Here it is December 2002 and we are completing our sixth year in Colorado. We continue to love the beautiful mountains, the changes of seasons, our many activities, and the nearness of our family and our wonderful friends.

The year has been very fulfilling and busy. Wednesdays are our hiking or snowshoeing days. We spend lots of happy hours with friends in the Indian Peaks, Rocky Mountain National Park and trails in Boulder. It is always a high spot in our week.

Trips for the year included a February trip to California to visit with Richard's Mom and family and old friends. It is always fun to touch base with people and catch up on the year. This year we will be going to California in April to celebrate Mom's 90th birthday!

In April we took a three-week trip in our pickup and camper to the Southeast U.S. We started with a visit in Cushing, OK renewing acquaintance with a long time friend from California. We had not seen Barbara Parrish for about 35 years. We had a great visit and Barbara showed us Tulsa and vicinity--wonderful museums, National Tall Grass Prairie and great countryside. We reconnected with Barbara as though the years had not gone by. Then we had a wonderful time exploring all the sights along the way to the East Coast and back. Flowers (azaleas, dogwoods, tulips. daffodils, and fantastic wildflowers) were gorgeous at Callaway Gardens near Atlanta, the Biltmore Estates in Asheville, N.C. and Great Smoky National Park in Tennessee. We also enjoyed visiting FDR's Little White House in Warm Springs GA, Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg TN, Museum of Appalachia and the St. Louis Arch. We visited Savannah, GA and Charleston, SC and stayed in wonderful hotels in the Historic Districts. They are both delightful cities, filled with history, great scenery and wonderful restaurants. It was a great trip.

When we returned we began our usual Spring volunteer activities--Boulder Creek Clean Up and the annual EXPAND Duck Race. Both went very well and we enjoyed working with over 300 volunteers. We also participated in the annual Bolder Boulder 10K race walking with EXPAND clients. We finished the race in about an hour and 45 minutes.

We also are very involved in the First Congregational Church. We find the people and the activities a valuable part of our spiritual journey. We participate in a book group, a Great Decisions group, the Stewardship Team, La Foret (a family camp near Colorado Springs) and we coordinate the Congregators Fellowship group. We also helped out on the church play--Alma did costumes (50) and Richard did the stage setting. This Fall we each began teaching Sunday School and just love it. Richard teaches middle school (6 & 7 grades) and Alma has third graders.

We love having family in Colorado. This summer we took grandkids, Heather (11) and Darren (9) camping in the Indian Peaks area and attended lots of school and church concerts and activities. It's so much fun to be able to participate in their lives. We really enjoy our times with Kirk, Julie and the kids. Kirk's financial investment business has had a wild year but is going okay. Julie remains very busy with school and church activities. They are a wonderful family and we really enjoy our times with them during the year and trips to their beautiful cabin in the mountains. We also have spent a lot of time with Alma's brother, Dick and sister-in-law, Karel. They are coming to the end of the remodel of their 104-year-old Loveland home (33 miles north of us). We have helped with projects and gone on many outings together. The four of us are planning a trip to Costa Rica at the end of January 2003 with Overseas Adventure Travel--rafting, horseback riding, rainforest walks and volcanoes. We are really looking forward to it.

Having experienced the driest summer on record in Colorado, we decided to xeriscape half of our front yard and the parkway (approximately 1200 sq. feet) this Fall. We had a lot of fun planning and getting it all put together. We are looking forward to Spring to see what the plan will really look like!

Other activities which keep us out of trouble and busy include ushering at the wonderful Colorado Music Festival in the summer and attending the Boulder Philharmonic during the year. We also enjoy our formal evenings at the University Dinner Dance Club as well as a new monthly gourmet dinner group. Richard enjoys his weekly Geezer coffee and doing woodworking--finishing our kitchen table and a wonderful sewing center for Alma. He also serves on the Boulder Parks and Recreation Foundation Board. Alma enjoys monthly Quilt group meetings and finished two quilts for the Peterson's cabin.

Jacque is doing well. She moved downstairs one floor and into a one bedroom apartment. She loves having more space. She continues to work about 5 hours a week at Gindi Gourmet packing foods. She takes a lot of classes with EXPAND, city recreation program for the disabled. She attended Special Olympic State games--Summer gymnastics at Ft. Collins and winter games at Copper Mountain cross country skiing. She has decided to take on a new challenge for next year. She is tackling rhythmic gymnastics and seems to be enjoying it--hoops, balls, ropes and all.

The year has flown by and we are indeed grateful for our health, our daily lives and our special times. We hope that you and your family are having a good holiday season and we look forward to hearing from you as we celebrate this beautiful Christmas time. We wish for peace in the world and in your lives. Blessings to you all and we wish you a healthy and joyful 2003.

SEASONS GREETINGS

 

Shown below (with permission) is the December 2003 Christmas letter of Alma and Richard Alber.

 

The seasons of 2003 have been good to us. Each is wonderful, different and filled with lots of experiences.

Winter is one of our favorite times of year--cross country skiing with the grandkids - Heather (12) and Darren (10), our weekly hiking group snow shoeing, and winter hiking in the valley. Richard enjoyed a men's retreat at the Snow Mountain Ranch with lots of fellowship and cross-country skiing.

From the end of January to mid-February, we traveled to Costa Rica with Dick and Karel (Alma's brother and sister-in-law). It was a fantastic trip. We saw over 160 species of birds, lots of monkeys, crocodiles, wonderful people and gorgeous rain forests. We went with OAT, the same travel group we went to China with a couple of years ago. We liked the small group (15), a wonderful tour guide and lots of great experiences - hiking and sliding through the canopy of the rainforest, horseback riding, and lots of boat journeys, mud baths and a day of utter leisure on a tropical island. Costa Rica is a traveler's delight - one can drink the water and eat the food everywhere without fear! We celebrated our 44th anniversary Chachaqua - cake and serenade with friends.

Other winter activities included helping with breakfasts for the homeless at our church. The Building Committee at church was very busy as construction began our new Christian Education building. We also enjoyed attending concerts at the Boulder Philharmonic and dinner dances. The only problem that occurred was Richard's back. After several weeks it was determined that he had a herniated disk which created considerable pain and discomfort but healed without surgery. We were incredibly grateful for his recovery.

Spring began with a trip to California to celebrate Richard's Mom's 90th birthday. Unfortunately she was in the hospital with a back problem when we arrived but was able to leave the hospital for the party that we put together. She returned home right after we left CA and has been doing quite well back in her home.

One of the most wonderful things this spring was to see the fruition of the xeriscaped front yard we put in last fall. As it all grew and bloomed in late spring and early summer, we were extremely pleased at the beauty of it all. Spring is also the time for lots of walking as we train for the 10K Bolder Boulder. Only Alma and Jacque participated this year as Richard continued his back recuperation. All the training culminates on Memorial Day with the race. That weekend also concludes our big volunteer time with the Boulder Creek Festival EXPAND Duck Race where we recruit about 100 volunteers to sell ducks. That was preceded by the Creek Cleanup the prior weekend which uses about 200 volunteers.

Spring was also the time for Jacqueline's trip to visit Little House on the Prairie sites at Independence, KS and Mansfield, MO Farm on Rocky Ridge. We continued on to Branson and took in the Jimmie Osmond Show. It was a fun trip--a taste of the pioneer life. Jacqueline also competed in the Summer Special Olympics at Colorado State University. She two won gold medals in rhythmic gymnastics in the ball and hoop competitions.

Spring included a trip to Albuquerque to help Alma's cousin, Kate, and her husband, Wayne, move Aunt Elma from her apartment to the health unit of the senior home where she has lived for 23 years. She settled into the nursing area but never was very well and she passed away on her 83rd birthday in November. Fortunately we had visited her in September. We will all miss her.

Spring also was the time for attending grandchildren's piano recitals, Alma's women's retreat in the local mountains, and a trip to the Rocky Mountain United Church of Christ Annual Meeting in Manitou Springs. We had the wonderful experience of going up the cog railroad to the top of Pike's Peak. As we arrived at the top, snow started to fall and we gathered on the top to sing America the Beautiful at the site of the plaque honoring Katherine Bates, the author of the beautiful verses. It brought tears to our eyes.

Richard's woodworking this year included two beautiful traveling communion boxes for our ministers and a cross and candlesticks for the church. Made from oak flooring salvaged from the old building that was demolished to make room for the new education building, they are a very lovely addition to the sanctuary. He also finished a Craftsman style mantle clock which graces our fireplace mantle. He does truly enjoy his time in his workshop. Alma also managed to get some quilting done and is hoping to finish the last two quilts for Julie and Kirk`s cabin by Christmas. Her quilting group continued their annual community service by making stuffed animals for the police department to use with children in crisis. Several new wall hangings also made it to the finished pile.

Summer is always fun with Grandma and Grandpa Camp with Heather and Darren and all the fun activities together. It also includes the Colorado Music festival. We ushered at 11 concerts of absolutely magnificent music. There are hours of hiking in the Indian Peaks area with friends - good exercise and fellowship with our hiking buddies. Summer was relatively hot this year but we managed to do a few things including a Swiss Ball exercise class to help strengthen our back muscles, attended a Special Olympic Bocce Ball Tournament, worked a day for Habitat for Humanity and then the soup kitchen, helped move into the new church education building, and we attended church family camp at La Foret located in the Black Forest near Colorado Springs.

Fall found us taking on some more yard work. We xeriscaped another part of the front yard and replaced the grass in the side yard with a rose garden. We are really enjoying discovering ways to have a beautiful yard and be more compatible with the semi-arid climate of Colorado. Of course, one of the joys of fall are the wonderful fall color hikes in the mountains. Due to a long and warm Fall, we had LOTS of beautiful days included in our annual trip to Rocky Mountain National Park for three days of hiking with lots of our hiking group--a fun stay at the YMCA cabins and fabulous hikes!

Church occupies a lot of time as we move into Fall. Both Alma and Richard teach Sunday School (Alma, 4th grade; and Richard, middle school), serve on the Stewardship Committee, and Alma just started a knitting ministry making prayer shawls for folks in need of extra care and comfort. Richard will become Moderator (lay leader) in January so he has been deeply involved the learning process. Next year will be a full one for him.

Fall is time for more dinner dances, so out came the tux and fancy clothes. The Philharmonic concerts begin again so we get evenings of more music - food for the soul. Thanksgiving this year was a family gathering at Julie and Kirk`s cabin in the mountains. Richard, Alma and Jacque joined Alma's brother's family (Dick, Karel and their children, Christine and Phil and Phil's children Caroline (4) and Sydney (2)) to venture up to 9300' to share the holiday with Julie, Kirk, Heather, and Darren. It was really a fun time to spend Thanksgiving in such a beautiful setting-a little snow, cold, and lots of sunshine.

Then the seasons come full circle and we prepare for Advent and joy of the Christmas season with lot of activities with family and friends. We are also looking forward to another overseas adventure right after the New Year. We are off to Bangkok, Vietnam, Angkor Wat at the end of January where we will celebrate our 45th anniversary, As we end the seasons of 2003 we hope that the seasons of this year have been good to you and yours. We wish you all a very happy new year!!

 

Alma and Grey Whipple June 2004

 

 

 

(The following is the Christmas newsletter from Alma and Richard. It has been edited for length, and is presented here with permission. Ed.)

GREETINGS

The Seasons of 2004…filled with lots of activities, friends, fun and opportunities for growth.

Winter--

Always one of our favorite times of year. The snow is so beautiful and the mountains are spectacular. We enjoy our weekly hiking group as we snowshoe or hike in the mountains and foothills.

Richard became Moderator of our church in January after a year as moderator-elect and learning the ropes. We have found that it is a time consuming and growth filled job. He has done a great job and the church has made some great strides. Richard and Alma enjoyed the men's and women's retreats in the mountains. Always times of fellowship, rest and insights. The church has become a place of great joy and satisfaction in our lives.

We enjoy many activities during the year with Alma's brother, Dick Bunce (BHS'59) and sister-in-law, Karel. In January and February, we four traveled for three weeks in Thailand and Vietnam. Our trip began in Bangkok where we celebrated our 45th anniversary with an evening of Thai food and dance. It was exotic and fun! Then we were off to Vietnam. It is a beautiful country with wonderfully friendly people. We visited HaNoi (our favorite city), HaLong Bay, Hue, DaNang including China Beach, HoiAn (the Carmel of Vietnam), and then Saigon with trips to the Mekong Delta and the ChuChi Tunnels. We then flew to Siem Reap in Cambodia to visit Angkor Wat--what an amazing place--ancient and exotic! While we were traveling, Jacqueline participated in Special Olympic cross-country skiing at Eldora, followed by a trip to Copper Mountain Resort for the State Games. She did very well bringing home 2 gold medals.

Other activities included Alma's involvement in our Home Owners Association as the 'greenbelt' person, learning about all the trees that grow in our neighborhood. Alma also loves her quilting group. They continued their community service by making 30 blanket buddies for the police department to use with children in crisis. Several new wall hangings also made it to the finished pile.

Spring--

Spring was the time for a Mother's Day trip to California to visit Richard's Mom (91). We also had time to visit old friends. It is always fun to touch base again and also wonderful to return home to the enfolding blooming of spring.

Spring also brings lots of walking as we train for the annual 10K Bolder Boulder Race. We participated in Beyond Limits, a special category for disabled folks. We trained for 10 weeks through snow and rain, culminating on Memorial Day with the race. Alma and Richard and Jacque and their partners finished in about 2 hours. That weekend also ended our volunteer effort with the Boulder Creek Festival and the big EXPAND Duck Race. That was preceded by the Creek Clean-Up the weekend before.

Summer--

The summer season is always fun at Grandma and Grandpa's "Camp Alber" with (grandchildren) Heather (13) and Darren (11) and we enjoy all the fun activities together. We are delighted that they still are eager to spend time with us. Heather is in 8th grade and Darren is in 6th. Both are good students and participate in lots of activities. Darren especially loves Scouts. Kirk's business is going well and (daughter) Julie is extremely busy as full time Mom plus her own activities.

Summer also includes the Colorado Music Festival. We ushered at 11 concerts of magnificent music. There were hours of hiking in the Indian Peaks area with friends--good exercise and fellowship. Jacqueline attended Colorado Special Summer Olympic Games in Greeley and did rhythmic gymnastics ball and hoop. She did a great job. Later in the summer she participated in a Regional Special Olympic Bocce Ball Tournament-- a fun sport. Summer also includes attending church family camp at La Foret located in the Black Forest near Colorado Springs. Great activities, rest, fellowship and time for reflection. We also spent a week of camping with Alma's cousin Kate and husband Wayne in the Lake City area of Colorado, including a visit to American Basin--probably one of the most beautiful displays of wild flowers ever to be seen!

August was the time for a little re-do of our home. We laid hardwood floors and carpeting, and tiled the entry way and kitchen and eating area. That was followed by new cherry wood kitchen cabinets, new countertops, and stainless steel and black appliances. We love the new clean look of everything.

Fall--

Fall always includes our annual trip to Rocky Mountain National Park for three days of hiking with our hiking group. A fun stay at the YMCA, fabulous fall colors and great hikes and wonderful times with friends!

Church occupied a lot of time as we moved into fall. Alma and Richard both serve on the Stewardship Committee. Richard continued to be involved in numerous activities as Moderator including the design and finish of our new chapel. Alma enjoys her Knitting ministry making prayer shawls for folks in need of extra care and comfort, and the Friendship ministry visiting shut-ins. She also enjoyed mentoring a young woman (13) who was a confirmand at church. Alma has taken on the leadership of the Visual Arts Committee exploring new and innovative ways to enhance the worship spaces at church.

Richard finally found some time for his woodworking. He's busy working on several occasional tables for the house. He truly enjoys his time in his workshop and hopes that next year he will find more time for projects.

This fall Julie had a bout of vertigo and was laid up for a week, so Grandma and Grandpa got to go down and help with school pick up and homework. These are the busy years in their lives--lots of school activities, Scouts, clubs, church, volleyball and lots of other stuff.

Fall also is the start of our dinner dances so out come the tux and fancy clothes. The Philharmonic concerts begin again so we get evenings of more music--food for the soul. And our gourmet group provides food for the body and time with friends. We also were honored as the City of Boulder Volunteers of the Year at a celebration this Fall.

The holiday season was ushered in with Thanksgiving and a family gathering at our home with Alma's brother's family. Several were visiting from Texas. It was a fun filled day.

And then the seasons come full circle and we prepare for Advent and joy of the Christmas season with lots of activities with family and friends. As we end the seasons of 2004, we hope that the seasons of this year have been good to you and yours. We wish you all a very happy new year!

Richard and Alma