Colorado Vacation

I actually started this post a couple weeks ago and when I was almost done, I hit some BAD key and poof, the whole thing was gone. I've was so discouraged I haven't been able to blog since. So here I am, back on the horse again.

I just wanted to share a few pictures from our trip. It was not our typical Colorado vacation. Not nearly enough isolation (overdeveloped Avon) wooded trails (covered in snow still) and streams (roaring rivers) and hiking (3 year old) for me. So we ended up paying for fun instead of just exploring. Not good for the vacation budget but still created some good memories.

This is our condo. We did end up listening to a time share presentation to get the 4 nights free in a future Sheraton stay. I would definitely not go back here unless I was skiing. It would be a great location for that.
Since we were not nestled into the side of a mountain but instead located on a busy street, the boys did way too much of this.
We went up to Beaver Creek Village where they had Blue, Brews and BBQ going on as well as the normal fair of bungee trampoline, wall climbing and putt putt which seems to be the standard fair for summer fun at a ski resort. No alpine slide though. The three oldest did the wall climb. It was actually a pretty challenging climb on the right side.



Grant stuck with the left side. They made it to the top!All four took a stab at bungee trampoline, even Micah. You can see video at the bottom of this post. Micah thought it was great. Drew had a great time while he was doing it but got very motion/altitude sick when he got off. He missed putt putt in favor of the men's room. He felt better when he got some brisket in him!




Keeping score is not even worth it when Micah is on the course. See the snow in the background!
Micah found this friend in a general store.
Grant had to conquer this river. Micah desperately wanted to try but we all knew how that would end up.
They had a tent set up with crafts for kids. Micah and Grant enjoyed that.
Micah made a mask...
...and a guitar (with which he became inseparable! Picture stepping onto an elevator and seeing a paper guitar rockin' three year old in a mask!)
Grant made a hat.
There was a great park nearby with a fishing lake and a playground. We spent quite a bit of time here, especially Micah and I.



We went to Eagle and went bowling one night. We found a coupon in one of the flyers they have around. It was a GREAT place. Drew was so wishing we had something like it in Hesston. I told him he needs to take the Entrepreneurship class before he graduates and make it his project to find out what it takes to build and run a place like this.

Micah's first bowl stopped just shy of the pins. This meant the manager had to climb down and get it. He enthusiastically offered this ramp for Micah's use! Micah loved it! And we loved it because it meant the rest of us got a turn! You can watch the other video below of his strike!
They serve our pizza on this table so we eat while we bowl. They had a great menu of pastas and salads as well. If you're curious, check out their web site.The next day Drew, Mark and Grant went to Hanging Lake. This time it was Dean who didn't feel well. It was a forty-five minute drive to get there but there really were no trails open around us. But it was worth it!



When they got back we celebrated Micah's 3rd Birthday!
Tuesday was Glenwood. Notice how few people there were. The weather was perfect. I was so sorry I didn't get a picture of Micah's tent. We set a small tent up on this hill above the pool under a tree for Micah to take his nap. Of course I had to lay down with him. It was so great. The temperature, sleeping on the side of a mountain under a tree, cuddling and reading books. A great memory.

Remember the bubble chairs? They are still there and still only 25 cents!This might be the only picture with me in it! And how lovely I look, NOT!
Video time!

Toilet Trumpet Voluntary

Brings new meaning to tooting on the toilet, don't you think?

Do you want to hear the concert for yourself? Click the play button below!

A Rare Quiet Moment

I didn't really plan to stay home from Sunday School but here I am. And I must say, that irregardless of how good Sunday School might be today, I think my soul needed the peace and quiet more. It is a beautiful, sunny, so far windless day. Perfect day for sitting on the deck and listening to the birds and blogging a bit.

Mark had a new record of high school graduation invitations this year, 41! It's not as bad as it sounds as some are having their celebrations together. We covered six in one stop yesterday. There's enough difference in the times, that he just may make it to all them them. (I didn't go to all of them. I spent most of the evening helping Des with her son, John's.) Of course we can't get a gift for everyone, but he does write a personal note to each one which takes a lot of time. Hopefully they appreciate his effort. He is well loved and it is gratifying to see someone who so obviously loves what they do and have the kids respond to him in this way. Even after doing that job for 21 years he has lost none of his enthusiasm.

I must admit that I'm freaking out knowing that this graduation thing will be at our door step in two short years. We've been taking Drew to these open houses the past 15 years. It's hard to believe his turn is so close. It makes me cry just thinking about it. I talked to a friend who assured me that even as we grieve the end of one season, we can be assured the best is yet to come. I trust her because her two boys and one girl are grown and gone with only one daughter left at home. She'll be a senior next year. So I'm trying to believe her and not my feelings.

I am starting to realize that I don't have time and energy for all things and that I must pick and choose carefully or I will miss what is really important. I know, you would think I would have learned this earlier, and actually I have, many times. The problem is, I have to keep learning it. And things come up - a little here, a little there - and it's like the frog in boiling water. All of a sudden, you're thinking, "Man, it's hot in here!" My recent diagnosis of Adrenal Fatigue confirmed what my mind and body had been screaming - something's gotta give! So I am looking for ways to make my world a bit smaller, at least for now. To really focus and be present in the NOW and not worried about keeping so many balls in the air. I don't want to miss a minute.

Micah turns three next week. It has gone by in a heartbeat. A month later Drew turns 16, beat-beat, that fast. What a great young man he is becoming. I'm so proud of him. And what great things he has learned by being Micah's big brother. If there is an award for Best Big Brother, I can't imagine he wouldn't win. I am in awe of him.

If I'm going to make it to church, I need to get in the shower. Singing praise songs always fills my soul so I don't want to miss it.

April Update

I haven't written for awhile. It has been an incredibly busy month and quite frankly, I'm a bit numb. The last month I've gone to more tennis tournaments than I can count, a few flag football games (Grant), a piano recital, wrapped up Hide 'N Seek including our final program, struggled to only work 3 days a week in the office resulting in many hours from home, our new "Vickie" started at work (her name is Jan) as well as a couple others we hired, took a business trip to Phoenix, and planted our garden to try to reduce the grocery bill and tried, unsucessfully, to keep up with grocery shopping, housework and meals. Last weekend was our final HNS performance and Drew and Dean both wrapped up their tennis seasons. Mark still has a couple weeks left. The next three weeks bring youth group dinners, tennis banquets, middle school open houses (yes, Grant is "graduating from Elementary School), field trips, high school college credit enrollment (yes, Drew can begin earning college credit!), Mother's Day, baby showers, bridal showers, graduations and open houses, more new employees and FINALLY a vacation - to Colorado - over Memorial Day weekend. Some people dread the busyness of the holiday season. For us, that season is April and May.

This season has always been busy for us, but add to it the demands of a two year old, two boys in tennis as well as the coach, working an extra day, being in a new position and being an employee short for the past seven months has been enough to send my adrenals into the critical zone. My doctor called with that news last week. So, my job for the next six months at least, is to figure out how to rebuild my adrenals as well as figure out how to reduce my stress. Since I'd like to keep the kids and the marriage, I'll be doing a lot of praying about what of the other needs to go.

Micah and I spent quite a bit of time outside planting flowers and putting in the last of the garden. I finally got my floor mopped and a couple phone calls made. If you looked at my house, you would wonder what I did all day because it definitely looks unattended. But it seems that even when I give it attention, it still look as though I didn't 15 minutes later, so might as well leave it as is and enjoy the sunshine, right?

Usually I am looking forward to summer and really, I still am. But it brings so much activity and chaos as well as shoes, towels, toys, books, balls, music, noise, food, dirty dishes, unending trips to the grocery store and friends all over the house all the time that I must admit, I'm feeling the anxiety of it creeping in. I hope I have enough time to regroup before it all hits. Otherwise, I may need to go away by myself for a few days to restore sanity around late June. I'm going to need to put in some strict chore lists and standards. It doesn't help to write "pick up the house" if their standard is "but I'm going to use that raquet again tonight" and "but the towel is drying on that chair" and "but I thought Drew was going to eat that cereal too". That's the trouble with not being here everyday to maintain. It can get really out of hand in a very short time and then I walk in and feel completely overwhelmed. Which is basically where I am now. So hopefully this will pass before May 22nd.

I know I have much to be thankful for. My children are healthy, our families are doing well, wonderful friends, great community, fabulous church. So many, many blessings. Just writing that makes me feel more at peace. But I do sense God calling me to find the still waters as best I can in this next season and take stock. Two short years before Drew graduates. Two short years left with Micah before kindergarten. Too precious to not be intentional about savoring every moment. I tend to stretch myself very thin serving in a myriad of ways - particularly at work and church. It is hard to say no to things I know I can do and would enjoy. But I must remind myself that every yes I say somewhere else, often means a no to my family in some way. We have pulled together well this past eight months but it was intended as a season and it's time to regroup. I know God has new and wonderful things in store but I must let go of some of the old to make room for the new. That's a good thing.

The Life of Micah as Captured by Drew

Drew took Micah on a photgraphic adventure last night. It didn't start out as the plan. They were playing in Micah's room and they both came out asking for the camera. Drew said, "You gotta see this!" followed by Micah's "Yeah mom, come see me." I followed them into Micah's room to see Drew turn Micah's crib mattress into a Micah-swatter (think fly swatter) with Micah looking like a squished bug with his head peaking out. From there the game was on and they went all over the house setting up photo ops. It was pretty hilarious. Micah was exhausted when all was said and done and came begging for someone to "put me nigh-night!"

They even did costume changes!

...and commerative photos

...and photos with special effects!

Blueberry Catepillar

Brings Back Memories

I kept Micah's crib mattress knowing that it would come in handy. It's been a trampoline, a fort wall, a fort roof, a punching bag, a kicking bag, a target and now a sled. Every kid needs to have a staircase or at least access to one! I remember many sledding events down our back staircase at the Euclid house. Not many better ways to spend a cold wintery night than this! (Click the play button to view the video!)