Cuchara Wildlife

This was a great year for seeing wildlife in Cuchara. We were treated to several deer visits to the cabin and a large bear even strolled by on the hillside for an afternoon snack. JP and I spotted a couple of foxes on the road and we were also lucky enough to see a Mama Bear and her cub cross the highway. 

The day we climbed the peak we also saw several Ptarmigan and Marmots; the latter were very entertaining. We always see many chipmunks but we had one on our climb that day that followed my sister-in-law and I very closely as we went down the mountain. JP took this picture of an interesting butterfly on our climb as well.

Ptarmigan

The best surprise on our trip was seeing this regal Big Horn Sheep which we have never seen before in this particular area. We briefly saw him on our way to town that day but were not able to stop and investigate. When we saw him again on the way back in the exact same spot we were sure he was a fake and just a ruse to trick the tourists, but we took the time to stop and watch and photograph and did see him move his head to know he was real.

Cuchara: Favorite Photos

Here are some of my favorite snapshots from our Colorado trip last month:

This One . . .

This one is three (and all that comes with that).

This one had her first day back at school too (about 3 weeks ago).

This one does not like to follow bedtime rules (and will come out of her room to share things like how to hula hoop).

This one knows how to fight back (and sister has the marks to prove it).

This one started "sandpaper letters" this past week at school (but already thinks she can read).

This one has many stories to tell (but few are true).

This one wants to do whatever her sister is doing (and sister likes bossing her around).

This one is a sweet, loving, caring child who is quick to say I love you and ask about your day. She is a snuggle bug and lap-sitter and even though she is in her "trying three-yr-old" stage, she is a joy.

First Day of School 2013

     Once again, and too early I might add, the younglings have returned to school. This year is another pretty big year as The Boy has been joined at the local elementary school by Pickle. Yes, she has moved on up to first grade! She is pumped about it, too. It was hard to hold her back from running out the door this morning after she got dressed. The Boy was not so excited.
     After a fine breakfast of waffles we tied our shoes and headed out. We were joined on our walk by 2 of Pickle's past and present classmates. We thought it would be nice for the three of them to head into the unknown of a new school with the known of some old friends. It helped a great deal. About 4 houses from school Pickle reached down and took the little boy's hand and held it all the way onto the playground. In fact, she was still holding it as the bell rang and they walked into the building.
    I walked down to meet the kids after school and found two very pleased little ones. One was just glad to be out of school for the day and the other just couldn't wait to go back. After a snack of fresh lemon squares a little paperwork was completed and a paragraph about summer vacation written and then the bags were packed for another day.
   

Louisiana Trip Photos

 

Making Memories

Three weeks ago we set off on a 21-day adventure to visit our families in Louisiana. Crazy? Yes! Due to the fact that we have multiple family units, a visit of anything less than 2 weeks is just not enjoyable and flying a family of 5 is plain ridiculous. So the only logical thing to do is pack up the minivan and drive there. We started with few set plans and our only goal was to make sure the kids spent as much time with their grandparents as possible. It was not a vacation for me as I had to work but it was nice to be able to close the laptop at the end of the day and enjoy good food and good family every night. 

There were good dinners out, lots of swimming, a fish fry, multiple nights grilling, more swimming, a bike race, boat rides and tubing, paddle boarding, more swimming, Gator Farms and Science Centers, visits with old friends, and lots of cousin play time. Our motto for the trip was making memories, and I think it will be a summer we will always cherish.

We will post some pictures to show off what a great time we had. To the family and friends who housed us and entertained us, thank you for taking such good care and the good times. And for the family and friends we missed seeing, we'll catch you on the next road trip!

Coach Josh

This boy made that man a Father just over 9 years ago. I know he was thrilled to have a son and could not wait to do the things he enjoyed with his Dad when he was a boy. Playing catch is probably highest on that list. Park has been playing baseball since he was six and started in T-Ball. He has diligently kept at it each fall and spring moving up in age groups through "Farm" (machine pitch) and now he has been in the "Minors" for two seasons. 

 With little girls to chase (and me being pregnant back when we started Little League) JP has not really had much chance to help out any of the teams over the last 3 years. Now that we have made it to Minors where the boys are pitching, JP offered to help out at practices this season focusing on pitching. This was a tremendous bonus giving the other Coaches time to work on other fundamentals with the rest of the team. He was given a team hat for his efforts. Coach John quickly realized he had a gem of a helper and by the time the boys showed up for pictures, they had an extra jersey (Youth Large for the record) for him to throw on and get in the picture which included a father/ son photo that is a perk of being a Coach. 

JP became a valuable addition to the team helping to get the pitchers warmed up, providing insight to Coach John about the level of skill and capabilities of each boy, and maintaining order in the dugout during games. It was a great season for both of these boys. A light seemed to have switched on for Park mid-season and he started trying harder  at each game and asking to play catch and hit more at home to put in the extra time that Josh keeps telling him is needed to be really good. I think a lot of that had to do with JP being so involved in the games and process. 

On this Father's Day I cannot help but be so proud of him and what he is doing to help raise an All-Star.