Happy Birthday Nino

Happy Birthday Nino!

Happy Number

Hehe- I changed your diapers!

Mancala

This ancient game is deceptively easy. Nino and I played with the actual lil board and stones while I was in CO.

You can play online HERE.

I play on medium level and let the computer go first. And I pretty much get my tail kicked!

I love that the general rules are so easy, but there are other ways to play.

I also added it to the "How to be me" feature at the bottom, so you can find the site later.

Good luck!

Note to Nino: Would make a good a project to design your own.

Wee folk in Colorado

Grandma and Nino in their St Patty's Day finest!

Tomarrow

Nino and I hope to visit the Holy Cross Abbey again. Weather permitting, we would love to do some sketches of the place.

Nino has also started glass etching and metal wire sculpting. Both are harder than they sound.

Anything to keep me away from the Poppy Seed (PLEASE CHECK IT OUT HERE, a new store down town. They have the cutest hippie clothes you have ever seen. You would not believe some of things I have bought! Won't John be surprised!

Red Hat and Boulder

Today, Grandma and I went to her Red Hat meeting! I got to meet all her friends there. They were all decked out in their purple shirts and red hats. Some had feather boas and scarves and lots of jewelry. Everyone was so friendly and talkative. I had a wonderful time.

I had to wear a pink hat, because I am under 50 years-old. We went to a mexican resteraunt here in Pueblo and they had a drawing for door prizes. As a guest, they let me pick the 4 or 5 names and the last name I picked was Grandma! She won some Red Hat earings.

It was so much fun, I would go again, but their next meeting is after I leave here.

Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory:

I did not get too many pictures in Boulder. We mostly did shopping, and the Celestial Tea factory did not let us take pictures there. But click HERE for what I did get.

The inside of the tea house:

I talked to John today, and he is in the middle of the classes you have to take when you go to a new country's base to learn customs, get shown around, and get your driver's license for Spain. I cannot wait to go to that class. In a couple days, John goes to Cadiz, which if you remember from your Spain Geography Lesson is right accross the bay and is a larger town than Rota.

Colorado News

Extra Extra Here is the latest:

Mom has a new job!! She is working at a drug clinic doing what she did in CA. But the hours are way better. They are from 6am to 2 pm. She bought a whole buch of new, cute scrubs. It seems to be going pretty well. She has gotten out at noon a couple of times too.

Steffy has less than 1 month to go before she has the baby. It is a girl, and they have the name Emily picked out, but so many moms change it after they have the baby, so we will see. She is inducing labor on Feb 11th, because all her family is coming out to see her be born!

Clayton is working at Mission Company, so he brings home tons of chips and pork rines and snacks. We love him!!! He doesn't usually come home until 11PM or so.

Nino started the new semester, but he is only taking one class. A night class. He says that he cannot take any of the other classes until he takes this one. He and I have been lil night owls and have been getting up VERY late in the day. My excuse is that I am on Spain time. Haha!

Ernie has a job that gets him up very early in the morning, so I only see him for a lil while in the evening. He is usually in bed by 8:30.

Grandma is still doing her Red Hat meetings and she invited me to the next one. But because I am under 50 years old, I have to wear a pink hat!! Won't I look just fantastic in a PINK hat!! But I am excited to go.

Nessa has an interview for a job that will pay her to go to school for 9 months before she works. So we are wishing her luck on that one. She also has been seeing a guy named Stan for a while now. I introduced them last time I was here. I just thought he was cute, but he turned out to be a really cool guy. He works for the prison here, but on the side, he does the sound for concerts, so Nessa has been able to go backstage at a few concerts here. Next week there is a music festival at the art center here. She will be going to that as well. Click HERE to see his website. But has no pictures of himself on there. Never fear:

Nessa and Stan:

They are threatening us with more snow, and it is COLD, but I have not seen a flurry since a last week. I hopeit does not all come at once, I wanted to go to Grandma's property in the mountains this weekend, but the roads may close for the weather.

All us kids went to dinner a few nights ago. We have had some fun nights of snacks and games. Clay works late into the night now, though, so we have to wait for when he is feeling perky.

Clay and Steffy

Pueblo Art Center

Nino went to the Sangre del Cristo Art Center in Pueblo. We looked at some great pastel art, then we went to the children's museum and played dress up and made masks. It was really fun, and most kids were in school, so we had the place to ourselves.

It is freezing here. Actually below freezing, and tonight it will get below 0 degrees!

A day with Cole and the puppies

I think Cole looks like Luke Skywalker here!! Check out the gun!

Today, Grandma & Me & Nino & Cole went to a diner where he had chili fies for the 1st time! We went to used bookstore then a thrift store called the Ark. It is Nino's favorite place to go! It was 50% off day, and I went nuts. I got some great stuff! Sweaters, a watch, albums, glasses, and scarves.
We had a great time. Cole is so entertaining!

The weather was mild today. It has been off and on snowing since I arrived here.

Nino & Cole at the Diner- Doesn't he look so big here?

Nessa and I have been taking a ton of pictures of Cole lately. Here are a couple, but click HERE to see many more!!!

After Alex passed away, the family got a new puppy. A corgi/blue healer named Morgaine. She is a cute lil thing. She is very smart, but she is still very much a puppy. She is only 4 months old. Mom takes her to Puppy classes. She tries to get Nima to play, but he is grouchy and noisy around her. Their favorite game is king of the mountain. Nima stakes out a pillow and she tries to sniff him from all angles while he turns around snapping and barking at her. So cute!

Nima & Morgaine

Bishop's Castle Video

Sorry these are so out of order. But videos take forever to load up here, and I really think it is funny. I hope you checked out the site I posted on the castle, so you can see how big and crazy it is. Like I said though, you just have to see it to really know how crazy it is. John was utterly unthrilled with Nino and I going up into the big steel ball. Then we crossed a bridge to a tower that was new. I had been there a week or so before and it had not been there. It is so random how it grows.

Without further ado, here is the video, John took. FYI: what I am throwing at him is snow. He was pretty worried as you can tell by his narration.

Last day in CO

I spent my last night playing pool at the town saloon. The rest are pictures I took of everyone before I left for the airport.

I had SO much fun seeing everyone in CO! I am really glad I stayed as long as I did.

And I really miss everyone already!

31 days left!! yikes!

Click HERE to see more pictures of my last day.

John in Colorado Part 1

John and I in Lake Isabel

While John was with us in Colorado, we took a lil trip to Lake Isabel and Bishop's Castle. they are not far, and Ernie, Mom, and Nino came as well.

Lake Isabel is very pretty this time of year with the snow and ice.

Bishop's Castle is a local oddity that you really have to see to believe. It is in the mountains, and the owner just started building out of rock and steel this castle. It is huge and full of stairs to climb high up into the air. However, it is not like anyplace built by a company. Lots of parts have no railing and the stairs are steep and small. Also, some windows and doors lead to nothing- just a big drop. The higher you go, the rickitier it is. John was not impressed with the construction and did not trust it enought to go too high. Although he did get some video to be uploaded later when I am better with this new contraption of mine.

Click HERE to learn more about the Castle.

Click HERE to see more photos of our trip.

Halloween Part 2

Cole and Nessa, Me and Nima, Steffy and Holly

Last night we decided to have Halloween all over again. We put Cole in his monkey costume. Nima was in his Bee costume. And Holly, Steffy and Clay's dog, was a pumpkin. Click HERE to see more pictures (the ones from Colorado are later in the album).

Nima and Nino

Denver Art Museum

We had another wonderful time in Denver today. Nino and I took Grandma back to the Art Museum. She loved the peices on loan from the Louvre the most. I was Very Excited to see the show, Color as a Field, which was not going on last week when Nino and I were there. They are extremely abstract paintings (Rothko and such), so Grandma was much less interested in them.

Click HERE to read more info on that show.

Click HERE to see more pictures of our trip.

Later, when I can get the pics off my camera, there will be some of last week's visit there. The 2 shows on loan (Louvre and Color Field) did not allow photography.

Colorado Vacation- Pictures

There are 3 new albums of Cole that I snagged from Mom's camera! His first birthday, his halloween costume (above) and his trip to Texas. Click HERE to see the photo site. Scroll down to see more albums.

Having a great time- pretty relaxing. It has been somewhat warm (high 60's) during the day, so I only get cold if I am standing still.

Steffy at 6 months preggers

Me and Nessa going out last Friday with Nino

Sunday Seven

Cole was under the weather yesterday, so Nessa could not go to Denver. Nino came with me instead. It was his first hockey game. I was just excited to see some of the players that I have not seen in Anaheim, although it felt wierd cheering for another team! We stayed the night in Denver and went to the Denver Art Museum the next day. All our fun inspired this next Sunday Seven. Sorry it's late!

At the Hockey Game

Sunday Seven List of Reasons to Visit Denver

1. It is relatively clean and safe- especially compared to DC or LA.

2. Traffic and parking were not a problem, and it was not hard to get around. We never really got lost, although we had some trouble finding the Pepsi Center. Really. How hard is it to see a Stadium!

3. The leaves change and fall off, and it snows! Seasons! Cities look gorgeous changing in the seasons. I think that was DC's only saving grace.

4. The Avalanche are a good team, and the fans are even better. The stadium was fuller and louder than most of the Ducks games I have been to. And the Avs lost!

The Avalanche from our seats

5. The Denver Art Museum is the best museum I have been to so far. Smaller than LACMA, it is two buildings with gardens and large sculptures in the courtyards. It was pretty easy to find what we wanted and they had a ton of interactive games and things to do. Also, it is located downtown right next to the state capital buildings and park, which made for a pretty walk.

Nino playing dress up at the Museum

6. You are only two hours away from the fantastic city of Pueblo West (where my family is)!

7. I had a wonderful time and I want to go back to do some of the things that we did not have time for this trip. I really want to go back to the Museum as well. They are having a show of paintings, drawings, furniture, and treasures on loan from The Louvre that were once housed in Versailles. That is all right up my alley. There is also a big amusement park right next to the stadium, but it was closed for the winter.

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