COLORado

Gold is a color often associated with wealth and riches. But the gold color of the changing Aspen leaves is a hue rich and vibrant beyond measure. In the fall, there are 2-3 weekends to catch the leaves changing color. Leaf peepers flock to the mountains to see these bold colors of gold and orange Aspens and green pines set against a backdrop of blue skies. Jami and three friends enjoyed a Girls' Trip to Mt. Princeton this weekend, and the fall scenery was absolutely gorgeous.

 Cascade Falls. C-c-c-cold mountain stream.

 We encountered a short rainstorm, followed by a beautiful rainbow. 

This view is one of those that will forever be etched in my memory.

THIS is Colorado ... at its finest.

 Tami, Jami, Jen & Amber

 We found this quaint little ghost town called St. Elmo.

The population has fewer people and more chipmunks,

but the charm factor is off the chart!

 Golden Aspens. Blue Skies.

 Historic charm meets autumn hues.

 Golden Aspens light up the mountainside...

and lake below.

Our Sunday morning hike took us up a mountain road

with a very old mining structure.

Kayaks in Salida, where we spent an afternoon shopping.

Like 2 Hike

We love, love, love every season in Colorado, but our favorite one just might be autumn. It can be a short spurt between the end of summer and the first snowfall, but all the more reason to savor that crisp weather and those golden Aspen leaves. What better way to soak up the season than with a fall hike! Today we ventured to Glen Eyrie with some friends to hit the trail to Queen's Falls. This 3 mile hike round trip traverses back and forth over a mountain stream. Some technical maneuvering over boulders and strategically placed logs helps you to 'forge' the river. The last time Reid went on this hike, he was riding in the hiking backpack; today he hiked the entire route with his friends and little brother Grant was in the backpack. Our kids enjoy outdoor adventures as much as we do ... love it!

 The kiddos at Queen's Falls.

These 4 and 5-year-olds are

the best hikers EVER!

No complaining at all!

Way to go!

Is that Spiderman ... or Reid?

 

When you hike during naptime,

this is the result ... one sleepy baby

in the backpack. Grant is

a great hiking buddy. Not a peep

or cry ... unless you count

cute baby babble!

He did try to grab a few

leaves along the way!

Even when Mom took off the backpack...

still sleeping. Must be all that hard work hiking!

Shhhh....

Baby sleeping. 

Two favorites for naptime:

1. Thumb

2. Fluffy lion guy.

Zzzzzz.....

Visiting Hours

This weekend blessed us with some special family visitors on Friday & Saturday. Oh, what a treat for our crew! On Friday, we caught up with Scott's Aunt Janet, who was vacationing in Colorado Springs. We had a great time hearing all about the many excursions checked off her list in and around the Colorado Springs area.

On Saturday night, we took a trip up to Denver to have dinner with Scott's older brother Paul, who was in town for a conference. The boys love funny Uncle Paul, and it was great to spend the evening chatting it up with him!

Dinner at Steuben's was delish. 

Classic comfort food with a modern twist!

Anyone else want to come visit? We are always up for visitors ... and we have guaranteed entertainment with the 3 boys!

8 is GREAT!

Goodbye, 7 months. Hello to 8! Grant has been growing and learning and exploring by leaps and bounds. He loves peek-a-boo (especially when the big brothers are involved). He pulls up on anything and everything and has even tried to add "stair climbing" to his repertoire of tricks (until Mom and Dad intervene). His mode of transportation has progressed into a more traditional crawl, and he is getting speedy! He gobbles up his food at mealtime -- a favorite combo is spinach, mango, and pears -- and has shown no signs of a picky palate. He's now moving into more finger foods and enjoys the challenge of feeding himself goodies like biter biscuits and cheerios. He is now sporting more hair and a 2nd tooth, too ... oh, and his ever present beaming smile!

 This little bar on the bathroom sink

is perfect for pulling up!

Hmmm ... let me take a closer look at these books...

Hoodlums

The Wheels on the Bike Go Round & Round...

... and without training wheels, too!

Tonight we were riding bikes and scooters out in the driveway, enjoying the crisp autumn air and colorful sunset. We made the suggestion to Reid about taking off his training wheels. His response, "Well, sure! I'm almost 5!" (Perhaps he thinks it's less about skill level and more about age!) With a quick turn of the wrench, the training wheels were removed. The pint-sized cyclist -- armed with nothing but a helmet, great determination, and a big smile -- was off and pedaling in no time! Way to go, Reid-o! We are so proud of you!

Chalk It Up

Chalkboard paint is a wonderful thing. After painting a section of the wall in the older boys' room, it's now become an artistic outlet for our young imaginative minds. Some days they sketch elaborate renderings of the stories they dream up; other days it's math problems (see above). Regardless, it's always a treat to see what's on the chalk-wall on any given day. Oh, and the 'eraser' is an old sock. Hilarious yet resourceful.

And on the subject of math problems, we were thrilled to learn this week that Luke was selected for a math enrichment class offered by the Talented and Gifted program at school. Way to go, Luke! We are so PROUD of you!

TrailBuster

Move over, Lewis & Clark. There's a new trailblazer ... well, make that TrailBuster. Luke's school sponsored its main fundraiser today called TrailBuster, where the students run/walk around the school field and raise money for the school by gathering pledges and donations. Luke completed 14 laps today, equivalent to 2 1/3 miles, and he raised $163!  Way to go, Luke! The money that the PTO raises this year will go toward the purchase of iPads for each of the teachers to use for classroom instruction. 

 Go Luke!

 Rehydrating ... then running again.

At the finish line...

a popsicle and his certificate!

Mr. Personality

Grant's little personality is shining through more and more these days. We'll let the pictures speak for themselves ... the many faces of Grant!

 Scrunchy Nose Face

It's a form of the "super smile."

 Sweet, cuddly boy.

 Hey, let me outta here!

Zzzzzz...

 Squeaky clean!

 Funny Little Mohawk Man

Hello, Blue Eyes!

Babies in fleece are the BEST!

Dear Mr. President...

This summer Luke decided he would write a letter to the President and ask him to be his penpal. It was a nice letter full of 7-year-old spunk and curiosity with questions like, "What is your favorite food?" While we didn't really think Luke would get a return response, it was still a thoughtful effort, and Luke was very excited about it.

Fast forward 2 months. When we arrived home from our Labor Day weekend travels, a very special parcel peeked out from under our front door mat. Return address: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. No way! A letter from the President!

As we opened up the large envelope, it was full of info including:

• Letter from the President (form letter ... but still cool)
• Photos of Pres. Obama, his family, and his dog
• FAQs about the President
• Info about the rooms of the White House

The packet made a trip to school so Luke could show his classmates, and now it's going to find a special place in our archives. Thank you, Mr. President, (or at least to your presidential staffers) who took the time to respond to Luke's letter.

 Luke & his very important mail!

Important Presidential Documents

Letter from the President

Meet Bo, the First Dog.

Off to the Mountains for Labor Day

Labor Day is a magical time in Colorado. Just like that, we go from summer heat to autumn cool. We've found the perfect place to celebrate this change of seasons ... a quaint little mountain town called Georgetown. For our 2nd year in a row, we loaded up the crew for a weekend getaway to this hidden gem of a town, nestled in a valley with a creek running through it. Picture perfect. Oh, and we should mention the town population barely breaks 1,000. Charming and quiet. Relaxing and peaceful. And ice cream every afternoon.

Bird's eye view of Georgetown.

Our humble abode for this little trip was a vacation rental property (check out VRBO.com if you are ever looking for a fun way to book lodging). The house was about 3 blocks from downtown and 2 blocks from the park. You could literally walk or bike pretty much anywhere in the town. And so we did.

Walking home from the park

 Early morning quest for breakfast.

It was about 40 degrees. Brrrr....

 Luke on the bridge over the creek.

Downtown is in the distance.

Our mountain trek wouldn't be complete without an adventure for the boys so we took a little drive over to Breckenridge one morning so that the older boys could try out the alpine slide. Woohoo! 

 Being 7 means riding solo. Lucky for Luke.

Faster, Dad, FASTER!

Mountain Mama & her Colorado kids!

 Dad & G

Luke & Reid found their way through the maze.

It was tricky, but they stuck together!

Accessing the alpine slide required a gondola ride. Some little guys were mighty excited about this!

No white snow this time of year but plenty of green!

Gorgeous views courtesy of the gondola.

 Silliness abounds on the gondola.

See what we mean?!

The other highlight of our Georgetown trip was spending time at the park. We made 2-3 trips to the park per day x 1-2 hours per visit = oodles of time spent at the park each day.

 All smiles for the park!

 The show is about to begin!

Take your seat!

 Wheeeeee!

On our final night in Georgetown, we drove up Guanella Pass to Clear Lake. Absolutely beautiful mountain lake!

One final story to share. Our neighbor across the creek was a potter. She had a pottery wheel outside on her deck by the stream, which also doubled as her studio. One afternoon she had a sign out about selling pottery so we stopped to see her collection and teach the boys how pottery is made. She was very nice and helped Luke make a rabbit out of clay with a little 30 minute impromptu pottery lesson. As we were talking, we learned that she was a retired sorority housemom ... and even a former Theta housemom! What a fun connection in this small town!

Thanks, Georgetown, for another fabulous Labor Day getaway. Hope to see you again next year!