July/ August review (fashionably late)

Here's July 4th, celebrating with a few friends. It was actually raining and COLD this year so fireworks were a little more complicated.

(Out of order) Later in July, Lexi auditioned for a play for the touring Missoula Children's Theater Company, organized through our library department, and got a small part. She was THRILLED!!! They put on a musical production of "Robison Crusoe" in less than a week. Lexi got to be one of the chamelions (funny lizard). It was really a neat process and learning experience for her. She had a ball acting like a lizard and doing the hula (the story line was quite interesting :) ).

She's the one in green on the end standing up, being lizard-like.

(I don't know why there's a duplicate of some of these pictures, but I don't know how to get rid of them...sorry.)

Back to 4th of July...here's some of the kids super excited over our small attempt at a fireworks show. You should have seen the dads - they were even more giddy!

What can I say????.... Colton's hair is the BEST!!!!! (His red eyes set off this picture particularly well)

In case you missed them the first time...... ;)

Here's Lexi after her play, loving her stage makeup and saying she wishes she could "be in the play every day for a hundred years" (I don't know how long I could be supportive of that).

The chamelion crew

So in the summer, we always love to try to discover new parks around town and this time we found these two cute parks that are connected. One had an Alice in Wonderland theme, and the other a Charlotte's Web theme. The kids were jazzed.

Lexi and Colton on a giant Charlotte.

Tyler getting a piggy-back (or piggy-head) ride on Wilbur. In the background is this really cool web thing the kids (and maybe adults) climb on.

Our fam at another free concert at the park (we never get sick of those).

With the lack of pools in Colorado Springs, you have to get creative in finding other ways to cool down. One of our favorite ways to get wet is the "Uncle Wilber" fountain downtown. This was Colton's first time (atleast in a swimming suit), but he was not too thrilled about the idea.

We found these 3 cute wet kids on a bench and took a picture :)

On one of our many walks in the summer we came across this little part of a creek that's right next the freeway and thought it might be fun to have the kids wade and play a little in it sometime. We're not exactly sure if it's legal, in fact it's probably not, but we didn't see any signs, so...... play we did!

Nice and shallow, but the kids didn't mind.

Here is Lexi's first day as a first-grader (which in her mind is like a senior in high school apparently). I'm so glad she loves school- we'll see how long it lasts.

Colton loves to try to wiggle in tight spots and hide, here is just one I found him climbing out of with his little cheesy grin. He's a crack-up!

So there's a small review of how we spent some of our time this summer. I still have a lot of catching up to do, but I appreciate your patience (for those of you who were waiting- OK maybe just my mom).

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!

June in Review (part one)

So it's been a little while since our last update, I realize. We've had a great summer so far. No big trips, just enjoying the beauty of Colorado and getting a little wet (you'll see in the pictures). Nate couldn't stand all of Colton's curls anymore so he diceided to give him a haircut (although you wouldn't be able to tell because his hair is as crazy as ever). Here's Nate deep in concentration as he attempts to give Colton his first haircut. The pictures got all out of order again, but here's Colton after discovering what happens when you crawl in the sprinkler...

We went to this great spray park to stay cool. Here's Lexi enjoying it.

Sweet Colton with his feet up by his face, he loves that position. He's very bendy, that kid.

Our precious mess-maker!!! This is a daily scene at our house.

Out of order, of course, but this is Colton quite curious as to what the thing spewing water is.

Who needs a pool ,when you got sprinklers? Colton with his "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?" look on his face.

Tyler with his best-bud Elijah at the spray park.

Colton wanting desperatley to join in on the spray park festivities, but his mom didn't want to get wet :)

Lexi and Tyler took swimming classes everyday for 2 weeks. They loved it and I think they improved greatly. Tyler's teacher kept using him as the example for the rest of the kids, which of course he loved! Grandma and Grandad even got to watch a couple classes. I didn't really get great pictures, unfortunately.

Lexi taking the big leap without any hesitation! (that's her way in the background)

Part two of our June will be soon to follow....

Mr. 'T' is in the house!

So, the night before Mother's Day I was out at the grocery store and I came back to find this.... Apparently Nate got a little creative with the clippers. I was not so happy at first, especially since we were going to church in the morning.

This picture of Lexi is out of order, but cute just the same.

Anyway, so Nate finally convinced me Tyler can only get away with this for a couple more months, we should let him live it up. But I couldn't stand the mohawk all the way in the back, so I made him even it up so you can't really tell he has a mohawk from the back.

Tyler has such curly hair that it naturally sticks up, so no product needed. Except it's so curly it's really more a "mo-fro" rather than a mohawk. Tyler's still really proud of it though (maybe as much as Nate is)!

Our cuties enjoying some beautiful May weather.

Gotta love the tulips, just wish they'd last longer...

My MEN!!



Here's Colton sporting his "Bozo the clown" hair-do. It's still a mystery where his red hair came from.

This is a picture of Lexi and Tyler's soccer team after their last game.

They had so much fun playing soccer, especially being on the same team (I know I loved that!). They both improved greatly since the start of it. Lexi did especially great! She was one of two scorers on the team. That dog in the middle is Rufus, he sat behind the goal so our team knew where to kick the ball. Let me tell you, it didn't seem to help much, but it was sure cute!

Here we are at our friends' Lance and Chandler's b-day party. I wish I had a bucket for balance! I'll just use Lexi and Tyler as a crutch :)