Palo Duro Canyon

The PT's met at the Travelodge in Amarillo on Saturday afternoon to cruise out to Palo Duro Canyon. There were 10 PT's and since Emily had offered to help Cathy drive her car, Julie got to drive the Batmobile! YAY!!!

Julie had a great time driving the PT...it's a stick shift!!!

The Big D and Caprock Cruiser Clubs met at Palo Duro for a potluck picnic and just like any potluck, there was TONS of food! After eating, we headed for the water crossing to play in the water and mud. It was so weird to step into the water, though, because it was WARM!! In Colorado, if you step into a stream, it's cold because it's coming from snow melt. It was just unnatural for the water to be warm.

The temperature of the water didn't make a difference to Jamie & Shelby, however. They managed to get completed soaked and/or covered in mud! They had such a great time!

While playing in the water, Julie met a young man who, after talking with him, turned out to be a nephew of a friend who used to live in Alamosa. Small world!

We played in the water for an hour or so (OK, maybe two hours...) and then dried off and put clean clothes on the kids before heading over to the Palo Duro Ampitheatre. We all had tickets to watch the show "Texas" performed live in the ampitheatre. It was entertaining but made for a very long day. We didn't get back to Emily's house until after midnight. We were all exhausted!

Amarillo, TX

We picked Shelby up at her dad's and ate lunch at Perea's. We figured it would be our last taste of real mexican food for a month. Julie met up with Anne Hayward (SU! demo) to get a copy of the new catalog and we were on our way. We stopped in Santa Rosa because Bill wanted to see the church that his dad pastored. We drove down Bennie Ave. but Bill couldn't remember which house their family lived in. He did say that he remembered the block being a lot bigger! Jamie brought along his "activity" books, workbooks to help him with his numbers and letters. Shelby was so awesome working with him in the back seat. She told us that she wants to be a teacher and she was doing a great job with Jamie!

We were running late and didn't make it to Amarillo in time for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. The PT's decided to go to Braum's afterwards, though, and we were able to meet up with them there. Yummy ice cream!

2007 Summer Vacation

We arrived in Albuquerque last night and had the Pilot in at the Honda dealer at 7:00am for it's routine maintenance. Then, it was across the street to Wal-Mart for 2 new tires (we put 2 new tires on in May before our trip to OKC). They only had one tire but called the Rio Rancho Wal-Mart and went to that store for the new tires. The Pilot is in "tip-top traveling shape"!

We will leave tomorrow morning for Amarillo and hope to meet Emily and Caprock Cruisers & Big D Cruisers for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. How cool is it that we're going to be in Amarillo for a big PT event? Woo-hoo!!!

I'm desperately seeking a Stampin' Up! demonstrator that has received a shipment of the brand new catalog. I didn't receive mine before I left Colorado and I'm dying to get my hands on one. I've sent out an email to all of the Albuquerque demo's that I have email addresses for...hope I hear back from someone!!!

SNOW!!

It started snowing Thursday afternoon and snowed most of the day yesterday and today. Rio Rancho has measured 14 inches of the white stuff so far! We were supposed to go to Amarillo but it has been snowing on the eastern plains for a few days and I-40 has been closed since Thursday.

mom's front yard


mom's backyard

The snow is beautiful, though, and everyone seems to have re-discovered their inner child. Yesterday, we bundled up and built a big snowman, had a snowball fight and made yummy snow ice cream. Most of the stores and malls are closed because of the snow so we've had no choice but to hang out at mom's house. We went to rent some movies but the shelves at Hastings were practically bare...guess everyone else had the same idea and got there before we did. Oh well!

Jamie tasting the snow.

Julie defending herself in snowball fight.

SNOW

MUCH

FUN!!!

We are actually "stranded" here because I-40 AND I-25 are closed. We're keeping a close eye on the weather and hope to still make it to Amarillo (we're supposed to take Shelby home) next week sometime. Julie is having serious ESPN withdrawal!! This is college bowl game season and mom does not have cable. AAARRRGGGHH!

Jamie the Reindeer

Jamie's teacher took this photo at school and helped him modge-podge it onto tile coasters for each of us as Christmas presents.

Christmas Part 2

December 27, 2006

Gram's house
Albuquerque, NM

We arrived in Albuquerque on Tuesday evening and met Julie's mom and Uncle John & Aunt Jean at Fuddrucker's. Esteban (again, the planner) arranged for all of the cousins to gather at Gram's house on Wednesday for dinner and gifts. Becky & her kids were sick so they weren't able to come but Chick and his brood of boys were there...even Daron with baby Cruz. A good time was had by all. (At least I think so...)




Bill & Esteban...obviously up to something mischevious...


OMG!!! Finally a photo of Aunt
Wanda with her eyes OPEN!!

Christmas Day

We thought about going to Salt Lake City for Christmas but it didn't work out so, we decided to stay in Alamosa for Christmas Day. We will drive to Albuquerque tomorrow to celebrate my mom's birthday and do the Christmas thing at Julie's Gram's house with all of the cousins, etc.
We will then go to Amarillo, TX on Thursday to spend the weekend with Emily & Shelby (and do Christmas #3) before heading back home to Alamosa.

Jamie was really into Christmas and Santa this year and was SO excited to wake up and see that Santa had been to our house. Somehow, I was able to get him to slow down enough to pose for this family photo in front of our lit, but never decorated, Christmas tree before the mayhem began.


Julie (still in PJ's) looking at the scrapbook stickers from Jamie.


So many presents...so little time!


Bill examining his gift of "Colorado"
(a book of comparison photos of Colorado from 1897 and 1997).


Jamie scored big with new Thomas the Tank Engine toys.


Woo Hoo! "Weeder wam" was indeed "Rumor Weed".
Santa guessed right!
WHEW!


One of Jamie's favorite gifts was this Denver Broncos football uniform, complete with helmet. He couldn't wait to put it on and wore it to bed tonight. We'll see if he'll cooperate with clean clothes tomorrow. He also loves building things with Lego's and Jenga blocks, so we gave him this set of building blocks and he had fun building all sorts of different configurations.


Every year, the community of Alamosa sponsors a Christmas dinner so, instead of cooking a big meal, we went to the American Legion hall and enjoyed a nice turkey dinner with several other friends from Alamosa. Santa was there (he must have been exhausted after his big night!) and they had door prizes for the kids. Jamie won a Lite Brite!
(Thanks to Rick, who walked by and placed a winning sticker on Jamie's chair minutes before the drawing!)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

*S*N*O*W*

Wow!! We woke up yesterday to almost a foot of snow! Jamie was so excited, we couldn't wait to get home from school and bundle up to go out to play. Denver and other parts of the state got hammered with snow, though, and the airport has been closed for 2 days, full of stranded travelers trying to get to their Christmas destinations. I'm glad that we've decided to stay here for Christmas.

We dressed warmly in our snow pants and mittens and had fun making snow angels, building a little snowman, eating the snow and digging tunnels. We haven't had snow like this in years and I think I had as much fun playing as Jamie did.

Tis the season to...PARTY!

December 14th was THE day for marathon Christmas parties. We started with Jamie's Christmas party at Shirley's in the afternoon. From there, we made an appearance at the VORP (Victim-Offender Reconciliation Program) Christmas party before dropping Jamie off at a friend's house and heading to the Middle School Faculty Christmas party at Mrs. Rio's.

Jamie & friends eating Christmas cookies

Jamie & friends diving for piñata treats

Julie & Bill laughing with the crazy OMS staff

The Christmas Program

The stars of the show: Tyler, Jamie & Case

These three boys are the only kids in our church congregation so I was impressed when Shirley & Brenda came up with a unique Christmas program that they could do. They carried stars with different numbers of points (each had a significant story) to decorate the small tree. Jamie & Tyler carried the manger to the front of the sanctuary. Case was supposed to bring the "baby Jesus" but had a meltdown instead so Jamie carried the doll and threw it in the manger. Each time the boys brought something to the front, it was somehow a race to see who could get back to the back first. They ended up as the wise men and Case returned for the finale. Kyle & Shioban provided the beautiful music. It was a cute production and creative kudos to Shirley & Brenda for putting together a program that was not just the usual "nativity" scene.

Hayride

Our church got together for an "old fashioned" hayride. The afternoon & early evening was brisk but not too cold and we loaded up on Pastor Todd's tractor & trailer to go caroling. We loaded up in the back parking lot of the church and then, by the time we reached the front parking lot, had to unload because the trailer had a flat tire.

before the flat tire

It was like watching a professional pit crew as Jimmy and Wes took the tire off and rushed to Chaparral Tire to get it fixed. (A phone call alerted them to the situation and they remained open an extra 1/2 hour for us!) The tire was beyond repair so the good folks at Chaparral, intriqued by our adventure, sold us a used replacement for only $5. So, with four good tires, we loaded up onto the hay bales again and headed west on First Street to Evergreen Nursing Home. We had fun singing carols along the way and waving at people as they drove by.

singing at the nursing home

We went into the nursing home and talked with the people there and shared Christmas carols. We were horribly off tune, even with Julian's guitar, but our music was much appreciated. We made additional stops at the San Luis Care Center and the SLVRMC Hospital. We found ourselves in the OB wing at the hospital and saw a newborn baby held by it's mother as we croaned "Silent Night". It was surreal.


Jamie on a hay bale

Jamie had a great time! He fell asleep on the way to Evergreen but after that, he was trying to sing the carols with us. He got really good at "Jingle Bells" before the night was over. We came back to the church and Sid & Wilma Faye had prepared a chili dinner for us that was yummy! It was fun to focus on singing the carols and to spend time with others who are less fortunate during the holiday season. After dinner, we went to the Cooper's house and to Helen's house (two of the elderly members of our congregation) and shared our off tune carols with them as well.

dear Santa

Santa was at the craft fair in Alamosa last weekend and since we're still trying to figure out what "weeder wam" means, we thought that Jamie might need to remind Santa about what he wanted. We explained that Santa talks to a lot of kids and sometimes it's a good idea to remind him so that he keeps everything straight on his busy night. Jamie thought about it and then agreed. Either that or he just wanted the candy cane. So, we still didn't understand what he asked Santa for, but we're narrowing it down. I actually found a DVD titled "Larry Boy and the Rumor Weed" which I'm hoping is the right thing because I've already ordered it from Barnes & Noble.