September 2020

 Our September was low-key. The kids tried getting back into the routine of school, we celebrated Grandpa Blacker's birthday, and Dave has been harvesting raspberries and strawberries every day after work with the kids. Mom and Dad have been working hard on their home with lots of help from Macy. I'm still just trying to survive pregnancy and literally counting the days until this little guy joins our family. Thank heavens for my Mom who keeps our home running while I'm crawling along!

Happy 62nd, Dad! I'm pretty sure the kids ate more of Grandpa's honey roasted nuts than he did. They also opened his presents for him...

Macy loves her "scrubby-dubbies" that are just like Daddy's, but more than anything she loves when Daddy takes her berry-picking.

All of the girls had to have their hair wrapped up after their showers. They also all have to have their nails painted and chap stick applied. It's fun for me to see these sisters enjoying each other.

Dave and Dad tiled Mom and Dad's front entry way outdoor porch roof together one Saturday. It's a really tall, angled roof, so a quite precarious to get the tile up and stuck on, but they were successful!

A view of the roof from underneath:

The deer in our neighborhood are getting braver and naughtier all the time. They have now eaten our entire garden twice as well as all of the flowers in my front courtyard that has a retaining wall around it. When the kids try to scare them away they just stand there and look at them like they're crazy. Even Mac can't get them to leave us alone until we get really close to them. I think he's more scared of them than they are of him.

August 2020

We took the kids on one last camping trip before school started to Cheyenne Mountain Park. It was very convenient and close, but I'm not sure we will venture there again. It was right next to Norad and Peterson Air Force Base, with lots of noise and lights. The kids still had a blast though, hiking, making a fire, roasting s'mores, playing with flashlights, seeing the stars, and sleeping in the camper. Macy is now obsessed with camping and asks to go all the time.

A headlamp worn Macy-style. She was so proud of herself for putting it on without any help.

Mac wanted to help get the sleeping bags ready. He thought they were for him.

August was a big month for Lexi - she lost two teeth!

Dave and Dad undertook the big project of building a sandbox for the kids. The ground was a lot harder than anticipated so they rented a trencher and made big blocks to dig out. It was still lots of work. The kids love it though, especially Macy.

We often go on Sunday nature walks as a family and one of Mac's favorite places to go is the big grassy field at Black Forest Park. He and the kids run and run together - usually the kids get tired out way before he's done playing.

Apparently a pregnant belly is the perfect resting place for Mac's head.

There has been lots of smoke here all month due to wildfires in Northern Colorado. It makes it pretty miserable to go outside, but the sunsets are absolutely beautiful.

I love this picture of Clara playing with her friends. She is just such a happy, loving little girl.

Happy 40th Birthday to my main squeeze! We love you!

No 40th birthday would be complete without a smash cake!

We also had a fun visit from Dave's sister, Melissa, and her family, James and Samantha. We spent a couple mornings swimming in their hotel pool, then they stayed with us for a few days. Between playing in the backyard, playing with the cousins and the dog, and going to the zoo, we had a blast with Samantha.

Macy wasn't sure how she felt about going to the Zoo without Mom or Grandma there, but she loved being with cousin Samantha and seeing the animals.

Back to School 2020!

Clara - Kindergarten

Lexi - 2nd Grade

Cole - 4th Grade

This year school is a little different, with masks required, social distancing procedures in place, and lots more rules, but the kids were excited to be back in person instead of online.