Piedra Falls Hike

Morning hike with Tuck and Lainey!

 Dirty Dancing, anyone?

Getting Crafty

A wonderful thing about being on vacation with kids is the fact that you actually get to play with them. At home it seems I am constantly distracted with laundry, dishes, making food, cleaning up food, loading the car, unloading the car...you know the drill. I would love to do more crafty and cute things with the kids at home but in reality, it never works out as planned. So, we've done a few things here in Colorado and I think that being here has provided us with some great "natural" supplies for our projects (like pine cones, pine needles, and cool rocks). 

Plaques made from flour, salt, and water:

 After baking in the oven for two hours, this is how our plaques turned out! Lainey's is propped up against the wall. Walker's is on the left and mine is on the right. Mine is supposed to be a mountain and a sun but it's really not that attractive. 

 And, here are our hedgehog friends! Walker's is on the left - Lainey's is on the right. They are cute!

back view of the hedgehog friends

And, here's our fish tank! 

Bow Lesson

The kids have shown an interest in Tuck's bow. So, yesterday morning, Tuck decided to take them out to show them what bow hunting is all about. The kids were very engaged and very interested in what Tuck was showing them.

two eager students

Walker likes "Buppy the deow" (Bucky the deer). Lainey is helping Tuck pull out an arrow from Bucky's body.

Walker kept saying, "Tuck shoot bow!"

Lainey is doing a cheer for Tuck. "Go, Tuck, go!" (I'm sure that was very encouraging for Tuck.)

Tuck is very careful, and very safe. An excellent instructor!

No blog entry would be complete without a pose from Lainey. :)

Do you see my lizard friend? :)

The Springs

Pagosa Springs is known for its natural hot springs. Today, for the first time ever, I visited the "mineral pools" with my mom and the kids. We just stuck to one pool where most of the kids were. The water was about 97 degrees...warm! Not refreshing. But then again, it wasn't all that hot outside. We swam with the kids for a while and then had snow cones before leaving (a terrible idea, thanks to me). Anyway, I'm glad we visited, but I'm not sure I'll be dying to go back. I only got a few pictures - and they are only of the kids, not the springs themselves. But I think that's okay. 

Seriously. The posing. I have zero control over it.

And one more.  

 Walker showing me a rock

 sweet smile :)

ATV Adventure

Yesterday (Friday), Ben and I had the chance to go on an ATV adventure date. I will say that I'm hooked. It was SO much fun. I look forward to doing it again!! 

I did wear a helmet. I'm not confident on these things!

We made it up to Summitville, CO - 11,500 ft. elevation

Summitville is an old abandoned mining town that had to shut down in the early 90s due to water contamination. Obviously, these buildings are not from the early 90s. The original mining town was established around 1870. 

water treatment facilities

All fun and games until one ATV breaks down...five or six miles from the car...and non-expert driver (me) has to tow expert driver (Ben) down the mountain...through streams, alongside 100-ft drops, over rocks, past other vehicles. We got very muddy, and it was a bit scary at times, but it was still fun. Exciting, thrilling, FUN.

A parting shot...I was SO muddy. You can't really tell from this picture, but I am! Muddy from head to toe. And so was my ATV!

Fishing, Harris Style

So we had grand plans to take the kids fishing. Real fishing. But it didn't happen...troublesome fishing poles, a complete lack of parental knowledge when it comes to fishing...you know. The fact that the kids would probably impale themselves with a hook and/or get themselves tangled up in fishing line without any hope of recovery. The reasons are numerous. So we did the next best thing...fishing over the side of the deck. :) Thank you, Dollar General, for making this event possible. Maybe next year we can try "real fishing."

 My handsome and helpful husband was in charge of hooking the toys onto the clothespins.

Oh! And here's an elk. She came to sample the mineral block down by the campground. 

And here's another one. These pictures are bad....lack of light, no zoom lens, kids in the way. :)

REALLY awful picture, but this is a picture of all the elk down in the valley. They are so beautiful. 

Fairy Houses

Emmy and Lainey have been hard at work building fairy houses. They have built several and Lainey has loved EVERY second of it. Cate also has been having fun building the fairy houses - she and Lainey built this one yesterday. So cute!

A close-up shot of Lainey and Cate's fairy house...complete with a hedgehog family. The one in the yellow overalls is in the "bathroom."

Lainey is fascinated by the "coyote poop" (that is really bobcat poop) attached to the tree to keep the deer from eating the bark. She will tell anyone and everyone about it.

 another fairy house (built by Lainey and Emmy)

 a third fairy house (built by Lainey and Emmy)

 Hi, House!

These two led me on two unchartered, unmapped hikes today. Cate just goes. And Lainey is happy to follow, unless she wants to lead, and then we have a bit of a standoff. But I love it. Cate likes to explore, and does so in flip flops! Anyway, I joked that if we saw an easy path and a difficult path, then Cate would always choose the difficult path (as in the with branches, steep incline/decline, leaves, rocks, elk poop, etc.). Dora wouldn't approve. I'm pretty sure Dora sticks to the predictable, easily-managed paths!

The good thing about taking new "hikes" around the property is that I have new vantage points for photos! This is a view of the campground. 

running up the path after Cate

They were both so done with me taking pictures. 

a garden for the fairies in Emmy's real garden