Leaving Tucson - Thanksgiving at David's

As we got ready and now have actually left Tucson, we reflect on our all too short of a visit with our long time friends, Tom and Maryann Graue.  The four of us were almost inseparable for six weeks and we thoroughly enjoy each others company.  We laughed like teenagers,, admittedly at George or Tom's expense.  We visited with little Emme, the sweetest little preemie in the world.  We were able to help Tom do a few projects for their daughter and Emme's mom, Carrie.  We took side trips together to Phoenix and Las Vegas to see our friends and to play a little golf.   We dined out and dined in, ate a few breakfasts together, sat on their patio until after sundown and just in general did what friends do ... had fun together.  By the way, if you plan on coming to the southwest, the best time to enjoy Tucson is in October and November, the weather was just outstanding.

 

 

Is that Tom or George?? Can't tell from the back end!!

 

 

The finished product, a new fire pit -  looks pretty good but again," you get what you pay for", Carrie!!

 

 

 

Pima Air museum - Tucson.   Does anyone recognize this workhorse of WWII?  No not Tom, the airplane!

Nice chip Pat,  thought you didn't like to chip?

 

 

Sitting on the Patio. 

One our favorite things to do as we wind down from a day of relaxing, just being with and talking to Maryann and Tom.

 

 Emme, you are a miracle and so beautiful --- Carrie you have a precious young lady!

 

We are back in Colorado to be with our family for the holidays.   David and April hosted the family turkey feast and everything was just terrific.  What could be better;  Kris, Amy, and  the Super Ks joining David and April to celebrate and give thanks?  Thanksgiving maybe the kickoff for the Christmas season for some but for us it is a time to give thanks - thanks  for all that we have, the life we enjoy and for the family and friends that mean so much to us! 

 

Grandma we are so happy to see you, Welcome back!!!  Do you think Grandma is happy to see the Super Ks - Kasey and Karsten? 

David and April -- thanks for making this day special for all of us!!!  Great food and a lot more!

You went above and beyond -- everything was just perfect!

Do these two ever take a bad picture?  Amy, what is that --- gang signs??

The Feast begins - what no Amy?  Oh yeah someone has to take this great picture!

 

To all of our friends and family, we are so thankful that you are in our lives! 

 

Visitng Friends in Phoenix and Vegas

Sitting at our friend's, Tom and Maryann, kitchen table in Tucson one night we all decided it was time for a road trip.  Since we had already decided before we left Colorado, in September, that we were going to stop in Phoenix to see George's high school classmates, Sue and George Summerfield, we planned the trip to include a stop in Phoenix.  We also wanted to drive up to Las Vegas to see a couple more friends.  Kris and Amy wanted us to stop by and play golf at Karsten Golf course located on the Arizona State University campus (did they name it for the future golf wonder -  Karsten Cannode????).   We had not seen Bob and Elaine Boudreau, our friends in Vegas, since the time we all spent together in Germany back in 1979.  Our other friends living in Vegas, Steve and Margie Breslow,  camp hosted with us in Colorado in 2009.  It was decided that we would leave our motorhome in Tucson and to pile into their car and stay at Luke AFB in Phoenix and Nellis AFB in Vegas. Things could not have worked out better.  We drove to Phoenix, played golf at Karsten, met Sue and George for a nice dinner, plus we also attended the Arizona State Fair.  After a few days in Phoenix, it  was off to Las Vegas where we met up with Bob and Elaine.  It took all of a few minutes to travel down memory lane back to our time in Germany and the trips we took to France together.  Our military friends never seem to forget the time we spent together and always treat us like family members, no matter the time or miles that have separated us.  We also introduced Tom and Maryann to our camp host friends.  We met Steve and Margie at a great crab restaurant and proceed to crack a few crabs while catching up with their adventures and travels to Alaska and China.   

We stayed at the Air Force bases in Phoenix and Las Vegas and the accommodations were in a word...fantastic!  Since there was four of us we opted to stay in TLF  (temporary living facilities), which are former base housing quarters that the Air Force has set aside for traveling military members.  Retirees can stay in them if they are not being occupied by active duty members.  Check out the pictures below of our accommodations!  Not a bad perk for serving 20 +  years in our military. 

Traveling with Tom and Maryann was like four teenagers in a car, on a week long road trip;  we had a general plan of what we wanted to do and see but for the most part we winged it!  What an adventure!  It has been a very long time since we went somewhere without plans,  flying by the seat of our pants, and traveling with friends who make you smile and laugh at every turn.  It was also the first time we visited Las Vegas and did not gamble...no time for that stuff, too much friendship time, taking in a comedy show, and just enjoying ourselves and our friends.

 

 

Red at night, sailors delight! 

The sun setting over the Arizona mountains was a sight to behold.

 

 

Full moon over Phoenix after a spectacular sunset 

 

 

Tom and George sitting on the back patio of our house at Luke AFB.  Not a bad start to our little side trip.

Karsten golf course! Karsten did you know they named a golf course for you ???

Coming in off the 18th -- a beautiful but tough course...just like our grandson!

 

 

 

 

Pat, George, Sue and George Summerfield - it is always nice to see old friends

 

Arizona State Fair

 

Overlooking Lake Mead



 

This was the base commander's house on Nellis AFB...now it is....

 Casa Cannode and Graue's villa at least for a few days!!!!

 

 

 

Our friends ...Elaine, Maryann, Bob and Tom

George is trying to crack open a crab,

 lucky for him the beer was a little more filling

Pat with Margie and Steve... George is hiding in the background!

 

The drive back from Phoenix through Flagstaff and Sedona was breath taking with all the fall colors

Beautiful Sedona, Arizona surrounded by mountains and a must see if you are in northern Arizona.

 

Please enjoy your time with family and  friends, we never know when that time will come when that may not be possible.  We thank God for all of our friends and family, you all mean so much to us and we hope and pray that you are in good health and are enjoying life to the fullest. 

 

 



Our Tucson Backyard

We have arrived in Tucson.   It is really special to visit with good friends and Tom and Maryann Graue are like our extended family, no matter how long or how many miles have separated us we have always been close.   Their daughter, Kelly, allows us to enjoy her three wonderful daughters, Molly, Samatha, and Kirsten.  This year we had an added bonus, we get to see their youngest daughter, Carrie's special very little baby, Emme.  Visiting with the girls and little Emme have helped to fill the void of missing the super K's.

The weather so far has been outstanding with blue skies, warm temps and mild winds...that may change but it sure beats South Dakota's four feet of snow.  Our days have been filled with golf, touring Tucson and the surrounding area, chatting with our friends and just relaxing.  However, that appears about to change, Carrie has asked us to help with a few projects around her house and since George needs to stay busy ... what a great win for Pat!

 

Our little backyard on Davis-Monthan AFB.  Our plan is to stay here for the next 6 weeks before we drive back to Denver for the holidays. 

Maryann with the girls at the Tucson Zoo

 

Carrie and Emme...feeding time!

Little Emme is swallowed up by her car seat at four months old and a whopping 8 pounds!  We can't help but think of Kasey and Karsten weighing almost the same when they were born.  She certainly is a miracle baby and has fought so hard in her young life.

 

Views of Tucson in the distance from the road to Mount Lemon.  The views of the desert and the Tucson cityscape are magnificent.

Pat, Maryann and Tom sitting on the ski resort listening to German Polka music.  Does Tom look a little bored, it might be that George took so long to take the picture!

 

 

Tom and George replacing Carrie's kitchen sink.  Do you believe they both fit in the cabinet under the sink?

 

Next project... pocket door and these two guys will need major supervision by Pat!  Does Carrie know what she is doing in asking Tom and George to work on her house???

 

Our backyard adventure in Tucson has just started but we already know that we will experience at least two things.  One: We will have a very good time in the Arizona desert.  Two: We will miss our family in Colorado...a lot -- Thank God for Skype!  The adventure continues, we will let you know how the next 6 or 7 weeks turns out!  For all of our friends and family,  go out and have fun before the government shuts down everything in this country.

 

On the Road Again!!!

 We have hit the road again and are driving to Albuquerque  to visit with our friends, Mike and Rita.  It would appear that all roads lead through Albuquerque and they are always great hosts for our travels throughout the southwest.  It is always great to hook up with them, catch up, and just enjoy their friendship.  As with many of our friends, Mike and Rita make us feel like family. 

The last few days in Colorado was very busy with family and friends.  It is always tough to say good bye and we seemed to have planned as many activities into the last couple of weeks as possible.  (think stuffing a 10 pound sack of flour into a 5 pound bag - that was us).  

David started our final weeks at Chatfield when he hosted a great dinner at his place.  He has started to get life back together, with a big help from a young lady named, April.  David and April have been friends since high school and were recently reconnected.   Together they pulled out all the stops to ensure everyone had a great time and a wonderful meal.  Next up was a weekend with Jeff and Maria, our "adopted" daughter, (actually she is our friends, Bob and Donna's, daughter) when they came up for a family weekend at Chatfield. The weekend started with a pancake breakfast, for Kris, Amy and the super Ks, and included a BBQ rib dinner and our entire family gathering around the campfire with a couple of cases of refreshments.  Next up was Monday night football.  George and Amy watched the Broncos make short work of the Oakland Raiders.  Since Kris flew to Washington DC, George was Amy's date.  Even though he was late meeting Amy, they managed to down a few beers tailgating before going to the stadium for the game and more refreshments.  Tuesday, our friends, Doug and April ,who flew in from Florida,  spent the day with us.  We caught up just like we had never been apart.  As the saying goes, "Good friends are never far apart no matter the miles that separate them".  Wednesday was our final preparation day and we finished packing up all our gear, check the fluids and pressures, cleaned inside and out all in preparation for leaving at O 'dark thirty on Thursday.  We arrived in Albuquerque tired from the wind and driving 9 hours from Denver.  Friday, we met Mike and Rita for breakfast at our favorite breakfast restaurant in Albuquerque," Millies".   We will all be "catching up" until at least Sunday.

 

April, David, Kris and Amy at David's 

David are you asking for advice or did April put too much wine in the crockpot?

 

 

Amy staying warm around the campfire, or maybe too many refreshments!  Sleep well Amy - this is the very first picture of Amy not smiling!!!

April, David and Pat at Chatfield SP

 

 

George and Amy at the Broncos vs Oakland beatdown!

 

Lunch with Doug and April

 

 

Taking in a late lunch with Mike and Rita

 

We had fun this summer and it went by so fast.  We appreciate everyone we met at Chatfield SP, the staff and all the camp hosts and the majority of the RVers who passed our way.  It was quite an experience and another great adventure.  But now as we drive away we will miss some thing's very much. 

 

 

 

WHAT WE WILL MISS

The morning balloon flights

The family nights around the campfire

The family get together and cooking over the open fire

Kasey

Karsten

 

New backyard adventures await us but we will be back for the holidays.  We loved our time with our family and will be counting the days until Thanksgiving.  Next adventure -  Tucson with Tom and Maryann Graue, their family and their grand daughters including baby Emme!

Where did the summer go?

Oh my gosh!  Our stay at Chatfield is coming to a rapid close.  We plan on leaving our camp host positions on September 25th and drive down to Albuquerque to visit with our long time friends Mike and Rita.  After Albuquerque the motorhome head  south on I-25 and east on I-10 to Tucson.  We have been planning this trip before our summer began and we will finally see Tom and Maryann's newest granddaughter - Emme.

It seems like yesterday that we were posting a mid summer blog and celebrating David's 33rd birthday.  We have had a wonderful stay here and made friends with the staff and other camp hosts here at Chatfield SP that will last a lifetime.  There is no way we could cover the entire summer with this blog posting so we apologize for not posting earlier (that may be a mixed blessing). 

 

 

Roxborough State Park about 5 miles south of Chatfield SP.  We drove the scooter over to Roxborough SP to take a hike through there magnificent geological formations but a storm came up and we hurriedly got on the scooter and sped back to our campsite.  Yes we got wet!

Amy's birthday and two future bronco players help her celebrate.  Can't believe she is finally 21!!!!

 

Kris arranged a VIP tour of Coors Brewery and a visit to the employees only "Bills" bar above the brewery.  Kris really believes this is a dream job, he has two bars at his office downtown and of course when he comes out to the brewery... another great bar just for him and his guest apparently.

 

 

We get hot air balloons launching everyday here at Chatfield but this is the first to land near the motorhome.  We took this picture from the back of the motorhome (no, I do not know who the guy in the picture is)

Amy went to South Dakota and Kris came over for supper and a little relaxation around the camp fire ... of course he supplied the beer and even got Pat to drink a beer called Redd's, an apple cider beer.

 

The Super Ks had a sleep over with Grandma and enjoyed "morning coffee" with Grandma.  This summer we got to have a couple sleepovers with the boys.  It has been one of the highlights of our summer and we will miss our "alone" time with the super Ks

The supper Ks being picked up from their school by Grandma and Grandpa.  We looked forward to picking up the boys and volunteered many times over the summer.  They always asked Grandma for her special snacks of fruit animals.  Just so all of you non grandparents know...you can learn a lot from listening to three year olds. 

Pat and Maria Marten (Bob and Donna's daughter) at Maria's daughter, Indy's marriage 1st Anniversary party in the Black Forest.  We are fortunate to be considered a kind of extended family to Jeff and Maria,  Maria babysat for Kris and David when she was 12 years old and they were 2 and 4, so anything that they now do wrong we blame on her!!!  Hard to believe she has a married 22 year old daughter.

 

We are leaving Colorado to go see the young lady pictured below.  She is the miracle daughter of Carrie Graue.  Carrie is the daughter of our friends, Tom and Maryann Graue.  Emme Graue was born at 29 weeks and has fought everyday of her young life.  Emme is now part of an amazing family.  She is also part of an amazing story that began when her mom, Carrie, decided to have a baby at the age of 40.  Born a twin, Emme survived numerous problems and will face many more but she is a determine young lady and will grow up to be much like her mother and grandmother...a strong independent and smart young lady.

 

See you soon Emme!

 

We will try to be better at posting our backyard adventures but our life seems to moving at an incredible speed and we are having trouble finding time to post...or.... it maybe that we are just a tad lazy and like resting after a day of camp hosting.  The good news that adventure will be over in a couple of weeks but the bad news is ---- it is football season.  No more watching ribbon dancers and no more watching reruns - it is Ohio State and Denver Broncos football time!  Go Bucks and Go Broncos!!!!