The Log Walk

One of the things we love about Highlands Ranch, is the Rec Centers. We don't use them as often as we should, but when we go it's always fun. Our favorite Rec Center is South Ridge and one of it's greatest features is the Log Walk. Usually it's an activity for the older kids, but one day Peyton and Kennedi decided to dawn some life jackets and brave the gauntlet.
First, there is Kennedi. No matter what, she is determined NOT to let go of the rope and fall into the water. Even if the log is a long way from the edge of the pool, she hangs onto the rope, pulling her whopping 27lbs. along until she gets to dry land.
Next is Peyton. He holds onto the rope until he gets to the end of the log and just jumps into the water and swims to the edge of the pool.
And last is Dallin. He doesn't find the log walk challenging anymore, but Dallin is always up for a challenge, so he tries to run across both logs, without stopping and hopefully without falling. (He usually comes home with some bruises).

Fort Collins

Kind of last minute, we decided to head North to Fort Collins to check out the area to see if it was a possible future home site. Well, it also happened to be Homecoming for CSU, so most of the hotels were full. Well, Benson found a hotel with vacancy . . . our first warning sign. The rooms were very inexpensive, so we rented two rooms to fit all of us in for two nights (2nd warning sign). I looked the hotel up online and saw that 36 people had given this hotel a one star rating . . . uh oh! Well, we get there, and as we are walking down the hall, the kids are noticing that some of the number signs next to the doors are missing and in their place is a number scribbled on the wall with sharpie. We open our room and there is a hole in one wall, stickers on the pictures hanging on the walls, and no warm water in one of the showers. We go downstairs to swim and discover that the hot tub is not working at all, and the pool heater is broken, so it is freezing cold. Only Kennedi is tough enough to jump in. After a very short time at the pool, we go back to the rooms to go to bed. The rooms are right next to each other, connected by one door. Luckily, we leave it open and Talie, Ashy, Dallin and Peyton are in one room, while Benson, Kennedi, Tanner and I are in the other. We go to sleep and the next thing I know I hear voices in the next room . . . our kids room! I shoot up in bed and start yelling at these two drunk men who are in the other room. Benson, groggily wakes up and when he realizes what's going on, he goes in the other room and yells at the men and kicks them out of the room. The hotel had actually checked these two drunk men into the same room as our kids at 2:07 in the morning. Needless to say, we didn't stay a second night and we got all of our money back.
The rest of the time we went driving around, checking out the neighborhoods, the town, and the new temple sight. If you were to ask the kids what they thought about Fort Collins, they would say that it has the worst hotel in the world, and that all we did was drive around. We did have two highlights though. We went to a little ice cream shop in old town Fort Collins and the kids ate at Cracker Barrel for the first time. Oh, if you're wondering, no I don't think that Fort Collins will be the location of our next home.

Mhmm Good!

Tanner on his first day of rice cereal. You can tell it's been a successful feeding when there are no tears and more food gets into the mouth than on the face.

A Camping We Will Go!

This Labor Day weekend, one of Benson's clients who lives in Meeker invited us to come and camp on his acreage. He had a beautiful spot with a little lake on it, and a coral of horses. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time! Some of Benson's family decided to make the drive down to join us.

Apparently, the lake was empty, but the four wheeling was good. The first full day we found a fun rec. center with a swimming pool to swim in while the men watched a BYU game. Here, Peyton mastered jumping off the diving board and swimming to the edge of the pool all by himself.
There was a small lake that, although empty, kept the kids busy with it's floating dock and old, oarless boat that made even more of an adventure.

Maggie, Hailey, Ashlynn, Daphne, Kennedi, Zoii, Dallin & Shannon.

Ashy, never afraid of a little (or a lot of) cold water

There was also a corral of horses that kept the kids happy.

(especially Talie)

The entire weekend, Talie kept attempting to get on one of the horses, but never quite got there until the last day, uncle Bart threw her on a horse. Soon a bunch of the cousins were on the horses as well.

Talie, happy to finally be on, but still scared to death=)

Dallin, just sure that the horse is going to take a big bite out of his foot.

Bart threw the kids on the horse & Ben threw Bart on the horse, and now he thinks he's Clint Eastwood.

Peyton, with his sketch book, didn't ride a horse, but was pleased with his diving board accomplishment.

And Tanner . . . he was a happy camper.

Chocolate Food Fight

So today we were doing our marathon grocery shop, and we love Walmart, because they always have some good samples in the bakery section, right? Well today was no exception, they had 1/2 a chocolate doughnut to sample! The kids were super excited (Mom had to try one too) and we were getting along great, so great in fact that I didn't even notice (I know, how can you not when you're less than 1 ft. away) they had finished their doughnuts, until I looked down and this is what I found. Apparently, Kennedi thought it would be pretty funny to rub the chocolate icing that was left on her napkin and fingers all over her face, and when there was still more, on her brother's. Peyton protested, " . . but she didn't even ask me if I wanted chocolate on my face." Hmmm, maybe next time we'll stick with the glazed doughnuts.