981 miles, 4 bikes, & Countless Mosquito Bites

For vacation, we spent 981 miles in the car together-the family that rides together, stays together, eh? We went to Colorado to see our very dear college friends...and even though she is 8 months pregnant, Shannon never hesitated when I called to ask (beg really) if we could come see them-it had been way, way too long and this much time should not pass without seeing them.

The highlights of the trip were going to swim at a hot springs pool, which is like swimming in your hot tub in the warm sunshine...deliciously warm but you had to take breaks! It confuses the mind to see pool water & then feel like you are climbing into the bathtub...with your clothes on. We also took a day trip to Creede, a small mountain town that used to have an active mine. We walked around & shopped, ate a fabulous dinner & took an 'adventurous' drive up the old mine road...that used to be traveled by horses and donkeys...which means it was NARROW. Cody is rather famous for taking us on narrow mountain roads where you have sheer drop offs on one side to keep your mind off the twists & turns of the road. You don't focus on being motion sick, that's for sure!



We took the kids' bikes for entertainment while we were at their house, but the mosquitoes were so thick you couldn't run from the house to the car without getting bit. It was hard to make yourself stay inside & not be out enjoying the beautiful mountain air. We still came home with legs riddled with bites...but we'll survive! It was worth it!!

My Baby is ONE

Where did the past year go?

I can't believe our baby is to this milestone already...some times, she still seems so little when I compare her to her siblings, then there are times when she does things just to show me how big she is, like trying to stand on her own or drinking from her sister's sippy cup.

The party was fun...I'm sorting through all the pictures & will post them with details soon-there are lots! One of my absolute favorite things is when guests aren't shy to pick up my camera & shoot some pictures-it's like a present for me when I get home to see what others saw...I love it! So I will share soon!

Father's Day 2010

We went Geocaching for Father's Day & had such a great time! I recommend it for your family if you love doing things together & being outside-it's treasure hunting with GPS & it's WORLDwide! We found them close to home & plan on finding treasures on our next camping trip. The kids absolutely love the hunt and seeing what is waiting in the caches...

Here's a link if you would like to learn more:

http://www.geocaching.com/

It works with iPhones if you don't have a GPS!

A Project Sneak-peek

I'm working on a personal project and haven't even picked my favorites of the pictures I did take, but wanted to post some of the ones I'm liking...

Some other random shots

The Distraction was the Frog

When we discovered the unfortunate toad, we were trying to take a group shot...and that in itself presents a multitude of challenges when we are dealing with 4 kids age 7 & under BUT when someone of the party finds a toad behind the subject, you get a LOT of these shots:

We did get a few good ones though:

Frogs don't turn into princes

No matter who kisses them.

*CAUTION*

These photos may make some cringe...and yes, the lips did actually touch. And, I don't have any idea why they thought it was a good idea.

Lily would touch it & then squeal.

I would love to know what the frog is thinking right now...

Memorial Day Weekend

As a last minute, thrown-together, that's-how-we-roll idea, we decided to take the family to my parents' house for the weekend. It was like our own private B&B (except I had to cook-my parents were gone)...we took the kids for a hike down to the dry river bed that is at the edge of their property & otherwise enjoyed being away from the responsibilities (& cleaning) of our own house. There's lots of yard for the kids to play in & what's even better-Nana & Bop have ANIMALS to play with & TREES to climb! I think the kids were outside almost the entire weekend.

Along the way, we found a turtle, a snake (I didn't include that picture!), a horned toad, & a hawk & it's nest...it was a great nature walk!!

We also found a shady spot to play in the sand, build sand castles.

Ava liked to EAT the sand...

Finishing May

It's official...Macy is a third grader! She has loved Mrs. J & will miss her, it's been a wonderful year. But, I know next year has lots of promise & fun awaiting her as well! Jack was glad to be done with all that "work" in Montessori (I'm telling you-putting together puzzles, making bubble cakes, & the such is hard work! Taxing on the little fella!) but will miss his little buddies. His teacher at the end of the year was still saying such nice things about him, so that's a good sign! HA!! One of the many great things about Montessori is the way the kids are grouped multi-age, so 3, 4, & 5 yr olds are placed together to learn from each other, so even though some friends will move on to kindergarten, some friends will be together still.

One of my sweet baby-sitters offered to watch baby Ava for me so that I could have some one-on-one time with Lily, realizing that she doesn't get me to herself very often. We went & had a pedicure & did some shopping...she was precious for the pedicure, holding very still & acting very grown up. She even enjoyed catching up on the stars while her polish dried! She insisted on carrying my purse the whole time too-I think it made her feel more grown up.

We were also invited to Ava's Godparents' for a family rosary with several other families. We enjoyed this so much! I loved that all the kids were included too-there were plenty of rosaries to go around & we all sat & prayed together...it was the start of a tradition we hope to continue in our family. (For some reason we always thought our kids were too little to do this with us!)

And...this is how you might run across us this summer! We have a bike or a ride for every member of our family & we take up the WHOLE road but we love going on family bike rides!! We're very proud of our vintage bikes(a thoughtful gift from George & Nicole)...they are perfect for getting us to the park & keeping up with the kids!



Now...on to summer-swim lessons & swimming, playing at the park, taking trips and spending time with friends & family. I love it! Did I mention the part about my alarm clock getting to take 2 months off??? THAT's my favorite part!!!