We Are Off On Another Adventure

 

It is 8:09am, and we are being picked up around 11am.  He frustrates me sometimes.  But I am sure he is 'doing business' about the trip to CO.

Don't get too excited, he has on shorts.  But when I looked in the room to see what he had accomplished...well, you can guess what was running through my head.

Our Uber driver and her entertainment specialists.

Here we go!

Aiden was watching for our plane to take off so he could wave at us.

In the air somewhere over KY.  Funny story....We were in group C, the last group to board the flight.  The CSA said that we should take the first available seat, and it would probably be the middle seat.  So I am in front of Mark and I see three seats in the back row of the plane.  I turn to tell him that this is where I am headed.  I turn to look around, and there is no Pappy.  The man behind me probably thought I was off my rocker.  Have no clue where he is.  So I mosey back to the back where I have three seats all to myself.  It was wonderful!

This is how dense I am.  I had no idea what these circles were.  They are crop circles that the farmers plow to accommodate the irrigation system on their farms.

We picked up our rental and off we went to get something to eat.  The guy at Enterprise suggested the Moonlight Diner.  Breakfast for dinner.   Yummy!

Our first look at the Rockies.

We met Trevor, Cassie, Alaire, and the Preese's at a friend of Cassie's in Longmont, CO...where they lived when the kids were little.  We had pizza for dinner and made some new, very generous friends.  They put up 8 people and ended up letting us borrow a car.

Someone in the bunch showed me how to use a new app on my phone.  It was so funny!

Nailed it!

Gosh, we look so old.

I just can't get over how majestic the mountains are.  I have so many shots.  Sorry!

A few years ago, we camped here with Ellis and Alaire.  We told stories for about an hour down the road.

The vagabond caravan vehicle number one.

The new 'family group'...the PEO's.

After we took pictures by the Estes Park Sign, we were attacked by about 100 cute chipmunks.

And no, we didn't feed them.  But this little guy was sure looking for a handout.

Our favorite!

'

Delish!

Photo request from Pappy for Amanda and Jeremy.

This could be a postcard.

elk

A look at a frozen Bear Lake.

The trail was full of snow and ice.  I made it the half mile to Bear Lake and took a few pictures, then headed back to Pappy, waiting at the trailhead.

Cassie and her crew made it all the way around the lake.

Look at the snow behind me.

A nice lady offered to take a picture for us.

The heavier snow was coming over the mountain behind me.

One lone elk.

Another elk.

We got to see an entire herd of elk.

Headed through the Pass.  The sky got grayer, and it got a whole lot colder.

snow

more snow coming

Snow, fog, and all weather and everything thrown at us!  Pretty scary stuff!

We finally made it to Timberland Lodge, and look who we first saw through the kitchen window! Ellis is helping with dinner!

It is terrible, but all I could think about during dinner was the two moose that were in the yard out the dining room window.  I can't remember what we had.

Now that I see this shot, I remember...tortellini with veggies and a cream sauce with an Italian salad and bread.  The routine is to wait in the lobby until the bell is rung, then everyone quickly takes a seat.  Everyone gets quiet, really quiet.  Someone describes dinner and makes announcements.  A student is then asked to say grace.  The meals are served family style.  The actual consumption of dinner takes about 5 minutes.  Each student has a daily chore which might include removing dirty dishes, wiping down the table, sweeping under and around the tables...and please, don't take away their jobs.  This was so hard for me.

This night, Ellis was in charge of making cookies.  He used his mom's famous chocolate chip cookie recipe. They didn't last long!

Ellis is a child whisperer.

After dinner, a card game.

And here we are in our Lodge dwelling for our stay.  Two doors down from the dining hall.

Eight of us shared this bunk room.  And one little bathroom.

The old people are out like a light.  Sleeping was a little bit like sleeping with cabinmates at church camp.  And the bathroom was another issue.  Some of us went a few doors down in the Laundry Room to use the facilities.  It all worked out in the end.  And it was a great adventure for Day 1.

DAY TWO

We woke up to snow!

These are shots from the dining room window after breakfast.

The mud roads were like driving on ice.

Looks like it may snow!

We drove into town and did a little shopping.

The mountains are so different from the mountains that I am used to seeing.  They are a different kind of beautiful.

And I can't get enough of the snow.

I need to brag on my grandson just a little bit.  Each student had to give a 15-minute presentation on 5 verses of their choosing in the Bible.  They each received feedback and a grade.  Here comes the proud part...Ellis was the only student out of 40+ students to receive a 100%.  Actually, he is the only student in the last 2 years who has received a 100%. 

This is Ellis's good, crazy friend Mikey.  He's my new friend, too.

He is from Oregon and is planning to attend Cornell in the fall.

From the couch in the Lodge.

They received their yearbooks and had a signing party.  Everyone wanted to sign!

The puzzle masters.

Auntie Em...they still play your game!

The last podcast for the 3rd Room Crew.  It was a little sad to see it come to an end.  Tonight's podcast was special...there was a live audience!

Ellis, Miley, and Matthew

If you want to watch...go here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DneypP0lDDc

GRADUATION DAY

The dining room was transformed into the most beautiful spot for a pre-graduation luncheon.

Everything was just perfect!

If you know me you will understand why the decorations will be kept in the back of my mind for the next special party that we have.  Small watercolor painting done by some of the students, colorful flowers in different varieties of glass bottles, and taper candles.  Very elegant.

To describe the food would be a giant undertaking.  It was all homemade and incredible!  Check out the menu.

I need to get Claire's (the main cook) recipe for the strawberry mochi.

Look at those bagels!

And here we are.  The graduation was held in the sanctuary of the church where Ellis had been working with the youth group while in CO.

Check out the many places that the students were from.  We sat with  Sofie's parents and learned a lot about Alaska.  Very interesting lunch conversation.

This collage was made from pictures taken during the time the students were at Timberline. 

The serious graduating class.

The real graduating class.

Ellis's family group

The guys' group from his family group was called his covenant group.

Again, the mountains just make me feel so good and alive.  They give me life.  I know what may sound so crazy, but when I am in the woods or now in CO in the mountains, I just get a burst of energy and a well-being feeling.  I can't explain it.

A very proud Wammy and Pappy.

I swear he has gotten taller since the last time I saw him.  Time to measure again next time he visits.

grandfathers

parents

grandmothers

The yearbook

It is official!

TIME TO HEAD BACK TO HOME SWEET HOME

I parked myself on the hearth.

This made me so sad.  Students saying their see-you-laters.

Goodbye, CO, hope to see you again.

We go to experience the dry side of the mountain, heading back to the Denver airport.

The road looks curvy like the roads in WV, but there are no pretty trees.

Where Are The Dogs You May Have Been Asking?

They have been at two different homes for Sleep Away Camp.

The Bruces volunteered to watch Claude because Emmy didn't feel like her fence would keep Claude in the backyard.  Life looks tough.

It didn't take her long to make herself right at home.

Emmy had the other three.  Gladys now has a new name...Princess.  She got to eat her dinner on Walter's bed.

It looks like Claude wore everyone out.  She is a snuggler!

Walter is such a good boy to share his bed.

Levi loved having a second dog.

This is his brand-new puppy, Reba.

They could be twins...not.

I'm thinking that we should invest in a bigger dog bed.

Bless Emmy's heart.  She did say that it was way easier taking care of them at her house...once they learned the rules.

Claude didn't have any rules.  She looked like she was living her best life.

Claude looks scraggly, but I swear I gave her a bath and brushed her before she went to camp.

Sam and Mia stopped by to say hi.

I just need a second to tell you that I can feel that this time away from family and having to discipline himself to do this out of his comfort zone, Ellis has grown so much.  Yes, it is still that 19-year-old that doesn't call often or answer texts right away...but he is a changed kid due to the love and prayers the adults at Timberline poured into him.  Thank you to those who helped pave the way for him to have this amazing life-changing experience, and thanks for all the prayers along the way.

He is home now for a few weeks before he returns to Timberline to work this summer. 

 

When I asked him what he would be doing this summer he said he will be leading hikes and then he will be working in the kitchen at Timberline for the next group of students.  This all makes my heart very happy.

Thank you, Wammyville families for making it possible for us to go enjoy some time away with family.  Thank you, Sick family for getting all of our junk mail.  Thank you to whoever subbed for me on Sunday.   Thank you neighbors for keeping an eye on the house while we were gone. Thank you, Sleep Away Camp counselors for taking care of our pack. And thank you, Shannon, for asking when I was going to do a blog.