Tomato Plants Gone Wild!!!

May 2011                                 July 2011

No kidding ~

my cherry tomato plant is 5' tall behind the roma tomato plant!

When I Was Twelve...

Joshua received some great mail for his golden birthday ~ lots of people wrote about "When I Was Twelve" ~ see if you can figure out who these are from...
When I Was Twelve

I was begging for a horse every single day until I wore down my folks but it took two years... Ronald Reagan was President; a gallon of gas cost 91-cents, and a movie ticket was $3.50... I was in the 6th grade, still in girl scouts, and playing soccer... I was getting into amateur radio, and now I talk to people all over the world... I shot my first deer... I was in the concert band and jaza band with the clarinet and saxophone... I was going to school in Conifer in the 7th grade and I rode my horse all over our property... I went to summer camp for the first time and I was able to go swimming, ride horses, and drive go carts... I had to help on the farm, pick lots of peas and beans, and babysit my younger brother... I used to go the the nearby creek and fish for black bass and trap muscrats and raccoon; my parents owned a small grocery store and I loved helping stock the shelves and coolers (and eat snacks during my "shift")... I remember playing baseball and kick the can in the street... I had a huge sleepover and my first few crushes on boys... I remember how smart my parents were and how they were right about everything... I had my first job at a strawberry patch and when I wasn't working my friend and I would fish... My cousins and some friends rented paddle boats and we had a soggy bread war... I met my best friend when I was 12 and we still make time to laugh to this day... I loved to play outside - kickball, softball, and hike and seek, and my friend and I had a candy club where we saved our money and biked to 7-11 every week to buy candy - we also liked to climb onto the roof of our elementary school and run around... I am 12 and it's nothing that you have ever experienced - you are 12 only once so make it worthwhile...

...and from the crowd that hasn't yet turned 12...

When I Turn Twelve

I want to paint pictures for people... I want to make Lego skyscrapers...

Thanks to everyone for helping to make Joshua's Golden Birthday even more special!!!

Way to go, Bear Creek Bruins!

Today was our year-end baseball picnic ~ we grilled out, played a game of parents vs kids ball, and enjoyed cake, snowcones, and dippin' dots. All that cold stuff really helped, since it was 92-degrees when we left the park! The boys had a great season and it was a fun way to wrap up the year. 

 

 

 

Golden Birthday Celebrations!

Can't believe our little man just turned 12 on the 12th!!!  It's been a fun couple of days for all of us!  Joshua's friends spent the night on Friday ~ pizza, ice cream, lots of nerf battles, and of course, board games and Wii games!  Saturday night we had dinner at Nicolo's with ice cream from Magill's - two of our local favorites :-)  Sunday was a day for relaxing...

 ...his very own tin of homemade chocolate cookies from Grammy!!!

On Monday Mike and Gail picked he and Hannah up and it was time for indoor skydiving!!!  Mike and Hannah watched while Gail and Joshua went for it :-)

Ready to go!

...not done yet...

They picked up Grammy Darls and off they went to Breckenridge

for a quick overnight of swimming and more celebrating! 

Momsie getting a foot massage from Hannah :-)

 Last night we grilled out here ~ just our little family :-)  He had lots of special presents to open, and lots of cards to read from all over the country!!!  Lastly ~ it was time for Dairy Queen with Grandpa Joe!  What a wonderful few days ~ and what a blessing Joshua has been the past 12 years - can't wait for the next 12 and beyond!!!

Goodbye, Cows!

Growing up, we used to spend a few weeks every summer visiting our family in Minnesota. My Aunt Marian was an absolute angel ~ she never tired of my never-ending questions as I followed her to the barn and back, to the pens and back, to the garden and back, and so on...  It's bittersweet now, as the cows have been officially sold ~ my cousin Dave is finally going to have time to fish!!!  Look at the rainbow over the barn on the last night of milking!

Sunday night's sunset ~

thanks to my cousin Jen for posting these pictures!!!

Happy Golden Birthday, Joshua Thomas!

Today you are 12 on the 12th ~ only happens once in a lifetime! So proud of the confident and compassionate young man you are becoming ~ oh how we love you, son!!!

Mountain Bike and Horse Fun!!!

The kids left last Sunday to spend a week at Lutheran Valley Retreat ~
Joshua did Mountain Bike Camp and Hannah did Horse Care Camp.
Each of them had a friend from school go, too.

Sunday drop-off -

Madison and Hannah 

Joshua and Karl



Base Camp - home of all the sleeping cabins

...above Hannah's bunk bed ~ love it!

When we picked them up Friday, they showed us all around - the giant bike hill, the horse trails, the camp store - LVR is in a beautiful location, and very well-run. They did devotions, archery, fishing, hiking, crafts, and so much more ~ they even spent one night sleeping under the stars on top of the mountain!!! We were very pleased, and they hope to go again next year!

 Hannah's horse for the week, "Jeeves"

Thanks to Karen for this picture of Joshua, Mountain Bike Counselor "Torq", and Karl!

 ...off to Colorado Springs for a night of R and R - especially lots of pool time!!!

 

...hanging out at the patio...

 

 When it was time to come north, we knew a stop at the Garden of the Gods was in order ~ we parked the car and hiked all around ~ absolutely beautiful!!! 

 oh wow, a picture of me!

 

...kissing camels...

What a great ending to a fabulous week :-)