Tuesday, April 28

Safe & Sound

After almost a 10 hour day (many pit stops), and 500+ miles, the kids & I are back.

I managed to throw together a strange supper of fish sticks, raman soup, frozen veggies, and Kool-Aid (sounds like something a college student would live on). I'm allowing the kids to stay up late to watch a 3 Stooges marathon, with the strict instructions that if they get up before I do in the morning I don't want to know they're up!

It's all very strange being where it's so GREEN now. We've jut spent the last 2 weeks in reds, browns, and variations of the two. Wisconsin seems to be in TECHNICOLOR!

Well, I feel the call of my pillow. My pillow, and 2 weeks of "LOST" episodes to get caught up on.

Monday, April 27

In Omaha...again!

The kids and I have just knocked down day #2 of our 3-day hustle to the northwoods.

Instead of a real post, I'll leave you to do the math while we go swim.

1 mom + 3 kids + 450 miles = arghhhhhhhhhh!

Saturday, April 18

Final Post of the Day

Well, I need to quick post these and then get back home.

This is the wonderful view off our back porch. I still can't believe it!



This is the out my kitchen window. This is looking Northeast towards Gunnison. We're a 16 mile drive from there.



And this was our view on Friday morning off the back porch. Today it's going to be 50 and mid week it's supposed to be 65. The snow won't last.

Friday was a fun day for Steve. He spent 6 hours plowing roads around the park, and then that afternoon he was on a park boat hauling in a breakwater (a dock-like structure to keep the waves from causing erosion near the landings), and then he got to drive a HUGE front-end loader about 10 miles down the highway. I think he's liking it.



Well, I need to scoot.

Miss you all.

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More Pictures!

Blogger was freaking out on my last post, so I quick posted it before I lost it.

The pictures resume...

This is another shot from Monarch Pass. Right before we stopped here, on the uphill climb, a dog walked around the "slow" lane for awhile while I honked at him to move. However, there was no where for him to go. The snow banks were ginormous! The next thing I knew a skier flew out of the treeline at did a quick stop on top of the snow bank & called for his dog. It was unreal!



We arrived on Easter Sunday, and being the basketcase that I was that weekend, I spaced out Easter baskets. My dad & stepmom came to the rescue though! Easter treats hidden in the camper. They loved it, can you tell?



The day after Easter we went for a walk around our park. This is on the shores of Blue Mesa.


I caught sight of a jet-trail shadow. It was amazing! Can you see the shadow on the mountain, and then the reflection on the water? Wow.



More to come....

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A Quick Picture Post

Well, Steve went exploring with the kids today, so I headed west an hour to the big town of Montrose. Did a mammoth grocery shopping at the superstore, and then quick found a place with wi-fi.

This is a nice treat after being with the kids in an apartment for most of the week. We did go exploring, but to have some alone time is wonderful.

Quick before I forget... Last night during bedtime prayers Mudge thanked God for Mommy. Now this is so sweet in itself, but then she went on to explain that it's because I protect her from being eaten by bears & crocodiles! She is such a hoot.

Speaking of Mudge, here she is dressed as Tinkerbell for her dance recital.



Both of our girls really take their dance classes very seriously. It will be something that we'll have to locate in Gunnison as soon as we get settled. Here is Sis with her dance troupe. The are doing a jazz number to a Jungle Book tune.



This next picture is what I saw for most of Nebraska, when I wasn't staring FOREVER out my windshield. How my kids can read & listen to tunes simultaneously is beyond me!



After the white-knuckle drive up Monarch Pass, we stopped at the summit so I could hug Steve, and my trusty (rusty) JEEP. Everyone should own a JEEP once in their life. They are awesome. Mine managed to haul my Volkswagon up that mountain, without skipping a beat.



Wednesday, April 15

Here! And Loving It!

First off, I apologize for the lack of posts. We have horrible internet here at the park, not to mention we've been busy-busy!

I just worked the last 1/2 hour on a great picture post, but then blogger ate it! So this will be a condensed version, with a pix post to follow once I can get to town & to the library to use their wi-fi.

Well, we made it to Gunnison on Easter Sunday; and after going over Monarch Pass, I was never so glad to get down off a mountain! Yikes! The plowed snow banks were up to my Jeep windows!

We're in the middle of a major/minor winter storm right now. It's major if you're from Wisconsin, minor if you're from Colorado : ) Monday we went exploring. It was in the upper 50's, we were in our short sleeves, and Sis got a little sunburn. Today it's snowpants & boots!

We'll be hunkering down to do schoolwork around the woodstove today. I'm really glad we collected firewood yesterday before this storm hit!

Steve started his new job. Tuesday was lots of paperwork, Wednesday was a guided tour of the canyons & around the lake, and I believe he actually did some real work yesterday : )

Our apartment is wonderful. The views are ridiculously beautiful, and I don't know what I ever did to deserve such a blessing. God is so awesome.

We went and looked at a piece of land last night. It's close to work, big enough to farm, has amazing views, year-round access, and a seasonal creek. And how does a yearly tax bill of way less than $100 sound Wisconsinites?!

Well, the kids are rousing from their beds. Need to get to our day.

Missing you all. Can't wait to share pictures with you. Have a great weekend!

Saturday, April 11

One Day Down-One To Go

Well, I'm posting from the pool room at a Best Western in Omaha, Nebraska.
The kids are enjoying some wiggle time, while Steve is out in the parking lot installing some fuel injection gasket of some sort.

I thank God all the time that he is a mechanic! Where would we be if he wasn't?! Well, on this trip we'd probably be sitting in a Ford dealership lobby, while our truck was being repaired for an ungodly amount of $.

Come to think of it... we wouldn't be making this trip if he wasn't a mechanic. It's because of his skills that we're moving to Gunnison anyway!

The trip so far has been great! If you don't count the truck injector issue, or the, um, flat tire on the camper, or almost causing a multi-car pile up on the 4-lane off-ramp (so as not to miss our ONLY exit for the hotel near the Ford dealership.

In all seriousness... the trip has been good. I'm terribly sick of travel food, and will be stopping at a market this morning for PB&J fixin's, apples & bananas. The only stops will be for leg stretches & potty breaks today.

We're shooting for Fort Morgan, CO, which is in the north-eastern corner of the state. Then its a short 6 hours from there to Gunnison. I cannot WAIT to see the Rocky Mountains. I could drive all day in them! Wait a minute... most of tomorrow will be mountain driving. I'm looking forward to it, but the gas mileage is sure going to take a dive : (

Speaking of mileage... my Jeep is getting excellent mileage pulling my little VW Scirocco. I'm getting a whopping 17 mpg! I don't get that normally. I suspect the Jeep is happy to be heading west!

God knows I am!

Tuesday, April 7

16 - 18 Hours & Counting

Well....

I have no idea how to describe the events of the last few weeks; but here we are now, counting down the hours until we head west.

Today I hired a total stranger to drive me & my pony to hubby's cousin's. Twister will board there until we can trailer him out west. This was a very interesting truck ride. She was on her cell phone 90% of the time, which was probably good. I had no idea what to say to her. I think it's safe to say she's led a pretty rough life. The tattoos all over her forearms kind of tipped me off...

Let's move on...

So, Twister arrived at Cousin Darrell's and once he was out of the trailer I do believe he'd thought he'd died & gone to horsey heaven. There in the pasture stood about 6 or 8 mares. He whinnied, he snorted, he pawed at the ground! He made a complete fool of himself, all while they stood there thinking, "well, he looks & sounds like a horse, but he sure is short!"

Then, after dark I very carefully carried 17 chickens from the coop and, wait for it....

Loaded them all into the back of my Jeep!

No cages, no boxes, just Jeep. Off we went to a dear friend who is going to "chicken sit" for us until we decide how in the world to move them. Bless her heart.

It was a very interesting ride too. They seemed to calm down when the radio was on, and were all lulled to sleep once we arrived.

I then carried 17 chickens, in the dark, to their new coop.

Tomorrow is the last full day I have to prepare the boxes that are going with us on our 1st trip west. Thankfully I only have to pack a "vacation" amount of clothes for me & the kids. Hubby's full dresser & closet got emptied out today. That was very weird, packing all of his clothes, & not mine.

So... now I sit. It is dark & quiet, and I am so very thankful for that leftover bottle of wine from our outing on Saturday night (thanks K8).

And for all of the naysayers that said Steve would never get everything cleaned out & cleaned up before he had to go....

how does 42 tons of scrap metal - GONE - sound to you? Dare I say it? It's almost spotless out there now! He did do it! Thanks to one wonderful cousin & one lifelong friend, whom shall remain nameless, lest they get big heads : )

My next post will likely come from Gunnison, and juuuust might contain a few pictures.