Colorado Rocky Mountain High!!

We always have enjoyed traveling to Colorado.....this one turn out to be a very relaxing one.

Every day was very laid back... no time lines to keep, coffee on the deck in the morning looking at amazing mountains then off for a ride!!! (and shopping) Our hosts, Clint and Lynnette made us feel very welcome in their Colorado cabin, '6-ta Heaven'! It was heaven. Great location just west of Loveland.

Lynnette and Clint

Our first morning in the mountains we decided to hike up Palisade Mountain, four of us were up for the challenge. With walking sticks in hand we took off. It was a little tough for us flatlander's. Thin high altitude air can give you quite a workout.

With an easy pace and a few breaks.........

we made it to the top....what a view!!

I'm ready for that hike again!!!

This is Palisade Mountain, we walked up Clint and Lynnette's back

yard. Note the light speck at the middle bottom of this picture, that is

their cabana that Tim and I slept in on their deck. And the high point of

the mountain is where we climbed. Rocky side on the way up, tree side on

the way down..... what a thrill!!

The Baker's, us and the Sixta's in Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Cabin.








The cabana.






After 7 days with Clint and Lynnette, Tim and I headed for Fort Collins for a McLaughlin family reunion. (this is Tim's parents, siblings, nieces and nephews(minus 3).






Friday night's gathering centered around the evening meal, a crawdad boil.... a first for many of us. These little urchins flew in last Wednesday(Yes, they are alive! They were a little cold so they
didn't move much.)









A little seasoning, sweetcorn, sausage, chicken and potatoes.....

.........oh, and don't forget the little crawdads themselves....

It did make for a tasty meal, just had to be prepared for a little brow sweat.


There were around 75 McLaughlin's at the KOA in Fort Collins. The two days mainly consisted of a lot of reminiscing. Four of the brothers of the original 13 children of Alfred and Vetleen were telling stories and answering questions about growing up in southwest North Dakota. It's really a testament to the bond of this family when you can get many of the 75 to come hundreds of miles for a quick reunion. This all happens every two years....and we all look forward to the next.

What did you do with your 'stimulus' check?

I decided to get new carpet for our bedroom with mine!!
It was getting 'old'! As we were tearing it out dh said, 'this
is in good shape!' I was thinking 'ewwwwe'!


So, last weekend we moved all the bedroom furniture into the kitchen, I didn't want it in the living room, (we have wood floors
in there and didn't want to scratch/dent them.)

Then we tore out the old carpet and took it to the landfill.

Next was a trip to Home Depot for paint.....I let dh pick it out,
he picked Gulf Winds....works for me!!

So I got every thing cleaned and painted on Sunday and
the new carpet was laid on Monday morning....and we had all
the furniture back in the room by evening.

During the week, as I found time, I have been hanging things

and I finally settled on a light fixture, a chandlette! Dh wasn't

real impressed, I just told him I knew what I was doing and

it'll look great. I also put the 'Upper Case Living' words, For

Ever & Ever above our bed! Again dh didn't get it. He had a

puzzled look on his face, I said, 'Us, for ever and ever!' I think
I heard him mumble something like 'maybe not'!?! LOL Men.

I can't believe how nice it is to have every thing fresh

and new... Should have done this sooner.

Now I only need to get a new throw pillow and

blinds!!

STORMS!@#$?*&#

Got home from work about 7:30 last night with plans to scrap and relax. First I checked out every one's blogs and Splitcoast. Then I set up to scrap(with a glass of wine, Cristi Snow gave me that idea.) Thought things were going good till the Minnesota weather took over. The wind came up and then the sirens went off. Started listening to the radio, yeah, we had to go downstairs. Turned on the TV and then... the power went out...dang. Flashlights out. Weather starts to calm down. 10PM. May as well go to bed. Listened to the radio for a while. ZZZZZZZZZZ....... This is what I left on the counter....may get to it later today...or maybe tomorrow.

'Photo Shoot' and a Scrapbook Challenge...

Yesterday I found I had a block of time open at my office and decided to call Brooke and see if she was also free at that time. I can get to her home from my office in about 12 minutes. I was looking for help with the Splitcoaststampers site. Unity Stamp Company has a forum on there where you can be inspired and keep up with what is happening at Unity. Then we got to talking about how we never have many pictures of ourselves. Hence the photo shoot. Thanks Brooke!!! And I also got to see three of her kids. Little Sophia was napping. Her kids are so adorable, and well behaved(wink)!! ( The boys were interacting with each other......., a little)!! I wished I could have spent more time with the kids, they really are a lot of fun.
This little book was Brooke's challenge on Splitcoast. I had never done a challenge and found it is a good way to get something accomplished. Hope to do more of the challenges over there. When you have the details on how to make the project it goes really fast. Feels good to be scrapping again.

Hospital Art

Last Tuesday I spent the day at Fairview Riverside Hospital (Minneapolis) in the surgery waiting room. My dad was having surgery, complete hip AND knee in his left leg. Eighth or ninth surgery on that leg, long story. Three of my sisters and I pretty much hung out for the day. We always joke that we are the first family there and the last to leave. Every thing went well, we hope to have him in Willmar by this Tuesday for recovery.



While in the waiting room I knit the day away, and noticed the art work on the walls. And got an idea, it would look great for a sb page.



This is my interpretation......

The paper is K&Company, I used some old(and I mean old) acrylic craft paint I have and sort of dry brushed it on. Then stamped with Unity Stamps, the Fleur De Leur from the All About Me set, Swirl 2 from Vintage Swirls, and the Royal Day background stamp.

I'll post the finished LO when I figure out what pic(s) I will use on it.