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