Two Weeks Ago!

I am down to only two weeks until the blog is caught up! Two weekends ago we went to see Boston and Dennis de Young of Styx at Fiddler's Green with Sheri and Bob. It was a blast.

The next day we had a small party for Wade at the house. He started Army Boot Camp that next Monday. 

Campflauge cupcakes! Thank you Pinterest.

Thanks for your willingness to serve, Wade!

C3 - A Summer Highlight

C3 stands for Catholic Children for Christ and it is the highlight of the girls' summer every year. They love the crafts, the singing, the games and the snacks! This year Mia was quite surprised when instead of going outside to play the last half hour she went to Mass with the older kids. The perks of going into second grade! She wasn't happy and was even more not so happy when it happened again the next day. But, by the last day she was okay with it!

They always do a performance and have a lunch on the last day. Becky and the boys celebrated with us.

This guy is eligible for C3 next year!

Until next year!

Our Summer So Far

Summer is my absolute favorite time in Colorado.  It is BEAUTIFUL! Here's a few of the things we've been doing this summer.

You pay us to read to our dog. Novel idea. I can't imagine why no one took them up on it??

We did our own reading incentives with Dollar Store toys. I was just not up to going online and recording every single book/chapter they read for the library program. But it was still fun to pose for the pic!

Mia's eyes are bigger than her brain. She has gotten through about half so far.

It was a homemade Father's Day for a great daddy.

Including the ceiling decorations!

We have a new bridge over the creek behind our house and we had some fun playing on the rocks under it with Charlie.

Ann has her preferred place to read.

The recreational gymnastics classes got to participate in a little mini-olympics. It was soooo fun! Everyone got first place.

Gold medals all around!

Usually I am not a big fan of participation trophies, etc. But they have been in noncompetitive gymnastics for two years and it was just a really fun little activity for them.  They were beaming!

Homeschooling Summer Events

Even though we are going to do public school this next year, we have attended some homeschooling events this summer.

We went to a time telling coop. First, we reviewed, or learned the first time, how to tell time. This has been a very hard concept for Mia.

Then they practiced together.

And lastly, BINGO!

Some of us in the group have also been getting together for hikes. In this picture, we biked Waterton Canyon. The kids, and moms, had a blast!

Parker Days

We love Parker Days, our community celebration and carnival. This year the girls got to march in the parade!

They waited diligently for their turn. It was HOT!

They marched with the ranch where they went to horse camp.

We had planned on going to the carnival right afterward but it was soooo hot we went home and came back closer to dinner time.

In years past we have bought tickets and when we ran out of tickets we went home. But we knew we couldn't get away with that forever! So this year we got the unlimited rides wristband. Taking that step meant spending a lot more time at the carnival!  But it was a lot of fun. And it brings back a lot of memories of the carnival we went to every year with the older kids.

 

Because the carnival takes place in our downtown area we didn't have to eat carnival food! Yea!  We were able to go into an air conditioned restaurant and eat a real meal. Afterward, Dan took Mia over to the grownup rides while Anna and I stayed in the kid section. We all went home exhausted!

Field Trip Friday #2

For our next Friday field trip I found a Groupon for a farm up in Fort Collins. It was further away than I thought, almost two hours! So I did a little research to find out what else we could do while we were up there. Here's what I came up with:

Yes, you read that right - we went to a landfill and learned about garbage. And they learned A LOT.

They were the only ones in there so they got the royal treatment!

They loved these trucks that hauled paper or metal down a road. The truck would stop at the screen and then a video of what happens when the items are dropped off at the recycling plant would run.

They learned what you can make with trash!

After the trash talk, we went to Chipotle for lunch and then headed to the farm.

Our guide was a very sweet woman who grew up on this farm. She and her husband came back to live on it and turn it in to a museum ten years ago.

The museum was in an old metal barn and it was stiflingly hot. I was regretting my Groupon purchase. Two hour drive for this???? Mia did love the cat, though.

But then we went outside and had a wonderful time. This cow was beautiful.

Milking them cows. Ingenious.

Backbreaking womens' work.

 We were also the only ones at farm so we got our own personal tour guide there as well. It was a very fun day!