Greetings from Prescott

Mark and I arrived in Prescott yesterday afternoon around 3:30. It was noticeably COOLER up here. Almost 30 degree difference from Phoenix's temps this past week. We were loving that! We got settled into our hotel and then took off for Whiskey Row, which is the historic part of the old west town. Lots of saloons and even more shops. We dined last night at a place called The Rose Restaurant. It appeared to be a converted large house. We ate at an outside table so we could enjoy that weather. The food was superb but when we got the bill I should have skipped those two glasses of chardonnay that cost $8.50 each and contained about 1.5 inches of wine. Good grief! Our bill was $35 higher than what we spent Wednesday night taking out Megan, Andy and the kids. We at least fed five people off that bill. :-) Oh well, if I had it to do over again, I would because it was THAT good!

Today we spent from 9-2 downtown again. They have a huge flea market and it took a long time to look at all the booths. Lots of gorgeous paintings for sale. I have my eye on one of Havasupai Falls in the Grand Canyon. It is breath taking and reminds me of our hike down to the falls. I may go back and buy that tomorrow. I offered the guy $50 less than what he was asking and he just laughed at me. Laughed. He could have said "I just can't go any lower" but the guy chuckled. Maybe I won't go back...

Tonight we are going to a steakhouse that has good online reviews. Matt's saloon is offering $2 bloody marys until 6 so we better go there before dinner. :-) That beats the pants off an $8.50 glass of freaking wine!

We will probably head back to Phoenix in the early afternoon to beat the huge traffic jam coming out of the mountain on I-17 every Sunday. Hope you all are having a great week-end, too!

Some pics of Mark with his grandchildren and also Mark's new stetson to keep that AZ son off his his head.

It's a heat wave!

Mark arrived in the Valley Friday night to record setting temps in AZ! Hope he doesn't regret leaving that nice Iowa weather for a 114 degree blast furnace! It is manageable, though. We play outside with Drew late in the afternoon with the misters on and we survive! It has been just great having him here. Drew hadn't forgotten him at all and immediately took him in to "play trains". Kayley loves him and would rather be held by him than grandma. Go figure!

Friday night we are driving up north to spend the week-end in Prescott. Temps there are about 30 degrees cooler than here so that will be so nice! We are looking forward to our little getaway.

Some recent silly videos follow.

Grandpa's coming!

We are all pretty darned excited about Grandpa's visit! Drew can't wait and neither can I!

A day in the life of....

Anyone need a smile today?

I posted this video on Facebook but it was so "fun" that I wanted to post it here for my friends not on Facebook. It is the absolute greatest processional for a wedding, in my opinion. It has had a couple million hits on youtube so you know it is fun and hilarious! :-)
Click here

Quiet week

Not a lot happening out here lately. We are still in a pretty good heat wave so our activities are limited somewhat. Drew and I did spend some time yesterday outdoors with the misters spraying and the garden hose keeping he and Sox cool soaking wet. Kayley is having a good week eating so that is always a plus. She is such a happy little girl when Drew isn't dragging her frantically away from his toys! Grandma needs to work with him on sharing skills. I am not positive that is possible when it comes to Thomas...

Some recent photos. Kayley LOVES to chew on the banana from the vegetable pack!

Finally!

Megan and I took Kayley for her one year old pictures yesterday. We took her one other time but she was just not "in the mood" for them. Two other appointments had to be cancelled because of sickness and scratches. Yesterday went just about perfect for once!

Talk, talk, talk

The video of Drew is to catch the grandpas up on Drew's gift of gab. Anyone else might find it a bit boring as it, of course, takes place around the Island of Sodor. I feel like I live on that island. :-)

This past week had lots of doctor/dentist appointments for the kids. Doctor was all Kayley and Drew visited the dentist, his new best friend. Ha! Fortunately he had no cavities or he would have really been loving her more than he did! Kayley had a GI doctor visit and Physical Therapy evaluation. I am sure Andy will explain those at his blog. Some changes were made for Kayley so hope that all goes well. I think she is doing fantastic.

Drew's black eye is very black now. Megan heard some guys walk by while in line at Costco remarking about that little kid's black eye and how that was "cute". Only young men would think a shiner on a two year old is cute. :-)

We haven't been doing much outdoors lately. We are in the real heat of the summer here so it just feels a lot better in AC. Drew wants to go outside so badly and we do for a little while but not long. Andy went golfing today but had a very early tee time which isn't so bad. I would think you would want to be off the course by at least 11 a.m. when the high is 113.

Hope everyone is doing well and having a great summer.

First shiner

Drew got his fist black eye last night. Running or jumping a little too fast for his feet!

Going for a stroll

Kayley had her physical therapist appt. this morning just for an assessment. I am not sure how that went but evidently Kayley decided that she would get right to work on motor skills and today started to walk behind her stroller. I had not seen her do this so it was a surprise for grandma. Walking cannot be far behind. Oh no...

Pics are of Drew and his dog (talk about a kid friendly dog!) and Drew making a train out of anything he can string together to form it.

It's only 114 degrees today!

Tomorrow is supposed to only get to 112 so that will be better! :-) Oh well, it is a desert! One tends to forget that during the comfortable months of Oct through May/June.

A quick video of Kayley and a few snapshots.

Godzilla and Thomas the Tank Engine

Kayley has always wanted to get to the table that houses the Island of Sodor and the trains of Drew. Drew has effectively, perhaps harshly, kept her away from his table. Today Drew was napping and Kayley was not. I have never seen her crawl as fast as she did this afternoon to get to that table. I was lucky that Andy came home before Drew woke from his nap because it would not be a pretty site when he looks at his tracks...hey, a girl just wants to have fun!



Drew and a bit of Kayley...

More swimming

The 4th of July

We decided to drive to Cave Creek for the evening of the 4th. It was pretty warm but we had a good time eating outside and then viewing the fireworks display. The kids were great and I think they enjoyed themselves. Megan said last year Drew cried during the fireworks so they didn't stay. He watched the entire time this year. At the beginning he asked a few times "go to Daddy's car" but he was a trooper through the rest. Hope you had a great holiday week-end.

Rocky Mountain Family Reunion

We just returned from Estes Park, CO where we spent four nights at a family reunion. It was absolutely gorgeous and we all had a fantastic time! We stayed at Valhalla Resort in Estes Park. It was nestled in the pine trees and mountains. I highly recommend this place if you are in the area. We were only minutes away from Rocky Mountain National Park and it is simply breath taking.

There were many activities for the children, especially the older ones. Drew and Kayley and Micah and Mataya were a little young to enjoy some of them but they certainly had fun getting to know their Kalkwarf cousins. Tuesday the Engels family and Joyce (Kalkwarf) and Gordan Erickson came to spend the afternoon and talk about the good old days. Pictures of the group are included in the video below. It was so great to visit with our cousin Joyce and Barb. Barb's son and family also made the trip. They are all living in Fort Collins so it was not a far drive for them. Joyce and Gordon live in Littleton. Our uncle and aunt Darrell and Elnora (my mom's sister) also made the trip. They looked just great! It was a very nice afternoon, especially for Sharon, Jan and I.

Matt did his first white water rafting trip with Nick, Taylor, Brock and Chad. Sounds like they had a blast and they all want the next reunion to be a week's excursion rafting through the Grand Canyon. Start saving your money boys and girls because that trip was rather pricey when Sharon, Jan, Megan and I did it several years ago. It was worth every red cent we spent, though, and I would go again in a heart beat!

Mark was planning to be at the reunion but that blasted Iowa weather kept him from getting his beans sprayed in time and he had to stay home and take care of business. I was really disappointed but nothing I could do about it....

Thursday was spent with most of the families visiting the Natl. Park. Sharon, Jan and I (the grandmas) went in one vehicle. We stopped at Bear Lake and walked around the perimeter and it was so beautiful and peaceful. Then we had the idea (now stupid idea) of taking the road up to Alpine Visitor Center which I "think" might be the highest point in the park. It was a beautiful drive but once we reached the treeline the three old gals started freaking out just a bit. It was cold and rainy up that high and we were driving through the clouds, or so it seemed! Once the trees were gone it was nothing but the road and a sheer drop off of miles. Perhaps I am exaggerating but that is what it felt like! Good thing Sharon was driving because I have a fear of heights and it had kicked in to high gear at the point in the drive! We finally decided we had seen enough beauty and wanted to head back down. Thank god. After talking to everyone it appears we were oh so close to the Alpine Visitors Center and now we wish we would have kept going...sort of. I have decided to never go where a tree can't grow!! My 10 point bucket list is dwindling after a very daring year for me. I must make a new one!

Lots of memories were made this week and I am so happy we did this trip as a family. The video below contains only my pictures and video. The rest of the family will send me their pics and I am going to make a family DVD so we can always have the memory.

Happy Fourth of July to everyone!!

Lots going on in the world

Lots of attention grabbing headlines on the news the past few days. Obviously the biggest story is the horror going on in Iran. Just terrible! The deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and now Michael Jackson also caught my attention. I really liked all three of them in my younger days. Michael obviously had many problems in adulthood but his music was nothing but remarkable. On a more personal note, the shooting of HS FB coach Ed Thomas in Iowa was totally shocking. A very tragic situation. Matt told me he went with Brad Meester (Jaguars center who went to HS there) to that weight room with Brad to workout during a summer and met coach Thomas. Matt felt he was an awesome guy and from what I am hearing, many people felt the same. So very, very sad.

In other news, Sharon and Arne made it to their new home in The Villages in Florida. Hope the humidity isn't too bad. Mark said Iowa is unbearable right now so would assume it is humid in Florida, too. It has been warm here in AZ but of course, it is a "dry heat". :-)

A quick video for the grandpa's to catch up on their two grandchildren:

It is now officially hot here!!

This was the first afternoon that Drew and I were uncomfortable outdoors if we were in the sun. The shade was still quite tolerable but that sun was boiling everything to the touch if it sat in its path. Can't complain as we have had a gorgeous June and I recall last June being very hot. So, we have actually been quite lucky.

Andy came home today at 2:00 to take Kayley to the doctor. She has been vomiting off and on for four days and running a low grade temp so they wanted to get her checked out and hopefully find out what is causing this. She has a bruise on each cheek from falls so hope they don't eye Andy suspiciously over them! She is a real dare devil and won't sit still in a ladylike position and play with her doll. :-) She'd climb that rock wall outside if we let her!

Some various snaps of the past few days.

How to stay cool

Back in Phoenix

After a wonderful three days with Matt and Mark I am back in AZ and babysitting Drew and Kayley. Drew is on medication for a sinus infection but he is definitely on the mend and going strong. Kayley appears to be healthy as a horse and happy all the time.

Sharon and Arne depart Scottsdale and Terravita late this afternoon on their way to their new home in Forida. The moving truck was coming this morning but am sure it will take most of the day to load 30 years of stuff!! Sharon and Arne are driving to Tucson tonight since their bed will be on that semi. They are taking a leisurely journey to their new home with stops overnight in San Antonio, New Orleans and I am sure a city or two along the way. Drive safely!

Below is a short video of how Drew and I pass some of the day when Kayley is sleeping. Naturally it involves Thomas the train. :-)

Our project

Matt and I worked our butts off landscaping this area in front of his house. It was a little area by his step that slanted down and would have been hard to mow. We decided on bricking it in and hauling in dirt to fill it up. Quite a job. There is new construction going up everywhere here so last night during the cover of dark we shoveled dirt into Mark's pickup from the numerous excavations in the area. It is a lot of work to steal mud let me tell ya! (Heavy rain here the day before). I think it looks great and Matt is very happy with the result.

Week-end in Omaha

I "finally" arrived in Omaha last night after a weather delayed departure in Phoenix and a mechanical problem delay in Denver. Got to bed around 2 a.m. as I had a late night tour of Matt's new home. I really love his place and the neighborhood is very nice. It will be a great development when the homes have been landscaped, etc. New homes are going up all around him as I type this! No housing bust here it seems...

Mark is busy in Matt's basement making a small "theater" room for him and his new huge television. I have a feeling this will be his parking spot during the NFL season. :-)

The College World Series is going on right now in Omaha and I am sure Matt will attend some games as he loves to go to them. I do believe half my plane last night was full of BB fans on their way to the games. This must be quite good for Omaha's economy!

Some pics of his home and the neighborhood.

My future rock climber and hiking partner

Vegan cupcakes a big hit at the birthday party!!

Megan's friend sent a recipe for vegan cupcakes for Kayley's birthday "cake". Kayley cannot have any dairy products so a regular cake was out of the question. As I baked them today I was "surprised" at how good they smelled...no egg, no butter, no oil, etc. The big test was going to come at the birthday party. Would Kayley even like them? Kayley is not the best eater in the world so I was betting NO. Surprise. She loved them. I kept trying to shorten the video but I was so happy to see Kayley actually excited to be putting food into her mouth that I had a hard time editing it. Kayley put the sugar pounds on today! :-) Vegan isn't so bad! Will Mark and I stop grilling steak and chops and go vegan? uh.....no. :-)

Kayley's First Birthday!!!!

Tomorrow, June 9th, is Kayley's first birthday. It has been quite a year for all of us. Megan's water broke on the Wednesday after Memorial Day last year at 25 weeks. She spent the next two weeks in the hospital and finally on June 9th Kayley could wait no longer to see the world. She weighed three pounds which was good since she was only 27 weeks gestation. We spent the entire summer visiting the NICU daily until she was finally big and healthy enough to come home in early September. Andy started a beautiful blog of her entire NICU experience and her time since she has been home. He has done a wonderful job! Andy's blog

Happy Birthday Kayley. We love you!

Waking the dead

Kayley was quite busy and loud in this video. She is one very active little baby that keeps grandma on her toes every second. Fortunately for grandma, Kayley is a great morning and afternoon napper so I get to rest up a bit before the next round of action!

Drew is still fighting the remnants of a bad cold and is not himself. I hope he gets over it soon and starts feeling better. I hate to see little ones under the weather!

I am finally going to see Matt's new home in Omaha. Mark is going out there to work on his basement so I am flying in next Friday and returning late Monday night. I cannot wait to see them both and the new house!

Sharon and Arne are leaving for their new life in Florida this month. I cannot believe how quickly that new home has been built. See the house photos in her blog on the right, My Third Act. It looks beautiful but I still think they should stay in Terravita. :-)

New swing for Kayley

The play set that Andy is assembling didn't come with a swing for infants so he purchased one for Kayley. She likes it. Kayley seems to like just about anything that involves movement! Email me