Where Did January Go? (Monday, January 29th, 2018)

When we got back from our trip with the kids, Steve and I stayed in Denver for a short time to celebrate Christmas and his mom's birthday, check on the progress Steve's dad had made after his knee replacement (which was great by the way) and spend time with family and friends before heading back home.  

Our youngest daughter headed back to college for her final semester, and had a couple of snafoos in the process.  After a long discussion, she and her boyfriend of five years decided it would be best to go their separate directions.  Although I know this will be a hard transition for both of them, I know that they will both find their way as they transition into life.  In addition to this, her car decided to give up on her.  We had a lot of discussions about the best option for her, and in the end, she decided that she would prefer to take on the challenge of a new car, rather than take the chance of being stranded again after we returned home (our mechanic said it could be one of 50 things and they all sounded quite expensive).  She thought that with her being in Colorado a four-wheel drive car would make her feel a lot safer, and not knowing where she will live after she graduates, or what her commute will look like to her new big-girl job, we all decided that she was right.  So off we went to look at cars.  She ended up with a small new four-wheel drive (and unfortunately, the debt that goes with it), and we ended up trading in 375,000 miles of used cars.  We're happy to have the old cars gone (they have been great cars!), and she is very excited to be owning her first ever new car.  

The day after we returned from the trip, our oldest daughter and our son (in-law) headed out for their new home in Washington.  Our son (in-law) reported to his new job with the Army on January 4th and our daughter headed back to Colorado Springs to finish the sale of their house, pick up their cat, and return to Washington to start their new lives there.  Our daughter will continue to work at her current job for now, but we'll have to see what the future brings since it is a "Denver only" position.

When we got back to Arizona, my main focus was to get the blog caught up from the trip, catch up on work, and enjoy time with friends as time permitted, but in reality, the order of it just didn't work out quite like that.  

Of course, work came first, but after that, everything got a little fuzzy.  Friends kept calling asking us to join them for a meal, a drink or a game of golf.  The side by side club kept planning rides that we just couldn't resist, and once again life got really busy.  

Here are a few fun pictures from our trip to the Wing Mine and the Bat Cave with the side by side club.

We made it to the Wing Mine.

Back on the Road!

Lunch Time!

Fun pictures of Mitten rock.

Approaching the Bat Cave.

Hiking In...

Homeward Bound!

We will soon be moving into February with daytime temperatures in the low 80's and night time temperatures in the 50's. It is gorgeous, and we have a lot to do, so I'll say goodbye for now, and catch you again with our next adventure!