Sunday, November 25, 2007

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.

Saturday, November 24, 2007


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.

Friday, November 23, 2007

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.......

Monday, November 19, 2007



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!



Sunday, November 11, 2007

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.

Sunday, November 04, 2007


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.
A picture of "my guy" at the lower Copeland Falls.


A morning hike through the Wild Basin at Rocky Mountain National Park.
It has been a weekend to remember....Kelly and I escaped to a long anticipated trip to Estes Park, CO. After a warm greeting and a tour of the Mt. Olympus Cottage at The Black Dog Inn, we settled into to our delightful Victorian get-a-way. Kelly remembered a quaint little restauraunt near the YMCA of the Rockies called the Dunraven Inn. It has been in operation since the turn of the century. It is an ecclectic blend of English Pub and Italian Restorante (the influence of various owners). The food was phenemonal. (In hindsight I think we ate our way through the weekend!) The bar was "wallpapered" in over 13,000 one dollar bills that have been autographed by patrons through the years. Since we were celebrating our first aniversary, we added our "Kelly and Rhonda" currency to the wall.



Saturday morning our senses were awakened with a delicious breakfast in the lodge. What a treat to have a tasty meal prepared just for us. The spinach quiche was yummy, but Kelly loved the Orange Cornmeal Cake. We were happy the cook shared the recipe with us. We took her advice and went to the South Entrance of the Rocky Mountain National Park to the Wild Basin. On the way we saw a herd of over 50 elk. After a drive into the forest, we parked at the Coleman Falls Trailhead. With cameras in hand, we walked about a half mile to the upper and lower falls. There are several waterfalls and lakes along the seven mile hike. The others will have to wait until a warmer day to be discovered. You know it is cold when there are icicles in the waterfalls! We decided to continue our hike in Estes Park where we enjoyed window shopping and lunch at Poppy's. We arrived back to our cottage in time for a long nap. That evening we went to Mary's Lake Lodge where we dined in the Tavern. It is another Estes Park landmark.



This morning we arrived in the lodge as other couples were leaving--can you believe I ran into a gal I know from Cheyenne??? She and her husband were there for the Family Life Conference. Today's breakfast was equally delightful with a sausage and berry bread, scrambled eggs, and baked apples with icing. After we packed and said our goodbyes we took the back road to the Big Thompson Canyon. We went through Devil's Gulch and Glen Haven. The views were breathtaking.



We went to Centerra (which means shopping in my vocabulary!) where we started our Christmas shopping. We are now a great aunt and a great uncle. Hard to believe we now have that title, but Kelly's nephew Dylan is the daddy of a brand new baby girl named Lily Nicole. We got to do some baby shopping, too. We met Kelly's parents at Bent Fork Grill for lunch. After a detour to the American Furniture Warehouse where we were dreaming of a house filled with new furniture for the holidays, we returned to our little house on the prairie in time to welcome Dylan home from his Dad's.



Yes, it was a weekend to remember.......