More Relatives Visit

By way of update, we hosted relatives over the last weekend of March. Leon and Colette Spackman came over from Alburquerque, New Mexico. They recently moved from the Washington, DC area to New Mexico due to an employment change and a strong interest to move to that part of the southwest. During their stay we did a lot of catching up and in between we did a few short trips aound the area.

On Saturday, Diane Spackman (Gary's wife) and her son Brett who were down from Boise visiting Nancy (her daughter) and Travis Crump came by for a visit. Nancy and Travis also joined us so we had a small Spackman reunion. Sandy and I took the whole group to Tortilla Flats, an old wagon train stopping point on the Apache Trail on the way to Roosevelt Dam. The drive up was quite spectacular with the Brittlebush in full yellow bloom complimented by the blue of the Arizona Lupine. Tortilla Flat is very touristy but still a worthwhile site to see. Two of the buildings have a combined $80,000 of one dollar bills stapled to the walls and ceilings provided by visitors from all around the world. We, of course, purchased prickly pear ice cream (made from the fruit of the prickly pear).

Later in the afternoon, we had a BBQ for our guests back at our home. We grilled cubes of beef and chicken and vegtables on skewers. Collette brought some gourmet bread and Nancy and Diane brought orange/lemon combo citrus which was turned into a citrus drink. After dinner the ladies went to Ikea and the guys stayed home to clean up and watch March Madness.

Sandy and I have been so fortunate to have so many family visits. Arizona is out of the way yet we have enjoyed the company of many of Sandy's brothers and sisters over the 5.5 years we have lived in this part of the country. So far from the Spackman side we have had visists from Leon and Collette, Mary Ellen and Glen, Howard and Sandy and their family, Syd Hawkes and her daughters Randee and Kim, Steve and Raye Ann and their family, Diane and her son Brett, and Nancy and Travis crump. From the Boizelle side we have had my brother Chris, my cousin George and his family, Lauren and Erik Merkely, Kathy Merkely and her sister's family and Stephanie Quinton, Jon's fiance.