January Means Winter in Texas

We are once again turning on the fireplace each evening.  The outside temperature has dipped below freezing for the past few nights, and is headed down again tonight.  Today was cloudless, cold, and perfect for a little shopping for boots.  Oh, yes, and for using discount coupons and shopping codes to make shopping more fun.  I found 3 different colors and heights of boots; just couldn't justify that many boots when I do live in Texas, not Alaska.  So I settled on some gray ones for now.  My Kohl's discount is good till next Wednesday, so if I decide the cold is not going away for awhile, I may have the justification to go back and find more to bring home and put in the closet.
Lunch was sure a treat at LePeep, even though we ordered from the omlet menu.  They have really good omlets and good coffee to keep you warm too. 
Ralph has been doing his shoulder exercises faithfully each day.  The stretching has helped him, but brings its own downside of a need for icing down for at least 10 minutes and sometimes causes a little too much discomfort about 4 in the morning.  It will take time to get past the pain, so he is just toughing it out.

Christmas Joy Multiplied

Yes, Christmas joy was multiplied by two, if you count the number of days we celebrated with family.  It was multiplied by three, if you count the number of precious grandchildren we watched open toys, puzzles, stickers, and goodies.  It was multiplied so many times more, if you count the memories made this year just by spending time with the people we love.  Fortunately we got to spend time with our children and grandchildren in person.  We spent time by phone with other family members.  We spent time with friends and family via cards received from across the U.S. from Florida to Texas, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Kansas and beyond. It's so nice to catch up on the latest news, learn of the accomplishments, and just know that life's blessings are being shared with us.
Because Aaron's family was recovering from a bout of viruses and ear infections, they didn't join us for Christmas Eve's celebration at our home.  We did borrow Lacey's grandmother's recipe for sweet potato casserole, so they were represented at the table.  Madeline opened her presents here, before surprising us by being with us for the night.  To wake up on Christmas morning with our sweet baby granddaughter here, who wanted to be held and cuddled, till we headed to her house was such a bonus. Heidi and Ryan's tradition of inviting friends and family for Christmas breakfast/brunch is always good, and this year's addition of Heidi's homemade cinnamon rolls just made it even better!  We got to meet some of their friends and a cute little friend of Maddie's as well. On the way home, Aaron called to invite us to their house, saying the girls were feeling better.  So after a quick stop at home to pack gifts into boxes, we made a trip to McKinney. 
We found Elle crawling to the back of her parent's bedroom, wearing her cute little Christmas p.j.'s.  Audrey was still feeling the effects of the cold virus, but she had enough energy to open all of her gifts, read the names for everyone elses's presents, and even help Elle by opening her gifts for her.  It was very sweet to see her be so happy for Elle to get her gifts.  Even with several bigger gifts, she was most excited to peel the back of all the little foam sticker dots.
For us, this was such a special Christmas.  We were able to spend such pleasant time with both of our children's families and loved every minute with the three grandbabies! Pictures follow to prove it.

   Maddie loves on her little snowman with green hat.

     Maddie trying to figure out what the baby food bottle is.

       This girl loves her snack time.

Heidi helped Maddie open a couple of gifts.

                                                 
 Paper wrapping is still one of the best presents.

 Ryan was happy to see his baby girl on Christmas morning.

   Elle had fun chasing her tiger ball, which was inertia powered.

   Audrey had so much fun playing with her Christmas stickers.

     Mom and Dad had fun putting Audrey's Disney puzzle together.

      We  had a Christmas present table for our Christmas Eve dinner.

Colorado Cool!



Saddleback Mt. house





View from dining room table

  

Goodbye Texas heat, hello Colorado cool!  That was our sentiment when we arrived at the 8200 ft level home on Saddleback Mt., just west of Evergreen, Colorado the last week of August and first week of September.  We found a beautiful house that could easily fit a family of 8 or more, but Ralph and I were very happy to call it home for 2 weeks. The daily temperatures ranged form the upper 30's in the early mornings to about 80° by afternoon.  We had beautiful views in every direction.  Our dining room window allowed us a panoramic view of mountains along with entertainment provided by hummingbirds, bees, and woodpeckers.  We learned that woodpeckers can hang upside down on hummingbird feeders and really like sugar water just as much as the bees or hummingbirds.



The kitchen came stocked with spices and foods in the frig. and pantry. If our grandchildren had joined us, we would have been prepared with a highchair and booster chair. Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, tile in the entryway, and warm carpet in the living room and bedrooms, along with lots of artwork throughout the 3 floors of rooms, made it a welcoming place. We even made use of the wood stove a few evenings and mornings.



Carol, Marilyn's sister, came to spend a few days at the house and share some adventures in Colorado.  A trainride in Georgetown, a trip up to the top of Mt. Evans to see the mountain goats and sheep, and memorable meals were part of the fun.  Just don't ask about ordering "Regional Mexican Food"!  Save the Mexican food for Texas! It's pretty sad when even the chipmunks and squirrels turn down those leftovers!  Eating homemade pizza at home was much more enjoyable.




mountain goats on Mt. Evans

 


Can you spot the mountain sheep?

 



Woodpecker drinking from hummingbird feeder

  

Daily trips were planned, including visits with cousins to both Ralph's side of the family and Marilyn's.  First visit was with Ralph's cousin, Norma and her husband, Van Ricketts, who bought a 40 acre ranch in Buena Vista, CO. when Van retired from his career as a vetenarian and pharmacutical rep.  They made amazing improvements, added guest "bunk" houses, and built an outdoor wine cellar with an outdoor oven for future bread baking.  Marilyn's cousins, Rod and Donna Hodgson, have a beautiful home in Arvada, with views of Pikes Peak, Denver, and mountains galore to view from their bedroom deck and living room. 




Panoramic view from Golden State Park

 



Fresh snow on the mountains

 



Panoramic view from our picnic bench at Golden State Park




Trip to Boreas Pass




Scenic drive over the Boreas Pass



Looking over Georgetown

 


Karen's daughter Holly, her husband, & new twins

Don Koontz's 100th birthday party

Marilyn's former bus driver and only living uncle, Don Koontz

The main reason for going to Colorado this year for Carol and Marilyn was to celebrate Don Koontz's 100th birthday party.  He is an amazingly bright, quick-witted gentleman who is very loving toward his 97 year old wife of 10 years, Fern, his former high school sweetheart, and our dad's baby sister. The event was held in a neighborhood park, by a small lake.  Aunt Fern's daughters, Karen and Saundra, along with Saundra's daughter, Kendra, and Karen's husband, Ken, provided a meal complete with homemade German chocolate cakes and ice cream.  Friends shared fun memories and anecdotes before the time came to an end. We look forward to more visits with friends and family in the future, and we want to explore some new areas of Colorado or Wyoming or maybe Montana next year.





Family Counts

  

Before we move on to other projects, we remember how important family time is.  The first two weeks of August brought that wonderful reminder.  We were so blessed by the generosity of brother Ray's family who shared time with us at Daytona Beach, Florida.  The views were beautiful from  daybreak till dark, and then even later as fireworks went off over the ocean.  Ralph was so faithful to go for his morning walks at daybreaks, with the reward of getting some beautiful pictures of sunrise happenings. A friend has already commented that she copied some of those pictures from FaceBook to use for her personal collection, even recommending Ralph submit several to greeting card companies or advertising companies to use for their own use.

We discovered again how delicious doughnuts are, fresh from Dunkin Donuts, and how much better they become when there are excited children picking out just the varieties they asked Grandpa Ray to get for them. Ray's eyes literally twinkled as he saw how happy he made his grandchildren (and his sister). We learned there is such a thing as a Captain America doughnut that is very special; it has sprinkles and patriotic icing! It was pretty clear how much love is shared between the grandchildren and both of their grandparents. That love continued to be observed as the family enjoyed breakfast casseroles, brownies, tacos, pancakes, pulled pork, etc., etc. throughout the week! 

A trip to the local Farmers' Market  provided delicious South Carolina peaches, tomatoes, nectarines, and even pickles.  Both Marilyns selected pickles from the pickle barrels; garlic dills and sour pickles.  Mark wasn't quite prepared for the sour ones, so we got a laugh at his squinted eyes and puckered face.  He readily moved on to the garlic ones. 

On Thursday, Ray and Marilyn took us to the famous Chocolate Factory used for one of the I Love Lucy's favorite episodes about 50 years ago.  After the tour, we sampled something new; dark chocolate-double-dipped potato chips!  We may have to take another trip to Daytona, just to get more of those delightful treats.  We also sampled their caramels and sugar-free treats.  Definitely worth the trip!

From Daytona Beach we traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to visit a cousin of Ralph's, Margaret and Del Shelton.  They welcomed us to their beautiful home & made a lovely dinner with Del taking care of the main dish, smoked pork loin. Later they caught us up with their ever expanding family.  They have 3 sons, one of whom has 10 children, another has 2, and the third has no children yet.  They provided a Headley family history, which Ralph's Uncle Tommy had spent 5 years researching and writing.  Since we had not kept up with all of the aunts and uncles for way too long, it was an evening we very much enjoyed.  We were even privileged to have breakfast on their deck while we watched hummingbirds diving around to get a drink from the feeders hung a few feet away.  The weather was cool enough to sit outside for a little while; something it has not been either before or after we returned home.

The family time had continued since returning.  Heidi and Ryan treated us to a fabulous anniversary celebration at their home.  Heidi prepared such a delicate pecan crusted Orange Roughy dinner, complete with fresh broccoli, broiled red potatoes, and whipped cream topped strawberries and chocolate cake accompanied with fresh coffee and song!  Getting to spend time with them and Maddie made for a grand celebration. 

Saturday, we continued celebrating with Aaron's family.  Audrey amused us with her sunglasses.  She never took them off from the time she got to the restaurant till the time we left.  Elle allowed her mom and dad to almost finish lunch before she needed some personal attention.  She has changed so much in just the past couple of weeks.  She smiles easily when she watches Audrey or her parents. 

She lets you know quickly if you lean her back too far.  She is a gal who likes to sit up and see what is going on around her.  Audrey was ready to take Grandpa up on his offer to come home with him, so hopefully that can happen sometime soon.  We have gained new memories and cherished our time with family members for sure.  We look forward to spending more time with them and visiting with Carol and other relatives soon!

Happy Birthday, Ralph!

Ralph celebrated another birthday this month!  Happy Birthday to our husband, father, and grandfather who is loved by all!  Family members gathered at Carraba's Restaurant at Ralph's request for a delicious Itallian dinner.  Someone commented later, after seeing pictures that our family is sure growing!  Yes, it is and getting cuter too! All three granddaughters provided entertainment for their grandpa throughout the evening.  We are so blessed! They are all adorable, so well behaved and pure joy to be a part of our lives.

To watch our children be so patient and loving with their own children is such a reward for us. Yes, our children have grown up! Again, we are so blessed!  We couldn't love them more, until tomorrow.  Thank you for a special evening to all four of our children and our three granddaughters!

June, A Time For Travel

 Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park

 Castle Mountain in Banff National Park

 Athabaska Glacier at Columbia Ice Fields

 Moraine Lake in Banff National Park

 Lewis Falls in Yellowstone National Park

 Lake Hotel in Yellowstone National Park

 St. Mary's Lake in Glacier National Park

 Three Sisters Mountains by Canmore, Alberta Canada

 Vermillion River in Kootenay National Park, Alberta Canada

Athabaska Falls in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Summer began with one more place checked off of places from our list of locations we have wanted to visit; Alberta, Canada and more specifically Banff National Forest in Alberta. For years Ralph has talked of taking the rail trip across Canada through the forest. For Father's Day this year, we decided to take it a bit further and drive to the location so we could explore on our own schedule. We located a condo through VRBO in Canmore, just 10 minutes from the park.  It provided so many goodies, especially the dishwasher, laundry, wi-fi, and a comfortable bed inside, plus it was convenient to restaurants, shopping, and getting to the highway.  For Ralph, it had a train running just behind us.  For me, it had a great bagel shop just a couple of doors down from us; never had a maple pecan bagel before. The trains never blew their whistles and ran through without bothering us.  The condo was very well insulated.
Because there was so much snow last winter, the waterfalls were everywhere as the snow was melting. A few highlights included viewing a grizzly bear next to the road in the park, riding a tram up a mountain outside of Lake Louise, and taking a cruise on Lake Minnewanka. Just picnicking in the near perfect weather with the beautiful surroundings of mountains was so special.
Our trip began with forest fire detours in New Mexico the first day, then we were blocked in Glacier Park by roadblocks due to snow still covering the road.  We saw major flooding in Montana, Canada, Wyoming, even some in northern Colorado.  What a contrast to the drought conditions we encountered in New Mexico and Texas; the worst in over 70 years!
Still, we were thrilled to get home to see our beautiful little granddaughter, Madeline Grace, come to visit and show off her new skill, crawling.  She has it down for sure!  It won't be long before she is walking as she comes really close to pulling up on the furniture. Now its time to enjoy the backyard pool and keep cool in the Texas July heat.

Campfire Time!

Ryan often talks about watching children being like watching a campfire.  He is so right! Three sweet little girls met to play in our living room yesterday.  Everyone watched, laughed, and couldn't take their eyes off of the three little cousins playing happily by each other. 

Mary and Andy Gray came to town for their niece's and nephew's  high school graduation from the Booker T. Washington Arts Magnet School.  It was the first time any of us had met Madison.  She is a delight!  So glad they came over to see their Uncle Ralph and Aunt Marilyn.  Heidi and Ryan arrived in time to give Maddie her first trip to the swimming pool.  It was the perfect time to be in the pool; the temperature of the pool was about 86.9° and the outside temperature was about 100°.  The late afternoon provided plenty of shade from the oak tree for everyone. 

 Mary, who obviously learned great manners from her parents, came in to help Heidi and her Aunt Marilyn get supper on the table. Then she and Heidi helped clear the table and clean up the kitchen. Thank you both so much! Lacey fed 1 month old Elle, who woke up just as supper was about over, and who spent the rest of her time sleeping.

After supper ended with homemade ice cream, it was time to go back into the living room and unload the plastic bins full of toys. There was no grabbing, no yelling, no whining by any of them.  It was just too sweet watching them play with the floor full of toys.  They intently combined the Bristle Blox and giant Legos for a very long time.  Audrey took a tip from Madison and took her turn at wearing the green "Little Hat"/lettuce bowl around the room. 

Maddie and Madison found the little bumps built into the bottom of the bowl to touch and contemplate.  Maddie sometimes makes her cute little growl when finding the bumps.  It seems to be her "I'm seriously studying this" sound.

Wish we had more family close by, so we could spend more afternoons and evenings together.  Thank you, Mary, Andy, and Madison for coming to visit.  Come back anytime!