Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Mom & Dad's Visit

Mom & Dad arrived on Wednesday, September 23rd, and oh, what a wonderful week we had!! I was so happy to have them come stay with us - and it was Dad's first time up here, which made it even more special. Here are a few photos of our week together...

Grammy brought new homemade hats for the big boys, but Maddox couldn't help having his turn with one!

On Thursday, while the big boys were at their enrichment classes, the rest of us drove up to Boulder to meet up with some of Mom's good friends - Bob & Erma Eldridge. We had a fantastic brunch at The Original Pancake House.

On Friday, I took them to see the famous Red Rocks Ampitheatre. It's such a spectacular display of natural beauty.

After that, we went on a tour of the Coor's Brewery! I must confess that since Mom & I aren't much for beer, Dad enjoyed his fair share! (I wonder what the school officials would think of taking the kids to a brewery for a school field trip?!)

Here's CooPop with his little buddy...

Friday afternoon, I showed Mom & Dad around our property on the 4-wheelers.

Then it was a tour of the tree house - and Dad even spent some time that weekend helping to make furniture for it!

Best way down from the treehouse is on the zipline!! Just look at my graceful momma! (that dog you see in the background is not ours, by the way... it's Lucy - a neighbor's dog who seems to like hanging out with us.)

...and Dad gave it a whirl, too!!

Although Mom did great on the zip line, THIS was more her speed! She told Dad that he must make one of these for her when they get home. :)

A cold beer is never too far from hand...

Enjoying the peace of our front yard...

...until we were interrupted by the bugling of some elk!! A big herd came right through the backyard - and to hear Dad tell it, there were a HUNDRED of 'em! (he started out saying there were 10, but last I heard, his count was over 40). It was quite impressive, as there truly were at least 25 or so... including a nursing baby. Dad wanted to see elk while he was here, and elk he did see!

Friday evening, Morgan gave us a doozy of a magic show! He was a new person while he was performing, and it was a joy to watch!

On Saturday, Mom and I enjoyed a GLORIOUS day of shopping in Idaho Springs. We thoroughly enjoyed making purchases of "selfish necessities"... :) It included lots of fun material from the quilt shops, and some delectable homemade soap from "The Soap Shop" - one of my favorite stores. Before going home, we picked up a friend of mine from Allen, Holly Bellomy, who was going to spend the evening with us before returning home to Texas on Sunday. Holly is a professional home stager, so she and I spent several hours finding the perfect spots for all of my home decor... and it looks terrific!! If you're ever in need of some professional home decorating, check out her website!!

On Sunday evening, I took Mom & Dad and the big boys to a live show at the local Stagedoor Theatre. We saw Nunsense, and it was fantastic!! Dad really enjoyed it - a theatre buff he has surely become.

On Monday, I took them on a short hike at one of my favorite open space parks - 3 Sisters. The weather was delightful, and we got some good photos along the way...


Colorado is a beautiful place... but it's even more beautiful when you share it with the ones you love the most.

Tuesday was Dad's birthday, so we went out for an evening meal before going home to see pictures from Mason's recent trip to San Francisco. Then it was straight to bed, as we rose at 4:30am in order to get Mom & Dad back to the airport for their journey home.

It was a wonderful week... I can't wait for them to come again!

Love you, Mom & Dad!
Miki

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

The First Snow

Yesterday, we received the first snow of the season... and what joy that evokes in children of all ages! Here are some glimpses of our day.

Mason got right to work on a snowman... he said this was the best packing snow he'd ever seen! (of course, this kid hasn't had much snow in his lifetime).

Morgan promptly dug out the snow scooter-thing that Dad bought a month or so ago. He tried to give it a go, but there just wasn't enough snow for a good ride.

Maddox found his beloved truck all buried in snow, so he rescued it.

Just look at these big eyes...

I asked him for a smile and this is what I got:

And here is the finished snowman...

My four children:

Then Dad came out to play for a bit and pulled them each around on the sled.

And fired up the 4-wheeler to make sure the plow was in good shape!

All in all, it was a really good day. And I told the boys that they were fortunate to be able to play in the snow before all the public school kids!

Tomorrow, Grammy & CooPop arrive! Yippee!!! (but I hope the snow goes away... the last thing Mom wants to see is more snow in Colorado!)

Michele

Friday, September 18, 2009

Mom and Dad...

I just love this picture...

I am so excited, because Mom and Dad will be coming next week to stay with us for several days!! Mom has been here - she was here when we first arrived and got snowed in - but Dad has not been here yet. I can't wait to show him around!

Love you, Mom & Dad!
Miki

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

2009 Guvernator Reunion

Where've I been, you ask??? I've been hangin' with all THESE folks:

Every two years we have a big family reunion in Oklahoma. It's one of the most fun weekends of my entire year... simply stated, I've got the absolute best family that anyone could ever ask for. Take a look at these good lookin' folks...




As the old saying goes, "The family that plays together STAYS together." We continue to prove that's true over and over again...

Michele