We just got back tonight from a 12-day trip to Boulder, Colorado. We stopped off first near Sante Fe, New Mexico, at my aunt and uncle’s house for a couple nights - awesome views there - and then continued on to Boulder. We stayed at Chautauqua, where Laura and her family had traveled to a bunch of times growing up. This time, Laura’s parents had gone to Wyoming first and then met us there at Chautauqua too. We had a couple sick days and a couple rain days, but we got to do most of the stuff we hoped to, like hiking around the Flatirons, seeing Boulder, seeing some cousins, playing on the Chautauqua Green (a big open grassy park area), and of course, relaxing! Hover over each thumbnail below for a bit of info.

Brooks’ girlfriend Macie and her family are moving away in August and today he said, “No matter how far apart, our hearts still believe.”

Yeah, it’s been awhile. But here are a couple pics of the kiddos and then one of a dead tree outside that I finally got down the other day.

We’ve been working on reading this whole time of course, but tonight Brooks read a few pages of Dick & Jane on his own! He was so proud and excited!

Brooks to Laura yesterday: “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT I’M TELLING YOU! I AM A HALF MAN HALF ROBOT!”

We were listening to the Indiana Jones theme in the car on the way to school this morning and I was telling Brooks about who and what Indiana Jones is. I told him it was probably my favorite movie(s). He asked if he could watch it with me sometime. YESSSS! Of course, probably have to wait a bit because he might not be old enough for some parts, but still!

This week we also had Juliet rip her left middle fingernail off, and had an old man run a red light and hit us (no injuries), but we did have Circus McGirkis at the school last night, where the kids dressed up to do circus acts. Juliet was a clown and Brooks was a strongman (he drew an outfit and Laura made it).

Brooks’ teachers wrote down what each kid in his class said about what they were having for Thanksgiving. Brooks said this: “I will go into the forest and hunt for turkey with my bow and arrow. I will take the turkey back to my house and cook it for three minutes. I will serve apples, bananas, and grapes. For dessert I will fix chocolate cake by mixing eggs, oil, water, and icing. Then I will bake it for five years.”

On Friday the kids were out of school, but we still had Brooks’ afternoon cello lesson, and then went to the Fair! The kids rode ponies (in a circle) and went into the petting zoo, rode the carousel, and Brooks rode a handful more, including some kid roller coasters with me! We ate corn dogs and funnel cakes and then went in the see some of the rodeo. Then Saturday was Brooks’ soccer game and he scored another goal! (I have a video of another near-miss he had that I’ll hopefully soon post.) That evening we went out to some friends’ ranch for an Oktoberfest party with more sausage-on-a-stick, marshmellow-roasting, hayrides, and kids running around everywhere. Yesterday was calmer - just went to the park for a bit. Addition: Oh yeah, then we put Juliet’s crib away and took down Brooks’ top bunk for her to sleep in now!

Here are some recent photos of Brooks and Juliet in their superhero costumes for upcoming Halloween!