More snow...

Jason and Sean were throwing snowballs at me in the kitchen. Thankfully I had a large piece of glass as protection. They also played snowball baseball and threw shovels full of snow at one another. Oh the fun a father and son can have together!

SNOW!

Excited is an understatement... These kids were outside eating snow before breakfast. I think they'll enjoy their new life in Colorado. 

A few photos

So we haven't taken many pictures lately.. but here are a few.

Long Overdue!

It has been way too long! Grandma has made a second trip since our last post... I will post a few pictures from the past weeks, but our most exciting development is the new addition we're expecting! A baby in late May and Sean will finally have his long awaited baby brother or sister. We are thrilled! (And obviously putting adoption on hold for the time being.... to be revisited in a few years.)

Grandma and Grandpa Came to Town

Some pics from Grandma and Grandpa Jones' first visit to our new home in Denver. Among the group are pictures of the dragon boat races and our day in the mountains, particularly Echo Lake.

Playing with Uncle Jason

Molly decked out in her princess gear and "Sally" the bear in a matching "Cinderbella" dress. And Hays... who challenged Jason to a sword fight. Although Jason won, Hays deserves an award for theatrics! 

More Swimming Pictures

Swimming, Swimming, in the Swimming Pool

The pool is WAY more fun than it was this time last year! Three years old must be the time kids begins to love the water AND have the balance and assertiveness to keep their head out of it! I just remember the constant panic feeling when a two year old is wobbling through wasted deep water. Well we are past that now, with the help of floatation devises ($4 well spent). They had a great time, even Carson, once Jenny conceded and allowed her to wear her shoes into the water. 

Rock Band in the Front Yard

Hays and Sean thought the neighborhood needed to hear a little of their original music. Hays gets the prize for best expressions and Sean for most noise! They are a riot! They take themselves very seriously. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Jones for the drums... the favorite present of all time (or at least of all three years).

The Conquering of Mt. Bierstadt

Jason, Brandt and Brian set out for the summit of Mt. Bierstadt from our campsite near Guenella Pass last weekend. It proved more challenging and more rewarding than Jason expected. It seems to be a bit of an addictive thing, these 14ers. We're planning another for August 9 with hopes of securing childcare so that all who desire might climb.

The First of Many Smores

Our first attempt at camping as a family went great... until we laid down to sleep and realized I had forgotten pillows and then woke up to a very chilly morning without warm clothes. So we've improved our packing since then and had more successful trips.

More Hiking

Beth and Shelby were visiting a couple of weeks ago and to further encourage their move to Denver, we went hiking in the mountains. I think the hike was supposed to be about 3 miles... but we added at least another mile by parking at the bottom of a hill rather than the base of the trail. The dads paid the price when the boys were ready to be carried a few hundred yards into the trip down. At least they made it up, which was quite an accomplishment. We climbed over 1000 feet in the 2 miles up... the view was worth it. 

More

A View Well Worth the Hike

About two and half miles in we were wandering if this Panorama Point would be worth the tough hike. (The challenging part we knew lie ahead when Sean would want to be carried... the last half mile was a steep incline) The hike was mostly through the forest, down one mountain and up the next. I probably told Sean a dozen times, just a little bit farther, we're almost to the top where you can have your snack. Well the top finally came, and it was well worth the work! An exceptionally wide and clear view of the Continental Divide from two well placed nice wooden decks (that Sean proceeded to run around until we began the descent... at which point of course he was ready to be carried!) We had the zoom lens on the camera so even though a picture can't do it justice, this one doesn't even come close because you can only see three peaks. We did end up carrying Sean the last half mile... up hill... but it was worth it, and I'm sure we'll do it again!

An Almost Hike

We set off for a trail outside of Boulder yesterday. It turns out that we parked in overflow parking of sorts  (a mile or so from the trail head). The kids were ready to turn back when we reached the actual trail, which I'm sure does require overflow parking at times as it was a beautiful site! The trail it self is actually over 7.5 miles long... I guess we'll have to come back and do that one without the kids (or with overambitious attitudes ready to carry them 1/3 of the way or more). It was fun anyway and Sean got a chance to wear his new Camelpack and share it with his friends. 

Saying Goodbye to Uncle Jacob

We drove to Fort Benning in Georgia with Jason's parents last weekend to say goodbye to Uncle Jacob who is left for Iraq on Monday. He was off base for our whole visit so we had lots of quality and good laughs. Sean particularly enjoyed running around the hotel and asking when the pool would be open. Despite the fact that he was exhausted from the drive, he did find some great smiles to pull out in his photo shoot with Uncle Jacob in the their matching uniforms, especially when the bunny was allowed to join him in the picture posing as Jacob's hat. We will pray for him often and anxiously await his safe arrival home in about 15 months. 

The Long Awaited Wedding Performance

After much practice and too much anticipation, the wedding day arrived and the children performed their duties wonderfully. Molly was very fond of her flowers and asked to keep them, Hays insisted that his single blue glove matched his white suit and that he should be allowed to wear it (Jason was able to convince him to put it into the pocket on the inside of his suit coat) Hays was quick to retrieve the glove as soon as the service was over. And Sean would have preferred to dance down the aisle, but Hays held tightly to his hand and managed to keep him in line. Oh, and the bride was stunning, making the groom a very happy man!

Triumph!

Sean has loved puzzles ever since Grandma Jones introduced him to the challenge. Recently he has gotten into the more challenging puzzles like this one. The puzzle he did today was without any help! 

A Little Spring Cleaning

Ever since we set eyes on the house, we saw the need for some yard work, a little trimming around the edges. Well, five hours into the project with all four adults and three children hauling bricks in their dump trucks, and it seems that we have more than "some" yard work to do. A picture of the yard couldn't communicate our progress, so we thought to post a picture of the trash pile. Thankfully Denver picks up all the trash or yard trimming you can bundle (as long as you follow the directions.) Unfortunately for us, we ran out of twine to bundle branches, so... waiting for us next Saturday is the other half of the yard and the pile of branches the size of a VW bug.

Hiking in the Cold

It seemed like a chilly day on its way to warm.... but we never got to the warm. And the chilly didn't get any better at 75oo feet. But, the view, oh the view! This last weekend, Brian chose Mount Falcon for our weekly hike and it was pretty outstanding. Hays was rendered incapacitated by the temperatures while Sean refused gloves because "I like to be chilly". Molly skipped a lot and every one three and under triumphed over at least a dozen rocks. Brian and Hays will be the only ones hiking this weekend, Jason will be visiting his brother before he ships off for Iraq, Jenny, Elizabeth, Sean and Molly will be in Texas and Carson is visiting Jammie and Poppin. We will reconvene with great expectations in two weeks.

Jason's First Fishing Adventure

Jason bought a fishing license yesterday and took the first opportunity to pack up the car and head for the nearest stream to try out his fly fishing skills. Although the first stream proved to be not big enough to hold a fish, and the second yielded not a catch, he did get to see a group/herd/collection of mule deer. Most astonishing were the mid-air jumps he caught on film. 

Practicing for the Wedding

Hays, Molly and Sean will be making their wedding debut in April. Sean is particularly generous, inviting nearly everyone to "his" wedding and practicing songs that he intends to have played at the reception, specifically the "whooo hooo" song ("Celebrate Good Times" is how the song starts, I'm not sure of the actual name). They tried on their outfits the other day and did a little practice run through the living room.

Enjoying the Mountains... as Often as Possible!

The fourth nice weekend in a row! We had a great hike at Lair' O the Bear Open Space Park along Bear Creek... The kids love hiking and would "climb on rocks" everyday if the "rocks" were a little more accessible. I think this creek may be just as beautiful in the winter, freshly covered in snow as it will be this summer, brimming with bright green and blooming bushes. A wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning, enjoying God's magnificent creation!

Walking the City

I learned something that I thought interesting the other day.  Denver is the #4 most walkable city in the US.  Strolling up and down 16th street, I can see it.

The First One

I am sitting in Denver, Co, in the basement of a friend, creating this first post for our new blog.  I am not even sure if a want to be a long term blogger, but I want a way to update family and friends about our adventures here in the mountainous region of the US.  So, this is the first one.  More to come, later.