Andrea's Promise

Andrea saw this photo during her recent visit and told me that there was a story behind the photo. She promised me that if I posted the picture, she would tell us the story. Andrea, the photo is posted, and we are anxious to hear your story.

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Such a cute little Girl I was! :D The other's were cute too! ;-)

Well, I did see this picture while Dad and I were playing on the computer, and I did say that I would post a story about my memories riding in the back of that yellow blazer, not really this particular picture, but the memories that I have of being a city girl, roughing it with my country cousins! You know the City Mouse Country Mouse kind of story! Marcy always reminds me, that I came from the City and they were tougher because they were from the country! I'd beg to differ, but.... ;-) Robert and I always LOVED to be with our Country Cousins from Alamosa!

Anyway, I remember riding in the back of this yellow blazer many, many times! Over the many visits it was modified to fit our many needs and their ever growing extended family. We would often visit the Sand Dunes and the Don Vance family had their vehicle modified this one particular time with the benches that were NOT bolted in the floor of the blazer lined up against the windows for the adults to sit on, while us kids sat on the floor in the middle, on blankets, sometimes us kids were lucky enough to sit on benches while Uncle Don drove up and down the sandy hills of the Dunes to find just the right spot to let us rugrats out to run-a-muck; to play in the water; burry ourselves in the sand; and basically wear the tar out of us so that we'd sleep well when we got back to the Don Vance Family castle.

I think I still have lumps on my head from when we'd hit a bump or two and the benches that were NOT bolted down would fly up, bringing us with it to knock our mellons on the ceiling of the blazer. Little sacrifices we dealth with to enjoy the company of our family and enjoy the Valley sun! I always though Uncle Don was a wild and crazy driver, and that was cool because we wouldn't have been on half the adventures we were in if he didn't take the risks he did!

That was the one particular memory I had of this blazer showing our fun loving cousins, Danette, Cory and the RKent Vance Family offspring, Andrea and Robert. I WOULDN'T TRADE THOSE MOMENTS FOR ANYTHING!

~I better get back to work for now! If I think of other memories of this blazer, I'll post more later!

There you go! :D

Let's see if you can jump that bail of hay

Can anyone remember the time Larry wanted to jump the mototcycle over the bail of hay? I had a 2by4 against the bale so as to give you an incline. Larry watched me do it a couple of times and asked if he could do it. He jumped it and hit the front tire first. I told him to hit the hind tire first and asked me to show him one more time. I changed gears in the middle of the plank and it kicked the plank of of the bale. The front tire hit the bale of hay and stop the bike and stopped quick enough that the bike fell over real slow. I put out my hand outm too breake the fall and ended up breaking my collerbone,ha ha.

Larry and Automobiles

Some of the pictures below are same as the originals because I do not have originals. The first car that I did in was a 1954 Chevrolet. It belonged to Kent. Some friends and I went driving in it and knocked the air filter off the top of the engine when we backed up. The breather hit the fan and damaged the radiator. Kent then later drove it and it overheated on him and was ruined.



The color below is a bit off, but the model is right. We had a red 1953 Ford. Dad got it from Wilford Haynie. He was about blind. Hi glasses were thick and you could only see the pupil of his eye in them if he was looking at you. He quit driving and dad took the car on his bills. I ended up using the car the most. I drove it to school. I was in High School at Centrauri.

One night some of my associates and I went to Alamosa and were driving on top of the levees along the Rio Grande. We hit a deep rut in the dike and broke the motor mounts. The engine slid forward and the fan closed off the fins on the radiator. We found a pole and pushed the engine back in place and then took pocket knives and straightened out all the fins on the radiator. I drove it for months after that.

Mom took the car and went to Albuquerque and slammed on the brakes at a street light. The engine moved forward and closed all the fins on the radiator. She continued to drive it and got the engine hot. She put water in it and cracked a head. The car was hauled back to Manassa on a truck.



Before Kent went to VietNam he bought a new car. An early 1970s American Motors Hornet. Green. We used it as a family car while Kent was gone. I was driving it in Alamosa one day and failed to notice someone that had stopped for a person in a crosswalk and crashed into another car. Kent found out after he arrived home from VietNam.



When I was in high school I bought a 1962 Chevrolet Impala with a 327 v-8. It ran fairly well, and I was in the process of doing modifications on it.



In the course of stupidity I managed to have the steering wheel come off in my hands while I was driving to Simeon Dunn's funeral. I didn't make it that day to the funeral.



After my broken ribs healed I took the engine and drivetrain out of the Chevrolet and put it in the 1953 Ford. It was a strange machine. The speedometer only showed 120 MPH. I had a tachometer on the engine. The car was doing about 120 when the tachometer read about 5600 RPM. I drove it one day to 7000 RPM. I later wrecked the Ford by driving too fast around a corner and slid into a rock; I was going about 30 MPH. That was the end of that.



Donnie had a 1965 Cadillac that he let me use. It was a gas guzzler and it started to burn oil. I parked it by the garage. Someone stole some of the parts off the engine while it was sitting. Dad eventually sold it to a junk yard.

I left home for a while and worked in Farmington, New Mexico for a while. When I was there I bought a 1964 El Camino.



I was out driving crazy one day and sideswiped a telephone pole. Someone in Farmington offered me a 1965 El Camino in trade for the one I had because he wanted the frame. I make the swap. The 1965 El Camino had a 283 V-8. A farmer in the area offered to give me a 427 if I would put the 283 in his car and I could have the 427. I made the swap. It was a learning experience. I put lots of extras on the engine and it would accelerate quickly. I spun a rod bearing on it. Then I went on a mission and dad sold it.



When I returned from my mission my dad had acquired another El Camino that belonged to Donald Jarvis. I had that for the next several year. I sold it to a junk yard when I left Provo to go to Greenville Texas after I graduated from BYU.



While I was at BYU I met Jeanette Cheshire and married her. She had the nifty old 1952 Ford Galaxy. That was our family car. We were in the process of trying to improve it when...



a man in a little pickup ran a red light and hit the Ford broadside.



While we were in Greenville I bought a Chevy pickup. When we lived in Littleton several years later I sold it as junk. I saw somebody driving it after that.



Another car the we acquired in Greenville was this Chevrolet station wagon. I hated this car. I called it the gutless dog. It served our purposes, but it did not perform well. We sold it to a lady for $200 when we lived in Littleton.



Our family had grown. We needed more room. I bought a Ford Clubwagon from John Vincent. We used this van for a few years.




One day the van left us stranded in Salt Lake City. We bought the van below to replace it. It was not quite a replacement, but it was easier on gasoline and was easier to drive. Anita and Debra were in the van when a man ran a stop sign and pulled in front of them. Ouch.



Jeanette and I bought two new vehicles. A 1999 Saturn SL and a 1999 Ford Ranger pickup. We had the Saturn for only a few months when Jeanette and I were heading to the Denver temple and were just a couple blocks from home, when a woman pulled across the highway in front of us. We totaled our new Saturn. We had to deal with Allstate Insurance. That was the most painful part of the whole ordeal. The same was true with dealing with the Ford Aerostar accident too.




We bought another Saturn to replace our blue Saturn. This one was metalic silver grayish kinda color. We gave that car to Craig and Brina as a wedding gift.


We bought a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis so we could travel in a little more comfort. We will probably still be making car payments when the car is dilapidated and retired.



And our last purchase is a Chevrolet Aveo5. It is OK as a commuter, but I would not like to take too many long trips in it.

I am missing my family

When my children were little, we got together as a family almost monthly. The center point was Mom and Dad's house in Manassa. We had Christmases and other holidays together, we went camping together. It was easy to feel connected and a part of things.

Time has changed that. We have moved further apart because of life events and employment. We don't get the opportunity to get together and chew the fat, so to speak as we used to. Some of our family is now in Utah, some in Colorado, and some in Texas. Brenda's family is in South Dakota, and Robert, Andrea's families are just a couple of hours away, but at times it feels as though it might as well be China.

I have really enjoyed reading the posts that have been added to the blog. I have enjoyed the pictures that have been added, and I have enjoyed the comments that have been appended to the posts.

For a short time, there was a flurry of activity that helped me feel part of the family again. I hope that isn't just a temporary flash in the pan.

I have really enjoyed the glimpses of each other's lives that this BLOG media has brought. I love it that Mom is sharing her memories and insights. Gloria's posts make me feel warm and help me see the lighter side of life. Don's little contributions are priceless. Danette's writing and photos have been wonderful. It's fun to see the pictures on Larry's and Jeanett's blog. You can watch their children grow up right before your eyes. You can see what their family is involved with now in a way that we couldn't do even when we got together regularly. I've enjoyed Andrea's posts. I think her photos are beautiful. Capturing them off of the blog is the easiest thing I have ever done!! I really do enjoy Andi's sense of humor.

I would like to do the same with my children that Larry has with his, but I no longer have pictures that I can share. I lost them in the divorce from Andi and Robert's mother. We do have old albums and Brenda's and Eddies's childhood and I do have boxes of slides that I need to get digitized so that they are usable on the internet. My old scanner isn't compatible with Windows Vista. I was frustrated today when I went into a photo shop to ask about the price of getting that done in bulk. They wanted two dollars a slide. I felt that was a bit prohibitive. I'll continue looking for a way to get them prepared.

I have not done well at posting every day as I was for a while. I want that connection with my family yet I have not been putting the effort into it that I was at first. I realize that the responsibility is mine. I can't sit back and wait for things to happen. I need to reach out and make an effort.

We are still looking for our digital camera. When it shows up, I promise you that you'll see more photos of our comings and goings.

Moderation of comments

Because of the garbage that gets added to the blogs and to protect us from malware (viruses and spyware), we have turned on moderation of comments. This gives us an opportunity to screen and approve any comments that come in to us. We'll try to moderate them quickly.

Keith's Funeral

I spent Thursday night at Bonnie's. Leon Picked us up there at 4 A.M. and we drove to Kanab and picked up Don and Gloria. We drove to Belen, New Mexico, where we had 2 motel rooms reserved.

When we arrived there, we talked to Erma and she told us that The ward had prepared a meal for the family and we could come and eat with them. after we got cleaned up we went to the church and Keith and Erma's family were mostly all there. They have 70 members of their family. We had a very nice meal and got acquainted with members of their family that we hadn't seen in many years.

The viewing followed in the Relief Society room. The day Keith died, Erma asked Kelly if he could build a casket. Kelly said "no way". The other sons and three grandsons, said they would help him and together they got to Kelly's barn at 8A.M. and stayed late into the night, sometimes as late as 1 A.M. and made a beautiful casket. It was white pine with Cedar panels. The girls made the linings. It was a work of art. Keith looked good. He was thin after so much sikness, but he looked nice.

LaRue and Harold and Doris Faye and Bert came to the viewing. That was special. we took a lot of pictures.

We went back to the motel and prepared to leave at 7 A.M. the next morning to go to LosAlamos, where the funeral was held.

Barbara came for the funeral and all of my immediate family was there. That was special. We haven't all been together at one time since Barbara was sealed in the temple.

At the viewing, Cheryl and Elwood Cardon and Aldred and Gay Schofield were there. I only have 4 living cousins on Dad's side of the family. Cheryl, Aldred, Charley, and Winona are the only ones. It was good to see them. Keith and Erma's family was all there and it was good to see all of them too. The funeral was special. I will send you a program. All of it was their children, except the bishop gave a short talk. . It was a beautiful funeral. The tribute to Keith was wonderful. We stayed for the meal after and visited with my sisters and brother.

We started home at 4:30 in the afternoon and arrived in St George at 4:30 in the morning. It was a good time. everyone was so nice and I felt that being with family was great.

Uncle Keith's funeral

This last weekend as we went to the funeral I was very impressed with the spirit that was there. Not one time did I hear anything negative. Everyone of the kids took part in the funeral service. What a good job they did! It has always been a pleasure to be around Keith and Erma's family. It was so good to meet the grandchildren and great grandchildren of Keith and Erma. Thank you boys for being like your father. No one on this earth cares and loves like he does. I want you to know I love each and everyone one of you. Donnie

Daddy's Shoulders

As Betty and I were coming home from the grocery store, we saw a family walking down the sidewalk. They were laughing and the father had a giggling burden on his shoulders. That took me back to my own childhood.

Most of the memories of my Dad were memories of a stern, demanding man, but there was one time that it was really different for me. Donnie was the one who usually got to go on hunting and fishing trips. One time, I was invited. I imagine that I was about ten years old. When we got to the camp and were beginning to set up, we realized that I left my sleeping bag home. We were in the mountains in winter and it was too cold for me to sleep without bedding. That night, Dad and I shared a sleeping bag. I was warm but I am sure it wasn't the most comfortable night for my Dad.

The next morning, we were off. There was a soft blanket of snow on the ground. It was beautiful to look at, but it wasn't so beautiful when we had to walk in it. I never did like the cold. We were hunting in the neighborhood of the old Vance homestead, near the family cabin on the Conejos River. Dad wanted to hunt on the south side of the river and that meant crossing the icy blue river by wading across. Dad scooped me up on his shoulders and carried me across. I can only imagine how cold his feet must have been, but mine were warm and dry.

Once on the other side of the river, we headed into one of the canyons that jutted up into the mountains. We came to the ruins of an old log cabin. In the corner of the floor of the cabin, you could see where a mountain lion had curled up to sleep. Dad signalled to me to be quiet. That was a hard thing for me to do, but I was able to this time.

We followed the tracks down the side of the canyon and across a small creek. They took us into the timber and changed direction. Still we followed quietly and steadily. Once again the path took a turn out of the darkness of the timber in into the light. Down the hillside we went until we and we crossed the creek again. It wasn't long until we were back at the ruins of the old cabin. I was a little confused as to who was hunted and who was hunting.

My little ten year old body was tired and I was hungry. We headed back to camp following our own footsteps in the snow. Back at the river bank, Dad hoisted me once again to his shoulders. The swift frigid water was shallow and we quickly crossed. It was so good to get back to the camp and the warmth of the campfire.

There were not lot of words exchanged that day. Hunting was serious business to Dad. Although few words were exchanged, I learned volumes. I learned to love and respect nature. I learned that wild life is to be respected. I learned that my Dad loved me and was willing to care for me.

Keith's Funeral

On the web site at www.riversideofbelen.com is Keith's obituary. The information about the viewing in Belen is there. I am going to order flowers and if any of you want to help pay for them, you may. I think we can get them for about 15.00 each. I will order them and put your names on them and if you don't feel like you can help that is ok I will do them. Mom

---

Keith Bingham
(March 4, 1927 - March 9, 2008)

Keith Edward Bingham stepped into eternity from complications due to Parkinson's disease March 9th, 2008 in Belen, New Mexico. The son of James Edward Bingham and Cora Emily Dunn, Keith was born March 4th, 1927 in Manassa, Colorado.

He graduated from Romeo High School in 1945. He served in the United States Navy from 1945-1946. Keith married Erma Rae Reynolds on August 6th, 1949 and they were sealed in the Arizona LDS Temple. They are the parents of Erma Laraine Bingham Wheeler, Richard Keith Bingham (Cindy), Sue Ann Bingham Cook (Keith), Kelly Lawrence Bingham (Ruth), Barry Lynn Bingham (Cheryl), and David Alan Bingham (Bonnie). He is survived by his wife Erma Rae, brother Leon Bingham, sisters Gatha Wilson, La Rue Lawson, Barbara White, Doris Faye Nottingham, six children, twenty eight grandchildren, and twenty three great grandchildren. He will be dearly missed by all family and friends.

He worked in Los Alamos as a Welding Supervising Engineer for the Zia Company, Pan Am, and Johnson Controls. He loved working with his co-workers. Keith was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He served in many positions in the church, and especially loved serving as the Branch President in Llano, New Mexico. He enjoyed working with the Boy Scouts of America where he served more than 10 years.

Family and friends are invited to visit with the family Friday March 14th, 2008 from 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on, 2199 Hwy 304, Belen.

Family will also receive visitors, Saturday March 15th 2008 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Funeral services will follow at 12 p.m. at the Los Alamos Ward Chapel, 1967 18th Street, Los Alamos. Interment will follow at Guaje Pines Cemetery, Los Alamos.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Perpetual Education Fund or the Humanitarian Aid Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or The Boy Scouts of America.

Arrangements are being handled by Riverside Funeral Home of Belen, 418 W. Reinken Ave. An online guest register is available at www.riversideofbelen.com

Keith Died

Keith died Sunday morning at about 5:15. All of their children were there. David was the last one to come. Because he has a new job, he hadn't been able to get there. At first they said the funeral would be Friday, It will be Saturday because of his work. It will be in Los Alamos at 11 A.M.

Mom

Houses-Many moves

The day Arlo and I were married, we moved into a little house that Isabel and Raedeen lived in. Isabel was staying in Arlene Barber's house while Arlene and Lyle and their children were gone somewhere.

When Isabel came back we lived with Grandma Vance for a while. we lived in two rooms that belonged to Charles and June Vance. That is where we lived when Dad died. Then Keith sent a wire and said he was released from the navy and was on his way home. one of the aunts or uncles met every bus or train that entered Alamosa until he got home. He was in time to go to Dad's funeral. Those were hard days.

Doris Faye came then to live with us. Arlo and I had been married 4 months. Arlo told Dad that he would take care of Doris Faye and raise her as his own.

Soon after that time we moved to Guymon's ranch where we lived until after Bonnie was born. That is where we lived until Arlo no longer worked for Ed.

We lived with Grandma Vance for a time after that and then we moved to the the Ross' place. Arlo worked for Walt Gylling while we lived there.

From there we moved to the house by Romeo, where Larry was born. He was born at home. LaRue and I decided to have our babies at home and Doctor Davis was willing to come to the house to deliver or babies. I took care of LaRue when Eddie was born and LaRue took care of me when Larry was born. Harold was overseas. He was in the army and was at both Viet Nam and Korean wars. While we lived there Don had rheumatic fever and st vitus dance. Arlo had a serious problem with his back and suffered greatly with it. He was working for Thales Smith when we lived there. Our home was part of his pay so when Arlo was not able to work we had to move. Richard and Roxanne came to visit us while we lived there. Larry and Gerald Lynn were both blessed in Romeo ward.

On the first of the year, Richard and Roxanne took Arlo to Grand Junction to the veterans hospital. He was there for about a month and was transfered to Denver where he had surgery on his back. While he was in the hospital, I moved our family to Manassa, so we could be close to Grandma and Grandpa Dunn, so they could help us while I worked at Manassa School hot lunch.

We moved into Lucille Jackson's house. We lived there for about some time. Arlo went to work for Boyd Pagett at the garage.

We bought the old Mary Christensen house, across the street from Maggie Weston, (Maggie's mother's house).

Our next house was the one on 3rd street. We bought it from Frank Maestas.

A house isn't always a home

As I began to do family history work, I began looking into the places we had lived as a family. There was a time that I could remember them all, but that time has long since faded.

The first house that I remember was the Guymond ranch. That's where we lived when the pictures were taken of the little peddle car. I don't remember too much about that house. I think it was at that house that Donnie fell from the car and was run over.

The next house I remember was the Ross house. It had an unfinished upstairs. It had an unfinished bedroom with rough board floors and wiring in the walls. There was a potato cellar. Donnie and I would play in the thatched roof. I remember a small lily pond in the front yard that was filled in after Bonnie fell into it.

The next house I rembemer was in Romeo, or better said, it was west of Romeo. We lived there when Larry was born. When we lived there, Donnie and I got hatchets and knives for Christmas. We used them to tear the wiring out of a shed on the property. It's a wonder that we weren't electrocuted.

After the home in Romeo, we lived in Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Catherine Dunn's home in Manassa. I don't think that we lived there for very long. I remember that there were two rooms that had a closet between them. You could go into the closet in one room and come out in the other. That's always fun when you play hide and seek.

Lucille Jackson's room was next. It had a sealed room that we weren't allowed in. It had an apricot tree in the yard, and it smelled like skunks had made a home under the house.

Sometime after that we moved to the house across from Maggie Weston's house. I remember Saturday nights. Bath night was an event because the water was hand pumped and heated on the old wood stove. The round tin bathtub sat on three chairs. The first one into the tub got a little clean water. As each person The last to bathe got lots of dirty gray, warm water.

The last house we lived together as a family was the house on 3rd street, the haunted house that had been bought for back taxes. I have wonderful memories of that house. Mom always had a project for painting or building or cleaning. There was a time that I moved from the front ditch to the back fence. It was short and clean, but it was still just weeds and native grasses. It was never as rich and lush as the neighbor's yards.

After I married and moved away, we were home often. We laughed and played and built memories. Our kids were born and we had a gathering place, to continue growing up together.

After Dad died and Mom moved away, that changed. It was just a house. It wasn't our home any more.

Update

Just wanted to let you know Marcy's surgery went very well. Her doctor took out a 2+ cm tumor out of the back of the knee on the 'fat pad', which turned out to be non-cancerous, and did some repair on the cartiage on the back of the kneecap. So all is improving for her. The doctor said he had never seen such a thing on a knee before. We know the Lord blessed her with healing.

Bonnie Lynn

Aunt Bonnie Lynn. Dad's sister, daughter to Gatha Bingham-Vance-Wilson and Arlo Vance, the coolest grandfather to squeal and squeek at me. All giving of fine memories.

Grandpa played Santa at the church in Manassa one year and I was determinted that everyone know "MY GRANDPA IS SANTA!" He had a green plastic chair. Back to Bonnie Lynn!

I remember a time riding in one of Aunt Bonnie's cars with the sunroof open, laying down on the seat looking up through the opening in the car. Watching the trees go by and the blue sky with the bright white clouds passing as if they themselves were stationary!

Another time in the Valley sleeping in the silver bullet camper and her getting ready for bed with her hair pulled up. I always thought she had the most beautiful red hair! She wore her red hair better than any other red haired female I knew! I always thought she was the coolest!

I felt a little jealous when my oulder cousins were allowed to wear Bonnie's old shoes with heels! I wanted a pair so bad, but I was always too young. When I was finally old enough, I way surpassed ever being able to fit into one of Bonnie's cool hand-me-downs!

When I moved in with Dad and Betty in Longmont in the early 1990's, she made me feel warm and welcome with the care package that she sent! I always felt special around Aunt Bonnie! She has always been filled with a warmth that radiates off of her!

Keith is very bad

Barry Bingham called me today, Keith's kidneys are failing. He is not expected to live for more than a day or two. I talked to Erma, she thinks it could be very soon. They are not giving any life support so I could be any time. Love you all Mom

Family

It is such a special thing to come to Mom's and get to catch up on the latest additions to the blog.
Perhaps the greatest blessing in my life is my family......immediate and extended. Mom is my star!!! She is one of the greatest examples of Christlike love. She has always displayed a love for others. I remember her and Aunt Elma getting up at a very early hour and going to Blanch Sego's home which was about a block away from our house and spent many hours pulling her weeds and put them in the front of her house to burn. I remember Blanch calling Mom and showing anything but gratitude for their kind act, I told her that I wouldn't spend my time doing things for someone that did not appreciate it. Her response to me was that they didn't do it for praise or appreciation and that there was no end to the good that we could do if we were not concerned about who got the credit. She always could see the good in me even though I felt that there was none.

My best friend, Ramona McGinnis said that Mom was the best person that she had ever met and that she was a great source inspiration to her. Mom taught her to sew, cook and many other skills that I was personally not interested in at that time.

Dad had a big heart, I remember that at Christmas he always bought a gift for the widows that were in our home town; it may have been a box of chocolate covered cherries or a small glass dish, but he had a gentle side. He was a real practical joker, he could dish it out , but he didn't like others to do it to him. He taped my eye lids shut when I was sleeping, painted my face with charcoal when I was asleep and when I sat by him at a meal time he was always hitting my elbow as I took a bite. He had an amazing ability to get close to animals and had them well trained. He would put candy sticks in his shirt pockets and they would find them and eat them. The pony would get his cap by the bill and take it off. His animals loved him. H e also had m well trained, when he came in the house I would take off his shoes, get his paper and retrieve a drink for him.

Donnie, Kent and Larry, do you remember him taking us out to go sledding on the snow packed roads in the winter in the deep hood of an old car. I also remember ice skating on the Conejos River. Dad went in front of us with a scoop shovel and would clear off the ice and probably check if the ice was solid enough to hold us.

Donnie was always so well liked by the people in the valley and I was so proud to have him be my older brother. My children and grandchildren all love him and Gloria so much because thy make them feel like they are each one their favorite.

Kent was one of my best friends and I thought he was truly the best brother in the world. Remember skating at the town pond? We would skate together to "Put You Little Foot", and we would turn and skate the other direction. I thought we were good enough to be part of the"Ice Capades". We played duet at Adam State College, our contribution was "Glow Little Glow Worms". We both took music lessons from Lena Sowards.

Larry was the "Brains " of our family. For some unknown reason, he got my share also. Maybe I traded him for his charm...that is a joke of course.

I adore all of my nieces and nephews and one of my greatest motivating factors is to be eternally linked to each and every one of my family.

I love my children and grandchildren and Emery is my greatest blessing.

Gloria, Betty and Jeantte are the sisters that I wished for from my youth.

-- Bonnie

Is this the way it was?

Here is a picture of the snow taken Feb, 2008 of the turn off to the cabin. Do you see many fence posts? (wow, what a short fence! ha) this reminds me of Kent talking about walking out with waist deep snow. It is sure good to see the moisture in the mountains this year. Here is a picture also of the Conejos River where the highway starts up the pass, by ElkCreek Campground. A favorite fishing place! Some favorite places for our family bringing memories. I am glad to see the snow and it is good to see, I'm also glad I am warm and dry at home! Is that showing my age? of course.... NOT!!!!