Still plenty of snow for skiing; but it’s warm enough to wear a tank top:). This is when the Texas family is ready to join us for a winter holiday. Some of our Beaumont family arrived just in time to hit the slopes before the last lift shut down. Dustin and Daisy are the Black Diamond legends in the family and I’m happy to say they did it without any broken bones in the process:)

There were some firsts for the Galmore’s too; adding cross-country skiing and tubing to their accomplishments. The first day was exhausting but they’re still all grins and no bruised shins.

The roadtrip offered some new sights for our Texas relatives, as the mule deer and long-horn sheep were moving into our warmer slopes. Not many of these guys on the roads of Texas.

The Easter celebration was a memory we won’t soon forget. What do you do when you simply can’t get that 10’ Christmas tree down by yourself? Well I hung Easter eggs on it and the kids loved it. Hanna bonded quickly with her Beaumont cousin Daisy. They were inseparable. Daisy helped Hanna search for the eggs hidden on the slopes Easter Sunday. When they discovered that the older kids jumped the gun and got all the eggs, Hanna was so disappointed. A young mom with her preteen son was moved to encourage her son to share a few eggs with Hanna. This made Hanna’s day. An Easter memory she’ll remember till she’s a preteen herself. Then it was time for Dustin and Daisy to head home:(. Hanna hugged Daisy and cried crocodile tears until we promised her they will be back!

As summer finally crept north to Granby, our Texas friends started heading up and away from the 100 plus temperatures hitting our beloved state to the south. They heard of summer nights in the 40’s and days in the 70’s. Lake Granby, fed by Rocky Mountain streams, offered a refreshing dip compared to bathtub temperatures of the gulf. Throughout the past snow-covered winter only the heartiest ski enthusiasts came to visit my new Colorado home, so I was thrilled when our Texan friends finally decided it was worth the hike:). The Dickson’s brought their two oldest grandangels, who adapted to paddleboarding enthusiastically.

That wasn’t all Granby had to offer; the summer brings rodeo season. Seems Colorado has almost as many rodeos as Texas. Zoe and Tabitha were enthralled with their first rodeo ever. I was as surprised as they were that many of the cowboys (and girls:) came from Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, just to name a few. Every Saturday from June through July, I’m pretty sure Zoe and Tabitha will be back when summer moves to Granby again.

Next Sis Paige came as summer became a bit too balmy in St Thomas. We discovered Rocky Mountain National Park together. It was anything but balmy, as hoodies were required. At the highest elevation, 14,000 feet, there was an amazing cafe with walls of glass overlooking mountains to the south. This is evidently where the elk summer, as they were all enjoying the cooler temperatures that we would enjoy only if we were elk:). The mountain vistas were amazing, but the narrow winding mountain passes are only open during the summer. Set aside an entire day, as you will be creeping along at a speedy 20 mph most of the time.

Finally my Austin grandangels came, as the average temperature in central Texas hovered around 108 degrees mid-day. They hiked up to Adam’s Falls with me. I took great pride in this 8 and 10 year old pushing hard up that mountain to see the first part of RMNP nearest Grand Lake. Of course we did the paddleboarding and a bit of souvenir shopping in what looks like a hallmark movie kinda town, but there was so much to do in Denver that I couldn’t keep them in the mountains long. Meow Wolf was calling their names. All I can say is, adult or child, if you haven’t been, you must go. It’s every sci-fi movie set rolled into one, with visual experiences mated with music that defy the imagination. Then there is the Aquarium. Ivy is set on a marine biology career, so it was her hands-down favorite. Seriously the overall experience has brought the Austin family to the decision to move to Colorado permanently. Doesn’t hurt this grandmother’s feelings. I will have all grandangels in the mountains soon!

Bro Drew and his Tera weren’t about to miss out on all this talk of an air conditioned world, so they popped in for a week as well. We did some bird watching along the edges of Lake Granby, finding an eagles nest and saw some local magpies that are nonexistent in Texas. The most interesting animal though was a pasture of highland cows. The calves have a forehead filled with thick bangs, making them just adorable.

Just as the Aspens began to turn golden, Cuz Dottie and her Doc Bob dropped by after visiting their grands in Loveland. Bob just retired from his veterinary clinic and is planning on a fly fishing hobby in RMNP. Dottie hikes while Bob catches dinner:). They promise to visit often during the season (mostly summer:) but for now they headed south for their beach house on Bolivar Peninsula. They recommend this for all Texans who aren’t into subzero temperatures:)

The privilege and joy of grandparenthood includes performances of all types, depending on the grandangel’s talent. Fortunately for me, my Texas grandangels inherited nothing from me, and everything from my great-aunt Sister Rita Estelle. Sister Estelle taught piano at the Catholic University in Washington for five decades, and gave performances for the family until she passed at 103! My poor parents sent me to piano lessons for 6 years, but you might as well be teaching a turnip. I’m so in awe of anyone who has musical talent, mainly because I have zero. My Texas son, Tres, has been a talented drummer for several decades as well, so the grandangels were able to inherit what I couldn’t give. It made their performances sweeter, and the duet together was an amazing bonus:)

As if musical talent wasn’t enough, the dance recital proved to be even more awe-inspiring. You guessed it, I was as clumsy as they come, but my daughter-in-law Laura makes up for it with a natural grace in her everyday movements. This year was particularly impressive, as the choreography was more entertaining than you would expect for elementary-aged ballerinas. The ballet performance depicted butterflies trying desperately to avoid the butterfly catcher. He was a brave young man among all those pretty ballerinas, and graceful too. The second performance was a contemporary dance showing the importance of helping each other on a typical Texas rainy day. Lots of umbrella twirling at its finest. Kudos to their dance teacher for such incredible choreography.

After such incredible performances, the family gathered with roses for the girls, and some much-needed relax time in the pool More than anything they wanted mermaid swimsuits. You know this Mamou couldn’t wait to see them in their favorite costumes. Can’t wait to see what next year looks like!

Family firsts this year, a new mountain house, new furnishings, and a new skier in the family. Hanna, at the ripe old age of 2, took to the slopes with a little help from her dad. She clearly loved it! More to come next year. The other grandangels, Ivy and Hazel, were too fast for me to catch a photo. They were up at the top while Bo and Hanna stayed with us on the Bunny Slopes. Bo preferred to watch with Mamou at the bottom this year, but is showing great interest in trying this out, maybe next spring break?

After fun on the slopes, it was family work detail time. The place was in need of some comfortable furniture, and it wasn’t going to put itself together. The original living room plan was for a sectional, but then we spotted these”aviator chairs” fashioned after Amelia Earhart’s plane. It was love at first sight. We added soft leather couches for the grands to lounge on, and threw some furry throws around to wrap up in. That was easy! The more difficult task was allotted to Laura and Matt, who allegedly love the Ikea-styled puzzle. We cured them of ever volunteering for that again. The bunks came in mismatched pieces with undrilled holes, some too long to fit, others too short. With lots of improvisation, Matt tools, and a few Ace Hardware runs, they got it done. Even they admitted at the end that it was so worth it. They are undeniably adorable, and the oldest two grands got the top bunks, so no fighting over it (for now:)

So, off we went on a much-deserved sledding break. We found a perfect hill just down the street from the house with the perfect slope and amazing views. The only problem was, unlike skiing, there is no lift to take you up. There was plenty of snow to trek through as we climbed to the top, but again it was so worth it. Bo tried out his new sled he got for Christmas, fortunately complete with brakes. It was so popular with the grands, we are going to hand out some more next Christmas.

As we headed back to Golden, we spotted the neighborhood mule deer waiting by the road. Apparently, they thought they were camouflaged by the snow as they stood stock still as we drove by. They had that “deer in the headlights” look to them.

As we entered Golden, the elk made a magical appearance by the highway. In Golden, there is an “elk crossing” with flashing lights to stop traffic when they make their annual trek into town. Perfect timing for Ivy to grab a selfie.

Golden has a lot to offer for easy “walk abouts” and shopping in the local boutiques. It’s a lower elevation than Granby, and significantly warmer. The grands found welcome relief from the cold, and even enjoyed a bit of ice cream, and a few
grand baby prizes.” All in all, it was a memorable spring break. We’re so looking forward to next year:)

Galveston never disappoints. There is always a new adventure to seek, from the AIA Sandcastle Competition to Bike Week; to say nothing of the internationally recognized Dickens on the Strand, Mardigras, Art Walks, etc. Art is always a favorite on warm summer weekends walking Post Office, but this time the artists sent their amazing sculptures from Bandon, Oregon. While the art itself is awe-inspiring, the fact that all pieces are created from reclaimed plastic trash that has adorned our western coastline for close to a century, sadly:( This eye candy is designed to demonstrate the scale of plastic pollution found in our waterways. My friend Helen is an avid peruser of local news and events, lucky for all who know her. After a ladies’ luncheon, which she organized of course, off we went in search of these magnificent works. Helen never disappoints, as well. It was an otherwise chilly overcast day, brightened to an extraordinary memory as we sought out these treasures located across The Island.

We had so much fun seeking out and identifying all the common plastic pollution we, unfortunately, see every day on our beaches. There were too many lighters to count, to say nothing of the flip flops, aluminum bottle pop tabs, igloos, plastic water bottles, toilet seats, plastic shovels, toy trucks, goggles, swim fins, and more than a few buoys that marked the spot in years past. Of course, our salt water souls hope and pray that this gives pause to every beach goer. Simply pick up after yourself and your loved ones at the end of the day. I feel sure these artists would be thrilled to discover a lack of this particular medium in the near future.

If you wish to tour this exhibit for yourself, just google “visitgalveston.com”. The map is available online under “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea”. This most excellent exhibit will be available on The Island until March 5.

The annual Texas-style Bar-b-que provided by the Wilcox clan (aka the clown family:) was the neighborhood event of the season, as always. Matt outdid himself, starting the brisket 24 hours before the gathering; it paid off as hands down the best brisket ever! The costumes in the “hood” were so creative, each and every one; however Mamou had a few favorites. The bear has a neighborhood history as one of the neighbors found a bear cub in their basement window well recently. The momma bear was nearby trying to get her cub out while animal control was called in the middle of the night. By the time authorities arrived, momma and cub were long gone. A few days later, Mamou put the garbage can out the night before collection. Bad idea! The next morning our garbage was up and down the street. The bear apparently enjoyed leftover coffee grounds and a bit of leftover potatoes (raw no less:). Mamou came as a Winter Park carpenter, which I aspire to be in my next life since they now charge more than brain surgeons. The little astronaut named Cameron was a hit, reminding me of our favorite Clear Lake astronaut (for real) Ken Cameron, comander of a Muir docking mission back in the day.

Ika did the decor, and it was amazingly creative as usual. Matt spent most of the night carving up brisket and handing out drinks. Considering the fact that he would be getting up at 3:30 the next morning for a 5 am flite, he was the host with the most. Fortunately Halloween fell on a Monday night, so all retired early. Mamou put the kids to bed while Matt and Ika cleared the tables. It was a bit of work for all, but so worth it.

Not to be outdone, my hometown Granby had a celebration as well. My neighborhood is mostly second homes for skiing and retirees (like me:) One of the neighbors put out a message for all the kids to come to their house offering to drive them around in the pickup, while neighbors who were there posted their addresses so the kids could find the treats. It was kinda like a google scavenger hunt. We visited the weekend before, and took advantage of some really cool deco of the season.

As always, I can’t wait till next year. The kids will be a bit older, the costumes even more creative, and maybe by then Mamou (with any luck) can get a local carpenter lined up to prepare the Granby place for Halloween. In the meantime, Bo and Hanna are looking forward to a wonderful Thanksgiving with Swedish and American cuisine combined!