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

Quick pic

This isn't so great of grandma but I thought Kayley looked rather adorable in this shot! Daddy and Kayley are looking good, though!

Having fun now!

Andy has been assembling the outdoor play set for Drew and yesterday installed the slide and some of the swings. He is going to have a grand time playing on this. Now I just hope the 110+ degree weather stays away for awhile. The stuff will get boiling hot when that happens. Fortunately it is on the east side of their home making late afternoon/early evening playtime available all summer.

Megan and Andy are having new carpet installed at my town house on Tuesday. I feel badly for them as they just put new carpet down in 2005. Unfortunately, the previous renters were not very kind to it and their pet was worse. I promised them I would take very good care of it and would get rid of my nine pit bulls and twelve cats. :-) I am going to spend the day moving all breakables so the carpet guys don't have that to move around. I was dreading having to move all the furniture, especially the bedroom set, but they do all that for us. Hurrah!

Later today I am borrowing Andy's Tahoe and driving up to Sharon's home to see what they are not hauling to Florida. I know one item we will want...an extension saw for cutting palm fronds without having to get on a ladder. The town house Mexican palm had Mark climbing fairly high this last trimming so that will be very nice (and safe) to use. Well, I have a busy day ahead so best get started! Happy Sunday to all.







While Drew was swinging, Kayley was inside having dinner

Short "work" week

Memorial week-end made for a fast week with Drew and Kayley. They both had fevers on Tuesday after flying to Omaha for the holiday. A couple of shots of Motrin and they were good to go by Wednesday. Kayley was sounding a bit stuffed up yesterday and didn't eat as well as she did earlier in the week. Hard to take a bottle when you aren't breathing that great through the nose! She certainly doesn't act under the weather though. Andy said he feels like he has a cold and was going to take a couple of shots last night, too. (I am guessing those shots did not involve Motrin...)

Thursday night I visited Arne's cousins who stay for a week at the Marriott every year at this time. Marge and Eileen are both from California and they are such great fun! Sharon, Lisa and Taylor were also there so we enjoyed a good visit. We watched a "goodbye" DVD that I had made for Sharon. I hope these girls still come back to AZ after Sharon and Arne move to The Villages in Florida.

No big plans for today. I need to hang out here at the town house because Megan and Andy have people coming to measure for new carpeting. They give such a big window as to when they will come that I really can't go anywhere. That is probably good because I took the Suze Orman "Oprah" pledge not to buy anything for one day so this will be that day! BUT, if they come early in that "window" I would have enough time to get to Kohl's big sale...

A video for the grandpas in Iowa. Kayley is not supposed to be in this jumper according to the developmental doctor but it was a short stint only! The jumper comes in handy about two or three times a month when I need that go-getter confined and safe for a few minutes. Have a great week-end everyone!


Eileen, Sharon, Lisa and Marge

Random pictures...

Some pictures from the past few days. Mark's brother Milt and his dog, and of course Kayley and Drew.

To Iowa and back

I spent Memorial week-end in Iowa with Mark. I flew out Thursday morning from Phoenix and landed in Des Moines around 3 P.M. Mark's brother, Milton, was there when I got to the farm. He had arrived the night before from Arkansas. His daughter Missy was graduating with honors from Buena Vista College on Saturday so it was great to see Milt and his/Missy's dog Honey. (see video)

Sister Sharon arrived at the farm on Friday. She flew in to town to attend an all- school reunion at Prairie Meadows on Sunday. Mark and I decided not to attend this reunion because our son Matt was coming home on Sunday and our niece Katie was also graduating from BV so we opted to attend her reception with our son. I am glad we did because we had a very good time visiting with Katie and her siblings and her mom and dad.

It was so great to be back on the farm! I pulled weeds in the flower beds, sprayed round-up, mowed and just totally enjoyed that...I know, sounds weird, but I REALLY like working outdoors in my gardens and yard. :-)

I must admit it was great to see Drew and Kayley when I returned to Phoenix. They are both fighting a bit of a fever but they didn't cause grandma too many problems on her first day back on the "job" today. A video of Milt's dog and our day...

The Inaugural swim

I stopped by Megan and Andy's for a swim yesterday afternoon and they took Kayley in for her very first swim!

The Bucket List keeps getting shorter!

Sharon and I hiked Camelback Mountain on Saturday after many weeks of contemplating whether we really wanted to do just that. Camelback is arguably the hardest climb in the valley, thus our hesitation. It seems like at least once or twice a month someone is being rescued from the mountain either from falling, dehydration, heart attacks, etc. Read Sharon's account on her blog and you will see why I have marked it off my "bucket list" of things to do before I leave this earth! (Her blog is on the right, "My Third Act"). Hope you are feeling better sis!

This girl was a 27 week preemie?

Kayley is making grandma work! She has so much get up and go that I am constantly chasing after her. You cannot turn your head for one second on this gal! Considering her very early start in this world.....all I can say is "how wonderful".