Nana and Papa Visit

As we returned from Steamboat, Nana and Papa were on their way south from WY to see us on their way to TX.  We had a nice and relaxing visit with them.  Tuesday morning Keith took his Dad for 9 holes of golf at Fossil Trace in Golden.  Nana, Oliver and I met up with them for coffee, a stroll downtown and some lunch.  What a great way to spend the afternoon!

Just outside of an antique shop that Nana was shopping in, Oliver found this tricycle.  It was a little big but with Dad's help he was moving it around in no time.

Keith with his parents and Oliver over Clear Creek in Golden.

Last time we were in Golden as a family the creek was running very high from mountain run off.  It is still high, but we could get a little closer this time without the flooding.  Keith and Oliver went to check out the water and see if there were any fish swimming by.

Family photo:  All 3.8 of us!

This is a fun slide near Clear Creek.  It goes from the park up top to the creek down below.  Keith and Oliver went to check it out from the top while Papa checked it out from down below.  Keith said the first thing Oliver said when he peered in the dark slide was "there is a bear in there".  Eventually Keith convinced Oliver that it was OK and they took off down the slide together.

WAHOO!!!  The slide was a hit!  They took it for a ride one more time.

Celebrating Independence Steamboat Style

Typically, we travel to Sheridan, WY for the Independence Day weekend.  Since we are only eight weeks out from having a new baby, we stayed in state this year.  Instead, we traveled to the North Central part of the state with the Stack family and celebrated in Steamboat Springs, CO.  It is a beautiful part of the state and the driving view was amazing.  We were anxious to get there so we didn't stop to take any photos.  On the way home traffic was horrible so again we didn't stop for photos.  We did discuss someday taking a Colorado state vacation just to check out this wonderful place we live and take our time to explore the roadside views.  Someday...

The temperature was perfect, especially for an eight month pregnant lady.  We either had sunshine and 70 degrees, or clouds and rain.  We could have passed on the clouds and rain but since we heard it was pouring down rain in Denver, we didn't complain.  We did take advantage of the time we could to see the sights and get some pool time in. 

The first agenda item for the Fourth of July was the parade downtown.  The parade was a HUGE hit for Oliver.  He LOVED it!!!  They were also suppose to have a cattle drive down main street to kick off the evening rodeo.  We missed both of those events, which I know Oliver would have loved as well.  The cattle drive was during nap time and we opted for a nap since it was going to be a late night.  After nap time the storm clouds and cool weather moved in, so we opted out of the rodeo.  Next time, we'll hit it all!

Oliver and Parker enjoying the parade with the best seats in the house.

Right behind us the Steamboat Springs firetruck parked and it was clearly attraction for many people, especially the kids.

Oliver took a moment to give me some "cheese".  Believe it or not, it was tough to peel away his attention from the parade for a photo moment.

The condo we stayed at was near the ski resort and was three miles from town.  Luckily, there was a free town bus.  This too was a big hit for Oliver.  Here we are, Craig, Jen, Parker, Carrie and Oliver on our ride back to the condo.

After nap time, we hit the pool, clouds and all.  The sun came out a few times to warm us up, but the boys didn't really seem to notice either way.

We splurged on a $2.50 raft for Mom to float on.  You'll see who thought it was his and turned it into his personal yacht, complete with a driver.

Oliver giving clear and direct driving instructions to his driver.

Oliver and Parker playing catch.

The pool balls were a big hit and the boys loved throwing them around.

This photo cracks me up.  Check out the matching expressions as Oliver waits for Parker to throw the ball his way.

That night, we waited for the rain to pass and then headed downtown for the fireworks.  It was still sprinkling a little but we toughed it out.  Oliver enjoyed the fireworks but when they were over he made it very clear that he did not like the big ones, only the little ones.  If you ask him why, the big ones are noisy and the little ones are quiet.  OK.  At least there were no tears just focused attention.  We'll try again next year and maybe he'll grow to like the big ones since those are the ones Keith and I favor.

On our way home traffic was horrible!  We planned to stop in Idaho Springs for lunch but as we approached Empire, Oliver made it clear he was done with the car seat.  Just then we saw "Jenny's", a diner in Empire.  We pulled over and gave it a try.  Luckily, it was just what the back seat driver ordered.  Lunch and a stretch!  The food was great and the people were very friendly.

After lunch, we took a walk through town, the whole three blocks.  Oliver spotted this bench and wanted to have a sit.

About that time we spotted a roadside ice cream shop, my favorite!  Time for dessert!!

One of my favorites, twist ice cream cones.  YUM!!!

A nice lady at a nearby table asked if we would like her to take our photo.  Why, of course!  You can see, it was a bit windy, which give Keith a new look.  HA HA!!

We had a great weekend away.  Thanks Stack family for a great time!!

Just Keep Swimming...

Just Keep Swimming

Just Keep Swimming

Just Keep Swimming, Swimming Swimming...

If you have seen Finding Nemo, you may recognize the ditty above.  We find ourselves singing this to Oliver when he's swimming in the pool or even the bath tub.  It's quite catchy.  Especially if you are like us and have seen Finding Nemo WAY more than your fair share due to requests from a two year old.

Oliver had his last swim lesson and we saw remarkable improvement from the first week to the fifth week.  Technically, the class is six weeks long, but we were out of town for the sixth week.  The first week went well and he was working on swimming (front only, he wouldn't attempt to swim on his back) and jumping off the edge.  The second week he took a major leap backward and wouldn't try anything.  He just clung to Keith.  Going into the third week, we wondered if swim lessons were worth it but we went anyway.  Oliver sprung back into action and began to progress again.  By the fifth week he was getting much braver.  He would jump off the side (almost) by himself, swim on his front side AND his backside.  He would even do a few tricks without Keith touching him.  We are hoping to keep up the progress we made through the summer by visiting the local pools while keeping cool.  It's a lot of work for poor Keith in the pool, but since he is a kid at heart, he seems to find fun ways to keep them both entertained with their head above water. (Tune in for the Steamboat post)

Here is Oliver demonstrating his jumping into the water skills.  At the end I thought he was not happy about getting out of the pool when in fact, he wanted to get out to jump in again but he wanted to get out by himself.  Hmm... where on earth could this kid get his HUGE independent streak?  Have you met his parents? :)

You'll see in this clip, Oliver is trying to swim by hanging onto the edge of the pool and kicking his feet. He got the idea from his buddy Cadence who is in his class at Primrose. He was SO excited to have one of his classmates in swim lessons and asked for her every week.

At the end of every class they sing "Wheels on the Bus" with actions.  As you can tell, it is a big hit with Oliver.

After swim lessons we went for lunch where I noticed Keith and Oliver has matching shirts.  This prompted a photo moment, or three.  They were very patient considering they had to take a break from their chips and salsa to say "Cheese".  I couldn't resist posting all three pictures.  Each one tells a story and I like to imagine what's going through their head.  I'm sure it's something along the line that I'm a crazy lady taking all of those pictures and they wish they could just eat their chips and salsa in piece and quiet. 

Back home, Madalyn enjoyed a scratch and some sunshine on the back porch with Oliver.  Keith thought this was hilarious and a true example of our domesticated house cat.  See the robin in the background?  Our yard is the safest cat yard in the neighborhood.  Madalyn could care less about the robin and would rather sit and enjoy a nice scratch.  Ahh... good kitty!

Sunny Saturday

Ahhh... finally, the sun has returned and it feels like summertime in Colorado again!

This past Saturday, we celebrated our friends daughters third birthday.

Happy Birthday Adie!

All of the kids around the table, ready for cake and ice cream. Yum!

Yay, for cake frosting!!

After the party, we went to Golden to treat Keith to pizza at Woody's. He LOVES Woody's, but rarely gets to go there. Since I work just down the road, it's not much of a getaway for me on the weekends. On nice days though, Golden is a great place to be.

Below: The photo setup.

After dinner we walked down Washington street to take in the sights and to take a few photos.

The Photo!

We had to go check out clear creek since it is running high and fast. We have had serious amounts of mountain run off lately with all of the rain and then the quick warm up in temperatures.

From the Washington street bridge, there is a great view of the brewery, my home away from home.

Keith and Oliver checking out the rushing water down below.

An early Fathers Day photo.

Happy Fathers Day Keith! You truly are a great Dad. Oliver is such a lucky little boy to have you!

Another photo moment with a few "local kids".

We saw this Indian totem pole outside of a thrift shop and just had to take a picture of Oliver with it. What a funny kid!

Sanderson Family Visit

A few weekends back, we were excited to have the Sanderson family come down from Fort Collins for a visit. We had big plans for a relaxing BBQ in the back yard where the kids could run and play. Instead, the rain continued to pour down so we stayed indoors. The kids didn't seem to mind and Oliver's new bedroom, complete with a train table was a big hit. We all had a great time and enjoyed their visit.

Here are Oliver, Abigail and Ian making the most of a rainy day around a table of trains. Choo Choo!!

Ian and Oliver got along famously and seem to have a love of trains in common.
Abigail enjoyed showing us her cowgirl skills by taking the horse for a few rocks back and forth.

Days of Rain

Several weeks ago, it seemed as if the rain would never stop. It was a clear reminder of why I was not made to live on the Pacific Northwest Coast. We are much more of a sunshine family. Rain or sun, Oliver had a bad case of cabin fever and just had to get out. We gave him an umbrella and sent him out on the back porch. The rain didn't bother him and he made the most of the dreary weather.