A Year of Change

After our mad rush to Denver and back, we rushed up to Vail to get to a beautiful home where the people are moving back to their home in Boca Raton Florida next month. Our friend who has a consignment shop is helping them sell all of their stuff in an estate sale in about 10 days. She arranged for us to go in early and check it out. The boys and I arrived at 2:30 thinking no one was home. It turned out that the couple who own the home was home and welcomed us into their house. This house was originally built and owned by Jack Nicklaus. They bought it from him about 13 years ago. They were super nice and you could tell extremely wealthy. The couch we came to look at was gorgeous and priced so reasonably I thought there was something wrong with it but it turns out they’re just needing to liquidate a whole house full of stuff. As we began talking, the man said he had some friends staying with them he wished we could meet. He offered me some wine which I declined but of course this led to what I do for a living. Anyhow as we were getting ready to leave, their close friends from Florida showed up.

As I introduced myself Mr. Johnson (their friends) did a double take when I said my last name. He looked at me funny and said, “your dad was either a banker or a general”. I proceeded to tell him who dad was and he broke down saying he testified with dad in Congress and knew him well from Independent Bankers for years! Turns out he was President of the Florida Independent Bankers and they had started 7 banks in the early 70’s and was also an attorney. Anyhow he couldn’t stop gushing about what a great man Ivan was and how he was a legend. They insisted that when Lori was off work, we all come back. So a few hours later the four of us went back and spent the next few hours becoming friends. Turns out the Johnson’s are quite famous as he’s a board member of the Heisman Trophy committee, has met 6 of the last 7 Presidents in the Oval Office, has multiple businesses with our host, who is pretty famous in his own right, along with some 4 star general. Anyhow the evening was great, the people who own the home who are fantastic (he’s a famous physicist and she was a model that looked like Audrey Hepburn in her day) insist we come to Florida in February to stay with them and visit and the Johnson’s insist we come to their suite at a Florida Gator football game, if not this year, next for sure. Now they made a point of letting us know these are not empty requests, they really did insist and we all exchanged information. Both men and their wives couldn’t stop complimenting the kids who were so well behaved and polite. Mr. Johnson told the boys that he knew their Grandpa well and what a great man he was and how proud they should be of him. He also told them he knew they’d be great Americans as they have great parents and really great Grandparents. Meanwhile the lady of the house was giving the boys gifts of knick knacks around her house that she could tell the boys were eyeing. Ty came home with a china teapot that looks like a Panda Bear and a stuffed Panda and Jagger with a glass blown orb that is an oil lamp from Venice. They used to own a company in Venice and have been there like 300 times. He also came home with a ski boot coffee cup of hers that she used to keep her pencils in by her phone. We didn’t see this going on as she took the boys into the kitchen and gave them this stuff or came out with things wrapped up for the boys. Anyhow by 8pm or so we decided to make our way home but not before they gave the kids some more things like 6 decks of cards and some home made candy. I don’t want to give their names as I’m sure they’re searched on the internet often and we want to respect their privacy and generosity. In any case, they were just thrilled to meet us and insist we come back a bunch before they move in early September. We’ll go over today and try to move the couch if I can find some help. I could go on and on as it was a remarkable serendipitous evening. In any case, they were both really nice couples and very very generous to us and kind. I don’t know why but people seem to like us as a family a lot as these kind of things seem to happen to us often. We’re always humble, respectful, and polite. Guess we’re just a likable family, who knew!

That’s it, lots to do today, hope all’s well, God Bless.

It’s 6:15 and the boys and I need to leave in 45 minutes at the latest for Denver. I hope to have us back up here by 1pm but need to hit the car dealer, REI (to return some stuff), the dermatologist and buy some school clothes. So I really have no time this morning. We made it up around 1 in the afternoon after Jag gave a nice speech at church. Nothing yet on the house but we’re hoping and praying. That’s it, time to run, and I mean run!

God Bless.

Yesterday was another mad rush to get everything done. We had to run around town to get the kids stuff ready for their first few days of school as they both have outdoor trips. Ty will be in Breckenridge for a ropes course one day and then on a long hike up Booth Creek Falls the next while Jagger will be on a 2 day rafting, camping, hiking trip on the upper Eagle River. So we needed to get some things on the list like rain gear, hiking boots, sleeping pads, headlamps, etc. We haven’t even started on the actual school supplies but thankfully that list is pretty short. We were at REI for a good two hours and then went straight to Vinny’s to drop Ty for the birthday party and sleepover. Then Jag went to church at 5:15 until 8pm for practice on today’s service. He’s an usher and speaks sometime around the end of the service.

We all need to be out of here, including Mojo,  by 9:45 as we need to pick up Ty and then get to church. Mojo will come with us and hang out in the youth room at the church. Jag goes at 8am to set up for the brunch after church and we pick up Ty at 9:30 or so. We should be on the road to Vail by 11:15 and with no traffic, (cross your fingers) hope to be up there by a bit before 1 this afternoon. I’ll be back down in Denver tomorrow morning by 8:30 in the morning so lots to do.

I’m sure there’s more but that’s it for now, have a great day and God Bless.

We left Vail around 1:30 and headed straight for Frisco and the DMV for Lori to take her drivers license test. She had to take the written test and the eye test. Somehow she managed to pass both and now has a Learners Permit meaning she has to have a 21 year old driver in the car with her! This is the same permit as you get when you’re 16. Next up will be the driving portion hopefully Monday or Tuesday. Don’t let your license expire! It’s a real pain in the you know what.

Today we have a showing in the afternoon and need to get some school clothes and supplies. Ty has Vinny’s birthday party and Jagger has practice at church for his presentation tomorrow. Dr R. at Lori’s old job is crazier than ever. Everyone is up in arms and the doctor is just angry and not handling the change well. All the more reason that it was a good move for Lori to leave.

We’re here until tomorrow morning when we’ll head up the hill. We have another showing at 10am where the people are coming back with a contractor to see about re-doing the kitchen. Jag has church at 10 so we’ll leave right after that. Last night we went to Nordstroms and then Elways for dinner before coming home to watch the Broncos kill the Seahawks. I don’t know the final score but we really outplayed them in the first half when both teams better players were in.

Time to run, it’s 6:34. I had to cancel the gym down here, stupid move or I’d be there this morning. Hope all’s well, God Bless.

Around 3pm we dropped Jag at his birthday party and headed back up the hill. Ty and Ben (who tagged along) , fell asleep on the way up. That right there should tell you how much sleep they had the night before. We made it up in good time and cleaned up a bit until Lori made it home from work at 6:45. She was late as it was clinic day. We then decided to head down valley to Avon to one of our favorite restaurants for a quick bite and to drop of some samples as we’re pretty close with the owner. By 8:30 we were home and winding down.

Today we’ll head down around 2 or 3 depending on when Lori finishes up at work. Uncle Tommy will pick up Jagger around 9 or 9:30 and drop him at the house where he’ll hang out and read until we arrive. I need to go to the school today and turn in their paperwork as school starts a week from Monday!

Lori had a good day and is already making her mark. There’s a lot of room for improvement and she is on it. Guess I’ll run, hope all’s well, God Bless.

We made it down by about 9:05 am and started to get all our chores and errands done. About noon we made it back to the house and I did some work while the boys played with Ben. Turns out Ben spent the night and he and Ty are on the couch downstairs right now. I just turned the tv off as it was on all night.

We thought Jag’s party was at 3 pm yesterday but it is actually at 3 pm today! Not sure how we messed that one up. In any case Ty and I will head up the hill after we drop him off this afternoon and then Uncle Tommy will pick him up tomorrow morning. He’ll then either have lunch and hang out with Tommy or come to the house and hang out and read his book until Lori, Ty and I make it down from Vail around 5 pm.

This morning I’m running to the distributor and then have an 8:30 meeting at Applejack. Then I’ll do some computer work, wash and gas up the truck and maybe run to Nordstroms to have Jagger’s pants let out. That’s about it, we took my Mom some calamari yesterday for dinner after I took the three boys to Bonefish Grill. She was going to join us but decided to stay home. Turns out she has a torn bicep which is really sore but you just have to let heal on its own. Hope it heals quick! Time to run, have a great day and God Bless.

This morning the boys and I are headed down the hill to Lakewood. Jagger has a sleepover birthday party and Ty and I have some things to do in the city. Lori had a good second day at work while the boys and I continued to get things ship shape around here. About 2 in the afternoon the boys decided to head up Meadow Mountain for a mountain bike ride. Thankfully they wore jackets and took backpacks with water and some Doritos as a while after they were gone, the storm hit. It was raining so hard that I jumped in the truck and went looking for them. Jag had the good sense to turn around, (as the trail goes up into the mountains) and backtrack down the trail towards home. I finally saw them riding in a downpour on the dirt road headed home. Needless to say, they were soaked!

Next up at 6pm Lori and I had to go to a birthday party at our friends home down valley. It was a nice party and we stayed a couple hours as we were both tired. We made it home a bit before 9pm and wound down for the night. It’s now 6:30 and the boys and I will be on the road in about an hour. Grandma, Ty and I are going to Bonefish Grill this afternoon for a quick bite. We did find some bunk beds yesterday which we desperately need and the guy seems willing to come down about 65% on price. They’re still about $1000 (normally $2400!) but we sure need them as the kids room is not big enough for their two beds. Oh well, just another day, every time you turn around there seems to be another expense. We just figured out our payment plan for the kids school but found out yesterday that in February we need to pay an extra $4000 for the next years deposit! It never stops. Guess that’s just life.

God Bless.

Yesterday Lori headed out to work and I jumped on my calls. After that the boys and I dropped a voided check off to her for her direct deposit for her paychecks, went to the school to pick up enrollment papers, ran down valley to the dump, and then headed home to continue cleaning. I put a brisket in the oven at noon so it’d be done by 6pm.

We cleaned out the upstairs and downstairs closets and moved some stuff around the house. We have more work to do but it’s looking better around here every day.

Today Lori has clinic meaning she needs to be at work at 8am. The boys and I are going to run down to Eagle as there’s a guy who makes furniture and we need to see if we can find a set of bunk beds that hold queen mattresses. Tonight Lori and I have a birthday party to go to where lots of our friends will be. It starts at 6:30 so we’ll be rushing over after work but will be fun to reconnect with our Vail crowd. I guess it rained pretty good in Denver yesterday but was nice up here. It’s cooler this morning with clouds but still nice.

Both boys are reading books for school that we just found out must be completed by the first day on the 24th. Ty is really studying hard which is a bit of a change for him. Tomorrow the boys and I will head to Denver and come back up Thursday morning. Jagger has a sleepover birthday party and Ty and I need to handle some chores and errands in the city. I also have a meeting with an account Thursday morning.

That’s about it, the brisket turned out great and it’s time to run. I’m lost without a gym but it’ll have to wait a while as all our money is going to school right now.

Take care, and God Bless.

Well, life doesn’t wait for you to move in, get organized, get some money in the bank or catch up on much needed rest. So today it begins.

Lori will leave for her first day of work at 8:30 this morning, we have the locksmith here at 8:45, my first conference call is at 9am and then another at 10 or 11, I’m not sure if it’s mountain or pacific time. Then a bunch of data entry before I head over to the school to get the boys enrollment papers.

We did have a nice dinner of steaks, fresh Olathe corn and fresh green beans last night, our first official meal together as a family up here. I drove down to Denver at 7am to get Jag’s and Ty’s bikes so he could go mountain biking. Jag and Max rode up somewhere in Beaver Creek and then all three boys went swimming in the community pool by Max’s house. Meanwhile Lori had her nails done and Ty and I went to get him some new tennis shoes.

That’s it as I’m already feeling the pressure and it’s only 6:48 am. The weather is great, nice and cool. Hope all’s well, God Bless from God’s country!

Yesterday after a trip to Costco (cha ching) for some desks for the boys new school set up, we spent the day unpacking and rearranging things in the house. Around 2pm, Lori’s new friend Sue, who manages another surgeon and will work right next to Lori, came over with her son Max who is also going into 8th grade a VMS. Sue has been a God send helping with advice and answering all sorts of questions and giving us the inside scoop. Anyhow she was lovely (she says that a lot as she’s from South Africa) and they stayed for over an hour visiting. Jag and Max hit it off right away as I guess there’s only like 12 boys in the 8th grade and 24 girls! She gave us the lowdown on specific teachers and more importantly certain kids, boys and especially girls, and their personalities.

She’s a real kick as she’s a strong lady and her accent sounds more British than South African. A few hours later we all decided to go to dinner at Ti Amo at 8:30. Turns out their family lives right across the street from one of my best friends brother and we know lots of people in common. So at 8:30 we met her daughter and husband, who is also from South Africa, and 9 of us went to dinner. Two hours later we were done and headed home. It was a great time and Jag and Ty are really excited as Max told them all about what to expect at school. We didn’t really want to go out that late but it was good we did.

It’s almost 7am and I’m going to bomb down to Denver in about 30 minutes and pick up our mountain bikes as Max and Jagger want to go mountain biking today. I’ll be back up by 11am or so and don’t mind the drive plus I’m happy to do it for Jag so he can go biking with his new friend. I’ll grab all four bikes as the cars were too loaded for me to get them the other day.

We found a dresser at Costco we really need but will be putting that on hold as we need to save all our cash right now for school. It was only $500 out the door but that’s a lot of money no matter who you are. I almost forgot, Jag, Ty and Max were walking Mojo up the mountain yesterday when a husky who was off leash, came charging at him. Jag said Mojo stiffened up and stuck his chest out thinking to himself, “oh boy, this stupid dog is charging me, usually I have to chase them”. Anyhow Jag threw himself around Mojo’s neck holding him back and Mojo still drug him down the mountain 10 feet or so. Ty and Max were also holding on to the leash but Mojo can easily drag 200 or 300 pounds if he wants to. Finally the ladies walking the husky realized what was happening and ran up to get their dog. Jag ended up with a couple of bloody skinned up knees that he wore like a badge of honor. Max apparently was quite impressed as he was telling the story along with Jag when they came home. Anyhow no harm done and a dog fight or should I say, one sided beat down by Mojo, was averted. I don’t know what some people are thinking walking their dogs without a leash, like the place is their own backyard. Soon the neighborhood will know who Mojo is, trust me.

Ok, time to run so I can get down the hill and get back up by 11 or so. Hope everyone is well, take care and God Bless. Mom, if you’re up, I’ll stop by and say hi!