August: Camping at Turquoise Lake near Leadville

We had a great weekend camping with these old friends and some new friends too at Turquoise Lake.  

 The Printer Boy #2 Group Campsite was the perfect spot for 16 kids and 14 adults.  LED balloons were the perfect night-time entertainment.  The kids also put on a talent show, dancing to music in front of the fire.

 Here's the crew (missing 2 kids)

And here's the lake.  It's COLD, but perfect for throwing rocks!

August: Piano Guys concert at Red Rocks

The boys first concert at Red Rocks was a smashing success!The piano guys were fun, funny and held this crew's attention the entire show!

 Pre-concert selfie

It didn't take long for them to pass out.....school night and all!

August: Kenny (aka Halo)

Kenny picked out this Halo costume at Costco for HalloweenHe proceeded to direct me through a photo shoot.  What a cutie--I don't want him to grow up!!

August: First day of 1st & 3rd Grades at Summit View Elementary

What better way to start the school year than with a game of Monopoly?  

 Everyone was silly and excited--and Kenny wore the school shirt for the first time ever!

 I won't even tell you how many times they jumped to capture this fun shot---and we didn't end up in the ER:-)

 Jacob & John lined up in Mrs. Frank's first grade line.

 Kenny lined up in Ms. Hagan's 3rd grade line.

The opening ceremony on the lawn is a great way to kick off the year!

August: Jacob's 1st Piano Recital

Jacob took 6 weeks of Piano over the summer from Salem Webb.  He had an in-home recital at the end of the 6 weeks playing Row Row Row Your Boat and Ode to Joy.  We're so proud of Jacob and his hard work!!

Jacob telling about his composer (Beethoven) before performing his songs.

Too bad the videos from his actual performance were too big to load:-(  He rocked it, and was ready to celebrate when it was over!  Ha!

August: Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is GLORIOUS!  And it was so fun to camp inside the park with friends!

 We hiked up the series of lakes from Bear Lake.  Here's a waterfall along the way.

 Lots of opportunities for kids to boulder:-)

 We made it all the way to Emerald Lake!  Wahoo!  It was windy, but a scenic spot for a snack.

July: Back in Denver...

 We made it back to Denver just in time to see one of our favorites---Zac Brown Band at Coors field.

....and just in time for Bronco training camp!  What a cool experience--free and just 15 minutes from our house!  Bolthouse, Jasperson, and Gautier boys were all excited....more for the free swag than watching the Broncos train:-)

July: Visiting Grandma & Grandpa in Iowa

A little pre-trip visit to the doctor.  Mommy had strep throat--what a way to kick-off a trip!?

 The highlight of the week on the farm was getting the nerf machine guns in working order.  The boys have been obsessed with these guns for years, and finally figured out how they worked!  The tree house was the perfect perch for shooting.

 John and Kenny were the ground forces....

 We walked the high trestle trail at sunset.  The lights on the bridge are so cool at night!

 Grandma & John selfie

 Selfie with cousin/niece Ella, who turned 1 on our trip back.  Kenny really took to entertaining her during the week.

No trip to Iowa would be complete without a ride on the BIG 4-wheeler with Uncle Andrew.

 The tire swing was a hit this summer!  Grandpa, Grandma and Mom took turns with the pushing and spinning.

 Grandpa gave tractor driving lessons on Great Great Grandpa Hedblom's tractor.

 Even mommy got a lesson!

June: Camping at Steamboat Lake

There's nothing like a pre-camping nap to get the weekend off to a great start!

 We love camping at Steamboat Lake, and this year we took friends!  3 families camped with us.

 The Dad's boated and fished while the moms and some of the kids took a little hike.

 Mom picture!

 Sarah and Jennie rented stand-up paddle boards.  Sarah started out strong, but got distracted posing for a picture and ended up in the water!?

 Back on the board and ready to paddle across the lake.

 The Dopke, Bolthouse, Araneta, and Camaglia families comprised quite the camping crew.

And this is how we feel about Sunday afternoon traffic on I70 coming home from camping.  (There was an accident, which closed the Eisenhower tunnel for nearly 2 hours.  We were at the tail-end of the traffic and were only in park on I70 for about 15 minutes--lucky us!?

June: Kenny's Hernia Surgery

What a way to start the summer.  Kenny was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia at his annual well-check in May.  We saw the pediatric urologist on the last day of school.  He strongly recommended doing surgery as soon as possible.  So Kenny went in the day after we arrived home from Michigan.  

 Waiting in the pre-op room.  He wasn't thrilled about the hospital gown, or having his picture taken in it!

 I was so impressed with the surgery center.  I was able to walk Kenny back to the operating room and be with him while they put him under with a mask.  Then I blubbered and cried myself to the waiting room for the 45 minute procedure.

We were driving home by 1 in the afternoon.  Kenny was a trooper.  No appetite for food, but he couldn't wait to tear into this Lego set.  The next 1.5 weeks were spent laying low, and Kenny couldn't ride a bike for another 6 weeks.  Tough way to start the summer!