Drywall, Day 1

by Erica

After 10 hours of labor, we have have about half of the basement covered in drywall. The ceilings, bathroom and a couple walls are complete. A very special thank you goes out to Scott, Ian, Steve, Ben, Matt and Casey for all their hard work! We truly appreciate it!

A Hot Day

by Erica

Last night our air conditioning went out. Now, I understand that having air conditioning is not a necessity. Many people live without it. However, when you are used to it and it is in the mid-90's you really miss having it.

Oh please Mr. Airconditioner Repairman, come soon!

Camping Trip

by Erica

Jason and I spent a couple days in beautiful Eleven Mile Canyon (west of Colorado Springs). Anytime you go camping, I guess you have to be ready for just about anything.Day 1: We arrived just as a storm was coming in. The plan was to fit the camping gear, the dogs and us in a canoe and paddle our way to our site. Since getting in a canoe in high winds and lightening is not the smartest thing to do, we hiked the mile hike to the campsite. Mind you, it was raining by this time and we were loaded down with the gear that we could carry and two dogs. Long story short, we were forced to set up the tent in the pouring rain. One of the tent poles broke and a small section of the tent ripped. It was cold, the tent had puddles of rain and mud inside it and our patience was thinning. The storm let up a bit which allowed us to hike back to our car. We decided to drive back to a town to get some food and decide what to do. We ended up driving back into the Springs to Jason's dad's house and spend the night there.

Day 2: We woke up early and headed back to our campsite. Our tent was still there and still standing. We bought a patch kit and sewed up the tent. Jason brought the rest of the gear over in the canoe and we fixed up our home away from home. Our site was right next to a little cove. Jason tried taking the dogs out to see if they liked canoeing. Cody did just fine, Ollie on the other hand, gave it about 10 seconds before he hopped out.








Later in the afternoon our friends, Collin and Amy, joined us. The weather turned out to be gorgeous. We had a nice time of chatting, playing Euchre, and enjoying the outdoors. Thankfully, no bears came to eat our food (something I was sure was going to happen).

The Big 27

by Erica

Thank you to all who called or sent cards and wishes on my birthday. I had a very nice and relaxing day. I got a massage which couldn't have felt better. As the song goes, If I Had a Million Dollars..... I would get a massage once a week. The massage therapist did say that that getting massages will help ease the pain of labor. Hum.....

Jason and I enjoyed a delicious meal at The Cheesecake Factory. I came home with a giant piece ofLinda's Fudge Cake-something that I have craved since my last birthday. It will take me days to eat since I want to savor every bite.

I need to end this post now. The cake is calling me from the fridge.

A Student Again

by Erica

I decided that this summer was the optimal time to get a few semester hours in. As the time drew near I wasn't sure if I was ready to sit through class for 8 hours a day for a week and write some sort of paper(s). Well, I am attending a summer class but I have completely lucked out. It is really too good to be true. We have class for 3 hours a day and are not meeting on Friday. What about the homework? I don't have any. I am sure I will never have it this good again.

The Farmlands of Nebraska

by Erica

Jason and I experienced a very hot weekend trip to Nebraska. We drove out Thursday and spent time with my mom's side of the family.

Grandma and Grandpa would not be happy that I posted this picture, but I am sure they'll never see this site:)

I know that grandma would appreciate if you said a prayer for her. She is very frail and in a lot of pain right now. She is having to face the decision of having another surgery this week. Seeing that she barely made it through the last one, she is pretty nervous and unsure about what to do.

Then on Saturday we drove to the metropolis of Allen, NE (Population: 230). I have many great childhood memories of visiting my grandma and grandpa Linafelter in Allen. It has been a few years since we have last been there. We sat in the park where they had a barbershop quartet singing, a band (which my dad played in) playing, homemade ice cream for sale, a petting zoo with llamas and goats, pony rides and a dunking booth. Uptown, you could shop for antiques and visit a car show.

Saturday we got together for brunch with my dad's side of the family and took off for home. It was so nice to see everyone. Next time we are out there, we'll have a little one to show off:)

Anniversary Getaway

by Erica

Jason and I headed up to Steamboat Springs for our 2nd anniversary. What a gorgeous area! We drove up to Fish Creek Falls, perused the shops and dined at some local restaurants.
Besides getting to spend some quality time with my husband, the highlight was tubing down the Yampa River. It was the perfect way to spend a hot, summer day. I highly recommend doing this!