Christmas in Colorado Springs

The Christmas Season is in full swing in Colorado Springs. To start with, I need to dispel a misconception that Colorado Springs is THE place to come for a white Christmas. Not to be a Grinch, but we seldom have snow on the ground at Christmas in the Springs proper. To be truthful, we save MOST of our snow for the mountains to west of us, and really don't get that much all winter season. Moreover, what we do get melts off pretty fast, so even if we are lucky enough to get some good snow before Christmas, it is likely gone by Christmas Day. It may be cold (or not), but is likely brown, with some blue skies to complement the look.

Like most larger towns, we have our share of public music performances, and at least to our family, we have to attend at least one or it isn't Christmas. In past years we've seen wonderful work done at Woodmen Valley Chapel, we've done the Nutcracker ballet at the Pikes Peak Center. One year our kids chipped in on tickets for the TransSiberian Orchestra at the World Arena. New Life (our own church) has a production they do every other year called Wonderland. We will be going to that this year, although it has been scaled down a bit (one year they did it at the World Arena and it got a little 'over the top') We always love the Christmas Eve service. There are many other performances throughout the city as well, including at the Broadmoor Hotel (photo above), and Glen Eyrie Castle. For a more complete list of what is going on, check out The Gazette Music Section

Ski season 'officially' starts around Halloween most years, but it is Christmas break when most of the slopes tend to be 100% open and really ready for business. Some of the discount season pass programs black out the Christmas holidays for local passholders (it makes more room for those paying full price), but the true unlimited season passes are good over the holidays. It just a little crowded!

Hotels are not as full over the Christmas holidays as they are over Memorial Day (that is another article), so Christmas can be a good time to visit. You just have to be prepared for winter weather on some days. If there is some snow, cross country skiing tends to start up in Teller County. The Florissant Fossil Beds is a popular cross country ski destination.

It was a cold week here, with record lows overnight one night (-2 I think!), but very little snow.

Got questions about living in Colorado Springs? Call me at 719-590-4768 or 888-568-6784! www.facebook.com/rickvanwieren for more photos, www.twitter.com/rvanwieren for more frequent updates!

Christmastime in Colorado Springs

We had a wonderful Christmas at the Van Wieren home this year, we hope yours was as well. We spent Christmas Eve at a candlelight service at New Life Church, and then a low key meal and a sampler of gifts with part of the family.

Christmas Day itself started with coffee and cinnamon rolls at home, and then a visit to my mother in law at the Life Care rehabilitation facility, where she is getting stronger and healthier by the day. We took today's photo there. She opened some gifts, and then we headed home to put on a beef roast and open gifts with everyone.

My kids were amazing, in that they decided, despite the tough economy and their own thin resources, to all chip in on a Nintendo Wii for me! I am a little famous for not giving very reasonable ideas for Christmas gifts, and I'm afraid they took me literally on this one. It is SOO much fun though, we are all enjoying it immensely, and it was such a complete surprise!

The weather here was dry, sunny and mild for Christmas day, and continues to be sunny, though not even 30 here today. We'll see 50 again for the next several days, so despite the mountains getting hammered with snow, we probably will lose what little had hung around from the last storm. The days are already getting longer, and the sun stronger.

Like in most places in the country, the malls were packed the day before and after Christmas. One of my sons works at Chick Fil A at Chapel Hills, and he has been very busy over the holidays.

Happy New Year!

WOW!

I have never seen an interest rate drop flow into the mortgage market as fast as this one has. The 3/4% rate cut by the Fed almost immediately flowed in to the mortgage market. My daily quote on 12-17 that I get from Dana Hines at Adams Bank was 4.75% with .25 discount point, and no origination fee.

I talked to someone who had been on an ARM for quite a while, and he told me that he had refinanced earlier in the year into a fixed, but the lender had stuck him with a 3 year prepayment penalty. These should be outlawed if you ask me, (which the congress never does). I have seen some pretty ugly scenes where unscrupulous loan officers have stuck unsuspecting clients with these things, locking them into situations that are just not right. A 2 or 3% penalty for moving or refinancing is just not neighborly!

Today's photo is of my grandson, Tyler, at his preschool's Christmas program last week. Some of our favorite memories of Christmas when the kids were growing up, were these kinds of programs. While his sheep outfit isn't going to win any Academy Awards for Costume Design, it was really fun to see the next generation repeating a great tradition!