Grandma and Grandpa are the luckiest….

 We got to have Soren and Sebastian visit us for their ENTIRE Spring Breaks!

They have such positive energy.......did we say they have such energy?  We think we had this energy when we were their age, but they probably have more.  Good for them.  It will serve them well in life.

Grandma made their favorite meals, including chocolate chip and m&m pancakes.  The boys helped each time.

We went for a 2-hour horseback ride in Peralta Canyon.  We had a guide, of course, who probably has never been peppered with the number of questions he got on this ride.  He held his own with all the tall tales that he told the boys—and earned a nice tip.

See grandma as the rearguard?

Eating Grandma's breakfast sandwiches on our back patio.

Taking walks in Leisure World.  They saw our last remaining swan.

And swimming in the pool.  See grandpa?   

Both Soren and Sebastian are excellent swimmers.  Grandma tried her best, but couldn’t beat either of them in a race.  (And grandma was on a swim team all of her childhood, and put herself through college by working as a lifeguard.)

They must have played hours of ping pong at Leisure World.  Laughing hysterically the entire time.

We walked to the Leisure World cafe, a place Grandpa went often with his parents and family.  Whenever family visits us, it has become our family tradition to eat breakfast at the LW cafe. And it’s a beautiful walk with all birds serenading us in the early morning sunshine.

When we picked them up at the airport we have to remove the top carrier.  The boys, always with enthusiasm, helped grandpa put it back to prepare for our trip up to the cabin.

Then we took the boys to our mountain cabin in Pine.  First thing we did there?  Set up the ping pong table.  

Soren taking a selfie with some elk.

Taking a walk around our neighborhood to look at the incredible variety of homes.  Soren and Sebastian still like to hold grandma’s hand….they are so sweet and loving.

The loft where they slept and where we watched old Western movies.

And at our cabin in Pine the boys also helped grandma with breakfast.

We took a hike to Fossil Springs.  And the boys collected fossils. 

And had a snowball fight.

Soren cleaning his fossils.

Sebastian serenaded us on the organ.

In Pine, a very small community, and a very weird one that really fits the weird us, there are some Anasazi ruins.  Do you have 1500-year-old ruins in your neighborhood?  Well, eat your heart out.  

But, really, how many small towns have their own ruins? 

To get to them we had to climb 177 steps. We know because grandpa counted them.

We also went for walks around town, visiting a large number of very different types of shops.  This one is all carved wood decorations---very skillfully done.  The name of the shop is, you guessed it, "Come see what we saw."

Sebastian wanted to buy a knife, and finally found one that met with adult approval.

After 4 days in Pine, we returned to Leisure World.

 

We took walks around our small neighborhood.  Soren used his roller blades.  You can't believe how good he is on them.  

Eating once again at the Leisure World cafe.  We all got chocolate on our faces.

Over Christmas, when his family was visiting us here,  Soren had found a $20 bill on the sidewalk.  Instead of keeping it, he wanted to turn it in to Leisure World, in case some other people, like us, lost it.  The City Manager was so impressed that he said that he wanted to meet Soren.

So we took Soren to meet him.  He gave Soren a little gift, and one for Sebastian too.  

That's how honest Soren is.  We were so proud.

Pool ping pong!

The boys went in on a gift for Grandma.

The 8 days flew by.  They grow up so fast.  We are so grateful we get to be a part of their childhoods.