The itty bitty penguin that she asked for. I could have saved some money and bought nothing bigger than a grapefruit and she would have been thrilled. She did love the pony her aunt lulu got her from build a bear, but she mostly played with the miniatures.

Christmas

Me... on Christmas Eve.

The busiest time of the year

Rachel and kids just before heading back home, along with Jake and

Sam and me.

Sam's first trip to a 'real' park to play.

There is something about putting sand on slides that escapes those of us who are well into the double digit ages.....

Victor and Lucas making plans....

If they aren's the bosses they should be, just ask them!

Jake, getting a different perspective.

Beginning before Logan's wedding, everything began a fast spiral toward Christmas and the beginning of 2010.

We caught a streak of good weather and Rachel and her two children, Samantha and Lucas, came down for a long weekend in early November. Since Thanksgiving promised to be zoo-y for everyone, we fixed the turkey and all the trimmings that weekend, then took the kids out to Oasis State Park to run off the effects of eating so much.

Wild shreiks and giggles, razor scooters zipping along all the sidewalks in the neighborhood--the kids had a great time, and those of us watching did as well! Irene and her boys lived in the camper so they didn't have to go home early, and Casey's stayed in the living room, it was a total "gladhouse" instead of madhouse!

Two days later I drove to Jill's house to help her dot the Is and get Logan married. Jany came the next day, and we all had a grand time. Sometimes we were completely weirded out, and sometimes just laughing because we could. It was a stress free wedding I think! Jill's blog has those pictures.

While I was in Texas, a good friend of mine from wa-a-ay back was being buried in Portales, and then a call from Don while I was still down there, informed me that we would be driving to Denver when I got back to attend another funeral. Such a shame that it takes a "dyin'" for old friends to get together and have a good time in spite of the grim circumstances, but we really enjoyed seeing our old neighbors again!

Personal Nine Eleven Memorial

Jason Douglas Crume

I just can't believe it has been a year since this guy raced out of here. Once again he has gone on ahead to make sure things are just right for the rest of us when we get there. There is nothing except time that will make the edge go off the pain, and he would scoff at me for remembering this day with such single-mindedness, but then that's just the way it is....God only knows how we miss you, Jace!

Summer's end at Happy's house

Leaving the schoolhouse!

Vic and Joe raced down the walk and leaped at me, but it wasn't an education shorting out, we were leaving our Lebanon Schoolhouse Bed and Breakfast for the day. I just loved the energy in the shot!

We had a great albeit short vacation with the family in Colorado. Kevin, Karen and their kids were there for a day before leaving for Wisconsin, and the boys really enjoyed each other, as did we all. Vic and Kellen found a great many shards of pottery from the Ansazi, and some geological anomalies called 'devil's toenails'.

School has begun now, and all the little boys have settled into the routines they will adhere to for the next nine months. Grandad and I are doing the same, as Casey fixes her eyes on finishing school and Sammy fixes his eyes on getting whatever it is that he finds interesting!

My Sammy

This little sweetie loves to swing in the shade of the Japanese Locust tree. When there is a light breeze and his people hanging around with him, sometimes he accidentally takes a power nap. This makes a great summer for Grandad and me!

Commenting on Utah

There is nothing to describe Canyonlands except "awesome". It is another reminder that we are so small compared to the rest of God's creation! Somewhere below us here, and off to the right, I think, was the confluence of the Green River and the Colorado River. I would like to go back and float a little bit of the Colorado, but nothing like a real trek, just a in and out on the same day thingy!
I think we are going to go back next week, my aunt Happy makes a good excuse if we needed one....but that part of the world is really home to me, I guess you are patterned by your very early environment whether you know it or not, but I know it!

After our "camper from Whitney" was repaired, Don and I headed for Cortez, it seems all roads lead to Cortez. If all roads don't lead over Wolfcreek Pass, maybe they should. This is the prettiest view I can think of, and I have seen "both oceans and a couple of county fairs" according to Dad.
Some young man who looked like a 25 year old Johnny Depp offered to take our picture overlooking this, and we appreciated that. The ride on to Cortez had rain, clouds, sunstreaks, the usual gorgeous stuff.

Dunes "buggy"

After trying to get to the Great Sand Dunes NP in the motorhome "from Whitney" we spent three and a half days there in a tent with the bigger grandsons, and sent Casey back to a motel by the gate with Sammy, who didn't fully appreciate tents and inflatable beds by this time. The older four and their parents were happy to grind around in the sand, and even battling mosquitoes was more fun when everyone was involved.
The spare kid in the orange shirt is J.T., who was from Longmont, and thrilled to find Jake and Luke to play with! Behind him in the black shirt is Samantha, then on the front row is Eliott, Sam, Luke and Jake. Casey, Ryan, and Rachel finish off this crowd.

Eventually Don and I made it on to Cortez over both La Veta and Wolfcreek Pass, but that is for later, not this afternoon.

Kimme

Saturday, I had all to myself. Paul, Bo and Brooke went to Wortham to the big motocross race. So painted. This little cutie was found on an old high school friends facebook page. It is her grand daughter Kimme. Isn't she a doll. She was hanging on the white pipe rail of a rodeo arena. I might just have to try her grand son next.

Road Tripping on Memorial Day

Jany emailed that they were ready for a road trip to Cortez, and were we interested--the answer is always "Yes!" from my corner, after all, we had been home from Waco for three or four days....Saturday morning we took off at first light, swinging through McDonalds for coffee and burritos as we left town.  We stopped at the newer Goodwill as we went through Albuquerque.  It is always time for a walk around break at Albuquerque.  Jany found some really pretty red plates, no point in listing all the treasures, some might not understand the quirky minds at work here.

We got to Cortez and visited till bedtime, then got up Sunday morning and all seven of us loaded into the suburban and rolled west.

We went through McElmo canyon, on to Bluff, Utah, then Goulding's Trading Post at the end of Monument Valley, where we had Navajo tacos for lunch, stared out over the desert where John Ford and John Wayne created so many memorable movies.  

As we made our way further, we shared the highway with people who were photographing themselves running the last few yards of Forrest Gump's run.  We thought our stop at the Goosenecks of the San Juan would be the end of the trip, but wending our way up a skinny little road out of the canyon was awesome!  Eventually we made it to Blanding and Monticello and back to the house, celebrating what an awesome day it had been.  This place demands a return visit!

Coming home on Monday, we began with the Four Corners Monument, drove out to Fort Wingate when we got to I-40.  This is all Tony Hillerman country and the bunkers were mentioned in one of his books.  In Albuquerque we once again prowled till 3 before we started home.  Bill knows where all the crannies are if we decide to look in them!

So until next time...........hasta la vista!

Southeastern New Mexico

Don and I took a trip through the ranch country of SE New Mexico Sunday. Saw a whole lot of country in a piece of country you can see a whole lot of country from anywhere you are standing.

my new mats and frames.

Family History

I found this old black and white photo of my sister and grandmother on a CD my sister sent the other day. All of my grand parents died before I was 2, so I have no memories of them other than stories told about them. But I can appreciate the warm fuzzies that this photo might hold for my sister. I don't know if having a old couch out in the yard was in vogue back then, but I suspect, I just come from a long line of . . . . . . let's say outdoorsy folks.

Emerging Wunderkind

When we began painting, Jany and I wobbled along to where we thought we were OK, and compared to a lot of watercolorists out there, we are above average, but when Our baby sister hit the medium, she just went from zero to 60 in about four paintings. Maybe she will post here the works as she goes, but if not, she is worth tracking!!!

Goat Challenge

How about instead of all painting the same photo... we could broaden it to say.... everyone paint a goat picture...? Anyone?

Family Portrait

Just another bonus shot. A family portrait. Another lost treasure Judy found will digging through boxes of slides.

Sisters in Hats

Impromptu

In spite of having birthday parties to attend, we suddenly became ground zero for another sleepover for the boys. Hamburgers and rootbeer and Wii games--now they are bedded down watching "Big Fat Liar" and giggling.....

Grandparenting is not a job for the faint of heart!

Morning over the Knife Edge--02 degrees F

Sleepover at Grandad's

The grandsons decided they all should get together here just before Christmas....it was giggly chaos!

January stuff!

On Christmas afternoon, Jany and Bill and Don and I went to Cortez and visited with Happy for a day. En route we stopped and visited a landmark I had not seen in all these years, we went to the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa. It is a remarkable sight. Probably 40 feet across it, and eighty feet deep. I guess it is great for divers who want their certification, beyond that, it barely qualifies as an oddity.
By the time we reached Rio Rancho, pit stops were badly needed, and open stores were in short supply! We found a Circle K, and as I bailed out of the Toyota, my purse handle snagged my right foot and I hit the cement with 170# at full throttle. I was not so damaged I couldn't walk, and the amazing thing is that I did not wet my jeans. It retrospect, I can't see how not, but I didn't.
We had a wonderful visit, drove out and prowled around Battlerock, went by the old homeplace--then drove home on Sunday, because Bill had to be at work Monday.

We always make it a point to have a quiet New Year's Eve, and this was no exception. Soon the year got in gear, and we were up to here in grandsons and their activities.

Since this was not addressed since Thanksgiving, Samuel Aiden Bertrand put in his appearance on December 2, about fifteen minutes after his mom and Stephen got to the hospital! He is by now fat and sassy and will smile at you like you were the focal point of his world. That makes millions of points with grandparents, believe me! His Mommy is going back to college next week and he will be hanging around here with us even more, alas!
Jacob took a vacation this week and stayed here with us. He brought his Wii, and played with Grandad some, and then spent a great deal of his time playing it alone. He also painted a couple of little wooden toys, and kept up his school work, and en general enjoyed feeling like an "only child" for a few days. The tooth fairy's sister (he determined) left him five bucks. That is a far cry from the quarters we got as kids, but he said a classmate told him she was paying Albuquerque kids twenty bucks a tooth........whew.
As we go into the weekend, it looks like we are going to have to have a new sewer tap put on the alley, and that is a pain...the jury is still out, but I need to unload the washing machine and take it to a laundry!