Swimming Lessons

Both kids took swimming lessons this summer, twice a week for a month. I love having them in one-on-one lessons because they learn so much with the individualized attention and instruction. Makenna took to the water like a pro. She is a fearless child (scary for me, in some ways) so my primary concern for her is water safety & survival at this stage of the game. She was eager to learn and mastered floating on her back, and being able get herself onto her back after jumping in the pool. And she LOVED it! Every night she'd ask, "Do we have swimming lessons tomorrow?" even for weeks after it was all over. Next summer, little fish.

Jacob had taken lessons last summer as well, so the basics of water safety came back pretty quickly for him. He moved forward in his swimming skills, and by the end of the month was able to do the back stroke the entire length of the pool without assistance. We were watching from above when he did it, and I was one proud Mama! 

Nana's Visit

Nana came for a visit in July and we had a wonderful time together. She took us to see the new Planes movie (which Jacob loved!), made crafts with the kids, introduced us to some fun airplane fliers at the park, and we took her to the zoo. As always, the time is too short but we sure are grateful for the time we had with her. Love you! Thanks for coming!

Birthday Number Six

Birthday number six for Jacob. He's a smart little cookie. He loves books, especially informational ones. He frequently brought home ones about animals, trucks, airplanes, etc from the school library. And he's reading at a 2nd grade level right now--its been fun to watch the love & skill of reading take off in him. Jake loves the concept of "fast"--his favorite animal is the cheetah, he loves to run and is quite competitive. In fact, he told me last year that his goal was to be the fastest kid in his class. The kid still loves to play on the floor with trucks, planes, and trains, though Matchbox cars have taken a back seat to Legos right now. He can follow the directions by himself to put something together, though it doesn't stay together very long as he races, flys, and crashes his creations. And he takes his role as the big brother very seriously--he is Makenna's protector, her playmate, and he loves to torture her. It will be very interesting to see how things play out when little brother is old enough to join in.  

Mmmm...frosting! I let him lick off the beater just for the messy face picture. :)

He requested a shark cake. I think it turned out pretty well. 

We had a family birthday celebration (no friend party this year--too much work) and Jake chose mini golf. 

Four little monkeys playing in a cage...

Being eaten by a lion.

I think he was in love with the present he was unwrapping. 

Yep, it was the Lego Movie!

A completed Lego birthday gift. 

"Happy Birthday to You!"

Love their cute little faces!

I don't remember what they were laughing at, but I love the looks of sheer enjoyment!

Playtime at the Beach

Some friends invited us to share in a secret little gem this summer--Prospect Lake Beach. I had no idea it existed and, oh, did we love it! It's a nice, clean, sandy little beach with a life guarded swimming area, all of it small enough that I could sit and talk with friends while the kids played. I often heard throughout the summer, "Can we go to the beach??" I think Jacob and Makenna liked playing in the sand as much or more than they did the water. It is a place we will surely visit in summers to come!

Estes Park Getaway

We decided to vacation this summer close to home, in the beautiful Colorado mountains. We rented a small cabin in Estes Park for four nights, and spent our time exploring the surrounding Rocky Mountain National Park. What beautiful scenery! The kids were great hikers--pregnant Mama was the one who lagged behind, much to my chagrin. We hiked to Gem Lake, hiked around Bear Lake (an easy stroll compared to the one the day before!), as well as Sprague Lake, the latter two residing in Rocky Mountain National Park. Such beautiful mountain country!

We couldn't get away with hiking as the only activity during the week, partly because the kids wanted to do other things and partly because I physically couldn't handle anymore. (Being pregnant at 37 is not a cakewalk!) We rode the aerial tramway to the summit of Prospect Mountain, which looks out over Estes Park. We had been told not to miss feeding peanuts to the chipmunks up at the top, but I think they were too full for more as we had a hard time finding any to take our peanuts! Oh well. 

I think the kids would tell you the highlight of the trip was the (small) amusement park we spent a morning playing at: giant slide, mini golf, bumper cars, go-karts, and bumper boats. They both loved that they had their own steering wheel in the go-karts and felt like official drivers (though they in no way controlled the cars). :) Other favorite activities included fresh doughnuts for breakfast at a local bakery, playing in the hot tub at our cabin, eating dinner at a restaurant most nights, and lots of other fun little things that only happen when you're on vacation. It was a great get-away and we will definitely go back. 

Waving at the camera

A view of the mountains as we ascended up to Gem Lake.

Cooling off in Gem Lake after a long hike (it was a 1200' gain in altitude in 1.7 miles)

Jakers

Beautiful Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park

They both thought they were extremely funny!

Bumper Cars!

Jake and Mom going down the giant slide

Fun times getting wet in the bumper boats.

Doughnuts for breakfast! We pulled up to the bakery, which was called "Donut Haus" and Jake reads the sign, but says "Do Nut Has?"--we hadn't told them where we were going beforehand. :) My little beginning reader! 

Smores!

Lots of pictures from Sprague Lake (another beautiful gem in RMNP)

Kindergarten Graduation

Kindergarten graduation...celebrating a year of accomplishment and the end of Jake's first year in elementary school. I'm one of those parents who thinks its a little over the top to call it a "graduation", but I do admit that Jacob and his classmates are cute. And it was a fun little program full of song and dance, performed with kindergarten style. 

Marching down the aisle to Pomp & Circumstance with his classmate Katelyn.

Receiving his "diploma" from the principal

Jacob with his kindergarten teachers, Mrs. MacDonald & Mrs. Lee