Graduation, dandelions, bluegrass....ahhhh summer

I love summer, I love sun, I love wildflowers, I love water.........and the boys love all of it too!! We are having a great time playing outside until all hours, hiking, biking, playing soccer, swimming, rafting and all else that this season has for us. On our hike up to the swimming pool the other day we found 16 different types of wildflowers, several grasshoppers and learned to say "purple alpine lupine" in many different ways. We did a nature hike with a local forest expert and learned all about the trees in our area and the critters that call them home. Colter was so excited (he was the only kiddo with about 15 adults) that he hiked with the guide, bringing bugs, leaves and asking questions the entire time! He was so curious and brave, the adults were engaging him in conversation and complimenting him for his knowledge and behavior. It was a good day.

These pictures are all out of order, but I may be the only one who notices.

 Dylan is amazing on his bike and has now decided to start skateboarding. We go down to the skate park once or twice a week to play with friends. He has decided that he wants a skate park birthday party for his 4 yr old birthday. Much like his older brother who planned his 4 yr old BMX party months in advance, we are hammering out the details now. This will be a good one.
He is now on the next size of bicycle and can do a wheelie like Colter. They both go around the neighborhood doing tricks like belly riding, one hand, no hands, one foot, stunt peg stands, wheelie's, bunny hops. Yikes.

 

 Our friends Adam, Mona, Ethan and Aidan came out to visit over Bluegrass weekend and we stayed very busy with four boys running around. We hiked, biked, 4 wheeled, festivalled, rafted, gondola-ed until we passed out each day. Someone built a giant Connect Four game that Colter was captivated with. He also volunteered to go on stage for the magic and juggling show, very brave of him, and had a great time. It was a fun Father's Day weekend, we always enjoy visits with the Nolde's-lots of laughter for adults and children. Hope to spend more time with them soon.

Daddy has been spending special time with each boy at least once a week and their activities include bike riding, soccer playing, motorcycle rides and dinner in town. Colter and Trevor rode their bikes from our house all the way down Galloping Goose to Telluride and had dinner at the new Fat Alley and then took the gondola over and rode down the hill home. WOW! I will have to post a pic later from the day that Colter won a new BMX bike for being the best Huck Finn. He was so excited and proud. Dylan caught his first fish that day and kissed it before he released it earning himself a water gun.

Gideon turned 5 this month and we celebrated with a party up at their new home on the ranch. Lots of people, lots of food, lots of fun. We had fishing poles, rafts, kayaks, bikes and happy boys and girls.

Grandma and MacMac came to visit that weekend as well and we had a great time. The boys love seeing them and spending time with them (so do we!). Colter had fun sitting down and reading with Grandma and now looks forward to getting the mail to see if she sent him the minipage and other comics and articles. We played at the park, enjoyed nice meals out and nice meals in, Trevor and Tim went rafting while we played down valley. The weather was beautiful and this is the first time in 12 yrs that they were able to visit during our "summer" month of June.

 After the snow melted, we took out the metal detector and various detective tools and hiked under the lifts. Although we didn't find the gold and riches we were hoping for, we did find treasures like metallic rocks and a penny. It was fun and we will be doing more exploring with the metal detector I'm sure.

Colter and Dylan love doing sand art projects. We found these great peel and sand mandalas, this one was for Gideon. Colter watched a few YouTube videos that showed Buddhist Monks doing mandalas and noticed that they used different types of funnels. He decided he needed one too and found a great option in the doctor kit. It is now the ear checker/sand funnel.

Colter took this one, and Dylan took the next one.

 Goof balls wrestling and giggling....brotherly love at it's best!

 

Dandelion Angel A little snack.

Checking out Ingram Falls coming down the face of Ajax. After Colter's kindergarten graduation we thought we would take some pictures in the "dandelion ocean", as Colter calls it. I love this week of the year when the snow is on the peaks, Ingram Falls is crankin', the Valley Floor is yellow and the aspens are busting with bright green leaves, so many colors of spring all at once.
 

Telluride Mountain School 2010-2011 We feel very blessed to have been a part of this school for Colter's kindergarten year.They celebrate each child's talents and skills in a way that is rarely seen in schools today. It is a very special place and he learned a ton. We are very proud of him and I think he feels successful and confident in his ability to learn in a way that is comfortable for him. What a huge gift! Seth Wescott was the key note speaker for the ceremony, very cool. Colter and all of his classmates sat still for the entire 2 1/2 hour event.

 Miss Andi handing Colter his certificate with Miss Amber standing behind.

 My handsome little men all dressed up.

 You know it is summer when Kathleen calls and says "I have the next week off and we are flying out tomorrow".  Of course we drop everything and see how many things we can fit into the next several days with as little sleep as possible. This trip was limited by a set return flight, so no extending it for a month like last year. We managed to squeeze in a two day, two night trip to Moab for a little visit to Nicole and Marshall's house and a late night star gazing garden camp out, chicken feeding, egg gathering, garden harvesting, catfish pillow wrestling, hammock relaxing, fish feeding, dog chasing, Moab Daily rafting, beach playing, sand dune running, rec center swimming, plenty of fiestiness from all the boys and lots of laughs and splashes. We also managed plenty of activities around Telluride. We do love our Kathleen and Everett, even if it is a short visit....
When we got to Moab, Dylan says "Yeah, we are in Moab. We haven't been here in a whole, wide week!"

 

 A little rest after running on the beach. The river was at 25,000 cfs that day, big splashy waves for the boys to growl at. Happy to report that no one lost a hat this year.

This has been a great month of visitors. My Mimi is visiting from Texas right now. She is always such a joy to be around and I love her dearly! She has been staying at Mom and Dad's, so we have been going down every day or two to play. We had a sleep over last night and the boys camped out in the living room. I'm sure Mimi would prefer a better picture, but this is what we have so far!

As if all of these pics and activities weren't enough, there is more to report. Colter went to camp for two weeks which included a day of horseback riding that he is still talking about. Treovr and I both got out on the San Miguel for some high water creek boating, super fun! Hikes up Bear Creek, Bridal Veil, several Jurassic Trail explorations, days at the pool, bike rides all over the Meadows and beyond, kayaking at ponds in the area and daily outdoor play round out our recent days. June has been a beautiful month full of long sunny days, FINALLY the snow stopped and summer has settled in. Here's hoping for a few more weeks before the rain starts!