When I first read about this meme I thought, "Uh, oh, we didn't do much this summer." We didn't really take a vacation or go to an amusement park. Looking back over the past few months through these pictures, I saw we had a wonderful, laid back summer. We took in a lot of local parks and sights. We explored and learned. We took chances and did new things. It was a lot of fun.
1) The top left picture shows C in our first fishing trip of the year in one of our favorite spots in CO, Green Mountain Reservoir. It looks so sunny, but half an hour later we were hightailing it to the car as a storm broke out. :)
2) The long picture in the top center is Isabella with a ladybug. Directly underneath is the same evening with Cristian, too. At our local nursery, we purchased a mesh bag FULL of live ladybugs and released them in our garden. The children loved it, the aphids not so much.
3) The top right hand corner shows C at Tiny Town. All the little houses are replicas of houses that once existed in Downtown Denver. They are all meticulously decorated as post offices, nurseries, and stores. Some were even built so the children could climb inside!
4) Starting back at the left is Isabella at the Butterfly Pavilion holding Rosie the Tarantula. She's so brave! I'm not sure I would have held it, although I wouldn't tell her that!
5) To the right of that picture is Isabella playing puppets with her best friend, Morgan at Lookout Mountain Nature Center. Afterwards we took a nature hike and found LOTS of real insects!
6) To the upper right is a picture of Isabella at Belleview Park ready to take on the resident rooster. It's right smack in the middle of Englewood, which is pretty much Denver, but you would think you were somewhere else! There's a petting zoo, a train ride, and a great park that has a stream going through it full of crayfish.
7) Back to the bottom left is my dear husband. He has just brought in a smoked pork butt he had been tending to all day. All I can say is, "Wow!" That was really good eating!!! He's an EXCELLENT cook!
8) To the right of that picture is C drawing back his bow. I mentioned before he is in JOAD. He just started the beginning of this summer. He really enjoys his Saturday morning class. He goes with his daddy. I suspect there's a trip to McDonald's involved, but I pretend I don't know ;)
9) Isabella is at Morgan's Birthday Tea Party in this next picture. She and the other party members dressed in their fancy dresses and did all things glittery, feathery, and pink for Morgan's party. It was a good time.
10) Finally, is a sweet moment on my Aunt Juanita and Uncle Dave's farm. We just went this past month. It will stay in my mind for the relaxation, wonderful welcome we received, and how C didn't want to leave.
