Kristen 8/7/16 Kristen 8/7/16

Grace in small things, August 7, 2016

A little Jeep trip today that took us up to the trail that goes to the top of Hahn's Peak...want to hike that someday...
And then a picnic by the river...so delightful...and my husband looking for cool rocks and the kids totally getting into it...
Kids are so affectionate lately...loving it...
Also so loving the new sun shades we have out on our deck...they help so much with the afternoon light...
"Sleeping Beauty" for our Sunday night movie...it was pretty wonderful...the music is amazing...
Kids making "bed angels," aka moving their arms and legs like you do with snow angels while I was doing tuck-in tonight...

XOXO

Kristen 8/5/16 Kristen 8/5/16

Grace in small things, August 5, 2016

Luke and Zo both full-on swimming by themselves...Luke for the very first time yesterday right after his last swim lesson, and Zo her first time today...I'm such a proud mama...
A super delicious asparagus recipe I made for dinner tonight
Rodeo with the kids and my mother-in-law...so fun...it went so fast this evening. The kids did the Ram Scramble (which they called the Lamb Scramble), where they try to get the red ribbon off the sheep's tail along with about 50 other kids under 6. They (Luke and Zo) were disappointed they didn't win, but they had big smiles on their faces doing it...
About to go sit on the deck and watch the stars and chat with my husband...always one of the best parts of my day...
Luke, giving me tons of hugs before the Lamb Scramble, and Zo following suit and then Luke saying, arms wrapped around me, "Mommy, you'll remember this day because it is so full of love." I'm tearing up just typing this...he is so right...

XOXO

Kristen 8/3/16 Kristen 8/3/16

Water and some kitchen utensils on the deck...nothing's more fun...
I am loving the friends I'm making here in Steamboat...
My husband volunteering to go to the grocery store on his way home from work whenever I need it...this is nothing new, but so grateful for the help, always...
A walk after the kids went down this evening, me and Newton the boxer...last month when I was doing walks at 8:30 or so it was light the whole way...today I was making it home in the dark...I love how things like the lengths of the days change so gradually and yet also so dramatically...
Beautiful "art letters" from my mom—one for each of the kids and one for me as well. What a delight these pieces of snail mail are...thank you Mom!!

XOXO

Kristen 8/1/16 Kristen 8/1/16

Feeling so happy today about the weekend Jeff and I just spent together in Denver...some much-needed alone time and got to see a lovely friend of ours and Union Station (where the picture above was taken) and the Westin was soooooo pretty and relaxing and we discovered the Cruise Room Saturday night...so fun...
Reconnecting with the kids last night and this morning...we had such a good time just hanging out...
Lunch on the lawn...
Work went smoothly today...all got done...
Jeff's taking kid duty tonight so I can go to a Bachelorette-watching party...yay, girl time. :)

XOXO

Kristen 7/26/16 Kristen 7/26/16

Bubs telling me the best and worst parts of his day were warm blankets out of the dryer (best) and the storm rolling in (worst)...
Having a tiny bit of breathing room in my work schedule today...
Reading snuggled up with the kids tonight...
Talking with a good friend who is going through a tough time...
Sis trying on my sparkly sequined black and navy mini dresses (hanging in my closet even though there is nowhere to wear them up here) and being thrilled with how fancy she looked...

Kristen 7/21/16 Kristen 7/21/16

Look who I met on my walk tonight! :)
Kids are doing SO GREAT in swim lessons...so fun to watch them progress...their teacher Riley is amazing...and we got to spend some time at the pool with friends after...lovely...
New vacuum is getting the carpets so clean. I really like to clean...it's weird...
Luke picked as his book tonight one from my childhood...so fun to read...
Jeff shopped and made dinner and did the dishes tonight...he is the best...

XOXO

Kristen 7/21/16 Kristen 7/21/16

Zo waking me at 5:30 AM, then snuggling into bed beside me...
Opening presents in bed in the morning before Jeff went to work...the kids picked their own gifts for me and they did well with a down vest and some Steamboat T-shirts...
Other sweet gifts from people I love...
Going on a hike with the kids and some friends at Rita Valentine to release the snails they had brought up from Junction the day before. Luke, after running around a corner on the trail with the other kids and then reporting back: "Mama! We saw something! It was either a deer or a rabbit or a rock!"
A facial in the afternoon...so lovely...
Sushi for dinner...yum...
German chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream, my favorites...
Stories upstairs with my kiddos before bed...
The porch with my husband after the kids went down...
A good night's sleep...

XOXO

Kristen 7/19/16 Kristen 7/19/16

These pics were taken yesterday on Serpent's Trail in the Colorado National Monument...look at my baby girl bouldering...she's so good at it...proud Mama... :)
Selling of the Junction house is a done deal as of this morning...feels surreal...not bad...just very strange...
Great seeing my mom and dad for a quick overnight...and we've got some fun stuff planned for August...
Easy drive home with the kids, always grateful for that...
Snails the kids caught in the rain this morning crazy-active in their glass bug hotel tonight next to where I'm working...we'll let them go in the morning...

Kristen 7/17/16 Kristen 7/17/16

Sunflowers Jeff got me blooming cheerful on our living room coffee table...love flowers...
Lazy Sunday hanging out with Daddy, laundry and errands, going to the beach, packing for Junction tomorrow...
The twins and me in a 1-person chair all snuggled up reading this morning...
Sis is still getting up incredibly early, but she sweet crawls into bed next to me with her stuffed pink pig and pink-and-gray-spotted blankey, gives me a little time to wake up before telling me I should get milk and a creamsicle for her (they're a healthy paleo version so I don't feel bad giving her one for breakfast), coffee for me...
Got some great nights sleep this weekend...feel so much better...

XOXO

Kristen 7/16/16 Kristen 7/16/16

Shopping with Miss Zo downtown after lunch...
There's a lot of talk about Foxytown lately, which is where Beeper and Drowner et al (the imaginary foxes in our lives) live. Zo told me today that in Foxytown there is no heaven, because no one ever dies...
Ghostbusters with Jeff tonight...so fun...
Daddy-made monster and dinosaur creamsicles in our freezer...cutest thing ever...
Luke out of bed but saying, "But Mommy, I wanted to give you a hug!" So sweet...