Day 424 - Las Vegas, NV

 

Celebrating family in Las Vegas. We had the privilege of seeing Tom's brother Sonny. We were blessed to meet up with our dear cousins, Rodney, Sheila, and Dave, and were overjoyed to find Edwin.

The Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge is an arch bridge that spans the Colorado River between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada

Cousins causing trouble- Tom, Rodney, Dave, Sheila and Buffy

Rodney, Tom, Sheila, Dave, Buffy and Edwin

Tom, Buffy and Sonny Welch

Day 416 - Wyoming

 

Who knew family time could be so addictive? Though we have to part ways, we'll reunite like a warm hug soon. The Hut conquered its first snow day like a pro! Tom just became a calf-feeding master. Wyoming the land of abundance. The next adventure awaits.

Dad got an elk!

Buffy and Niece Kylee

First time for Tom feeding a calf

Snow

Thomas and Kayla

Day 400-Rapid City, SD

 

Look who we found in Rapid City, SD…old friends from our time in Redding Tony and  Linda Justi.

Day 390- Wyoming

 

We've looped back to Wyoming, and the cherry on top is Thomas and Megan crashed the party! It's been an eternity - three whole years - since our family was whole, and now we've upgraded to the deluxe model, significant others included!

Day 381 - Idaho

We made our way from Libby, MT to Idaho. Tom was able to get a few days of fishing in.

Tom and Pat

 

Day 372- Kim said it best.

 From Kim Misner's Facebook post. 

The past couple of evenings have been spent with long-time friends Tom and Buffy Welch, who are making their way through the west in their RV seeing friends and family after Tom retired a few months ago.

Jeff and Tom were paramedics together with American Medical Response in the early and mid-90s. Buffy and I went to college together at Simpson University in 1997 and 1998. We spent a year in classes together in the immersion program at Simpson where you completed your Bachelor’s Degree in a year and a half. I majored in psychology and she majored in business so after the first six or nine months, we took different classes. When Buffy and I graduated, we were rebels. You were not allowed to decorate your graduation cap so Buffy and I did what we thought was best and did it anyway using medical tape. I had just had my appendix out a couple days before so my excuse was the Vicodin I was on (I’m not sure what hers was!).

Buffy gave our son Justin his first job when she was the manager of the dietary department at Redding Medical Center. He worked in the cafeteria for her and made good money for a teenager compared to the rest of his friends.

We had not seen Tom and Buffy (other than briefly a few years ago but we didn’t get to talk then) in more than ten years but it was just like we had seen them last week. True friends are hard to find and you know that’s an indicator of real friendship when that happens.

Day 370 -Washington

 

who knew being related could be so much fun? Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins brought the party. Quilting, boating, and an eating contest basically. Next time can't come soon enough.