Check out Dylan (aka puppy) on the back row in the red/black Christmas sweater and the ear-to-ear grin. All the children were dressed in their holiday best. It seemed odd to see little girls in their pretty dresses and snow boots! Definitely not a sight we would see in Georgia.

Anderson Elementary School's second grade classes performing their Christmas Program

Last Saturday Kelly and I went to the Open House at the Wyoming Governor's home. Their chef provided delicious refreshments, we toured the home, listened to holiday music played by a string ensemble and chatted with the First Lady. They open their home for holiday events, including trick-or-treating. Next year we would like to attned the candlelight tour of the historic Governor's mansion in downtown Cheyenne. Afterwards Kelly and I had a dinner date at Cheyenne's brand new Olive Garden restaurant.

Dylan was enjoying a weekend with his Dad in Nebraska.

As I reviewed the pictures from the previous posts, I realized the snow is still on the ground. It has warmed up just enough this week to melt the snow during the day and re-freeze into sheets of ice at night. One of the many reasons I have not let Kelly drive since his shoulder surgery two weeks ago!



He is doing better each day. We had hoped the surgery in September would be successful, but his bicep tendon continued to pop out of its groove creating a great deal of discomfort. Since his earlier surgery, he has regained a lot of mobility. He's arm will be in a sling until mid-January. We are hoping 2008 will be surgery free and we can continue with our home improvement projects. He has assured me it will not hinder unwrapping presents on Christmas Day!



Dylan is excited about Christmas and is counting down each day. Wednesday was his all-day party at school which included crafts, movies, and refreshments. Thursday Kelly and I attended his Christmas program. He was a puppy dog when they sang the song "All Critters have a Place in the Choir". He has really enjoyed singing Christmas carols this season. I laugh every time he sings "We wish you a Merry Christmas!" when he says, "Now bring us some fishy pudding". Friday they had a pajama party and movie before they were released for the holiday. Dylan is equally excited about keeping secrets this year. When asked if he has been good this year, he responds, "A little bit good and a little bit bad." At least he is honest (some of the time!)



Personally, the holidays have been a bit difficult. I have been more homesick than usual, which I guess is to be expected. Twice I have heard the song "Christmas Makes Me Cry" on KLOVE and felt the tears roll down my cheeks. I have found myself reminiscing more than usual this year. Oddly enough, I even wondered "What ever happened to kumquats?" As a child I remember the many gift baskets and boxes my family would receive during the holiday season including fruit baskets. I recall the tart lttle fruits that would make your insides pucker. I also recall the ribbon candy that only Grandmothers had. As I type this I remember the Georgia-made fruitcakes in the red and white striped boxes. I do not remember eating them--just their attendance at every holiday season. (My Mom makes the best fruit cake--minimal fruit with LOTS of nuts!) My mind has been wandering in places that have until now been a distant memory.



It looks like we may really have a white Christmas this year, which has only happened I believe 14 times in the last 100+. --We are more apt to have snow on Easter than Christmas! We are enjoying our time off together and are still in our pajamas at mid-day. It is a cold 20 degrees with a wind-chill near zero. We received a wonderful gift basket from family in North Carolina that included English muffins, crumpets, a cinnamon toffee torte, and apple spice conserve. We enjoyed the tasty delight with coffee in front on the fire.



We are looking forward to sharing soup and chili with our friends Kathy and Terry and their girls tonight and playing games at their house. We are avoiding the last minute Christmas rush and choosing to spend it with family and friends. Weather permitting, we will travel "over the river and through the woods" (or in this area of the country "over the prairie and through the snow") to Grandma and Pappa Priests' home in Ft. Collins to celebrate Christmas with Kelly's parents, three siblings and spouses, and nieces and nephews. Sounds like fun! We will return to work for two days before we travel home for the remainder of the holidays. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel south on December 28th. At this time snow is predicted for Thursday, December 27th. Since our flight leaves at a too-early 5:30 am, we have reservations near the airport on Thursday night. Kelly is looking forward to the balmy temperatures. I am looking forward to Christmas lunch at my Mom's house the following Saturday. Mostly, we are looking forward to being home for Christmas.

This is what a Georgia Peach and her little Georgia Peanut look like in the Wyoming Snow.
These pictures were taken at Holliday Park, next to the YMCA, after Dylan's basketball game.

Glad we have a kid who is a great photographer. When I was his age, the results would have been less than desirable--with blurred images, chopped off heads, or fingers on the photo.

Boy + Snow = Snowball Fight

I guess birds of a feather really do flock together. We were surprised by a flock of geese. (check out the one-legged one---they stand on one leg, while warming the other in their feathers.) There were more than 100 geese on the frozen lake. They quickly came to us, probably with hopes of being fed.

Holliday Park transformed into a winter wonderland.

If we had not had a basketball game today, we probably would not have left the house. Last week's game was canceled due to an ice storm. This morning we awoke to about 6" of snow with a temperature of 14 degrees with a wind-chill of 2 degrees. At first, Dylan put on his snow boots instead of his tennis shoes. Kelly convinced him to change shoes for basketball. It is neat to see him really begin to grasp the game and work with his teammates.

Last night, when we got home, he took of his snow boots and damp jeans to put on soccer shorts with his turtleneck and hooded sweatshirt. It was quite a fashion statement. Then he was cold and wanted to warm up beside the fireplace. Sometimes Kelly just shakes his head in disbelief.

I love Christmas trees! Kelly was challenged to find a place for each of my Santa ornaments. He thought we were almost done when I opened up yet another box filled with my holiday treasures. Dylan was a huge help putting the tree together. He prefers to play with the ornaments, incorporating Santa into his action figure fantasies instead of finding their proper place on the Christmas tree. He was mostly intrigued by the bubble wrap used to package my fragile ornaments. (Remind me--why we are buying more toys for Christmas, when bubble wrap will do??!!) It was fun decorating together. Dylan helped separate the Christmas presents between our two trees--one upstairs and one downstairs. I wonder if he will shake and arrange the presents as much as Angie and I did. As an only child, he probably isn't compelled to check "How many?" as much as we were.

Dylan has discovered games, so almost every night we are challenged. Thankfully, he is finally understanding the rules (and the consequences if you don't follow them!), so it is a fun time. We are playing Trouble and an occasional round of Candy Land. Although he prefers video/computer games (just like Kelly), he loves playing games with us. Kelly and I have rediscovered Scrabble and play it each night after Dylan goes to bed. Other than re-runs of Jay Leno, the writer's strike really hasn't affected us.

Being goofy!

Getting into the holiday spirit

We ushered in December with a winter storm that brought slick roads and freezing rain into Wyoming. The occasional snow made it feel a lot like Christmas. It was a perfect weekend to stay home and decorate for Christmas. We did venture out for the Annual Breakfast with Santa at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Saturday morning. It was a fun morning with clowns, balloons, and therapy dogs. Dylan's favorite was the "invisible" dog a clown was walking on a leash. We enjoyed Santa face pancakes and sausage. Dylan got extra points with me and Kelly for standing patiently in the endlessly long line awaiting his turn with Santa. (I am sure Santa was contemplating some kid's ranking on the Naughty/Good List!) He and Kelly wrote his list. Santa put it in his big, red bag to take back to the North Pole after reading it with Dylan. It was a magical morning.

Do I have to clean my plate before I can see Santa????

Proudly displaying "The List"

Presenting "The List"

Conversations with Santa

Photo op with Santa

My guys

The Happy Family

Mom and her Little Elf

Well, "Tis the Season". We started our holiday preparations today after church. We dressed the exterior of the house by hanging the greens---wreaths and swags. Dylan helped me flank the front door with potted Christmas trees. He added his own special touch by placing a Santa on one side and his recycled critter he found in the garage on the other. It was a robot we made for a first grade project. It was made out of plastic bottles, Styrofoam, etc. I have a feeling it will soon disappear---Wyoming Wind or otherwise! If not, we will have to find a Santa hat for it to wear!

I enjoyed loading the stereo with my favorite holiday tunes and wrapping presents. Gift wrapping is one of my favorite things to do. I don't know if it is because it conjures up memories of wrapping gifts for my Mom while the windows steamed up from the cool weather and the pots of food cooking on the stove created delicious fragrances throughout the house. Or is it memories of my first job and holidays spent wrapping gifts at Belk's? Sometimes it is an escape. Even when I was in management, I would welcome the opportunity to help gift wrap customer's treasures.

Dylan also got into the spirit. He wrote a letter to Santa telling him he needed milk and cookies. Dylan poured himself and Santa each a glass of milk. We had to convince him that it would spoil before Santa arrives on December 25th. Since Dylan also had a couple of meltdowns today, we had to remind him that Santa is watching. He said he would get rocks if he was not a good boy--I think he meant coal. Since he collects rocks--lots of rocks--that may not be a deterrent! He has already broken the straps on his backpack this year because he loads it down with so many rocks. If you ask, they are all beautiful and have special powers. He puts them in his backpack, pockets, and any other place he can use to transport them home. I've learned to check all his pockets before putting his clothes in the laundry.

In typical family tradition we attended the annual Cheyenne Christmas Parade tonight after we retrieved Dylan from Nebraska. As you can see, we were bundled from head-to-toe, but it was insufficient for the freezing temps. Somehow 32 degrees did not seem cold when the meteorologist shared his forecast. Remember, we've had below zero wind-chills recorded this weekend, so in reality it was a heat wave! Well, let me tell you...If you are sitting outside and it is below freezing, it is COLD. Even though Dylan was excited about the parade, he quickly recounted his request and suggested we return home. He had visions of a warm fireplace dancing in his head. He began the evening with hot chocolate. The Prairie Rose was serving hot cider and cookies nearby, so we stepped into their quaint little store to thaw out. Dylan was content watching the parade of lights from the storefront. We returned to the parade in time to see Jolly 'Ole St. Nick appear and close out the parade festivities.

We were thankful to return to our warm home to enjoy a hot bowl of chili in front of the fireplace.

After our early morning shopping excursion Kelly and I took a road trip to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to see the Titanic Exhibition. It was a popular destination today. Fortunately (in typical Kelly fashion) my husband called ahead and secured our tickets.

Upon our arrival, we were issued the boarding passes of actual passengers (see below). I was 47 year old Miss Jane Carr. After more than 20 years as a domestic and cook for wealthy families in New England I was returning to my native Ireland to be near my family. I was making a last voyage on the Titanic to settle my affairs in America. I was traveling alone in 3rd class.

Kelly was issued the boarding pass of Mr. Edgar Joseph Meyer. He was a 28 year old mechanical engineer whose discoveries in the field of combustion greatly advanced the development of the gasoline engine. He was returning from home for the funeral of his father-in-law, Andrew Saks, the founder of Saks Department Store. He was traveling 1st class with his wife Leila.

We were able to see actual artifacts that were recovered from the Titanic's deep sea burial place. We were amazed at how well preserved the treasures were. We experienced what it would have been like to travel as an affluent 1st class guest or a more modest 3rd class passenger. We read the stories of some of the over 2200 passengers. Only 800+ survived that fateful night in 1912. At the end of the exhibit we were able to check the roster of survivors and those lost at sea. Both mine and Kelly's passengers were lost at sea. Edgar's wife, Leila, survived. It was a chilling experience. The traveling exhibit will leave Denver is January. If it comes to a city near you, we encourage you to experience this once in a lifetime event.

When we left Denver it was snowing. There is something invigorating about beginning the holidays with a chill in the air and snow on the ground. We arrived back in Ft. Collins in time for a late lunch of Thanksgiving leftovers. We are now comfortable camped out of the sofa for a quite night at home. We are looking forward to two more days of R & R.

This year more than ever I am thankful for faith, family, and friends.

Thanksgiving 2007 was a roller coaster of emotions. I am so thankful to have a very loving and patient hubby. He knew this would be a difficult holiday for me. Wednesday proved to be a day that would have been better spent in bed under the covers. Stresses at the clinic--the joy of being a poor non-profit trying to take care of God's children with a shoestring budget--and the private heart ache of the first Thanksgiving without my Daddy, were almost more than I could bare. Even waterproof mascara did not mask my tearful state. When Dylan picked up on my sadness he responded with, "It's okay Mommy, Granddaddy will always love you." More tears........

We awoke to several inches of snow on the ground Wednesday morning, but it did not interfere with plans for Dylan to spend the holiday with his Dad in Nebraska. It allowed Kelly and I to have a low-key Thanksgiving. We spent the morning in our pj's. A perfect place to be since it was 3 degrees with a wind-chill of -14! We traveled south to Ft. Collins to share a Thanksgiving meal with Kelly's parents. His mom honored my Southern Heritage by making Paula Dean's cornbread and sausage dressing. It was very tasty. My sweet potato casserole and pumpkin roll were a big hit--especially with Kelly's sister Susie. Two of Kelly's siblings had other obligations, so it was a quiet afternoon. Eight year old Olivia challenged us to a game of Horseopoly. I quickly concluded it was cheaper to stay in jail than land on all the horses and property I did not own! I knew there was a reason I did not like horses! After we were stuffed with the holiday bounty, we carefully studied the after Thanksgiving ads to plan our shopping strategy.

Kelly and I gave into temptation and joined the masses. We were at our first store at 4:50 am Friday morning. We were a great team as we hit 7 stores plus Starbucks in 2.5 hours. Mission accomplished! I swore I would NEVER be one of those CRAZY PEOPLE when I was in retail. Never say never.......

Kelly and I spend a lot of time goofing off with the camera and trying interesting shots. That is the joy of a digital camera. These were taken on the way home from Nebraska. The sky was an amazing array of colors. Since I was not using a tripod, the lights in the distance created some interesting squiggles.

It's a miracle the camera works at all after a recent mishap. When we returned home from Estes Park when Mom and Barbara were visiting we could not find our camera. After turning my car and the house inside out I had a gut feeling the camera could have fallen into a trash bag we had discarded at a gas station when we returned to Cheyenne. Kelly and I trekked back across town in the freezing rain to find the bag where we had left it in the trash can. The remnants of Starbucks coffees and hot chocolates had left a sticky residue on our camera. Although it still works, the lens occasionally sticks and creates an unusual frame around some of our images.

There were lots of photo-ops, so we could not miss an opportunity for a family picture. By this time Dylan--and every else--was tired of saying "cheese". His face says, "Oh brother, not again!"

Sunday we ventured to Gering, NE to celebrate Kelly's Granmother's 102nd birthday. Yes, 102nd!! Altogether there were 22 family members from as far away as Colorado Springs. We joined her at her assisted living for Sunday lunch. She is amazingly sharp. She was complaining to Kelly that she can no longer walk very well and Kelly reminded her she did that for the first 100 years. Now she can take it easy! Can you imagine all she has seen in her lifetime? Sge entered this world on November 18, 1905.

My Papa will celebrate is 98th birthday tomorrow. Kelly and I both have some good genes in our families. Who knows....maybe we will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary together!

Here is the newest member of the Priest family. Our great niece, Lily Nicole

Here is Kelly's clan.

The kids were amazingly good considering they needed to be on their best behavior. (Maybe they know that Santa is making his list and checking it twice!) I convinced Dylan he needed to be on his best behavior because he needed to be a good role model for Jared. My tactic worked better than I imagined. Olivia and Grace were dressed in their Sunday best.

Dylan with Great Gandma Della at her 102nd Birthday Party.

She was 94 when Dylan was born!

These days Saturday means basketball. You never know how engaged (or not!) Dylan will be. As you recall from a previous post, the first Saturday Dylan was quite the team player. This week he was slightly off his game. It was reminiscent of years past when he was shooting aliens and picking daisies while playing the sport of the season. During half time I asked him about his antics and reminded him that his team mates were helping each other rather than pretending to fight aliens. He quickly corrected me and told me he was powerful monster instead. I convinced him his team need his help and he should put his monster in his pocket until the game was over. Amazingly he bought it and proceeded to play the game. We will share basketball pictures from a day when he is the "Superstar" not the "Super Monster"!

We enjoyed our first turkey (at least I think it was turkey!) meal with Dylan at school last Friday. The cafeteria/gym was abuzz with parents and children. Dylan and his friend Michael led us through the line Because Dylan had guests he could eat at the tables on the stage. He thought that was cool.

As you can see we had a special guest with us. Flat Stanley arrived in our mailbox last week. Cousin Clara sent him from her school as part of a classroom assignment. Her class had read the story of Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown. In the story, the main character, Flat Stanley, was flattened by a bullitin board. Although he was not hurt, he became as flat a pancake! When he wanted to go to California to visit some friends, his family folded him up, put him in an envelope, and mailed him to California. As a class project, Clara sent her Flat Stanley to spend the holidays with us in Wyoming. We look forwrad to sharing our lives with him in the coming weeks before sending him back to Georgia to report on his adventures. We better hold on to him tight. With the Wyoming winds he is likely to take flight along with the leaves!

It's been a fun-filled fall weekend for the Priest Family. Dylan started basketball at the YMCA. He plays for the Mavericks. Kelly and I were amazed after Saturday's game that we had witnessed a real basketball game! The kids played great and really worked as a team. Dylan passed the ball and assisted in scoring for his team. We've come a long way. Last year he lost his temper when the ball was stolen from him, tackling the kid who stole it from him. That's when he wasn't chasing, shooting invisible aliens on the court.

Afterwards we went to see the "Bee Movie" and had popcorn for lunch. Mmmmmmm!!!!!
Dylan says it was yummy. Dylan liked when the bee was stung on his hiney. He really liked the pollen jocks.

We are really enjoying our time at Element Church. It is a new church plant. We have attended since its first officially launch Sunday the beginning of October. It is currently meeting at the theater at the mall. I think Dylan thinks it is cool to go to church there. The e-kids program is really good and he making new friends. Kelly and I have both been moved by Jeff's messages about the Core Values. Today's sermon was about allegiance and ties in perfectly with Veteran's Day. Already within the first month there have been Sunday's when it has been standing room only. There truly is a hunger in our community for the Bread of Life. They announced today the expansion to two services beginning in December. Kelly and I are thankful Jeff and Sabrina, along with the rest of the team was obedient to God's call for them to come to Cheyenne. It truly is a answered prayer for those of us weary in our search for Christian growth and fellowship. It feels so good to eagerly anticipate each week's service and apply the message each week.

Dylan has been engrossed in the Sunday ads making his wish list for Santa Claus. He has thoughtfully mulled over each and ever page. Kelly and I were reminiscing about our childhood memories and the BIG Sears Wishbook. We each remember eagerly anticipating its arrival and studying each and every page hopefully. Santa had a way of coming through each year.

Our conversations with Dylan enlighten us each day. Today we were told that jelly comes from jellyfish. Dylan also convinced Kelly to assign him a password to log onto the computer. He instructed Kelly to, "write it down, but do not look at it". His first number was about 10 digits long. After we told him he could not play on the computer if he forgot it he reconsidered and chose a 4 digit "top secret" number. He was quite pleased with himself. Yes, Kelly and I know the numbers. They are conveniently posted on a memo stuck to the monitor. He's not an international spy--yet!

Tomorrow is Monday and the beginning of another week. I am certain there will be more stories to tell of Dylan and his antics.

I was recently honored to be nominated for the ATHENA Award, an international women's leadership award. I was humbled to be one of eight local women chosen because of excellence in their profession, community service and as a mentor to other women. The annual luncheon, sponsored by the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, was held last Friday at Little America. I was thrilled Mona Pearl, a friend and colleague, received the award. I never fathomed so many things about my Cheyenne life, including the incredible opportunites I have been given. To have my name even listed beside the other nominees brings me to my knees. The gift for me was having the opportunity to share this honor with my Daddy before he was gone. Since his last words to me were, "I am proud of you.", that is the gift that I will always carry in my heart.

This post is all about Dylan and how very proud we are of him. Last Thursday I met with Mrs. Gorman and Mrs. Nelson for his parent/teacher conference. Dylan is having a great second grade year and he received his best report card ever! Their words were music to this mother's ears. Dylan has improved in every subject. Mrs. Nelson even wants to take him home with her. (I am certain none of my teachers ever told my mother that!) He is whizzing through his work and has even continued working after the recess bell has rung. That I find hard to believe....Nonetheless, we are very proud of him. Way to go Dylan!!!!

A Wyoming Peach in the Snowy Rocky Mountains.

A Colorado traffic jam......The Elk definitely have the right away!

What more can you say??????

The cozy lodge at The Black Dog Inn, where we could enjoy a fire,

hot coffee, and a yummy breakfast

Our accomodations at The Black Dog Inn.

This is a special place to us. We visited St. Malo's in the spring for an Encounter with God retreat. This church was built on the rock where a meteor hit in the early 1900's. We took communion here and spent time in praise and worship in March. It was a snowy night when we were there. We passed it again on our way to Wild Basin.

I love the way we caught the sun's rays coming through the trees and shining down on us. We are so blessed!

I just love the immense blue of "Big Sky" Country. It was a glorious, cool fall day.

It's great to have a hubby with arms long enough to take self portraits!
Me, Kelly, and the falls in the background.