Colorado Trip

My uncle Tom, who lives in Colorado Springs, has not been doing well. His mental and physical health have been declining and I had the opportunity to go visit with him for a few days at the end of last week. Susan stayed home on kid duty and I spent my days visiting with Tom, making time for a hike each day.

Susan playing at the creek with the kids.
Lucia chasing after Elliot.
I camped in Colorado. It felt like our RV trip to pull into the campground after dark and have to find my spot.
The view from my office. I worked on Eastern Time, so I had a couple of hours each day to get some work done before heading in to visit with Tom. I was fortunate that the weather was still warm.
My first good view of the mountains.
Uncle Tom, resting
Tom liked to hold hands and one of my primary responsibilities when I was there was to make sure I was available for that.
Meanwhile, life went on at home and Susan had to get all of the kids to their activities. here, Andrew is running in a XC meet , maybe at Southeast Polk.
My first hike in Colorado Springs was to Garden of the Gods. I tried to stay pretty close to town.
Susan also had to get up early with Oreo, who insists on waking us just a little earlier than we would like.
During this time, Mari also submitted her application to work at Coldstone Creamery. With soccer and XC winding down she will have more free time, and she is saving up for a new phone.
Soccer fans.
Red Rock Open Space in the foreground, with Garden of the Gods in the background.
Susan and the kids enjoying a fire.

Happy Birthday, Rose!

Today we celebrate Rose’s 5th birthday. Her friend Hili came over in the afternoon and they played in the creek, where there is a little beach area. The Reagens and Mimi and Papa came over in the evening for a pool party!

Rose at 5 continues to be a real sweetheart. She loves to give big hugs and kisses. She enjoys drawing, coloring, writing, and building things. Her favorite birthday present was probably a Chelsea camper (think Barbie Jr). Rose gets up every day around 7:30 or 8 and likes to make her way downstairs to read with mom and dad or do a coloring page. For breakfast, she likes bagels, sometimes with cinnamon. For lunch she likes macaroni and cheese or chicken nuggets. For dinner, she likes spaghetti and meatballs. She loves to play outside with Lucia and the neighbors. She loves playing in the pool, but is not always a fan of our family walks. She goes to bed around 9 or 10 at night, still sharing a bed with Lucia.

Rose wanted me to be sure to add that she loves playing with Oreo, the cat, including carrying him around. She does get scratched on occasion, but that is a small price to pay.

River Hike

We joined the Reagens again today for our traditional Sunday hike, which included a stop along the river.

Bonus evening pic: We don’t have a ton of pictures of it, but the kids have been spending a lot of time on the trampoline.

Rose’s 4th Birthday

This morning we celebrated Rose’s 4th birthday! We had Susan’s parents, the Reagens, and the Thibodeaus over for brunch, cake, and presents.

Rose continues to be a joy to have around. She brings a lot of energy and excitement to the house, appreciating the little things that most of us take for granted. She shares a room and a bed with Lucia, and manages to stay on the same schedule as the rest of us. She often sneaks in a nap in the car to help keep up with our hectic schedule.

Favorite song: Baby Shark
Favorite color: Pink
Favorite food: Macaroni & Cheese
Favorite book: Fancy Nancy

The Pacifier Fairy

A few weeks ago Rose moved on from diapers, and today the Pacifier Fairy paid our house a visit, to exchange all of Rose’s pacifiers for a stuffed animal that she can snuggle with when she needs to. I think we were all ready and Rose was excited. Both of these milestones were nice to reach, but also a little sad (yet still exciting) knowing that we won’t experience these stages again.

The Pox is Upon Us!

Lucia and Rose have Chicken Pox! They were exposed a couple of weeks ago, and we noticed the first pox on Monday night. Tuesday was OK, but things have gone downhill since then. Lucia has a ton, and quite a few on her face. Rose has about half as many as Lucia, but also some in some uncomfortable places. They are doing better now and we hope to see some improvement over the weekend.Â