Saturday, November 26, 2011

Colorado and More

We have been back in Colorado for a couple of months now but have not posted for a while so we thought we had better catch up.  Colorado will be our home at least twice a year with George's chemo maintenance treatments taking up four consecutive weeks.  So you can count on us being here in April and October for at least the next two years.  When we arrived the weather was in the 70s but within a week we had our first snowfall of the season....bet it will not be the last we see before we leave Colorado just after Christmas. 

The first Colorado snow in early October...you got to love the Colorado weather in the fall!

What is great about being back in Colorado is that we get to watch a couple of little guys growing up.  In the fall, we get to celebrate with them on Halloween, Thanksgiving, Kasey's birthday, and Christmas.  Of course with Kris and Amy's penchants for packing 10 pounds of activity into a  5 pound bag we also get our time with the boys alone (that is without parental interference). 

Halloween is a special time for Karsten and Kasey.  They get to "color faces on the pumpkin". 

Kasey loves to slide down the "big slide"

After Halloween, Kris took Kasey to North Dakota with him on a hunting trip.  Amy was the brave mom and kept Karsten with her at home so we thought we could help her out by stealing Karsten a couple of times.  One of those times was to pick Dad up at the airport. 

Hey look at me I am facing forward in my car seat!  Karsten on the way to pick up Dad and Kasey at the airport.

This picture was not staged.  Karsten really missed his brother and ran up to him at the airport and gave him a big hug!  Of course on the way home it was a little different --- pick on my brother time!  Just like they had never been apart.   We celebrated Thanksgiving at Kris and Amy's.


Grandpa and Karsten on Thanksgiving.
Do you notice that Grandpa has work clothes on?  George always enjoys when he can do a little handyman work with Kris.  But he did change clothes for the Thanksgiving feast.

The next big events are Kasey's birthday and Christmas.  Hopefully, before that we will steal the boys while Kris and Amy go to their Christmas parties or other December events (remember the line from above --- 10 pounds of stuff in a 5 pound bag!!).

As we prepare for the year end activities and our trip to Florida we are saddened to report that we will be traveling without our friends and traveling partners, Bob and Donna.  They have decided to end their nomadic ways and take up roots in Colorado Springs.  Our motto has always been, "Everybody gets to do what they want to and when they want to do it".  We will continue our travels to the backyards of America and beyond. We wish them well and know they wish us happy trails.

As we all prepare for the Christmas holidays, Pat and I hope that we all hold our military men and women close to our hearts and prey for their safe return to their homes and love ones.  They sacrifice so much for this nation and when called upon to serve in the far reaches of the world go without complaint and without question---they are America's heroes.  God Bless them and keep them out of harms way!