Category: Rhonda’s Ramblings (Page 4 of 10)

After a day to get acclimated in our new surroundings, we wanted to get out and “tromp in the woods” as we call hiking. Matt’s back was still hurting but felt better if he moved slowly and cautiously. We are only about an 1/8 of a mile from the road leading to Ute Heart Trail. It didn’t look too strenuous on the map so we headed off to check it out.

It has been cool overnight here (we’ve learned we don’t want to spend the winter in this trailer in the North country for sure!) and it was a lovely, sunny morning though still a bit brisk. The Colorado sun, especially at this altitude, is quite warm. The somewhat rocky trail dropped us into a short descent approaching the rapids of the Bear River. The River is running COLD, fast and full with all the late snow this year but there was a nice sturdy bridge for us so no forging the stream this time! As we crossed, the trail started up a gradual grade and crossed a creek at the first bend. We continued the uphill grade for most of the hike. There is a beautiful level spot as the trail wanders through a large whispering aspen grove. The whole grove is soothing but about 1/2 mile in the fresh young grasses are interspersed with startling colors of the wild flowers – purple lupines, yellow daisies, white blood root, three variations of wild sweet pea, dandelions, lilac and purple columbines, Queen Anne’s lace (very early!) and a number of others that I was not familiar with. It was such a delight! The Lord has given me such a wide variety of flowers to enjoy with no watering and no weeding.

We followed the trail approximately a mile up and stopped for a snack, re-hydration and evaluation. Was it time to turn around? This being the first real hike of the season and Matt not wanting to stress his back we opted for the safe choice – not like the next hike – and started down. The pictures of us are at the turnaround point. It is the first real opening in the grove for those of you (Jamie?) who might want to come and take this hike.

On the way down we stopped for a photo op of some flowers. While I was focusing on a flower Matt said, “There’s a hummer on your right.” Those little buggers move so fast! By the time I would focus, he would move. I may post the one picture I got out of 20 or so, when it is cropped. The hummingbird sighting was “icing on the hike” so to speak. Matt did really well and it was a great primer for our next hike! To be posted soon!!

Here is the wedding video…sorry but there is no audio. Might add some music later.

“I have found the one my soul loves” Song of Solomon 3:4

This was the verse that Kristina and Daniel chose for their wedding invitations and it’s truth was apparent in San Clemente, CA over the weekend. This is truly God’s love story. As Daniel’s Mom often states, “God took two families from different parts of the country and moved them to Colorado without jobs within a week of each other. He then introduced them through their Realtor and brought them into friendship.” Our kids became friends and our families have interacted through joyous and difficult life changing situations over the last 5 years. Daniel and Kristina are truly “two peas in a pod” as Daniel’s mother, Tanya, refers to them. Continue reading

We are home from Cali and the wedding! So many lovely memories! Everything was wonderful and I don’t know that I have seen too many couples so respectful and honoring of one another, not to mention in love. Such a God story!

I know it will take us a few years to regroup! Just kidding! We are tired but have taken a couple of days on the beach-it was COLD-before coming home to relax! That was a good time together and we got to spend Monday evening with the newlyweds. They were gracious enough to invite us to join them for dinner on the San Clemente pier.

The pier is beautiful, especially at night. The waves coming in under us as we dined on the outside deck. It was hard to see the moon as Mr and Mrs Daniel Brown were glowing so brightly! Great to be with them an ‘extra’ time!

Wedding pics and story coming soon!

I feel almost like Santa Claus as I check my list once, twice, three times….have I remembered everything? We are packing and making final preparations for our trip to California tomorrow and Kristina’s wedding on Saturday. We will meet for a Thanksgiving dinner after traveling, pick up Kristina’s ‘sister’ who is also the Matron of Honor, Rose Miller, and her family from the train, and last but not least, attend an open house at Daniel and Kristina’s “California parents’ home”, the Enders. It will be a long but wonderful day full of blessings to be thankful for! We are tired all ready from the preparations but we can sleep later. To be sharing this weekend with Daniel and Kristina, the Brown family, the Enders and the Millers is such a blessing, I am sure we will float through the time.

The days have flown by since Daniel asked us for Kristina’s hand in marriage July 12th. It has been fast and furious! Kristina has been sick two of the almost 4 weeks she has lived in California. A lot of things she thought she would have time for have had to be compressed into smaller blocks of time or abandoned all together. Twenty four hours are just not enough hours in a day when you are trying to furnish your first home, finish wedding plans, and trying to enjoy being with your fiance who works a sporadic schedule.

Hopefully most of the preparations are in place and we can have some relaxing family time in California!

Well, a mere seven days until Daniel and Kristina’s big day and the Mother of the Bride is still working out what she will wear! I thought I had it covered a long time ago and my ‘almost’ menopausal body went through changes again! I became thick in the waist and nothing seemed to work. I went in search of a petticoat for a dress Matt found on line. A gracious woman who owns a local dance studio here told us to go to ‘the purple house just north of Union and Boulder”. Yesterday while running errands, I went in search of it. By the time I found it, they were closing and asked me to come back today.

I corralled Matt into coming with me this afternoon, promising to be good and only look for what we came for (Matt shops safari style – you go, bag the game and come home!). I’m not sure what he thought when we drove up to the light purple building, it is a bit ‘antique’ and not very well marked. The sign by the street let us know that we had arrived at Antique Mart. The items flowing out the door were just a taste of what was to come when we entered. It was such a sensory overload in all directions!! “Rooms”, if you could call them that, lined from floor to ceiling with everything you could imagine and then some. All of it vintage! There were wedding gowns, gorgeous furs of all varieties, dresses, hats, gloves, cases of jewelry, shoes, dishes, all types of vintage memorabilia, the list is endless. Continue reading

“Today is the day after”! It is a day of joy! Yesterday was not only Josh’s birthday but also another birthday as Ezra James Miller, the first son of Rose and Willie Miller, was born at 5:23AM at 8′ 1″ and 21″ long. His delivery took only about 4 hours! What a great labor! Congrats to you, Willie, and Big Sister, Abby, on the addition of a lovely son and brother! Ezra, you share a birthday with someone else very special to us! Hope you don’t mind. What’s also awesome is that Ezra gets to bring his Mom and Dad to Kristina’s wedding in California and we get to love him up! Rose will be Kristina’s Matron of Honor.

The other source of joy is that Kristina is embarking on a whole new chapter of her life today. Over the weekend, Daniel visited us here in Colorado, helped her pack most of her belongings and she said goodbye to her wonderful friends in Denver. Yesterday after we worked on wedding invitations, she packed the rest of her belongings, and I had the honor of taking her to the airport to board a flight to California. Continue reading