Catch up

I've missed a lot of happening around here, so here is just a random sampling of what we've been up to lately.  Ella & Riley had a fundraiser at school called Dewey's Dash.  They raised money and then did an obstacle course and a fun run for the older kids.  I got a couple pics of Ella during her obstacle course.  Riley's class performed a musical they had been rehearsing since the beginning of the year.  It was all about Life Cycles and Riley was cast as one of the animals, a deer.  It was the cutest musical I've seen!  Ella has been taking ballet and she's been rehearsing for the Nutcracker this year.  She's a mouse, an angel, and a kid at a party.  She'll be performing it at Columbine High School in a couple weeks.  She can't wait to be center stage :)

Riley the deer

From a short hike at Lookout Mt

Ella's obstacle course

The mouse

Hike-Mt Falcon

This was a post I forgot to publish from October...I'm just now catching up
Our next hike we ventured out to Mt. Falcon.  The morning was very cold but the sun was out!  We saw a ton of deer just driving up there.  There was still lots of frost on the trees and meadows which just made it look magical.  We didn't get to go very far since the kids started complaining of their hands being cold.  I love living so close to so much beauty!

Family pictures

Last time we had a family photo was when I was pregnant with Owen.  It was definitely time for some new ones.  My friend Ashley did a great job.  We went to these gardens just 10 minutes from our house, I wish we could've gone just a week earlier to see more of the fall colors but we still got good shots.

Hiking

The past couple weekends we finally decided to introduce the kids to hiking.  The first hike we got lots of complaints, "I'm tired...it's hot...the sun is in my eyes...my shoes don't fit...I'm hungry...etc.   I didn't think we'd ever make it.  But the last part of the hike we saw an amazing view and all of a sudden the kids got their second wind and loved it.  When Ella was crying in the beginning she was now skipping along singing.  So in order for them to get used to it we went on another hike this past weekend.  It was heaven.  It was just 20 minutes west of Morrison in a park called Lair 'O Bear.  We went early in the morning and the sun was out.  We hiked alongside a babbling creek and the kids loved going in and out of the small paths that lead to the creek.  Towards the end of our hike there was even a castle that they said looked like Belle's from Beauty and the Beast.  The colors on the trees were golden and it was so peaceful.  Riley looked at me and said she wanted to come back tomorrow.  I don't know why we hadn't started this earlier.  Now we look forward to the different hikes we can do every weekend.

Roxborough State Park

Ella at the beginning of the hike

Incredible view

At the end of the hike

Lair 'O Bear open space

A little break

Love the sun shining down just on the tree

"Princess Castle"

Summer recap

It's been awhile since I've posted something, I must've been busy?  I haven't taken a whole lot of pictures lately so I'll just give a quick summary of the past month.  After my sister-in-law left, my roommates from college all came to visit!  We were only missing Nicole, who happens to live in Brazil so she had a pretty good excuse.  We all lived together our senior year in a big house called Petticoat Junction, ever since then we just all refer to each other as Petticoat.  These are the best friends in the world and we would do anything for each other.  I need to get more pics of the weekend, but one thing we did do was drive up Mt. Evans.  I haven't been up there in about 10 years and now I remember why.  The roads are extremely scary.  No guardrails, just a sheer drop off right out your window.  It was raining and some people were getting carsick with all the twists and turns.  My hands couldn't grip the steering wheel hard enough!  So we stopped about 9 miles from the top and took a couple pictures.  It also happens that we stopped just to encounter the second highest recorded tornado!! It was quite a sight.
  Riley had soccer all summer on Saturday mornings and she really liked it.  She got better each week and even scored 3 goals in one game!  Then I left for Ohio with Owen to help my parents organize all their stuff since they're moving here to Colorado :)   They sold their house within 6 weeks and will be heading here the end of September.
  The girls started school and after a hard first week for Ella (including having to be peeled from me kicking and screaming), she asks me in the morning if we're going to school.  So it's definitely gotten better.  Riley loves school, her favorite subject is gym of course.
  Then Owen ran face first into the bathtub and chipped three of his top baby teeth!  Hopefully the dentist will have a fix for us so he doesn't have to be called Chip until he's 6.
  We're having our stairs redone.  It was an ugly white carpet and we took that off to put a dark stained wood.  I'll have to update when we have it all painted and finished.
  Jarom leaves on a business trip in about a week and then my parents will be checking out houses.  So much going on...

2nd highest tornado

Jen & Red

Cheering Riley on

Riley running the ball down

Freak hailstorm in August

Eating popsicles are a daily occurance

First day of school

Just driving home and caught one of the beautiful sunsets

Owen's chipped teeth!