We’ve had such a beautiful fall here this year. It’s lasted much longer than normal & we’ve really enjoyed the gorgeous trees. All of October I moved the pumpkins & flowers into the garage whenever we had freezing temperatures. Lots of back & forth but it sure is nice to enjoy them as long as possible!

Our dear friend, Corene, has decided to move closer to family, so we enjoyed one day of visiting, running trains one last time & saying goodbye. She & her late husband, Howard, have been like family to us for many years & we will miss her. She was so kind & gifted Kenny any trains he would like from their collection, as well as two houseplants for me that I’ve always admired.

Starting on Christmas baking for the freezer…

More indoor climbing over Fall Break…

Another day we took Anna to tour the McAllister House Museum downtown. This year, one of her roles in the Nutcracker is Mary McAllister, one of the daughters of a local family that was invited to spend Christmas with the Palmers at Glen Eyrie. Anna dances in A Colorado Nutcracker every year which adds some Colorado history to the Nutcracker story. We enjoyed hearing the history of this family & getting a glimpse into Mary’s life. We’re excited to see Anna represent her this year.

Halloween…James wore his alpaca head again. I think he’s worn this as his costume for three to four years now. Definitely getting our money’s worth out of that. I dropped James off at a percussion Halloween party where he enjoyed hanging out & trick or trick-or-treating with band friends. Kenny accompanied Anna to the annual Halloween party at her friend, Emmy’s. Anna was planning on being at Nutcracker rehearsal that night, but at the last minute, the studio canceled so the kids could enjoy Halloween. So, after school, she was scrounging to figure out a costume. She ended up being a flower – pink coat & fun pants, a flower on her headband, flower earrings, and Dad painted a pretty flower on her cheek. 

Over Fall Break in October, we decided we all needed to get out of town for a bit. Because of the kids’ commitments that week, we couldn’t go far, so we planned a drive to the mountains for the day.  

We took a new route – Gold Camp Road all the way to Cripple Creek. Many years ago with the discovery of gold in Cripple Creek, a railroad was constructed from Cripple Creek to Colorado Springs. Around the 1920s, the tracks were removed, & the road was turned into a dirt road for cars. In some spots, it is a very, very rugged dirt road. This route obviously took much longer, but that was part of the adventure. 

The landscape was just beautiful – a perfect fall day. Blue sky, pine trees, golden aspens, crisp mountain air = Beauty. 

We ate lunch in Cripple Creek & did a little shopping. After a full day, we took the highway home & made it back in half the time. 

Getting out of the city & into nature is definitely good for the soul & was just what we needed. 

Labor Day weekend…Amy came to town & we took her to our annual hot-air balloon festival.

Two of my cousins, Val & Jason, from Seattle, flew into Denver for a family gathering in NE, and Kenny & I met them for lunch one day. We haven’t seen them in many years & was so nice to catch up.  

We are enjoying Friday night football games, and watching James in marching band. Go Titans!

A handsome James headed to the Homecoming dance…

Anna ready for the service run at her school, raising money for St. Jude’s Hospital this year…

Mom & Dad came out one weekend for Grandparent’s Day at Anna’s school & to watch James in the marching band.  

I helped chaperone a field trip for Anna’s class to the Olympic Museum & lunch at America the Beautiful Park. Such a beautiful day!

The last day of September was a whirlwind day. Anna was at ballet rehearsals most of the day & was getting dropped at a friend’s house afterward. James was at a marching band competition all day. Kenny & I attended a beautiful outdoor wedding for a close family friend & then drove to see the band compete in finals late that evening.