Labor Day

 Monday was a beautiful day and Olivia and I went to Lakeside them park.  This park is really small but cheap.  2 roller coaster and maybe about 12 other side.  We both had a great time twisting and turing for 5 hours.  Happy Labor Day

Field Day

 Olivia's new school is smart.  Have field day in the fall when it is warmer and no snow yet!  Today was her special day.  2.5 hours of playing out side with her friends.  All of the games were theme off books.  The picture below she had to put on underwear and a cap and run around.

 This one I am not quiet sure, hitting kids with noodles, sure...sounds run.

 Throwing 5 balls in a bucket!

 And finally getting your color balls in the garage can.  She was pretty good at this one.

A good day to be outside.

Creative thought

Olivia makes me stuff all the time and some times I just don't know where or what to do with it.  my neighbor gave me an idea.  Display it all in the laundry room.  It decorates it and I get to admire it more then once a week.   Olivia loves showing it off too.

updates

It is almost September, where did August go too.  Olivia has been in school for a month now.  She is enjoying it but missing her old school which is understandable.  I think the switch with school is a good thing still as the rules and behaviors are totally different.  A huge adjustment but good for her to learn.  5th grade she gets to do all her work on a I-Pad, she is thrilled.  Yes, math, planners and class room chats.  It is different and a learning experience for me as well.  Olivia also started on a swim team, which she chose to do last February and it following through.  this week is the last week of tuesday and thursday practices.  /next week she starts monday through thursday for an hour and half each days.  Her team is called Falfins.  She loves it and i see the side my mom did for many years.

Jon is doing well.  This summer to both works over time to build our saving account to starting working on the basement.  It is framed right now and Jon is starting to work on the Electrical and Pluming.  Hoping it will be done by may but we will see how long the money last.  This week Jon is working 8 days of over time for his last over for a while.  Then no more til thanksgiving time.

I am hanging in there juggling to many thing like normal.  This week was my last week of house cleaning for a month and half as I need to work on our back yard and get some landscaping done before winter.  I finish my last over time two weeks ago and still playing catch up.  My normal job has been stressful and my Lieutenant was put on admen leave and I bumped up to act in his spot.  We should hear back in a week if he is returning to work or not.  Otherwise I took the Pack test for work.  It is just a year certification for wildland fire fighting.  you walk with 45 pound on under 46 minutes.  I always make it a competition and want to be first and again i was.  My time was 39:33, and it felt good.  

Family: Adopting still no word, Jon is finishing up his training and I already did my 20 hours.  October will be one year of waiting for a phone call and still nothing, a little disappointment.  We talked and are going to wait for one more year and then move on with our life's.  We can not wait for every and I need a mental break from this too.  Over all it has been three years in the works so far.  Animals are doing decent.  Punky the dog is 11 1/2 now and his arthritis is getting to him.  he is on daily meds to keep him going and daily walked.  Zoey and Bailey the cats are well.  Dixie the 9 year old cat is having issues and not eating.  The vet prescribed marijuana pills to help with pain and her appetite.  This will be 30 days and will be reevaluated to see her fate.  Lilly the sugar glider is well, still slowly bonding but growing fast.  Last our friendly not welcome mice and voles that are coming into our house.  The cats love the live toys and do a great job getting them.  I am getting tired of dead things around our house.  Last week we had 4 live ones running around, they lasted two hours before they were murdered by each cat and dog.  yes dog, punky gets them too.  We have two traps set and so far nothing in the traps just cats mouths.
Hope is all with all of our readers.

one long day

 Two weeks ago we all had off and decided to get out of town for the day.  We drove 4 hours to Glenwood Springs. Jon and I have hiked hanging lake but we wanted to share it with Olivia.  She loved it.  Hanging lake is a hike in a canyon which is 1 mile up.  It was an easier hike compared to our earlier hike which is below.

 At the end of the hike and day at hanging lake Olivia was trying to take pictures like us.  Jon was being running and jumping in all her picture.  As seen above.  lol

The picture below is our first hike we did.  We wanted to start off at hanging lake but it was so busy we waited 25 minutes and never got a parking spot.  So we did your second hike first.  This hike was a memorial hike of 14 fire fighter that died in a wildland fire in 1994.  The trees in the first 1/2 mile were amazing, and had a wonderful fragrance!

 When we reach the hot 2 mile up spot there was a memorial tree, where people last fire fighting items from there departments.  Personally it was a little cluttered but the tree is already dead and very nice gustier.

 After this hike we stopped at a gas station and got a lot of water.  We need to rehydrate and then see if hanging lake had a spot which it did.  6 miles, 2 hikes and 8 hour drive all in one day.  Totally worth it!

Meet...

Over the summer while Olivia was with her mom, her mouse passed away.  Snowball was barried and gate cleaned out.  Jon and I talked that if Olivia wanted another pet she would have to research it.  This girl is persistent!

Please meet Lilly! The newest addition to our family!

5th Grade

 Today is the first day of her new school and new grade.  5th grade Mrs. Gibe Super hero class!

First meal

This year for Olivia's 11th Birthday, her new chore for the year is learning how to cook meals.  Tonight was her first and she choice spaghetti with meat balls.

 Payton down the road got excited and wanted to cook too.  I fried the meat and the girls did everything else(even dished).  Olivia even chopped the fresh herbs for the sauce.

Kids made, kids approved!

First Day Back

 I got a trade from work for 12 hours to come home and spend the first day with Olivia.  Olivia went to Dominica the Island to visit with her mom and siblings.  She was gone for 7 weeks.  I am thrilled she is back!  After Donut for Breakfast, we headed to the county fair.  Our county fair is small but always enjoy our selves.  The petting zoo is were it was happening this year.  Wallabies, goats, camels, and kangaroos.  There was a couple more I don't remember.

 We even got a little coloring in.  Olivia was amazed this year at all the 4-H crafts.

 After the Fair we had a couple of the neighbors join us for dinner to celebrate Olivia's 11th Birthday.  Yes we went to Village Inn, her favorite due to the free slice of pie!  She had a blast, but jet lag.  We headed home and I headed back to work.

Turquoise Lake Molly Brown Campground Site 30

 We went camping for our last time in 2014.

Beautiful lake, lots of friends, and good weather.

 The lake was huge but hard to fish in, there was nothing biting.  We starve!

 We started the drive for the historic Mining in Colorado where they mined Ore, but we got lost or just ran out of road!  It was a beautiful day and the scenery was amazing!

Mandy from China is making my blog.  She made it state side and join us with her husband ZR for two days camping!   

 Below is ZR holding a 40lb log and Jon is going to tickle him!

 Then I had to hold the log and show off....

 and then Jon one up me.

 Mandy being Mandy, love it.  Can you see Olivia in the boat behind her.

 After these pictures were taken above it started to rain! and rain and rain.

Today we headed home and stopped in Buena Vista for lunch and a walk on the river.  We had a great time with lots of company.  The Clowe family of 5 joined us.  The Kirt family of 7 joined and Mandy and ZR.  What a wonderful visit of friends!

crafty 11th Birthday present

 Last year Olivia wanted sticker stars for her room.  Well time passed by and I totally forgot.  This year Mary's bedroom with painted stars inspired me.  Yes they make glow in the dark paint.  I printed up the constellation and went to work.

 Let me just tell you how hard it is to dot the ceiling with white paint to a white ceiling, mmmm where did my last star go too.   It was fun and turned out pretty cool.  Olivia gets home Saturday night and we will see how long it take her to figure it out.  SSSSHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Sorry no pictures, glow in the dark does not put off enough light to see in the camera.

4th of July

 Every Year Jon and I climb a 14,000 foot mountain.  This year he chose Democrat, Lincoln, Cameron and Bross.  We drove up on  July 3rd and slept in the car at Kite Lake. We woke at 530am and started our adventure.

 We first climbed Democrat, 14,148 ft tall.  I think we started at 11,000 ft.  There was several people dress in flags and one guy was carrying a flag the whole way.

 Summit Democrat above!  Yes the dog joined us too.  This made Punky's second 14er.
 Next we headed down Democrat and saddle over to Mt Cameron 14,238 ft.  In Colorado they do not recognize cameran as a 14er due to elevation loss to lincoln.  Jon and I still counted it because we still walked it.  Summit of Cameron below.

Then we saddled over to Mt. Lincoln which is 14,286 ft.  The wind was getting really strong and cold. I think it was like 30 degrees up there.  Very cold for July, and there was still snow.  After Lincoln Jon and I agreed it was time to get down and not do Bross.  The dog was beat and we were both chilled. 7 hours of hiking and unsure how many miles.  We headed home for a 2.5 hour drive.

When we got home we joined the neighbors for a cook out.  Brats, hot dogs, and hamburgers.  

At 9pm we started the fire worked.  It was a 2 hour setting off/show.

 Then while we were setting off ours the street behind us and in front of us was lighting off illegal fire works which we watched as well.  Some reason the sky ones are so much neater.

I hope all of our Family had a wonderful Independence day as well.