Breckenridge Getaway!

A family at my school gave me a 2 day getaway to their cabin in Breckenridge as an end of the year gift. How could I say no?

We just got back from 2 beautiful days on the Blue River just south of Breckenridge, fishing, hiking, ghost town exploring and relaxing in the cabin.

This is the wreckage of a dredge in French Gulch, near the ghost town of Lincoln, CO, west of Breckenridge.

Anna's first catch!

Last weekend, the kids and I went fishing with friends up to Manitou Lake, north of Woodland Park. This was part of a prize I had donated to the Broadmoor Parners in Education Auction, where I agreed to take two people fishing with my family. One of my colleagues, Carolyn Shaw, bought the trip with her husband in mind, but then ended up coming along, too.

We had a great time, but Anna had the best of all. She caught her first fish.

In fact, by the end of our two hours there, we had caught over 8 fish! I even caught one on my first cast that morning!

Rocky Mountain National Park

So, what do you do after you've closed a school? Packed 50+ boxes and cleaned out a room you feel like you've lived in for at least the past decade?

Well, we decided we'd take a short vacation. Since M-I-L Becky was here for Anna's graduation, and since it was Cousin Joe's birthday, and since we all needed a break and a distraction from the long simmering grief of the school closing...we headed to the mountains! We rented a cabin at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park and visited RMNP!

Inside the cabin, of course, Lori was to be found in the kitchen....when not hiking, taking pictures of the elk or walking the dog.

Along Fall River Road, cousins Jen & Joe, Anna, David, Wes and G-Ma Becky, and again on top of Trail Ridge Road, May 24, 2009, which had just opened for the season.

Inspirational Family Heritage

One of the other things we had the pleasure of doing while we were in Virginia was meeting with Lori's great-uncle Dois Rosser for lunch at ICM, a ministry he started after he "retired". What an inspiration! He also co-authored an inspirational testimonial book entitled The God Who Died on The Cross.
Grandpa Stan Trimble, Dois Rosser, me, Lori, Wes, Anna & Janice Allen ( Dois' daughter) at ICM, March 2009 , Hampton, Virginia

Spring Break 2009

Well, we did it again. We had time off from school, so we took the kids...where else...to visit relatives and some place historic and educational!

We made plans back in January to fly to Virginia to see Lori's grandparents, whom we last saw at a Rosser family reunion in 2007. On the way there, we had a layover in Dallas just long enough to grab lunch with our good friends and old neighbors, the Morgans.

After arriving in Hampton later that night, we went to visit Lori's grandmother who is recuperating from pneumonia and getting physical therapy at a local care facility. She had a bad fall last September, and hasn't been walking without help since. They are hoping to get her back on her feet by Easter. We spent several days with her, and stayed with Lori's Grandpa, Stan, helping him with a few projects around the house.

While in Virginia, we also found time to visit our good friends the Jones', who live near D.C. So we spent one day actually in D.C. at the Smithsonian's American History Museum. On the way there, we stopped and spent a few hours with with some of Lori's cousins in Fredricksburg.

All in all, we had a terrific week packed with family time, and made some good memories.

Christmas Passed...so quickly

Christmas 2008 came and went so fast around here. Although we had two weeks off, and a visit from G-Ma Becky, it just didn't seem long enough. Below are some of the sights of Christmas day and the day after, when Becky arrived and we did the present opening all over again! Lori opening her new laundry room "wet mitten" sign.

Dad models his new faux suede jacket by the fire

Jen & Joe opening gifts, below

Wesley shows G-Ma Beck one of his inventions, a reading board and light he made for her, above.

Cousin Deb models wrapping ribbons, which can serve as hair ribbons, too! Who knew?

Wesley's Lego Creations, which he proudly built without help this year.