Blessed

No pictures today.  I have many I could share.  I have not mastered the picture thing yet.  I just want to say that I know that I have been blessed.  I have been given so much.  I love my wife.  She is a blessing.   I love my children and their children.  I have been blessed.  I love the joy of my family.  Thank You God.  Martina McBride sings a song about being blessed.  I have.

       The other night I was pondering places my Dad had set while attending church.  When I was much younger Dad and Mom set on the third pew back from the front.  Then in later years when each step brought a high degree of pain he ended up sitting on the second pew from the back of the church.  But he was always there.  At the time he began to sit in the back it was hard for me to understand why he wanted to sit in the back.  I did not realize how much pain each step gave him and just saving twenty feet of distance helped.  Each inch shorter meant that much less pain.  But he went and I took him. 
       I miss my Dad today.  I miss him every day.  Every day I say to myself, "Dad?" or "Daaaaad......"  I think about what he did for me.  I think about what he sacrificed for me.  I think about what he gave up for me.  I think about his smiles.  I think about the fun we had together working together, side by side, every day for over thirty years.  I think about the close friend that he was to me each and every day.  I think about that he was my Dad. 
       I am o.k. I just miss my Dad.

Hi Dad:
     Looks like the wheat is about ready to cut.

Beauty

I want to share a little of the beauty of our visit to Colorado.  We arrived at a very good time.  There was still much color in the land where we visiting.  Here are just a few of the views.

Click on these pictures and open them up.  I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think Colorado is beautiful.

 

Now, as I said, beauty is in the beholder's eye.  Here are something else that is beautiful.  Our trip was made even more than it could have ever been because of these three little girls. 

 

Three sisters and three little individuals.  Three beautiful little girls.

And this is beauty too.  The beauty of two who love each other.  The beauty of the family they are raising.

Oh how blessed we were to be with them.  Thanks again for the time.
And there is one more beauty to mention from our trip together. That is my wife.  Sharlene is a beauty of a Grandmother (I know I am supposed to say Gram).  Tea parties - special times - She is part of it.  A beauty to me and her family.

There was beauty all around when we went to Colorado.  I have been so blessed.

A few weeks ago we were blessed to be asked to go on an extended weekend trip with Jordan, Jacqueline and the girls to Colorado.  It took a little convincing, but not too much, and we were making plans to head West to that beautiful land called Colorado.

We were with some pretty serious travelers.  They each had their own suitcase and were excited to be on the road.  We met in Elm Creek and spent the first night in North Platte, Nebraska.  The next morning after our breakfast we were on I-80, then I-76 into Colorado. 

Many years ago going to Colorado was a special time for my family.  Dad had aunts and uncles in Denver, Colorado Springs and Ft. Collins that we would visit.  My brother John attended the Air Force Academy.  I spent part of one summer in Denver working.  My Mom had a sister, Mary, that lived in Denver.  Dad had a friend that let us stay in a cabin just down the road from Estes Park.  I have a friends Steve and Bev  Sprague that live in Denver.  I love the majesty of the mountains, the smell of the pines and the sound of the clear, crisp water flowing down those mountain streams.

Traveling across Eastern Colorado (like we used to do when traveling with my Dad) we wondered who would see the first deer or antelope on those plains.  Then we wondered who would be first to see the mountains.  An antelope was spotted first and later we could see the mountains when we were around Ft. Morgan.

 

We stopped for lunch at Casa Bonita in Denver.  What a cool place!  The food was great and what an adventure to be there.  Then it was back on the road to Breckenridge. 

 

 

It had been quite some time since I had been to the mountains.  Our travel up the hills got more and more beautiful with every mile. 

 

 

 





After we got settled in the house where we were staying, Sharlene looked out the window and a mother Moose and her calf were eating a bush in our front yard.  Jordan moved in for "close up" pictures, but I stayed in the house.

 

I know it is amazing, but we also saw a two humped camel while we were staying in Breckenridge.  Now, hump number 2 is just a little too short to be seen, but it is under there.

 

One of the favorite spots was the hot tub.  Everyone - everyone - even me - enjoyed the hot tub.

Jordan took us to the continental divide at Hoosier Pass.  An exciting and beautiful drive.

We took walks, spent time shopping in "Breck" and just had time together. 
I have so many pictures of the beautiful scenery - and it is so beautiful. But the best part of the trip was our time together.  The three little creatures of their own beauty.  Their Dad and Mom.  And my wife.  We had a wonderful, wonderful time.  I hope to write a little more in another blog, but if I don't get to. -  Just thank you very much Jacqueline and Jordan and Chloe, Kaleah and Selah.  Thanks for taking us along.

 



We turned our journey back to the East as we headed home.  The mountains were behind us.  A weekend of memories made. It was flat land ahead as we headed East.  Thank you for a time that will be treasured.