Nov 30, 2006 8:56 am US/Mountain
Ritter Family Plans To Keep Life 'Real'
by Molly Hughes
DENVER (CBS4) ―
Governor-Elect
Bill Ritter and his wife Jeannie plan on keeping life for their family 'real' as they prepare to start 2007 as the new first family of Colorado. Bill Ritter is set to be sworn in as Governor on Jan. 9, replacing two-term Gov.
Bill Owens at the State Capitol.
Part of the regular family life recently included a Thanksgiving trip to a local hot springs with their three children.
"So we went down to a hot springs over Thanksgiving weekend and we're there, all my kids, just because you're the governor doesn't mean you don't get into a bathing suit in a public pool," Bill Ritter said. "Your kids still need experiences around the ordinary."
He suggested some people didn't think that the governor-elect would ever be at a hot springs.
"Now a guy came up to me and said 'you're a dead ringer for Bill Ritter, you could make money making appearances for him because you look just like him' presuming that if you're a governor-elect, you're not going to use a hot springs," Bill Ritter said.
While the couple wants to keep things as normal as possible for the children, they do plan to live in the
Governor's Mansion.
"They (our children) said it makes it more real for them," Jeannie Ritter said.
The Ritter's children range in age from 13 to 20 years old.
Bill and Jeannie met in their teens and dated for 10 years before marrying.
With an 18-month-old son, the couple decided to go to Africa as Catholic missionaries.
"It took courage for us to say 'let's sell everything, let's give it all up and not make money for 3 years while we're raising a family,'" Bill Ritter said.
The couple described the time in Africa as rich. They enjoyed it so much, they tried to stay longer.
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