Fall Break 2020

After school starts, but before it's really Fall, things tends to slow down a lot. We don't do as many family activities, so I don't take as many pictures. Looking back at August of 2020, I don't have a lot. And, unfortunately, I don't remember a lot.

But I do know my parents came to visit, and we sat in the backyard watching Aubrey and Carter play in the kiddie pool.

And then, funny enough, I have pictures of Aubrey and Carter in the snow just three weeks later.

And then only 9 days after that, the kids were back outside, playing at the park. Honestly, I love the variation in the weather we have here! It keeps things interesting.

Then it was October break, which is always a fun week for us. Our first adventure was a hike in Boulder, which I can't remember the name of anymore. But it was nice!

It was really windy at the beginning, which Clara actually loved. 

And Carter trailed behind, as usual. He didn't like the wind.

Cuties stopping for a rest on a convenient fallen tree:

It was a pretty place, but my phone had a terrible camera back then, so the pictures don't do it justice.

I kept trying to get pictures of the beautiful aspen trees...

Aubrey was often leading the way, as she usually does on our hikes.

And at the top, we got a nice view of Boulder down below.

After our hike, we got some tasty treats at a local bakery and ate them at Chautauqua Park so we could all take a little break. 

Aubrey and Carter spent most of their time running through the trees playing hide and seek.

Clara was just happpy for the chance to stand on her own two feet after riding in the car, then the backpack, and then the car again for most of the day.

But for me and Daniel, the best part was the view of the Flatirons.

I got another shot of them out the car window on our way home. So pretty!

Our second adventure during Fall break was the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. It was a nice, albeit small, little place. 

It was so cute, because on the way from the car to the building, Carter got really cold. So Aubrey wrapped him in her jacket with her while they walked. I live for those moments of sibling sweetness!

  

Inside the museum we admired some old carriages...

... and an old elevator.

Carter was especially excited to ride in it.

As for me, I liked this fancy, old gown. It must have something to do with my love of Jane Austen...

And while we were waiting for Carter and Daddy to use the bathroom before we left, Aubrey played really cutely with Clara. Yay for more sibling sweetness!

While we were in the Springs, we took the opportunity to visit the Penrose Heritage Museum, which was full of cool race cars. Carter was in Heaven.

It also had a bunch more old carriages...

... and early cars.

Clara insisted on getting out of her stroller and exploring on her own. She was very taken in by this horse and buggy combination, haha.

Finally, we also went to our traditional pumpkin patch during Fall break, but I'm saving that for the next post. Instead, I'll end with a cute video and a cute picture, both of which were taken during the break when we were hanging out at home.

Summer 2020 Continued

After our Utah/California trip, we came back home to Colorado and enjoyed some summer fun there. Of course, Nana's and Papa's backyard was a favorite retreat. 

I mean, what could be better than water guns...

... and popsicles on a hot day?

On that particular day, there was even a beautiful butterfly Carter tried to catch.

With Covid still making things weird, there was also a lot of time spent at home. Clara took the opportunity to explore the house.

And the kids played cutely together (sometimes, haha).

We also grew some summer squash in our garden. Here's one of our first squashes!

One thing that was fine to do during Covid was hiking, so we took the opportunity to explore a part of Castlewood Canyon we hadn't been to before.

It took us to the old Lucas Homestead, which was built in the late 1800s by an Irish immigrant family. Aubrey and Carter enjoyed exploring the ruins of the house, which were pretty cool.

Here's the old fireplace:

Then, at the end of June/beginning of July, we spent three different days at Nana's and Papa's, all close together. The first day was just a for-fun trip to hang out. Papa played soccer with Carter, which was so cute.

And Clara hung out with Daddy. (Terrible photo quality alert.)

When we went back to their house a couple of days later, it was for Papa's retirement party! Karen got this cool map for him to put pins in all the places he went for work.

And I made him a landslide German chocolate cake. It's kind of a mess, but landslides are messy, okay?

The kids also made Papa some cute cards. 🧡

Carter also decided to provide some musical entertainment for the party. Hehe.

The third time we went to their house in that short time period was the 4th of July. Here's Clara all decked out in patriotic clothing!

The kids had to have popsicles again, obviously.

And then there were s'mores! Quite a good day, treat-wise.

Clara discovered a love of graham crackers during the s'mores making. It was her first time eating them.

Because Covid was still going strong and there wasn't a vaccine yet, my mom and dad didn't feel comfortable getting together with the whole family at their house like we usually do in summer, so Maren and Kara, their kids, and our family all rented out a house in Woodland Park, a mountain town near Colorado Springs.

While there, we all hiked to Monument Rock. I took too many pictures...

Carter and Bennett were cute buddies, as usual.

And we tried for an all-children photo (minus Clara, I guess, since she was in the hikking backpack) by this little pond, but Carter was feeling uncooperative. Good times.

So this is the best we could get:

Pretty place though, no?

The littles were good hikers. I think it helped to have the positive peer pressure of cousins there.

More photos of the rock (told you I took too many):

Just at the base of the rock was a huge, muddy puddle (I can't really call it a pond). The little kids had to spend a good deal of time throwing things into it, of course.

The older kids, however, preferred to climb the rock.

After the hike, we went up to Castle Rock to eat some Dos Amigos. The littles enjoyed climbing around at Festival Park after they ate their three bites of food.

Then we went back to the house in Woodland Park and mostly just hung out. I don't have any other pictures, so I don't really know what we did, haha. I do know both Aubrey and Carter had some... stomach issues, we'll say, which led to their first tastes of Gatorade. Carter became a big fan.

I also know I found this book in the house library...

... and we were inspired to watch Hamilton for the first time (just the adults). Kara had already seen it, but Maren, Daniel, and I had not. We loved it, and I sometimes wish I could go back and watch it for the first time again, just to experience the sheer surprise and joy of it. I laughed so hard at all the King George scenes. Ah, so good.

Anyway, here's a cute video of Clara I took at the house there. She thought it was funny to make it impossible for me to change her diaper.

And that's all for now!