Colorado Springs Vacation - Day 1

On Sunday, August 22, 2010, we left our house around 7am and drove into Laramie, Wyoming, at 7pm.  We spent the night and enjoyed the hotel's indoor pool.

Monday morning we drove 3 1/2 hours down to Colorado Springs, Colorado.  After having a picnic lunch we checked into Towne Place Suites by Marriot.  At 1:45 we picked up Trey and Kari at the airport - just 5 minutes away.

I love this shot!  :)

Tuesday our families split up.

Trey and Kari had a meeting to go to and some work to do.

Dan, the kids, and I headed for the old gold mining boom town of Cripple Creek.

Our first stop was the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine.

This tour guide and the yellow cage took us 1,000 feet down into the mine.

Love the hard hats!

Across the highway was our next stop...

The Pikes Peak Heritage Center.

Admission free, but the displays and information are really worth paying for!

I hightly reccomend this stop if you are in the Colorado Springs area sometime.

View of Cripple Creek from the Mollie Kathleen.

The main road, Bennett, is the vertical road on the LHS.

Mining display in the heritage center.

Aren't they the cutest miners you've ever seen?!

That reminds me....

Want to know what all important piece of history the kids learned that day?

If Dad and I were miners in the late 1800's,

we would both be about dead.

Miners usually died by the ripe old age of 35 due to coughing up chunks of their lungs, caused by breathing in rock dust.

Splendid.

Stuffed bear (pretty sure fake stuffed)

in the heritage center.

(The kids are real...)

Cruising down Bennett Ave in Cripple Creek.

We had just visited the candy store.

Krystin chose orange cream fudge

Kaylin chose to pick out a $1 worth of nickle and dime candy.

Same for Ethan

Dan and I went for the dark chocolate turtle :)

By the time we got home, Kari had a lasagna in the oven.

But there was a good hour before it would be ready to eat.

What to do?!

Swim, of course :)

Uncle Trey and Aunt Kari took the kids to try out the pool.

(Dad rested after 2 full days of driving and I took pictures)

Summer 2010 Re-Cap

Wel........  Re-Cap MINUS our Colorado Springs Trip.

That'll take a whole post all of its own!

Sorry I've been a bit remiss in posting this summer. 

We've been busy.

But here are a few highlight pics for you.

The kids enjoy playing around the house and using their creativity to play games with rules and dialogue only beknownst to them :)

Summer of Bikes!

Did I already post how Kaylin learned to ride on her second day trying???

The first time out, Dad helped her ride around the school track for about an hour.

She made it up to 186 pedals and 3 curves by herself.

That was in May.

Over a month later, she wanted to ride, so I got out her bike.

I verbally gave her a few pointers and......

She's riding in the street (cul-de-sac) in front of our house.

yay!

Ethan's new bike he got for his birthday.

The end of May/most of June was SO wet and cold and windy,

this was the first chance I got to photograph him on it!

(I didn't even get a photo of Sweetie's first trip without training wheels.  You know - the cute shots of Dad helping her.  I figured there would be a next time.  :(

Grandpa and Grandma Collingwood came out for the 4th of July

Don't worry.

Dan shared the sparklers with the kids :)

See Ethan's arms?

That and skipping are signs he is HA-PPY :)

Papa and my Uncle Bob were able to stop in for a surprise visit!

We managed to work in a game of Ticket to Ride.

And of course a few tickles!

(And "Hop on Pop")

My favorite spot has also now become Hershey's favorite spot.

Saying good-bye to Grandma  :(

Of course, there was yellow pool time

Speaking of pool.....

The kids took swim lesson this summer.

All 3 did really well.

When we were in the hotel pool on vacation, Ethan and Kaylin were swimming all over the place!

Couldn't resist posting this cute pic of Krystin :)

(whose shirt says 4.... wish she'd stay that age!)

Ethan still likes Dad to carry him up to bed sometimes ;)

I don't have the disposable camera pictures from camping loaded on the computer....

but here is what the van looked like.

We made it TWO nights in a row.

Up in the mountains on some friend's from church property. 

There were 4 of us families and it was Super-Duper fun.

Notice anything different???

Ethan's first top tooth came out when Dad was brushing his teeth just before bed on August 3rd.

About 10 days later, while eating licorice and playing Wii,

His other top-front tooth came out.

Here's a close up of his toothless mouth!  :)

I'll try and post Colorado Springs pics before winter!  :)

But for now, enjoy these.

Gotta go.

Homeschool in full swing, ya know!

Thirty-FOUR, Festival, Family, and Fur

I know I have the month of MAY yet to catch up on. But I don't have much time. Puppy is napping.

Here are a few pics from our lives this past week.

I finally have a strawbery patch!

The Girls discovered a neighbor's honeysuckle bush  :)

 We still have bed bugs from time to time

My Birthday

(Actually, this pic is from the next day.  We were gone from the house 8:30 am - 10:30 pm)

Dan and I attended a marriage video conference (Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage) at church Friday night and Saturday morning.  Went to Panda Express for lunch.  Then we headed up to Emmett to check out their annual Cherry Festival.  Not overly impressed.  Rides were over-priced and short.  Not as many cherry delicacies to taste as I would have liked.  But they did have a square dancing exhibition going on (Idaho's state dance) - so it was educational :) 

While in Emmett, we also enjoyed visiting with Dan's Uncle Les and Aunt Rosie..... from Iowa :)

They were visitng Les' 2nd cousins' family reunion in Emmett.

Uncle Les and Aunt Rosie

Kaylin wanted the swing ride.  In the above picture she is in the blue shirt looking back over her shoulder.

See how high Sweetie flew?  She really was brave :)

(At the ride's highest point, she did close her eyes - but no screaming or crying!)

She is the third seat to the left of the pole.

Chosen Snacks

Frozen Choc Banana, Fruit Icy-Slushie Thing (with ALL flavors mixed in), Mint-Choc Ice Cream.

Les gave the kids a taste of his Funnel Cake......

.... and let Krystin lick the plate :)

This picture is for Papa.

The kids entertained themselves most of the evening with their bow and arrows.

Got pretty good..... a little too good ;)

left - to - right:

Cousin Les, Cousin Lawrence (bro), Krystin, "our" Les

Cute story from above pic: (as told to us by Les C.)

When they sat down to eat, Krystin asked Uncle Les, "Are you a Christian?"  and he of course said "Yes I am", to which Krystin replied,  "We should pray then."  :)

Also, when Uncle Les gave her a cupcake, she still had bread and a veggie left on her plate.  Krystin told him she had to eat her good food first :)

(Sooo nice to hear stories of parenting going right!!!)

Father's Day

Yah,  I wife-failed Dan this year.

Lost his card, got a puppy that day, etc.......

(However, I did at least give him a nice, relaxing backrub)

Meet our New PUPPY !!!

Hershey Spot Collingwood

Born:  April 21, 2010

Current weight (at 9 weeks):  11 pounds, 8 ounces

Breed:  English Setter

"Papa - Dad & Mom finally got us a puppy.  Come see him/us soon!"

Hershey's favorite toy is this snake

He thinks he's a lap dog :)

And how am I doing, you ask???

Dog.  Tired.

Fortunately, Hershey takes several naps :)