Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas to All My Blogging Friends!


Merry Christmas one and all!
May you have a lovely time 
with your family and friends on this special day.

After a harrowing Christmas Eve drive,
Terry and I are safely in Breckenridge
to spend the Christmas holiday with our family.


I-70 Heading West



 Rearview Mirror



But being here with our family
was worth every moment of the nerve-wracking drive.



Heading Down into Silverthorne



This is the scene that greeted us
from our bedroom window this morning.





 Breckenridge, Colorado, USA


Christmas morning fun started with
traditional family photos.

Kevin, Cathal, Noreen, Deirdre, and Conor



Terry and I



Deirdre, Cathal, Noreen, Kevin, and Conor




Cathal and Noreen with Rufus


Gathering around the Christmas tree is always fun.

Kevin and Deirdre



Conor and Gracie



Cathal



Rufus



Noreen



Terry


Rufus and Gracie join in the fun.




Wishing you health, happiness, and love,
today and always.

41 comments:

  1. Thanks so much Louise! And to you too....health, happiness and love!
    What a beautiful family to be spending Christmas with.
    And, what a great location.
    You are correct, worth the frenzied drive to get there!

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    1. Thank you, Jim! We are having a great time! And very shortly Terry and I are going to take our favorite four-footed buds for a walk! I hope The Trinity is enjoying a great Boxing Day. Take care!

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  2. Glad you are safe and with your family now. Have a very happy holiday. Peggy from PA

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    1. Thanks, Peggy! I'm hoping you are enjoying a great day with your family too!

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  3. Gorgeous but brrrr! We left the snow for the holiday but we're heading back on Friday. Dang real life.

    Merry Christmas!

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    1. Hi Donna! Facing reality is always rough after a wonderful holiday! Here's hoping that your transition is easy! Take care!

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  4. Wow that is one crap drive you had to go through, glad you made it safe and sound.
    Looks like a grand time was had too, even the pooches got to play around

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    1. Hey Pat where you're at! I hope you had a grand time too! The pooches and I are going to romp in the snow shortly! I hope you are having a good Boxing Day. We need that holiday here in the USA ~ everyone needs a rest after Christmas!

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    1. Thanks, Adam! I hope you and your family had a fun time yesterday!

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  6. I can see the trek on the highways must have been exhausting. I bet it was great to see your family. The scenery of course really helps doesn't it. Love the smiles!

    All the best this holiday season!
    Ron

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    1. Happy Boxing Day, Ron!
      Yes, that was a white knuckle drive for sure ~ over four hours and never a moment to relax. We had a blast yesterday, and I hope you did too! Terry keeps saying that you're getting hammered with snow and more. He likes the weather channels! But I haven't had time to check everything out.

      I'm catching up on blogging again ~ but now that much of the craziness of getting ready for Christmas is behind me (even the gigantic pile of dishes and pots after The Feast!), I'm hoping I can settle into a regular routine ~ well maybe after New Year's Day!

      I want to shoot some photos at Annie Oakley's in Central City. AO's was the first business to be granted a legal recreational pot store, and it can begin selling on NY'sD. We're going to a dinner and party at the Ameristar on NY's Eve, so I just have to get to Annie Oakley's in time to get some photos. It's going to be fascinating to see how the legalization of pot unfolds in Colorado. While I don't plan to partake, I think pot is far less dangerous than alcohol. We shall see.
      There's always something new and fascinating to see in this wonderful gift called life.

      Take care, my friend!

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  7. Merry Christmas. I hope it's been a delightful holiday for you and your family.
    R

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    1. Thanks, Rick! We've had a blast. Hope your Christmas was great too!

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  8. Merry Christmas, Louise!!! That drive looks harrowing but I'm glad you made it safely. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip and time with your family. As always, I'm so jealous of the snow. GORGEOUS! XOXO

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    1. Thanks, Audrey! We just got back from a romp with Rufus and Gracie on the Burro Trail. I accidentally stepped off the trail and sank almost to my waist in snow ~ of course with my "good" camera! Talk about a gorgeous day in the woods! It's cold though! And the light is intensely brilliant! Hope you are all having fun! XOX!

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  9. Winter driving is always a challenge, especially in the mountains. Looks like a lovely family gathering! Wishing you a merry holiday season of love, laughter and lots of fun!

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    1. Thanks, Debra! I hope you are enjoying Boxing Day ~ that wonderful Canadian holiday sorely needed in the USA! Have fun!

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  10. what a drive... I really am amazed that you can drive in that awful weather...we rarely get anything like that here (thank goodness) oh but what a reward to be in that amazing and beautiful place, with your lovely family, yes I would drive through anything to be home xxx
    Have a lovely time xx
    Lynn xxxx

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    1. Thank you, Lynn! Fortunately I have my husband to do that drive! I distract myself by snapping photos! You do what you have to do to be with the family! I hope you have been enjoying a lovely time with your family too! Take care!

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  11. Oh, that drive! God bless you, that snow would scare me to death!
    What a beautiful family! Your photos just can't lie, even the dogs look like models! LOL!
    Wishing you the best of times this holiday season!
    xx

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    1. Hi Kay! Merry Christmas to you! I hope that you, husband, and son have had a happy and fun time together! And yes, the drive freaks me out, but I try to distract myself with shots ~ until I get on Terry's nerves! Fortunately, the conditions were so slick and the traffic so heavy that everyone was creeping along and being careful. We only saw a couple of big SUVs fishtail a little ~ whew! Enjoy the holidays too! XOX!

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  12. Spectacular scenery, definitely worth the drive! And beautiful family. Wishing you & your family the best in the new Year!

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    1. Thanks, Francie! How lovely to hear from you. I've been swamped with the approaching holiday, so I've been off-line much of the past couple of weeks. I hope you have had an enjoyable holiday season. All the best to you! Take care!

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  13. Wow, amazing place to spend the holidays. Looks like a wonderful family gathering; that's what it's all about. I hope you are having a wonderful time.

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    1. Thanks, Martha! Yes, we have been having so much fun! I hope that you and your family are having a great Boxing Day. I've certainly been enjoying our ~ romping in the woods with the labs. It is a glorious day here! Take care!

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  14. Happy Christmas! just had time to sit down and,catch up with a bit of blogging!
    Loved looking at your photos the scenery is amazing and so different and then I came to the photo of the black labrador - just like my mum's, so familiar!
    Lizzy x

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    1. Hi Lizzy! I've been catching up with blogging too! Aren't labs wonderful! We've done a bit of pet sitting for my husband Terry's sister ~ I'm so in love with Rufus (black) and Gracie (blonde). I hope you had a happy Christmas with your family and friends! XOX!

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  15. I don't envy you with that drive - ugh! But, look at what you woke up, too! How beautiful!
    It was fun to see all of the pictures of your family. It looks like you had a great holiday.

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    1. We had a lovely time, Dreaming! I hope that you did too! I'm hoping you've done a few paintings while I've been preoccupied off-line! Take care! Have fun!

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  16. Beautiful series of photos. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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    1. Thank you, Linda! I hope that you had an enjoyable Boxing Day!

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  17. Oh wowwww!! It's soooooo beautiful!!! Of course we have just been having sun and some monsoon rain, which is our version of winter. Rufus looks just like Mommy's old doggy. Merry Christmas!!!

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    1. Hi Becky! I hope you are enjoying your Christmas break! Colorado is gorgeous in the winter ~ All the beautiful snow! We get our monsoons in August. Usually nothing like yours though. Labs are lovely dogs, and I'm sure your mom loved hers a lot. Take care!

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  18. Wow, your view is wonderful!!! I do hope that you have a continuing happy time there! The drive sounds very scary! I would NOT want to drive on icy roads with a huge truck like that following me!x

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    1. Hi Kezzie! We continue to have lots of fun here. I'm planning on romping in the woods with the dogs this afternoon. Ice scares me more than anything on roads. Fortunately we were creeping along. I could have walked faster! Double fortunately, my husband was driving. Have a happy rest of your holidays! Take care!

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  19. Looks like you have had a lovely time with your family.

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    1. That we did, Jill! I hope that you did too! Take care!

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  20. Merry Christmas Louise you have a lovely family!

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  21. I was worried my comment last night didn't make it through. I was on a slow internet connection, and I whined in my comment about getting to see only the top of your heads. I was determined to find a faster connection so I could see your photos, and now I'm glad I made time to stop back by because indeed last night's comment did not get through!

    How wonderful that you get to spend the holidays in such a beautiful place with those you hold dear!

    Merry belated Christmas, and happy new year!

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  22. O wow, such breathtaking, magical captures! A blessed, peaceful new year to you and yours :)

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