Mr. Bud & Mrs. Jane- No, I don't have blonde underneath my beautiful, stunning brown hair. I guess all the makeup I wear soaked up into my brain.
-Ansley!
Hey guys,
Well, our trip is going quite well if you ask me! I am shocked at the number of fights we haven't had. I thought by now Will would have had atleast 3 emotional break-downs, Hannah would have punched one of us, Ansley would have no voice from wining so much and I would be the only one that hadn't lost their minds (kidding!). Anyways, we had an exciting night! We went to the Flying W Ranch and it was quite an experience-to say the least! I enjoyed it, though. We sat with three Mennonites and they were very interesting. It made the little homeschooler in me excited when I saw that they were sitting at the same table as us. We learned a good bit about their culture as a whole. It was awesome! We also went to the USAFA, but daddy already told you all about that. I loved that dearly, though!
Oh, Aunt Sarah-- I played Ay BayBay for the parental units on the boring road between Hayes and Colorado Springs and they weren't impressed! Everytime I hear that song I think of you!!! Just thought I'd letcha know!
Love to all!
-Marissa
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Home, home on the range......
at the Flying W Ranch. We just got back....we are full, and it was good. We sat with 3 Mennonite kids who were in Colorado on a mission trip from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was pretty cool, because they were not from a rigorous branch of Mennonitism. Two boys, both 18, and one girl, 18. They were helping care for babies of mothers who are in prison. Although she had on the head covering, and the dress that Mennonites wear, they also had their digital cameras, and were even text messaging on their cell phones. Hannah, Marissa and Ansley had a good time talking to them. The kids really enjoyed the "cowboy music" after dinner....(right!) However, after we left, we found a Starbucks, so all was well with the girls. We have 10:30 a.m. reservations on the Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak in the morning. Tonight should be interesting, because like all good chuck-wagon meals.....everyone filled up on B-B-Q beans. Nothing like going back to small hotel rooms after that!
Well....good night all.
---WJLsr
Well....good night all.
---WJLsr
High noon at Colorado Springs
That's when we arrived....noon Mountain time. Here's the recap:
We decided to cut "cross country" in a straight line for Colorado Springs from Hays, Kansas. This meant getting off the interstate and taking U.S. Hwy 40. Talk about nothing....nowhere....no one! I mean, we were looking for the lone tree somewhere. If one of the Lanes had to go to the bathroom so bad that we couldn't go further, the other 5 of us would have to just close our eyes.
We finally found a little "welcome center" at Ft. Wallace, Kansas. A little lady showed up to open the place after we stopped, and she and the Lanes were the only ones there. She sold us each a "pop" for 50cents each. Of course, this meant out in Colorado somewhere....treeless and all....nature kicked in. We found a small store (FINALLY), and Marissa took Darcy for a walk while the other Lanes went inside "for a walk". What did Darcy do? Step on a "Dog-Gone" sand spur (we think). She yelped and whined for the next...oh....hour??? Really, maybe half an hour.
So we left the store and drove with open grasslands on both sides of us for another 2 hours. I mean there wasn't even a car in front or behind us. It was like a scene out of some Science Fiction movie. And the best was yet to come. We had to turn on Hwy 94, and there was a sign...."No Services for 70 Miles". Ansley whipped out her cell phone and said "Does this mean I have no cell service for 70 Miles?" Julie and I split a gut laughing. I told her...."No, silly....it means there are NO SERVICES AT ALL for 70 miles....no gas, no phone, no stores, no nothing!" Her idea of no service meant going out of range of a cell tower....my how times have changed.
But what happened...just over one of the buttes? There it was....Pikes Peak....barely visible.
After arriving at Colorado Springs, we checked in to our hotel and then immediately went and visited the Air Force Academy. Everyone bought T-shirts (Will got a hat), we saw a movie on the Academy, and then we went to the Chapel. How beautiful was all of that? Following this, we went on the campus of "Focus on the Family". As we entered, Julie began to whisper. I said, "Why are you whispering?"...and she replied, "This is like the Mecca for "Stay at home Moms and Homeschoolers.......what if Dr. Dobson is here?"
We will be visiting their welcome center tomorrow.
Right now, we are getting ready to go to the Flying W Ranch for a Western ChuckWagon Dinner and Cowboy Show, and then tomorrow morning we are taking the Cog Railroad to the top of Pikes Peak. Following that is Garden of the Gods, and on to see old Doc Dobson.
My cough is a nuisance....but I feel o.k. Keeps those comments coming.
For some reason, John Denver's music just keeps coming to my head.
"Rocky Mountain High".
---WJLsr
P.S. to Jane and Ilene....Julie received her Associates Degree from Young Harris College and her B.S. Degree in Education from North Georgia College. The nephew is Joshua Primm and he goes to Georgia Southern University in a Georgia Tech program.
We decided to cut "cross country" in a straight line for Colorado Springs from Hays, Kansas. This meant getting off the interstate and taking U.S. Hwy 40. Talk about nothing....nowhere....no one! I mean, we were looking for the lone tree somewhere. If one of the Lanes had to go to the bathroom so bad that we couldn't go further, the other 5 of us would have to just close our eyes.
We finally found a little "welcome center" at Ft. Wallace, Kansas. A little lady showed up to open the place after we stopped, and she and the Lanes were the only ones there. She sold us each a "pop" for 50cents each. Of course, this meant out in Colorado somewhere....treeless and all....nature kicked in. We found a small store (FINALLY), and Marissa took Darcy for a walk while the other Lanes went inside "for a walk". What did Darcy do? Step on a "Dog-Gone" sand spur (we think). She yelped and whined for the next...oh....hour??? Really, maybe half an hour.
So we left the store and drove with open grasslands on both sides of us for another 2 hours. I mean there wasn't even a car in front or behind us. It was like a scene out of some Science Fiction movie. And the best was yet to come. We had to turn on Hwy 94, and there was a sign...."No Services for 70 Miles". Ansley whipped out her cell phone and said "Does this mean I have no cell service for 70 Miles?" Julie and I split a gut laughing. I told her...."No, silly....it means there are NO SERVICES AT ALL for 70 miles....no gas, no phone, no stores, no nothing!" Her idea of no service meant going out of range of a cell tower....my how times have changed.
But what happened...just over one of the buttes? There it was....Pikes Peak....barely visible.
After arriving at Colorado Springs, we checked in to our hotel and then immediately went and visited the Air Force Academy. Everyone bought T-shirts (Will got a hat), we saw a movie on the Academy, and then we went to the Chapel. How beautiful was all of that? Following this, we went on the campus of "Focus on the Family". As we entered, Julie began to whisper. I said, "Why are you whispering?"...and she replied, "This is like the Mecca for "Stay at home Moms and Homeschoolers.......what if Dr. Dobson is here?"
We will be visiting their welcome center tomorrow.
Right now, we are getting ready to go to the Flying W Ranch for a Western ChuckWagon Dinner and Cowboy Show, and then tomorrow morning we are taking the Cog Railroad to the top of Pikes Peak. Following that is Garden of the Gods, and on to see old Doc Dobson.
My cough is a nuisance....but I feel o.k. Keeps those comments coming.
For some reason, John Denver's music just keeps coming to my head.
"Rocky Mountain High".
---WJLsr
P.S. to Jane and Ilene....Julie received her Associates Degree from Young Harris College and her B.S. Degree in Education from North Georgia College. The nephew is Joshua Primm and he goes to Georgia Southern University in a Georgia Tech program.
Morning has broken....
and my cold is a little better. Maybe wishful thinking, maybe actual.....not sure, but I feel a little better.
I want to respond to Julie's perspective regarding mattresses. I am thankful for them as well, but I have to tell you....sharing a bed with Will is like not experiencing a mattress at all. He totally hogs the bed. More than one time during the night was I either asking him to move over, or moving him over. And he makes these.....noises....when he sleeps. Julie says he is just like me....but couldn't be. I don't make noises in my sleep. And I am totally still. You can't make me believe otherwise.
O.K., maybe a little.
Anyway, we are packing up and heading to Colorado this morning. Dorothy's yellow brick road is calling.
---WJLsr
I want to respond to Julie's perspective regarding mattresses. I am thankful for them as well, but I have to tell you....sharing a bed with Will is like not experiencing a mattress at all. He totally hogs the bed. More than one time during the night was I either asking him to move over, or moving him over. And he makes these.....noises....when he sleeps. Julie says he is just like me....but couldn't be. I don't make noises in my sleep. And I am totally still. You can't make me believe otherwise.
O.K., maybe a little.
Anyway, we are packing up and heading to Colorado this morning. Dorothy's yellow brick road is calling.
---WJLsr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
