen, as he got an insulin pump this summer.  Now grandparents can keep the kiddos at night and give Josh and Bree a breather.  It is so much better than the shots.

We had a big outside event on August 3 at work.  We had bus rides through the Evraz Steel Mill, tunnel tours, vendors, music, etc.  I was so relieved when it was over – I think I am too old to work that hard, and the heat didn’t help.  July was cool, but August 1 that all changed.  Shep had back surgery on the first, so Josh came down to help out in the morning and I left the event early – yea!  He is doing well, but the drugs for a few days were pretty hefty, and of course he couldn’t drive.  His recovery has been great, but it usually takes about 6 months to be back to normal.  He has pretty much been out of commission since April, at least to some degree.  He is looking forward to more activity!  I still like my job, have had some personnel changes, but it gets me out and keeps my mind active.  The steel industry in Pueblo is fascinating.  I learn more all the time. 

After my winter ordeal with digging up my back yard, I decided to put in a sprinkling system, since most of the ground was dirt anyway.  In the process of trenching for the pipe, Shep injured his back, and it eventually led to surgery.   I spent most of the summer finishing the sprinklers and planting grass – three times!  The first time the mix of stuff with the fertilizer, mulch and seed never did come up. (After two weeks, no grass-I guess the company forgot the seed!!!!)  The second time, I had grass up and we had a 2” rain in an hour and the ground sunk where the plumbers had not compacted it well.  Sooooooo, after paying to haul all of the extra dirt away, I had to go over to a friend’s house and haul more over here, pack it down, replant the seed and - bingo – I have grass!!!!!!  If the grubs don’t get it, I will be a happy camper.  That has been the total of my yard projects this year.  I am so tired of planting seed, but it is lush and green now.

Linda at the Star Nursery

What a job! Poor Shep's back

After a dry winter and summer, we got the 2” rain, and got water in the basement, so I had to muck up mud (not very much) and clean up the basement.  It is just a storage area and little work table.  It surely did not smell good!  Also, at the same time, I had to dig the dirt on the side of the house that was covering the air vents for the basement.  I thought I could get it done in a weekend, but a month later I had it finished.  I just had such a dirty summer digging in the dirt, having it hauled off, hauling it back, what a crazy way to spend my time.  However, it is done now, and I can get back to fun stuff.

I was so glad to have the dirt done, that I decided to tackle my bedroom.  It has 2 walls of knotty pine that has really dark stain on it.  I find it really ugly and dreary and  I need new carpet anyway.  A couple of weekends ago, I finally mustered the nerve to get out the sander and start in getting the varnish and stain off so I can whitewash the walls!  This has been in my brain for 3 years.  Well after sanding about 6 feet my hands hurt so bad I could not sleep for two nights.  By now, I am committed and there is no turning back.  Next bright idea – pay my neighbor to sand for me!  Yea!  He is plugging along in his spare time and will probably finish this week.  I think getting old pretty much stinks when I can’t do things physically, run out of energy and hurt all over after a simple project.  (I really think digging dirt was easier).  I will have to experiment with the whitewash, and look forward to a bright and cheerful bedroom with nice carpet! (someday!)  I will post a picture of my mess and complete project later, and you can see the disaster I have created.  Bless Shep – he is pretty patient with my ideas, although he can’t imagine why I want to do it!

Check out this Ram!!!

Shep and I had several fun trips this summer.  He was pretty lame (literally) most of the summer, but with cabin fever setting in, we did get out.  On one outing we ventured to Marshall Pass and the Colorado Trail.  After a beautiful hike in the rain, we headed down the dirt road and stopped behind a car.  As we looked at the road, we saw a Big Horn Sheep in the middle of the road (literally) kneeling down drinking the salts from a seep hole in the road. 
We watched, filmed and took pictures for a half hour.  It was the most amazing thing I have seen in years.  Four rams were there, and one got the best stuff because he would gently butt the others out of the way.  Sometimes he stood, but you could see his passion and he would kneel down th

Statue of Kit Carson on the Post near Josh's school

en actually lay down and lap up the goodies – Incredible!!!

We went to Cripple Creek a couple of weeks ago to spend 20 minutes in the casino, then drive back through the most incredible country through Phantom Canyon.  We got to see the mines and the road was a narrow gauge railroad, and had an awesome trestle and several bridges. It was a beautiful narrow dirt road with some fun narrow passageways with granite walls.

We also went to the bluegrass festival and listened to great music and ate some pretty good food.  They get great entertainment and mellow crowds in Westcliffe, just east of here about an hour.  If any of you like bluegrass, it is well worth a trip and we always have an extra bedroom!

Last weekend we went to dinner in a barn owned by a contractor who opens it every year for this event.  It was a fundraiser for Haiti.  It was white table cloths, great wine and catered gourmet food.  The entertainment was fun and made for a very pleasant evening.  Beulah is twenty miles east of Pueblo, and a beautiful little town!

Georgie and Randy (Becky’s in-laws) had to evacuate when Lyons flooded.  They are fortunate that their house is not totally damaged, and are safe with Jenae for the time being.  It may be more than a month before they can go back and stay so I guess they will visit all the kids and Georgie’s parents in AZ.  There is water all around them, roads are out, and I am sure a muddy mess.  We were relieved that it was not worse!  The flood has been such a tragedy, and much of it is not even on the news.  This will be a long rebuilding process.  Our prayers are with them and all of the flood victims.

Next blog will be a recap of our upcoming Los Alamos trip to see Carlsbad Caverns – I can’t wait.  Working part time is super when I can tell them what time I need off!  Love it.

I hope you are all well and happy. Ta ta for now.