The View From a Different Window: ~having once again returned

A very early "good morning" to everyone out there from here along the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It's 30 degrees outside right now at just a couple of minutes shy of the 5:00 AM hour and a glance at the weather app on my phone indicates that the weather guy wasn't kidding last night. We are in for at least a couple of days of snow this week, beginning tonight and lasting until Wednesday some time. So thankful that we had dry and good weather for our journey back home to Kansas last week for Thanksgiving with our families in Reno and Sedgwick Counties of the state. For days prior to our leaving, we monitored the weather reports just hoping that we would have no issues with travel and thankfully that was the case. It was strange that for 600 miles of our return back to Colorado this past weekend, the skies were as blue and sunny as a person could imagine. It was when we came up over the rise at Cerro Summit that we found the skies to be totally cloudy and the temperature quite cold as we neared Montrose. God provides always and we made it home safe and sound about noon time yesterday.

Blue and beautiful skies just prior to entering Salida, Colorado on Highway 50 yesterday at mid-morning. The clouds were setting low upon the mountains and we watched this sight for several miles until we could finally get just the right picture of it.

What a difference a few miles make as we saw the view coming into Montrose a short time later. There are mountains behind those clouds somewhere, I know!

Our time back in Kansas went quickly but hey, that's what we figured would happen. Lots of memories were made this time and my heart is full to overflowing of the sights and sounds of our 5 days there. It was great to see my children, Grahame and Ursela, and to enjoy the very delicious Thanksgiving Day meal that they prepared for us. It was unbelievable to see the banquet that those two kids laid out on the table for Mike and I. We filled our bellies full of turkey, potatoes and gravy, green beans, glazed carrots, spinach salad, hot rolls, gelato and pumpkin cheesecake. I was so surprised to see it all that it brought tears to my eyes to realize just how much hard work they put into the meal. It was a labour of love for them to do that and I thought about how their Grandmother Scott would have been proud of those two. It's obvious that the genetic trait for being wonderful cooks passed over me and went straight into their hands from my mom.

Saturday we had another Thanksgiving meal in Hutchinson with all of the members of the Renfro family. Our good friend A.J. extended the kind invitation to Mike and I to join them all there at her home in the country north of town. There was no shortage of food there either! It was good to be able to catch up with everyone and to listen to the sounds of the laughter that all of the kids there provided. I got a chance to practice up on my "baby holding" skills in preparation for the role of "grandmother" that will soon be mine. It really looks like a lot of fun, as shown in the photo below. I think I'll probably make it just fine.

Little baby Megan Sisler and her mom Joan. She's a good little girl who didn't fuss a bit when this strange woman called "Aunt Peggy" picked her up and held her. LIFE~what a blessing.

Many other happy moments went on between our arrival and our departure. I enjoyed a diet vanilla Dr. Pepper from Bogey's, took a walk around my old neighbourhood, saw several friends in Hutch and even was able to spend a short time visiting with one of the best friends I ever have had in this life in Wal Mart. The amazing thing was running into these people without even planning to. Once again, God provides. He always has, He always will.

Well, the clock on the wall is definitely announcing that it's time to get a move on and head over to school and meet up with the "18". They will undoubtedly be excited to return today, I'm sure :) I have thought of them often and from time to time would look at the photo I took of us all together on the last day of school this past week. I love those kids and have missed being with them. The next three weeks will fly by us quicker than we can even imagine and soon we will be going home for our two week break at Christmas time. Much to be accomplished between now and then.

Wherever you are this day, I pray that all is well for you and that you are happy and at peace with your life. I have been blessed about 10,000 fold and may the same be said for you my dearest of friends. The calendar says this is Monday, the second day of December in 2013. It's a great day to be alive in. It's never going to return to us again so be sure to make the best of it, even in the worst of times. I love you guys all!

A Thanksgiving full of blessings, that's what I received~