Vail Vacay-Day 2

We watched the Ranger game Saturday night :-( and had to drown our sorrows on the dance floor to the sounds of a crazy band from Boulder! Sunday morning, Eric surprised me with a gift certificate for a massage, which I desperately needed after biking and then dancing like a crazy woman!! After my hour of "me time," we loaded up a picnic and headed out for a Jeep trip! The skies were a brilliant blue! Gorgeous!!





After about 12 miles up the mountain road, we arrived at this picturesque location, Piney Lake! We had gourmet sandwiches prepared by the guys and soaked in the beauty around us! Just when we thought it couldn't be more enchanting, TWO bald eagles entertained us with a flight show over the water and through the trees!





Eric and I had the best seat in the Jeep! No roof over our heads...just a bird's eye view of our incredible surroundings!










On the way down the mountain, we saw a moose on the side of the road! We pulled over and it crossed behind us! While we were watching him, we saw another one waiting in the brush! They were both on the smaller side, but still HUGE! We all felt pretty certain that there was probably a momma moose keeping her eye on us!!





We watched the Rangers play a much better game that evening while we grilled steaks and enjoyed a cozy fire! We flew home on Monday and it turns out we left town just in the nick of time! Extreme weather change photos coming soon!!

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Vail Vacay-Day 1!

Eric & I were finally able to use our Christmas present from Daddy & Christy, which was two tickets on Southwest. This was our first trip without kids, so it was tough to finalize plans. We decided to visit Jamas in Vail while the weather was so nice! We arrived after dark on Friday night and woke up to a gorgeous mountain view!


We decided to take a bike tour, even though I was not looking forward to riding bikes with three fearless biking pros! We drove J's van to the top of Vail Pass and one of his coworkers drove it back to town. I was the only one who wore a helmet! Shocker!


Here we are about to start the 18 mile ride!!


We stopped around the halfway point for snacks. Carter and Jamas were excellent tour guides and hosts!


The boys did a little panning for gold and Eric returned with a couple of rocks that contained sizable pieces! The ride was gorgeous and I am so glad they talked me into it!


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Pirate Party!

My friend, Jamie (who also happens to be my job-share partner :-)), had a super-fun pirate party recently! Her mom was in town and they spent several days decorating the house and making sure everyone had appropriate pirate attire! We stopped by to visit G-Ma and PawPaw since they live a few houses down from Jamie. Eric and I were just going to wear our regular clothes, but his parents had their costume box out and ready! Edee's little outfit was made by G-Ma more than 30 years ago! They snapped a family picture before we headed off to the party! We don't have many pics of us ALL together!

Jamie's mom, who her grandkids call Lee-Lee, had costumes for everyone! She even had one waiting for Reed!

Jamie's nephew, James, and Reed had a "sword" fight! They are just a few days apart in age!

Undoubtedly, the BEST part of the festitivities was the pirate treasure hunt! The pirates had spent many hours hiding clues and burying their treasure! They delivered a map and the kids had a blast exploring every inch of the yard, treehouse, and creek bed looking for the loot! When they found the HUGE treasure chest, they were not disappointed! It was FILLED with booty...jewels, stickers, candy, etc.!!

What a perfect way to kick off FALL!!

I know...I know!!

It was recently brought to my attention that two of my blog readers were requesting more updated posts and pictures of the kiddos. Since I'm pretty sure I only have 3 readers, I felt like I should honor their request! :-) Things have just been moving at lightning speed recently! When I get home from work, I try to use the time while the kids are napping to catch up on my work, wash sippy cups, and just try to maintain some sense of order in the house! I know my blog has been neglected in the process, but we are all amazingly happy and healthy! The picture above was taken on the eve of the kids' first day back at their school. We knew Edee was ready to go back, but Reed has surprised us with his love of school! He was standing at the back door Saturday morning saying, "School....school!" We are so thankful to have an amazing school and teachers that love our babies!

Edee started dance this year! We are taking a Mommy and Me dance class, which is a combination of tap, ballet and a little bit of tumbling. Her first class was also my first day back with students, so it was a busy day! She was so eager to get started!
Her teacher is a former kindergarten teacher, so she knows just how to bring out the best in these little ballerinas!
Edee is the only one in her class who sings the songs as she is dancing. I know that is no surprise to anyone who knows her! :-) One of the songs they use in class is a musical version of "This little piggy," and Edee was practicing some of her moves while singing the song at home!
Reed, on the other hand, is ALL boy! He wants nothing more than to be "OUT," as he calls it. He runs to the back door and says it over and over. I'm certain that he is tired of me saying, "It's too hot, buddy!" I know he is ready for cooler temperatures, which will mean more time on the patio with his dog!
Thanks for checking in on us!

Camping? Are we crazy??

We were extremely excited recently when some friends asked us to join them on a Saturday afternoon for a boat ride on Lake Whitney. We looked up the marina online and discovered that they had an RV park there. After some deliberation (3-5 minutes) and some planning (a trip to HEB), we decided to brave the heat for an impromptu camping trip! It's hard to be spontaneous with two little ones, so we were anxious to take advantage of the opportunity! We made sure to pack the misters, a fan and the kiddie pool! Our site was on a hill with lots of shade trees and we were blessed to have a breeze from the lake.
Elkee was happy to have her chair positioned under the awning with some mist blowing her way! She was all too content to be left in the camper with the AC blowing COLD while we ventured out for our late afternoon boat ride!
After all the build up, Edee looked like a seasoned veteran once she was on board!
Eric and Reed were ready to hit the lake! Reed actually fell asleep once we were buzzing along the water, but when he woke up...LOOK OUT! I think he woke up disoriented, and he wanted NO part of the boat, especially the life jacket!
Edee, on the other hand, loved every minute of floating in the lake, feeling the wind in her hair and being pulled on the tube! I hope to get some pics from our friends of that, but you could just imagine our little dare devil on the tube with our good friend, Bryan. (He calls her "Matilda," and she just thinks he hung the moon!)

The grown-ups took turns trying to relive our youth by wake boarding, which everyone paid for with sore muscles for the next few days! Our family had to cut our ride a little short since Mister Reed was ready to plant his feet on dry land. We went back to the campsite and had burgers ready for the others when they returned at "dark-thirty!" It was one of those days you just won't forget!

And to quote my new favorite book..."If I could keep you little, I'd push your ducky float. But then I'd miss you feeling the wind behind summer's boat." 102 degrees or not...the memories we made were worth every moment!

"If I Could Keep You Little..."

If you have small children and don't own the book with the same title as this post, you MUST get it! Get ready for a boo-hoo! We have read it to Edee several times, but last night it just hit Eric and I like a ton of bricks! Our little girl is growing up WAY too fast!! I love her with every piece of my soul and couldn't be more proud of her! She is such a curious little combination of her Mommy and Daddy! She likes to ride her four wheeler in the yard with her best buddy, Mia!
Blowing bubbles has always been a favorite past time, but now she wants to be in control and put on a bubble show for her brother! She is serious about it, which is a trait she does show from time to time. She had to sit in the "sad spot" the other day for being a little bossy to her daddy. When Reed tried to climb up on the futon with her, she snapped, "Reed, get down! I'm trying to sit in the sad spot!"
She loves a good "tea" party, and what better way to enjoy a cool cup of lemonade on a hot summer day!
We are starting a Mommy and Me dance class this fall, so she was so eager to try on some of her dance apparel! (Thanks to Jamie for loaning us ballet and tap shoes! Woo-Hoo!) She's my little Dancing Queen!
She had so much fun at the dance studio during registration that she didn't want to leave! "I want to stay and dance!" she cried as we were leaving! Just like her Mommy!

Last night as we were reading the book, she was so concerned that I was crying. I tried to explain that they were happy tears because she was growing up to be such a big girl. I guess I wasn't very convincing because as she said her prayers she ended with, "And God please help Mommy feel better!" LOVE...LOVE...LOVE her!!!

Snow Cones!

One evening recently, we bathed the babies and put on jammies before heading out for snow cones! Edee was very excited and knew what she was going to order, "Rainbow!"

She did a great job of not making too big of a mess! Poor Reed thought it was just a little TOO cold! Bless hish heart! I tried to give him another bite, but he just pushed my hand away and said, "No!"The simple joys of summer are enjoyed more by some than others! :-)