OLA: Being Dad and Grandpa All Over Again!

the Colborns at the road side viewing the Shrine Circus Parade

Now it is Bill’s turn to be Dad and Grandpa! We gladly left the sweltering heat of Phoenix and stopped for a night at Verde Valley TT Resort in Cottonwood, Arizona which, at 3,300 ft. elevation, was 10 degrees cooler. We stored the RV there until the middle of August when we complete all our visits to our kids. Then we stay at this campground for a month before we start our 6 month settling period at Viewpoint RV and Golf Resort in a kinder and cooler Phoenix.

a natural rest stop at the Navajo Nation

The next day we started early. The entire drive from Cottonwood to Boise, Idaho where Bill’s eldest child, and only son, Jim lives with his family is 14.5 hours, 908 miles, taking us through the scenic Navajo Nation. The drive to Provo, Utah where we stopped for the night was 9 hours which gave us a more leisurely second day to arrive in Boise in better spirits! This lifestyle of ours would not at all be possible if Bill does not like to drive for long periods of time. But I really do not subject him to that frequently, anyway. I am a truly a kinder soul!

Madeline's leg got a scratch playing ball
...and the boo boo bling got immediate use!  

The entire family, Bill’s son Jim and wife Ana, children Madeline, 9 and Ben, 6 were all waiting at the door. Oh have they both grown so much taller! Bill saw them in January but my last time with them was September last year. After chatting some we gave the two little ones their pasalubongs: for Madeline, the Boo Boo Blings we got from the Palm Springs Follies’ Show and for Ben a magic Arizona glass ball. Then Jim proceeded with grilling skewered pork while Ana whipped up cucumber and Waldorf salads and seedless sweet watermelons.

the Mountain View Professional Building

@ Ben and Jerry's

After dinner we all trooped to the Mountain View Professional Building which Jim’s real estate firm had received as payment for a case they had won. Last January Bill left me for a month to help in the initial refurbishing of the portion of the 14,500 sq. ft. building they will use as their own space. Then we all HAD to go to Ben and Jerry’s where I had my favorite chocolate therapy which I had sorely missed at the last three groceries. Everybody had his own favorite, of course!

@ the Boise Coop Happening

The following day we woke up to a Texas French toast breakfast with sweet grapes and strawberries too. Then we hurried on to the parade of the Shrine Circus and the busy Saturday Farmer’s Market. Bill and I postponed buying anything until the time we pass through again going back to our RV. Back home we had leftovers for lunch and then we proceeded to the Anniversary Happenings at the Boise Coop. At night we had Jim’s wonderful pizzas, assisted of course by Ben and Madeline. Sadly, I napped during the movie of the night, Oz, the Great and Powerful! Sigh. 

...riding with the elephant

Pancakes and bacon and a variety of fruits waked me up the next day. Leftover pizzas were finished in a jiffy at lunch after which we went to the Shrine Circus. It had been a while since we had all gone to see one. So flying trapeze, contortionists, motorcycle stunts, tight rope walkers, chair stacking act, hula hoop and rope artists, tigers, dogs, and elephant acts and, of course, the clowns thrilled us all. But, aside from the popcorn and the cotton candy, what the kids liked best was the elephant ride. And I dared the snake photo!!! Too bad at the entrance of the stadium was an ongoing protest of inhumane animal treatment.

Carol with the snake!!!

Bill and I heard mass at St. John’s Cathedral and when we came back, ground beef curry, steamed rice, and veggies and fruits were laid out on the table! After a tight game of Nab-it which Madeline won, we all trooped to Aspen Leaf which carries the current self-serve frozen yoghurt craze! Of course, I had Rocky Mountain chocolate, chocolate chip cookie, coffee, and hot fudge!!! Good, but not as chocolaty as chocolate therapy of Ben and Jerry’s!   Okay, I concede…but it is healthier!!!

@ Aspen Leaf Frozen Yoghurt Center

Jim went to work on Monday and the remainder of the gang played Words with Friends, Bananagrams and Nab-it for a while until Ben had to go to his swimming lessons. It reminded me of the time my own three daughters were playing word games with me and now I can no longer win against them anymore. It’s really always time well spent…good training and bonding time. 

the dinner at Mai Thai for the girls!

Lunch was leftovers but in the evening we took the Bunch to Mai Thai in downtown Boise. The girls had Thai spring rolls, shrimp and scallop pot stickers, chow mein, and Asian lettuce wraps. It is so interesting that the boys had totally different choices: firehouse rolls, skewered sirloin, raw ahi tuna, oxtail pot stickers and beer and sake. But we all agreed on dessert: chocolate tower and lava cake with vanilla ice cream!

the dinner at Mai Thai for the boys!

And then Tuesday morning, after Jim left for work, we also left, but not too sad because we knew we were coming back in a month and a half!