Memorial Day 2014

What do you do when everyone has a Monday off, the mountains are beckoning, and we need to celebrate 14 years of marriage?  Go hiking as a family!  For a few days in a row we had crazy thunderstorms with tornado sirens going off so a day of decent weather with only 20% chance of t-storms sounded like a good time to get up in the mountains or at least the foothills for fresh air.  I've been a little hesitant going hiking all together and dealing with the whining and complaining from the girls but I think they're getting old and strong enough to do a few miles with stops of course.  Trekking poles work wonders also with morale and piggy-back rides for the youngest definitely help when you're trying to get down the mountain before the clouds opened up.  Here are some pictures of our adventure in Golden Gate State Park (not to be confused with the bridge in CA).

Ready to hit the trail (about 1.8 miles each way)

 Part of the scenery, the aspen leaves weren't fully grown but it was still beautiful.

 Trying the whole selfie thing to prove I was there.

 Our view at lunchtime.  A man had a homestead there back in the late 1800s.  I don't know how he got a wagon up there or even what he grew but he died alone one day taking his wagon down the mountain to "town."

 After our hike we stopped at the Railroad Museum in Golden and loved the model train set.  This is just one small glimpse of what was put together as it filled an entire room.

 All aboard!

 This was the craziest train we saw and yes, that is a snowblower of huge proportions to help clear the Colorado mountain rail line in winter.

Mother's Day 2014

I love how my girls make tons of things at school for mother's day.  Some of them can be very enlightening, especially my apparent fetish with cake according to Rachel:

1) What do you enjoy doing with your mother?  Playing with you
2) What's the best advice your mom has ever given you?  To eat cake
3) What have you learned from your mother? Eating cake
4) If you could give your mom anything in this world, what would it be? It would be cake
5) What do you love most about your mom? She gives me cake

Well, there you have it, I like cake, a lot.  I will stand with Marie Antoinette and say "Let them eat cake!"


Evelyn has a little different view of my eating habits as my favorite food is lettuce (spelled letis kindergarten style).  I'd like to think I balance between lettuce and cake most days :)

One thing they both got right is--Her favorite thing to do to relax is: (Evelyn) to lay down; (Rachel)go to sleep in her bed.  They know their mom's sleep habits!

Evelyn's class also did a "Muffins for Moms" day on Monday to pamper us.  I got my nails done, some makeup put on, and a nice back massage along with watching the kindergartners sing a cute song.

I love being a mom and having such sweet girls and of course a wonderful husband to help me along the path.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

After May the Fourth be with you comes Cinco de Mayo.  I know this is a day celebrated more in America than in Mexico but it was a fun excuse to cook some Mexican food my dad introduced us to as kids since he served his mission there.  I'm not the best at food pictures and not all of the food was homemade but it was a hit with the family.

Mole served over brown rice

 Homemade Horchata to drink

Papaya Boat just for fun.

 

And some flan for dessert

      

Next month it sounds like the family wants to try real Danish food since the Carlsen line is from Denmark.   I'm totally on board to make aebleskivers but am having a hard time with the main dish.  Anyone know where to buy ground veal?

Hiking

Spring in Denver can be very bi-polar but we took advantage of a nice warm (70s!) Saturday that kind of started the wind tunnel lasting until now to go hike.  We chose Castlewood Canyon for our family adventure and bought a state parks pass so I foresee many adventures around town to hike some more.  A few things we need in the future--Camelbaks and walking sticks for all the girls since that seems to help immensely.

Easter Sunday

Here are some pictures of my beautiful girls in their Easter dresses.  I put Eric in charge of the pictures since we have 9am church and I had to leave early for choir and he did a good job.

 Modeling their Easter slippers.

 I may be a scrooge about the whole Easter turning into Christmas for the spring presents wise (or at least that's what it seems like at the stores) but we did do a hunt at home after church.

 Eric did most of the hiding as we don't even pretend about the Easter Bunny but here was my contribution to the candy festivities, "poop" down the stairs.

 Decorating Easter eggs tie-dye style.  These were later turned into deviled eggs for dinner.