August 22, 2011
First Grader
This week was the first week back to school. In any other year in the past, this was a happy day for me. By the end of summer you really need a brake from having kids around nonstop. But, that wasn't the case this year. I had a great summer with the kids and I enjoyed having them around. Its sad for me to have to send them away for most of the day again. Especially now that this leaves poor Miss Kayla home with no buddies too. Dad was in Leadville with our camera for the first day of school so I only got some bad iPhone pics. But here is Reagan on her first day of First Grade. Can you believe it!
The next week Dad and camera were home so we posed for our annual school shots in the front yard. One point of excitement was that Kayla would be included in the photos this year. Her sisters were so proud of her!
This is a monumental year for Reagan as a first grader. Not only is she now in school a full day. But, she also now gets to have other fun classes too. Music, Art, PE, and Library. I think these definitely help break up the day. Reagan knew her teacher from when Sydney was in first grade. She always thought she was super nice so she was really excited to have Mrs. Young as her very own teacher. She is great! She is having difficulty with the long day. Very tired and grouchy when she gets home. But, we've been through this before. I know it won't last.
August 11, 2011
A Visit with Grandma
Grandma Hakes flew in this week for a long overdue visit with her girls. We had the pleasure of having her stall an entire week with us which the girls were super excited about. Grandma was super excited to see Leadville and our cabin so we made our way up to Leadville first. And Grandma was in luck because she made it just in time for our summer festival, Boom Days, which celebrates the mining history of the town. There were lots of street vendors selling all sorts of goodies. It was like a kid in a candy jar for Grandma and her grand girls. Apparently, the shopping gene has skipped a generation with Mommy. Kayla was excited to see the mini petting zoo set up. This would be her first real encounter with fair animals. She was definitely cautious but enjoyed them all the same.
One animal I thought to be out place was this huge bull with its maybe 4 foot long horns. I kept an eye on this guy and didn't get too close. Later in the day a little girl, excited to pet the cow, ran straight towards the bull. He grabbed her by the jacket with his horns and slammed her down on her head, hard. Could have seen that one coming. Scary.
There was also a barrel train for the kiddos. They took the kids up and down Main Street on a nice loop. You should be able to see the girls in the middle of the train, here.
We also took Grandma around to some of our favorite Leadville areas, including Turquoise Lake. The lake is always a great photo op so Grandma and the girls posed for several shots along the way.
The water was finally high enough to allow for some adventuring around to the various little islands. So Grandma took a seat on the shore and watched the girls do their thing. This time Kayla demanded to be part of the action. And since she didn't want her feet wet this meant Mom and Dad took turns taking her back and forth.
On the way home we stopped for one more photo by the river. There was a lot of water flow today so it was really pretty.
As always we spent a lot of time just playing around the yard. Our new swing makes hosting guests much easier.
Grandma had nothing but great things to say about our new getaway and our beloved town of Leadville. We had a great time showing off our little piece of heaven to someone who fully appreciated it.
After a few days we headed back to Longmont. Grandma had dreamed of taking the girls on a shopping trip to their favorite clothing store Justice. She got to see why I love taking them there so much. As you are guaranteed a fashion show. A great is it with Grandma. Just what we all needed.
August 1, 2011
Its Hot in Here
While we had an awesome time on our camping trip, a little part of me was looking forward to some air conditioning as we drove home. Its was HOT outside in Longmont. I actually even said those exact words to Sheri as we said goodbye. Then wouldn't you know we came home to find our upstairs air conditioner broken. Mom and Dad dealt with a window fan. Kayla lucked out as her room is the coolest in the house. So her ceiling fan and open windows did the trick. Sydney and Reagan however were another story. There rooms were 90 degrees and not cooling. Since we have tow air conditioners. One for up and one for downstairs. They were able to move their bedrooms to a more convenient and FUN location for a couple nights. You wouldn't imagine how fun sleeping on the couch can be.
