The Grand Camping Finale

We haven't done anything too exciting this summer but we have certainly done our share of camping! And there is no shortage of beautiful camping locations in Colorado! The road took us to Chatfield, Devi's Head and this time around, we took a four hour drive to Steamboat Lake. 

Nate was able to take Friday off. I had to work a few hours and then we took off to meet the Syers family who had been camping since Thursday. Jeremy and Lindsay would meet us on Saturday!

When we got there, it was crazy windy and we had to quickly set up our tent before the rain hit. We were set up just in time.

It wouldn't be camping without rain! 

The weather made for some beautiful sunset photos...

...and rainbow photos...

...and scary dark sky photos! 

When it wasn't raining or windy, the lake was so calm and beautiful!

Wes and Cara purchased a couple of rafts and we all took turns out on the water.

 And there was so much fishing!!! 

 Can you believe that she caught this fish!!! We were so happy for her. 

 She was the only one to catch a fish all weekend.

 We couldn't believe the wild life. There were even deer (or some sort of hooved animal) outside of our tent in the middle of the night. The elk were bugling and Elizabeth claims that she saw a moose.

 Up the road a bit, there was a watering hole and these horses. The kids spent a lot of time petting and feeding them! 

 Then there was more fishing...

 The kids were obsessed with catching crawdads. 

There's a great thrill in being brave enough to pick one up!

The sunrise was also lovely. 

And that concludes a summer full of camping! We loved Steamboat Lake but not the drive!

We had a wonderful time and look forward to next summer. 

I can hardly believe that summer is almost over. Now it's time for ski season! 

"I And Love And You"

I think that it was back in March or April that we purchased our tickets for the Avett Brothers show at Red Rocks. Finally, the day had arrived and we were all so very excited.

The day before, our friends/Natalie's cousins from Minnesota flew into Denver. I met them for some mashed potatoes and green chili at the Bull and Bush. Fun times, but that's not what this story is all about!

 Dana--our fearless leader and ultimate party-planner had reserved a big bus to take us to and from the show. We piled in our coolers of beer and off we went.

 We knew it would rain, but we embraced it! 

 At one point, we were surrounded by a couple of large buses that drove across country picking up Avett Bros fans for the show! The buses were very colorful!

 It was wet! 

We got to meet up with our neighbors once we were up there.

It was a beautiful night!

Everybody had such a blast. It's not very often that the entire group is able to find sitters and get together for a full evening of fun! Nate and I later decided that it was our favorite show that either of us had ever been to! The music was great, the scenery was perfect and the company was wonderful! 

A perfect night!

Family Fun at the Golf Course

A few weeks ago, we went on a family outing to hit the Par 3 at Broken Tee! 

Abby pretty much goofs around the whole time. We always have to tell her to be quiet, which I'm sure doesn't make sense to her since we're playing outside! The girl needs a lesson in golf etiquette, but she loves to be out there and especially loves riding in the golf carts.

Elizabeth has gotten more serious about her golf game. She typically has a few holes in her before she starts messing around with her sister! Look at that form!

I'm glad that Nate lets us share in the sport that he loves! 

I love Colorado! The sun was shining and the mountains were in the background while we played golf. Who could ask for anything more?

Bare feet on the green!

The 4th of July: KPP Volleyball Champs!

The 4th of July this year took place mostly at Kings Point Pool. We made a whole day of it! Starting with the KPP 4th of July parade.

We circled the neighborhood. The kids decorated their bicycles and rode them in the parade. Neighbors sat out on their lawns and waved at the kids as they went by!

Next would be the Volleyball Tournament. A solid four hours of volleyball games. Five teams of four players each. The Syers family joined us on our team and we took the tournament! I think that the teams may have been a bit unfair...

We posed for the champion photo! (I remember this pose from high school.)

 For the past two years, we've spent the 4th of July with the Syers' so we continued the tradition! After a full day of swimming and volleyball, we took our championship winnings and went out to eat at Mellow Mushroom! 

 We knew that we wanted to see some fireworks but wanted to avoid the crowd. We joined the Syers' at a show in their old neighborhood. We picked up ice cream cones on the way and then enjoyed the show from a safe distance! We were able to pull right out when the show was over!

Another memorable 4th of July!

Devil's Head Adventures and Other Camping Success Stories!

Before the summer even began we had started scheduling camping trips! Trip #2 brought us to Devils Head and Rampart Range. For this short trip, the husbands weren't going to be able to take Friday off. In order to make the trip worth all of the efforts required to set up camp, Cara and I decided that we would brave nature and head up with the kids without the husbands. 

We packed up our cars, and hit the road towards Sedalia, CO. Nate typically drives and therefor, it had been a long time since I had taken to the road behind the wheel! I rather enjoyed the relaxing drive and the beauty that surrounded us as we exited the city limits.

The Syers Family had been to Devils Head two weeks earlier, so Cara had a pretty good idea of where we should make camp. We found a lovely spot by the stream. 

The ground was a touch lumpy...but that's OK. Cara used her lumber-jack skills (cutting down all of those Christmas trees sure has paid off) and chipped away at the roots that would otherwise cause a painful night's sleep. 

We were just like Annie Oakley...

...and Calamity Jane!

After we created a flat ground, we began setting up our tents. I had picked up a new tent on the way out of town and therefor, it took us a few minutes to figure it all out :) 

 But, we eventually built our shelters!

This is a far cry from the mini-tent that our family had been sleeping in! 

 

 We had sleeping quarters and shelter from the rain! 

Even the potties were charming!

 We had a bee-bee gun in case of danger!

 After camp was all set up, Cara and I realized that we needed to relax and re-energize. The kids played a friendly game of UNO.

After a while, we took a walk up to the pay station. 

 There are a lot of rock "fortresses", as the kids called them. We spent some time exploring the many nooks and crannies of these rocks! 

We also had a chance to breathe the fresh air and take in all that nature has to offer! 

 

After the hike, we gathered and cut some firewood (yes, we still have all four of our limbs) and started a fire.

 Around 5:00 p.m., the husbands arrived. While Cara and I handled our own quite well, we were certainly glad to have our guys there to help! Wes and Cara provided dinner (pasta shells, sauce, and garlic bread) and we provided the morning's breakfast (tin foil burritos with green chili).

We enjoyed a lovely dinner.

Here is Cara using more of her backpacking survival skills to clean her pot!

 As it became dark, we realized more and more that we were all exhausted. Cara and I had a long, hard, but enjoyable day, building camp and taking care of our high-energy children. Nate and Wes had worked all day and they were also exhausted. So, after smores and a night-cap, we all entered our tents for a decent (considering the baby crying and loud music at the site next to us) nights sleep!!!

We woke up on Saturday to celebrate Cara's birthday. We started the morning with breakfast and then the guys took the ATVs out for a spin. 

But first, they gave each of the kids a short spin!

Cara and I braved the wilderness once again by taking all five of the kids (and Lucy) up the Devil's Head trailhead! I later discovered that the 1.4 mile (one-way) hike is a 940 ft. elevation gain!

At the top of the trailhead are 143 steps to climb to get to the Lookout Fire Tower!

The climb was well worth the overwhelming beauty at the top! 

 I remembered making this hike as a kid and was so happy to be able to share it with the girls! Different stages of life bring different levels of appreciation. I was happy to be surrounded by family and friends and to be able to share in all of God's creation! 

The scenery was breathtaking and the company wasn't bad either! 

We were pretty proud of the kids for making it to the top! They were really patient and tough! 

And then, it was time to head back down! Payton, Brady, and Elizabeth jogged the entire way down! Cara and I walked with Abby, Landon, and Lucy. We finally made it back to camp and the guys had started breaking down camp (I was relieved to not have to do it)!

 But, before the trip was over, Cara and I took some time to ourselves (the first time all weekend) and went took the ATVs to one of the "green" trails...WE HAD A BLAST!!! 

I was a bit nervous at first, but I was given great instruction and Cara was about as careful as I was! 

We are so blessed to have such wonderful places to retreat to, only an hour away from home. I love Colorado and can't wait for camping trip #3 to Steamboat Lake. 

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARA! Thanks for sharing your big day with us!