Buena Vista

(Before we left town: Jenna "roping" her canoe to her car just like Papa and Daddy did.)

Sunday afternoon, June 3rd, we loaded up and headed out to Buena Vista, CO for a week with Papa, Mima, Heather, and Madilyn. Geremy and the boys spent an extra week in TX. Once we got to our "mountain house" Jenna and Kellen had a blast exploring the place.

So cute with his hat turned up!

Sunday evening, we went on what became a nightly walk around the neighborhood. Then, after the kids had gone to bed, the moths came out. Mima and Kevin had fun seeing who could get the most. At the end of the week, Mima had counted 90 and Kevin didn't keep count but I'm sure he got at least that or more. So, we figure there had to have been at least 200 moth deaths in our mountain house.

Monday morning, we explored some playgrounds and got a fishing license for me. In the afternoon, Papa and Kevin went fishing and I enjoyed some reading time while Jenna had quiet time and Kellen had a nap.

Tuesday morning, Papa, Kevin, Jenna and I went fishing at Chalk Lake, while Mima took care of Kellen. Jenna caught 2 of our 11 fish! The first catch, she shared with Papa. And the next one is a great story. I had just caught a fish, but it was too big, slippery, and wiggly for me to get my hand around and get it off the hook. So, Papa came over to help me. While he's holding the fish and I'm using pliers to get the hook out, Jenna said, "Papa, I think I caught a fish!" We didn't take her seriously at first and spent a moment continuing with my fish. It was only after I got the hook out that I went over to check on Jenna and sure enough, she had a fish! So, we reeled it in together. That was one excited girl (and Mama)!

One of these fish is hers.

Papa had another good fish story. He caught one and had it on the shore, but it flipped off the hook and got back in the water. We watched it swim out a little and then go belly up. We tried to find a long enough stick to drag it back to shore, but before we could, it revived and swam away. Quite a while later, Papa and I saw a fish kind of floundering in the water near the shore and figured it must have been "the one that got away." So, he just reached into the water with his hand, grabbed it, and put it in his creel. Now, it's no longer the one that got away. Tuesday night, we had fresh trout for dinner.

Heather and Madilyn had arrived Tuesday mid-morning. So, Wednesday morning, Papa and I took the kids to the playground, while Kevin took Mima and Heather fishing. Papa treated the kids to ice cream before lunch - that was fun! Wednesday afternoon, Kevin and Heather took Jenna and Madilyn to the Mt Princeton hot springs and slide. When Kellen got up from his nap, we went to watch them for a little while.

Madilyn sliding, surf-style

 

(See video 3565 in Buena Vista June '12 pictures folder.) Looks like so much fun!

Kellen doesn't usually get to have his paci outside of sleeping times, but this day, he was super upset about teething or something. He found this trunk at the hot springs to be just right for a seat.

Thursday morning, Papa, Kevin, and Heather hiked Mt. Princeton. Jenna, Madilyn, and Kellen enjoyed a morning show while Mima and I got ready to take them to the local library and walking path by the Arkansas river. Aren't they cute?

They started the hike at 6:37 am and called us from the top - 14, 197 ft - at 10:00 am.

On top of the world!

Thursday evening, we had dinner in town and then went for a walk along the Arkansas river.

 

There was a lot of rock throwing into the water. Check out her wind up! (See video 3572)

 

Kellen got in on the action, too. (See video 3574.) I think he would've jumped in if we would let him.

This is a sculpture by the path entrance. Really neat!

Yummy ice cream after our walk.

Friday, Kevin, Heather, and I went on a rafting trip on the Arkansas River. It was so much fun! Along the way, we stopped off at Jump Rock. We climbed up and jumped off. Twelve feet or so down to the cold Arkansas River. Yes we did!

Saturday, our last day, we headed out toward Twin Lakes in search of a place to kayak and canoe. But, it was too windy. So, instead we found a place to picnic and hike a little. Kellen tried to pick up every stick he came across!

An interesting thing we came across on our little hike.

A good time had by all and a great way to kick off summer. This last week, Jenna loved VBS with her cousins and next week starts two weeks of swimming lessons. Here we go!

The Parties

Party #1, Saturday, May 19th, after a fun day with Papa, Madilyn, Daddy, Mommy, and Kellen at the mall. Train ride, face painting, and Chick-fil-a lunch - what a great way to start the celebrating! For dinner, we had the birthday girl request: cheese pizza. She wanted peach ice cream and picked a lemon cake mix. (Pizza and peach ice cream was her request last year, too.)

I did the baking, color mixing, and decorating, with a little help from Mima and her frosting dyes. 2+ hours just in the decorating and stained fingers/hand for one precious 5 year old that I love. I had a really great red/black/purple/blue area on my palm and convinced Kevin for a second that it was a bruise. (Can you see the web that I added?)

Pretty girl

Making a wish

Her first digital camera

Sun catchers and paint

The much requested jump rope that has been used for 5 minutes. Glad I only spent $1.

Basket for her bike, so she can carry Scruffy along.

Leapfrog Tag book and dry erase board.

Spiderman knee/elbow/wrist pads and tattoos. It was a fun party with Papa, Mima, Uncle Geremy, Aunt Heather, Garrison, Grant, Madilyn, Daddy, Mommy, and Kellen in attendance.

Party #2, Wednesday, May 30th - her actual birthday and she was born on a Wednesday. Grandpa, Grandma, and Aunt Katie came from Kansas. Papa, Mima, Jenna's friend Bella and Bella's Mommy and baby sister came, too.

More sun catchers and paint because Jenna generously shared hers with her cousins at her first party. When she first opened this box, she said, "I've been wanting a box!"

Enchanted movie. There were also new books, new clothes, a stamping set. Plus, Uncle Matt and Aunt Leslie sent a create-your-own magnetic doll and clothes.

The much desired and long awaited "clip pet!" It's a tiny unicorn pillow pet that has a clip so you can attach it to your back pack. And, a green slap watch. What a blessed (or spoiled?) and happy girl!

Yes, I made another cake. She picked strawberry this time. I didn't have to do as much color mixing because I saved much of the left over icing from the last cake. But, it still took me 2+ hours to decorate. The whole time I had "So this is love, hmmm" from Cinderella stuck in my head. Dinner was cheese pizza and we had peach ice cream with the cake, again. Another fun party!

This is what "5" looks like. Love this girl!

Kellen 1.5

A favorite toy: shaver/phone.

Kellen is 18 months old today. He weighs 23.4 lbs and is roughly 30 inches long. Such a busy boy! He has been sleeping through the night for almost 2 months now. He takes a nap everyday from about 12:45 to 4:00pm. He must sleep with one pacifier in his mouth and one in each hand. He has 12 teeth. The latest to arrive have been: the upper right molar, March 20; the upper left molar, April 13; the lower left molar, April 30; and the lower right lateral incisor, May 1. It appears he may be left handed like his Daddy.

He has just started saying some words. He says: Dada, Mama, Ba (ball - April 24, bath, banana - depending on the vowel sound and the context), Ha (Hi), and Da (what he says when you ask him to try to say what he wants). He also makes several animal noises: elephant, cow, dog, and monkey. He's pretty good at shooting noises, too. And, he nods yes and no.

He does this cute little dance that we named the "Happy Dance." He knows that's what we call it and when we say, "Do your happy dance." This is what he does: (See video 3467.)

When he's finished eating, he must have everything removed from his tray. And, if you're not there to take it from him, it goes on the floor. He is such a messy eater. I often think it would save time to feed him in the bath tub as he often needs a bath after he eats.

He is a sweet boy and we love when we get a sweet hug. He can be stingy with his hugs and kisses, so we take what we can get!

He loves to play babies with Jenna. Probably his favorite thing to do is push them in the stroller. I caught him trying to swaddle one the other day: (See video 3497.)

He's a tough guy, too! Check out the way he rides a horse (he climbs up all by himself, now): (See video 3505.)

Sure do love this boy!