Baseball, A Tour & School 'almost done'

I discovered this week that a Columbine is a flower!!! (The State flower in fact)

Another couple of weeks have passed by.  It just goes to show how much you are enjoying your days when they pass you by so quickly!!

We were able to attend a baseball game!  It was on Monday, 9 May, and we were able to get tickets from 'Mac' an aussie, who is an ex exchange teacher of about 30 years ago.  We went with James, another Aussie teacher and saw a great game between the Denver Rockies and the New York Mets.  I suppose the game itself was slow in that there was great defense from both sides, however, the Rockies won in the 9th innings 2-1.  The locals sure love their sport and are very vocal and passionate!  The Coor Stadium is very impressive with views of the field from anywhere. We were sitting fairly high, (nearly at the mile mark), right behing the batting so had a clear perspective of the field.  It's one thing to watch a game on TV, but so much better to experience it first hand.  It was fun and I'm glad we got to see it.  Rick's been watching the baseball very regularly ever since!!  The last game the Rockies played, they lost it after a mega 14 innings battle.

Tom ready to see some ball!!

A great view, nearly a mile high in the stadium

Tom, learning some technical points of the game from Mac.

The Rockies mascot came close to our seats, kids just love him!!

Sarah has started to learn how to tumble in training for the cheer squad.  Tumbling is now on Tuesday evenings 5.30-7.00pm.  Today will be her third session, and I have to say she is doing very well for someone who is 16, taller than me and has never done any gymnastics at all.  Go Sarah!  You'll be doing flips and somersaults before you know it! 
Cheerleading is a very expensive sport.  To help offset this cost, over the past week there has been a fundraising effort expected by the girls in selling 'cookie dough'.  This is a 3lb bucket, about 1.3kg of varieties of different flavours for $15 each.  Our contacts are a bit limited to school, church and the few neighbours we have met, so this has proved to be a challenging and difficult ask. Way outside mine and Sarah's comfort zone.  So we'll just have to go with what we can do and be pleased with that.

Tom performed in the end of year Choir Concerts last week.  I went to both the Monday and Wednesday night events which were both outstanding.  The standard was very impressive, with a lot of the music coming from a religious background. I think one of the most beautiful pieces was the double choir, where half the choir was on the stage and the other behind the audience at the rear of the auditorium.  The harmonies and sound was outstanding. I took a couple of pics, essentially to capture the moment, but especially to preserve the image of Tom in a chorus gown.  I don't think we will see him like this again!!  Good work Tom and well done, it was a great experience.

Tom, top back and center!

The whole choir including old scholars. 
The sound was magnificent and very stirring, especially the Alma Mater and the Battle Hymn of the Republic..

Looking good Tom!

Last Friday evening, CITEL (Colorado International Teacher Exchange League) organised a tour of the Governor's Mansion.  This is where the Governor can reside if he chooses, and is a luxury mansion restored to its former beauty.  It's not as large as Government House in Adelaide, and the original grounds have mostly been sold off.  Originally it was built by the businessman Walter Scott Cheeseman for his wife and daughter, it was subsequently owned by two other distinguished families and eventually sold to the state as a residence for the Governor.  It was built on a hill in the city centre looking out to the mountains.  It was in the dress circle of society surrounded by other mansions.  Unfortunately, over the years, the economics of upkeeping most of these buildings led them to be sold, demolished with modern (ugly) buildings replacing them.  It's sad that alot of history has been lost, but at least this one mansion still remains.  I love the history of how Denver began, first as frontier town, and then as a boom town when a massive gold vein was discovered.  The capitol was originally in Golden, which is in the foothills, but then moved to Denver.  This explains why the Capitol Building upkeeps the gold leaf Dome roof.  This elegant home still retains some of the aura of prestigious living and glamourous entertaining  of years gone by.  It's probably not the most practical of homes, but had a class of it's own setting the socal standard for Denver.

The Governor's Mansion - Denver City

Very elegant and genteel..

That's the life Rick!

I suppose the last couple of weeks have been quieter, but we have been kept busy as our schedules dictate.  For myself, I have spent a fair bit of time researching some more Family History and have found enough names now for the kids to take to the Nauvoo Temple in June.  I have also dabbled in some painting. I am enjoying it, but greatly miss the guidance of Chuck, and look forward to classes beginning again in September.  I have been making a study of trees, and will continue practising until I feel confident with these pines.  There are so many varieties of pines here in America.  They are all individual and have a beauty and strength about them that I am determined to capture. 

Winter Morning - a study of pines

The Shade Tree - inspired by the area down by Andrew & Mel's creek

Sunrise at the beach - taken from Shane Goldberg's photograhy. This was tricky, so will repaint it sometime.

Last week, as well as cub scouts, I also volunteered at the Temple laundry.  This is a busy Temple and it was really good to see how all this is managed.  Let me just say, there is always a lot of folding to do!!  I was glad I could help a little.

School finished on Friday for Tom (again!!).  I think he is well and truely over high school now, and I will be glad not to hear from the attendance office anymore.  Good for you Tom, you went the extra mile!  Sarah and Rick finish the school year this Friday and we will all be glad not to have to get up at 5 or 6am for a few months!!
We have commented how different it feels being the end of the school year.  There have been concerts, but not nearly the end of year frenzy we usually feel, and with summer coming, usually it's Christmas.. but it's not!! Instead we have a three month summer break ahead of us.  Over the past few days, we have been planning in earnest, checking out possible routes and prices.  America is this big smorgasboard of things to do!  We are bound by some dates such as the youth trip to Nauvoo in June and EFY Provo in July.  We will have a few visitors staying starting with Lucy in early June, and Chani and Deegan in July.  In July, we are planning a road trip to California and then a trip to New York in August, with small trips in between.. 

This past weekend we had dinner with the Stutz family here, and the Mercer family on Sunday.  We have been greatly blessed with the friendships we have made here.. We are hoping to go camping with the Mercer's to Yellowstone Park in June sometime..  So much to do!!

Over the past couple of months, eastern America has been hit by natural disasters one after another.  There was the heavy heavy snows of winter that crippled the East, followed by heavy rains.  There has been so much rain, the Mississipi River has now burst many of its banks and flooded many towns.  This has put about 9,000 people out of their damaged homes, and has affected businesses as the river is used to transport wood, coal and other raw materials and cargo.  Wildlife such as alligators are being found where they normally are not!!  So alot of distress has resulted.  And now, over the past week, tornadoes again.  There have been many of them, but two biggies, first in Minneapolis destroying homes and lately on Sunday a huge one to hit in Joplin, Missouri destroying a large part of the city including the hospital, and killing over 125 people. There are approximately 1,500 people still unaccounted for.  It's devastating to so many.. We seem to be a bit more sheltered here in Denver, but still have been recieving tornado warnings for some areas.  We have had a lot of rain over the past fortnight, with thunderstorms today, but it should be a lovely weekend ahead. 

Today is our son-in-law's birthday.  Happy Birthday Nathan!  We are so fortunate to have such an exceptional young man as part of our family and truely love him.

Nathan & Karlie