Spring Travels

Lyn and I have had quite the exciting places to travel this spring!  The 2nd weekend in April we were in the Lake Tahoe area for a Strategic Renewal Advisory Board Meeting.  Lyn meets with this board once a year.  Lake Tahoe is a beautiful area.  They were lacking in snow this year and most of the ski resorts were closing.  There are over 20 around this lake.  It was beautiful and the weather was great.  We had 2 afternoons that we were able to explore and do some hiking.

Our first time driving in California

Lake Tahoe is half in California and half in Nevada.  It is over 70 miles around it.  The price of land is outlandish and there were many nice homes.  The one afternoon we drove around the lake.  On the south side, we found a hike and then we made our own trail on up an old glacier bed.

This was our view out the one way....

.....and this was out the other way.

We stayed on the northeast side of Lake Tahoe in the tall green bldg. (Hyatt)

Then.....the 3rd week in May we flew to Denver and spent 5 days in Colorado Springs being counseled (we learned a lot!) with Caring for the Heart Ministries.  We arrived 1 day early and were able to spend it at Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park.  

Our trail was still mostly snowed packed.  This was in the Bear Lake area.

We decided to turn around at this lake....it was windy and COLD!  The trail continued on up.

The road thru the park wasn't opened yet.  This was at the turn around spot.

The elk were down in the town of Estes Park feeding.

We were so thankful to have this nice day.  That night, rain moved in and stayed all week.  The clouds hung low and we couldn't even see the mountains.....all week!  They supposedly have over 300 days of sunshine in a year.  We were glad we weren't there on vacation.  It would have been sooooo disappointing.  Finally, on the last day the sun came out, we were able to see the mountains, and we had an afternoon to visit the Garden of the Gods.

Balanced Rock

At the top you can see the "kissing camels"

The clouds moved away and gave us a glimpse of Pike's Peak.  We realized Friday that we could have seen Pike's Peak from our motel had it been clear.  We couldn't even see the foothills!

Pike's Peak (the faint snow cap in the distance)

It was a really good week for us personally!  It was a crazy time of year to be gone though.  Spring is always so busy here at home.  The garden was mostly planted and the mulching done before we left.  The strawberries were just starting when we got back so I guess it was good timing.

Birthday Time

It's hard to believe that 20 years ago we had our first newborn baby.  We have enjoyed having Darryn here at home the past two years while he has been going to college and working in the deli at the store.  The "cake" is brownie squares and oreos.....his two favorites....with a few M&Ms sprinkled around for color.

At 15, Dwight is now as tall as his brother.  We are thinking he might pass him up.  They have always been pretty good sports about having to share the same birthday!

DQ Reese's ice cream cake.....yummm!

And a week later Ericka turned 18!  It's hard to believe I have another one almost through high school.  We have enjoyed seeing her come out of her shell and become a fine young lady.

And the day after Ericka's birthday, we had a new birth....a heifer calf.  It doesn't look like the other cow got bred.  Guess where she will be heading to soon?  Yup, T-bone soup.

Science Fair

We always do some groaning when it's science fair time.  This year Devan & Renae managed to pick ideas that were fun for them and they ended up getting awards in their grade level.

Devan got first in his test of what melts ice the best/fastest.  He put table salt, rock salt, sugar, sand and nothing on three ice cubes.  Each substance had its own bowl.  He kept these bowls in the frig for an hour and then measured the amount of water melted.  After that he let them all finish melting at room temp and measured the remaining water.  That way he was able to find the total amount of water in the cubes (ice cubes are not the same size) and figure a percentage that was melted in the first step.  His hypothesis was right....rock salt won.

Renae got second place in her cookie project.  She made 4 different batches of chocolate chip cookies and changed the type of sugar she used. She used white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and splenda.  She then measured the height and diameter of twelve cookies from each batch to get an average.  She was surprised to see how changing only the sugar made such a difference in size and texture.

Dwight did a project with a friend on whether gender makes a difference in what you see in an optical illusion.  They found that gender does not make a difference but that most people see what is darker ink.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of Dwight's board.

Random Pics from Winter 2015

I love snowmen in my yard and I am so happy that we still have kids that enjoy making them!  

The morning after a night of freezing rain

Thankfully it didn't get windy and melted off by the next noon.  Sure was pretty!

March snow

Taken through my window

Basketball Season

Ericka has really learned to enjoy playing basketball.  This was her last year and I think she was kinda sad to see the season end.   She played point guard. 

Another Teenager!

For about 7 weeks (until Darryn turns 20) we will have 4 teenagers in the house.  Renae is turning into a young lady!

13 years old

Devan painted a picture for Renae

Meet Dexter

Well, we are way over due for another post.  We have a new addition to the family....Dexter.

We have had him since mid December....an early Christmas gift for Renae.  A family from church had these puppies and she just thought they were irresistible.  That's "all I want for Christmas" was all we heard and Mom & Dad finally caved.  What we do for our kids!  I am still not real sure about this whole house dog thing but I think we are getting somewhat used to it.  The biggest inconvenience will be when we want to be gone.

First bath

The mommy dog is a shitzu/cocker spaniel mix, and has long hair & floppy ears.  The dad is some kind of terrier.  We are thinking probably a rat terrier.  Three of the four puppies have short hair.  We are hoping he won't get too big.  He has grown since we got him.....this is a current picture.

3 months old

The plan was to keep him in the kitchen.....that lasted about 1/2 day.  He was just too "adorable" and "cuddly."  We did invest in a crate for him to be in at night and when we are gone (or tired of watching him) and that has been so nice.  Charlie, who sleeps on the rug inside the deck door and who doesn't move from there all night, was very jealous at first and let us know in a not so pleasant way by leaving deposits of poop scattered around on my living room carpet 2 nights in a row!!  The 3rd night he slept outside and the 4th night we put chairs up to keep him in the kitchen.  Since then it hasn't been an issue and Charlie is learning to put up with the little squirt and they play wrestle together.

And on another note, Devan turned 11.  Where, oh where is the time going?  In a mere 5 years my "baby" will be 16!

11 years old