Denver Zoo and Ashley's Friends (Part 2)

I didn't know that the blogger limits the pictures and description sizes. I did the post below first, then realized that the more I wrote, the more pictures were being deleted from the page. So, if you start with Part 1 below, this will be Part 2!

While Steven was doing a 26 mile hike with some buddies from Ohio, Ashley, Leif, Rhonda, Tom, and I went to the Denver Zoo. It is a must see, the layout of the zoo is amazing, more animals for the mile than the Cleveland or Cincinnati Zoos! Rhonda volunteers once a week and was able to give us information only an insider would know! This added to the wonder of the day.Ashley and Rhonda got close and personal with the animals... and then a little boy got personal with Ashley. The little guy must have sensed her sweet spirit because he did not hesitate to stake out his territory! This one thought that maybe Ashley's beauty would rub off! Seemed to be pretty happy to have her come over to visit!It was a great day to meander through the zoo with friends! Even the men did a great job sticking with the girls! (Found out later that Leif wanted Tom to ditch the zoo and go golfing with him... he put two sets of clubs in the trunk just in case!) Thanks, guys for being the troopers that you were - -five hours worth!

Ashley bought nectar for the larakeets...
this one would not let Ashley put the nectar in her other hand when her arm got tired of holding it! It grabbed onto the cup and would not let go!


Thank you, once again, Steven and Ashley for having us! We really had a good time, and it was so good to see you both again! Know that you are always in our hearts and in our prayers... we love you both tons and tons!

Ashley and Steven, the Girls, and Colorado! Part 1

We were able to spend some time with Ashley and Steven this past week. We had a great time with the four of them. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US! The girls got to go out and play at Cherry Creek Park, needless to say, they were beat for days!

The dandelions were SO BIG that I wanted to get a picture of a perfect one. I had been looking for about a half hour, when I finally found one. I set the camera on 'flower,' bent down, and then Nan ran over full blast and stuck her nose right into it before I could get the picture! The funniest thing was Steven's reaction, I thought he was going to wet himself laughing so hard! Just so you know, I did find one!







Dad and I went to the Garden of the Gods while Ashley and Steven were working. The views were spectacular. The skies were changing every half hour. We did get rain but not enough to ruin the day. Quite beautiful!




We also went to Boulder to visit the Celestial Tea Company - a fabulous way to experience the fragrances of cardamom, cinnamon, peppermint, hibiscus, lemon, and anise. Depending on the day, there may even be other fragrances. There is a tasting room that has about ten different teas for sampling. If that isn't enough, they have a menu at the counter of ALL the teas that they make, and you can ask for a sample of each and every one of them if you would so desire! I tried a few from Africa, some Zingers, and a chai that is my absolute new favorite tea! If you get a chance to try Sweet Coconut Thai Chai, I would recommend it! The flavors in the 'front' are delicious, but the 'back' of the tea is the coconut that just settles perfectly on your taste buds! Was able to make it taste even better by sipping it with Ashley!

We went to a couple of really great restaurants: Nick and Jimmy's BBQ (for the best BBQ yet! Hoggy's and Sonny's will never be the same!) and Ted's Montana Grill (for the best bison or beef burgers! I had beef burger with green chili peppers, guacamole, and Monterey Jack cheese, YUMMY!) Later in the week Ashley saw in their Denver magazine that these two restaurants got #1 ratings!


Even though the food was great - the company was "tons better!"

Come On Summer!

Happy Birthday, MOM! Thought you'd need trip to the lake, so here you go! Can't take you to Capri for real, but isn't it the thought that counts?

Now that the snow is gone, the grass is green, and the trees are in bloom, this girl is counting down till summer. Carol at school is the official "count down girl," and she said that there are only 12 more days with kids!



Sometime this summer I have to have my wrist operated on...between trips to the lake, Chicago, Colorado, and Maine. But since the doctor cannot fit me in for a while, I will be able to knit a bunch of summer weight hats and chemo caps! This is one of my first hats... finally made the scarf to go with it. This will go in the homeless donation pile... white probably being a dumb color choice on my part!




These are the warmer hats that I will probably hold back and donate when the temperature drops again. Until then, I will just keep knitting...

Another SNOW Day!

I am thankful for yet another snow day, but ... a girl's got to dream! Today - Hawaii!