I can hardly believe that next week at this time Matt and I will be in Las Vegas, Nevada!!! We are driving all the way, something like one gazillion miles. Over the river and through the woods all the way to the Mirage Hotel. Matt has to attend a VM World convention Tues. and Wed. ( I get "ME" time, what's that mean again?) On Mon. we are planning on a trip to the Grand Canyon, I've only seen pictures of the Grand Canyon and every time I've ever seen a picture I say the same thing, "I can't even imagine what this place must look like in real life." Now I'm about to see it with my eyes "in real life" You can be sure I will be breathless, I might even cry.
The middle of the week I plan on working the slot machines and winning $1,000,000!! ( I typed that with my sarcastic finger.) Seriously, research Las Vegas online. I've packed some trail mix, extra blankets, my flashlight
and have a few bottles of water but as far as wearing "sensible shoes", well, you know me.
Anyway, I can't believe I will have free time all to myself, maybe I'll just stay in the bathtub the whole time, you know it's been a while since I've soaked and I might not get another chance before our next trip to Vegas:)
On Thursday we leave Vegas early and drive to South Fork COLORADO!!!! OMGosh!!! The only thing to get me back home from Colorado will be.... my babies, ...my family,... my furry babies,... my home,.... my church,... my friends,..... well okay, I'll be coming home, but if I could move all of this with me let's just say I'd move to Colorado. We are staying at Apple Dumpling Inn, a beautiful B&B in South Fork, big and victorian in a valley atop a mountain in the San Juan mountain range, I think it's somewhere around 14,000 feet above sea level!!! Wow... that brings us to Friday, the day we get to ride a steam locomotive from Durango, CO to Silverton, Co. There is a two hour layover in Silverton, this sweet, western, historical town in the mountains, time to eat and shop and explore. On the way to Silverton we will be riding in a parlor car on the way back to Durango we will be in the Silver Vista car, this car is open air with nothing but the mountains to surround us. To say I can hardly wait for this expedition is like the under statement of the year.
So, while you won't find me in the casinos or nightclubs, I probably won't have time to see any man-eating,tiger shows, don't even look for me in ski's or atop a snowboard, I won't be skydiving, extreme cliff jumping or even white water rafting (although the last one I could probably be talked into, shhh, don't tell Matt.)
I will be taking advantage of every mile between here and there to sing loudly to the ipod with the windows rolled down, talk, talk, talk, stop roadside for those perfect photos, enjoy as many Cinnamon Dolces as I can consume, talk some more, stop in small towns and hit antique shops and praise God from my grateful heart for this precious opportunity with my sweetheart.
You might find me walking "the strip", adventuring into as many stores as my "sensible shoes" will allow. Look for me at any outdoor cafe, if you can't find me there, check the hotel bathtub. (did I mention it's been awhile:) I might be at a spa, I might be at the edge of the canyon, crying (because of God's beauty and magnificence, not because I miss the boys, although I won't pretend this won't happen:) Look for me on the front porch of the B&B breathing in fresh mountain air or riding on a train in the middle of nowhere.
I'll admit I might be difficult to find so maybe you should just wait it out. We will be back home in one weeks time. Yep, you heard me we are cramin' all of this into about eight days. Once I'm back, you know where to spot me. H-O-M-E. One small and humble place but my very favorite. No matter where in the world I will go , I will always look forward to coming home.
Blog ya soon.
Determined, Joyful, Silly, Curious, Strong-Willed, Kissable, Adorable, Playful, Independent, Dapper, Energetic, Alert, Enchanting.....
From left; Cowgirl Dakota, Cowboy A.J., Cowboy Ben, 50's Diner Waitress Ally, Knight in Shining Armor Elijah, and my little Lion Cub Sammy.
Samuel picking out the perfect pumpkins at Meert's in Festus.
I was looking at last year's Halloween pictures and started cracking up when I came to this one. They are looking at each other like -whatchu lookin' at? The expressions on their sweet baby faces are so funny. I love dressing the kids up at Halloween and seeing what my cute little nieces and nephew are going to be. I can't believe how big my baby got in one year!!! I know I say that all the time but when I look at pictures that seem like I took a couple of weeks ago, I'm like, MAN!!
Here's my boy having a successful day at the playground. This one has so much energy even his hair can't contain it.
Went to Eckert's orchard today, the first day of fall, although it was feeling a bit more like summer. The boys picked three bags full of apples, so they will be coming out of our ears over the next few weeks. I always like taking the kids apple picking, it has become a tradition at the start of fall. I don't think we have missed one year since B has been born. Warm sunshine on your back, little boys all around you trying to find the biggest apples, my hubby's hand in mine, (when he was through picking his own apples, of course, and have no doubt he found the biggest ones. Big apples for a big kid.) While life on the road with Matt was an unforgettable trip, it is so good to be back home taking care of my three little people and picking apples.
I can hardly believe that next week at this time Matt and I will be in Las Vegas, Nevada!!! We are driving all the way, something like one gazillion miles. Over the river and through the woods all the way to the Mirage Hotel. Matt has to attend a VM World convention Tues. and Wed. ( I get "ME" time, what's that mean again?) On Mon. we are planning on a trip to the Grand Canyon, I've only seen pictures of the Grand Canyon and every time I've ever seen a picture I say the same thing, "I can't even imagine what this place must look like in real life." Now I'm about to see it with my eyes "in real life" You can be sure I will be breathless, I might even cry.
Okay,I must confess I am just a tad bit jealous that my dear hubby was able to go up in a small cessna with our good friend Derek Kalista!! Derek finished flight training and now he's a "real" pilot, way to go Derek!!! Matt took some really awesome pictures during their flight and I could'nt help but ponder how small we must look to our almighty God. I know what your thinking, "Great, she's pondering again." But, for real, this time I was actually having mature grown-up ponders, well minus the singing cucumber and tomato, "My God is so big so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do.....woohoo......." 
So, whatd'ya think? Do our babies still look like little rodents that eat their own poo? This was one of the pictures I had out on Craig's list. The Kaufmann family took two of our kitties and gave them a sweet home. The other three were out on Craig's list for less than 24 hours. I posted the ad at about 6pm on Monday, at 8pm I had a lady and her 4 year old daughter picking out their favorite and by Tuesday at 6pm they were all in their new homes. I miss our little rats. Maybe we will manage to get Mab's fixed before she goes out and gets prego again. Maybe not. Anyway at least we will get a break from the boys building kitten habitats:) Oh, you don't know what a kitten habitat is? A kitten habitat consists of mounds and mounds of pillows and blankets (from all rooms in the entire house)piled as high as they can go with a small empty spot usually at the center but not necessarily, then you pile all of the kittens in there and they nest. Then a small but mighty force similar to a tropical storm comes along and puts his hand in one of the openings and goes awwwwwww.key.awwwwww.key. This usually marks the beginning of the end of the kitten habitat. Until tomorrow. UHHHH.
Happy Birthday Benjamin!!!!! To my beautiful eight year old boy, who has surpassed all of my expectations on what it would be like to be your mom. You are everything I imagined you to be and more. I still remember the very first time I held you and cried,"My baby, my baby," you were a dream come to life. Everyday that I get to be your mom is a blessing and I am so glad the Lord put you in our family. In eight years from now you will be sixteen and I won't even post how old that makes me!!!! Slow down babe, let me hold onto you a little bit longer. I love you more than you could ever know and I am so proud of who you are and who I get to watch you become. Love, Mom
A plastic tiger,a grape jolly rancher wrapper,a Nerf dart,a red Flipping Frog, a G.I. Joe guy, a few water balloons,a battleship peg,a pencil, a couple of rocks,keys,a Lego helmet,a Chucke Cheese token and some other not as important coins, a tube of sunscreen for lips, a spinner to a happy meal toy, a big black bug, an outer space gun, some sort of hook thing that says "not for climbing" (oh, they don't know my boys),a Shiver Me Timbers braclet, a pretty swirl rock, a guitar pick and the one thing you might expect to see come out of the laundry pile....a dryer sheet. 
