Spring Break 2011

This week was Spring Break for the kids... yay!  We've been busy... heading to the batting cages so Bear can learn how to hit a baseball, roller skating with Heather, Hunter & Chelsea (another cousin) & movies.  I think it's been a good break for them... but it'll be nice to get back to a regular schedule. lol 

Hey batter, batter!!

Holly - assuming the position... get ready!!

Chey's turn! Love the matching shorts girls! lol

Chey getting ready to smack Holly...

Smack! lol

Holly getting revenge! lol

We planted grass seed - & it's finally coming up - YAY!

These are my little seedlings I started  =)

My daffodils!

Spring is finally here!

It's finally Spring time out on the plains of Southern Colorado! As much as I like all of the seasons, Spring has got to be top on my list.  Since it's Colorado - I'm sure we'll still see some unexpected Spring blizzards... but that's fine by me!  Less watering for me to do... =)


I'm excited that I finally get to put in a garden this year!!  I'm hoping that since we live in the warmer "desert-like" area east of Pueblo that our garden will out-do itself... and contrary to planting "rule" (i.e. don't set your tomatoes out until after Memorial Day), I believe we get a head-start on gardening.


I'm planting watermelon, 5 different Heirloom tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, 2 types of peppers (hot & sweet), sugar snap peas, onion, carrots, lettuce and a new-to-me plant - Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry (not the reason we named the dog Molly lol).  I once read about ground cherries when I was a little girl & reading the Little House on the Prairie books.  Laura Ingalls recalled planting & harvesting these husk-covered little jewels and canning them.  They are not "husk tomatoes" (aka tomatillos)... they are instead a fruit-like berry that are super sweet & fall off the bush when ripe.  I hope to entice my mom to show me (once again) how to make jelly using these tasty little "cherries". Yum!

All of the plants I'm HOPING will grow are all going to start out as planted seedlings... I purchased my seeds from Seed Savers Exchange out of Iowa.  They are known for their Heirloom seeds and continue to pass down seeds harvested and saved from fruits, vegetables and flowers - some as early as the 1800's!! I can't wait to see how they turn out!


On another note... Shane is home at last for a few months! Yippee!!  He will be working out of Colorado Springs at the power plant there (Ray Nixon).  He's been home since the end of February - & while he's had a little time off, he's certainly been BUSY!  He has been working on enclosing our front porch to make a sun room... he put in beetle kill pine siding and an old wood stove he bought up in WY.  The other week he put the tile in where the stove would be.  He's very handy (mechanic, home builder, boilermaker, masonry, etc.) and creative so he laid in a tile elk head at one corner. I think he did a fabulous job!! =)

My garden seeds... Yum!

My daffodils that are coming up!

Tulips

This little bird's nest blew out of my in-laws' tree... sad, but very intricately woven!

Our wood stove

Shane's tile elk head

Beetle kill pine siding... very cool!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

For Valentine's Day 2011, my hubby decided to blow me away... lol  He drove all the way from WY late Friday night & arrived at 2am on Saturday.  We slept in, then ran errands in town... had a nice lunch date @ our favorite Chinese restaurant and decided to tool around town for the afternoon.  We decided to go look at the new KIA Optimas (sedan) at the dealership because we liked the look of them on the commercials.  We wanted to see if they were as cool in reality as on t.v. lol  We really loved our '07 Sportage that we got last May and wanted to see what other cars KIA was coming out with.  KIA has been around for years now, but just in the past few years have finally come out with some really nice cars.


We also checked out the newest KIA Sportages... just to see what changes had been made since 2007.  They are SO cool! They had about 20 of them sitting in the lot.  So Shane totally surprises me by agreeing to go in w/the sales person & see what it'll cost to drive home w/one of these new Sportages.  WHAT??!! After a lengthy negotiating process, the sales gal comes back & says her manager said "You win" and agreed to the terms SHANE wanted. lol I was in shock as I drove the truck home to bring back our cute little '07 Sportage because we were trading it in.  Shane stayed to finish up paperwork.  By the time I returned, he was done... the sales person handed me the keys... I expected Shane to drive it home (he always drives lol) but he got into the passenger side and said, "it's your car - YOU can drive it home... Happy Valentine's Day".  =)  WHAT??!! lol 


So I am the proud owner of a brand spanking new, 5 miles on the odometer, Mineral Silver, 2011 KIA Sportage AWD!! It is my VERY FIRST brand new (not a new-to-me/previously owned) vehicle!! I am sooooo EXCITED!!! I LOVE IT!! But of course, I love my hubby even more!!!  


On a funny ha-ha note... The finance guy asked Shane what this car would be used for.  Shane said, "it's to tote the kids around occasionally - but mainly it's to keep my wife out of my new truck!" =)  The '07 Sportage was only FWD, so in bad weather the truck was the best option to drive... now with AWD, I can cruise in style & be safe!!

Molly Brown House...

We finally picked up our new mini-dachshund on January 22nd!  She comes from FlicKennel Doxies up in Westcliffe, CO. Her first trip was over to my folks' place where we ate dinner, played with the pup and enjoyed a visit! Yes, mom let her INSIDE the house! :)  The boys came up with the name, "Molly Brown" (she is a chocolate doxie) and it fits. She has no fear whatsoever!  She is now 12 weeks old and close to being house trained and already crate trained.  Everyone that's met her thinks she's adorable... she's a bit spoiled for sure.  Tom & Colleen have "doggie sat" for us and Molly loved playing with Carley the cat & Comet the border collie mix that they have.  Molly loves chasing Carley off of what she considers "her turf"... but they get along just fine.

Molly's first night at home

Look at those ears! 

"Pocket Pup"

She loves Shane's "footies"

Nap time!

She has the coolest green eyes! Most chocolate dogs have amber eyes, but Molly has true GREEN ones!

Molly's first bath! She did really well!

Small Town Christmas...

Saturday evening found us celebrating the Parade of Lights in downtown Westcliffe, CO...  Though it lacked snow, it was cold and festive.  Chey's friend, Holly, and Bear's girlfriend, Brionna (Bri) came with us...  Unfortunately, Shane is in WY finishing up a job - but I tried to keep him in-the-loop with texts and photos.  We spent an afternoon with Mom & Dad at their home and then headed into town looking for the Christmas spirit.

A little hot chocolate, some blinking Christmas lights around the neck and some family and friends - both old and new made for quite a holiday celebration!

Chey & Holly

Bri & Bear

Love the lights girls!

Dad & Mom

Oh to be high schoolers again!  (nah! I'll pass)

Sheriff Jobe started out the parade in his fancy new squad car

A "sleigh"ful of little ones!

A true Redneck Christmas!!

Custer County Search & Rescue with one of their rescuees... :)

Seeing double (2 matching Pointers)

Santa arriving on a big ol' firetruck!

Hot chocolate & cards anyone?

Bear & his ladies... LOL

The countdown to Christmas 2010 is now in full swing!!  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!! (but only after my hubby gets home! LOL)

Train Wreck!

Occasionally, there are train de-railings along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad tracks along Hwy 50 out by us.  This one happened 11/27 due supposedly to a broken wheel on one of the cars.  I've never seen a wreck up close - this was my first & it was a doozy!  No one was injured as this was just a train hauling coal.  I believe there were 31 train cars that were mangled or banged up as a result. Crazy!!