Colorado

I haven't figured out how to download our pictures on Papa Paul and GB's computer yet so this is going to be a no-picture post. Just some highlights of our trip so far.

Kiley Highlights

Swim Lessons: so far she has been learning the breast stroke and swimming like a frog. She is officially half fish.

Water Park: The hotel we stayed at in Alamosa had an indoor water park that her Dad took her to every day we were there. There is also a water park in La Junta that she has gone to multiple times.

Toads: The toads have been spreading the word that Kiley is baaack! She has caught up to 12 at one time. We thought Kalin would be into the toads but she screams whenever she is near them, Jon had to bribe her with candy to even touch one this year.

Kalin Highlights

Chickens- She's like her mom and loves them. When we got back from Alamosa she ran to say hello and got attacked by one, actually the rooster attacked her (so that isn't really a highlight, but when you see her you'll have to ask her about it, it is quite comical!). The blood curdling scream got my blood rushing....

Mooses aka Horses- GB and Papa Paul have horses grazing in their pasture. Kalin still refers to them as "those mooses" but sometimes she will call them horses.

Wading Pool- Loves swimming in the yard, naked! We tried a few swimming lessons but she just wasn't going for it.

We are having a blast! We went to Alamosa and got to go to the Alligator Farm and the Sand Dunes, plus spend some quality time with the Alamosa Clouses.

It hits 60 degrees and look what happens....

Pool party! Kiley, Kalin and the neighborhood kids had a blast with the pool in our yard yesterday. I think the highest the temperature got was 65, but you would have thought it was 95 with the way the kids were acting! I guess the Alaskan sun is just hotter at 65 here then in other places (hah).
I had to pull Kiley kicking and screaming out of the pool to take a little break. The neighborhood kids left, came back, left, came back..... you get the picture. Let's just say our house was a popular spot. Sis was the only one who was smart and said, "Water too cold! Brrr!"

We breaked until Jake and Alethia came over and then the party was on again until 6:00.... mom said BRRR too! Man we missed our BFF's!

Gardening in Action 2010....

Jon put together a little movie of our garden transforming.... into an actual garden.

Radishes!

I've never been more excited to see plants growing! Our radishes popped up about three days ago and they look gorgeous. Jon noticed them first when he was checking the carrots in our raised beds. I planted a few radishes about a third down every row of carrot to "mark" the rows, plus a long row in the main garden.

Kiley asked me, "Mom what's a radish?" I told her they were delicious and she was going to love them.... we'll see how much she likes them about the time we come home from Colorado.

Yummy Strawberries

I noted yesterday that Kiley ate the first fresh strawberry from our garden.

Today Kalin ate number 2 and 3..... and kept asking for more!

Shhhh, don't tell Kiley!

You Reap What You Sow.....

Some serious lettuce growing in our garden

Jon tilled the garden a good six times, if not more

It has been a labor of love on our garden this year. Tilling and fertilizing and spreading lime and tilling some more. Pulling sticks and rocks and weeds..... building three raised garden beds and planting a strawberry garden. A week of love dedicated to the dirt in our yard.

This is the second year we have attempted a garden, last year we planted one but it was later in the summer. We got a pretty good harvest of broccoli, lettuce and potatoes. Not a single strawberry plant grew so I got some real starters out of Anchorage. Kiley just ate a fresh strawberry out of our garden today. We are trying some new things with covering our raised beds with plastic with hopes that it will trap the ficklel Alaska heat and speed up the growing process.

This year it was a lot easier to put the garden in with the help of the beautiful red rototiller (aka Betty) from GB and Papa Paul for Jon's birthday. Thank you! Kiley was a great digger and helped me plant potatoes and lettuce, Kalin decided that sowing onions and carrots were more her style. Overall we planted lettuce, broccoli, radishes, carrots, onions and potatoes.


We're crossing our fingers that all this love will produce some serious vegetables. We will reap what we sow!

Carrots, radishes, potatoes and onions are planted in the raised beds.

Kalin likes to run between the rows in bare feet!

Looking Forward to Colorado

2009 (just missing Bella)

This was almost 5 years ago, Kiley was 10 months old (2005)

We leave to for our Colorado vacation in about 12 days... and all of us (except Miss Kalin) have been reminiscing about past visits and talking about what we are looking forward to this summer. It goes without saying that we look forward to seeing GB and Papa Paul the most, but there are other fringe benefits to Colorado!

Kiley - the tree house, swimming!, toads, baby chickens (just like her mother) and cousins

Jon- hanging out on the back porch, potato burritos, family visiting (the whole entire family!), seeing college friends

Shannon- Sonic (I know, pathetic but I just love that place and there isn't a single one in Alaska!), Colorado sunshine, SHOPPING, GB cooking, chickens, um did I mention shoppigng?

Today we watched a few videos of our '09 visit with my Aunt Bossy- the toad video a few times. Kalin was a little freaked out about the toads! It was kind of funny to see her say, "Nooo" to herself when she was picking them up in the pool.

So here are a few pictures of our past visits. We are getting excited to see everyone- the Lewis Clan, the Lamb Clan and the Alamosa Clouse Clan! Matthew is going to be flying down from Seattle to spend a few days with us and the girls are so excited.

She only held the chick once, after it pooped in my hand she wanted nothing to do with it!

Kiley becomes a fish when we are in Colorado

We surprised GB Summer 2005
Not sure when, but aren't we cute?
and the toads! (2009)