Cabin Staycation

Tim had Friday off of work, so we made a last minute decision to get away from the heat and the horrifying news at home and head up to the cabin for the weekend. It was beautiful in the mountains and it ended up being a perfect mini getaway for all of us.

 We headed to the lake as soon as we got up to the mountains. Both boys were entertained by throwing rocks into the lake while we sat and enjoyed the beautiful view and perfect weather.

 Saturday morning we woke up and went on a "hike" around the National Forest by the cabin. The boys enjoyed exploring and Jax, now that he is feeling better, enjoyed going on his first walk in weeks.

The Haleys were up at their condo all weekend because Seth was participating in the Courage Classic, a bike ride benefitting Children's Hospital. We met up with Kelly and the kids while Seth was riding so they could play together.

After Seth's ride, we planned to go boating, but some ominous looking clouds kept the 4 of us at the Tiki Bar by the lake instead. After everyone else met up with us, we got caught in one of the biggest rainstorms I have ever seen. We were huddled under a tent and still all got soaking wet.

After we dried off, we hung out at the cabin for dinner and the boys got to take turns on the ATV's. Just like James at the same age, Mac is obsessed with them and calls them tractors. We couldn't keep him off the baby 3-wheeler.

 How many little boys can fit on one 4-wheeler? We really need to get helmets for these things so that I don't look like the most careless mom in the world.

After dinner and 4-wheeling fun, we invited John to spend the night with James at the cabin. This was both boys' first friend sleep-over, and they couldn't have been more excited. Tim took them in the hot tub in the garage, complete with klassy, light-up palm tree.

After about 10 minutes of giggling and whispering, they both fell asleep and slept straight through the night. That is what I call a successful sleep-over!

Enjoying a post sleep-over breakfast before more garage hot tubbing and 4-wheeling.

I can't believe this was our first time up to the cabin all summer. It is so beautiful up there this time of year, we need to get up again soon!

Berry Picking

Last week we joined Holland and Riley at a berry picking farm. A tractor took us out into the field and we got to pick black raspberries and strawberries. Mac soon figured out that what we were picking was edible and was eating them quicker than I could pull them off of the bush. 

 He got tired of waiting for me to pick him some and just started helping himself.

 The big kids showed a little more self-control, some more than others.

There were not nearly as many ripe strawberries, so the boys didn't actually make it back to the farm with any in their baskets, they ate all the red ones they could find.

This was our first time berry picking, but we will definitely go again! We are so lucky to live so close to so many fun things to do!

Jenny, ZP and Bum

Jenny, Zephyr and Ian spent the last few days with us before heading to Durango this morning for their annual Colorado trip with Ian's family. We had a great time while they were here, I can't believe it has been over a year since we had all been together! Both boys loved having house guests and a constant playmate in Zephyr. Mac took to Jenny very well and is an expert at saying her name. He also liked Ian, who he called Tim or Bum. I didn't take a ton of photos of our time together, but here is what I have:

All 3 kids love to be read to

Mac catching a ride with Zephyr. She didn't quite know what to do with someone trying to take everything away from her all week.

Ian and Alex playing human foosball with Mac and Z.

Cousin dog pile

The best shot I got of all 3 kids

Twins!

Melanie's husband, Alex, is some kind of baby whisperer. All the kids are obsessed with him.

James clutching his new Lego Batman from Ian.

Plaing on Pearl Street

At the Carousel of Happiness in Nederland, we drove up on Sunday to escape the heat. It was a beautiful drive and the carousel was a big hit with James.

Just a good picture of our sweet Jax who has had non-stop health issues the past few months.  I think Jax went to the vet 3 times while Jenny was here, and I think after seeing the level of care that he requires, it is safe to say they aren't too sad they will never be dog owners.

Party Details

Because I know everyone is dying to see more detailed photos of our award winning tablescape, you can see them here. I actually think I might take my party planning nerdiness to a whole new level and post photos of all of the parties I have planned on there. Oh, and we also made the paper. We are pretty much famous in the Mont. You can read the article here.

4th of July!

I seriously love the 4th of July. A holiday where I just get to hang out outside eating and drinking with friends and I can dress my boys in themed outfits--it just doesn't get much better than that! 

It has now become our tradition to have all of our friends meet up before the big concert in the park in the Mont and have all the kids decorate their bikes. Last year after we all about died from the extreme heat parading from our house to the park, we decided that we would meet at the park and just parade around the park before the concert. We did just that this year, and it was perfect. Our parade has changed from mainly strollers and wagons to scooters and big kid bikes as our kids have gotten older, and we have some new babies in the group, so it just keeps growing each year!

And they're off!

Each year, there is a contest for the best picnic set-up at the park. We have never participated before, but Kelly and I rose to the challege this year. All of our friends and families humored us and we set up a pretty awesome patriotic tent/tablescape/picnic spread. Here is most of the crew.

 Kelly and I with our finished tablescape. We got to the park at 9am to stake out an ideal shady location next to the playground and spent time perfecting our decorations before everyone else arrived.

Highlights included: sliders made by Kelly with toppers made by me, layered Jello shots made by Tim, custom water bottle wrappers and other stickers made by me, a red, white and blue layered punch made by Kelly, 7 layer dip with an American flag on top made by Erika, a trifle with a star on top made by me, table runner sewn by Kelly, fruit flag made by Lindsay, patriotic pasta salad made by Sarah, and pretzel sparklers made by me. Kelly and I did tell everyone that if their dish wasn't patriotic enough, it wasn't making the tablescape, and I am pleased to say they all listened :-)

When the judges came to our table, we had our kids sing Yankee Doodle Dandee. We thought it added that little something extra.

There were 24 entries in the contest this year, and we came in 3rd. Not too shabby for our first time. We took notes and are already planning next year's tablescape. We figure if we had won the first time we entered, it would have been kind of anti-climatic anyway. Now we have something to work towards. We won a family movie night themed gift basket with candy, popcorn, and movies, and a gift certificate to get our oil changed.

Both of us felt very validated by all of our over the top efforts in decor and food when no less than 10 strangers stopped to take photos of our spread, and multiple people also stopped and asked if they could buy our food. We are good at picnicing!

We headed home for naps after the concert and reconvened at our house that evening for a barbeque. All the kids had a great time playing together, and the adults enjoyed patriotic mojitos, good food and Tim and I's patriotic playlist that has been accumulating songs for the past 4 years.

The kids' table chowing down on hot dogs and/or black bean burgers, fruit, chips and pasta salad.

 How many kids can fit in a wagon?

4 kids didn't seem to be pushing the limits of the wagon enough, so Mac and Cam crammed themselves in for a few spins around the yard.

John, Colin and James doing an impromptu jam session/dance party on the picnic table after dinner. I really wish this was a video because Colin and James' had some seriously awesome moves.

 Patriotic bomb pops are really the only way to end a 4th of July meal if you are a kid.

 Longmont, along with many other Colorado towns has a fire ban for the rest of the summer, which includes ALL fireworks-even sparklers. I have to admit that I was a little bummed, fireworks are one of my all time favorite things, but we all came inside, turned off the lights and watched NYC's fireworks show on tv and all the kids had a dance party to Katy Perry's Fireworks. So it  was a pretty good ending to our evening. And now going to NYC for the 4th of July is on my bucket list. Best fireworks ever!

 And if there is anything I love more than themed outfits for my boys, it is holiday themed pajamas! Seriously, are they not the cutest?!

Happy Independence Day!