Counting Down the Final Days of Summer

"Oh, what do you do in the summer time when all the world is green..." is the beginning of a familiar Primary song. With the final days of summer upon us, and days of learning and homework looming in the near future, we spent a few of our last days of summer this way...

Freezing Yummy Palisade, Colorado Grown Peaches...

GO TEAM GO!

Playing at Lake Lansing Park South

Playing on the playground and making new friends...

Fishing off a dock at Lake Lansing, with once again, no luck thus far at catching fish in Michigan...

Swimming on the beach, and Ellary insisting on wearing her goggles in the water and out...

Seeing the Animals at the Zoo "Roarrrr!" This is Kourtney doing her best lion impression.

Alyson hanging on for dear life! Her legs are as long as the giraffe's legs!

Ellary found a friend and planted herself behind it.

First Day of School 2010

Alyson (now in 2nd grade) and Kourtney (now in 1st grade) began a new school year on the 7th of September-my birthday! Now that they've had a month of new teachers and classes, they give the school year thus far an...

Koco chose to pose this way all by herself!

Memories on the Mountain

Kris, Alyson, Kourtney, Ellary, Keegan, Leighton, Melanie and I spent one morning up on the Grand Mesa at Cottonwood Lake #4. This beautiful lake, where Eleonore used to take Kris and his brother camping when they were young, is one of the places that she loved best and where she requested some of her ashes be spread. We brought Eleonore's urn with us, and spent a quiet morning fishing and marveling at the majestic Colorado mountain splendor. Fishing wasn't so great, 3 fish in the span of 4 1/2 hours, but it was fun all the same. We didn't spread Eleonore's ashes. We took them home with us and it feels right that way. We will just have to make a trip next summer and whether we do it then or not, it doesn't matter much. What does is that we remember the wonderful times we spent with her and with each other and look forward to times yet to come. Ellary's first real time using a fishing pole.

Leighton managed to reel in this fish while eating a sandwich.

Keegan's first time up on the mountain.

A Grand Valley Afternoon

While we were in Grand Junction in August, my sister came into town for a few days and brought her kids and a friend. We spent one afternoon having a picnic in Palisade and scouting out peaches. Then we went to the farmer's market on Main Street.



Alyson monopolized this hoola hoop. She's a pro!

Ellary thought spinning around while Leighton held the hoop constituted as hoola hooping!

A local bike shop supplied a bunch of bikes for people to ride. Our family tried most of them...Some were easier than others! Eventually Kourtney and Kris were able to stay up on this bicycle built for two.

A Hike in Our Backyard

Basically, just behind where Kris and I grew up, is the Colorado National Monument. One way of describing it is that it's like a miniature Grand Canyon. So, it has almost become tradition that any time we visit, or Kris' nephew Leighton visits, that we take a hike on this beautiful natural landmark. Kris and Carolyn took Leighton, Josh, and Alyson on a hike to Independence Rock one morning that we were in Grand Junction.

Up on the Hill of the Grand Junction Cemetary

One of the first things we did when we returned to Grand Junction from our trip to San Francisco was visit the cemetery. This trip was our first time back to Colorado as a family since Mutti passed away last August, and it was pretty difficult. Everywhere we went we were reminded of her and how quickly it seemed our time with her had gone, so going to the cemetery, where not only are some of Mutti's ashes buried, but where Kris' sister and grandmother are also buried was difficult but also peaceful in a way. Kris designed a beautiful headstone for Mutti and Adrian, with some help from me and Leighton (he got to design his dad's headstone), and they turned out nicely. In a way the headstone was a gift from Mutti to us, a place where we can go and feel closer to her. Lying up on a hill overlooking Grand Junction, one of the most amazing views in the whole Grand Valley, a place that Mutti dearly loved, lay four headstones of family members that we dearly love. Here are some pictures of a few moments we took in order to spend a little time with them.