Vacation Highlights

Thought I would hit a few of the cool points on our vacation!


Here I am doing the Hoki Poki at Babe's...and anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE to do the Hoki Poki!

"Pepperoni, more please" - Chico the cat

Playing Chickenfoot with Mom and Dad.

Watching cartoons with Adrianne patiently waiting for Disney to play Little Mermaid cartoons.



Uncle Dave and Adrianne napping.

Our annual family photos, just the brothers, then just the sisters, then just all the kiddos. The weather wasn't the greatest this year so we moved to the staircase.

Mom's famous lasagna and her homemade rolls, Dad cooking ribs outside for the family day, and just generally eating too much homecooking!

Dave working on cars at the Napa shop with his brothers

Eating lots and lots of Sonic and Schlotsky's, because we can't get them in California!
The B&B in Canon City deserves a whole post in itself; 90% of it devoted to the breakfasts! Strawberries with devonshire cream, fresh poppyseed muffins, German apple pancakes, a crossiont with vanilla cream and fresh raspberry topping, hot apple crisp.....I gained 3lbs just eating breakfast there!

The owners Wendy & Lyn were so warm and hospitable and the room was so comfy and nice. We've never stayed at a B&B before, but we will be doing this again!
The fall weather in Colorado and looking at the colorful foliage!

The crisp, clean air in Colorado!


Visiting Bishop's Castle with Dave and his father. This was all built by one man over the past few decades. Of course he's crazy as a shit house rat, but you have to admire what he's built with his own two hands.

I stayed on the ground, thank you very much (he is crazy after all) but Dave and Father went all the way to the top...that's them in the round ball at the top!

Leaving Colorado and starting the "alone time" part of our vacation.

Driving up to 11,000 feet elevation and seeing all the beautiful snow!

Buying patches everywhere we went and sewing them on our bags each night.

Driving through all the pretty little towns and saying what we liked about each one of them. Silverton, Colorado...it could definitely be on our list of places to retire.

Looking at the map and pointing and saying "let's go HERE!" just because we can.

No timetables or schedules of when we have to be where!

Doing the Cliff Dwellings in Mesa Verde Colorado. So cool to be climbing around in the place where the Publo people lived between 1100 AD and 1400 AD.

Doing the tour where we had to climb up 10 foot ladders and down ledges and crevices...although not so fun to do it behind the guy in sweat pants with the HUGE butt. Not an attractive sight, let me tell you!

Having a bad hair day and just throwing a bandana on my head.

Going to the Four Corners area and sitting in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado all at the same time.

Eating Navajo Fry Bread topped with beans and cheese!

Not so good, dealing with Dave's nasty farting in the small car afterwards!!

Big thanks to the two Good Samartians in Kayenta, Arizona that helped us out when the Vette had a problem under the hood!

Tuba City, Arizona, definitely OFF the list of places we would retire. That is one small, dirty, icky city!


Watching the Cowboys beat the Panthers soundly and then going out for Arby's.

Man, a lot of my highlights have to do with food, don't they??

Vacation - Day Ten

Sunday was the big gathering here in Kansas. All six of the brothers made it, and we were only missing one sister-in-law and one grandchild. There were also lots of other extended relatives as well.

Man, did Dave's Mom put on a spread! TONS of great food and deserts...I haven't eaten that good since the last time we visited Kansas.


Here's my favorite picture of all of the sister-in-laws, I'll post more pictures later when I have a better connection!

Vacation - Day Nine

No pictures today, the dial up is just too dang slow.

Having a great time here in Kansas and eating TONS of good food!

I got to meet my new sister-in-law, Jenny, and her sweet daughter Adrian, who is about to turn 4!

I'll post more when I get to a better internet connection!

Vacation - Day Seven

Hey All, it's almost a week into our vacation and we're having a ball.

Monday morning, Dave and I and my parent's loaded up and went down to San Antonio. We stayed in a condo that my parents have time share in in New Braunsville, about half an hour north of San Antonio.

We went down to the Riverwalk and did the boat tour of that area and ate some fantastic Mexican food Monday night, then back to the condo for a couple of rousing games of Chickenfoot. That's a fun domino game that my family is rabid about.

Tuesday we visited with my Great Aunt Lila and then visited the Texas Cradle of Liberty...the Alamo. We called it a day early and ordered some pizza and played Chickenfoot late into the evening.


Wednesday we had to hit the road early so we could get back to Dallas in time for Dave and I to catch a Grayhound bus to Kansas.

For those considering the bus as a mode of transportation, I highly discourage it. We left Dallas and I was like "it's an adventure!!". By Ardmore, Oklahoma, my attitude had slipped to "I don't like this anymore" and by the time we hit Oklahoma City, I was deep into "I AM NOT HAPPY" mode!! On a good note, I did manage to restrain myself from killing a seven year old named Shelby Rose Hutchenson and the two little old ladies sitting around her who encouraged her to chatter most of the way through North Texas and Southern Oklahoma!!

Dave's Uncle Mac (one of my favorite of his extended family) picked us up at the bus station in downtown Witchita at 3:30am, bless his heart, and took us back to his place to crash for a couple of hours. Dave's Mom showed up Thursday morning to pick us up there and take us back to their house in very, very small town Kansas.

Right now it's just Dave's folks, his youngest brother Adam and his wife Sabrina, and Dave and I. But all the other 4 brothers and their wives, as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents should start rolling into town tomorrow morning.

I just love his big family!

Day Two of the Great Vacation!

Having a great time here in Texas. We slept in a little on Sunday, then went down to Grand Saline to visit with my grandparents, my favorite aunt and uncle, and my favorite cousins. (okay, so Amy is really my favorite cousin, Jason just comes along with her, LOL)

It was nice and cloudy and even misted and rained a little bit. I love how green and lush everything is in this part of the country, such a contrast to the desert where we live now.

Don't you love the picture of Fiona feeding the horsey? She is such a sweet, sweet little girl. Although she doesn't like Dave so much. He was playing with her and scared her and she started calling him "Bad Dave"! She would stand on the other side of the room and shake her little finger at him and say "Bad Dave! Bad, Bad Dave!!"

In Texas

After a long wait at the airport and an even longer wait on the tarmac waiting to take off, we finally started the first leg of our trip.

Mom, Dad, and my brother David picked us up at the airport and we went over to their newest favorite restaurant. We met up with Kara, an old friend from high school and the Maid of Honor at our wedding and with Sara, a cyber and IRL friend who lives in the Dallas area.

I did the Hokey Pokey with our waitress, ate lots of good Texas chicken fried steak, and enjoyed my family and friends.

More updates as I can!

Vacation

Well, the vacation has officially started. Our bags are packed, we've had our first "We're On Vacation" nookie, and we're ready to drive to the Las Vegas airport tomorrow. A big shout out to our rock steady, always there when you need them, friends Dave and Linda Mc for driving us.

We fly to D/FW tomorrow where my Mom and Dad will pick us up. We're having dinner at their newest favorite restaurant tomorrow night and hooking up with an old high school friend and my Maid of Honor, Kara and her new husband Eric; who I am looking forward to meeting. If he's good enough for Kara, he must be a great guy.
Sunday is Cowboy football and a trip down to Mineola, Texas to visit with my grandparents.
Monday (after Dave speaks to Mrs. Petty's first grade class), Dave and I, my folks, and hopefully my sister Lisa load up and head down to San Antonio for some sightseeing.
Then Wednesday night we load up on a Greyhound bus to ride to Kansas for the second leg of our trip.

Hmmm...riding a Greyhound bus. It could be interesting. It could be an adventure.

I'll log on and update as I can throughout the trip!!

My 100th Post

For my 100th post I thought I would post this layout. The picture just spoke to me, the boots look so worn, like they had stories to tell. And just seeing them, sitting there in his office was such a heartwarming sight. He's here with me, finally back where he belongs.

A Few More Pictures from the Homecoming

I'm finally getting used to having him here and my smile has finally gone down to a 100 watt bulb instead of the skylighting spotlight it's been for the last 48 hours. I still can't stand to have him too far away from me for very long and I reach out and touch him at every opportunity.


Here we are putting his wedding ring back where it belongs. I've never really realized how much I touched it or reached for it until it wasn't there. My hand keeps going to my neck, but it's back where it belongs. Dave says that's all right, he's still getting used to his hip feeling so light. He keeps reaching down to pat his pistol and remembering he doesn't have to wear that any more either.


This is my favorite picture of Cathy and Jason!

And finally, a picture I just had to take yesterday. I was walking down our hallway past his office and glanced in. This sight just stopped me in my tracks and it was then that it finally hit me, he's home.