On our hike day, we tackled a "scenic" trail but somehow got diverted onto a horseback-only dirt trail high up in the mountains. Here we are at the start, happy and fresh:
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
We have done a lot of just hanging around this vacation. Most days, we do one thing--a hike, swim, play on the playground--and then spend the rest of the day napping and eating. It's very relaxing! The first several days we were here, we just slept and slept and slept. Now we're caught up on sleep and are venturing out for longer days of things to do and places to see.
On our hike day, we tackled a "scenic" trail but somehow got diverted onto a horseback-only dirt trail high up in the mountains. Here we are at the start, happy and fresh:
See? Everybody walking upright and peacefully:
After walking straight up the mountain for 20 minutes, this is what we looked like:
A snack, hugs from Daddy, and sucking down all the water led to Grayson's renewed energy. Notice I'm hobbling in the background, bent over. It was a little high for a pregnant woman up there!
Some of us never get tired and can still smile after hiking lost all over the mountain!
The next day we ventured out to a little mountain town about an hour away. Lunch of fish and chips, then a long walk through the scenic town.
We rode a gondola high up the mountain to a little adventure park for the kids. I hate heights. My shirt was clearly not as helpful as I'd hoped.
On the other hand, Caiden loves heights. He laughed at me the whole way up! On the upside, we saw two moose grazing and a beaver swimming.
At the top the boys braved alpine slides and scary things like that, while Addie jumped high above on a bungee trampoline. I stayed firmly on the ground, taking pictures.
And fun was had by all :)
On our hike day, we tackled a "scenic" trail but somehow got diverted onto a horseback-only dirt trail high up in the mountains. Here we are at the start, happy and fresh:
Friday, June 22, 2012
Relaxing
Snapshots of our vacation so far:
I drove a few hours so Chris could take a break--it's a long drive! Periodically I handed out gifts--doodle books, car games, Adventures in Odyssey CDs--and the kids did amazing. This is our 5th year of driving to Colorado with the kids, and they're great travelers. They only got restless the hour before we stopped for the night. That's admirable--driving nearly 9 hours through West Texas is the epitome of boring, and there were still 4 hours to go!
Grayson doodled for hours.
The next morning we woke up and swam--it was freezing! Colorado mornings are about a million degrees cooler than Texas mornings, and it was so nice to be cold!!
Then we headed to Focus on the Family's headquarters, where Adventures in Odyssey-loving fans can play in a huge Odyssey playland! Grayson dressed up as Eugene and wandered around shouting, "Greetings and salutations!" to everybody. This was our fourth time here, and we loved it just as much as the first time. I particularly love the giant bookstore upstairs :)
See? Bookstore bag in hand. Addie's shirt made lots of ladies smile.
Yesterday was our first day up in the mountains at our final destination. High of 75 degrees, loads of sunshine, and absolutely no agenda. We did next to nothing: played on the playground and ping pong, then spent hours at the pool. The last few weeks have been exhausting, and I didn't realize just how tired the kids were until Addie and Gray fell asleep at 5:30 for the night!
Caiden and Chris drove up the mountain last night for the sunset. They saw a giant buck and took a million photos. The sunsets up here are amazing. They hiked up the mountainside together and then came back down once it got completely dark.
Today I think we'll hit repeat and spend another day thankful for being together in this beautiful place. Well, after I fold the laundry. Somebody has to be the mama, you know!
I drove a few hours so Chris could take a break--it's a long drive! Periodically I handed out gifts--doodle books, car games, Adventures in Odyssey CDs--and the kids did amazing. This is our 5th year of driving to Colorado with the kids, and they're great travelers. They only got restless the hour before we stopped for the night. That's admirable--driving nearly 9 hours through West Texas is the epitome of boring, and there were still 4 hours to go!
Then we headed to Focus on the Family's headquarters, where Adventures in Odyssey-loving fans can play in a huge Odyssey playland! Grayson dressed up as Eugene and wandered around shouting, "Greetings and salutations!" to everybody. This was our fourth time here, and we loved it just as much as the first time. I particularly love the giant bookstore upstairs :)
See? Bookstore bag in hand. Addie's shirt made lots of ladies smile.
Yesterday was our first day up in the mountains at our final destination. High of 75 degrees, loads of sunshine, and absolutely no agenda. We did next to nothing: played on the playground and ping pong, then spent hours at the pool. The last few weeks have been exhausting, and I didn't realize just how tired the kids were until Addie and Gray fell asleep at 5:30 for the night!
Caiden and Chris drove up the mountain last night for the sunset. They saw a giant buck and took a million photos. The sunsets up here are amazing. They hiked up the mountainside together and then came back down once it got completely dark.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Away At Last
I've made it! Over two weeks of exhausting work, getting ready for houseguests and packing for our own vacation and living under one roof with 11 people--6 of them 10 and under. Planning and grocery shopping and cooking and cleaning up messes and trying to figure out renovation mishaps and also dealing with myriad squabbles from cousins who are together all day but aren't used to being together at all. It was good, but by the end, I was wiped out! Living life together is hard work!!
But now we're in the mountains, drinking in cool air and aspens and mountaintops. We're lounging in our jammies until mid-morning and spending our afternoons walking little mountain trails and relaxing at the pool and enjoying just being together. It feels odd to have so little that needs to be done--and it is wonderful.
I brought more books than I'll ever be able to read, and I have high hopes of many hours poolside while my little fish swim away, reading and pondering and just breathing. I gave my sweet husband a fancy-schmancy camera for Father's Day--I'm not even sure I know how to turn it on--and he has spent many hours poring over the manual and help books, snapping away to record the moments of our time together. I'm hoping to upload some photos later; they'll be a huge improvement over the ones I take with my phone!
For now I'm off to go down to the little town below us and breathe deeply the mountain air while we make more memories for our little clan. Ahh, thank You Lord for this time away, at last!
But now we're in the mountains, drinking in cool air and aspens and mountaintops. We're lounging in our jammies until mid-morning and spending our afternoons walking little mountain trails and relaxing at the pool and enjoying just being together. It feels odd to have so little that needs to be done--and it is wonderful.
I brought more books than I'll ever be able to read, and I have high hopes of many hours poolside while my little fish swim away, reading and pondering and just breathing. I gave my sweet husband a fancy-schmancy camera for Father's Day--I'm not even sure I know how to turn it on--and he has spent many hours poring over the manual and help books, snapping away to record the moments of our time together. I'm hoping to upload some photos later; they'll be a huge improvement over the ones I take with my phone!
For now I'm off to go down to the little town below us and breathe deeply the mountain air while we make more memories for our little clan. Ahh, thank You Lord for this time away, at last!
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Getting Ready for Summer
I'm getting ready for summer this weekend:
*For different sides of family coming in this week, some for a little while and some for a longer while--which means buying lots of groceries and planning meals for 11 all week, plus finishing up sewing for the guest bedroom and planning what to do with everybody all week, and cleaning the entire house;
*For our upcoming vacation, which translates into an ever-growing pile of things to take for the 18 hour car ride (each way). I had travel bags made for the kids for Christmas a couple years ago, and each summer I pack them full of goodies and surprises for the long car drive. We tend not to watch very many movies on our drive, so the kids' bags are always packed full of things for them to keep themselves entertained. My own bag includes a new knitting project and some hand sewing, and lots of good books for our time in the mountains. But before we ever get there, I have to make notes for our housesitters and stock up on all the animals' feed and take care of all the other myriad things that make preparing for vacation sort of painful!
*Finally planting flowers in the front flowerbeds, and figuring out ways to combat our plague of grasshoppers. I love seeing flowers but don't love planting them, so I just had to bite the bullet and knock it all out yesterday, so I could cross it off my list. Now I can look at the flowers and just enjoy them! The garden is like a jungle, it's growing so vigorously, and this year's method of gardening is to let it just go wild. The plants are so huge there's not room for weeds, and who really cares if all the cucumbers' and melons' vines sprawl out of their beds? Not me! As long as they are all producing, I don't need a Better Homes and Gardens garden. I just need lots and lots of tomatoes :)
*Wrapping gifts for the multiple June birthdays in our family, and wishing as always that I were better at planning these things ahead of time. I'm notorious for being late for birthday cards and gifts, and despite my resolution to do much better this year, I'm actually doing much worse.
At some point during all of this I'd really, really, really love to take a nap. I'm not seeing it being possible, so a long bath and early bedtime tonight might be my chance at restoration instead. There's no point in running myself ragged before everybody shows up Tuesday, and if I'm tired and run down, I'll be no fun to be around. The next couple weeks are going to be a sprint, but I'm determined to enjoy the race, regardless.
Heading back to the to-do list . . .
*For different sides of family coming in this week, some for a little while and some for a longer while--which means buying lots of groceries and planning meals for 11 all week, plus finishing up sewing for the guest bedroom and planning what to do with everybody all week, and cleaning the entire house;
*For our upcoming vacation, which translates into an ever-growing pile of things to take for the 18 hour car ride (each way). I had travel bags made for the kids for Christmas a couple years ago, and each summer I pack them full of goodies and surprises for the long car drive. We tend not to watch very many movies on our drive, so the kids' bags are always packed full of things for them to keep themselves entertained. My own bag includes a new knitting project and some hand sewing, and lots of good books for our time in the mountains. But before we ever get there, I have to make notes for our housesitters and stock up on all the animals' feed and take care of all the other myriad things that make preparing for vacation sort of painful!
*Finally planting flowers in the front flowerbeds, and figuring out ways to combat our plague of grasshoppers. I love seeing flowers but don't love planting them, so I just had to bite the bullet and knock it all out yesterday, so I could cross it off my list. Now I can look at the flowers and just enjoy them! The garden is like a jungle, it's growing so vigorously, and this year's method of gardening is to let it just go wild. The plants are so huge there's not room for weeds, and who really cares if all the cucumbers' and melons' vines sprawl out of their beds? Not me! As long as they are all producing, I don't need a Better Homes and Gardens garden. I just need lots and lots of tomatoes :)
*Wrapping gifts for the multiple June birthdays in our family, and wishing as always that I were better at planning these things ahead of time. I'm notorious for being late for birthday cards and gifts, and despite my resolution to do much better this year, I'm actually doing much worse.
At some point during all of this I'd really, really, really love to take a nap. I'm not seeing it being possible, so a long bath and early bedtime tonight might be my chance at restoration instead. There's no point in running myself ragged before everybody shows up Tuesday, and if I'm tired and run down, I'll be no fun to be around. The next couple weeks are going to be a sprint, but I'm determined to enjoy the race, regardless.
Heading back to the to-do list . . .
Saturday, June 02, 2012
The Four-Room* Schoolhouse
Yesterday I finished the curtains for the bedroom in our schoolhouse, with a great dramatic sigh of relief. Then I remembered that I still need to make London shades to cover the French doors. (Personally, if I were sleeping out here, I'd never cover any of the windows, but our guests get a little creeped out by the total blackness at night.) So I'm off to the fabric store Monday to buy the last yards of fabric and will be extremely glad to have this project off the list! I think that makes about 55 yards of fabric sewn, and I am a little tired of sewing curtains.
Here's a little peek of what it looks like in our main schoolroom. There's no art or maps or anything on the walls yet because I haven't landed on what I want just yet. These photos are from my phone and don't do it justice; it turned out really cute and so much better than its earlier state as the home to the treadmill and big screen TV!
We are very fortunate to have an entire wall of built-ins in the main room. (To the left of this picture is a sink/counter area behind cabinet doors, a microwave, and a mini fridge also behind closed doors. This used to be a mother-in-law suite, so it is a perfect space for homeschooling!) I haven't arranged the shelves yet but just stuck up the books we need to finish the school year. Every morning I light our candle and drink coffee from my strawberry mug. It's a great way to start the morning!
We quickly found that the screened-in porch off the bedroom is perfect for quiet reading. My husband sits out here every morning for his quiet time, and then the boys come out to do their daily personal reading.
Or they curl up on the couch in the main room.
I bought this table new and immediately painted it, which made my husband's eyes bug out, but I saw this idea on Pinterest and loved it. The table is much happier painted this way, I'm sure of it. And the porch has the same checkerboard pattern on the floor, so they tie together really well.
This is the little bedroom. It has been rearranged since this photo, and the piles will need to be put away, and there are now curtains on the windows and pillows with pillowcases behind the black pillows, but you get the idea. My husband originally despised the black fabric but has come around to its lovely vintage happiness :)
I also painted an unused armoire black and painted the insides of the doors in chalkboard paint, and we use that to house our chalk and dry erase markers. All the blocks and preschool toys go in the cabinets beneath, and someday we'll get a TV to put inside, for watching science videos and things like that. Right now, it's home to a million paint cans from painting everything!
I used the bedroom closet as office space and moved our computer desk into it, then covered it with a curtain. We do use our guest house bedroom probably 30 days a year, but I figured that since we do school 180+ days a year, I needed the closet more for office space than for guests' clothes. (I'll have to figure that out this week, though--my husband's sister and her family are spending a couple weeks here in June and will need some hanging space!)
Once our shed is built I can move the tools out of the lower cabinets and move the rest of school in, and once the bookshelf up in the Happy Room-turned-boys' bedroom is painted, I can figure out which books are going where. Until then, the Happy Room floor is literally covered in books, but since it's upstairs, I can pretend the piles don't exist for now :)
I'll take more pictures once I've decorated the walls and finished the bedroom. I'm really pleased with how things have turned out, and we are loving our little space for school! It's funny how spaces in our home have gone unused until a moment of inspiration struck, and then once we've started using them, we couldn't figure out how we lived without them!
(*Four-Room: family room, bathroom, bedroom, porch. In our climate, the porch can be used 9+ months of the year.)
Here's a little peek of what it looks like in our main schoolroom. There's no art or maps or anything on the walls yet because I haven't landed on what I want just yet. These photos are from my phone and don't do it justice; it turned out really cute and so much better than its earlier state as the home to the treadmill and big screen TV!
We are very fortunate to have an entire wall of built-ins in the main room. (To the left of this picture is a sink/counter area behind cabinet doors, a microwave, and a mini fridge also behind closed doors. This used to be a mother-in-law suite, so it is a perfect space for homeschooling!) I haven't arranged the shelves yet but just stuck up the books we need to finish the school year. Every morning I light our candle and drink coffee from my strawberry mug. It's a great way to start the morning!
We quickly found that the screened-in porch off the bedroom is perfect for quiet reading. My husband sits out here every morning for his quiet time, and then the boys come out to do their daily personal reading.
Or they curl up on the couch in the main room.
I bought this table new and immediately painted it, which made my husband's eyes bug out, but I saw this idea on Pinterest and loved it. The table is much happier painted this way, I'm sure of it. And the porch has the same checkerboard pattern on the floor, so they tie together really well.
This is the little bedroom. It has been rearranged since this photo, and the piles will need to be put away, and there are now curtains on the windows and pillows with pillowcases behind the black pillows, but you get the idea. My husband originally despised the black fabric but has come around to its lovely vintage happiness :)
I also painted an unused armoire black and painted the insides of the doors in chalkboard paint, and we use that to house our chalk and dry erase markers. All the blocks and preschool toys go in the cabinets beneath, and someday we'll get a TV to put inside, for watching science videos and things like that. Right now, it's home to a million paint cans from painting everything!
I used the bedroom closet as office space and moved our computer desk into it, then covered it with a curtain. We do use our guest house bedroom probably 30 days a year, but I figured that since we do school 180+ days a year, I needed the closet more for office space than for guests' clothes. (I'll have to figure that out this week, though--my husband's sister and her family are spending a couple weeks here in June and will need some hanging space!)
Once our shed is built I can move the tools out of the lower cabinets and move the rest of school in, and once the bookshelf up in the Happy Room-turned-boys' bedroom is painted, I can figure out which books are going where. Until then, the Happy Room floor is literally covered in books, but since it's upstairs, I can pretend the piles don't exist for now :)
I'll take more pictures once I've decorated the walls and finished the bedroom. I'm really pleased with how things have turned out, and we are loving our little space for school! It's funny how spaces in our home have gone unused until a moment of inspiration struck, and then once we've started using them, we couldn't figure out how we lived without them!
(*Four-Room: family room, bathroom, bedroom, porch. In our climate, the porch can be used 9+ months of the year.)
Friday, June 01, 2012
First June Day
I only have a couple minutes this beautiful first Friday in June to sit and write--there's much to do on my list, with only one more Friday before we have a houseful of people for quite awhile.
Sure, we can live without planting the pots on our deck, or having curtains hung up in the guest house bedroom, or finishing painting the boys' new room, but I want to make sure our coming house guests know they're loved and anticipated. Last year's dead flowers in the deck pots just don't do it!
Sally wrote this in her most recent post: "Today, when you nurture, love and meet the needs of your beloveds with beauty, it will make a difference in how they face their whole day." I love that! My job as wife and mother can become mundane and bitter easily if I focus on the endless dishes, messes, and laundry, or it can become a beautiful life of service if I focus on the ones I serve and the reasons behind it.
So in that spirit, I'm folding and putting away laundry, cleaning up the deck and bringing home flowers to plant, finishing up the final curtain for the guest house (finally!), and planning something nice for dinner to celebrate this first day of June. And if we can figure out how, we're going to fit in taking our kids to the pool for a couple house this afternoon, because Friday is Daddy's day off, and it can't be all work, no play!
Happy June to you, too, as you look for ways to put Sally's wisdom into practice!
Sure, we can live without planting the pots on our deck, or having curtains hung up in the guest house bedroom, or finishing painting the boys' new room, but I want to make sure our coming house guests know they're loved and anticipated. Last year's dead flowers in the deck pots just don't do it!
Sally wrote this in her most recent post: "Today, when you nurture, love and meet the needs of your beloveds with beauty, it will make a difference in how they face their whole day." I love that! My job as wife and mother can become mundane and bitter easily if I focus on the endless dishes, messes, and laundry, or it can become a beautiful life of service if I focus on the ones I serve and the reasons behind it.
So in that spirit, I'm folding and putting away laundry, cleaning up the deck and bringing home flowers to plant, finishing up the final curtain for the guest house (finally!), and planning something nice for dinner to celebrate this first day of June. And if we can figure out how, we're going to fit in taking our kids to the pool for a couple house this afternoon, because Friday is Daddy's day off, and it can't be all work, no play!
Happy June to you, too, as you look for ways to put Sally's wisdom into practice!
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