Texas Friends in Colorado

We love the Young girls and we're so glad that we're here in Colorado at the same time!

Cate telling Lainey something important

Walker thought the water was too cold. He didn't swim for long.

Nonnie, the Young girls' grandmother and my mom's friend, found this wonderful log truck for Walker to play with. He loved it. In a house full of girls, there aren't many boy toys!

struggling to put all those logs back on there

I love this picture.

a true, genuine smile from the boy

Wildlife Park

So, I think this was our fourth time to visit the wildlife park. And, finally, I think we saw all of the animals. Ironically, I didn't take my camera because I didn't think that we'd see anything new this year. :) Go figure! We got to see an employee feed grapes to an elk and a black bear, we saw a sleeping bobcat, we fed some goats and donkey, saw Princess the big grizzly bear, played with the house cats, and waved to the horses. 

Lainey's favorite part of the wildlife park was petting the cats. House cats. Apparently, our kids haven't seen too many cats, so this was a big thing for them. I'm sure several bystanders were chuckling as our kids yelled "CATS!" as if they'd never seen them before. :)

Evening Entertainment

After eating dinner outside, the kids entertained us with some rocking of the rocking chairs. :) Beautiful evening, delicious dinner, lovely view, and funny kids. A pretty great evening. :)

We love these little stinkers. Messy, dirty, happy kids!

Rock Friends

And, it's another year in Pagosa, meaning we have new rock friends! Many of Lainey's friends from class made it into this year's collection. Lainey took it upon herself to make a few of them. She did a good job! 

Bottom Row: Nora and Asher, Gage and Ainsley, Clayton and Connor, Gavin, and Haven

Middle Row: Kaitlyn and Brayden, Emerson, John and Grace

Top Row: Lainey and Walker, Keegan and Audrey, Jake and Gracie, and Mommy and Daddy (Abby and Ben)

Annual River Pictures

We like to do these every year...take pictures down by the river. :) I should have probably dressed Lainey in something other than her $7 Hello Kitty dress from Wal-Mart. ;)

This "posing" phase that Lainey is going through is driving me bonkers.

And someone is terrified of bugs. (If I were to say that sentence out loud in Lainey's presence, she would say, "That would be me.")

Thunder Dog

This afternoon we were all a bit too busy to comfort sweet Lucy who is absolutely terrified of thunder. As the saying goes, "Any old port in the storm will work." So therefore Lucy found comfort in Lainey's presence. :) 

First Day

 Walker LOVES these airplanes. They kept taking off and flying around for a second and then landing in "Cah-yado." I think Walker thinks that airplanes only go to Colorado since that is about ALL he's talked about for the past week. "Take aypane Cah-yado! EmmyTuck take fissing pole Cah-yado." (This translates to: "We will take an airplane to Colorado! Emmy and Tuck took my fishing pole to Colorado!") All true statements.

 To me, he looks EXACTLY like his cousin Collin in this picture. 

"Look aypane! It's YOU!" ("Look Airplane! It's you!" A real airplane was in the sky.)

 "Bumpity bump! Smash crash!"

 running with Daddy

 "Reh-yie, seh, GO!" ("Ready, set, go!") I love the position of his arms. Ready for take off.

 Walker must have run back and forth across the driveway 42 times.

 Still not tired.

 He kept wiping his brow and saying, "Whew."

Walker obviously got his pose from Lainey. Sillies.

Back in May...

Awhile back, Lainey and I attended our friend Nolan's birthday party. He turned 5 and had the best birthday party ever - a pool, a GIANT pile of sand, and a bounce house. Boy heaven. Anyway, Lainey and I swam and played and then continued to swim and play way past the end of the party. You're welcome, Baughmans. Happy to stay and play for an amount of time way past acceptable. :) Here are a couple of pictures that Nolan's mom, Laura, sent to me. The kids are cuties, if I do say so myself!

Happy 4th of July!

our two in red, white, and blue (not without a fight, however...truth be told) :)

Lainey is convinced that smiling with her mouth closed produces the prettiest pictures. Personally, I love seeing those teeth! And doesn't Chocolate Chip look beautiful in her wedding veil and tutu? So appropriate for the 4th. 

typical :)

 We met some friends for an outdoor barbecue late in the afternoon on the fourth. Thanks to the Winkenhofers for having us over to play and eat...and play and eat...and play and eat! :) So fun!

little Gracie and Lainey

Lainey, Brayden, and Kaitlyn

take 2

We are blessed to be part of an amazing group of families from our church/preschool. For the most part, there is a 2 year old and a 4 year old in each family, so it makes playing together easy. The moms are wonderful, sweet people and the dads all seem to get along pretty well also. We are lucky!