Smiles in There

Pa Singing!

2012-01-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

He's so amazing!

This one is my favorite!!!

2012-01-14T09:55:00.002-07:00

BayLea's 8th year birthday party...photo shoot fun! They got totally into it!

My little guy's photoshoot

2012-01-11T20:36:00.001-07:00

Kathleen put together another top notch photo shoot...this time for Breccan! Love them! And he had a BALL!!!!!

60 minute Homemade Bread...this will become my staple recipe!

2011-12-28T18:17:00.003-07:00

Oh so very good and oh so very FAST! It may take slightly longer than 60 minutes, but not much...

3 cups all-purpose better for bread flour

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 package quick-rise yogurt

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

In mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Heat milk, water and softened butter in microwave until 120-130 degrees (my butter was mostly melted). Add to dry ingredients, and beat until smooth (I used my Kitchenaide mixer with the dough hook). Beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes (or if you're using a Kitchenaide mixer, let it mix on speed #2 for 4 -5 minutes...no hand kneading requried!). Remove from mixing bowl, form into a loaf and place in a bread pan. Place bread pan in a larger pan of hot water, about 1 inch deep. Cover and allow to rise for 15 minutes. Remove from water bath and bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

I brushed melted butter and sprinkled with rosemary and garlic salt before baking.

Yummy and easy!

Basketball!

2011-12-24T07:58:00.001-07:00

At 2nd grade, kids can play basketball. BayLea started this year. At first she was a little unsure of how to play, but caught on quickly. She made at least one basket almost every game, and some times she made two or three! She even dribbled the ball (good for her...I never dribbled!).

Look at my beautiful girl's face in the above and below pictures. Man...I love her!

Our New House

2011-12-24T07:47:00.001-07:00

We decided to take the chance and buy another house...we're hoping to sell the other one soon, or at least rent it!

We have since moved into this house...and we LOVE it.

The day that we closed, we came over and set up the Christmas tree. The next day we decorated it. The movers came the next day.

cookies and santa

2011-12-07T18:26:00.001-07:00

Cookies and Santa fundraiser at school!

Laundry Shoot

2011-11-23T09:19:00.001-07:00

Kathleen and I wanted an old fashioned theme...so here's my girl in all her glory! She loves the old fashioned type themes!

Cal's Whirlwind Trip to D.C.

2011-11-10T22:13:00.001-07:00

I love taking pictures of my BABES!

2011-10-22T10:42:00.001-06:00

They're so darned cute!

Family Scavenger Hunt at No Thoroughfare Canyon

2011-09-30T07:53:00.001-06:00

We went on a scavenger hunt on the Colorado National Monument, the No Thoroughfare Canyon. We had a perfect day. It had rained HARD the night before and I thought it would be a muddy mess, but it was pretty dry! It was beautiful...as the Monument always is.

They were looking at her bracelet which was made from the insides of juniper berries. The Navajo make them.

This was cool too. She took one of the little insect pods that were on a plant...they're white furry looking things...and she squished it in her fingers. Inside was red, which of course we thought was blood, but it was actually some sort of powder that dyed her fingers red. According to what she told us, it was what was used to make the Redcoats' coats in the Revolutionary War red!

There was a little stream that was left over from the rain the previous night. Breccan slipped in it and got muddy. For a while, he was ready to go back, but decided he was having too much fun!

Looking at tadpoles.

One of the scavenger hunt items was a tree that weeped on your...it's the cottonwood. I don't remember the details, but it will mist you.

Sunflower!

2011-09-29T16:53:00.001-06:00

We did pretty bad at our garden this year! We didn't get much edible out of it, but we did get a huge sunflower...

They didn't do too much with it because it was sappy, but it was cool!

Soccer

2011-09-16T19:30:00.002-06:00

So the boy is playing soccer! He had two games on his first game day. You could see a TON of improvement by the time the 2nd game rolled around! I think he has some talent for it!

He scored three goals between the two games.

We really like his coach...the first thing he says to the kids is "are you having fun?" EXACTLY what they should be having!

Aaron's Senior Pictures

2011-09-15T20:45:00.001-06:00

It was fun! Sorry I forgot to get these up...

SUCH A CUTE KID!

Cabo Vacation

2011-09-02T13:51:00.002-06:00

So about two and a half weeks after we got home from Florida, we were on the plane again to Cabo San Lucas! We had a free week to use up at our resort there and so we took mom and dad with us.

We flew from Grand Junction to Phoenix in a teeny tiny plane....

My frequent flier daughter says "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! We're flying in THIS???"

But we got to Cabo without a hitch...made the connecting flight and everything!
Here Breccan is making friends with the time share rep...

And that evening we walked to the beach. The waves in Cabo are too rough really to swim in, at least along our resorts location, which is kind of a drag!

That evening was a members only show...it was GREAT! BayLea, especially had a blast. She was up dancing and everything...so was Pa!

They passed out balloons to everyone, which instantly got everyone up...

The kids DO NOT like sleeping together...they make such a huge deal out of it. BUT in some ways, maybe I can see why...

We went deep sea fishing...what a bumpy crazy ride. Note to self...pack Dramamine.

This guy loved Breccan...He told me shortly after they met each other that he "really like your boy!"

My girl was sick. I felt so bad!

Score! I guess...I am not a fisherman, nor a hunter. I do not enjoy killing animals. But apparently it is a big SCORE to catch a 9 foot sail fish.

After the fishing trip, we stopped at Senor Frogs for some beer and some appetizers...cost us $100.

Another show...

We drove down towards Cabo and stopped at a beach. It supposedly was a mellow, surf-less beach...Not so much!!!!!

I was very sick of Tecate and Sol beer.

One of the restaurants at our resort was EXCELLENT!!! My favorite was the asparagus soup...and my kids liked Octopus Salad and Seafood Soup.

Getting ice cream in San Jose.

Another Members Only dinner. Food was pretty good. Would have liked a little more lively entertainment.

BayLea's one wish while we were there was to ride the horses on the beach. It was really neat. Our guide pointed out a fenced in area along the beach where there were turtle nests. When they see turtles lay eggs, they fence in the area to keep them safe.

BayLea always wants her hair braided. I hate it...it's cute, but soooooo much work to get out afterwards.

Part of our membership is a trip...we chose snorkeling. The snorkeling was not great. Too much current.

Passed out...

JUST KIDDING! I don't know what he was doing. He just laid his head down for a bit, and I thought it was funny, so I took a picture.

Then Breccan had to do it...Like Pa, like Grandson!

So even if the snorkeling wasn't great, the party on the boat was fun!

Jumping Pictures...

2011-08-31T10:53:00.000-06:00

Don't be scared...I didn't lose my top.

Trying to jump in time when the camera is on a tripod and on a timer is kind of hard!!!

20th Anniversary trip to Florida

2011-08-21T18:07:00.005-06:00

I never thought I was a big fan of Florida, but let me tell you, beach-wise, you can't beat it. The sand was nice, the ocean surf was mellow. The kids could play and I wasn't totally freaked out!

We had a wonderful trip...took LOTS of photos (surprise, surprise!).

We got into Miami about 5:30 or so, and unfortunately our luggage didn't make the plane change. So we had to sit in the airport for 3 hours until it got there...

The kids were very good, and entertained themselves...

When our luggage finally got there, we got so excited that we left Bay's leapster sitting at the luggage claim section. After we realized we'd left it there, we headed back...when we got there, we found security standing over it. BayLea had to tell her what was in it, down to details, and was still a bit leery until I added that there was a ball of string in there too that Bay was forgetting about. Kind of silly, security standing over a little pink polka dotted lunchbag...on the other hand, at least we know all those threats that unattended luggage will be 'confiscated' look like they might be actually true!

We weren't sure if we would make our connection in Minny, so I hadn't booked us a hotel room. We called and found one near the beach for cheaper than the airport hotels were going to be. Our hotel was kind of a dive...Jery has spoiled me...I like NICE hotels!

But we did get to play on the beach the next day.

After playing for a while, we got in the car and drove down the Keys to Marathon. We stayed in Marathon on our honeymoon and thought it'd be fun to stay there again on our 20th with our 5 and 7 year old!!!

We stopped for a beverage on the way down. The kids played on the edge of the ocean, collecting little snails.

Our hotel on our honeymoon and this trip was called Banana Bay. It's a decent hotel (but again, Jery has spoiled me and now I like nicer hotels!!! tee hee)

The kids loved the pool.

Leah calls this the "Uncle Jump" cuz he always jumps like this when he's feeling goofy.

July 14th...our 20th anniversary! Here we are in all our glory! BayLea took this.

On our honeymoon we took a picture like this one below...

and so we had to do it again. The hotel decor hasn't changed a bit.

And we had to do one with the kids too!

We spent one day at the Dolphin Research Center and had a playdate/interaction with Karen, the blind sea lion.

We also snorkeled in Marathon. The snorkeling in the Keys is the best we've ever done. The water is mellow enough that we're not pulled completely away from the boat, and reef is alive and teeming with fish.

As we rode on the boat, Breccan and BayLea sat up on the mesh net. Breccan kept saying "Now THIS is what I'm talking about!"

Our next resort was called Hawk's Cay. It was super nice. Loved it.

One evening we went to Key West to watch the sunset at the Southernmost Point. We thought it was beautiful. BayLea thought it was crazy to sit and watch yet another sunset.

This was right after we got to Key West. We got out of the car and walked to this marker and we were instantly soaked with sweat!

The kids did like the festivities happening at Mallory Square.

At Hawk's Cay they have their own Dolphin Discovery onsite. We did a Dockside Interaction with the kids. Breccan really liked it. Bay would have liked to swim with the dolphins, but we'll have to plan that at a later year, when Breccan is tall enough to do it too.

Here's the Dolphin Discovery tank in the sunset...

Hawk's Cay also had a lagoon with sea water but no surf...the kids liked snorkeling for sea shells and sea snails.

Look! It's me!

We rented jet skis. COULD NOT GO FAST ENOUGH FOR MY CHILDREN! "Go Faster!!!!"

They suggested we not try and take pictures while we were out there riding, but the guy that worked for the jet ski company took my camera and came out and took pictures! I thought that was super nice!

This kid is so danged handsome!

And she's so beautiful!

BayLea's hair after jet ski.

This is literally how I see my kids the whole time on vacation...face down in the water!

And my super duper FAVORITE picture....

Such a fun trip!

The Twins turn 16!

2011-08-20T09:29:00.000-06:00

Wow. It really is unbelievable that they are 16. And they are turning out to be such NICE kids! Love them very much. We celebrated their birthday in Glenwood Springs at the Adventure Park. What an awesome place! The big swing was a huge hit...it was awesome and VERY SCARY!

We met at the hotel on Saturday evening. It had a water slide. The kids loved playing on it!

We had cake and ice cream after swimming.

We went to the Adventure Park the next day. Mimi and Pa paid for all of us to have unlimited passes, with the exception of the Fairy Caves ($5 extra per person) and the bungee jump ($10 extra per person).

Standing in line for the swing.

It was fun to have Taylor and Catie here too!

Josh, Jason and Ethan went on the bungee jump...it was hilarious. They said they were TERRIFIED!

Fun couple days!

Cousins

2011-08-07T09:07:00.000-06:00

This is what I've been up to lately!

Garden Goodie

2011-08-07T06:34:00.001-06:00

We have a garden this year...I don't think it's going very well since this pepper is the only thing we got out of it. And Breccan, being my impatient Breccan, insisted we pick this pepper. It needed a few more days, or a week, on the vine, as it was still a bit bitter. Oh, well, they enjoyed picking it...just not eating it!

Daddy's Book

2011-07-29T07:59:00.002-06:00

All About Daddy by BayLea & Breccan | Make Your Own Book

Somebody has a BIRTHDAY!

2011-07-29T07:47:00.000-06:00

Jery ended up with another birthday rolling around! And as always, the kids had a great time getting ready to celebrate...so much so I was about on overload! The energy level around here from about 2:00 on through bedtime was WAY high!

The kids kept adding candles onto the cake...it was ON FIRE!

Jery is one of the hardest people to buy for, so I got him Rockies tickets (that he hasn't actually picked the ones he wants yet and if he waits too long, we'll be sitting in the rock pile), Mimi and Pa got him babysitting for the Rockies weekend (tee hee), the kids got him candy, and we made him a book...All About Daddy. It was a hit!

The kids also picked out a game for him called Headbandz. Of course, it is a kid friendly game.

The Story of Keith and Dixie video

2011-07-28T11:52:00.000-06:00

I am reposting this because, at least for me, the previous link isn't working!

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

2011-07-08T07:36:00.000-06:00

We all hope you have a beautiful day!

And a few from the 4th!

Aaron plays guitar with Pa.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2011-07-03T20:05:00.000-06:00

Now, again, when your husband says "mmmmm....honey, this is good!" you know it's a keeper. For me, Chili's has the BEST broccoli cheese soup, and I personally don't this this is as good, but Jery does...he says it's better!

I modified the recipe in the cookbook Don't Panic....Dinner's in the Freezer. It's a good one...I've made and thoroughly enjoyed many of these recipes!

1 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour (I think you need more, but not a half cup...somewhere in between!)
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
4-5 ounces of Velveeta cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

In a stockpot, heat the first 6 ingredients to boiling; reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Whisk together the milk, flour, paprika, and salt in a bowl.

Add to broth mixture and cook until thick and bubbly.

Add cheese and stir until melted.

Can you say yum?

To Mom and Dad

2011-06-28T16:18:00.002-06:00

I re-do this at some point and be more particular about the pictures that go in. BUT I was really proud that i was able to get dad singing the song....what a rigamarole it is to get a song from itunes into Animoto!!!

Oreo Craze!

2011-06-27T19:08:00.000-06:00

Both of my rugrats love Oreos! So I thought I'd document it!

The newest Sparks family member

2011-06-25T14:17:00.001-06:00

Jacob Dillon...so cute!

This little outfit was Jerod's when he was a baby, made by grandma!

And big brother, Teagan.

Pa Sings Ticklish Ruben

2011-06-19T15:59:00.003-06:00

True Story.

2011-06-16T19:46:00.001-06:00

When I was a kid, we had a turkey. It was kind of my turkey. My dad won it at some sort of deal at the Moose. I think it was a bid for a turkey and so he bid on it, as it was close to Thanksgiving time. So we wins the bid! He's so excited because he got this turkey for Thanksgiving for a very good price. When they brought out the box with the turkey in it, out popped a head...!!!! It was a live turkey! Dad thought he was getting a frozen turkey for dinner! I think that story in and of itself is hilarious! But frankly, to me, anyway, it gets better. Here is my turkey...

I loved that turkey. That turkey was hilarious. Every morning Dad would stick his head out the door and gobble, gobble, gobble to the turkey and it would gobble back (some day I'll write about Dad's dog barking incident...it's another good story!).

What I think is great is....guess what my turkey's name was????????

Wait for it....

Wait for it....

Wait for it....

I named that turkey JERRY!!!!!!! I like to write to my kids when I teach about how I had a turkey as a child...my story went something along these lines (remember it's 2nd grade!)

When I was a kid, I had a turkey!
It was such a fun turkey. It would gobble gobble gobble at my dad.
I named that precious turkey Jerry! And when I grew up, I MARRIED A TURKEY NAMED JERY!!!!

The End

ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!

Freezer Meat and Pasta Bake

2011-06-13T19:46:00.000-06:00

Oh, soooo good!!!! I guarantee it...make it!

2 cups bowtie pasta, uncooked
1 lb ground beef
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 t. garlic salt
3 cups spaghetti sauce
8 oz. cream cheese
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup parmesan cheese

Cook bowtie pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside. Brown beef, onion and garlic until beef is no longer pink; drain. Add spaghetti sauce and garlic salt; simmer for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese and milk, Microwave 1-2 minutes on high, stirring once. Stir with a whisk until blended. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Place cream cheese mixture in lined 9x9 inch casserole dish. Spread cooked pasta on top of cream cheese mixture. Top with beef mixture and remaining parmesan cheese. (I also added some mozzarella to the top, too). Freeze, using foil and plastic wrap or gallon size baggie.

Cooking Day:
Remove from freezer and allow to thaw to a slushy state. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 25-30 minutes, covered. Uncover and bake 5-10 more minutes until bubbly.

Oh yum!

Obviously, I didn't use a 9x9 pan. I used loaf pans because then I could divide the original recipe in half, eat one half and freeze the other half. That's all my family will eat in one meal any way.

Lemonade Cake

2011-06-12T18:21:00.000-06:00

Oh, yum!!!

1 lemon cake mix
1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 cup powdered sugar
1 container lemon frosting

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare and bake cake as directed on package in a greased 9x13 inch pan. Cool 15 minutes.

Stir together lemonade concentrate and powdered sugar. Poke holes in warm cake with fork. Drizzle lemonade mixture evenly over cake. Refrigerate cake until cold.

Spread frosting over cold cake. Cover and refrigerate leftover cake.

Memorial Day BBQ

2011-06-05T07:03:00.001-06:00

We typically don't do anything on Memorial Day...Jery always has to work, but this year, he was off at 2:00 so we had mom and dad come over to eat. We were hoping Great Pa and Great Laura would be able to make it, too, but Laura has been sick. Hopefully next time...

Please let me hold you, Kia...

My bird is 17 years old. She is doing very well. She is my sweet little neglected bird...when you have a cat, and two little kids, she doesn't have the run of the house like she used to. I have to keep her safe.

Just doin' a little dancing!

It was cold enough outside to have a fire and wear coats...

Whoops!!!!!

I got to listen to Pa sing...whoop! whoop!

BayLea has been quite taken with makeup lately...I only let her wear it when we're going to be hanging around at home.

I got flowers....that they picked from the neighbor's yard...luckily it is an abandoned house...empty for months...someone needs to enjoy the flowers, right?

Dance Recital

2011-06-05T06:56:00.000-06:00

These last few days have been completely busy...Bay had her dance recital, so Tuesday we were getting the costume (which ended up NOT being the costume we got on Thursday for the actual dress rehearsal, thank goodness), Thursday we were at dress rehearsal, and Friday and Saturday night we were at the recital itself. It began as complete chaos this year, it seemed, but in the end, all pulled together for a very nice recital. BayLea did well, and acted like she had an awesome time! She was wound up tight afterwards...can you say 'banshee mode'?

She is soooooo danged gorgeous!!!!!! I love her!

I love everything about this shot...well, except for that she is slightly out of focus.

This is her hip hop pose.

Can you tell I was enjoying taking her picture?????

I was pretty thrilled that i got this picture...woo hoo ME!

Freezer Meal...Super Yummy Beef Chimichangas

2011-05-29T10:08:00.001-06:00

I made this the other night and it is super yummy!!!!

Cooking Day
1tsp salt
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, crush
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp oregano, crushed
1/2 cup canned green chilies, chopped
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cider vinegar (If you are doubling this recipe, do not double the vinegar...go with 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup)

Serving Day
1 cup butter melted
7 inch tortillas

Sprinkle salt in medium skillet. Place over medium heat. Add beef, garlic and spices. Cook until meat loses pinkness. Stir in remaining ingredients. Remove from heat and cool.

To serve, heat skillet, melt butter. Dip both sides of tortillas, one at a time, into the butter to soften. Drain off excess. Mound 1/3 cup filling into center of tortilla and roll up like an envelope. Place seam side down in ungreased baking dish. Repeat until you have as many chimichangas as you want.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and bake until crispy, about 15 minutes, sprinkle with cheese and return for a few seconds.

Top with all the typical Mexican Food goodies. We just used sour cream and home made green chili.

(Any extra meat mixture you have, put in a freezer bag, label and freeze for another meal!)

Something that has NEVER happened before...

2011-05-23T20:38:00.000-06:00

My kids just don't sleep together...we have a battle to even get them to sleep together in a hotel room...they each complain of the other hogging the bed! But we went upstairs to bed last night, and as normal, went into Bay's room to check on her and found them both in her bed. Totally cute. Had to take a picture!

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

2011-05-22T09:49:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I guess next year I have to go back to work full time (blick) and so I have to start planning ahead my meals. So I've decided that I will begin making a freezer meal each time I make certain dishes. This Chicken Pot Pie recipe was very good.

Chicken Pot Pie
   (this recipe is adapted to what I had on hand)

4 cups cubed cooked chicken
   (boiled my chicken with some salt in the water and some frozen pearl onions)
4 cups frozen Souther-style hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 16 oz package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can of cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (recipe called for Cream of Onion which wasn't something
   I could find)
1 cup milk or cream
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (I may have used a little bit more)
1 package refrigerated pie pastry

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, potatoes, veggies, soups, milk or cream, flour, sour cream and seasonings. Divide between two 9-in pie plates. Roll out pastry to fit the top of each pie. Cut slits in pastry. Place over filling, trim, seal and flute edges.

2. Cover and freeze one potpie for up to 3 months. Bake the second potpie at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

3. To use frozen potpie: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking. Cover edges loosely with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees, remove foil and bake 50-55 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Pre-K Graduation

2011-05-21T07:53:00.002-06:00

It is Breccan's last day of pre-k. Although everyone had fun, it was REALLY chilly!!! Breccan has had a happy year...Mommy is glad it's over! On to kindergarten, little man!

When we first got there, it was chilly, but at least the sun was shining!

Snack time under a blanket.

After their snack they all got into Miss Lynette's big ol' van and practiced their program.

Mimi and Pa got back into town in time to come to the program.

Breccan gets embarrassed at things like this...

They let their butterflies go...Breccan held one.

He was one of the last names called for his little certificate. He was so patient while he waited. So good.

Still waiting...

Finally!!!

He saw his name through the back before it was called.

Pretty Light!

2011-05-14T20:46:00.000-06:00

I love it when BayLea says "MOM! Come and look at the pretty light outside! Let's take pictures!"

Click!

Click!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-10T17:40:00.001-06:00

Typically on Mother's Day the past few years I've had a Mother's Day brunch at my house. This year I was tired...mostly tired of my messy house and how I'd have to really work to get it picked up. So when mom asked me what was happening for Mother's Day, I told her we were coming to her house!!! It was fantastic!

I got what I wanted most for Mother's Day and that was a picture of me and my kids...

While we waited for Breccan to join us in the field, BayLea and I smiled for one...

The wind was HORRIBLE...good ol' GJ spring!

Me and my mommy!

BayLea and her chocolate mustache...

Hanging out with Mimi playing the ipad.

And one of my favorite things EVER to do is listen to dad play the guitar!

Playing with Cousin Jerod!

2011-05-08T10:36:00.000-06:00

Boy, my little guy loves his boy cousins (and all the men in the family!). He had the best time playing with Jerod.

They played with the spin jammer for a loooong time.

And here's a cute one of my girl...I love my kids.

Park Play!

2011-04-23T08:17:00.000-06:00

It was nice out and we went to the park to play! I'm not a very good mommy, though, and I don't play much. And this time I had on flip flops and couldn't really run and play toilet tag, which the kids love to play! Next time, no camera, just play!

Hiking up on the hill.

2011-04-18T07:08:00.000-06:00

We took a walk one windy, warm day up on the trail behind our house. We had a really good time. We haven't ever explored the hill itself before and the kids thought that was great!

Of course we had to bring too much stuff...the kids both want to load up their backpacks with stuff...including an old DVD player that Breccan insisted was a computer to look up information on.

My kids hike in the weirdest shoes...

Breccan can DANCE!

2011-04-13T13:05:00.000-06:00

Celebrity Apprentice

2011-04-04T21:02:00.001-06:00

I love Celebrity Apprentice. After watching last night's episode with Gary Busey and Meatloaf fighting, it made me think about the Trace Adkins episode where he had to deal with the Backstreet Boys. It was hilarious. I found those links on youtube and giggled throughout it again!

Trace Adkins does not appreciate wheatgrass

2011-04-04T21:00:00.001-06:00

Backstreet Boys on Celebrity Apprentice Part 2

2011-04-04T20:58:00.001-06:00

Backstreet Boys on Celebrity Apprentice Part 1

2011-04-04T20:56:00.001-06:00

Canvas!

2011-04-01T15:42:00.000-06:00

My mom and dad ordered this canvas of them in front of their house...it's 24x36 and it is gorgeous! We will be getting another one for the other side of their front room that is of their backsides! Just wait till you see it!

Some fun with Breccan Boo!

2011-03-28T21:28:00.000-06:00

Went out today and took pics of the little man...he's so danged cute! And a good sport too, cuz it was a little chilly!

The VERY first picture I took could have been the last. It was perfect, I thought! But I continued to take about couple hundred more pictures!

I've always wanted to take pictures by this building. I love it.

So danged cute!!!

Here he is posing for Miss Kathleen!

Photo Shoot!

2011-03-27T09:06:00.000-06:00

We had a really good time, taking photos of Taylor, Catie, Josh and Dianna.

Josh and the girls.

Josh made Dianna get in the tutu!!! What a sport..

And then of course, because my family are wack-o's, we had to take a picture of Josh peeing...

okay, he REALLY wasn't peeing, but they all thought it was hilarious to pretend!

Red Riding Hood

2011-03-23T19:35:00.000-06:00

I'm in love with this cape that Linda made! Wish I'd gotten out into the snow to use it! There's still snow on the Mesa...I may head up there ASAP!

More Scrapbook pages...I'm on a roll!

2011-03-21T21:22:00.000-06:00

I made a scrapbook page!!!

2011-03-20T10:03:00.002-06:00

I have not scrapped in soooooo long...maybe I'll start again.

Here's one I made yesterday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T15:10:00.001-06:00

We'll be soon heading to my mom's for a yummy meal of corned beef and cabbage!!! Yum!

Water Drops

2011-03-16T08:37:00.000-06:00

Had some serious fun doing water drop pictures the other day! I set up with my flash off camera, which helped immensely.

This one made Explore on Flickr.

Disneyland Fun part 3

2011-03-14T12:50:00.001-06:00

On day 2, we had originally planned to go the beach but because of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the beaches ended up closed in LA on Friday for the most part and I figured the water would be too rough for my kids on Saturday. We went back to Disneyland.

First ride was Space Mountain coaster because we didn't get to it the day before. The kids LOVED it and wanted to immediately ride it again. The wait time by then was over an hour and so we decided to get a fast pass for it for later in the day and come back.

We are almost up!

You ALWAYS must get a hat picture at Disneyland!

BayLea took this one...

And Breccan took this one...my camera is too heavy for him to hold evenly and so he cut part of me off. Hilarious!

Breccan's main goal the whole trip was to buy something. He finally got to.

Then we headed to California Adventures. I would like to spend more time there. We first went on Soaring Over California, which was a simulation type ride where you felt as though you were hang gliding. The ride really felt real; you felt like you'd bang your feet on trees and snow. It felt cold when we were over the snow, hot while over the desert, and smelled like the ocean while we flew over it!

Then for lunch, because we were on vacation, we had ice cream!

Then we went to a 3D movie of It's a Bug's Life. It was also amazing...it basically was teaching us little known facts about bugs...so when they talked about a bug that spit acid, the bug came out and water came flying all over us. At the end of the movie, it told the 'humans' to stay put while the beetles, cockroaches, etc. exited, and all of a sudden, all this scurrying noise began and our chairs moved. Mine felt like something was crawling under me, and Jery had something poke him.

BayLea and I then went on California Screaming, a loop-to-loop coaster. She was thrilled beyond thrilled. Breccan wasn't tall enough (dang it) and couldn't go. So he and Daddy went to play some games while we waited in line. We'd only stood there a couple minutes when a kid came up and asked if I wanted his fast pass. I almost didn't take it and then thought I'd ask if they'd let both of us get on with the one pass, which they did!!! So our wait was about 5 minutes instead of 45 minutes!!!!

He won a Dumbo stuffed animal!

What a fun trip!

Disneyland Fun part 2

2011-03-14T12:32:00.000-06:00

(I decided to do this in more than one post because when I was putting it together earlier today, something happened and EVERYTHING disappeared!)

I think this one is such a cute picture...maybe because there aren't any other people in it!

Although we saw lots of characters, the kids didn't really want pictures with all of them. We wanted to see Belle from Beauty and the Beast, but she never was around while we were.

Suckers...one of the highlights!

I have goofy kids...

I think this is one of my favorite pictures from this trip...only cuz it's cool!

By this time of the night we were tired and ready to go back to the hotel...with the exception of BayLea who really wanted to stay for the fireworks display! I'm so glad we did. What a cool thing! She really was lit like a firework herself!

And we got to see Tinkerbell fly, and that was so thrilling for her! Breccan by this time was exhausted...I'm not sure whether he cared at all for the fireworks.

Disneyland fun!

2011-03-14T12:23:00.000-06:00

We took the kids on spring break for a short little Disneyland vacation...(who said vacations are relaxing??? NOT!). We had a great, although tiring time! Disneyland is an amazing feat of engineering and detail. Loved it.

We pulled BayLea out of school early (again! BAD mom!). Our plane left at 2:55 and arrived in LA just in time for rush hour! Fun fun!!!!! A 30 minute drive to the hotel turned into nearly 2 hours of fun times, stressing out about traffic, and listening to the fighting in the backseat! (We rented a van...and I'm almost ashamed to say...I might just like owning a van some day!)

At the airport in GJ waiting to leave.

Day 1

We're here! We're here! It cost us about a car payment to get into Disneyland and California Adventures for four of us for two days. Holy COW!

The jungle ride.

The roller coaster rides are a favorite of my kids!

The kids are keeping out of the "hot lava" as we stood in line.

I really wanted to ride the teacups because I remember the teacups from when I was a kid! But I had a touch of food poisoning and after standing in line and finally getting up there to ride, I knew I wasn't getting on those!

Another coaster ride...

Another memory of Disneyland for me as a kid was It's a Small World. It was still cool.

At gymnastics, there is a bulletin board called Handstands Around the World. We wanted to take one at Disneyland, but when we decided to take it, it was on a slope. She still did it, but it was hard to get completely vertical.

What Teachers Make Final Movie

2011-03-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

Josh shared this on facebook and I had to put it here. I'm obsessed with listening to it. It gives me chills and makes me tear up. Fantastic video!!!!!!

Play Date

2011-03-09T07:42:00.001-07:00

I ordered the new movie, Megamind, for the kids (which, by the way is SUPER cute!). I decided that they should each invite a friend over after school and we would play for a while, then eat pizza, watch the movie and have popcorn and m&m's. We had a fun evening!

This is Ryland, and he and Breccan play together a lot. They are in pre-k together!

This Sarah, a friend of BayLea's from school.

It really was a fun evening.

Untitled

2011-03-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

skiing baylea (trimmed)

2011-03-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

Ski Lesson Fun!

2011-03-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

We took the kids skiing this last Wednesday. I pulled BayLea out of school early (which I felt a little guilty for...but hey, we're a family first!) and we headed up for lessons. They both took about 30 minutes before they both found their 'ski legs' but then they just flew through their lessons!

Mimi and Pa came up to watch too.

Check back soon for videos!

Mine!

2011-03-01T19:55:00.001-07:00

I love to go out and shoot photos of my kids and it makes it even more fun when my friend, Kathleen, (see Fired From a Canon blog) and I go out! The kids love it too, cuz Kathleen is FUN!

My handsome little man!

And hold on to your hats, cuz here comes BayLea. My child, my child...she can pose up a storm!

And the both of them...

A Little Cash for your listening pleasure!

2011-02-28T09:03:00.001-07:00

LOVE LOVE LOVE when dad does Johnny Cash!

Jery's Left-over Rotisserie Chicken Gravy Concoction!

2011-02-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

The kids declared this EXCELLENT!

approx. 2 cups rotisserie chicken
approx. 1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c flour
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. kitchen bouquet
1/2 c. water
1-2 T. butter

Make a gravy! Serve over mashed potatoes! YUM!!

Winter Family Photos

2011-02-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

Gotta love family photos! This was all shot within 20 minutes or so, cuz it was COLD!

Valentine Photos

2011-02-06T09:59:00.002-07:00

Doin' the Park Thing

2011-01-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

We went to the park yesterday. The temp was around 45 degrees. The wind was chilly though.

BayLea decided that it was too warm for a coat...I didn't agree but hey...I can't win that one!

We played Toilet Tag. If you were tagged, you had to squat with your arm out as the flusher. If someone flushed you, you could get up and continue to play.

Mind Blowing Science!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-01-27T08:25:00.001-07:00

Grandma got the kids Mind Blowing Science for Christmas. They are lovin' it!!! This is the 2nd time we pulled it out and we made crystals.

Winter!

2011-01-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

Kathleen and I went out to take pictures for winter. This one was one of my favorites. BayLea was getting a little silly by now! But I love the look on her face!

And some of my other favs! I love that girl. Even if she isn't really wanting her picture taken (like today) she still does an awesome job!

Again, thank you to Kathleen and all her props!

Overnight Egg & Sausage Casserole

2011-01-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is seriously the yummiest morning sausage casserole I've ever had. Flavors blend perfectly!

6 slices of bread, 1 inch cubes
10 eggs, beaten
2 cup milk
3 cups cheese (I use a mix of sharp cheddar and pepper jack
1 lb browned sausage (sometimes I mix regular and hot sausage
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1/2 can - 1 can of green chilies

Place cubed bread on bottom of a greased 9x13 inch pan. Spread sausage and cheese over bread. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper, and chilies in a bowl and pour over sausage and cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Italian Roast Beef recipe for the crockpot

2011-01-21T13:27:00.001-07:00

This isn't my recipe, but one I got from a twopeasinabucket gal, who calls herself Burning Feather. It really is a yummy recipe and so I don't want to have to hunt it down every time I want to make it!

Mix in Crockpot:
1 (1.25 oz) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 t. oregano
1 t. red pepper flakes
1 t. basil
1 t. dried parsley
1 large clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup water

Place on top of mixture:
3 lb chuck roast

Cook on high all day, or until meat is tender. Turn it over every now and then if you can!

Yum, yum!

my 2010 Yearbook!

2011-01-08T12:06:00.002-07:00

All 288 pages of it!!!!!

Sparks Family Yearbook 2010 | Make Your Own Book

2011...Bring It On!

2011-01-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

I totally love this shot...I really, really do! I'll be doing more bokeh shots next year with Christmas lights...I will, I will!

Sledding...sort of..

2010-12-30T19:25:00.001-07:00

Actually got some snow today! And there was more snow out at Mimi and Pa's than there was here on the Redlands. So we packed up and headed that way!

And then of course you must have hot cocoa and toasted marshmallows! Yum!

Christmas 2010!

2010-12-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Christmas time has come and gone...unbelievable how fast time goes!

Mimi and Pa (with my help a little) put together a Winter Wonderland for the kids. They were so surprised and they loved it!

Uncle Josh was here for Christmas this year...my kids always love hanging out with him.

My little Miss Creative made gingerbread people for the Winter Wonderland.

And she decorated cookies for Santa.

Breccan isn't too into the crafting thing...he played and then watched a Christmas movie on the ipad.

Christmas Eve...some final pictures with the tree...

And time to open their annual Christmas Eve presents, which are always new jammies...

I was surprised at how they loved them. There was NO complaining that it wasn't a toy!

Christmas morning brought a new kitty...Kringle is his name. BayLea was so cute because the first thing she noticed when she came down was the crate that had the kitty in it, and she said "Oh look. Sassy got a new crate!" and then she noticed the kitten!

A cupcake maker for BayLea...

Legos for Boo Bear.

Then we headed to Mimi and Pa's...where they bought received guitars.

Uncle Josh got a new apron from us and some meat rub...cuz he rubs his meat! BEFORE HE COOKS PEOPLE! :)

Making a gingerbread house.

Tuning the guitar.

This picture was DARK...flash batteries went out! Gotta love photoshop!

Mimi and Pa. Such a cute picture!

BayLea made up her own recipe for a fruit salad and dished it up for us for dessert.

Her gingerbread house.

Such a long, hard day...

Driving the Wii.

Thanksgiving (a little behind anyone???)

2010-12-29T10:34:00.001-07:00

Thought that before I put up Christmas pictures, I should put up Thanksgiving!!!

We went to Cave Creek, AZ for Thanksgiving this year with Jery's family and had a fabulous time!

We stopped to change drivers at Mexican Hat. The sunset sky was throwing some beautiful color.

The kids are pretty tired of driving already! They were sooooooo good though.

Finally, we made it to Auntie Jill's house.

You gotta love that you can see people riding horses downtown Cave Creek.

I love saguaro cactus'!

This is such a cute photo of the kids.

And this is so cute of Grandma with the girls too, blowouts and all!

Grandma's feet.

Aaron is becoming quite the accomplished guitarist! We really enjoyed listening to him play and I wish that someone had had the idea to video it!!!

BayLea looks so cute and had so much fun playing with Lacey!

Thanks for the fun weekend!

Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

2010-12-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

As some of you know, I'm always on a hunt to find the most wonderful artichoke spinach dip EVAH! WEll, I haven't found it, BUT this one apparently was a hit at Christmas this year. It ended up being completely gone by last night...and it made a big batch! So the recipe goes on the blog:

1/2 bag of fresh spinach leaves, chopped up in the food processor
1 can of artichokes, chopped up in food processor
12 oz softened cream cheese
2 green onions
2 cloves garlic (we like garlic)
3/4 tbsp of dill weed
1 tbsp of celery salt
1/2 tsp of white pepper
3/4 tsp of seasoned salt
3/4 c sour cream
1/2 c mayonaise
3/4 c shredded parmesan cheese
1/8 c white wine

Mix everything except the spinach leaves, then add spinach. Adjust seasonings as you see fit!

Cook mixture in oven at 300 degrees until heated through.

This dip was even BETTER the next day. YUM!!! Enjoy!

December Fun

2010-12-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

My friend, Kathlene, and I went out shooting this week. Look at my precious kidlets!

This isn't my favorite of Breccan that I took but I haven't had a chance to edit another yet.

I am in love with this photo above...I had it enlarged to a 20x30 for my wall at home!

A tree-decorating self-portrait with my babies.

More fun shooting with Kathleen!

And Kathleen, whom I've loved going out shooting with!

Polar Express!

2010-12-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to do this for years and finally we did! It was wonderful. The kids had a great time, and so did we!

I think this picture is pretty cool with all the steam. Dad said he grew up around these steam engines (which I knew) and that he remembers seeing WWII soldiers returning home on these trains...hanging out the windows and waving. THAT'S cool!

Banshee daddy.

Me and my girl!

The conductor doing the ticket punching deal. LOVED LOVED LOVED watching their faces as he punched, punched, punched, punched. Breccan and Daddy got a 'v' and BayLea and I got an 'e'.

My favorite picture of the trip....LOVE her face! It's blurry, but I DO NOT CARE!

The man in red heading our way!

The got the bells of Christmas!

A family portrait! Usually when I hand off my camera to someone to snap a photo of us, I don't expect much...if anything. I was pleasantly, and happily, surprised that this lady was able to take a focused, centered picture of us! Thank you, lady!

Fun times. I hope you both remember this!

baylea singing (trimmed)

2010-12-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

My BayLea-bop singing for her 1st grade program. She did very well. This I took during the dress rehearsal during the day (the advantage of being a teacher at the school!!!) so that I didn't have to work around the heads of others!!! She did just as well at the actual performance; in fact better, because the others forgot how to start it and so she began it! My girl...amazing.

baylea and lacey fall in pool

2010-11-26T17:04:00.000-07:00

Yummy Salad Recipe

2010-11-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

Crunchy Romain Toss

1c walnuts
1 pkg ramen noodles, uncooked and broken up
4 T unsalted butter
1 bunch broccoli chopped
1 head Romaine lettuce
4 green onions chopped
1 c sweet & sour dressing

Brown walnuts and noodles in butter. Cool on paper towels. Combine noodles and walnuts with broccoli, romaine and onions. Pour dressing and toss well.

sweet and Sour Dressing

1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c wine vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Salt &pepper to taste

My Darling Girl!

2010-11-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

How cute are these? My friend, Jami, dressed her up and I took photos of her. She loved the dress.

CRACK UP!

2010-11-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

This kid truly is hilarious!

Breccan's 5th Birthday

2010-11-10T20:02:00.001-07:00

Can I just say...OH MY GOD! How can this be? I cannot believe he's 5 years old. It just seems like yesterday that he was a little baby boy coming home from the hospital with me!

But anyway...he had a fantastic party. Lots of fun, presents and joy abounded!

We rented a bump and jump...15 little boys and girls needed something to do!

Uncle Jason in his batman mask.

Kaisha with her cotton candy!

The loot...

We got him a spark scooter...shoots sparks when you use the brake. He loves it and spend a lot of time on it!

Pumpkin Patch 2010!

2010-10-21T07:21:00.000-06:00

We headed to the pumpkin patch! Some day I'm just going to go with my kids and not worry so much about pictures...some day they'll thank me, won't they?

Untitled

2010-10-08T19:04:00.000-06:00

T-ball Photos, BayLea at the Apple Orchard

2010-10-08T19:03:00.001-06:00

Breccan's last t-ball game was last night. He loves the trophy part!

BayLea and I, along with my good friend, Kathleen, went out to another friend's apple orchard to shoot. I am in love with these photos! She is so cute! I bought the dress, but Kathleen had all the other goodies to use as props. Amazing props!

My favorite picture...

It appears that mom and dad have a couple horses at their house now...

Dance Fest at the 50th Anniversary Party

2010-09-13T22:28:00.000-06:00

Stuff!

2010-09-12T09:54:00.002-06:00

Been a while since I added some pictures! I'm having difficulty with photobucket and it just has been too much work!

But here's a few new ones! Breccan (and BayLea) got a little gator from the Rowland family. Breccan loves to go to Mimi and Pa's and drive his gator. He's so cute driving his little gator next to Pa's big gator...

BayLea got ROAR-er of the week last week. This is just two of the things she got. She also got a notepad, pencil, and a few other little things. AND the big thing is that her picture is on the wall in the hall all year!

Breccan sleeping in on a school day. Weekends roll around and he's up at the crack of dawn!

I got a new bike! It's so fun to ride as a family.

50th Anniversary videos

2010-09-07T20:48:00.002-06:00

The joke part of Josh's toast...

The actual toast part...

Blueberry Bread Pudding

2010-09-03T13:13:00.003-06:00

This is wicked good...From Taste of Home Simple and Delicious magazine.

3 eggs
4 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups sugar (but one will do...ask me how I know!?)
3 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 pkg (10 to 12 oz) white baking chips
1 loaf of French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

Sauce:
1 pkg (10 to 12 oz) white baking chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream

In large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, sugar and vanilla. Stir in blueverries and baking chips. Stir in bread cubes. Let stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened.

Transfer to a great 13x9in baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

For sauce, place baking chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over baking chips; whisk until smooth. Serve with bread pudding.

Yum! Very rich, but oh so good!

Just some random stuff!

2010-08-09T16:50:00.002-06:00

At the Farmer's Market...

Karate...

BayLea posing for me...

Breccan in Hat!

2010-08-09T15:57:00.002-06:00

Camping...Ridgeway State Park and Mancos State Park

2010-08-01T10:04:00.002-06:00

We went camping again. We're loving our camper! This time we went to Ridgeway state park and loved it this time...we found a great little spot amongst the trees. Beautiful!

Breccan packed up his bike just like daddy does with the camper.

Breccan checking out his family shot he took. He loves his camera...and his tripod!

I even caught him taking his own picture a couple times...

And his shot of the three of us...

The kids had hotdogs for dinner and we had hamburgers in foil with potatoes and carrots.

The next morning, the kids were trying to get pictures of wildlife...didn't work. They're too impatient and too loud, but it was cute watching them...

We drove to Mancos...GORGEOUS drive over Lizard Head Pass. We stopped in a little town to eat and use the restroom and I took some pictures (big surprise) because the light was pretty even in the middle of the day!

My hillbilly daughter, with a missing tooth (okay, she really just had a blueberry on it!)

In Mancos, as we waited for Jill and Scott and kids, the kids entertained themselves. Here they are playing the grill-drums. I thought I'd get a low point of view of them and came up with this!

So I did it again...this time it worked...

Breccan found tent stakes that he fell in love with. He spent forever trying to pound them into the ground.

And then finally Aaron and Lacey were there!

Auntie Jill brought supplies for Apple Crisp to cook in her cast iron pot. Yum!

And we played kick the can, which was really fun!

On Saturday we headed to Mesa Verde. We had a great time. It was only about 80 degrees, but kind of muggy. It rained on us a little later in the day. Perfect weather!

One of the things we learned was that because they ground their maize on sandstone, there was sandstone in their food and eventually this would wear away their teeth. They think that because of the ground down teeth all the skeletons had, that it is likely that many of the Ancient Puebloan People died from tooth decay complications.

And then of course, we had to just have some portraits!

Breccan wanted to take pictures with my camera (my very expensive camera, on top of his el cheapo tripod = I was scared!) So I let him take one, but as I was walking back to the camera he kept snapping photos!

Fun with OCF!

2010-07-20T08:43:00.003-06:00

I'm loving the effect of off-camera flash. I have tons to learn though...it's harder than it seems. I had some REALLY bad shot happen, but I also got some pretty cool ones. Here are some of my favs.

Watching these two try to jump up and smack hands at the same time was hilarious. Never did get it down!

Camping at Vega

2010-07-13T06:37:00.004-06:00

We went camping for the first time in our trailer. We really did have a great time. Late nights, early mornings, walks, marshmallows, eating junk, fishing...fun times.

BayLea wrote about the first day.

And of course, I had to take pictures...

We toasted marshmallows...

The next day, Mimi and Pa and the dogs came up. They brought yummy steak!

Mimi read on the dock.

And my book got wet and I went to shake off the excess water and the cover fell off and fell in the lake.

(it's a great book, by the way!)

Here we had some bodily noises made at this exact moment that got the kids laughing for the picture. Nothing like using a 4 year olds humor to get a picture!

Every morning we walked around the lake to Vega Lodge to get me some coffee (we weren't camping at a place with electricity). While there we visited with the owner a bit, and eventually he took us up to see his horses. That made BayLea's day...

Our reservations at Oak Point were only for Wednesday and Thursday night. On Friday, we decided to stay another night and thought we'd try Pioneer Campground where they had hookups. They were full, so we headed over to Aspen Grove for the last night. It was a nice place too, but our spot wasn't close to the lake, but more tucked into the trees.

This kid is all boy. We'd wipe him off and 10 minutes later he was covered in dirt again.

We played Spoons that evening, and Bay perfected her spoon balancing technique.

Before we left on Saturday, we took a walk up a trail through the Aspen trees. It was a beautiful walk...

We had a great time. Our next camping adventure will be to Paonia Reservoir, and then from there to Mancos! Yay!