Worth Every Mile!

We arrived her in Colorado Springs on June 2nd after nine days on the road.  Yes we did take a somewhat circuitous route to get here, but as Donna often reminds me, the journey can be as important as the destination.  We are set up at the US Air Force Academy, thanks to our True Blue friend Phil (aka Grandpa Flip), who is retired military and has privileges here.

Then on Wednesday evening, we got to spend the evening with Grandpa Flip and Nana Margene.  The fajitas were great, but the fellowship with family was even sweeter. 

Though we're not related by blood, there is a bond that goes back over 30 years to 1978 in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, when two young military families were forever intertwined when the love and grace of our amazing God knit our lives together.  Since then, no matter where our lives have taken us, when we get together it's like picking up an ongoing conversation.  Yes, we are family!

The girls thought so, too!  It shows that they have seven granddaughters of their own!

We can't leave out the other two important members of the family-

Timbre                                                                                                                       Parker

I'm really glad that we have six more days here.  It will take that long to get caught up!

June 1st - New Mexico to Colorado City, CO

Where did we go?  Well, here's the map of our travels.  We only went about 225 miles, but it's where the miles were that were the key.  

 

We spent Saturday and Sunday nights in a campground high (7500') in the NM mountains. This morning we left there and followed NM518 up into the mountains even higher - at times above 9000'.

The view was awesome!

Soon we came to a stream running by the roadside.  Runoff from the melting snow. It was neat to watch the stream increase in both size and speed as we followed it on one of the downhill areas.  Our travels brought us to the SIPAPU Lodge and ski area in the Carson National Forest.

Abi just insisted that she wanted to wade in the water from the snow runoff . As soon as her feet touched it, she changed her mind! "Pull me back Noni", she yelled!

 

 

Then there was the ceremonial trying on of the "tourista" headgear. Isn't she a cutie?

A cowgirl is born. 

What can I say? 

 After we finished with the tourist stuff, it was back on the road to Taos.

The snow in the distance is on the top of Truchas peak - 13,041 feet tall.

We only took this one picture in Taos!  A wall mural just before we left town. Then it's on to Colorado!

We drove north out of Taos along NM 522 for about 45 miles and came to the Colorado state line.  The view along the way was beautiful with snow covered mountains on three sides.

Abi wanted to take a picture of the mountains so I gave her the camera - here's her pictures.

Finally!  But our journey for the day is not over - we still have to drive north to Fort Garland and then east through La Veta Pass where the summit is 9213 feet. 

The day finally ended at the KOA in Colorado City, CO.

Tomorrow is a short day - with only about 85 miles to go to our 9 day stay at the campground at the US Air Force Academy.

Into the New Mexico Mountains

We camped at an old "motor court" style motel that had converted the parking lot into an RV park.  It was originally the Cactus motel. 

We started the day in Tucumcari (or kookumcari as the girls called it) and saw a number of old Route 66 sites. This is the Route 66 strip through town today. Notice the cloudless sky - the temperature was 74 with a cool breeze when we left town around noon.  That's the Palomino motel on the right - one of the classics that still exist. 

 Emi was really proud of pulling her tooth (Noni helped). She had been "working on it" for days.

 This was my lunch at the Santa Fe Grill in Santa Rosa.  It was Awesome!

Once we left I-40 (yeah!) just west of Santa Rosa, we drove up through the mesas and plateaus into the mountains.

 

We ended the day at 7500 feet elevation with the only sound being the wind in the trees and three very excited little girls.

Route 66 - Day 2

We started a little later than we planned because of a late night before but we saw the National Route 66 museum in Elk City, OK.

The girls got to see what it was like to drive the old highway. 

They even got to experience going to the drive-in.

And a classic was playing!

They couldn't believe Noni rode one of these as a little girl!

There was much more that we saw - we even enjoyed an ice cream at the corner drugstore.

Then it was on to Amarillo and the steakhouse (The Big Texan - ) where they give away a 72 ounce steak if you can eat it and all the fixin's in one hour..................we didn't try.

But we did have fun and a really good steak!

And a GIANT slice of carrot cake.1  It took all five of us to eat it!

Getting our kicks on Route 66

After a couple of Days rest, we're back on the road. We made a stop in OKC to get the normal "tourista" information and then it's on to western OK to see some of the few remaining areas of the famous Route 66.

This gave the girls a chance to burn off some excess energy - except Emi decided it was too hot to play.  I have to agree with her.  The temp at the bank across the stree was 92!

 

 We had to buy some souvenirs!

After a few few more miles (!) we finally made it to some of the Route 66 sites.

this is Lucille's - one of only 2 of it's kind left along the road.  It opened in 1929 and was run by the same woman (Luclille) for more than 50 years!
















Wish I could find that price today!






























The gas pump girls!

Emi says she is soooooo cool in this picture.

















Dinner at the diner.

On the road for our Summer Adventure

We headed out on Tuesday for our summer "adventure" with the little ones.  We're on our way - slowly - to Colorado!

We will spend nine days camping at the US Air Force Academy once we get to CO.  An opportunity to visit with some of the best friends anyone could ever have. 

But first we will wind our way there trying to avoid some of the normal stuff.  That means getting off the interstate and driving some of the "dotted roads" that Donna loves so much!

The marriage retreat

Last weekend we were blessed to be a part of a marriage retreat in Pigeon Forge. We had 14 couples there ranging in ages and lengths of time married. The one thing in common was that we wanted to improve our marriages and more importantly, learn more about how God says we are to communicate love to one another as husband and wife.

I met some great new friends and learned that I have a way to go as one who communicates his love for his wife on a consistent basis through his actions . The bottom line is this - the handbook for humans (His Word) tells me exactly how love behaves. I just have to get self out of the way!

To the other husbands I say, let's use what we've learned and challenge one another to continue to express our love for our wives through our actions!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV) 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Announcing !

Wow, I can't believe it's been two weeks since I stopped long enough to write something here! Now that school is back in full swing (for Abi), extra-curricular activities follow right behind. For the girls it's ballet. For Justin, it's football. This is Emi and Abi's second year and their now in ballet/tap. Now Lizzie joins them and is in pre-ballet.

Don't worry Justin, we'll get your pictures this weekend!

The "old pros"




The beginner

What newcomer couldn't use a few pointers from on old hand?

Okay, so that's how they learn those things!

Remembering a great friend.

Terry Michael Schneider - August 6, 1944 to May 14, 2008.


Today is August 6.

A lot of things have happened on this day in history. In 1890, Cy Young pitched and won his 1st major league baseball game. In 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, helping speed an end to WWII.


I've read about those things, but on August 6, 1944, Terry Michael Schneider was born in Knox County, Tennessee and many years later became my friend. Terry was one of those people who seemed to know something about almost everything. But not in a know-it-all kind of way. He just knew a lot! It was amazing how he could remember just about any bit of trivia. So much so that we joked about him being a "cornucopia of useless knowledge".


In this stream we call life, there are people who flow through and then move out of our lives. Once and awhile, there are those people who "lodge" in our lives and stay around. I am blessed that Terry was one of those who lodged in my life. We had many "excellent adventures" together. And I learned much from him.
I know that even now, he is there in heaven collecting tidbits of information that he will share with us once we are reunited in that glorious place!


I miss you, my friend, and look forward to the day when we meet again in that place where separation never comes, and we can spend eternity worshiping the One who died for all.

It's been a while........

I know, I said I'd try to be better at this stuff. I'm not sure have that I have that much to say that's worth hearing (reading). But, hey, that never stopped the politicians or the talking heads on the TV.

Theres lots going on really. We went camping this weekend (okay, RVing) and though it was VERY hot, we had a lot of fun with our friends Danny, Dawn, and Joni. I only left the campground (state park type) once, for the obligatory Walmart run. I don't think I've ever been camping when we didn't make that run.

Then, we spent most of the night on Monday night at the ER at Piedmont hospital just to have them tell us the ultrasound and CT scan were "inconclusive". Tell Donna that after she's had to have not one, but two (TWO) shots of morphine for the pain! And she got to drink TWO bottles of the "contrast" stuff to prep for the CT scan (yum yum). Must have been the night of twos-two shots, two procedures, and two bottles of yuk. We finally get home after all this at 2:30 AM (another 2)! Not any one's idea of a fun night.

On Tuesday (yesterday) she spent 2+ hours (did I say 2?) waiting to see the gastrointerologist (?). And today she gets to do one of her favorite (not!) things, an MRI.

Me? I'm here with the three little "princesses" who have recently developed an acute case of the "whines". They're not too bad, really. I've worked with some folks that whine much more and over sillier things! Not you, David, Gene, or Kim....well maybe Kim :).