Reunion

Our trip to Colorado was fun.  We had a nice visit on the way in Sedelia Missouri with friends from the park.  John and I stopped in Ellis a few days while he worked in the museum adding more to the train display.  I sat by the tent with the dogs reading and moving my chair to find shade.  It got up to 109' one day.  He would come home at lunch and take me for a drive in an air-conditioned car so we could all cool off.  The nights were quite cool and breezy so we did sleep well.  Amy, John and Carson plus John and Sandy and Sam all arrived on Wednesday in Ellis.  They were staying at the KOA Kabins and the local motel.  John loved showing them around his old stomping grounds and, of course, the layout at the museum.  We all had dinner together at a local restaurant then went to the motel and sat around the pool and visited. Love being with my kids.  We went back to the campgrounds and it began to lightening and thunder.  So the thought of having to take down a wet tent the next morning was more than we could stand.  At 10 pm, in the dark, we broke camp, loaded the car and checked into the motel.  The storm passed by without rain but better safe than sorry.

The lodge in Colorado was perfect for family gatherings.  They had a big deck off the pool room with tables and chairs.  All the rooms had little decks on back that had chairs.  So if you were outside, you could see who else was outside and join them.  We had all except 3 rooms for our family.   My cousin, and her daughter and my sister all dressed up like my infamous grandmother.  They then told us the family history.   Along the way one of our relation was a grandmother to Anne Boelyn who was married to Henry VIII.  Lots of nobility but we had to laugh at how ordinary we all are now.  It was fun sharing family stories and seeing how differently we remember things.  I was amazed at how the kids all sat and listened to the story.  Lily loved it that some people were playing dress up and she wanted to as well.  

 Amy and John

John, Sandy and Samantha

IThere were 12 kids there although 6 were teenagers.  During the day on Saturday we went to the sand dunes.  It was a long hike up to the dunes.  And then the sledding wasn't what we'd been told it would be.  The lack of snow in the mountains this winter affected a lot of things including the drying up of the geothermal pool.  Some of the party hiked the mile and a half  to Zapata Falls. I stayed home and took a nap with the babies and Carson.


We loved having all our children together.  Missed Jake but he started a new job and couldn't get the time off. We left on Sunday and camped outside of Santa Fe. We were tired but happy when we arrived in Apache Junction.  The unpacking continues as we try to find a place for all the stuff we brought back with us.