Trip to Colorado Springs

Last Saturday we decided to take a impromptu trip to Colorado Springs to see the Garden of the Gods. It turned out to be an adventure that lasted until 6PM that night. I had never been down to the springs and have been wanting to go for 3 years now so it was fun to be able to see it. I am also teaching Colorado history for the first time and am gathering up information to be a better teacher. We stopped at Garden of the Gods which was beautiful but more touristy they I was expecting.




Then, we heard the the Anasazi cliff dwellings were interesting and checked them out. They have been there since the 1100's and are in great condition. It was interesting to learn how they lived in the foothills of Pikes Peak.


We ended up our adventure at the pioneer museum in downtown Colorado Springs where we learned all about the allure of PIkes Peak and what brought so many people to the region.

This mama is back to work!

Today I started back to work teaching 4th grade for the first time. It feels good to see everyone here and catch up on the summer. It is also fun meeting my new students this afternoon (they are just dropping off their supplies) and will start up on Monday. I will miss not being able to play with Luke during the day and do fun things like go to the zoo, children's aquarium or a long walk around Wash Park. However, I am thankful to have a job and so blessed that Luke has a great place to go and be taken care of when I am gone during the week.

One cool dude!

Luke can now say his name but it comes out as uke instead of Luke. :)

Beautiful Crested Butte Colorado

Last Monday Nick, Luke and I headed out on our family vacation to Crested Butte. We picked Crested Butte because of its beautiful wildflowers and scenic mountains. It took 5 hours to get there with a lunch stop on the way and Luke did great! We stayed at the Elk Mountain Lodge which was a block away from the main street. The first day we did a more local hike off by the ski mountain and I was amazed at all the wildflowers that were there!

Then we enjoyed the free concert in the park where Luke danced to reggae music. The next day, Nick planned an adventure up to the Maroon Bells mountains and to get there we had to go on a 4WD road. It was not bad until Nick jumped out and had to check out a river (ok.. more like a stream) crossing before we made it to the trailhead. This hike was the most beautiful hike I have ever been on in my life because of the red colored mountains, river next to the trail and the abundance of wildflowers of all kinds. I wish that I had a better camera to capture the scenery.




At the end of the hike, Luke was so tired that he fell quickly to sleep while Nick carried him back to the car. What a great vacation!
P.S. the three of us were never as popular as we were on that hike up West Maroon. At least 3 people took picture of us with their own camera and Nick even got the "dad of the year" designation from another hiker.

Butterfly Pavillion

This morning was another fun outing with my MOD mom's friends. We went to the butterfly pavilion up by Boulder and the boys got to check out all sorts of bugs and butterflies. At least this time they were all in cages so Luke did not get the chance to squish any creepy crawlies like he has done in the backyard.
OH NO... a giant praying mantis!

Family and Friends in Claremont

After we got back from Kauai, I spent another 10 days in Claremont having fun with Luke and seeing friends in the area. We went to South Coast Plaza Mall which is were my mom took me when I was little to ride the carousel. Uncle Dennis (Nick's uncle) came out from Palm Desert for a visit and we also got together with Deanna and Carter for a playdate in the park. Melissa and I were able to spend a lunch together in Pasadena but we did not take a picture. :( Luke also learned lots of new things, one of which was to kick a soccer ball thanks to Granddad and Uncle Dean.

Aloha in Kauai!

We spent 10 days in Kauai with my Mom and Gramci. Our trip started out great when Luke got invited to sit in the cockpit with the pilor before we take off. We had a great time playing in the water and in the ocean. Luke decided to like the pool water the last day of our trip but when he liked it, he did not want to get out! A highlight of our trip was when Gramci got on the surfboard and rode the waves.