Our Family's Backyard!!!

There is no such thing as a routine when we come back to visit the family.  Life just kind of flows around their time off, watching the Super K's, and enjoying the company of our family.  It never ceases to amaze us that we don't have a schedule yet every day is filled up with events.  Kris and Amy might call us and ask if we are doing anything this coming Friday.  The answer is, we don't plan that far in advance but if they want us to watch Kasey and Karsten we are available.  To some of you that might sound like an inconvenience but to us it is music to our ears. (Grandparents- go figure!) When they want to go out for an Avs game or just for an evening together we are always available and more than willing to watch the Super Ks.  The truth is we are going to have much more fun than they will on their night out.

That was the case when someone gave them a chance to watch the Avs last week and we jumped at the chance to spend the night with the guys!  As you can see Grandma is having a terrible time with the Super Ks.  Just after the picture below was taken Karsten fell fast asleep and Kasey started his Ninja attack on Grandma and Grandpa -- don't think we have ever laughed so hard for so long!  After about 20 minutes of his Ninja attacks, he crawled up in Grandma's lap and went to sleep!  We think they might be spoiled but we need to watch them some more to find out! 

After their bath it was time to cuddle with Grandma

Looks as if we might be able to spend a little more time with David and the puppies on this trip back to Colorado.  David is getting ready to move and he asked us to help him find a place.  Can't believe how expensive it is to rent an apartment in the Denver metro area, but we have some time before he wants to move.    With his four days on, three days off schedule we are able to visit with him and of course play with the puppies.  David is also "kind of" getting into golf, we don't know if that is because he likes to be around us or if he is really getting into golf.

David, MyLee, TyBear and Pat sharing a laugh!

We got to play golf with David and Kris during the week.  That was possible since Kris is between jobs and David is off Monday-Wednesday.  The weather is cooperating so we all had an enjoyable day of golf and a light lunch afterwards. 

Pat and David in the cart and Kris peaking in on the scorecard!

OK this is a photop with Pat and Kris

Of course there is work to be done and Dad is always willing to help out even though his "help" is sometimes suspect.  Kris had a few small trees to dig up and depose of in the backyard.

Kris using the chainsaw and George watching!  How much help is that?

Kris and Amy asked us to join them and the Super Ks on an Easter egg hunt.  How could we not go on an Easter Egg hunt?  We think Kasey and Karsten enjoyed the helicopter egg drops more than the actual Easter egg hunting,  But Grandpa and Grandma enjoyed just being with the grand boys.

Kasey and Karsten --

Kasey seems to be a little taller than Karsten,  We thought they were the same size.

Karsten loves his Grandma!

Look Grandma what we have, the eggs are plastic!!

Kasey putting his stash in his bag!

OK the Easter Egg hunt was for the boys not you two!! Tell them Karsten!!!

You may believe that everyday of our lives is a fun filled day and our life is great!  Come on you!!!You know that everyday can not be full of fun and that life is not always great!  But we happen to know otherwise---80% of the time we actually are having a great day and 100% of the time we think our life is pretty darn good.  Even when we get thrown a curve (like our recent blowout) we have managed to find the positive side.  We think life is what you make it - don't get down too hard on yourself, don't think that life is  impossible, and go out and have fun and laugh at yourself once in awhile. 

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and our attempt to entertain, this blog is a journal of our lives and hopefully you will come back to see the next installment on "Our Backyard"

Enjoying Colorado!

We are getting settled in our new backyard and home for the next month and half while George does his chemo maintenance.  As you may know he will have a chemo treatment once a week for four weeks so we get to see our family and enjoy Colorado until the end of April, and/or until our next adventure.  We arrived at the Air Force Academy last week and have been whittling down Pat's "to do" list that comes with everyday living.  Yes, we also have things to do and it is not all about having a great time roaming around the country, visiting the beautiful backyards of America.  George has been busy tracing down a problem with the Jeep, it seems the cruise control went out when we unhooked the car after our trip south and as we drove up to the Denver metro area to see the family.  He has taken at least a week checking things out like the vacuum lines for leaks, electrical lines for breaks, replacing a servo (whatever that is)  until he followed Pat's advice and solved the problem which was the brake light switch (replacing it took all of 2 minutes).  He is trying to do motor home and car maintenance now but he is such an amateur it takes awhile for him to fix things.  Pat is busy sprucing up our outside director chairs, getting the motor home sit up for an extended stay, getting a tan while George "works" on repairing things that should have been taken care of in Florida (he is such a procrastinator). 

We were fortunate to get back in time for St. Patty's day and spent the day with the Super K's while their parents celebrated with their friends downtown.  It was such a pleasure spending the entire day with Kasey and Karsten after such a long time away.  Of course we, like most of the USA, are enjoying the beautiful Spring weather and got the grand boys outside for a couple hours.  Someone on Facebook said, "Their is nothing greater than spending time with grandchildren"!  She was absolutely correct.

Our backyard for the next month and half - the Air Force Academy just outside Colorado Springs!  We come back here often because it is a beautiful wooded RV park with many walking trails and is centrally located to the doctors, the kids, and the very necessary shopping malls .

Kasey is getting so independent.  Here he is peeling an orange - do not attempt to help!  He did a great job and shared his orange with grandma and grandpa! 

How do I look Grandpa?   He really got into St. Patty's day.

Grandma was impressed with something!  Do you think that the hat fits?  Maybe she should give the hat back to Karsten.

 

Kasey coming down the slide - he really enjoys being outside and using the gym set.

Kasey just hanging around!  See Grandpa how strong I am - I can hold myself up!

Karsten is also getting independent - he is climbing the ladder all by himself and really doesn't want anyone to help him.

Down the slide comes --- Karsten!

Grandma we really like to sit on your lap and draw pictures for you.  Grandma, Grandma --- Wake up!!!!

We hope you enjoyed our attempt at humor and a slice of our everyday life here in Colorado.  We do enjoy being back here with the beautify of the mountains, the woods with its critters, and of course Kris, David, Amy and the Super K's nearby.  We will try to keep our friends and family up to date on our backyard musing but since we are "home" our posts might be spaced a little further apart.  If you are on Facebook, George will let you know when we post again.  Oh yes!  George has another "computer hobby" to keep him up late at night!!  He is on Facebook (a lot) and if you are reading this blog please "friend" him  - he needs to stay busy.  Take care and enjoy your backyard, Spring has sprung earlier go out and have a fun !!!

We are back in Colorado!

We made it back to Colorado!  The first order of business was to see David, Kris and Amy!  Mission accomplished.  The next order of business was to see the Super K's!!!  We missed out on Kris' birthday and missed seeing and talking to David but the two little guys with their quirks and laughter was nearly too much for us!  We wondered... How much have they grown?  What have they learned while we were in Florida?  Would they remember us?  These questions and more went through our minds as we drove up to Denver to see the family.  It has been over two and half months and we were coming back to get our hugs and kisses.  We were going to take the family out for the birthday celebration we missed while we were gone and we were going to play with our grand boys....again! 

As we drove up the road to Kris and Amy's house there were two little guys on the porch...waiting for Grandma and Grandpa!  Yea!!!  Hugs and Kisses wiped away any thoughts that these two guys might not remember.  Oh my gosh how they had grown!  Kasey talks in complete sentences, Karsten now talks, both boys still mimic each other and both of them makes us laugh with their antics.  They both have so much energy and want to do everything with Grandma and Grandpa!  Yes, they still wear us out, but OMG it is such a great way to get tired.

They are so special, as any grandparent will tell you --- grand kids are the best!!!  We get to love them and they can do no wrong.  Unlike our own boys, we do not have any real responsibility except to have fun and watch the miracle of love. When we raised our boys, we were so busy making a living and trying to do the best job of raising them to be the best they could be, we overlooked having just taking time to have fun with the boys!  Oh how we wish we would have listened closer to our parents when they said, "God don't make no Junk"!  "Those boys will grow up in spite of you"!  "You need to relax, those boys will only be young once"! and many many more times they tried to tell us to enjoy them while they were young and let them enjoy the carefree days of being young.  Sorry Kris and David - we did our best and OBTW we think you turned out pretty good.

Karsten is upside down with Grandpa!

Grandpa and Kasey sharing a straw at the restaurant!

We are so fortunate to travel the backyards of America.  Exploring our country, discovering new backyards, enjoying and renewing friendships are some of wonderful times we have had as we travelled this country.  But since we started this magnificent journey almost four years ago,  it is our own backyard and our family that we enjoy the most and with whom we have the best of times.  We are only able to keep on the road because of  SKYPE and the willingness of our wonderful kids to keep us up to date with their lives and the lives of Kasey and Karsten.  We are proud to say that not a day goes by that we don't receive a  phone call from David, Kris, Amy, and the Super Ks.  These calls are the highlight of every day we spend on the road.  We are so lucky to have friends and family throughout the country to share experiences with but again there is nothing that compares to "our family".  It goes to prove the old adage that you don't have to travel to enjoy the backyards of America - the backyard we all call home will always be "home sweet home".

We will be staying here until the end of April for George's treatments and plan on enjoying this backyard as much as any "down the road".  We hope you too are enjoying your family and extended family -  they are the real joys of life!

Leaving Florida and heading to Colorado via Memphis

As you probably know we left the warm sunny confines of central Florida and were joined by Dick and Karen in sunny north Florida and the white beaches of Destin.  We managed to visit with George's brother at his friend's very very nice condo on the white sandy beaches of Destin.  We were able to get in a couple games of cards, a round of golf , and a few really good meals.  It was a whirlwind week in Destin before leaving for points north and west.

Karen, Pat and Dick on the balcony overlooking the Gulf at Destin

Eglin AFB has the 3rd best military golf course in the country and we all enjoyed the course and the weather.  This is Pat teeing off one of her monster drives of the day.

Pat and Donna are enjoying a relaxing evening outside of our motor home at Destin's Army Recreation Area which is also on the beaches at Destin.  The weather was a little cooler than in central Florida but very tolerable and no bugs to bother us.  Bob, Donna (our close friends and traveling companions for the last three years) and Pat wanted to see Graceland before we headed back to the Colorado Mountains so we put our jacks up, our satellite dishes down, and headed north to Memphis.  We arrived in Memphis during a heavy rain storm but managed to get set up in a beautiful state park just 7 miles from Graceland to start our backyard adventures in Memphis.  The weather cleared the next morning and off we went to see Graceland, Beale street and of course the Peabody ducks.

Beale street was an adventure during the day and we could only wonder what the night time activity might behold for its visitors.  We don't venture out much at night so we decided to partake in the famous Memphis ribs while we were on Beale street.

The famous BB King Rib restaurant on Beale street is just one of the many places to dine and listen to the Memphis Blues.

Just around the corner from Beale street is the famous Peabody hotel and its famous ducks.  At 11:00 o'clock sharp the ducks come down the elevator from their penthouse and walk the red carpet to their fountain where they remain until 5:00 when they go back home.  Rough life!!  By the way, the ducks don't walk they run to the fountain so if you don't look quick you would miss them.

The real reason we all wanted to go to Memphis was to visit Graceland.  If you are an Elvis fan or if you are our age, this is a must to see.  We spent an at least four hours touring his home, cars and airplanes while learning of his music, the many awards, and a great deal about his personal life.  He truly was an inspiration to many singers and a generation of adoring fans.  We took over 40 pictures during our visit but the one below says it all... he was the king of rock and roll and this was his mansion.

Graceland

Before we left Memphis, we had to go down to the mighty Mississippi River and take in the power of nature that is the River.

Paddle boats along the Mississippi go back to pre Civil War and they are as beautiful now as they were during that period of time.  The bridge in the background is I-40, our road west to Oklahoma City and to the panhandle of Texas. our next backyard adventure.

This has been a wonderful summer (oops Winter!) to visit the southeast with the rich histories of South Carolina and Georgia,  the beautiful shores of  east, west and north  Florida, and the lush beauty of driving through Alabama and Mississippi to the mid south region of this wonderful country.  The backyards of the southeast are enchanting and it has been our fortune to have travelled them this year.   We need to thank all the people we visited with, the new friends we met, and of course thank God for being so kind to us.  If you get a chance, take off and explore this region of the country and you will see it for yourself.  As we sit here in Oklahoma City we can only wonder what our next backyard adventure will be but rest assured we will find beauty no matter where we travel in America.

Exploring new Backyards !!!!

We are winding down our trip here in Florida.  We did not get to see all the backyards we thought we should explore while we were here, nor did we get to visit with all of our friends in the Sunshine state.  But, that is why we travel full time.  Hopefully, there will be other trips and differnt backyards to explore.  To our friends we missed on this trip we hope to see you the next time we swing through. 

  Before we left this part of the state, we took one last trip up to St. Augustine with our travel partners and friends, Bob and Donna Dembinski, and Pat's brother and sister in law, Chas and Sharon Lawrence.   St Augustine is very old, actually the oldest continually occupied European settled city in the United States.  From it's fort, Castillo de San Marcos and the old Lighthouse to the quaint little shops in the old section; St Augustine is a beautiful city and deserves more time than we gave it on this trip.

Castillo de San Marcos

Pat and George on the Rampart, the fort walls behind us were seashells compressed by nature into a rocklike substance.  Mined and cut into blocks by the early Spainish to be used in construction in and around St. Augustine.

Chas and Sharon on the Rampart with the river in the background

Bob and Donna on the Rampart with St. Augustine in the background

The Lighthouse at St Augustine.

We left the Space Coast, Kennedy Space Center RV park, and central Florida to drive up to the Florida Panhandle and stay in the Destin area on the Gulf for a few days before we start our journey back towards our beloved mountains of Colorado and family.  While in Destin we will get to see our daughter in law, Amy's parents and George's brother Dick and sister in law, Karen who will be coming up from the Orlando area.  Exploring, visiting, and golf are on the agenda for our stay here in Destin.  

We gave ourselves two days to travel to Destin before our reservation date in the RV park at Destin.  But as fate would have it we experienced one of the pitfalls of traveling thousands of miles a year in a vehicle with tires.  We had a blowout on our inside right rear tire.  As we sat along I-10 waiting for AAA to come to our rescue we thanked God that we gave ourselves a two day cushion to arrive in Destin.  Little did we realize AAA could not find a way to replace our tire after 5:00 pm, and we could not be towed (all the weight of the motor home would have been on the back tires) plus the fact that no one could find a tire that matched the other tires on our motor home - we found ourselves in a pickle!  You maybe wondering why we did not have a spare!  We took it off since we know we could not change the tire due to its weight and size plus the spare no longer matched the treads on the other tires we determined them to be dead weight!  A little known fact is that most large motor homes do not carry spare tires.

Now the adventure really began.....It was now dark, we were still on I-10 , the trucks and cars were narrowly missing us on the side of the highway, we were hungry, a little worried that someone would not see our flashers and we would be plowed into by another vehicle.  The questions were: Can we drive the motor home without the benefit of dual tires or would we risk having another blowout because of the weight on the one right side tire?  Would we ruin the rim of the flat tire if we drove to the next exit?  Was there room at the next exit for two motor homes to safely park and wait till the next morning to get help?  These questions and a few more gave us more than a little concern.  But since we could not stay on the side of I-10 overnight we really had no choice but to tempt fate and drive slowly to the next exit.  As we drove down I-10 with flasher on all four vehicles (both motor homes and our tow vehicles) warning other drivers we had a problem, it seemed that every other car or truck on the road that night tried to come as close as possible to us even though we were as far to the right as the pavement would allow us.  That probably wasn't true but it seemed that way.  Obviously we made it to the exit.  The road into Marianne was a very dark single lane road  and it appeared that the town was a couple of miles off the interstate.  However, Bob and Donna raced ahead of us and found a very unusual place to park for the night!!!  See below...

This is the tire that allowed us to visit Marianne, Florida

We spent the night at the Jackson County Correction facility!  This has to rank up near the top of the most unusal backyards we have stayed in for the night.

As in most of our adventures and misadventures we have a silver lining.  The people at the correctional facility were very gracious when we explained our problem and they told us to enjoy our stay at their wonderful facility (overnight was enough thank you).  At breakfast the next morning we met a lovely lady, who overheard us talking about our problems (was she being nosey or just curious?).  She gave us the address of an independent tire repair service.  The men at the tire service went out of their way to be helpful (yes they also made a little money for their time but were extremely nice).  Even though they were not a Goodyear repair service, they sent a man to Tallahassee to buy our correct tire, came back to the motor home and mounted the new tire on the spot, put both tires back on the motor home and they did this all within a couple of hours.  We were on our way until we stopped for gas..... we discovered our inside tire was flat again.  Now 50 miles from the tire repair shop we called and told them our problem.  They immediately dispatched their truck, fixed the problem (it was the valve stem) and got us on our way again.  It never ceases to amaze us how many wonderful people are in the country.  We meet them everyday on our travels and it is so refreshing to know that Americans are really good people no matter what the rest of the world thinks. 

To our friends and family, if you think we have a wonderful life, full of adventure and good times, we will remind you that not everyday is filled with sunshine and wonderful adventures.  We too have our share of life's little problems.  We hope you think of the problems in you life as we do...we see them as opprotunities.  The difference is only in perspective!

Have a wonderful day!!!