Saying, "Good-byes"

Off to La Crescent, MN with the retired school girls to try Corky's Pizza. Karen had heard that it was the best pizza and compared to the very OLD Pizza Villa taste and crust. So, into her dog hauling Acadia we all piled. The day was fun remembering old stories and comparing our aging issues. 

Instead of driving all of the way to Rochester, we decided to head to Pearl Street to each have an ice cream cone. The weather was perfect and we all sat outside at the sidewalk cafe area slurping our cones. Yum!

I had the girls drop me off at Mom and Dad's house. Rick showed up, we helped hang a curtain rod, played a game of "Five Crown," and headed to Betty's house.  From there, we all drove to Ciattis for a delicious Italian meal. It was nice spending the day in La Crosse with special people and beautiful weather. Now, we are off to Nappanee to have a few coach repairs.

Cranberry Fest Camping

Rick and I started our annual, well almost annual camping trip to Lake Arbutus to meet up with David and Teresa.  We arrived Wednesday and waited for their arrival on Friday after work. :) 

It was fun to go to the Warrens Cran fest and walk around on Thursday while it was all being set up. It was a whole different look than the jam packed full look of the weekend. We did taste some delicious cranberry ice cream in a cone. Yum! 

When brother and sister inlaw arrived, we had supper waiting. I had tried a new pork loin recipe and it was tasty even though Dave thought it could have done without the yogurt and pecans on top. 

Saturday was a full day of festing, card playing, camp fire, and hunting the woods for geos. Dave and Teresa were happy to add three more to their list. The beautiful fall colors are out in full and it is quite a site to see in Wisconsin!

Bunco in the coach

Yep, my month for Bunco. Rick and I headed to Viroqua and camped at the Fair Ground for the night. Ten bunco babes showed up for drinks and snacks. Since the area is a bit small for three tables of dice playing, we demonstrated the "Pack Up" mode and all piled in for a drive to have supper in Reedstown. The friendly staff was willing to stay a bit longer and we all had a tasty supper.

As we celebrated new grandmas, old grandmas and upcoming grandmas, I think that we should now be called Grandmas and Bunco Babes. Wow, from teaching to retirees, to grandparent hood, our group has changed. But, no matter the changes it is always fun getting together to celebrate and share the latest news. See you next month for Bunco at Deb's house.

Everyone tied to warn us, everyone tried to tell us, but now we understand! Being brand new grandparents is the most loving and wonderful thing in the world!!!!!

 Autumn Marit Raatz entered our lives on September 13 at 7:05 pm at 5.5 lbs! She is so tiny and precious. It is amazing how one can just sit, cuddle and stare at a newborn baby and feel such love toward the newest member of the family. We are so blessed and wish Luke and Kendall all of the best as they raise their daughter. 

Auntie Jess was able to be here to snuggle Autumn, as she had planned to fly from Vietnam to Des Moines, Iowa for work. From there, she was to head to Viroqua for the baby shower planned by her. But, Autumn had other plans and with her early arrival Jessica changed her flight and spent time in Mankato with Autumn and us in our new coach.

Great grandparents are thrilled and can't wait to see the little bundle. When doctors give the ok, the Raatz family will all head to La Crosse WI area for a weekend. 

Rick and I are now camping at Bray Park near Madison Lake, MN. We plan to leave on Sunday and head to Coon Valley, WI. After a catch up with parents, we will head to the Viroqua Fairgrounds for Kathi's turn to host Bunco. That will be a first! Bunco in a coach and at the fairground, ha.

From there, we go to Lake Arbutus which is near Hatfield, WI. Brother Dave and Teresa will join us there to explore the Cranberry Fest. Hoping for nice weather to roam the zillion booths. Today has turned colder and the weatherman reminded us that it is the last day of summer! Yuck!

Back to the blog! We are now full time RVers! We are giving it the one year try. Today, we stood in long lines, filled out lots of paper work, and are now residents of the state of South Dakota. My husband has tried for years to get me to his favorite Black Hills!

With winds of 30 mph and tired from our long day, I suggested a pizza supper. After three attempts using the GPS, and all places were closed or not there, we pulled up to a bar and grill. As we started to get out of the vehicle, a man and wife walked out. Rick asked them if they had pizza, to which they replied a thumbs down, but yes. We asked for suggestions. They recommended Darios, the best pizza in the town. The conversation continues as the man complimented Rick on our Jeep. So, after some Jeep talk and me finding the pizza place in the GPS,  Rick says, "Do you own this place that you are sending us?" The stranger replies, "Yes, I own a few." As we drove away, we were unsure if he was teasing or serious. 

When we arrived at the pizza place, placed our order, and had a cold beer, the waitress came over to tell us that our meal was paid for by the owner who had just called. Wow, what a nice treat to end our first day as South Dakota residents! He really did own the place!

Imagine This

Southern Sinagua farmers built five-story, 20  room dwellings in the early 1100's. It was amazing to see the structures built into the cliff overlooking the valley! The National Park site was named, Montezuma Castle because it was assumed that it was Aztec in origin. New facts have proven this questionable. 45 rooms were built into the rock cliff and sometimes shared by three families. 

A creek was the source of water for growing their crops of corn, beans, squash, and cotton. Gathering of berries, and hunting of deer, antelope, rabbits, and duck provided them with a great source of food in their lovely valley. This Verde Valley location was home to settlers for thousands of years and is located 50 miles south of Flagstaff, AZ. I would highly recommend the stop to visit if in the area.

Time Flies

Wow, it has already been a week since Luke and Kendall joined us in Las Vegas! Time sure does fly! We fit a lot into this Vegas visit, also.

Luke's wish was to see Hoover Dam, which we did. Rick and were disappointed to learn that there was no more, "Hard Hat Tour" since 9/11! But, still an interesting guided tour into parts of the dam. The weather could not have been more perfect for this day's outing!

We decided to take the RV to the Grand Canyon instead of the WHOLE day drive like we did with Jess and Rob. This turned out to be a good choice, and we spent the night in the Large Rig campground. Luke and Kendall took the jeep day #1 and found the trolley to jump on and off of. So, they had some alone time viewing the majestic canyon as Rick and I cleaned the coach. The following day, we all did some more drive and look trip. Heading back to Vegas proved to be interesting.

As we neared the Hoover Dam, traffic was backed up! We were happy to have a bathroom, food, and drink for the wait! Because of the high winds, some reaching as high as 80 mph, power lines had blown down at the dam crossing bridge. Luckily out wait was only about one hour.

During the stay we went to, "Le Reve" that had been recommended. It was an awesome performance performed at the Wynn. The theme was a love story taking place along the river. I still can't get over the fact that the stage was set in a pool of water that had fountains, props, up and down leveling, and dancers and divers going in, out, and up and down! The domed ceiling must have been 70 feet high with acrobats ascending and descending! How they could hold onto each other and not slip from moisture is beyond me! 

Luke was so impressed with Penn and Tillers picture on the Rio, that Rick bought tickets to the show. Kendall and Luke enjoy, "The Apprentice" and thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Magic, humor, and wonder were all incorporated. Kendall stated that she was sitting next to the biggest sceptic, and that would be me. :)

A visit with Aunt Cindy, and too much food also added to the trip. Now, the kids are home and we are trying to lose a few pounds as we sit in Sedona, AZ. The weather is beautiful, as it is back in Wisconsin. Just wait, my prediction is that when we head home a HUGE snowstorm will hit!