Winter Park

As promised the pictures of our wonderful week in Winter Park, CO. We arrived there on Monday night the 10th. The weather was horrid -- behind us-- the entire way. Ice storms in Amarillo about 4 or so hours after we left....snow in Denver after we were out of it and it didn't start snowing until we had gotten ourselves into our condo. It then started snowing and pretty much snowed the entire time we were there. Thursday morning dawned bright and clear and we had lunch with Tyler who was working that day, drove off and got through Berthoud Pass and it started snowing in Winter Park again. We drove in rain on Friday morning after we left Amarillo but it wasn't bad and it wasn't cold enough to be a bother. So the Lord blessed us with beautiful weather, perfect traveling conditions and most of all a wonderful time together as a family. The guys skied and the girls shopped. One day I cooked the entire day so Tyler would have food in his freezer. I curled up by the fire and read...watched the snow...enjoyed the serenity. It's easy to see why Tyler loves it so - I'd forgotten how beautiful my home state truly is. I sure hate to be cold though. It was about 7 or 8 degrees during the day. That's a bit chilly for these old bones. The air is so very dry though and the wind wasn't blowing so it really didn't feel as cold as the 27 degrees in Allen felt on Sunday morning as I was walking across the parking lot to the church building. The first pictures are of our condo and the surrounding scenery. The pictures of the mountain and ski runs were taken on the back side of the mountain - Mary Jane and that is where Tyler works. One of those lifts that you can see was the one he was working on the day we ate with him. Enjoy the beauty!! Matt bringing wood to us for the fireplace: The gang ready to go skiing that first morning: (Katie went for a couple of hours and they made me come and get her. Like her mom she has bad knees, hates to fall down and doesn't like to be cold.) The Three Musketeers - happy to be together again: "Tyler's" mountain:
One last picture before we go pile in the car for a 950 mile trek home: Matt thinks the sweatshirt he is wearing is amusing. So I'll post a picture of my only grandchild at the moment. (Considering the very pertinent fact that no one is married, trust me, I'm not sad about that fact). The World's Greatest Dad is parent to this one: This is Abbey. We rescued her. She loves all of us but she is absolutely crazy about Matt. She'll cry at the door until he comes home and she lays outside his door until he lets her in.

It's about time........

I've secretly read Boo Mama for a long time and now am bravely joining in a bit of fun just because I love decorating so much. I'm sure I'll crawl back into my cave very soon.

I said I was going to post the pictures of my Christmas craziness and I am finally getting around to that. Next thing you know I'll be finally posting the pictures of our beautiful trip to CO and then who knows? I might actually go and put a picture of moi up that is newer than Kindergarten. I love that picture though - that girl had no idea what was coming right around the corner.

But I digress. I love decorating my house at Christmas. I love getting everything all spiffy and shiny. And then I get the decorations up and I sit back and enjoy them and then never dust again until I take them down. Yep, pretty much that's the story. Without further ado, welcome to our abode. See all those leaves on the sidewalk that need to be swept? Come in! I carefully planned this shot so that you couldn't see all the clothes piled on the bottom steps waiting to be carried upstairs. To the right is my living/dining room. Pretty much everything in this room goes out and new comes in during the month of December. Whew. You wouldn't believe where I have the usual stuff stuffed and piled. Don't be opening any closets at my house. Contrary to appearances in this picture the tablecloth really isn't pink. That looks awful. And the tree. You can't tell but the angel at the top is one that Katie made in Bible class when she was 2. They made the wings from her hand print and then her little face is the face of the angel. It's one of my most cherished things. See how the tree skirt is not actually under the tree? That's because the evil cat that lives here won't leave it alone. She believes the tree is hers. We always have broken ornaments at the end of the season. Okay, now let's go back into the entry and straight ahead to the family room. Now we turn around the other way and we see the entertainment center. My village had to go up on top -- Abbey (dog) would mess with it if we put it on the floor with the train (which isn't even out anymore). To the far right is my Boyd's Bears Nativity Set. I would show you a close up of that but I noticed in the picture that the shelf really needed to be dusted. There's a limit to how much humiliation I can stand. Before I show you my favorite things of all we'll peek around the corner at the kitchen. Just a peek, though! There is evidence of a daughter cooking and not cleaning up all over the place. Those are the kids' "real" stockings but they are felt and getting fragile so they don't really get "stuffed" anymore. This guy is standing beside the entertainment center. My sister made him. He was her first foray into clay. She's pretty amazing, huh? He is wearing a sweater that my Daddy wore. And he's holding an ornament that is a bear with a fishing pole -- Daddy loved to fish. Actually she made pretty much every Santa I have. And the snowmen wall hangings on either side of the fireplace. And the Santa quilt that is on my couch. Actually I think she and mom worked on these things together. Mom painted the Santa picture on the mantle. Here is a close up of the nativity set because you need to see one of my other favorites -- see the big angel? That would be Katie's handiwork from kindergarten. Before I allow you to leave you have to stop here in the hall and see my very favorite thing. It is dated and totally not the latest in decorating trends but I love, love, love it and it pleases me. I love the words. Good thing to remember!! Thank you for visiting. Take some of this candy off my hands before you leave.

Anniversary

Ten years ago this morning shortly after my Daddy looked at me and said "Sure, Hon" he slumped to my kitchen floor, took his last breath in this fallen world and opened his eyes to see Jesus ushering him into the mansion he'd lived his life to see. Ten. Years. There are times when the pain will hit me again just as sharp and breath taking as it did those awful days immediately following. There are times when I just feel incredibly blessed that I had him as a Dad, a hero, and a role model as long as I did. As always, I dread the day as it approaches but this year God has allowed me peace and comfort and precious memories. I thank Him for that. Last year, for whatever reason, I descended into a horrible black pit of pain and despair that totally took me by surprise. I guess it's the way of grief and goodbyes that are unfortunately a part of this fallen world.

I always loved my Daddy --- I was one of those obnoxious girls who thought her Dad knew everything there was to know and could and would make any and everything all right. There wasn't a problem he didn't know how to fix. There wasn't a hurdle so high he couldn't get over it. This my dear reader(s) was not simply a figment of my childish imagination. It was indeed, a fact. I remember the exact moment in my life when I realized I madly loved this man. It had always been there, but that adult "aha" moment when the emotion knocks you for a loop? I remember that very second. I was in college - working as what was used to be called a "Checker" at Safeway. (For you poor young ones, that was the proper term for those who checked you out at the grocery store. We didn't have scanners. We had in fact those giant cash registers with 100 keys on them. I was fast, peoples! Fast.) But I digress. In those days of yore, televisions had these things called tubes and when they went bad you had no picture. There was this big tester at Safeway where people could bring their questionable tubes in and figure out which one had ceased to work. I was working when out of the corner of my eye I saw Daddy walking into the store. He was wearing his work uniform -- dark blue work pants, blue shirt with his name and dark blue jacket. His ever present cap was on his head - pushed back and a little askew and he had his old wire rim glasses on. For no longer than it took me to think the thought I had that momentary feeling of dismay -- "Oh no. People will know that I have parents! People will know my dad is a blue collar worker." Before those thoughts were fully completed in my little brain though I distinctly remember being flooded with powerful protective feelings that would have allowed me to totally deck anyone who would have even thought to be critical or condescending. I stepped over to where he was and greeted him, asked if I could help and said good bye....it was the briefest of exchanges - he took care of his business, smiled and said "bye, hon" and away he went. I can't describe exactly what took place that day inside my heart - in that moment I saw a man. I was cut to the quick that for the briefest of moments I was tempted to be ashamed.

I didn't always make the best of decisions after that day - I know I wasn't always respectful. I didn't always cherish our time together. I took him for granted. But never ever again did I have a moment when I wasn't proud to be his daughter. He died without having much the world judges as successful. He never got to travel like he wanted. He never got his camper. He never even got to quit working until he was too sick to do anything else. He was just your ordinary man living an ordinary life in an ordinary world. I remember a time when our preacher had met a man at a little Mom and Pop grocery store. He was sharing Jesus with him and looking for common ground. He told the man that Daddy was a member of his church. The man was very impressed and I'll always remember what he said -- "That Coy Finnell! He don't even cuss." He was a man of his word, a handshake was a binding agreement -- he was a take-the-cart-back man of integrity and I want to live my life in such a way that reflects those same values. I wanted him to be proud of me all my life. I still do. I rested in his love when he was here and I rest in the knowledge that he is walking with Jesus now.

I miss you, Daddy. We didn't get to eat a Grand Slam breakfast tonight like we have been doing each year on this day (Denney's was his favorite place to eat) but we're going to soon. No matter what, poor weather or tight schedule, I take the cart back to the store. I leave a tip. I try to keep my promises. I don't even cuss. I think about you in your chair at 4:00 a.m. reading your Bible when I get up and curl up in my chair to read it too. I love a good joke. I play to win. And I miss you. A lot.

Oh, so sorry......

I have been computer-less for over two weeks -- the longest two weeks of my life. Well, they would have been the longest two weeks except for one lovely little detail. The husband, two Texas-residing children and myself spent a week in BEAUTIFUL Winter Park, CO hugging Tyler, skiing, eating, enjoying the gorgeous handiwork of the Creator, hugging Tyler, touring his new home followed by some hugging of Tyler. It was such a treat to be with him again, to see him in his surroundings, meet one of his bosses, see his apartment -- I can now picture all of that in my mind and feel much more relaxed and confident when I think of him so far away. He is so happy and doing well. Life is expensive as all get out (I'm still blown away by the fact that in SAFEWAY, mind you, one 15 oz. can of Ranch Style Beans cost ONE DOLLAR AND FIFTY NINE CENTS. Oh, yes it did. $1.59. I cooked and cooked one whole day so that he has a freezer full of meals & lots of meat already prepared to throw into soup or chili or stew. That made mom feel good and Tyler very happy. The Lord watched over us the entire way - we were ahead of all the storms that hit TX, NM & CO and our roads were clear. Berthoud Pass wasn't as scary as I had feared and we're home safe & sound. I have tons of pictures to post and will do so soon I think the computer situation at home is finally resolved.

In the meantime, here is my Christmas grin of the day:

Redecorating

Well, we are moving a bedroom from downstairs to the upstairs so that we have an office downstairs. Of course that is never as easy as it sounds because we have limited time to cram everything that has to be done into those hours. Right now my computer is residing in the garage. NOT part of the plan. So I have no computer access in the evening and am stuck with trying to do all my important and not so important business when I'm on a break at work.

So here's a quick update on our comings and goings: Mom is recovering nicely from her surgery - she is a lot weaker than she thought she would be but she is doing well. She is still staying at my sister's and that is a very good thing. Katie had a wreck on the North Central Expressway on Sunday where she hit a car, did about three 360's and went from the left lane into the right side ditch. Totaled the car but praise God is only sore from wrenched muscles and nothing else. The lady she hit was not hurt either so Katie had angels watching over her and I am deeply, humbly grateful. Finally on Sunday we are headed to Colorado for 4 whole days of laying eyes and hands on my boy!! I think he misses his mom and that has taken him by surprise but he is still completely head over heels in love with life in Winter Park. He's struggled mightily financially, been hungry and without gas but it all pales in comparison to his love of the snow and snowboarding and gazing at the mountains that surround him.

So that is life in our crazy household. My house is all decorated for Christmas and it's so gorgeous. I'll try to take pictures and post them....if I ever get my computer out of the garage. Maybe in January.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

I may get to the bottom of the dirt in this house. Whew. What a day. Nothing like knowing you are having a house full of people over to get you to notice the amount of dust that has settled on the mantle. And the table. And the piano. And the -- you get the picture.

Thanks for the prayers for my mom. She went in for an angioplasty on Monday and they ended up putting two stents in. She had no sign of heart trouble whatsoever and to find that she had severe blockage in one of her arteries and 40% in the other was a big shock. Thank God she had a cardiologist who wouldn't let an irregular heartbeat go. Since that is fairly common and especially related to stress it would have been easy to wave it aside. I'm so thankful he didn't. She got out of the hospital on Tuesday afternoon and I took her to my sister's. She is still there but more than ready to go home. She only lives blocks from my sister but it is more comforting to know she is recuperating under the watchful eye of family.

In only one week we are headed to Colorado to see Tyler!!!!!!!!! I can hardly wait. I'm going to spend 3 days hugging the daylights out of him. He doesn't have internet access or he could see what I did to he and the others. I wasn't sure if Katie would think it funny or infuriating - I was prepared for either. Fortunately for relations, she thought it hilarious. So I will close with this invitation to view our Christmas greeting.