Two Weekend Hikes

7 Kids
6 Adults
5 Strollers
4 Vehicles
3 Miles
2 Hours
1 Dog
= A fun family hike day!

Last friday a friend I used to work with invited us to go hiking with them.  We were like a giant stroller army on the trail but it was a great time!

It was hard to get everyone together for a photo because of all the chaos but here's a shot of Aaron and Ben who work in the shop I used to be in.  This was a great time to check out everyone's differnt strollers and see what we would be in for if we have more kids.





Logan even decided to take a little nap along the way.

The next day my friend Wayne invited us up for a hike and then a St. Patrick's day lunch afterward.  We decided to hike from his house and up South Table in Golden.

I really didn't think I could make it while carrying Logan in the pack but it turned out great!  He had fun and waved to all the people that went by.  I got what every mom needs, great exercise and lots of sunshine!

And a shot of Wayne with his new dog, Charlie.  Fun times and I'm looking forward to a great summer.

A Play Date with Lily

We recently had a visit from our friends Christie and Lily.  Logan was pretty excited so he got a bath and his hair fixed up the night before.

The evening included a nice dinner, of course, supervised by their mothers!  Logan was very generous to offer his highchair to Lily.

He was trying extra hard to be a ham and see if he could get Lily to laugh.

At least he got a little smile...

Then he tried to impress her with the classic line "Excuse me miss, can you tell me how to get to the gun show?"

Now she's laughing!

 Then at the end of the evening they got to hang out and play with their toys.

Unfortunately, Logan couldn't quite keep up with Lily as she was headed for the stairs!

I'm sure there will be more play dates in the future as their moms like to hang out and ride bikes together.  Better luck next time!

Nebraska Trip

Last month Logan and I headed up to Nebraska to visit my grandparents for a few days.  My grandma had recently had surgery on her foot so she wasn't able to walk much so it was a lot of fun for her and Logan to hang out and play.

He was really excited to get his picture taken with Grandma Debbie!

And Great-Grandma Hansen!

He also had some fun hang-out time with Great-Grandpa Hansen.

And, of course I had to get a picture of bath time in the kitchen sink.

Hello Sprinter Van

No, Matt did not start another new business... it just happens to be the very large logo wrap that came on our sprinter van that we recently purchased.  Luckily, the wrap can be removed and underneath should be nice white paint.

What do we need this big vehicle for?  The plan is that it will become our camping/traveling wagon.  We tried to decide what to do about camping trips so that everyone would be comfy and get decent sleep in spite of cold or hot weather.  We decided the sprinter van was the best option so we could use it for camping and Matt could use it for work if needed.  Right now it's just big and empty but Matt has grand plans for insulation, beds, cupboards, wiring, heating, cooling and more seats.  We hope to have it completed before our Moab trip in May and then we'll really see how much we like it when we drive it to Michigan this summer for vacation.

Bye Bye Super Duty

I sold my truck this week.  I really haven't used it since October and it didn't make much sense to keep it around.  If I need a truck bigger than our Tacoma then I can borrow or rent one, it would be cheaper than owning it.  I am looking for a sprinter van that we can use as a family camping wagon and work truck if needed.  I have my eyes on one, I should know within a week if I get it.  I will post it up if I do.

Our house - 23" Winter Park - 1"

Yep, that's usually how it goes in Colorado.  If there is good snow in the mountains then it will be dry and sunny in town.  And, likewise, if there is a big storm in town then you may as well stay home and enjoy shoveling because there won't be any on the ski hill.  But this year I picked up a great pair of snowshoes at the Sniagrab and am using them right here in town! 
Mandy and I out snowshoeing this morning.

 I took this photo last night of our deck.  I like how the snow is hanging on the top of the chairs.

Logan went out yesterday too but only across the street to play at the neighbors house while Matt shoveled.  He can't move when he's in his snowsuit but he can still smile!

Lately Matt has been spending some time fixing up his dirtbike.  I would say it is to get ready for the coming dirtbike season but in his world, it is always dirtbike season.  I can say that with confidence because the last thing he said to me today is "I think I need to go outside and do something crazy on my dirtbike in all this new snow..." then he disappeared into the garage.  Here is Logan helping him get ready.  He even gets his own hammer.

We have managed to get up to Copper Mountain twice this year for some skiing.  The first trip we each went on separate days so the other could stay home.  Then we decided to try it family style.  Here is Logan hanging out at Copper Village with daddy.  He was a big hit as they walked around to all the shops while I was up skiing.

 After a couple hours of skiing for me then we traded and he got to eat and take a nap in the truck.  Overall, it was a great day for everyone.

Up until this weekends storm, the weather has been exceptionally warm here.  We try to get out for walks and ended up walking around the town and neighborhoods of Morrison.  Here we found some pretty horses for Logan to check out.

What We've Been Up To

After visiting our friends in Laramie over Christmas, I decided that Logan might benefit from having tummy time on the wood floor so he could get a little more grip and maybe learn to crawl.  Well, no crawling yet but he has learned to spin in circles pretty well to see what is going on all around him!

I've also discovered that it's true you don't need fancy toys for your kids because they find the simplest things so much fun.  He loves this plastic cup and always wants to drink out of it.  I don't put anything in it but he drools so much that every now and then he gets a little drink of, well, you know...

It also leaves a great cup mark around his face!

This January has been particularly mild so we've been able to go on a couple of hikes near our house.  It's too muddy for the stroller but he enjoys being carried in the pack and waving his arms at everyone who walks by.

Awww, do we have to leave so soon!

When it's not warm enough for a hike then we'll just sit outside in the back yard and play in the dirt.

Yep, he likes the dirt!