And Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programs!

Yesterday morning I went to the doctor and am now on antibiotics and feeling much better.
While I didn't have an appointment to actually SEE the doctor (I was just dropping off a specimen so they could run the labs on it so I could GET some medicine!) I was coming out of the restroom as he was coming out of an exam room. Right there he asked me what was going on and then told me to 'hang out' for a few minutes while he ran the lab. I love it when doctors are real people and use phrases like 'Hang Out!' Within 20 minutes of arriving I walked out with a prescription and a follow up appointment in 2 weeks to make SURE the infection is gone. Talk about God's perfect timing!!

Now that I was feeling better we decided to head over to Quadville!

We arrived just as they were getting up from their naps.

They have been cat sitting Maggie for us and I think they have thoroughly enjoyed her!

They are very gentle with her and she is coming out to play more often.

Trystan is a true animal lover! ALL animals!

She is particularly good with Maggie and that little feather toy they bought for her!

THIS little girl has now added GLASSES to the list of things she 'steals' from me!

She also took my camera and turned it on AND took half a dozen pictures!

Trysan loves my dangling earrings!

Notice the Frozen shirts they are wearing??

Logan said she is a BIG GIRL!!!

 When I asked Trystan if she was a big girl, she said, "NO! I'm a baby!!"

They are loving all things FROZEN!!!

Granddad kept trying to sneak off to the guest room to take a little nap.....

but the quads kept following him in there. They said, "Granddad! Play your GEE-TAR!!"

And so he did!

Harrison decided if Granddad was going to take a rest - he would, TOO!!

So while THEY were doing that.....

the girls and I made a batch of brownies for dessert!

They all have a love affair with SHOES!!!

Trystan has the tiniest  feet and yet these look like such grown up shoes to me!

She is adorable and keeps us all laughing!!

Trystan is MESSY!!!!

I LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! her laugh!!!!

After baths the kids love to DANCE before bed!!!

All about that bass, 'bout that bass, no treble!

Doing the roll!!

Logan dancing with dad!!!

Then Kailey.......

and Trystan!

The girls are really quite dramatic in their dance!

I must tell you what a wonderful dad Mike is!!!

These kids are so blessed to have such great parents!

One last dance before settling down in their beds.

They go to bed fairly easily now!

We had a such a good time and it was a joy to see how much they had grown in just the 12 days we were away!

Louis Dean and I both had a good night's sleep!

I slept SIX straight hours - nearly unheard of for me!!!

One of the things I love about fall - 

Panttone for breakfast along with our coffee!!

After our reading I did my yoga!

I literally ATE my way across Colorado so I am trying to exercise and redeem my ways!

We are all unpacked with laundry done! I put out the treasures we brought home with us.

This salt lamp from Pakistan was purchased at the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center.

Two small framed sea shells now hang on our bedroom wall.

I found a brand new box of Yankee Candle Potpourri in the Clean Linen scent.

It was $0.99!

This is where I put what wouldn't fit in the vase.

Now I need pictures for these frames.

The C was a gift from Amber last year.

I layered the new linens on our bed. The quilted cover is beautiful and I found ONE matching pillow sham! Also from another Goodwill in Colorado I found a set of king size  Battenburg Lace pillow shams that match the set of regular ones I already had!!

LOVE all my Goodwill keepsakes from Colorado!!!

This afternoon Ruth Ann and I took in a movie - it was so so  - Earth to Echo - I think that was the name of it. We hit up a couple of Goodwills on our way back.

I made quite a haul!!

Two brand new still in the box Mikasa chip and dip trays.

One will go to my sister, Luann!

The Halloween plates will be fun to use at a Ladies Dinner and Craft night in October!

Since today was TUESDAY and we are back to our regular routine - we did ART!!!

Sabrina - in this one night - based in her entire canvas for our 'Boot Painting!'

I worked on my sister, Nita's, Santa Claus and then started on the BOOTS!

Got them based in!!!

Now next week we will begin to put in the details!!!

I have been dragging off and on all day.

Hope the meds are doing what they are supposed to be doing!!!

Tomorrow is our regular day in Quadville.

When I put Logan to bed last night she asked me if we were going to have a tea party - 

"in just a minute?"

Of COURSE, we will!!!!

Home SWEET Home!!!

We are HOME!!!

I must say we are TIRED but so HAPPY to be HOME!!

I was so impressed with all the wonderful 'Rest Areas' both in Colorado and Texas!

It was a fun way to stretch our legs and walk around a bit.

I'm sure Louis Dean thinks we pack THIS MUCH stuff when we travel!

Weather info was right on!

The driving directions were helpful.

We avoided some construction and came in on Hwy 114.

We stopped at every single one!

Plus some McDonald's and various gas stations and truck stops.

Louis Dean was my Knight in Shining Armour!

While he was still suffering from his allergy induced asthma attack - he drove all the way home from Dumas! The reason we had to stop so much was I am once again battling a UTI.

I was miserable. I will be calling the doctor in the morning.

That awful infection is making me think it is a monster!

All the days I was taking antibiotics I think it was just hunkering down and let the medicine go right past. Then when the pills stopped - it reared its ugly self and roared at me!

It feels like WAR!!!

We drove up in the drive way and I walked straight in to take a hot shower!

LD unloaded EVERYTHING! Then HE took a nice long bath while I put things up and started laundry.

My sweet husband was a very happy camper tonight!

Now that we are home - his allergies/asthma has calmed down and he has his remote control, easy chair and a BIG TV AND a Dallas Cowboy Football Game!!!

During halftime he looked at me and said, "Now tell me again WHY we left our comfortable home?"

Back in Texas!

We said good bye to Colorado this morning and started for home.

'Home' is 775 miles away!

No more pictures of mountains or waterfalls or beautiful aspen trees!

Texas has a beauty all its own though.

I seem to have a tough time with cameras!!

This is my brand new one and the lens won't open all the way - OR shut!

LD fooled with it and got it to working again!

I promise I have not mistreated it!!

Rather than drive straight through, we opted to stop for the night in Dumas which is roughly half way! YIPPEE!!!!

A Roadhouse restaurant was just two doors down from the hotel so Louis Dean was a happy man!

He looks tired and I KNOW I am so I'm happy we will get a good night's sleep before driving on home.

No dessert but we did have coffee after dinner!

Shifting gears from vacation mode back to normal life.

Our Last Day! Garden of the Gods......

This morning we visited the last place on our 'Bucket List' trip to Colorado!

The Garden of The Gods!

Breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL!!!

Yes, Ginny!!! I think I really MUST do a painting of this!!

All my denim clothes have held me in good stead!

Louis Dean was right to wear his overalls!

He has had many compliments on them!

He enjoyed one last Buffalo Burger at the Garden of the Gods Cafe.

Not AS good as the one at The Wines of Colorado but it WAS good!

Garden of the Gods certainly shows the handiwork of GOD!!!

We took some pictures and shopped the Trading Post and The Visitor Center as well as drove through the garden. We wanted to find a spot to rest and play music and read. Many visitors and no shade AND warm temps added to not finding such a spot.

SO.....we drove back up into Cheyenne Canon.

We went back to the very same place we were yesterday.

Louis Dean played and I listened and YES, I even sang along with him on a couple.

Even though I CANNOT sing - he loves it when I try!

I enjoyed sitting by the stream and listening to music and reading my book.

We left before we really WANTED to because Louis Dean's allergies and asthma took a BAD turn!!

By the time we got down from the mountains, he was in bad shape.

I ran into Safeway (LOVE that store!) and he stayed in the car - too weak to do anything or go anywhere!

We are in the room with the A/C on and will stay here until we leave for Texas in the morning.

He has coughed and choked something terrible! A hot bath and his asthma medicine plus some allergy medicine has kicked in. I found the nearest urgent care place near us just in case.

I love Facebook! I posted a prayer request and within minutes Louis Dean had calmed down and was breathing easier. Thank you so much for the prayers!!

He is resting more comfortably now. I was really scared and I think he was, too!!

Hoping for a peaceful evening and a good night's sleep.

We have had a wonderful time - but we now need to go HOME!!

Lunch in a Plane and an Afternoon By a Mountain Stream.....

We took our time enjoying our morning coffee, continental breakfast and reading before gearing up for our next to last full day in Colorado.

Our first adventure was having lunch at The Airplane Restaurant.

Louis Dean was THRILLED with the menu AND the super cute server!!

All the employees were dressed in old time flight outfits.

I ordered HEALTHY this time!! Soup and salad!

Louis Dean was happy to have a Guinness!

I think he will be seeing a LOT of salads, fish and healthy menus once we get back home!

Such a clever idea for a restaurant! They opened in 2008 and is located - appropriately enough - out by the airport!

I nor Louis Dean have any sense of direction but when we left the restaurant we knew we were headed to Cheyenne Mountain. It was easy enough to SEE the direction we needed to go!

On the way we found another great Goodwill!!

I KNOW!!! Not many people shop thrift stores on vacation but we have our own way of having fun!

I found a cook book that reads like a novel - or history book!

We Called it Macaroni.

I love a cook book that READS!

Louis Dean found a treasure as well!

We always have a book we read out loud together and this will be one of them.

In addition to the books, I found a queen size cotton cover with ONE matching pillow sham!!!

Win! WIN!!!

I was wanting a new white cover!

We managed to find our way to Cheyenne Mountain Park!

Can you see me WAY up there on the bridge?

We took LOTS of photos!!

I LOVE the sound of the flowing stream!!!

Louis Dean didn't hike up to the falls but stayed below taking pictures.

I DID climb up and this is from the top.

In years past I have climbed WAY up to the top of the mountain with my children.

But I was MUCH younger then! I am trying to remember that I am NOT 65 anymore!

We found a spot beside the mountain stream where we spent the rest of the afternoon.

I kept trying to post a video with Louis Dean playing his guitar......

however I get confused about which one I post....

Hope this is the right one!

I did manage to post his song on Facebook!

Not sure why I can only do snippets on the blog.

Helen Hunt Falls - one of my favorite places on earth! Our resting area was just below.

I have really used this little folding $10 chair I bought in Mart last summer.

There is nothing more enjoyable to me than sitting by the stream reading my book and sipping my tea.

I even had a nap quilt. Louis Dean took MANY pics of me - but TRUST ME!!!

NONE were complimentary!!!

This was the best of the lot!

Okay! So I am resting and reading and sipping my tea and admiring nature and just RELAXING!

I lift myself up and here is Louis Dean just looking at me!

He said, "You take your time. Enjoy yourself and we can stay as long as you want. I am just letting you know I am ready to go anytime YOU are!!!"

I did get to stay longer than I thought I would so I was a good sport and we decided to go  back down the mountain. To tell the truth, the sun was going down and I was getting chilly.

As we packed up another car pulled up and a young couple got out with a thermos of coffee and a couple of warm furry covers. They looked so sweet as they sat together cuddled up and drinking their coffee - or tea! A perfect contrast to Louis Dean singing 'I'll Bring You a Daisy a Day!' to me!

An older couple and a younger one.

The circle of life......