Happy Holidays 2014!
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We
began January 2014 with Winter Roundup on the ranch. The calves were
weaned in January and sold in March. Beef prices were at an all time
high, so we are happy ranchers! We had fence and water projects
throughout the year. Papa enjoys his horses; riding, shoeing, and
giving them treats. We hike daily and feel close to the seasons, the
flora and fauna of Winchester Ranch.
Whitney
visited the ranch in February with Toby and Greta. We flew kites,
rode horses, hunted rocks, and played in the creek. In April, our whole
family, 18 of us, gathered in Normandy, France, for an amazing week at a
chateau. We went to markets, visited cathedrals, went to the beach,
and enjoyed long dinners together every evening. We loved every
minute! Papa and I took the train to Paris for Easter weekend with my
Mom, seeing the sights. The next day, we flew to Vienna. We took a
train through Slovenia to Croatia. We spent a week in Croatia, driving
along the coast from the Istrian peninsula to Dubrovnik. We flew on to
the Netherlands for three days to see Keukenhof Gardens, while over 7
million tulips were at their peak. It was an amazing trip!
The day after we returned from our trip, Colter broke his leg in a ranch rodeo. Papa spent much of May and June, checking water across the ranch daily. Our summer ranch roundup and branding went as planned the third week of July. 44 cowboys and cowgirls gathered close to 500 animals and branded over 200 calves on Branding Day. I took lots of photos.
In early September we flew to Chicago for a few days with Audrey and her family, then to Dallas for a few days with Brian and his family. Lulu spent the first week of October in Kentucky visiting her parents, then flew to NYC to spend time with Whitney and her family in NJ, and to attend Lulu's friend, Linda's daughter’s wedding. Papa’s 50th High School reunion was in mid October and he enjoyed reconnecting with old friends. We left the following day on a month long trip to Europe. We flew to Rome, went to the Sistine Chapel in the morning, then boarded a two week cruise, with stops in Sicily, Malta, Crete, Santorini, Athens, Ephesus, and ending in Istanbul. After a couple days in Istanbul, we flew to Tbilisi, Georgia to spend a week with Claire and her family, and to see the sights. We flew back to the south of France for a week, staying in three B and B’s; on the Canal du Midi, in a castle, and on a farm we had been to before. We returned to the ranch the week before Thanksgiving.
We stay busy when we’re not traveling. We volunteer at the Boys and Girls Clubs on Tuesdays, so we spend a couple days each week in Tucson. We have attended several guitar concerts through the year at UA. We enjoyed the Tucson Book Festival in March. We went to the Sonoita Rodeo over Labor Day Weekend and we went to Phoenix in August, staying a few days at The Boulders. We try to stay fit, and that seems to take more time as we get older! We are fortunate Colter continues to manage the ranch, and we enjoy dinners and time with him,
Carly, Madilyn, Colter Lee, and Traven.
Whitney and her family are joining us for Christmas at the ranch. 2014 has been a good year for us! We hope it has been a good year for you too!
Love,
Lulu and Papa
The day after we returned from our trip, Colter broke his leg in a ranch rodeo. Papa spent much of May and June, checking water across the ranch daily. Our summer ranch roundup and branding went as planned the third week of July. 44 cowboys and cowgirls gathered close to 500 animals and branded over 200 calves on Branding Day. I took lots of photos.
In early September we flew to Chicago for a few days with Audrey and her family, then to Dallas for a few days with Brian and his family. Lulu spent the first week of October in Kentucky visiting her parents, then flew to NYC to spend time with Whitney and her family in NJ, and to attend Lulu's friend, Linda's daughter’s wedding. Papa’s 50th High School reunion was in mid October and he enjoyed reconnecting with old friends. We left the following day on a month long trip to Europe. We flew to Rome, went to the Sistine Chapel in the morning, then boarded a two week cruise, with stops in Sicily, Malta, Crete, Santorini, Athens, Ephesus, and ending in Istanbul. After a couple days in Istanbul, we flew to Tbilisi, Georgia to spend a week with Claire and her family, and to see the sights. We flew back to the south of France for a week, staying in three B and B’s; on the Canal du Midi, in a castle, and on a farm we had been to before. We returned to the ranch the week before Thanksgiving.
We stay busy when we’re not traveling. We volunteer at the Boys and Girls Clubs on Tuesdays, so we spend a couple days each week in Tucson. We have attended several guitar concerts through the year at UA. We enjoyed the Tucson Book Festival in March. We went to the Sonoita Rodeo over Labor Day Weekend and we went to Phoenix in August, staying a few days at The Boulders. We try to stay fit, and that seems to take more time as we get older! We are fortunate Colter continues to manage the ranch, and we enjoy dinners and time with him,
Carly, Madilyn, Colter Lee, and Traven.
Whitney and her family are joining us for Christmas at the ranch. 2014 has been a good year for us! We hope it has been a good year for you too!
Love,
Lulu and Papa
