A Sweet Cure for the Summertime Blues

While the summer months wind down, I have become more and more jealous of time.  Trying to prolong the days and fun-in-the-sun with Emma Rose and Porter, we sure have made some fun memories.  Our days usually start with the kids and I doing some basic chores, eating some breakfast, then spending some time reading.  I love that this is the morning warm spot that the kids have found as their favorite place to read:

As soon as they leave, the cats settle down to sun-bathe!

While Porter is quickly drawn to his neighborhood buddies, dying to go outside and play, Emma Rose loves her daily art time.  Every day is something new.  This is my favorite of the month:

Emma Rose has her share of friends in the neighborhood, too.  Sidewalk chalk, dressing up, and doing each other's hair are among their current, favorite summertime activities:

We've had a couple fun days at the lake with some of the neighborhood kids as well.  The kids LOVE Trevor and Tyler (Tyler is 13, but Emma Rose swears Tyler is her best friend... Trevor is one of Porter's besties!)

I had a nice weekend with my sisters and mom in Fort Collins, but first met up with Grandma and Grandpa in Idaho Springs.  Emma Rose was fascinated with the old mine set-up at Beau Jo's.

They spent the weekend in Breckenridge with Alaska cousins, Dylan and Morgan!

One morning was spent at the adventure park at the top of the mountain.

Jenny, Jackie, Becky, my mom, and I had a lovely time in Fort Collins.  I was able to read and drink full, hot cups off coffee in the quiet of the morning.  We had some great shopping, dining, and visiting of breweries.

 New Belgian Brewery,

Odell's Brewery,

and my personal favorite, Funkwerks! were the breweries we enjoyed.

When I got back, we got to host Dylan and Morgan overnight.  The kids had so much fun together.

 The kids and I spent a beautiful afternoon in Golden this past weekend on the river.

And of course, for their "strenuous" 2-mile jog along the river, they were rewarded with their favorite icecream treat from Golden Sweets.

Summer has been sweet, and I don't have many more days left to enjoy Porter and Emma Rose is this ripe, innocent stage without the restraints of school, work, sports, and activities.  I'm so grateful that we've had a relaxing summer!

Freedom, Family, and S'mores

What a great month we've had so far.  Pool days, lake time, soccer games, and I'm so grateful that my hip has healed enough that I can even get on a bike and ride with the kids!

Porter got tickets to the Rapids game for his birthday... SO much fun!

The kids spent a fun week at Faith Christian Academy's soccer camp.

The 4th of July turned out to be a fun celebration this year, starting out in our neighborhood, followed by a week in Granby.

Thanks to my brother, Chad, and his family, we got to spend a week in their Granby home, roasting s'mores, golfing, hiking, and just plain relaxing.

Porter & Corey, on the hole by the house...

Here are some fun pictures of the kids' 4-mile hike near Granby Lake:

State flower!!!

We also spent a day in Rocky Mountain National Park.  We saw bald eagles, herds of elk, moose, and deer, not to mention glorious views of the Rocky Mountains.

We also went on a beautiful hike near Adams Falls and the kids had a blast playing in the river overlooking the falls.

Of course, we spent some time at one of our favorite places, Devil's Thumb.  The kids roasted marshmallows and pet horses, and played horseshoes.

The time of relaxation and exploration in the mountains was beautiful and awesome.  Still, some of my favorite moments this month were spent absorbing Emma Rose's sweet, innocent personality.  She lost her first 2 teeth recently, and, of her own volition, she wrote to the Tooth Fairy.  And the Tooth Fairy replied in kind:

I don't mind giving kisses to this bundle of joy every single night...

Here's a to-do list of hers that I found one day ... being a kid is so great, right?

And here's a picture of her after we spent an entire afternoon making jewelry (so that she can "have fashion")

And absolutely nothing beats time with cousins!

We love love love summer.  Wishing you joy and fun and memories as well!

Love,

The Sowas