Elsie's birthday party!

We had a birthday party for Elsie on Saturday with all of her little friends. We set up pools and the slip-n-slide outside and ordered pizza! Elsie seemed to have a fun time, especially when everyone sang "happy birthday" to her!

Helping Daddy get ready for the party

Logan, Jackson and Elsie eating their pizza

The kids mobbed Mike for their cupcakes!

Mike handing out water balloons (and telling the kids where to throw them...it was pretty funny!)

Translation of the bag: "Elsie and Gehrig forever!" Gehrig is one of Elsie's best friends...he gave her a watch for her birthday! We're hoping that they want to get married some day!

I tried to put a video on here but it wasn't working. I'll try again later! Another post coming soon with some cute random pictures of the girls. Happy September!

Colorado trip part 2

While the rest of our family was off hiking in the great outdoors, my sister Katie and I spent a couple of days hanging out at her house before driving off to the mountains to meet up with them. They were tired from the hike, but we were pretty tired from taking care of the 4 kids all by ourselves! The cousins all get along great together, though, and we had lots of fun!

From a rest-stop on the way to Glenwood

Katie and I were super brave and took the kids to our favorite restaurant in Glenwood called the Italian underground. The kids did great (and we're not lying either, Grandpa!)

The hot springs pool...just like I remember it from my childhood. We used to come here almost every summer when I was a kid!

Katie, the kids and I went swimming in the morning, and then the rest of our family met up with us for some swimming in the afternoon.

Micah and Sophie could float really well with just their puddle-jumpers on (the salt in the water helped too!) They had a great time swimming!

This was supposed to be a family picture...Micah snuck in at the last minute, but we don't mind!

They have a big water slide at the pool, so Mike took the girls down with him. He told Sophie to hold her breath at the end just in case, and if you enlarge the picture, you can see that she did just like her daddy told her to!

Mom forced Aunt Laurie to go down the slide with her. Mom enjoyed it a little more than Aunt Laurie did!

Elsie loved the slide too! If you click on the picture, you can see the big smile on her face!

It was our 10th anniversary on August 11, so after everyone else left Glenwood Springs to head back home, we drove to a cute little mountain town close-by called Redstone. It was a wonderful little get-away by ourselves!

We ate a great dinner in the dining room of the Redstone Inn, where we also spent the night.

Thanks for the chance to get-away, Mom and Dad. We had a great time!

Group pictures!

Happy birthday, Elsie!

It was a busy but super fun trip! Thanks for everything, Mom, Dad and Katie!

Our trip to Colorado part 1

We took a trip out to Colorado in the beginning of August (Mike finally could take vacation from work!) and Mike went on a backpacking trip with my parents and my aunt and uncle from Michigan. It has been 4 years since they took their first backpacking trip, so everyone was excited to tackle it again!! They left from Maroon Bells and hiked for 4 days/3 nights over 4 different passes (it was something like 28 miles total). Mike had a FABULOUS time and can't wait to do it again (he's hoping that I can come next time...if I'm not pregnant again!)

The group of hikers at Maroon Bells...still energetic and not too smelly yet!

I just think this is the cutest picture of my parents!!!!

Celebrating my dad's birthday at their camp the first night.

Mom, Dad and Uncle Rick

Taking a rest break

Here's Mike waiting for the others to catch up!

They took pictures on top of each of the 4 passes...here they are on the top of the 2nd pass.

A deer from one of their campsites

Mike was able to do lots of fishing, which he loved! And he caught like 30 fish!

On top of the 3rd pass...bet they weren't smelling so good right about now!

My mom was amazing!!

And here they are from a Wendy's parking lot after the hike. From here they all drove to Glenwood Springs where my sister, the kids and I were waiting for them at the hot springs pool. More pictures of our adventure in the next post!