SIX!

We love October for many reasons ... the weather, the leaves, all-things-pumpkin ... and BIRTHDAYS! Reid was first up to celebrate with his birthday today. We have a "system" where we celebrate the boys' odd number birthdays with parties and even number birthdays with adventures. Since Reid turned 6, he selected a day out in Denver at the Arapahoe Sports Center. Bumper cars, laser tag, ice skating, inflatable bounce houses, kiddie rides ... you name it! He invited his friend Cole to join us, and the boys had a blast! At the end of the day, Reid exclaimed, "This was the BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!"

 Extreme Bumper Cars! 

 Crazy Bungee Cord Race Game

The object was to run out as far as you could

to stick the velcro block on the center row.

Then the bungee would zip you back.

 The Guys

 

May the force be with you ... at Chipotle.

Reeeeeeeach!

 We had to wait a bit until the ice rink opened,

so Reid opted for full winter gear

(and every shade of green)

while bumper car driving.

 Learning to Ice Skate

 Slowly but surely, 

he's getting the hang of it!

 Dad's turn to skate!

Cole hits the ice!

 Hitching a ride with Dad is much
easier than actually skating!

 Someone is sooooo excited about turning SIX!

3 Little Punkins

Every year we get a pumpkin for each boy. 

And every year we take some fun fall photos.

 Kick Back & Relax

(Grant's not so sure why I propped his feet up like that...)

CrAzY for Pumpkins!

Our October Birthday Boy Reid

TX Leahy Visit

Tonight we had the wonderful opportunity to catch up with family in town ... Scott's Uncle Rob & Aunt Cheryl. They joined us for dinner, entertainment courtesy of the boys, and lots of laughs. What a treat to spend the evening with them!

Say Cheese!

The Leahy brothers brought home their school photos last week. How handsome are these fellas! And looking quite grown up, too!

Reid - Kindergarten

Luke - 3rd Grade

Sorry for the poor photo quality.

This is a cell phone photo of their actual photos.

Grant Glimpses

At 20 months, Grant's personality is just a hoot! He has such a funny little sense of humor, and his vocabulary expands almost daily. He runs more than he walks, climbs more than he sits, and is always one step behind Luke and Reid. Enjoy these little Grant glimpses.

We went to eat at a Mexican Restaurant.

Grant was enjoying chowing down on Scott's rice...

that is until he got this bite with some green chile!

 Grant is OBSESSED with trains.

He likes to climb up on top of his train table

and sit in the middle of the track

while the trains circle around him.

Sitting ON the train table.

Grant loves to wear other people's shoes.

The bigger and louder the shoe ... the better!

On this occasion he was sporting one of Mom's boots!

Meet our Cowboy Pirate!

 A friend gave us this airplane swing,

and Grant loves it! Wheee!

Even monkey gets a ride!

7:58

One of our favorite activities this fall has been Luke's Landsharks Cross Country Meets. He loved running, and we loved watching him race! He had 3 meets total and really learned how to pace himself over the 1-mile run. In Meet #2, he ran an 8:28 mile. Meet #3 brought a time that simply wowed us ... a sub-8 mile with a time of 7:58! He ran such a strong race. Go, Luke!

Meet #2 in the midst of the pack at the start

 Striding it out!

 Racing to the finish

 Fan Club at Meet #3

 And they're off!

 Sprint to the finish!

Showing off his season medal!

Way to go, Landshark Luke!

Fallorado

There's nothing more vivid than the colors of the trees changing in Colorado! The hues of green to gold to orange to red pop up across the mountainside in such random patterns and places. Each fall, we try to take a mountain trek to see the leaves, and this year's daytrip took us to the towns of Victor & Cripple Creek, known for their long mining history & many casinos! 

 A long line of leaf peepers on this drive!

 Because of the drought and hot weather we had,

the leaves are changing at many different stages.

Some are still green, some are gold.

The Leahy Five

Leaf Experts

Rocket Man

One day ... Cub Scouts.  

Some day ... future aerospace engineers!

 Ready for Lift Off

 Why launch 1 rocket when you can launch 11?

The rockets are lined up and ready to launch.

Luke's rocket is Lucky #7.

 At the controls and ready to push the button.

Wonder if it will reach the moon?

On the Run

These last few weeks, we have been on the RUN ... literally! Grant has picked up his pace and is running everywhere these days. On our crisp fall mornings, I've been running and pushing Grant in the jogger while the big brothers ride their bikes to school. About 6 1/2 weeks after Scott's second surgery, he went out for his first run this past weekend and felt great afterward ... what a tremendous milestone! And then there's Luke & Reid. Those two are always on the run, and following are pics of their latest adventures...

The boys' school sponsors a jog-a-thon called Trailbusters. What better way to raise money for the school,  promote physical fitness, and just encompass the overall Colorado lifestyle! 

Trailbustin' Luke. They keep track of the

number of laps by adding rubber bands

to their wrist with each lap. Luke finished

19 laps (just over 3 miles!)

Trailbustin' Reid with some 5th grade girls.

He ran 11 laps (just shy of 2 miles!)

Our school offers a cross-country running program for elementary students called LandSharks. They usually offer fall and spring sessions, but this is our family's first year to try out the program. Luke's first meet was tonight, and we were so excited to cheer him on. Less than 2 hours before the start of the race, it was pouring and hailing, but like all good Colorado weather, the storm passed and the sun came out for a perfect evening race. The LandSharks race on a trail around Palmer Lake, and the races are staggered: 1/2 mile for kindergarteners and 1st graders and then the older 2nd-6th grade students choose to race in either a 1 mile or 1.5 mile race. Luke opted for the 1 mile race. About 350 students from 8 neighboring schools participated in the meet.

SuperFans

Watching the racers assemble at the starting line.

Dad & Grant

... And they're off! Luke near the start of his race.

The course runs next to the railroad track, and

the trains roll through about every 30 minutes.

Luke is the blue shirt by these tanker cars.

Striding it out on the home stretch.

Determination! I think I can ... I think I can ...

He finished 1 mile in 8:44! 

He was the first runner for our 

Antelope Trails team to finish in 

his age division. Way to go, Luke!

Mini Family Reunion

One of Scott's cousins Krys, her husband Joel, and daughter Noli are in Colorado on a camping adventure, so we met them for lunch at one of our favorite spots in Manitou Springs. It was great to catch up with them! It was so much fun to watch all the kiddos together. It gave us a glimpse of what family gatherings must have been like back when Scott and Krys were growing up!

Leahy Family on the Left :: Marsh Family on the Right

Outside the Penny Arcades in Manitou

Anyone for a carousel ride?

Beep. Beep. 

Ice Cream Truck coming through!

Bicycle Built for 4