Grace in small things, September 28, 2016

1. Botanic gardens with the kids this morning...nice and warm and sooooooo beautiful this time of year...
2. Kids painting pretty pictures of the gardens for me at the breakfast bar after...
3. Zo is doing great with her injury...trying to keep her a little quieter than normal but she is just her normal, happy-go-lucky, adventurous self...
4. Luke, out of the blue today (but understandably): "I'm worried about some things, Mommy. I'm worried about falling and stitches and shots."
5. Kids to bed again so easily tonight...an unusual string of easy bedtimes, knock on wood...

XOXO

Grace in small things: Zoey gets stitches edition (September 27, 2016)

1. Zo had a little bit of a bike crash yesterday evening, 14 stitches in the bottom of her chin...she's doing well...I've been a little on edge all day today, though...it's hard to see someone you love hurt but I also keep thinking I am so very grateful that we live in a place where you can go to the ER and she can be taken care of...there are so many places in the world where that is not the case...
2. A little FaceTime with my mom and dad this morning...
3. A breakfast playdate with some sweet friends...so fun...
4. So warm outside today...loving our warm fall days...
5. Kids asleep early tonight...they need it...Mama needs it too...

XOXO

Snow + aspens

A special day today all of us up on the gondola to see the aspens and a nice amount of snow...gorgeous together...last day the gondola is running until ski season starts so really glad we were able to get up...

XOXO

Grace in small things, September 25, 2016

1. Misty morning, fall colors, Jeff watching the kids so I could do an early walk...
2. The whole day with my loves...love the weekend...
3. Snow on the mountain!
4. Fire in the fireplace...
5. Glad to be home...

XO

California

Everything about California reminds me of Luke...

XOXO

Grace in small things, September 19, 2016

1. Cold Springs with Luke and Zo on one of the warmest days of the summer this afternoon...they LOVED climbing on the rocks and playing in the creek...
2. Kids helped me pick out glasses today...actually, Luke communed with the gray-and-pink parrot they have in the office and Zo picked out the sparkliest frames in the store for me...and was disappointed when I didn't pick them but they were sooooo flashy, lol...really excited to be getting new glasses, though...
3. Building a lego castle for Zo with every lego in the bin...she wanted it for her lambs...
4. Speaking of lambs, Zo's 3 favorite stuffies are her 3 lambs at the moment...she told me her lambs were going to the spa...went into the bathroom with them...and when she came back out they had been brushed and had little pink bows on their ears and tails...
5. Scratchies and songs for the kids individually tonight...Zo put herself to bed while Luke was in the bath...love not having to divide my attention, to feel like everyone is getting 100% of me...

XOXO

Jeeping Buffalo Pass, late summer

1. It's technically still summer, and warm enough for it, but it sure looks like fall around here...
2. I had no idea Buff Pass was dirt. And rutted, rocky dirt at that. I suppose you could bring a regular car up here, but I wouldn't want to...
3. I can't even tell you how much our rocky picnic spot reminded me of being a kid in Colorado...love that feeling of giving my kids the same outdoorsy childhood that I had...
4. Aspen trees if you hug them are cold. The dead ones are not...
5. I love how when the leaves fall on pine trees they look like Christmas ornaments...
6. The leaves are nowhere near their peak...another weekend? Two? I'm not sure we'll drive here again this fall but we'll be checking out the leaves elsewhere for sure...what a beautiful drive Buff Pass is, though...highly recommended...

Places we love: Wild Goose Coffee (Hayden, CO)

We drove 20 Mile Road yesterday, hoping to see some fall colors...that was a bust, but we did have fun trying to spot 10 different kinds of animals (final count: 15, including some mule deer) and stopping in Hayden at Wild Goose Coffee, which I am in love with because:

1. It's in this cool old granary
2. Super friendly staff
3. Cool and funky art inside and out
4. Great coffee and tea (and drink choices for the kids)
5. TONS of cool kids toys tucked away in a corner, the kids can play out of the way, and Mommy and Daddy can actually read the Saturday paper...what luxury...

Check it out if you haven't been...we'll definitely be going back...

XOXO

Grace in small things, September 16, 2016

1. Frost all over the roofs this morning, where the sun hadn't yet touched them...
2. Snuggling in Luke's bed with both kids before going out and about, reading a big stack of library books...
3. A picnic by the river in front of the library, with tons of rocks for the kids to scramble around on...what a glorious, sunny warm day...
4. A quick walk all by myself tonight...nice not to be responsible for kids and/or a dog every once in a while...the late afternoon light on the golding aspens...absolutely spectacular...
5. Slowly getting the house changed over for fall...our brown faux fur blanket went on the bed last night, candles that look like slices of aspen trees on the dining room table this evening, newly dry-cleaned pillows on the couch, sweaters about to make a reappearance, etc...I adore fall...

Happy weekend!

XO

Grace in small things, September 15, 2016

1. Loving all the crafts that are making their way home with the kids these days
2. Trying to take preschool time...or at least part of it...for me. Today was a hike (longer than I can normally get out for) on Cold Springs Trail...I'm so bummed I just discovered this place and it's perfect creek for playing in just as the weather is getting colder...we are going to enjoy it now, but next summer, oh man, I can't wait to bring a picnic and spend all day splashing and throwing rocks and making pools and etc...
3. Leaves turning all over the valley...fall is so spectacular...
4. At preschool a few minutes early and watched through the window as the kids had the best time singing/acting out "Going on a bear hunt." They are loving preschool...
5. Kids have been asking to have a slumber party (sleep in each others rooms) more often than not lately. It's so sweet how they want to be together...

XO