Its Really Flippin' Hot Here!! But We're Still Having Fun.

 One thing I'm noticing is that all pictures look overexposed.  That's because we are all overexposed!  At 6800-8000 feet we feel very close to the sun.    This top pic is from our spring break to Estes Park.  I couldn't remember if we posted it adn I think its so darn cute.

 Edie's 3 year old birthday.  She requested cupcakes and party hats. 

 Edie and her best buddy Malina.

 We went camping at Rifle Gap State Park and found the "sand" at the edge of the lake was more like a swamp.  The water here in Colorado is crazy low as we are in a record draught.  But that didn't stop both of them from exploring their own type of spa mud wrap.

 At nearby Rifle Falls State Park there are some cool waterfalls and lots of caves to explore on either side of the falls along trails.  We spent quite a while trying out each cave and climbing.  Oh the climbing!

 Don't lie down for long or you'll be quickly taken care of.  It doesn't matter if you don't have hair on your head, it will be brushed.  It doesn't matter if you are too big for the blanket, many minutes will be spent trying to cover you arms, then your legs, then your arms, then your legs.

 The empty lot next door was looking really shabby.  Previous renters had left garbage, a "compost pile" with metal and concrete and rocks strewn all around.  We all thought it would be a great site for some gardens.  This has been a group effort between both families.  The cleaning, tilling, prepping, designing, plant selection, watering and continued weeding has been divided among all of us and it has been lots of fun.  And these pictures do not do it justice!  We have three gardens filled but they still have space.  Hoping to get a succession planting of greens and carrots going this week.  The garlic I planted last fall is just about ready to be pulled.  And we wanted to plant a "field" of sweet corn so Tim and I could tap our nostalgic roots.  Its important for kids to stand inside a corn field once.  So our 6 rows may give them a feeling for it.

The swimming pool is 3 blocks away so after a nap and show this day, we headed to the pool for some serious play.  Even at 94 degrees, the light breeze makes a snuggle necessary to warm up after.  This is Edie, Lucy and their cousin Isaac. 

Bella

 And this is why we need a dog in our house.  Well, this reason and because I need some help keeping the floor clean.

1st Band

Silliness

 Thanks to Aunts and Uncles in Florida, we were able to make a huge snow fort with special snow block forms.  This was just the beginning that we created last night after only 2 inches of snow fell.  The next day, the cousins helped and it is now big enough for everyone to go inside.

 With such little snow, we had to get creative with our other sculptures.  SO...mini-snowmen.  The oldest cousin was inspired thinking they looked like an army.  In an effort to curb the "all large groups of beings must be out to demolish or attack", I suggested maybe they were a dance troop or sports team or a band.  The band was a hit.  So the guy in the back is playing the drums.  The one in the middle is playing a trumpet.  The one closest to the camera is playing a guitar.  See the leaf attached to the stick?  And the one facing the group is the conductor.  The three in the back are the back up singers.

 After getting the meal to the table tonight, this is what I saw as I looked across the table.  No intended silliness.  Just eating her meal with the napkin over her head.  And what is all over her face?  She just ate a pint of blueberries.

This is not silly at all but I'm kind of blown away that this beauty is only 5 years old.  Holy cow she is growing up.  We went ice skating again today and she is starting to really cruise around easily.  So cool!

Holiday Break

Holy Cow...its been a long time since they were in school!!  Once we adjusted to that schedule and someone else creating engaging activities it was very difficult to adjust to all of us home together. 

We were lucky enough to find a mom and former elementary school teacher who wanted to earn a bit of income over the holiday.  She has two young girls as well so it was a perfect set up.  Then Edie brought home a stomach virus on the last day of school that took about 5 days to go through the whole family.  And then the babysitter's family got it as well.  So instead of 7 days of babysitting and 4 days of shared care by Rodney and I, it turned into 4 days of babysitting and 7 days of Rodney and I.  Oh well...I tried to be prepared.

We did our best to make the most of the break.  We did lots of decorating, a small amount of cooking and plenty of play.  I had plans to take all kinds of pictures of our holiday crafting but that didn't happen.  Instead, I have a few pics of post Christmas festivities. 

Both girls got bikes from Santa.  Edie's is a scoot bike so it doesn't have pedals.  Its so tiny that she is able to ride through the house.  But her balance is getting better really fast.  Lucy has a big kid bike with gears and hand breaks.  Its still a bit too big but she is managing as she is so happy to go faster with those big wheels!




Movie night with the cousins





Yes, that is a witch costume that Edie LOVES.  Especially the hat that is practically in shreds.




Our after dinner activity these days.  And yes, she is often naked.  Well, unless she is wearing the witch costume.




my new dehydrator!!!




potatoes, fruit leather, sweet potatoes, apples, carrots and zucchini




Ice rink at the rodeo

 Today, we went after some ice skates for Lucy. The local rodeo just outside of town, get's flooded and and ice rink is built in the winter. Its free to use and you can rent skates from the rec center but only when they are open. We can ride our bikes to the rink so it seemed to make sense to snag a pair of skates. She was thrilled to try them out so we had to go at dinner time when it was dark. They have lights at the rink but no one there monitoring. When we arrived, there were 7 boys around 10-13 years old playing hockey.


It felt so great to have a community resource like this just for folks to enjoy on their own without a bunch of rules and regulations. Hockey ettiquete is to move over for people just skating unless it is a pick up time slot. So the boys were quite polite as we jumped on the ice at the edge. The ice was so rough that Rodney, Edie and I could walk quite easily. It also made it really great for Lucy as it wasn't too slippery.

She was watching the boys for a long time and was super motivated to get better and better. She is a quick learner, partly because she is so determined to figure things out. It is really wonderful to see your child developing a trait you know will serve them well in the future!. I'm so glad this is part of her personality.

Edie was watching the stick action and had to try it out with a broken stick left on the side.  I can see hockey in our future.  :)

Santa 2011

Christmas Tree Shopping

 Getting ready for the adventure.

 For $10 we bought a permit to head into the woods and find a tree.  Once we arrived, everyone took to the hills.

 Lucy and I found ours pretty quick as Edie had fallen asleep in the car on the way.  Turned out to be a gift to us all as the snow was fairly deep and fluffy.  Edie never would have been able to walk in it and I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have been able to manage carrying her.

 My brother Tim, Karen, Elijah and Isaac looking for their tree.

 It was so light, Lucy was able to drag it down the mountain.

 And just as we were looking in the back of the car for anything to slide on, the other family looking in the same spot offered us their sleds.  We ended up sledding with their kids for the next 2 hours.

 Uncle Tim helped build a new run in nice fluffy snow.  He went on FOREVER!!

 We managed to catch a picture of all of us.  It was a spectacular day with great temperatures.

 Truly one of the most fun things we've done and we all look forward to it being a new family tradition.  Although I forsee the tree hunt lasting longer as those with opinions get older.