On our way! (UPDATED)

Mark and I left the farm yesterday morning around 10:30 and headed to Matt's home in Omaha.  We had a good visit with him and went to to dinner at our favorite steakhouse, Texas Roadhouse.  After dinner he took us to a really nice wine bar called Brix.  His friend and guitar teacher was the entertainment there and he was very enjoyable!  Matt knew many others there so we had company at our table.  Mark and I really enjoyed our evening!

We left Omaha this morning around 5:30  and began our long, 12.5 hour drive to Santa Rosa, NM.  We are in our hotel safe and sound and no problems along the boring way!  If there were a better way to AZ without going through Kansas I would choose it, but it is the shortest route.  If I would have won that half a billion in last night's lottery I would have purchased another vehicle to leave in Phoenix and just fly back and forth!  But it was not to be.  :-).

We have only a little more than 500 miles left tomorrow so that will be an easy day and we won't need to leave so early!

Our Thanksgiving was just wonderful with our two children and three awesome grandchildren!  I flew to Peoria on November 19th and Mark joined us the next day.  Matt came on Wednesday so we had a nice immediate family gathering for several days.  It was very difficult to leave them on Sunday but Christmas is just around the corner and Mark and I are flying back for that!  That will make for a happy New Year for us.

When I get to Phoenix tomorrow I will post some photos!  Having some trouble doing so on my iPad!

Update:  We made it to our winter home  this afternoon around 3:30.  The drive was uneventful which is a good thing.  I am now also able to put the Thanksgiving pictures on the blog.

Drew was VERY proud of his FB trophy!

Ryan loves getting a bath

Grandma brought Ryan a stuffed monkey

Kayley loves doing puzzles and finished these 4 in record time

Our three grandchildren

Kayley getting ready to start her puzzles

Grandpa holding 2 of his grandchildren, minus the top of his head!

Never hard to get a smile out of this one!

Ryan and Kayley

Drew wants to go to the basement and play catch

Excited for Thanksgiving!

I have been by myself in Phoenix since Nov. 1st.  Mark flew back to Iowa after helping me drive down here and getting the lawn ready and the house up and running.  It is lonesome without him but I keep busy by hiking every day and bumming around the place and of course, shopping.  I don't get to do that much while I am on the farm! 

The weather has been beautiful, if not a bit warm still.  I usually hike in the morning before the heat really cranks up for the day.  It has been 90 or so ever since I arrived but the week-end is supposed to be in the 70's.  Brrrr.  :-)

I fly to Peoria on November 19 and am looking forward to that day!  Cannot wait to see how much Ryan has grown and what he is doing now!  Drew and Kayley are always a delight and I am sure I will be playing lots of games with them come Nov.19th.

I bought a one-way ticket to Peoria and will drive back to the farm with Mark after our Thanksgiving holiday in Peoria.  When he is ready to leave for the winter we will pack up his truck and do that drive through NE/KS/OK/TX/NM all over again!  Thank goodness for e-books, smart phones, etc.!!!

I haven't taken any pictures because my iPhone camera is too blurry after being dropped in water and I keep forgetting to take my other camera with me.  I have the feeling I will break down and get another iPhone because I really cannot live without it having a camera.  What's money?  Ha!

Since I have no pictures I stole some from Megan to remind me how cute my grandchildren are and how much I miss them!