Whenever I tell people (outside the family) about our Sunday dinners, it's a universal response.  Everyone thinks it's the most wonderful tradition.  And so do I. Most Sundays.  Not too sure about this one.  Maybe it was the combination of the Bronco game on at 6:30 pm, instead of 2:00, combined with the volume of the television (LOUD), combined with the "Polar Express" movie playing downstairs (LOUD), combined with the kids running wild and shouting, screaming, (LOUD)....maybe those things had an impact on the evening.  Could have been the rocky start we got trying to figure out what to make for dinner (you family members know what I mean) and how to go about assembling it.  We did get some green chili made (recipe conveniently written down for future reference), along with some guacamole.  The kids, of course, wanted butter noodles and quesadillas , so we accommodated them....easier than filling bowls with something they won't eat, then throwing it away.  Amie brought some dessert and Carrie brought leftovers from her party Friday night, so we were set for some quality family time.  Really, it was fine.  Just LOUD.
The weekend was busy.  Friday night Carrie had a chick party at her house, with Jessie and I co-hosting,  so I spent the morning getting some snacks made.  It was a fun party with  a good turn out.  Saturday morning, we got ready for the football game at Kersey where Spencer's team was playing for the state championship.  The weather was chilly- about 30 degrees- so we bundled up and  watched while Platte Valley played to ultimately win the championship.  Curt joined us for the first half and we all squished into the bleachers, the kids cheering and shaking pompoms.

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This is the picture that made the Greeley Tribune on Sunday...note Corbin lower right and Carrie above.....

Meanwhile, Curt and Amie and family left for their annual party with Amie's cousins in Denver.  The had a great time, although Grayson was a bit challenging in the sleep department at their hotel Saturday night.

Benke family annual get together

Not much news from Ogallala other than Meredith will miss Thanksgiving with all of us this week, but will be staying with us next week while she has a conference at NCMC.  They plan to have Thanksgiving with her friend Kellie and her family.  We look forward to her visit!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and woo-hoo!!!!short workweek!
 

One of these weekends I'm going to take a break from driving.  I guess I shouldn't complain since a.)I CAN drive and b.) I am able to buy gas for my gas guzzling car.  Anyway, it was a good weekend for football and for the Broncos (both the Platte Valley and the Denver ones).  Saturday morning, we traveled to Manitou to see the Manitou Mustangs take on our (Spencer's team) Broncos in the semi-final game.  Crazy that Kersey and Manitou were playing one another!  The wind blew so hard during the game that I expect to have permanent chapped lips.  Other than the wind, it was a beautiful day and an amazing setting for the game.

 

 

Midway through the game, Pam joined us for a few minutes until Gabi convinced her that they should take a hike back to Pam's place.  I don't think Gabi knew just how long of a walk she was in for, going over the mountain behind the field, but she kept up and loved the "nature walk".  Corbin was at first upset at not going along, but got back into watching the game, followed by the handshakes with the opponents at the end.

 


Afterwards, we unpacked the car and then walked to a Mexican restaurant for dinner, then to the Arcade for a few rides before they closed...early.
Brad and Spencer took the kids back to get them ready for bed while Pam, Carrie and I attended  a vintage fashion show.  It was a fundraiser for.....oh yeah, my favorite....CATS.  Interesting function where we escaped without having to make a donation to the cat shelter.....

Sunday morning we drove through Garden of the Gods to let the kids run off some energy.  It was a gorgeous day, and we all enjoyed the scenery.

 

 

We got back to Greeley just in time to do a little catching up on laundry, grocery shopping etc.  Before we knew it, Brad, Curt, Spencer and Werner (Brad's friend) were on their way back to Denver to watch the Broncos play.  Meanwhile, Amie and the kids picked up Gramma and I to go watch the game and have dinner at Carrie's house.

Friday was a busy day as well....met up with my new-found support group and added (sadly) another member whose husband is 56 and diagnosed in March of this year, then took Brad to see the Dr. about his sore knees.  They were arthritic and after an injection of steroids.......it hurts just as much....Then met up with my former co-workers, Kris and Rhonda for lunch.  Afterwards, picked Gabi up at school, then took her home and attended a card making/stamping party at Erin's house.  Busy hands ARE happy hands, don't cha know?

November 11th

It's Monday. It's Veteran's Day.  And it's Rory's birthday!  Happy November 11th, USA and Rory!

Amazed to have a 14 year old grandson....how is THAT possible?  We celebrated by making his favorite dinner, French dips, along with twice baked potatoes, green beans and some luscious chocolate layer cake that Amie made.  Next weekend he will have a sleepover with his friends (where I'm pretty sure there will be no sleeping) at his Mom's house.

All that was left of 7 lbs of roast!

 Birthday gifts at this age wind up being cash, so no real presents to open!


A gift to Corbin- all of Rory's old Pokémon cards!  The two boys (Corbin & Grayson) are fighting over a cellphone game!
 

The weekend was a blur with several hundred miles added to the odometer of "miss daisy"/my car.  Friday morning, Brad and I headed to Jefferson County Fairgrounds for a bridge tournament, playing "knockouts" with some friends from Ft. Collins. (Knock outs are 24 hands played, then the winning team advances to the next session, the sessions being held at 9:30am, 1:00pm and 7:00pm.)  Anyway, we won, after coming from behind in every session!  I was sure proud of Brad to be able to manage such a grueling day!  We then drove to Mom's house in Littleton and picked her up and brought her back with us for the evening (11:00pm).  There was a method to my madness (or so I thought), thinking we could just ride together to Heather's baby shower on Saturday.  We picked Gramma up from her hair appointment Saturday morning and headed to Denver ...two Grandmas, two seven year old girls, Carrie and I.  The shower was lovely and the weather could not have cooperated more perfectly.

 

 Sophie and Gabi were excited to "help" open the gifts, and
spend time "oohing and aahing" until they found the
playground nearby.  They had fun decorating the "onesies" as well.  Amie provided the "Candy Bar" with several different types of candy and little bags for the guests to take home.  It was a beautiful shower!

Other weekend news...Spencer's team advances to the next level which is coincidentally against Manitou Springs (where my sister lives), so weather permitting, we'll be driving there Saturday for the game.  Brad took Corbin to the Saturday game while we were at the baby shower, and they were buddies (Grandpa bought him popcorn and PowerAde for a snack!  How could they NOT be pals?)

From Ogallala, Steven turned 50 over the weekend with plans to go to Paxton for dinner and to a movie on Sunday.  Hope they had fun!

 

 

Feeling a little nostaglic

So, is it just the changing of the leaves, the start of daylight savings time, or that Halloween is over that makes me feel that way?  I'm going with the Halloween idea, because it actually started with the trees, but when I took down my decorations today, I almost cried!  I have always loved Fall and see Halloween as a bonus!

The other night at dinner, I asked Gramma what the boys did for Halloween (Brad and Doug) and she said, "Oh, I suppose they carved pumpkins and went trick-or-treating, but I don't remember.  A few days later, she had found the only photo album she has of the boys, an 8x10 with about 50 pictures in it...."There", she pointed out, "the boys did dress up".

 

  Hmmmm, hopefully she didn't take the word "dress" literally.  By the way, Brad is the one in the middle and the one with the tie around his waist in the right one.

Of course, in all fairness, I had to drag out a couple of me and my sibs too. And, you got it, that's me as a gypsy, and then a gypsy again and a Dutch girl on the couch.  What, no princesses?

I tried hard to remember just what my own kids dressed up as on Halloween.  I remembered making (yeah, actual sewing!) some costumes when the kids were little, but after that....
That's why we need pictures, peeps!  Who can remember all of the cute and amazing things that happened 35 years ago?

Crazy Carrie the Clown

After quite a bit of looking, I did find a couple...of photos from Halloweens long ago.

Captain Curt

Meri-Bo-Peep

Yikes! (Carrie was a baby so no time to sew!)

The best part is the costumes, if you ask me.  And it always has been....way back....

 



same tux as this year....1992

 




 





So, I'm snappin' pictures like a crazy woman when the grandkids go out.  (By the way, adding to my mood this year was the fact that Emma and Rory decided they were too old to dress up/trick-or-treat....the end of another era.....)

  Spencer brought dry ice....

Amie brought a pot of chili and we enjoyed the evening.  The weather was cooperative as well, making for a nice neighborhood walk.  Just a few more pumpkin pictures and I'll get past the Halloween thing....some more then and now....

 

 

 We had a beautiful Fall weekend with forecasts of coming snow, so we enjoyed it while we could!  On Saturday, Spencer's football team started their playoffs, so we took Gramma (who loves football) to the game with us.  She did amazingly well and truly enjoyed it (even though it was a completely lop-sided game, with Kersey winning 48-0).  Corbin loves going to the games. Loves throwing the football around and loves getting a pickle!

 It was Sophie's last soccer game as well, so we were able to watch that prior to the game.  Nothing like a day of fresh Fall air!

 Have a wonderful Monday and enjoy (??????) daylight savings time!