Can you howl like a wolf?!?!

We took a trip up to Woodland Park and Divide this week to visit Elaina and Karma again. We went to the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center for some new fun! We joined a guided tour through the sanctuary and got to see fox, coyote and wolves pretty close up! It was interesting to hear about the different wolves and how they came to be there. Bronwyn and Karma seemed to keep pretty interested while Hayden decided to find the perfect walking stick!
The gift shop was a huge hit and everyone had to go home with wolves! It was nice to find something new and to spend a few hours with friends!

Check out this video from the end of the tour. I was sitting next to kids and trying to video them at the same time. But as you can hear, we all howled for the pack and they howled back at us!

~Happy 4th of July~

We hope everyone had a fun 4th of July! We had some family over for a small BBQ and the kids had fun playing with their cousins. Lots of food and great family! No fireworks since there have been so many fires and now there are all fire bans. We could catch a few way out in the distance and that was just enough after our day!

Where the big fish swim!

We spent part of the weekend with our friends Elaina and Karma and made a trip down to the Denver Aquarium. I always love it there! It just never gets old. And taking the kids each year is always fun and each time they see more and enjoy it more.
The big attraction this time were the mermaids! We were able to catch them perform in the water and do a little show. Bronwyn is really into mermaids right now so it was really exciting for her to see.

We even got to take our pictures with them!

We also got to touch the sting rays! The kids tried and tried and would not left until they finally had one close enough to get their fingers on! Always a great time and fun to spend it with friends!

Anniversary Planning

We've been trying to plan a special event for our 10th Anniversary coming up. We are planning to renew our vows. We want to have everything take place at Copper Mountain where we go each year to celebrate. We needed to get a few things figured out so we decided to go up and get it done!

More Swimming Lessons

The kids are loving their swimming lessons so I thought I would add a few more pictures. They are learning lots and are very comfortable in the water. Hayden had a bit of a rough start but came to the conclusion he just really wanted goggles so we found him a super cool pair! Bronwyn is loving all the games they play to help learn to swim and especially likes to show off how well she does her "bobs"!

Father's Day 2012

As always, we celebrated Father's Day spending some time with both of our Dad's. The kids were so happy to wake Danny up with Happy Father's Day wishes. They loved giving him some cards and drawings they did. We went to Danny's fathers house for a BBQ in the afternoon and spent time with his brothers and their families. It's fun to get together as a big group and just hang out. And he loves spending good time with his brothers.






















After that we went to my parents house for dinner with my Dad. My brother was there also and we just hung out and ate and just relaxed. Always the perfect way to spend these holidays. I'm very thankful to have my father be such a big part of my lives. He is definitely the best example of what a father should be. Couldn't imagine not being so close to him. We were happy to share a special day with both of our Dad's.

The Starfish & The Guppy

Today Bronwyn and Hayden both started swimming lessons. We are taking a 2 week class with one of Bronwyn's friends so that is fun for us! This is Bronwyn's 3rd year taking lessons and she is in a "starfish" level class. For Hayden, this is his 1st year taking lessons! He is the little guppy. He was so excited and had so much fun! I knew he loves the water, but I was a little worried about how well he would listen and wait for his turn. He did great! He was calm and paid attention so well. He learned a few simple skills and really had fun with it! He always had a smile on his face. It was so much fun to hear him tell Danny about his day!. Bronwyn really likes that she has a friend in her class and is really excited to go back for more!

Bronwyn's Dance Recital!!!

This weekend Bronwyn performed in her 4th dance recital! It's always so exciting in the days leading up to her big day. This year she has taken ballet and tap. So she had two different dances as well as the finale performance. Her class this year was only 4 girls so for the recital they combined with another small class. She is just amazing to watch! I love what she is learning and the fun she is having with it! She really seems to enjoy being on stage. I can not get enough of watching her! After her recital we had everyone who came out to see her over to the house for lunch. She loves to have a little party in her honor!
Here are some pictures of our little star!




























And here are a couple videos from rehearsal!
To Everyone in All the World
(She's in the middle in the front row)


Simple Gifts
(She's in the middle in the back row)

How to Build the Perfect Birdhouse!

Step 1 - Show up for the class field trip to Home Depot where everything is provided for free!

Step 2 - Hammer in a couple of nails and piece the sides together.

Step 3 - Screw in a couple of screws for extra support and you're done!

Step 4 - Pose Pretty!

Step 5 - Beg Mommy for days about adding paint and she will give in!

Step 6 - Add some hooks and a chain and you've got the perfect home for any bird!

Last Day of Dance!

Today was Bronwyn's last day of this years dance class. We're getting ready for her recital in a couple of weeks. For the last day of class the girls got to have a little beach party theme and wear swimsuits then end the class with a little party. Here a couple of pictures of the fun!

Cake pops we made for Bronwyn's friends!

Bronwyn and her friends and dance teacher!

Special Outstanding Student Award!