Fishing with Grammy and Gramps

An Afternoon catching fish

Our neighbor took us to a beautiful little fishing spot.  The boys had a great day surrounded by some magnificent mountains!

Looking for the perfect fishing spot

John and Eli getting their poles ready

Catching the big one

 

 

Owen has turned into quite the little fisherman

Good job, Owie!

Grandma's Day

A day with Grandma.  The kind of day that Grandma loves.  Filled with mountains, flowers, sand, and ice cream.  The perfect day to spend outside enjoying each other and God's beauty.

The boys were really excited when we loaded up in the car and headed to Grand Lake, Colorado.  A day full of the Colorado Sunshine with Grandma.  Our car was full of anticipation until......THE POOP episode.  Now, we just refer to this day as the day of POOP and we laugh histerically when we think about it.  It all started when Gabe and Owen started complaining about the smell in the back seat.  So, I pulled over to change Eli's diaper.  But, this wasn't just a normal diaper change.  As I took him out of the car seat, I noticed he had a slight explosion.  So being the helpful Grandma that she is she takes Eli from me while I am cleaning poop off the car seat.  Then, I look at Grandma in complete horror.   Her shirt is covered in poop.  Eli is covered in poop.  It was the worse poop mess I had ever seen.  We just looked at each other and started laughing hysertically.  Really, what else could you do at this point?  We did the best we could.  Grandma threw away her shirt and I cleaned and scrubbed the best I could....then we continued on our way.

And, we finally arrived to Grand Lake.  Clean and ready to get our feet wet and dig in the sand.

After we played at the lake and explored the town a little, we headed out for a hike.  The boys were so excited to get out and explore the mountains.  Gabriel was very prepared and brought many essentials in his backpack.  The life savor was the umbrella!  Without it we would have gotten very wet on our hike!

Our day wouldn't be complete without a sweet treet and we were ready for it after our big adventure.

Thanks Grandma for the great adventure!  We had so much fun!

Exploring

We are going on a journey, my brother and I.

 

We're not exactly sure where we are going but, we can't wait to find out.  And, our excitement can hardly be contained.  We will run.  We will climb.  We will jump. We will also walk really slow and find "treasures" along the way.  They will be rocks, sticks, or anything else that looks really interesting.  They are more precious then gold and silver and we will HAVE to bring them home with us no matter what.  We will add them to our current collection of "treasures".

There is no destination in mind.  Just the journey.  Being able to be outside, spend time with each other and see something new.  Each step is only taken for the joy of the taking the step.  Not to hurry and reach the top.  Not to accomplish something.  Not to beat someone.  Just living each moment as it comes. 

There is no worry.  There is no anxiety.  And, time doesn't exist.  Only taking each precious moment as it comes.

We have so much to learn from our children.  Our children who are taking this journey with us and learn so much from us. 

It's just that today, I realized how much I have to learn from them.    This picture will always remind me of the pure joy of the journey.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Eli-ese

A twenty two month old little boy.

A little boy who loves buttons, driving in his mommy's car, and basketball.  Mostly, just buttons.  His favorite is the garage door opener and he has it in his hand most of the time.  I have never seen anyone get so excited over a garage door opener or a set of keys.   This love for buttons has only caused a few emergencies, like the time he locked Pop's keys in his van or when he closed himself in the garage and we were all locked outside.

A little boy who has his own language and refuses to speak English.   It always amazes me that he can get exactly what he needs with a squeal, scream, or a few words that are unique to him.

Eli-ese:  Here are a few of his favorite words.

Daddy = Nan Nan

Owen=YoYoeee

Gabe=GaeGae

Bridger=Dawd Dawd

Garbage=Da Doe

This little boy is also adamant about his shoes.  They must be on his feet at all times.  I have decided not to fight the nightly battle. So, yes he sleeps in his shoes.  It's actually very convenient because when he wakes up in the morning we can just head right outside to take Gabriel to school.

This little boy just makes me smile.   My little Eli.

Best Friends and Bikes

Nothing is better in life then when you wake up in the morning and your best friend is sleeping in the bed right next to you.  You can jump out of bed, wake him up and head outside to ride bikes.

After riding bikes all morning the next best thing is Donuts!  Gramps always brings donuts!  Thanks Gramps, your the best!!

Jackson, we had such a great time while you were in Colorado!  We can't wait to see you soon!

Fishing- Mark's Pond

 No words necessary to explain how much fun we had catching these crappie at "Mark's Pond".  Pure boy heaven!

The only thing that made us go home was the setting sun!

After the boys were asleep, Bryan and I started filleting these crappie!  They were delicious!