Cold Colorado December 3, 2008-December 10-2008

WOW!!! What an exciting life I've led for the past few weeks. Vegas Tournament, home for bowling, Phoenix AZ via Hoover Dam, Kingman AZ and then to Phoenix. We had a great time and then hurried back to go to Paul and Rabecca's for Thanksgiving. That was an experience also, read in the blog. Lots of fun and on the way back Jane called and found a great price for a flight to Colorado. Pam and I left for the Texas Station after bowling Tuesday night, December 3rd. John opted to play softball the next three days so sweet Pam was my taxi. My flight left at 11:20 a.m. and we needed to be there early. Pam and Jane had arranged for me to have a wheel chair ride and that really saved the legs. Every once in a while they act like they want to slow down and it is quite a way to the gate. She stayed with me until we were about to board and her quarters were almost done. They still charge a quarter but it is for 10 minutes instead of 15 and that threw us for a curve, but we made it, thank goodness. Jane was waiting for me at the gate in
Den ver and that was a welcome sight but she couldn't push me, she was a tag along and this sweet lady took us to where she had parked her car and that was nice for both of us. When she got me in the car Jane said we were going to Sheila's house, pick her and Jan up and go to the Green Tomato for lunch. It was really nice. I've been trying to keep her supplied with coupons and it saved all of us some money. We took them home and everyone was there to say Hi and that was nice. Then we went to Molly's and the three of us went shopping for a real Christmas Tree. We found one in Wal-mart and got a stand for it. We went to her home and found out the trunk was too big and some branches needed trimed so we went to Randy;s house and together Jane, Molly and Randy had it ready to take back to her home and then she trimed the tree. I helped take the ornaments out of the package so all she had to do was decide where she wanted them. Isn't it beautiful !!! It smells so good . I'm glad she wanted a real tree and I was there to help a little.The next day we prepared for a sleep over in the basement. We went to the stake center to see a nativity set up, thinking it had over 1,000 pieces displayed like last year but they had changed it to only 50 pieces and then they had a theater in the round production. We heard a harpist, it was beautiful. Someone with that talent brings a lot of happiness as we listened to her selections of Christmas Carols.
We watched Bryson Guthrie that night while Melissa went to her cookie exchange party that was different than any exchange party I've been to. Sheila and Jane bathed Bryson while Jan and I visited down stairs.That night we watch The Debators with Denzel Washington, a true story filmed in Marshall, Texas where Iris Baadsgaard Best lives. It was very intense. I would highly recommend it to anyone. The next morning when we got up, had breakfast and went to A Santa Shop. What a delightful place. We were a little late getting started Jane had us on a time budget but we didn't co-operate too well. Melisa and Bryson went with us and it was fun but he got tired. We still came away with many fun gifts. Jan and Sheila made Taco Soup for us on Friday and it was the best I've tasted. It was warm and soo delicious. Then we decided we wanted to look at some lights so we found on the internet a "walking tour". It was really cold and we thought we might be able to see some of the lights but not so. It was a "walking tour" that cost each person $9.00 or $7.oo if you were a senior. We thought it was too much and too cold so we turned around and looked at a few as we traveled back to Jane's home again. Friday afternoon we met Rudi at his favorite restaurant , Helga's, a German Resturant I brought some home for the 2nd day and it was delicious, especially the mushrooms. We watch True Grit with John Wayne and went to bed. The next morning, Saturday, Jane was going to take me to Sheila's because Randy and Jane were going to their annual Microsoft dinner dance party. Jarom was going to bring me home because of the late hour and church was in at 9:30 a.m. Before we went to Sheila's we decided to go see Australia . What a great movie, many people think it is better than Gone With The Wind. Jan and Sheila had seen it before but they enjoyed it the second time, maybe even more. I'm hoping to take John,Pam and Annette to see it if at all possible. The Dinner dance was close to Sheila's so Jane and Randy picked me up. Rudi took this picture of "The Girls", Jan, Pearl and Sheila. I'm not sure where the one went with Jane and us but I was glad to see this one. They came after me earlier than they thought they would be because the music was too loud and it wasn't as exciting as in the past. Church started at 9:30 and we decided to go home and have a good night sleep before the day started.
Sunday we got up and went to church. I went with Jane to her new little Sunday School class and she is such a great teacher. They all seemed to love her and she had some handouts to reinforce her lesson. The church is the same today as in the days when Jesus organized it, Joseph Smith was the prophet that organized the church in this last dispensation.
Seth had a concert in the afternoon and then we went to Firestone,CO where Allie and James Thornnbrue live. After we took Marie and Tessa to school we traveled about 8 more miles to Johnstown, CO There we looked at the house that James and Allie are buying. It was a repo and the people had taken all the fans, the fridge, the dishwasher,and even the light switches. Really a sad deal but they aren't too worried about that. They are trying to find someone to take over their old lease. They are to move into the new home December 31-31. They went to their new ward Sunday so the Primary could be expecting their children and Ben will be in the Sunbeam class. I think they are all excited and that makes life easier for all concerned.
After seeing the house we went to Wal-mart and bought a gingerbread kit for the children to decorate when they came home from school. Jane and I took a short nap while Allie made her famous Candy Cane Bread. A tradatation from Jame's mother and it was so good. This is a favorite place for Grace as long as she is eating and visiting with everyone. We woke up and ate some good chicken soup and started the gingerbread house. All the children were so good. Ben wanted to eat the house before we were through.Grace was so good in th high chair. She had been eating. Randy called, "said it was snowing and we needed to get home ASAP." We weren't quite through so we finished and before we started out Allie took this picture of me and the four great grandchildren. I'm holding Grace,Then there is Ben, Marie, and Tessa. Beautiful and loved to do different activities. Sunday we played their favorite game, SPOONS. I was the slow one but finally won one game. YA! What a fun time we had.
As we got into the car and got gas at the service station we said a prayer and drove home via the Toll Road. It took us 2 hours and I was proud of Jane. She was a good driver and when we stopped for a break we were warm and started out again and both of us were relieved to get in the house, put our p.j.'s on and go to bed.
We had a full day Tuesday, the last full day before I was to go home. :) We wrapped presents, washed clothes, hemmed pants and tried on tops that needed some lace to make them a little more modest. It was lots of fun.
Wednesday, we made a quick trip to Sheila's to say good by before she went to her Dr's appoinment and I wanted to tell Jan good by also. She was planning on leaving for Payson, UT Thursday the 11. We came back to Janes and I had some pictures taken of me and Bryson.
Jarom was making a ginger bread cake. He had seen one in Seattle and wanted tocreate one like it.
He got ideas from the internet and here is what he had made while I was there. I hope he finishes it and puts it on his blog. Check out the stain glass effect on the windows. They are so much fun to do. They take a lot of time and a lot of patience which Jarom seemed to have while he was working so hard at it.
Before I knew it it was time to go. Jane stayed with me all the time and the worst thing that happened was she lost her favorite hand lotion. I felt so bad. I hope she can get somemore, Sheila seemes to think she can.
The flight to Vegas was very smooth and John was there to meet me and I was glad for that. We had planned on staying all night becaause it was too dark to drive home. John had been waking up every morning at 5:00 while I was gone so he really slept in. I wasn't sure we were going to get out of the room without paying for another day.We made it home intime for me to attend our ward Relief Society Chrtistmas Party and it was a lot of fun.
I hope I have remembered everything and I know it isn't in order but everything we did was fun and I had a great time. Thanks to everyone who made me feel so welcome. Love, Grandma Pearl