We had such lovely weather here in the Spring months, and it's one of the things we love most about Colorado. But, the wind is one of the things we don't love as much. And this year, it blew our fence down. So, we started out the warmer months this year by building a new fence! Here it is!
We now share yards with two of our backyard neighbors, which means our kids get to play on their playground, and our dogs have two new families who love them and throw the ball for them! It's a win-win for us for sure! Life is definitely too short to have sour neighbors, and we are so grateful for our's everyday!
Moab
In May, we took a road trip to Moab, Utah, and it is one of the most beautiful parts of the country. We got to camp with the Launais' at the classic Slick Rock campground in town, and since this has become an annual tradition, thanks to the Landcuriser Club's "Cruise Moab" event...it was perfect! The kids - Niko, Mila, Owen & Bodhi were in heaven...hunting for bugs, lizards, playing in the dirt and eating marshmellows every night before bed.
We did some off-roading on the trails!
We explored Arches National Park, and it was BEAUTIFUL!
Goodbye Preschool
For the past two years, Owen has attended Meiklejohn Preschool. It has been such a wonderful experience, and he learned so much. His teachers (Ms. Glo & Ms. LaDonna) were the most loving women...they visited Owen at home after his tonsil surgery, mailed us letters over the summer, and really took a genuine interest in Owen's learning experience. We were so blessed to have them in our lives...and therefore, graduating preschool was bittersweet. But, we keep moving forward!
Happy Mother's Day
Here's a pic of my sweet boys, and the beautiful card they made me for Mother's Day this year. I was a spoiled mama on this day, and loved every second of it!
Texas road-trip!
We got to spend three weeks in Texas in May. We took a road trip down there, and the boys did so well. It made us want to drive every year. We split it up over two days, woke up on day two, had breakfast, browsed this really cool farming museum, and hit the road!
After hosting the Parenting Safe Children workshop for our Texas friends and family and welcoming Feather and Jay for a visit for a few days, we played at the ranch, on Lake Granbury (Ryland, Owen, Reese got to tube behind the boat!) and we hung out at the pool at the Fort Worth house. We got to attend Ryland's 5th birthday party, and got our Mexican food fix over and over again. We also got to be home for my best friend's birthday, and even got to be there for her surprise party!
The weather was perfect, not too hot yet, but hot enough to want to be in the water. It was such nice down town with our friends and family, and leaving after those wonderful times is so hard!
dinner by the pool...
listening to the bugs and the turkeys at the ranch...
cowboy cousins
a boy's paradise...hunting for bugs on the ranch
We got to spend a lot of time with Gigi. We love and miss her everyday from Colorado, and some of our most valuable time is with her.
Mom, Steph and myself even sneaked away for a mom's night out to Wynstar...and we came out on top!
We also got to visit the church we got married in ten years ago! It was so fun and such a surreal experience to stand on the altar again with our two kids!
We even got to be there for Grandpa Trey's birthday...he turned 39 again! (can't you tell by the candles...:)
Back home in Colorado...we played.
We went to the museum (about a million times)
We got frozen yogurt with friends (a lot!)
We played in the rain (once...since it NEVER rains here!)
We walked over to Tucker Lake (in our neighborhood) so the dogs could swim...
We attended outdoor concerts with friends...
We worked on the Cruiser (aka "cwooser" to Bodhi) with Daddy...
We built a rock path in our backyard....
We joined the reading club at the library...
Owen dazzled our neighbors with his information booths in our front yard about snakes, lizards and dinosaurs...
I got to meet Sonia Leigh!
Bodhi and I visited the zoo and saw this crazy monkey swing across the walkway at the new elephant exhibit! (while Owen was in Dino Dig camp at the Museum of Nature & Science)
We went to the dentist!
Owen is really into building things out of pretty much anything...but mostly cardboard. Here's one of his latest projects...it actually flew pretty well!
The Boston's visit!
In June, we were SO happy to welcome the Boston's to Colorado! The five of them came, and the boys all got along SO well...it was seamless!
Happy Birthday Mimi!
We were so lucky to have Mimi Darlene here for HER birthday this year. She flew in on her actual birthday...so we made homemade potato skins and margaritas...her favorite! The boys also made her a cake, and were very proud to show her.
Bodhi's birthday!
Our sweet Bodhi Christopher turned THREE years old. Still can't believe my BABY boy is three. Everytime I say it, I have to think about it and make sure that's right! He's growing too fast! He wanted a pool party, so a pool party he got! We went to the Whisper Creek pool (thanks to the Cadwells!), and a few of his closest friends and family were there for a fun, mellow afternoon. It was small, low-key and a perfect sunny day for this little fish. Mimi Darlene was in town to join us!
And...he got a new scooter from the Immel's (our sweet neighbors)...and couldn't have been happier about it!
Rose Roots Community Garden...plot 84
This year, we joined Rose Roots Community Garden and shared a garden plot with the Cadwell's - Emily, Todd, Makenna and Addison. It has been such a wonderful experience, and so rewarding for the kids to get to watch their seeds grow into our dinner! We learned a lot, and I anticipate each year, we'll get better! We LOVE sharing the plot because although the city provides the water for the gardens, the plot owners still have to visit daily to nourish their crops. So, Emily and I have been swapping water duties all summer, harvesting with the kids, weeding while they play in the garden sandbox, and it's been a wonderful collaboration! We hope to keep this tradition with the Cadwell's for many years to come!
One of the best parts about the community garden, is our opportunity to "Plant a Row for the Hungry." The boys got to help me deliver some of the donations from the Rose Roots Community Garden plots to the Arvada Food Bank...and it was great for them to be a part of that process.
We were lucky enough to get to spend a weekend hiking, playing in the river and relaxing in Breckenridge with our wonderful neighbors, the Lindholm Family.
Sonoma
Kipper and I celebrated our ten-year wedding anniversary on August 17, 2012...and we did so in Sonoma, CA with some amazing friends and family. We rented a house on a vineyard right outside of Sonoma...and our trip included a limo wine tour, a personal chef for our poolside anniversary dinner, a bocci ball tournament, lots of yummy wine and a lot of good times with great friends. It couldn't have been better, and we'll never forget this trip! (The boys stayed at home with Mimi Kathy...and I don't think they even noticed we were gone!)
Kindergarten (omg!)
You might need to sit down for this one...OWEN STARTED KINDERGARTEN. For real y'all! I can't believe it and have no idea how my sweet little first born baby boy is in school. Honestly, I was never sad about it...just excited for him really. And, he loves going SO much (partially because he gets to ride his bike with "Dad" every day), that it just makes me so happy to see him loving it. He's attending West Woods Elementary, and his teacher is Mrs. Cannon. He is going to half-day kindergarten, and I am sure he'll be reading by the end of the year. It's so great to have such a great school in our neighborhood...and as a parent, I feel a sense of relief that someone else is now helping us teach him things! It's not ALL up to us...I'm loving that feeling!
And now...I am officially a soccer mom, driving a minivan on the PTA. Crazy how that happens so fast. The boys are playing t-ball (Owen's first season of "coach-pitch") and soccer on the weekends, and love it. They have a lot of friends on their teams, and we are thinking soccer is Bodhi's game...and Owen is going to be more of a baseball guy...but we'll see!
We'll try to keep you posted a little more frequently in the coming months. Sending our love!
