A Conversation with the Cat

For the past 6 weeks or so, our nineteen year old cat has been here.  Under our bay window rolled up so no one can see him.  Or at least that's what he thinks.  So when I was coming downstairs yesterday I couldn't resist having this conversation with him.

"Forrest!"  I yell.

No response. 

I think he's deaf, but it could just be selective hearing. 

I prefer to think that he's deaf!

I get a little closer.  

"Forrest."  A little louder.  

Still no response.

"Buddy!"

"What?" He replies a bit irritated.

"Just checking on you."  I say.  "Everything okay?"

"It was. Until you interrupted a perfectly good nap." He manages to say.

"Oh.  Well I just wanted to hang out and pet you for a while."

"If you must." Clearly allowing me to do this only because he knows I am the hand that feeds him!

After very little response.  He goes back to this.

And I go back to leaving him alone to sleep in peace.  Until the next time I arouse him of course! 

A Surprise Visitor

Cathy.  My Godmother. Cathy. The woman who was one of my 3 mom's--she,  Kathy W. and my mom were the best of friends and would hang out together all of the time. Cathy. The woman who taught me the true use of belly buttons--to store your ketchup late at night so you can dip your french fries when you're in need of a little snack before bed!  Cathy.  The woman whom I haven't seen in 32 years, but recently came into my life and it felt like no time had passed at all.  Minus the fact that I was no longer 8 years old and I now have kids of my own, of course!  Don't you love relationships like those?  The ones that are truly everlasting!

Well this is a story and a half...

You see while my family and I were vacationing a couple of weeks ago, my mom called to inform me that Cathy called her.  Normally this isn't any big deal, except for the fact that this was the second time she'd called this year.  You see Cathy and my mom only talk once a year.  And it's always when Cathy calls my mom.  Don't ask me why my mom doesn't call her.  I don't really have an answer for that one.

Anyway out of the blue she calls my mom to chat, but in truth she was scheming.  Scheming to surprise my mom with a visit.  A visit that was 32 years in the making.  For forever, Cathy had been promising my mom that she would make it to Colorado Springs for a visit.  She did make it once.  To Denver. But it was just a drive through on her way west, and there was no time for a stopover in the Springs.

But this was the year!  Only she wanted to surprise my mom, so the purpose for the 2nd call was to sneakily get my phone number and contact me to help her with the surprise.  We had it all planned out.  We were so excited!  Unfortunately my mom analyzed the call to death, (as she does with so many things in her life) and came to the conclusion she was coming for a visit. So, naturally, she called me. And when she called, she woke me out of a deep sleep.  In my confusion, I said, "You %$#@!  How did you figure it out?"  Well, after a heated discussion, a bit of an argument, and of course some Mama guilt, she managed to get me to tell her that she was indeed coming for a surprise visit.

Now, I wasn't giving up on the whole concept of somehow surprising my mom.  And with a little last minute ingenuity, Cathy and I did manage to scare the bageebies out of her! We parked halfway down the block from her house, and with two cups of coffee in hand, Cathy entered unannounced in the house through the back door. My mom must have jumped 6 inches off the floor.

After some yelling, some laughing, and of course hugging the two were reunited at last! What a great surprise!

A true friendship that has endured over 40 years!

Thank you so much for a great visit!

By the way, Cathy, I am hopeful that you are reading this entry and will send copies of those great photos Mike took of  you and our family.  In my excitement, I completely forgot to have Craig take some, too!

Miss you bunches.  Wish we lived closer.  Love you.

"Homelessness" Update

So, I thought you might like a little update on our home status.  Well we are still in a state of homelessness!  At least that is how I have been feeling lately.  That is until I was sitting in church this past Sunday--fabulous message by the way.  Basically about making a choice and sticking with it.  Stop wavering between what I know is right (giving my all to God--good and bad) and doing what feels good to me (keeping up with my materialistic desires and using God when it fits into my schedule). I am sure you can decide what He would want for us to do!

Anyway, as I was sitting waiting for the service to begin, I noticed it is the time of year where our church hosts about 100 or so true homeless families.  Families that have little and are unable to provide for themselves do to unforeseen circumstances. The church provide meals and shelter for two weeks each year.  Ironically, this year it runs from August 17-August 31.  As I was sitting in the pew thinking about my own homeless status, I realized this is the same time frame that the prospective owners of our home would be renting our home back to us.  You see, we are scheduled to close on August 16th, but our Realtor set it up so that we could rent the house back for up to two weeks.  How humbled I was to realize that my 'homelessness' is nothing compared to so many others.  I sat with my head bowed, tears rolling slowly down my cheek.  The gratitude that I felt at that very moment was so overwhelming I couldn't help but shed them.  In this moment, I realized--for the billionth time--that I just don't need to worry.  I need to smile and say thank you. 

Thank you for all of the crazy, wonderful experiences that have led up to this day. 

Thank you for growing me up in my faith through this experience.

Thank you for trusting me to be able to not know what my future holds, and to have faith that whatever You bring my way will be for good and not for evil to give me a future and a hope! 

Thank you for helping me to enjoy each and every moment as it occurs.  Even if that moment means I had to step away from this entry to give my aging kitty his third drink from our kitchen sink because he refuses to drink water from a bowl!

As for the home status, we are still wavering.  Well sort of.  We think we have found the right property, but we are just waiting for a few loose ends to wrap up.  (Inspections, appraisals, etc.) Craig and I are hopeful that we should know more by the end of the week, but we also know that God is in control and we don't need to fret.  We just have to continue to take the steps forward to see if this is the path we should take.

Summer Vacation Part 2

Well clearly by the fact that I left you hanging, you could gather that we pressed on!  In fact, we basically let the kids decide what was next on the the list.  We gave them the map and told them to pick the next destination.  Of course we gave them some parameters that they had to stay within.  No going to the east coast at this point with only 4 days left before Mr. Mann had to be back to work!!

They studied it for a bit and decided to go to one of their favorite spots.  VEGAS!  I know, I know.  What do a 12 and 10 year old know about Vegas?  Well, given that two have been there 3 times already, they know that there are tons of fun things to see and do that having nothing to do with the grown-up version of Vegas.  So with our bags packed again, we got into the car and made our way from Flagstaff to Vegas.  We saw some great things along the way.  Our first stop was Sedona. Cute shops but the people were a bit unfriendly.  All but the Bob's that is!

Not sure Nana would care for this one.  He's a bit cracked!

Maybe she would prefer a doctor.  Oh wait this a medicine woman not 

Dr. Bob!

 Our next stop was Jermone.  The city built on the side of a cliff.  It was a bit too steep for a parking space, so this was a drive by rather than an official stop.  And of course I forgot to take a picture, but when we reached a stopping point above the city, I was able to capture this photo of how steep the mountain was.  No city views tho!  It was actually down the road and around the corner.

Next up was the new and improved Hoover Damn.  Wow!  This was actually pretty incredible, since you didn't even realize you were on the bridge until after you passed over and made the turn to go underneath! 

On our way into town we caught a beautiful glimpse of something rarely found in the desert!

Lake Mead!  And since is was over a 100 degrees, we were really wishing we had Grandpa Mann along so that we could go for a boat ride!

Finally we had arrived to the place the kids really wanted to go!  Now in a city with a bazillion hotel rooms, we just had to find one!



 After an hour or so of driving around, and searching the smart phone, we found a place.  The next step was to decide all the great things we wanted to do.  We would only be hear for about 36 hours so we had to really pack in the fun!

One of our first stops was to our favorite Japanese Buffet.  We are not huge buffet people.  In fact we never go to them.  However, this one is fantastic and as the saying goes...When in Rome do as the Romans do!  Wasn't Vegas originated just for buffets??!!  Upon looking around the shops at the Miracle Mile where the restaurant is located, we came across this sign.  I couldn't resist capturing a Kodak moment of it, as I feel like I am always looking for something.  Whether it be a pen in the bottom of my purse, a piece a paper to write a note, or someone to buy my house?!!! (little did we know what was in store for us, see previous post) After dinner we headed to the Mirage for the much anticipated volcano display.  It has been closed every time we've come for the past 10 years, so when it actually went off without a hitch this time we were delighted.  Could I show you a picture of it?  Of course not!  I must have forgotten to take them.  Besides, it's better in person!

One thing the grown-ups did want to see this time around was the new City Center.  I am not exactly sure how long it took to complete, but it seems like the past 3 times we've been to Vegas it was being worked on.  And mind you, we don't go that often.  We weren't overly impressed, but we did see this sign which Caleb reminds us of from time to time--Elvis is in the Building!  Not exactly sure why he says this but he does.  One picture I missed was of the Elvis that was shorter than Caleb.  Very funny site!  Hate those missed photo opportunities.  But I am sure you can imagine it in your head!

The reason for this picture is twofold.  First, it is simply a crazy sculpture.  It is a slew of canoes with what we gathered to be the phone number of one of the hotels at City Center on  each of them.  We think is was for Aria, but we can't be certain.  Second, we were driving next to this sculpture when we got the message that we received an offer on the house.  (see previous post) 

I just love this picture.  Not because it's spectacularly beautiful or anything, but simply because the kids didn't realize their Dad and I caught them just admiring the view of the gardens at the Bellagio.  It is always a different site when we go to see it.  And it is always spectacular!
 

 These milkshakes came from a recommendation from our neighbors.  You can get them from a place between the Luxor and Mandalay Bay at a place called the Burger Bar.  And while the Mann is not a big milkshake person he was extremely gracious and let us fulfill our deepest graving at the moment! The three of us would  highly recommend it!  Between us we had a Black and White--a cookie dough concoction. A Brown Cow--can you say hot fudge?! And a Lemon Sorbet--cool and refreshing!  Oohhhh...they were YUMMY!  Can't describe exactly what was in them, so you'll just have to go there and try them yourself!

By mid afternoon the temperatures were soaring.  Well into the 100's!  We decided to cool off in the pool and refresh ourselves.  Unfortunately, my sweetest Mann packed my cover-up rather than my bathing suit, so I was left to just dip my feet.  Didn't last as long as the others, but did enjoy a few moments alone in the hotel room!

 The evening sent us to a delicious Italian restaurant based on a recommendation from Craig's parents.  Can't remember the name, but it is located at Sunset Station which is off the strip a bit.  Service was fantastic and the food was very tasty.  The kids really wanted to see the fountain show at Bellagio so we headed back to the strip and parked at City Center.  Below is a picture of something we've never seen before.  There are sensors under each parking spot that indicate if the space is empty or not.  Green-empty.  Red-taken.  Way cool!

Caught this unique photo of my guy gazing at the strip prior to the fountain show beginning.  With Paris in the background and his gaze upon I don't know what, I just had to capture the moment.  There really is too much to look at when you're in Vegas. True sensory overload!

Our final destination was Circus Circus.  Can you say a child's dream come true?  Of course any arcade would make a child thrilled!  Caleb spent all of his money plus ours to earn a plush toy, but the smile on his face was worth every penny! 

What a site!

Our time here was filled with some wonderful experiences.  I know it will be a while before we come back, but I look forward to the next visit!

 It was a long drive home.  Just over 13 hours.  But this was a site we'd never seen before.  Is this what we should expect in the near future?

While the trip had some crazy moments, I am so glad we made these memories together.  

Until our next journey.....

Summer Vacation Part 1

Author's Note:  Prior to diving into this post you may want to grab a comfy chair and cool drink!  It's a long one!!

Last week we took a crazy road trip for our summer vacation.  We weren't certain what we were going to do during the week Craig had scheduled off.  We were on the fence about if we wanted to just stay put and save the money in case we sold our house, or if we should just press on and enjoy a week of family adventures.  By the time the first day rolled around, we decided we would do a couple of day trips.  Maybe and overnight or two.Perhaps a camping trip. So on Saturday, we jumped in the car and headed to Estes Park  via the back way.  It was a beautiful trip that we had never done before.  The mountains have received quite a bit of moisture, so everything was so green and lush and the rivers are raging!  Of course I don't have photos of this to share with you so I guess you'll just have to go for yourself!  As we were making our way home we decided to take a detour to one of our favorite burrito joints in Fort Collins.  Big City Burrito.  The best and biggest wrap we've tasted.  We've been going since college and introduced it to the kids when they were little.  Now they ask us often if we can go.  It's a bit of a drive from home, but we've been  known to do it a time or two!

 

On Sunday, we woke up late and missed church.  We were still very tossed about what the plans were for the week.  By noon we had made a decision.  We  packed the suitcase with a few days worth of clothes, the cooler with some ice and drinks and jumped in the car.  We had a few places in mind that we wanted to go--The Great Sand Dunes, Ignacio and Ouray, to see if we could learn any more about Chief Ouray [a peace maker from the 1800's that Caleb studied in school] and the Grand Canyon. 

The Dunes turned out to be super windy with sand blowing in our faces and pelting us on the legs.  Along with a few thundershowers and no water running through the creek, we decided to hit to road.  Just a few miles away is a fantastic hike to Zapata Falls.  We've done it a couple of other times, but the kids couldn't remember so we reminded them just how fantastic is was!

 

After a good nights rest, we ventured on to Ignacio and Ouray.  We caught up with another hike adjacent to a rest area called Treasure Falls.  BEAUTIFUL!!

We stopped in Ignacio to find Chief Ouray's gravesite, but after searching the entire graveyard, we had no luck.  So, we pressed on to Ouray.  What a fantastic mountain town.  Loved everything about it.  Especially the bike outside one of the shops!

Just love this bike!

Where do you live?  On the corner of 5th and 5th!

  We new we couldn't make it to the Grand Canyon from Ouray given the time we had left, so we ended up sleeping in Cortez.  We made it there around 8:00 after driving thru some pretty barren land for many hours, so we stopped by Wendy's for dinner.  Unfortunately, during the meal we a little incident that landed us here at 10:00 at night.

Please don't be fooled by the smile.  The pain was awful

Now I am sure you are wondering why a trip to Wendy's landed us in the ER in a small town in Southwestern Colorado. You see my wonderful Mann has a tendency to get things in his eye. Easily.  This is actually his 3rd trip to the ER for having a foreign object in the eye.  He's also been to the regular doctor a time or two for a flushing!  Well let me just say, I was so grateful this town even had a hospital! Now we aren't certain exactly what it was that landed in the eye this time, as the doctor said Craig actually got it out prior to arriving, but we are thinking it had to be a small part of a french fry or even better, a piece of salt! After a few crazy questions, an exam under the black light, and some fantastic numbing drops, the doc did determine he had definitely scratched the cornea. Again. By 11:00 they let us leave and carry on with our adventures! 

The next morning we ventured to one of the world's natural wonders.  The Grand Canyon.  Not much to say here except WOW!

Just a couple of great kids!

Absolute Beauty!

After three great days, it was decision time.  Do we go home or do we press on?

To be continued...

All in God's Timing

For the past week, we have been traveling across our state and into New Mexico (briefly albeit), Arizona, and Utah. It was a last minute decision last Sunday and we returned home on Friday.  It was an extremely eventful trip and I promise to update (with photos later this week!)  But the biggest shock came when the phone rang while walking around Las Vegas.  It was our realtor, Diana.  She had to leave a message as our cell phone service carrier has shotty coverage in the downtown Vegas area.  Much to our surprise, an offer came in.  It wasn't exactly what we were hoping for, but after one counter we signed the paperwork yesterday and sold our home at full asking price!  Wow.  With just two weeks left before we were to pull it off the market we actually sold our home.  A true testimony to allowing God to be in control.  I had to leave the state to stop thinking about the process.  As soon as I was relaxed and no longer thinking about it, we get an offer.  Praise God!  I can see him laughing at me as I write this, saying, "I was wondering when you were going to let Me take care of you!"

On a side note here is little something that is rather interesting:

• We put our house on the market 12.16
• We signed the contract to sell on 7.16
• Our closing is scheduled for 8.16
• Craig and I have been married for 16 years.
• We met when we were 16 years old.
• Yesterday we viewed our 16th property.  It wasn't the one, but there is one or two that could work out...one in particular, but only God's timing will let us know if it is the one or not!!  

I am not a numbers person, but I did find this to be kind of crazy!  A least a fun story to share with you all!

Summer Hockey League

 Caleb has been playing inline hockey since he was in first grade.  It is truly one his favorite things to do. In all of the games I have been to throughout the years, I have never been to one quite like this one. It was a hoot! It started 15 minutes late because over half of his team was on vacation.  In fact, in order for them to be able to play, they had to recruit players from a different team. This was the last game of the evening and while there is normally a pee wee league playing at the same time, tonight there wasn't.  This took me a little off guard because for the first time ever, the rink was actually quiet.  I must say it felt a bit awkward to even cheer the kids on.  Usually the place is filled with energy and excitement.  However, tonight was truly an exception.  By half time, all of the players were exhausted from not having any line changes.  But the best part of the game came when there was just 7 minutes left to play.  Coach Pete blew the whistle for an impromptu time out so that our team's goalie could use the bathroom!  When I looked up this is what I saw.










The players taking a rest on the rink--probably grateful for the break from playing the entire game.  In the end Caleb's team one 5-3.  This makes for an undefeated season!  Just 7 games left.  Good Luck Flyers!

Summer Blooms

Just about this time each year, my daisies bloom.  It's like clockwork. The reason I know this is because it happens right around the time I celebrate my birthday.  This year it was about a week after.  Last year it was about a week before.  I just love the freshness of these daisies.  I planted the bunch below the year we moved into our current home.  They have matured quite nicely.  The bunch above I transplanted last summer.  They are considerably smaller than the original bunch, but it reminds me the with all good things a little bit of time can do wonders!

 A few years back I planted these lovelies.  Can't remember exactly what they are.  Picked them up at the local Lowe's when I was feeling the need to fill in the planting bed under our favorite tree--a purple autumn ash.  They have filled in like crazy and I just love them.  In fact, I think my neighbor has an even better close up of them.  The best part about them is that they bloom all summer long.  While summer has never really been my favorite time of year, there are a few simple pleasures that I can appreciate--summer blooms being one of them!