Had a blast in Steamboat Springs.

The Lynch Pins headed on up to Steamboat Springs for sun, fun and family time.

My baby girl

My sweet baby girl Angel turns 16 years old tomorrow. Where have the years gone? She is content having me drive her places or riding the bus. No hurry to get her driver's license. I am really proud of her.

The Explorers

This weekend, while I was trying to stay cool in the hot weather, my brother and sister in law, my husband and my 15 year old daughter, Beans, trekked off to climb Mt. Massive. Mt. Massive is 14 thousand feet above sea level. It is also the 2nd highest mountain in Colorado. WOW. They started their climb at 6:30am and reached the top 4 hours later. Hubby said that about 1 hour into their climb Beans looked as though she was exhausted and determined never to climb a 14er again. However, she pushed through, never once uttering a complaint. Way to go!!!! When she got home she talked about what a great time she had and how she was looking forward to climbing again. This is the 4th 14 footer my husband has climbed and hopefully the first of many Beans will climb. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we hit the fountains in Old Town Arvada. I was blessed to be able to watch my 2 year old nephew. The kids got along great. When Husband got home he showed me the pictures and I felt winded just looking at them they were breathtaking. I may even be persuaded to hike a mountain, but not one called MT. MASSIVE.

crazy at 4

Kids say the funniest things. Today my 4 year old princess came to tell me, "I am ready to go outside mom, see I have my shoes on." She beamed at me proudly. I said "good job, but you have your shoes on the wrong feet." "I know" she giggled then shrugging her shoulders and said, "I am guess I'm a maniac." Then she walked outside. I had no idea maniacs put their shoes on the wrong feet.

Home Life vs Wild Life

No, these are not some hairless bears we saw in Alaska, Princess and Sonshine foraging for food ( Raspberries) in the back Yard.

Summer Fun

I love Spaving. That's spending.... with a whole lot of saving. I scourer the ads, clip the coupons, and shop the clearances.

But even better, I love having fun when the price tag is FREE.

So as summer approached, I rose to the challenge of finding fun, FREE things to do with my family. It was a sort of adventure.

Here is the list of adventures we have had this year:

Monday, Daddy is off and that is the most fun of all.

We have attended a bible study/play date every Tuesday.

Every Wednesday we mosey on over to the local theater and take in a free previously seen movie at 10am. We just saw Eragon, it was even better on a big screen, however seeing Charlotte the spider and Templeton the Rat bigger than life was a little unnerving.

Thursday we take advantage of the fun free things the library has offered with their summer reading program. Bowling, eating at chick fil a, a lakeside trip (soon to be had). Next Thursday we are going to go for Ice Cream For FREE!!!!!!!! What is cooler that that, no pun in tented.

Oh........... and of coarse we have been reading.

Laced in and out of these various adventure, we have attended free, ticked events offered by the libraries. Today we attended two, the second being a magic comedy. Watching the kids laugh and the amazement on their faces at the magic was worth more that all the money in the world.

On the way to each event we listen to books on CD in the car. We have three going right now. "Adventures in Odyssey" when all the the kiddos are there, "Harmless" when only Corine and Rachel ( since it covers topics for more Mature audiences,) and when I get the few opportunities to be alone on a road trip I listen to "Gilead." My kids love it and get upset when I turn the car off. It is magical watching them use their imaginations as they picture what is going on in the story.( I have rented all these books on CD from the library and they will remain free if I remember to return them on time. apparently the due date is not just a suggestion: )

And Friday is just not Friday unless we go over to Uncle Steve's and the cousin's to play football in and out of their pool.

Part of this summer is the fountains they put in front of the Arvada Library. Fully clothed or in a swim suit, the kids love to get wet in the water that shoots out of the ground.

While My husband and I were in Alaska, Nana and Papa opened their pool and that will be our next spot for free enjoyment.

I figure the kids will have to go back to school to get some rest. Our summer has been grand.

Alaska Vacation

Carl and Michelle infron of a Bed and Breakfast

Just me and Husband

My husband and I just returned, yesterday, from a wonderful trip in Alaska, Just the two of us. Nana and Papa took to the challenge of watching our 4 beautiful children. (spoiling in reality. but that's what Nana's and Papa's are for:)

My Husband and I took in Alaska and all it's wonders by float plane, raft trip, cruise and open road. What a glorious, and chilly, place. In Alaska you get the diversity of Colorado plus Ocean, Glaciers and big Mosquitoes. We saw Whales, a moose, and a bear from the sky in the float plane as well as a lot of land only accessible by plane. I loved to fly in a float plane, much to my suprise and hope to see the world this way someday.

On land we saw Bears ( lots of them) catching Salmon swimming upstream. We saw moose and more bald Eagles then I have ever seen in my life. We took a trip down the icy river that started from a glacier. and do I mean Icy. We even experienced the feeling of being on some great rapids without a guide, as ours, hitting a rapid too sideways was swept out the the raft into the icy water. That was quite a heart racing time. Even though I knew the rapids we rafted on were class 4s and 5s and offered danger and excitement even with a guide, it sure was comforting when he was back in control of things. ( I think there is a parable in there somewhere:)) And we partyed until 11:30pm even till 1:am on some nights because the sun didn't go down until then. We did miss seeing the fireworks though.

Thank God for cell phones so we could stay in touch with our kiddos who we missed much. We didn't let our missing the kids spoil our "honeymoon." Our 4th "honeymoon" to be excact, thanks to our generous parents who offer us this valuable opportuntiy. It was good for the kids to get a "vacation" from us too and they love staying at Nana's and Papa's.