Castlewood Canyon.

A-hiking we will go! This morning the Leahy crew was up and at 'em to travel north to go hiking at Castlewood Canyon. Amidst the plains and rolling hills just east of Castle Rock sits the picturesque Castlewood Canyon area of large rocks, pine trees, and the trickling Cherry Creek. Highlights of the hike included seeing chipmunks, bluebirds, a small snake, and a bunch o' bugs.

Innovation.

Scott has been with RT Logic now for a little over 6 months. The company seems to be a great fit for his career and for him personally. Last week, the company had a quarterly employee meeting, and Scott received an award recognizing his "innovation" for a project he's dedicated much time and talent to over the past few months. We are so proud of his efforts. Way to go, Scott!

16-ft. Sneeze.

Today we went to the zoo, and today perhaps Reid had an encounter with the giraffes that scarred him for life. You see, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has this very neat observation deck that allows you to be at eye level with the giraffes and feed them snack crackers. Usually, Reid wants nothing to do with these long-necked creatures, but today he was feeling brave and ready to try feeding them a cracker. Buckled into his stroller and with the treat in hand, Reid held up the cracker for his spotted pal. The long neck and even longer giraffe tongue stretched over the fence to almost within a lick's reach. However, at that same moment came a bizarre sound and strange spray. The giraffe sneezed on us!! Jami started laughing at the odd turn of events. Reid started screaming because he was so freaked out by what had just happened. Luke started asking questions, "What was that?!" We did eventually get Reid calmed down, but it's pretty likely he won't want to linger around the giraffe exhibit at any future zoo visits. The above photo was taken several hours after the sneezing incident ... he's obviously a little happier!

The Leahy Boys.

Some fun photos of the Leahy boys.

Fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, nephews & cousins ... Eric, Stratton, Paul, Luke, Sawyer, Scott & Reid.

Luke, Reid & Eric model their plaid shorts. J Crew might want them for an ad!

Cousins on the couch ... Stratton, Reid, Luke & Sawyer ham it up!

Buzzin' Cousins.

What a treat it has been for Luke and Reid to enjoy so much time with their cousins ... first Dalton last week and then Sawyer and Stratton this week. Here are some fun photos of the buzzin' cousins. These boys are busy lil' guys!

Bubble up! Dalton gives Luke a pat on the back about his bubble-making skills.

Cousins who play together ... sip together. Reid and Dalton take a time out for a beverage break.

Here are a couple of computer-gaming cuties. Sawyer and Luke play a game or two. No online poker yet...

Scott has two little blondies in tow with Reid & Stratton. We were outside checking out the jets flying over the Air Force Academy.

May Visitors: Round 2

This is one Memorial Day weekend full of good memories! We are blessed to have more family visiting us, and this time it's Scott's side of the family! Eric & Charity flew in on Saturday, and Paul, Juli, Sawyer & Stratton flew in on Sunday. What fun to show them our new city and the gorgeous sights! Here are a few highlights of the visit so far...

Lunching at Adam's Mountain Cafe in Manitou Springs with Eric & Charity.

Eric & Scott (and 2 monkeys on their backs) hiking at Garden of the Gods.

Italian fare, Colorado wines & the fam ... Juli, Paul, Jami, Scott, Eric & Charity. (We fed the younger Leahys first and sent them outside to play so we could enjoy a peaceful meal!)

Grandparents & grandsons.

When the Goffs were here visiting, we took this grandparents & grandsons photo. The boys really show off their Swedish heritage with that blonde hair!

Grandma & Grandpa Nelson and their 3 grandsons Dalton, Luke & Reid.

School's out for the summer!

Luke officially wrapped up his first year of preschool with a "graduation" ceremony this afternoon. He will still be in preschool next year, but some of the students in his class will be stepping up to kindergarten so this was a fun way to celebrate the end of the year with some songs and even a diploma! Here are some pictures of the graduate.

Forget formal handshakes ... this graduate gets a hug from his teacher Mrs. Blazi and a diploma from Mrs. Malone!

The Leahy men at the graduation ceremony.

Weekend at the Cabin.

When Jami was away in California, Scott and the boys joined our friends Joe & Mary Fran and their dog & cat for a weekend at their family cabin near Gunnison, CO. This part of Colorado still has a lot of snow ... in fact it snowed while they were there! Scott, Luke & Reid had a blast at the cabin! Luke enjoyed the hot tub and checking out the snowmobile, while Reid became fast friends with Penelope the Dog. (A big thank you to Mary Fran for sending these great photos from the weekend!) To the left: Penelope, Reid & Joe play in the snow.

Scott backpacks uphill both ways in the snow while carrying a 25 lb. Reid. True story.

Luke gears up to brave the sledding hill.

May Visitors: Round 1

3 cousins & a giraffe at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

.....

This spring, we have been blessed to have several visits from Jami's sister Briana and her family. Briana and Dalton paid a visit to Colorado this week, and we took full advantage of the great weather. Luke and Reid adore having Dalton around. They all entertain one another! A video for you ... it will either make you dizzy from watching Luke run in circles or give you whiplash from watching Dalton keep up with Luke.

Art by L. Leahy.

One of the greatest joys of Luke going to school has been the art projects he brings home. We are always entertained by his creative mind. With the end of the school year being this week, he has brought home some interesting artistic masterpieces. Here's a virtual art exhibit for you.

"The Squirrel." Yes, it has three eyes ... not sure why. The better to see you with, my dear.

"Spring Chicks." Notice that Luke signed this piece. Someday his signature will be recognized for the number of horizontal lines going through the letter "E."

"The Cycle of the Butterfly." This is our all-time favorite piece because of the complexity of the subject matter and the different materials used. Fuzzy green dots, sticky tack, a branch, tissue paper ... and yes, the butterfly also has three eyes. Mom was a bit shocked when Luke came home asking about butterflies and the "chrysalis." Big word for a 4-year-old!!

Down on the Farm Field Day.

Remember back to the days of old when you had field day at school? Today was that special "first" for Luke at St. Peter Catholic School. Jami volunteers with the PTO and helped plan the preschool field day with a "Down on the Farm" barnyard theme. The activities included:

• Fetchin' the Eggs (digging through hay to find eggs to put in the basket)
• Milkin' Old Bessie (water bucket relay)
• Dressin' the Scarecrow (the students had fun dressing the teachers as scarecrows)

Top Photo: It's not about finding a needle in a haystack. Luke's looking for an egg!

Middle Left: Farmer Scott ran the snack station. Reid sampled the coffee cake.

Middle Right: Moooo-ve over! Luke's on the run.

Bottom: Old McLeahy had a farm. E-I-E-I-O!

Head, shoulders, knees & toes.

Check out Reid's latest favorite game. This video also showcases how he likes to laugh at himself (what a ham!) and that he doesn't sit still for longer than 3.2 seconds. Enjoy!

Bowl-a-rama.

Tonight the family enjoyed a night out to our local bowling alley Pinz. With the bumpers raised on the gutters, we were ready to bowl! Luke bowled an amazing 103 using the skills in the video below (who knew bowling required kneepads!), and Reid was infatuated with the nearby driving video games.

13.1 Reasons to Visit California.

This weekend Jami joined 5 friends from Phoenix to run the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon. The 13.1 mile race route took us through vineyards, lavender farms, fruit orchards, horse ranches, and along many rolling hills and the dreaded Corkscrew Hill (whew ... that was a tough climb!) The course finished in the Danish village of Solvang where we celebrated with some winetasting at the post-race Wine & Music Festival. Not only did the finishers earn a medal but a wine glass, too! After resting up, we then took a trip north to Santa Maria to visit some wineries -- Cottonwood Canyon and Cambria. In all, it was a fantastic weekend with a mix of work(out) and play!

It's 6 a.m. and we're ready to race in our Girls Running Wild shirts ... Jami, Meghan, Mitzi, Singne, Stacia & Terese.

Checking out the gorgeous views helped pass the time while running.

All smiles about being done with 13.1! Meghan, Singne and Jami finished with a time of 2:11.

To celebrate, we did some winetasting near Santa Maria.

Mother's Day Tea.

Today Mimi Dixie and Jami were treated to a lovely Mother's Day Tea at Luke's school. Luke's class provided refreshments and entertainment with some spring / mother-inspired songs. The guests also received elegant paper flower wrist corsages and fancy flower pins. We felt like quite the guests of honor!

Slim Goodbody.

Some of you are likely experiencing a blast-from-the-past moment! Slim Goodbody was around when we were kids ... and he's STILL around ... and yes, he's still wearing a spandex suit covered in bones, muscles, organs, etc. Jami, Luke & Reid headed to the City Auditorium this morning to see Slim's show that tours nationally called Bodyology. He still preaches some wise lessons about taking good care of your body and the importance of healthy eating and exercise. It was a fun educational morning for all!

Mom's the word.

We celebrated Mother's Day a weekend early since Jami will be out of town next weekend. The boys surprised Jami with their traditional Mother's Day brunch. One exciting part of moving means starting new traditions, so we swapped our old AZ favorite of Wild Horse Pass Resort for a Colorado restaurant called the Sunbird perched atop a cliff overlooking the city. The Sunday brunch is well known in the Springs, and it certainly lived up to its reputation. Crab legs and bananas foster were highlights of the meal. The boys preferred the waffles and hot chocolate!

Cheers for hot chocolate!

Hats off to the graduates!

The Junior League Spring Provisionals celebrated graduation with a Kentucky Derby themed event ... hats and all! What a grand finale to our first few months in the League!

Jami, Julia, Cathy & Sharon are oh-so-happy in their hats!

Off to the races!

Meeting Marilyn.

Marilyn Monroe paid a visit to Colorado Springs on Friday ... well, via her art exhibit. The Fine Arts Center hosted an opening event for the exhibit "Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe," featuring a mix of art and photographs. Jami and some Junior League pals attended the event.

Pillow pit.

When it's movie time, the boys enjoy kicking back in a "pillow pit." Optimal comfort for the at-home cinema.

Kiddo comments.

Below are a few videos of the boys giving political speeches in support of the presidential candidates. Okay, just kidding. The first one is Luke saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Please remember to be thankful for the "ation" in which we live and that together we stand "indibisible." The 2nd video is Reid reciting a few words. His vocabulary has recently exploded, and he can also clearly say "no" although THAT word is not encouraged nor is it cute when repeated frequently at loud volumes.

April showers bring May blizzards.

That's right. Most of today it snowed ... and snowed ... and snowed some more. May certainly is off to an interesting start!

The truck and the trike in the backyard are sidelined due to snow. Wonder if they make a toy snowplow?!

Spring snowball fight!