More Colorado

So on I go (still way behind, but determined to catch up). We spent the next week and a half in Colorado with Mark joining us for the last three days (and they were packed). We spent lots of time with cousins doing things like playing in backyards, swimming at the YMCA, meeting at parks, going to the zoo, hitting the fountain park, eating out at all the American restaurants we missed, and going to Cripple Creek.

This giraffe came right in time for a picture.  Though my nephew wasn't quite sure it was OK to be so close.

 This picture cracks me up...

There was lots of cuddling the littles.

 We went to cripple creek with my younger brother's family.  It is a mining town that was booming 100 years ago, and still has one of the biggest operating gold mines in the US.  We rode the train and visited the jail museum.

Colorado Bit by Bit

Our first week in Colorado (sin camera) was spent finding things indoors to do...it was hot and it was smokey.  We did things like meet our two new nieces/cousins go to the movies, bowl, go out to lunch, and shop.  And the boys didn't mind shopping because we had nothing, so new socks were a big deal.  We also watched a lot of news.  The local channels had nothing on but the news to keep us posted.  We also did a lot of praying for all involved in the fires. 
The second week was getting back to my parents home.  We celebrated the 4th quietly...all city celebrations were cancelled as fire fighting was still in full force on the 4th.  But we had fun swimming, playing baseball, exploring, and BBQing. 

*WARNING*...a disclaimer to all.  I bought a brand new camera while in the States and took about 1,000 during the 4 weeks I had it.  I have been deleting a lot, but there are still tons.  So just remember that it looks like I posted a ton of pictures, but I spared you 100's of others.  :-)

MORNING

NOON

 ...and NIGHT

Dallin made up this game where he would throw the balls up in the air, Easton and cousin would catch them and then they could chase Dallin around and throw them at him.  It was entertainment for probably 20-30 minutes. 

Sweet Girl.  My new niece.

Why did I post this?  Because it was so easy and festive...thank you Mel's Kitchen Cafe.com.  I just loved these 4th of July brownie kabobs.  I know I am a bit weird but these type of things make me happy. 

Colorado - "A warm welcome"

Our trip to the States was wonderful.  We spent amazing quality time with all parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends.  It was a fun, exciting, and all around great 5 weeks.  The kids and I left two days after school got out and let me tell you how my kids rocked our international flight!  They were helpful, respectful, and so well behaved.  It went very smoothly and for that I am so thankful because it was extremely tiring for me, but so worth it. 
We arrived Monday morning knowing that there were forest fires extremely close to my parents home. We had tried to delay our flight by a few days but the airlines wanted to charge us over $7000, and for that kind of money I could travel elsewhere if needed.   So Monday was great seeing everyone.  Tuesday I ran 4 and 1/2 miles in the morning with my brother and the air was mostly clear, with little signs of what was to happen 8 hours later.  After checking the news my parents, younger brother, and I headed to Denver to the LDS temple.  We left my kids at my parents home with my sister-in-law knowing that she would leave the kids there to go to her home (5 minutes away) after a couple of hours.  All seemed well, until 4pm when all hell broke out with the fire.  We exited the temple and used the phone to find out that there was pre-evacuation orders (which the neighborhood next to us had been in for 2 days).  Then 10 minutes into our 45 minute drive home came the reverse 911 call and the most excruciating 30 minutes of my life.  Evacuate NOW!  Fire everywhere, structures on fire!  And my kids in a house by themselves...as I write this I am crying thinking of the fear and guilt that racked my body as we drove back to Colorado Springs.  But God was watching out because my older brother had happened to go home early from work that day.  He and my sister-in-law hopped in the car and raced the 15 minutes (which took more time due to 26,000 people evacuating) to my parents and got my kids.  It was the most sweet feeling when he arrived at the house.  My brother and his wife did something for me that I cannot explain in writing.  And I have to say that both of them were sick, and then emotionally they gave all to get there and drive my kids out.  Which was no small feat, it took 2 and 1/2 hours to get back to their house. 
So this is a long entry, but I wanted to write it down.  I am grateful for family.  I am grateful that my family will drop everything and literally race into a fiery inferno to rescue my family.  God was watching over my family that day.  We were blessed that the fire did not take my family's home.  I am grateful to the firemen who worked so incredibly long and with such danger all around.  I am grateful to the police, the forest service, the people of Colorado, the utility people who in the fire went to each home individually to cut off the gas, and the list goes on.  And I am so grateful to my sister-in-laws parents who took us in for a whole week, feed us, and loved us.  It is a big deal, we are not a small family.  My heart is full.

I will blog about our actual vacation later...there are no pictures from the first week...my camera left behind in the evacuation.  However I took these very pore lighted pictures on Monday night of the smoke outside my parents home.  By Tuesday morning it was not like this and the smell of smoke was much less...however fire and winds are unpredictable as I have learned.

One Decade Old

Happy Birthday to my Dallin!  Dallin had his birthday at the end of May and I simply can't believe that my sweet Dallin is growing up.  Dallin is thoughtful, emotional, loving, full of energy, a risk taker, daring, outdoorsman, comedian, and active.  He is so good with little kids.  My neighbor commented that one day he was walking to his friend's home and he stopped to say hello to her and her 3 and 4 year old.  He called each one by name, gave them five, and then went on his way.  My neighbor said he was so polite to her and her kids thought it was so fun of him to stop.  It is these little things that he does that make a big difference to all.  Though he can be wild, he will take the time to say hello, make sure someone is OK, or give a hug.  He is tough and rugid when it comes to play, but he is also sincere and caring to others.  I love this about him.  Dallin has had to adjust to some big things this year, but he has taken it all and made some very positive relationships.  This year he has gone from a non-reader, to loving books.  He has grown several inches.  And as always completely surprises me when it comes to how much pizza he can consume in one sitting.:-) 

Take me out to the ball game

At the kid's school the sports and activities are included in the tuition. The activities work a little differently here in Chile, it is mostly through schools or very expensive clubs, so this service that the school offers is amazing! Each semester the kids get to choose a couple of activites to participate in. Drew did soccer two days a week and then games and sports one day a week. Dallin did three activities - Little League, basketball, and computer club. Mason did swim team three days a week. So the nice thing is that it is all right after school. So the younger kids would finish at 4pm and Mason at 5pm. And then nothing, no nights, and only two Saturdays the whole semester. It was really nice. They participated and the week days were still a bit crazy, but the weekends were ours. Dallin had one national tournament and Mason had one swim meet (the pool just got finished last November so this year was more club and next year they start more competition). So here are the pictures of the baseball tournament from May 19th and Mason's meet which was June 16th.

 Their team placed third, however there was a tie for one of the games and the way they break the tie is to flip a coin...huh?  Not sure about that rule.  Anyways they won three games, and tied one.  Good job my Dallin! 

Mason is in the middle lane, I have determined that taking pictures during swim races does not come easy.  Go Mason!  Since we have moved here, thanks to a wonderful swim teacher in the summer and a semester of swim club, Mason has moved from barely knowing his strokes, to a very strong swimmer.  Some days they would swim one km in the pool.  That is 40 laps in a 25m pool!