Father's Day

I'm a day late (was busy actually celebrating it yesterday) but wanted to wish a very happy Father's Day to the dads in my life...

Here's me with my dad when I was one or two:

And here's probably the first picture I have of me and my father-in-law (before he was my father-in-law, obviously, as this is my high school graduation...honestly, I'd forgotten we took this picture but was delighted to find it at my mom's house earlier this year):

And, of course, a happy Father's Day to my fabulous husband! Our father/sons mini golf tradition seems to have gone by the wayside sadly but we still managed to have a great time yesterday. First, we went to see the new Men In Black movie...then to lunch up in Old Town...then rock climbing:

...before heading home for some family Netflix binging, hammock time for Nathan, and a yummy dinner before getting ready for the coming week. 

Big thanks, to all you dads, for everything you do and for the example you set!! So blessed to have these three in my life. :)

Happy sigh

Many thanks to those of you who wished me a happy birthday on Friday! I had a wonderful birthday...Micah made me a fabulous lunch, Noah got me some of my favorite snacks, and Asher sent this picture from Costa Rica:

(He sounds like he's having a terrific adventure and loving the experience...can't wait to hear more when he gets home.)

Beyond all that, Nathan took me out for dinner:

We tried out The Cache up in Old Town and loved it...we even met the actual Ginger of Ginger & Baker while we were there. 

After that, we wandered Old Town...partly enjoying the First Friday Art Walk and partly just popping into random stores to look around. We ended at The Coppermuse with cocktails and bacon wrapped dates before heading to the AirBNB Nathan reserved for a night away from boys. 

In the morning, we enjoyed brunch at the Silver Grill Cafe (I tried a new dish and got to have a mimosa with my meal) and did a little more shopping before heading home to pick up boys. We all ventured back up to Old Town to go to the Taste of Fort Collins, where we ate yummy food and walked through the many booths. It was a gorgeous (and delicious!) afternoon:

And then we returned home for a lazy evening...a lovely ending to a beautiful day. :)

Today was back to regular chores and such, but I also got to go climbing some with Micah. He and I both think I might be getting better, lol. 

All in all, a fabulous way to usher in a new year!

And he's off!

Yesterday morning, my Asher left for Costa Rica! He, seven fellow students and two chaperones/teachers met up to take the shuttle to the airport. Before we got in the car, though, I made him take a picture with me... :)

...and with Nathan...

...and then at the shuttle stop, I got a picture of him and his friend. These two have known each other and been on the Karate West demo team together for years before ending up at the same high school. So very happy that they'll get to have this adventure together!

And here's a picture of the whole traveling group...

Asher's been keeping in touch as he's been traveling...they arrived successfully in Costa Rica, had a bit of a hiccup at the airport (a fellow student's passport ended up in a checked bag that apparently was misplaced for awhile), and got to the hotel late last night.

Here's hoping the next eight days are fabulous! (and that he remembers to take some pictures!)

Grandparent visit

The day after we moved Noah home (May 16), Nathan's parents arrived. They were able to watch Asher & Micah perform with the Karate West demo team that night, and then we all spent the weekend visiting and playing games. On Monday (May 20), John, Nancy, Noah and Micah went up to Estes Park for the week. 

The original plan had been for us all to go up, but Nathan had a big work thing at the start of the week that had him in Boulder pretty much all day except to sleep Monday thru Wednesday. And Asher's summer job started that Tuesday (and we still had some things to do to get ready for his Costa Rica trip). So, Noah & Micah got some quality time with grandparents...in the snow. Yup, in typical Colorado style, the end of May was quite chilly and wet, which nixed hiking and enjoying time outdoors in Estes. They managed to find a rock climbing gym and a bowling alley along with playing more games. And Nathan headed up and joined them all on Thursday. On Friday, the weather finally cleared and Nathan and the boys went on a hike to Alberta Falls...

Yes, there was snow along the hike, but they enjoyed the time outside. :) 

And then they all came back home for Memorial Day weekend and I made sure to get some group shots...

Look at what a difference ten years makes! 

This was taken back in August of 2009 in Steamboat Springs. They were so adorable and small!

And look how big they've gotten...

And I made sure to get one of Nathan with his parents, too...

And we played more games and did more visiting and John & Nancy got back on the road on Tuesday (May 28). (Our visit was in the middle of a big road trip traveling through national parks and seeing fishing friends.)

Since then, we've been adjusting to our new summer schedule...with Asher at work, karate and parkour, Micah at karate and rock climbing and prepping for CEC registration, Noah catching up on sleep and looking into possible summer jobs or research positions, Nathan working and me coordinating all that, reorganizing stuff at home and going to another CAP CAC (Climate Action Plan Community Advisory Committee) meeting. Whew.

Oops

Um, sorry. Looks like I've fallen behind. ;) I have two more posts I'll get to in a minute..but, first, here are some random pictures and notes...

Micah and Nathan made me some lumpia as a combination "end of school year, teacher appreciation" and Mother's Day gift...yum!! 

Now that school's done for the year, Micah's been keeping busy with rock climbing and karate. He's also taken the placement exam so that he can register for classes at CEC for the fall. (Meeting with his advisor will take place sometime this month.) 

Asher got me an inflatable costume for Mother's Day...(he picked it out, himself)...

Halloween is going to be terrific this year! ;) 

Asher started his summer internship a week after his classes finished and has been learning all about what it's like to put in an 8 hour day. (Given homeschooling and then the flexible nature of classes at CEC, he's never actually done that before, lol.) He seems to like the job just fine, though...he's just tired. :) (He starts work at 6am, gets home around 3pm and then has karate or parkour in the evening every night except Mondays.)

And here's a picture of Noah vacuuming his dorm room when we were moving him out...

He's finally unpacking his stuff today, though he's been home more than two weeks. :) 

And now I'll go get those next posts posted so you can see what else has been going on...