Birthday boys.

In October, we are lucky to have 2 birthdays to celebrate. Back to back. Father and son. Reid and Scott. Happy 3 and 33, guys!

Candles in Swedish pancakes (Reid's favorite!)

Candles in Wheat Chex (Dad's favorite!)

Stop buggin' me, brother!

Luke gave Reid these cool bug-eyed glasses.

Feliz cumpleanos! Birthday dinner out at Salsa Brava.

Mosaic of memories.

During our 4 days back in Kansas for Mom's funeral, we shared so many stories and tears and memories and hugs. We spent the Saturday afternoon of the funeral gathered with friends and family in a small country church surrounded by cornfields and wide open sky -- such a peaceful setting. The service was such a fitting tribute celebrating Mom's life, distinguished by her gracious acts of service and love for her family & friends. We knew the day would be emotional, but it's hard to put into words the incredible support we felt -- those who traveled long distances to be with us, friends we hadn't seen in years, loved ones who so faithfully supported our family throughout Mom's battle with cancer, and all those who sent heartfelt condolences. It was quite remarkable to consider how a lifetime of people so meaningful to our family gathered together for that bit of time to remember how Mom had touched their lives. The stories and memories we've heard since Mom passed away have created this beautiful mosaic of her life's story, which we will hold dearly in our hearts forever. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

In Memory

It is with great sadness we share that Jami's mother Dixie passed away Friday morning about 9 a.m. after a long battle with cancer. She faced her cancer with such a courageous and positive spirit. We feel so fortunate that we were able to share so many memories with her, especially since our move to Colorado nearly 2 years ago. She will forever be remembered for her gracious spirit and service to others.

Her funeral services will take place next Saturday, Oct. 17 at Zion Lutheran Church, 1521 Prairie Road in Everest, Kansas. Visitation will be at 1:30 p.m., and the funeral will begin at 2:30 p.m. Jami's parents grew up in that area and spent much of their lives in Kansas, so it's fitting for her final resting place to be there.

::::::: Obituary :::::::

Dixie J. Nelson, age 66, of Colorado Springs, CO, died Oct. 9, 2009, after a 10 year battle with cancer.

Dixie was born March 25, 1943, to Jake and Ruby Angle in Sabetha, KS. She graduated from Horton High School in Horton, KS. On Sept. 4, 1965, she married James Nelson at the First Christian Church in Horton, KS. The two made their home in Northeast Kansas for many years.

After graduating from Trinity Lutheran School of Nursing in Kansas City, MO, Dixie practiced nursing for 44 years in the areas of public health, school nursing, geriatric, and hospice care. She possessed excellent nursing skills, professional judgment, and common sense, which were combined with a very caring and sympathetic attitude toward her patients.

Dixie was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and sister. She enjoyed cooking and sewing for her family. She especially enjoyed traveling with her husband, and they had many wonderful adventures together. Her happy personality, friendly smile, and kind words will always be remembered.

She is survived by her husband Dr. James Nelson of Colorado Springs, CO, daughter Dr. Briana (Craig) Goff and grandson Dalton of Wamego, KS, daughter Jami (Scott) Leahy and grandsons Luke and Reid of Colorado Springs, CO, a sister Janette (Dick) Edgley of Elmhurst, IL, and brother Max Angle of Clarksville, GA.

She was preceded in death by her parents. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to be given to a hospice care organization of the family’s choosing.

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"Grand" guests.

Our 3rd round of family visitors flew in this week ... the Keary grandparents. We were fortunate to spend several days with Mimi Margie & Papa Ted, who were in town to attend Ted's 30th class reunion at the Air Force Academy. One of the festivities involved a luncheon with the cadets. Imagine 4,000 people. All dressed in camo. Eating in one large dining hall. In 20 minutes! The luncheon was impressive, structured, and efficient ... and quite memorable for us all! Luke loved getting an inside look at what he's nicknamed the "co-pilot school."

Margie and Ted surrounded by tables

of cadets in Mitchell Hall.

Luke and Reid loved the fact that the cadets

had chocolate milk at lunch. Yum!

Luke and Mimi Margie in front of the chapel

on this cold and snowy day!

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October is a bit like Christmas for us because we have so many birthdays in this month. We were glad to celebrate 3 of the birthdays together ... Reid, Scott & Margie! Remember those lyrics, "You say it's your birthday ... it's my birthday, too!" That could be our family theme song for October.

Reid huffed and puffed and tried to blow out the candles...

until they flickered on again. Gotta love trick candles!

The birthday bunch ... Scott, Reid, and Margie.

Family foto.

Reid gets ready to open his gift

from the KC Leahy crew.

fAll in the family...

Fall in Colorado not only brings beautiful colors in the changing leaves ... but also more visits from our family! Scott's Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Bruce were in Denver this weekend for a conference. They journeyed down to Colorado Springs on Friday evening, and then we went to Denver today to visit with Mary Ann while Bruce was in meetings. It is always such a joy to catch up with them!

Lions and tigers and boys ... oh my! Bruce and Mary Ann

brought these fun furry friends for Luke and Reid.

On Sunday during our time in Denver, we went to the Great Pumpkin Harvest Festival in Four-Mile Historic Park. The activities took us back in time as we panned for gold and learned how to weave on a loom. We also enjoyed some autumn adventures as we checked out the pumpkin patch and took a horse-drawn hayrack ride.

The boys and Mary Ann took a peek in the root cellar ...

a perfect place for settlers to store canned goods.

"Reid, did you find any gold yet?"

A family lesson learning to weave on a loom.

We love fall!

2 brothers + bunches of bales of hay!

P is for pumpkins and a perfect fall day!

Bittersweet gathering.

Certain times in life are bittersweet. This past weekend was one of them.

We were grateful to have many family members visiting Colorado Springs ... Jami's sister Briana, Aunt Janette and Uncle Dick, and Uncle Max and his friend Jean, as well as dogs Zoe and Charlie. Everyone gathered together to spend time with a dear wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt -- Jami's mom Dixie. After a 10 year battle with cancer, she has reached a point in this challenging journey where there are no further treatment options. The focus of her days has shifted from chemotherapy treatments and scans to finding comfort at home with the support of friends, family, and wonderful hospice nurses. Jami's dad has shown that not only is he a top-notch veterinarian, but he also could be a credentialed nurse with the amazing care he's giving to his wife of 44 years. Our past weekend was one of tears and stories and memories and toasts ... celebrating our loved one as she faces her final days here with us.

We appreciate all the thoughts, prayers, emails, and phone calls along the way asking about how Mom is doing. This type of news is never easy to share, but we wanted to let you know the latest so you can continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

We are so thankful for our family who shared the weekend with us.

You are such a blessing and support.

EcoFestival. EcoFabulous!

Colorado Springs just got a bit greener today, as the inaugural Pikes Peak EcoFestival came to life! After snow earlier in the week, the sunny day and warm temperatures provided the perfect setting for this event celebrating sustainable living and preserving our planet. What a sight to see such a collection of valuable resources & conscientious citizens in our region! Kudos to Jami's friend Dianne who did an outstanding job spearheading the EcoFestival!

Green gals Dianne & Jami sit by a banner featuring

the EcoFestival logo (some of Jami's design work).

That's the snowy top of Pikes Peak in the distance.

Check out this Prius!

One of the many organic farms represented...

Healthy movement classes for kids!

The Dog Whisperers.

This weekend we are enjoying spending some time with family in town visiting. Jami's Uncle Max brought his two cocker spaniels Zoe (brown dog) and Charlie (black dog) on their road trip. These dogs are the sweetest furry friends ever, and Luke and Reid adore them! This afternoon, the 2 boys took on the task of "dogsitting" while the dogs came to play in our backyard.

Jami suggested that the boys each choose a dog to keep an eye on. (Man-to-man defense sounds like a good theory!) Luke chose Zoe. Reid opted for Charlie. Upon returning to our house, the dogs hopped out of our car, and Charlie immediately took a bathroom break. Luke was standing over by Charlie, so I suggested that maybe he be the one to clean up after the dog. His reply... "That's not MY dog. Reid should do it. Charlie is HIS dog." Responsibility is a funny thing, especially when you can pawn the not-so-fun tasks off on your little brother.

The dogs enjoyed playing in the backyard, tagging along with the boys, and coming inside for a short bit to watch a movie (the boys thought the dogs would enjoy that!) When it was all said and done, 2 boys and 2 dogs were very happy to have spent the afternoon together.

1, 2, 3 Days of Snow.

Today marks Day 3 with SNOW! The flakes were coming down fast and furious this afternoon, and Luke was determined to catch one...

Goodbye, summer. Hello, snow!

On the final day of summer, we seemed to skip right over fall with a sneak peak into winter with SNOW! That's right ... snow in September. Crazy! We had rain all morning, which then turned to flurries. Although it didn't really accumulate, it certainly left everything with a light dusting of snow.

Hiking with a purpose.

Scott's company offers many advantages and benefits that we have often raved about over the near 2 years he's been working there. But one of the aspects that stands out the most is the sense of family among the employees. Today was a perfect example of that.

Scott has a co-worker who was diagnosed with colon cancer, and his treatment consisted of 3 phases. When he was diagnosed, his co-workers rallied around him, committed to helping him climb these 3 "mountains" of his treatment, and set the goal of climbing a 4th mountain together -- Mt. Herman -- in celebration of his victory over cancer. Today was this milestone hike.

Nearly 75 people (employees and their families) gathered at the base of the mountain. Together we all formed a caravan on the rugged mountain road up to the trailhead. On this crisp September morning, it was amazing to see the support rallying around this cancer survivor as we made our way to the 9,000 ft. summit of Mt. Herman. Today demonstrated the strength and support of everyone in the RT Logic family.

At the base of the mountain, everyone parked and rallied around

our honored hiker (in this photo he is holding a box with a new pair

of hiking boots ... a special gift from his co-workers.)

The Leahy crew is ready to hit the trail!

Luke was all too intrigued by this guy's parking spot!

The fam with Pikes Peak in the distance!

The Aspen trees are starting to change.

Fall in Colorado is so beautiful to watch.

Each week the colors get a little more vivid

as the leaves change.

Go Green!

One of the great benefits of volunteering is learning more about the community -- and in the case of this latest volunteering endeavor -- learning more about "green" living. Jami has been volunteering on a committee with her friend Dianne who does "environmentally inspired event planning" to plan the first ever Pikes Peak EcoFestival. Very interesting event!

Here's a little plug for the event because it's going to be fantastic! For those of you in the Colorado Springs area, mark this event on your calendar for Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Historic Rock Ledge Ranch. Look forward to great vendors, informative exhibitors, entertainment, workshops, and more! It's amazing how even some small green efforts can make a BIG difference for the environment. Click on the flyer below to read more!

Sneak Preview.

We love autumn. We love October. We especially love Halloween. For this year's spooktacular festivities, our family is dressing all as one theme. The boys have been talking about this for months. You can imagine the excitement yesterday when the UPS man brought the much anticipated box containing the boys' costumes! Here's a sneak preview. George Lucas would be proud.

Yoda was so in love with his costume that he wore it for over an hour around the house. We borrowed the Chewbacca costume from family. Scott reports that it's a little toasty! Stay tuned for more Star Wars characters ... coming next month!

Little Man on Campus.

With all the chatter about school in our house lately, Reid could not wait until it was his turn to go to school ... and today was the day! Reid had his first day of Little Lambs, a program at our parish for little ones that precedes preschool. Because of his mid-October birthday, Reid missed the cut-off for the preschool program. Luke attended preschool at this same school, so Reid is very familiar with the building & routine. When we got out of the car, Reid made a beeline to the front door of the school ... no holding him back! We checked him in, took off his jacket and backpack, and very matter-of-factly, he said, "Ok, bye, Mom!" We chuckled at how eager he was to get started playing with those new toys!

Reid's first item of business at school ... checking out this playhouse!

At pick-up time, his teacher Miss Jean reported that he had a great morning! She did inquire if he was attending another preschool. Hmmm ... wonder why?! The reason being is that Reid told her that his "other" teacher says it's okay if he climbs up on the furniture!! Ha! And so Miss Jean quickly learned lesson #1 about Reid ... he likes to climb and he just might make up some tale so that his climbing is justified!

After school, we asked Reid how his day was. He reported they sang and played toys, and he made friends named Walter, Lucy, and Kate. Sounds like a pretty good first day of school...

Big brother was so proud of his little brother!

Hiking Herman.

Every day we marvel at the beautiful views that surround us. One such peak on our mountain skyline is Mt. Herman. The Leahy crew made the trek up this mountain this morning ... what a way to enjoy the long holiday weekend and the extra day with Dad home from work! This hike was especially noteworthy because of what we found at the top -- paragliders! It was such a sight to see them taking off from a ledge just 20 feet away! Reid told us that after the guys were finished with their "parachutes" that he needed a turn next! Sorry, little man ... not today!

Luke is standing in our driveway pointing

at Mt. Herman on the horizon!

Reid is at a point where he hikes a little

... and hitches a ride a lot!

Luke showing off his strong muscles ... and funny side ...

as he acts like he's holding up this boulder!

One of several paragliders we watched take off

from the top of Mt. Herman.

We have lift-off!

Mountain men at the top of Mt. Herman.

The sweetness of life.

There is nothing in life quite as sweet as spending time all together as a family ... and ordering 9 ice cream cones to go around!

Berried treasures.

Briana, Craig & Dalton came for a visit over Labor Day Weekend. They are always up for an adventure (and a short road trip), so we made the 1-hour drive to Ferrara's Happy Apple Farm in Penrose. The experience certainly lived up to their name! The blackberries, raspberries & apples were ripe for the picking, so we spent the morning wandering through the fields picking fruit. The farm is also pesticide-free, so you could "sample" along the way. We ALL enjoyed that! At the end of our harvest, we ended up with a pint of blackberries and a big bag of apples. A blackberry cobbler and homemade applesauce are on the menu this week!

Dalton, Luke & Reid ... 3 blondies in the sunflower field!

Father and son farmhands!

Notice the mountains in the distance ...

such a beautiful day!

Scott gives Reid a few tips on berry-pickin'.

Moving over to the orchard ... the Goffs use the

apple-picker to reach the best fruit at the top of the tree.

Sweet little apple for a sweet little boy.

Luke's turn with the apple-picker!

Hitching a ride back!

Family friend.

This week, we were fortunate to have a visit from a good friend of our family. For a long time, Carole was the special friend of Jami's Uncle Max, and we enjoyed many great memories and trips with her. Her laughter is contagious, and she always has a great story to share. This week, Carole was in Colorado Springs for her son's wedding, so we enjoyed visiting with her!

Do you recognize this young man? It's Luke

with Carole on our family trip to Jackson Hole in 2004.

5 years later ... What fun to catch up with her!