Weekend Away....

(Oh HI!)

There is always a first for something.  This weekend was our first get-a-way together since we had the boys and were we ever looking forward to it.

It was so fun to be spontaneous and not have a schedule even though we filled each day to the brim!

It was awesome to pull out our best sides and hang out with no distractions.  I think our marriage drank it up and thanked us a million times for doing it.

And boy do I ever love this guy!

(The view outside our hotel window)

When we pulled into the outlets at Silverthorne, we had a picnic lunch that we gobbled up before going to do some shopping.

You may think that shopping is not fun for a guy but when you score a size 14 pair of Nike's for $38 bucks, some killer underarmour shirts, and ammo that ever store back home is out of,  it becomes pretty dang awesome!

After, we checked into the hotel that my cousin found for us and got ready for dinner.  We were in the mood for Mexican food and drove up the road to Frisco to eat at Carlos Miguel's. Dang yummy!

We got some snacks and decided they would go really good with a 3D movie.  R.I.P.D. it was!

The next morning after waffles in the hotel lobby we drove into Breckenridge to see about a Segway tour.  They had openings at 3:00 which gave us enough time to play a round of putt putt golf (Justin creamed me), went on a scenic drive up Swan road, hiked to the most incredible view of Lake Dillon complete with chipmunks that eat out of your hands.

We took the Kayak for a spin in the lake and realized it was a bit windy and when we crashed down on the waves... we got soaked and roared with laughter.

That worked up an appetite for sandwiches from Blue Moon and a quick nap at the hotel recharged us.

We rode the gondola back up the mountain just in time for our off roading experience to start, but not without a hitch.

I had my trusty flip flops on and the second they glanced at my feet I knew I was going to have to get different shoes.  One problem, I left them at home.

We marched to the mountain bike rentals and they pulled out a brand new pair of huge black tennis shoes.  I tried them on.  Ugly, but too bad.  I had no time to focus on this fashion disaster.  We got the laughs out of the way and got into ready mode.

Our instructional period was 30 minutes to long but before we knew it we were riding the Segways up the mountain.  We did a few willies and skids and felt like those little machines were an extension of our bodies.

I'm pretty sure we laughed most of the time because my stomach muscles were tense and sore.  Justin kept shaking his head and from the back of him I could see his cheeks with permagrin.  Too fun!

Surprise!  We were starving!  Had some amazing chicken pizza at Old Chicago and then lounged around in a massive hot tub.

We played a few rounds of Skip bo,called the boys, caught up on some gossip and Merlin, and planned our next get-a-way.

We were so excited to give everybody their surprises back home that it seemed to take twice as long but the drive was so beautiful. I could not stop taking pictures.

Such an amazing ending to a 5 star weekend.

Red Raspberry

There is a raspberry patch in the backyard.  The branches are so full of little juicy raspberries that the branches droop over in all directions.

It's always been the little things in life that make me happy and I can add that I love it when the boys wake up in the morning look at each other and say, "Raspberries!"

Those mini hobbits are out the door and eating a pre-breakfast snack daily.

Get Er Done....

When school was out for the summer I knew I needed some help getting our chores organized so the job chart was born.

I slowly figured out that the boys had a few favorite jobs and some they didn't like so much.

I started catching on when I would walk past their room and they would be very quiet with sudden bursts of laughter.

I thought they were doing their 15 minutes of quiet reading but something was fishy...

I went in to ask what they were doing and with card games filling their hands they both replied, "We're FAKE reading!"

Now, we have 15 minutes of reading and 15 minutes of FAKE reading.

Silly boys!

Sand Box Refill

 Papa took the boys to Home Depot and came back with bags of sand to refresh the sand box.

It took them awhile to unload the sand and spread it out.

The rest of the afternoon was a blast playing in the soft sand and squishing it in their toes.

Airplane Park

 One of our very most favorite parks in the entire world is, Airplane Park aka: Belleview Park.

It is perfect for some good ole fashioned fun. Playing in the stream, a game of toss, catching dragon flies, train rides, picnic lunches, and chit chatting the afternoon away with friends and cousins.

Nathan told me they had caught 14 dragon flies.  Then he opened his hand and I almost threw up.  Neat!

Dirty Work

 The boys have a summer job chart they need to complete everyday before we get to our summer bucket list.

One of the jobs is: Yard Work.

They get to ask Mammy and Papa what needs to be done in the yard and finish the task.

This particular day they were in for a treat. Papa needed help spreading manure in the garden.

I asked them if they were happy to do it or if it would be gross.  They replied in unison... HAPPY!  So with that attitude they went to town and fertilized the garden.  And then took an extra long shower.

Now, if only I could get that attitude when asking them to get ready for bed.

Another GREAT Year!

 I love that our family has a birthday in each season!  By the time Justin's rolls around we are so ready to celebrate him!

He woke up and opened presents.  He changed into his new Captain America shirt form the boys and they thought he was so awesome!

I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday and he said he wanted a fruit pizza!  I just laughed and we made his wish come true.

The boys and I were talking about Justin and I think its pretty neat that they are able to nail his personality at their ages.

Dad is: Funny, silly, fun, HAPPY, and plays with us.  I would add that he is: amazing, dedicated, loyal, sweet, compassionate, tenderhearted, thoughtful, understanding, and handsome!

Happy Birthday!  This year is going to be AWESOME!!

Out to Breakfast

 We have been reading scripture stories together as a family since the boys were tiny.  We have several "My First" books and children versions of the standard works.  In between books we would
 read out of the "real" scriptures.

The beginning of the year, our family had a goal and since Nathan was going to be baptized, we decided to read the entire Book of Mormon together as a family and supplement with our other books.

We told them we had some fun activities planned as we would hit certain spots in the book.

When we got to the book of Alma, we went out to one of our favorite breakfast spots, Cracker Barrel!

 We rocked in the chairs, played checkers, and browsed in the little country store while we waited for an hour.

The food was delicious and brought back memories of when Justin and I would eat there with Doug and Sara when we all lived in Nashville.

Pinehurst

 We look forward to the Pinehurst fire works every year.  We set our blankets and chairs up on the soft grass and then go play catch until it gets too dark.

This year Justin's parents came and brought 3 missionaries.  They had races with the boys and made Nathan's day by "letting" him win.  Great guys!

The show was beautiful and lasted a good 30 minutes.  It was fun to try and take firework pictures for the first time thanks to my "lessons" the previous night.

July Fourth

 The boys woke up late the morning of the fourth of July breakfast.  We were all up late the night before watching the fireworks at Clement Park.

We took blankets, footballs, flashlights, and a yummy picnic; chicken salad sandwiches, homemade guacamole and chips, peaches, chocolate sheet cake, and Twizzlers.

We found the perfect spot and then it started to rain.

We grabbed all our stuff and ran like Olympian track stars back to our vehicle and set up there while we waited for the storm to pass.

Just as we were about to "try again" we saw some of our good friends, the Eagers.  We ended up joining their party. SO glad we did! Tamera showed me the how too's of taking a good firework picture and we talked the night away while all the kids ran and played and peered into prairie dog holes.

The kids and dads set up camp on top of their Cruiser and the ladies ate all the treats down below.  Just kidding. wink wink

The next morning we made our way to our ward breakfast...

Why are outside pancakes so good and why can you eat twice as many?  We will never know...

The scouts did a nice job with the flag ceremony,  a bike parade circled the park, volleyball and football games were going on in the field, and my favorite part: Danny Pruiett aka Giant Abe Lincoln made an appearance.

Next were off to swim lessons with the boys and Justin had to finish up painting a house with Todd.

Time for a nap.  There is nothing like a 4th of July nap that gets you ready for another late night.

We went to Pinehurst Country Club that night after dinner and the next night we had our own wiz bang Hillan  Palooza.

 Papa had surprised the boys and took them to pick out some fireworks.  They came back excited to say the least and I was excited to give "bikini girl" a wetsuit with a magic marker.

Our little firework show ended up being a highlight of the weekend.  It was so LOUD and we were laughing so hard!  I felt bad for our neighbors.

I caught the finale on video and you would have thought we were on the white house lawn with the most amazing show in the nation with our little firecrackers.

Such a fun night!