June in Review (part deux)

We've really been enjoying our gorgeous city so far this summer. We already knew it was lovely and had lots of great stuff to see, but we've discovered even more the last couple months and LOVE it! We've also been trying to live healthier, by working out more regularly (well Nate always has been, but I've been better). I did a fitness bootcamp that my friend Mel was running (thanks, Mel) and it really helped to get me jumpstarted with my exercising. She also gave us some nutriorional challenges with it and I actually explored the world of sugar-free-ness (not something I ever thought I'd do or wanted to do) and it wasn't so bad. Our family has been eating a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables as well and we've all been benefiting.
As I mentioned before, we've also been discovering many great trails and parks in the city and have been staying quite active in that way. One of our new favorite parks is Monument Valley park. It's very long so we've been trying to explore all of it and found some neat photo opportunities, like you'll see...

In the middle of the park is this historic building with really unique architecture. You really have to see it up close to appreciate it. I guess it was a pottery building and now used as part of Colorado College campus.

We also found this cool pond/ lake there, where the first time we saw a huge beaver! At first the kids thought it was an alligator swimming in the water and it actually did look that way. We finally figured out it was a beaver and it was building a little home. I guess there's a little beaver family of four there. It was pretty neat, because it's not often you see something like that in a park in the middle of downtown.

We took my parents there again, when they came to visit.

There are these great gardens there as well.

Lexi and Tyler were pretending to be statues sitting there on the wall. Tyler is holding his precious stick and rock that he found.

Lexi actually took this picture of Colton, not too bad.

She took this picture as well. My dad, mom, Tyler and I.

This place has some great trees to climb.

So while my parents were here we celebrated Father's Day and my birthday. On Father's Day, we went to church and I surprised my dad as I went up on the stand and gave a talk. I had kept the fact that I had to give a talk a secret from him. The talk wasn't on fathers necessarily , but I talked a lot about him and what a great example he is to me. So it was pretty much an ambush, I embarassed him , but hopefully I honored him as well. I was grateful for the opportunity.

For my birthday, we actually went to our friends the VanWagoners for a joint birthday party as it was my friend Rochelle's birthday a day before mine. We had a few friends over and had a little barbeque and potluck. We had put Nate and her husband Jarrod in charge of the whole thing. We were slightly worried how it would all come together, but they did a fabulous job. The food ended up being excellent and I think everyone had a good time!
Here's my dad and I and a few friends enjoying the tasty food. I was caught with a weird face in this picture (as I am with many pictures :))

So Nate and Jarrod made this big pan of brownies (actually I think Rochelle had to make them), making us think this is what there was instead of a cake- which we were fine with, but then....

they surprised us and said, "Nah, we have something better for you..." and brought out this cake that had a childhood picture of each Rochelle and I. The brownies were fine, but you can tell we enjoy this cake and the thought behind it much more.

It was a nice surprise. Our hubbies did very well!

Another great thing in Colorado Springs in the summer time are all the free concerts in the park. We love them and the variety of music. Here's our kids gettin' their groove on during one of the concerts. This was moments before we got poured on!!! We were all soaking wet, but we still had fun!