Colorado Trip 2010

Great scenery

Rock climbing...which happened anywhere there were rocks!

"Rock fishing" at the Alluvial Fan

Sprague Lake

Wildflower hike near the Continental Divide

Snow on Trail Ridge Road

The kids became Junior Rangers at the Alpine Visitors Center. (Like their outfits? It was COLD up there on top of the mountains!)

Bear Lake

Alberta Falls...the kids and grandparents are the color you see near the top!

The kids and I enjoyed a week of vacation bible school at our church. I was a leader and the kiddos participated in a "Rock the Bible" themed week of scripture, music and fun! It was exhausting, but the kids really learned alot...including the 10 commandments! As soon as our day was completed on Friday, we headed to Pilsen and Gram and Poppy's house. Daddy met us there Saturday and we were able to play with cousin Thurston before getting up early Sunday morning to road trip to Colorado. Geoff had to work and was unable to come with us all...so Gram, Poppy, Claire, Landon and myself hauled ourselves across western Kansas and into Colorful Colorado! We stayed in Estes Park and went into Rocky Mountain Natl Park everyday to hike, take in the scenery and learn about nature. We also road horses, played in bumper boats, and walked around town. With a stop at Casa Bonita in Denver on the way home, our trip was complete. The kids really enjoyed themselves, and were appropriately awestruck by the mountains (much to Gram's happiness!). They are still talking about the things they learned and saw. The pics kinda give a tour of the places we visited.

Playdates and "Mommy-dates"

Our dinner date.

The layer cake.

The first two weeks of July were spent how summer should be spent...playing! Mommy scheduled lots of playdates...in 10 days we had 13 playdates (yes, I counted)! All of June I heard things like "I never see her anymore", and "how come he can't come over and play?". I solved that problem easily, and I had fun catching up with all the other Mommies too! We spent time at Chuck E Cheese, Jumpzone, the pool, our house, and even the mall. When we weren't playing with other kiddos, the kids and I had "Mommy-dates". The kids chose various, and often random, things to do with just me. Then we all went and had some fun! This included baking a layer cake, having dinner at P.F.Changs and playing Wii (but only games Mommy wasn't good at). I loved spending "downtime" with my kiddos...they were sweet and actually got along with each during our dates!

We also started chore charts this summer. Both Landon and Claire choose from chores that I deem appropriate and then make a chart. Each day they mark whether they completed that chore or not. As the reward for completion (or bonus, as the kids call it), they get to do something special of their own choosing. After a few weeks, the options for the bonus were running thin, so Mommy suggested game night. Although neither child knew exactly what that meant, they were excited about the unknown. At the end of the week, after the charts were completed (and every week they are completed, which is awesome!) our whole family played board games together. The kids had so much fun we've done this several times since, and have added some new favorites. CandyLand, Chutes and Ladders, Disney Monopoly, Life and Sorry are the faves!

July 4th Weekend

Claire and Mike.

We headed to Wichita over the 4th of July. Papa had a knee replacement, so the kids had to bring their well wishes. Plus, they got to play with their cousins, see a Wingnuts game, and get together with our long time, but not often seen, friends in Wichita. We shot some fireworks and swam in the pool too!

Dance Nationals

Rangers ballgame.

Landon and Deputy Dawg...at American Girl.

Claire and Julie...they had special seats for the dolls when we had tea.

Claire and her new best friend Julie.

The last week of June, our family loaded up and headed to Dallas, TX for Claire's national dance competition. A week-long furlough of skills, talent and lipstick! Claire's dances all did great! Her duet "Kids of the Future" received a 2nd place in their age category. The group dance "Bugs" was 1st in their age category and 3rd overall of the Junior Lines. The production number "Bathtime" was 1st in their age category and 5th overall of the Junior Productions. That's pretty amazing for kiddos who spend only a few hours a week in the studio taking lessons! While we were in Dallas, we had time to take in some sights. These included a date with a doll at American Girl, splishing and splashing at the Hawaiian Falls waterpark, and enjoying ballpark food at a Texas Rangers ballgame (not to mention amazing fireworks!). I think even the boys would agree that the "dance trip" was a good time, even for them!

As a side note, the day after we returned from Dallas, there was a parent meeting for auditions for the dance company that had just finished competing. Auditions were held a day later. Claire was really nervous this year, which was made obvious by the meltdown she had as we walked into the studio that afternoon! Nonetheless, she made company again this year, and will have 5 dances instead of 3!

Where has this summer gone?

Art on the Square...making pinch pots.

The kid's flag day creation.

Cooling off on the square after eating cupcakes.


Ok, ok...I've been slacking. Maybe more than slacking, I've just chosen to do other things than blog. It's terrible how far behind I am! And now there is so much to record here I have no idea how I'm going to do it! It will be chronological for now, starting with the end of school. I'll go from there...

Claire had such a great school year during 1st grade. A wonderful teacher and a new "bestie" made the year go fast. Her school has a field day at the end of the year that is more of a party than actual field events. Mommy and Landon helped and got to watch the kids enjoy water fights, log rolls, and an equestrian show. Two of the pictures are of the kiddo's face painting...Claire is with her "bestie" Emily. (They are not in the same class this year, both girls were devastated!) Landon's school year went well also, although he is more of a "home-body" and was ready to hang out with Mommy, as he stated on the last day of school..."Mommy, I FINALLY get to see you all the time now. Aren't you glad?".

For the next two weeks, the kids stayed busy with playdates, the neighborhood pool, Mommy-kid "dates" (these included cupcakes on the downtown square, a movie and other little outings) and going to the library for crafts and books. Landon's gymnastics class continued through the summer, and tee ball finished. We spent ALOT of time at Claire's dance studio, as she was taking summer lessons and preparing for the national competition they attended in Dallas. That's where we headed next...

Nine Years Ago...

Nine years ago it was a Saturday.

Nine years ago I woke up with only a few butterflies in my stomach...and those were only for everything to go smoothly (although I knew my Mom had that taken care of!)

Nine years ago I put on the perfect dress. And giggled when one of my friends said "the perfect dress to marry the perfect man".

Nine years ago I walked in the church to see you standing at the front. You had a huge smile on your face and all those butterflies flew away.

Nine years ago I walked down that aisle with my Daddy, thinking I could never love that man at the front of the church more than I do right now.

Nine years ago I made the ultimate declaration of love and dedication by saying "I do".

Nine years ago you made my dreams come true by saying it back...

Nine years later you have proven me wrong about our love...I can love you more and do every day. Happy Anniversary to the man of my dreams!

Memorial Day Weekend

Our family took an extra day on this long weekend to go to Kansas. Well...the kids and I stayed in Kansas, Daddy went to Charlotte with his Dad to see the races! (If he ever gets the urge to blog, I'll let him tell you about it!) The kids and I stayed with Nana and the cousins the first half of the trip. The kids played, splashed in the pool, we all went to the ballgame (Go Nuts!...and Hoopy!) and had a sleepover with Lucy. We spent the second half at Gram and Poppy's. We put flowers on graves, played on the slip and slide and BIG ball, and saw baby cousin Thurston. We also saw my cousins! We came back through Wichita to pick up Daddy, and have lunch before heading home Monday. I did not take one picture the whole time we were gone! I was enjoying every minute, and will surely be disappointed that I don't have permanent memories! Thanks to everyone for everything!!!!! Claire has 6 more days of school and Landon 3 (making up snow days) and then summer, here we come!!!!!