Our 100th post...On a Cold Winter's Night

Okay, well, it's not officially winter yet, but it is cold. About 0 out right now, and we have seen temperatures, with wind chill, down to -20 below zero in the last couple nights. Bhrrrr! It is not unusual to have a few days or even a week like that each winter, but it seems to have come early this year. The good news is the days get sunny and beautiful, like the ones pictured here.

So, when it is cold like that, we just build a fire and drink lots of hot chocolate!

Global warming?

Not here! It began snowing Sunday, with a high of 20 degrees. Since then, it hasn't been out of the teens, and tonight it is supposed to be below zero! We have had over 10 inches of snow, and had school canceled today because of it. We have also had several deer and a fox go by several times today. This arctic blast is an unusual event, even in Colorado Springs. We may ahve a week like this each year, if at all. It rarely gets this cold, or stays cold or snowy more than a couple days here. But for now, it is definitely looking like a White Christmas!

Christmas is Coming Weekend

Cousins at the Parade. Lori gets Wesley bundled up for his float ride on a very cold night - it was 32 degrees at start time, but at least no snow this year! The snow started the next day....

This past weekend, we rehearsed for Fellowship of the Rockies Live Nativity performance, and then were in two performances on Sunday morning, as the snow fell outside. Even cousin Lienna, who spent the weekend with us joined in the fun!

In between time, on Saturday night, we went to the annual Parade of Lights, where Wes rode on the Cub scout Pack's float, called "A Child's Wish". The scout pack had also been collecting gifts for kids who are at Memorial Hospital this Christmas.

Thanksgiving '09

Another Thanksgiving has come, and gone. Once again this year, I am so thankful we have family nearby to share in special days like these. And this year, we added a couple new faces to the mix, thanks to the Hoffmanns ( and God, of course!) The day was spent in eating, playing Wii, eating, talking, more eating, walking the dog, playing games, eating pie, puzzles, and finally more eating.

Bye, Bye, Birdie

Wesley has been taking a drama class as part of "Super Saturdays", a 6 week enrichment program for gifted kids hosted at UCCS each fall. Today we got to go watch his performance as Albert in a scene from "Bye, Bye, Birdie".

By the way, it is hard to believe he is about to enter "double digits" in just a couple days! Our "little boy" is not so little any more!

Time for a Hike

So, what are Saturday's for? Chores? Housework? Family time? Relaxing? All of the above?

We decided to take a nice 90 minute hike up Captain Jack's Trail from Gold Camp road this afternoon, taking advantage of the sunny, warm fall day. We have had temperatures in the 60's and 70's this week, 10-20 degrees above normal for this time of year. We know the snow will come soon enough, and the chores will be waiting for us when we get home, but we decided today was a good day to get out as a family and get some exercise. (By the way, for our friends in California, the trailhead for this is just a ten minute drive from our house! ) We are blessed to be so close to outdoor getaways like this. Photo by Anna.

A Horse and Her Girl

Anna starts many of her Saturdays riding in the morning, either with a lesson or a "practice ride", as she did today. Of course, the horse (Desert Diamond or "DD" for short) is borrowed, not hers. But she sure treats him like her own, and he listens to her, most of the time, anyway.

Big fire 5 blocks up from us

Last night shortly after dinner, after watching our dog being agitated and 5 minutes of continuous sirens and firetrucks going past, I went outside to the street and looked up the hill. The site was quite frightening for one who lives in the foothills. (Thankful we live in the "lower foothills, and it wasn't windy!) My view wasn't quite as clear as this picture from the Gazette, but I could tell that there was some serious trouble. Turns out a big house being built in a gated community no more than 1/2 mile from us burned down, and threatened to take the whole Stratton Forest/Skyway Heights neighborhood with it.

They evacuated 24 homes right away, and put several more on notice up the hill from us, and around this house. They set up our local high school as the command center, and used Gold Camp Elementary, just a couple blocks away from us, as their evacuation center until people were alowed back home about midnight.

Thankfully, everyone was fine. Less than an acre was lost, and the one 10,000 sq. ft. home, which was under construction, and nearly finished.

Two of the top photos are curteousy of our local new channels KKTV and the Gazette.

Those who go before us....

During a week of illness with the swine flu last month, I "resurrected" my genealogy hobby. About that same time, I recieved an envelope from a distant cousin with dozens of photographs of our ancestors. Some were too good not to share...so here are a few...I may post more later.

This first one is Bessie Cagle, by her baby's grave. She was my great grandmother's sister. My great grandmother, by the way, died of the swine flu October 30, 1918! Unfortunately, I have no pictures of her.



The second photo is of Cyrus Worth Neff, my great-great grandfather. Anna decide it was kind of creepy, and wrote a Halloween story about it. My understanding from my distant Neff cousin was that family lore paints him as a "jack of all trades", but also not a very grandfatherly type man.









The three little girls are my great aunt Opal, my grandmother Mildred Geneva Neff (the baby, born Oct 7, 1915) and my great aunt Helen. They were the granddaughters of the man above. This was taken in Arkansas in 1915, according to the back.




They are all gone now, although my grandmother and her sister Opal both made it to 2002.

Halloween Costumes

This year Anna went as "Happy Holidays", with a symbol representing each major holiday somewhere on her. And Wesley went as a Star Wars bounty hunter. He also had his friend Baxter along, which thrilled his sister immensely ( not!)