School time!

August 18, 2009 - The first day of school. Many a mother has shed tears on this day. Tears of sadness for the end of summer - the end of having no end to the possibilities of what we can do together today. I have to admit, however, that for the first time this year, I had no tears to cry on the first day of school. I feel kind of like crying about that! I miss my kids, but it feels normal and familiar this year. It's back to our routine htat makes up 3/4 of the year. I feel almost guilty in admitting that I have adjusted really well to the school year coming around again. Maybe next year when Cam starts kindergarten I'll cry. But for now, I am tear-free. And my kids are enjoying 1st and 2nd grade, and making new friends. And Cam and Reese and I are having more time together at home. Maybe that's not something I need to feel guilty about. Heaven knows, that list is long enough!
Becca and her buddy, Hatcher. Becca had it easy this year; her teacher and her entire class moved up to 2nd grade together. So she has all her same friends in her class, and no stress about a new teacher. (We love her teacher, Ms. Rose.)

Tristan getting ready to line up (his teacher, Mrs. Rice is in the background - she has taught a couple of Gearharts in her years at Madison.) I think she taught Trister's uncle Taft too.

Father/ Son Campout '09

August 15, 2009 - Tristan took the boys to the annual Father/ Son Campout, and it sounds like they had a good time. Fortunately, the rain decided to leave them alone! Here are some pictures from their manly excursion. (I'll have to remind Tristan to get into some of the pictures for next year, but for now, enjoy these of the boys!)

Does he look like a mountain man, or what?

rugged

outdoorsy

And that's all I can say on a subject I have a very limited knowledge of - like I mentioned before my kind of camping is in a nice warm duplex!

Here, fishy fishy!

Aug 15, 2009 - After our fun at the North Pole, the kids and I stayed the night in farish Park again wiht my parents. I was glad for the duplex we had reserved, because it rained a lot, again! We got creative and made our s'mores in the microwave! The kids thought it was pretty cool how big the marshmallows grew in the microwave. (It really is cool - you should it sometime!) We went out to the lake again in the morning (before the rain started) to try our hands at fishing again.

Sally, looking proud of her whopper!

Carmyn (my niece) and her fish

Cam, bored with fishing decided to go rock wall climbing instead

Reese, Mom, and Carmyn

The North Pole in July!

I don't know how many of you who live in CO have been to Santa's Workshop, but I have memories of going there as a kid - and now as a mom watching my kids enjoy every minute of it. It's pretty much a kiddie wonderland - a Santa theme park geared just for kids. We had as much fun as you can running out from under sheltered areas every time the rain clears up! I have never seen it rain so much there - it was really pouring, too. I was on a Christmas tree ride with Cam and Reese, where you rise inside an ornament that goes around the tree when the skies opened up and began to soak us. When it started to hail, I yelled out to the ride operator to ask him to stop the ride (he must have a different idea from what I do on reasons to stop a ride, or he would've stopped once it started pouring!) and we ran for cover. The closest non-wet area was the outside of a bathroom, where the overhang from the roof was providing a small amount of shelter. Eventually, the kids got bored, though, and decided to venture into the bathroom to play with the automatic hand dryers. After that, it cleared up some, and we did our best to ride everything we could before the rain started again. Reese was cracking me up! There is a mini roller coaster there that the older kids consider a "cool" ride that I would not have thought to bring her on, but she LOVED it! In fact, she raised her arms up high like a roller-coaster-riding-pro, and screamed the whole time! I really wish I had proof to show you, but since I was on the ride with her, the footage would proabably have been pretty bumpy!

Cam preferred the low key rides - and this one was right up his alley! Go Speed Racer, GO!

Tris, Becca, and Reese on the highly popular boat ride

Tris going for a cruise

Cameron made me do the Candy Cane slide with him several times in a row - there are a LOT of stairs - I got my workout on that one!

Biker Babes!

Waterslidin' in Broomfield

Aug. 8, 2009 - We had one last chance at some summer-time fun a few weeks ago and we took it! Grandma and Grandpa Gearhart invited us up to Broomfield to stay the night with them (Grandma made her famous cabbage burgers - yum!), and to go to the community water park with them the next day. We had a lot of fun this year - all the kids were old enough to do some slippin' and slidin'. The kiddie area was a big favorite for the younger 3, and we again took turns going on the bigger slides with Becca.

Whee!

Cam and Dad after an invigorating splash in the kiddie pool.

Girls just wanna' have fun, right?!

The whole family taking a break in the shade.

Grandma, Tris, and Becca, soaking up some rays.

This was Reesey's first and last solo trip down the slide. She loved the ride, but did not like the water that splashed in her face at the bottom!

Take Me Out to the T-ball Game. . .

Here are some pictures from the boys' last T-ball game of the season. I think they had a lot of fun. It was really cute, too, to see how much Cameron reveres his big brother. During many of the practices, you would see Cam standing so close to Tris that they were touching. He just shadowed him wherever he went. So if the coach wanted Cam to play a position elsewhere, she would have to physically guide him there and stay with him, or he would kind of gravitate again towards his brother! Tristan is a really sweet big brother too; he was always giving him tips, or just putting his arm around him. I love my sweet boys!. . .I mean, my super-athletic awesome T-ball players!

Tris and Cam posing for the best part of the season - the medals! Cameron couldn't wait until after the picture to sample his snack!

Cameron up to bat

Tris giving us a smile from first base

Trister's 6th Birthday!

July 24, 2009 - For Tristan's birthday this year we drove a minivan caravan to the movie theater to see G-Force, a movie about special agent Guinea pigs (I gave it about 1 star) then we met back at our house for cake and presents. Tristan had a great birthday - thanks everyone for making it special for him!

Tris with his homemade Bakugon cake

Opening presents with his buddy, Cormac.