Frontier Days

My new favorite Frontier Day events is the cattle drive the week before Frontier days starts.  I convinced some friends to come watch with us in the rain (yes, this was the end of July)

Went ventured on the Air Force base for D.A. Fort Russell Days.  Maverick, Violet and Autumn rode a horse, but Lark was too afraid.

We participated in some "Pioneer" type activities.

Autumn riding a horse

Violet

Helicopter (Autumn helped get everyone ready including doing Lark and Violet's hair)

The kids went on a Pony Express activity

Waiting in line for the pancake breakfast

Parade day

Thunder birds...It was very cold when we first got to the college.  They delayed the show for over an hour and by the time it finally started it was nice and warm. 

Violet hanging out with Joseph Neary

Summer weather in Cheyenne is less than desirable.  We had a few hail storms (luckily no damage on our side of town).  Lark is so full of life and is always up for so fun.  She and I made a few castles for Else from the hail.

Lark and her buddy Dixie at Indian Village.  They were enjoying playing in the dirt together.

Maverick had a tough time adjusting to summer.  I kept trying to convince him it was warm and to stop wearing long sleeve shirts.  Every morning he would ask our Amazon Echo "Alexa what the weather like is today" and she typically responded with "thunderstorms".  So Maverick insisted on pants and long sleeves.  So I ended up having to hide his cold weather clothes.  But this day Maverick outsmarted me and wore this PJs under his clothes.

Lark making more mischief by pouring water all over the wagon.

Posing on a pretend horse at frontier park

(This is why Evan doesn't like feeding the kids)

July

Olive July 1

7/1: I took a walk around the neighborhood with just Violet after church.  It was so nive

July 3: Maverick LOVES to walk around the library and do the monthly scavenger hunt

My brand new car keeps having tech issues with the special features that we paid extra for.  I had to take it to the dealership several times this summer and it still isn't fixed!

FOURTH OF JULY!  Lark playing in the wet tanbark with Meribeth

FIVE KIDS! YIKES!

Olive enjoying a long nap while dad stained the play set and the other kids played.

"Red, white, and blue" rainbow patriotic Jell-O

Grillin' for the holiday!

s'mores over the fire

7/5

7/7: I think this is the only piece of clothing I bought for Olive since she has 3 older sisters.  And she only wore the bathing suit once because it was too much trouble.

Autumn

7/7 Lark sitting on my lap, while I was feeding Olive

7/8

7/8: Lark's poker face!

All the kids loved learning how to play UNO

7/10: Cow appreciation Day

I finally just sewed felt to some shirts so I wouldn't have to cut out construction paper every year.

7/11

7/12: Evan's sister Meagan came for a short visit.  She came with us to Loveland as we attempted to get cheap build-a-bears to no avail. So we ended up at the Fort Collin's discovery museum, Torchy's Tacos and buying some school clothes for Autumn at  H&M.

7/12

7/14

7/14: I got rid of one of the twins' cribs and other one got handed down to Lark.  But one night I went to check on Maverick and Violet.  They were huddled around a flash light they looked so cute I snapped a picture, but because Violet had curlers in her she ended up looking like a devil.

7/15: Violet and Olive, Lark below in a dress mom wore as a kid

7/15: Olive

7/16: Pool again.  We spent a lot of time at the pool despite the low temperatures, numerous thunderstorms and hail.

7/18: One of the times we had to go to the car dealership in Fort Collins we stopped by a splash pad on the way home.

7/19: Lark feeding Olive a bottle

7/21: this is Olive's life..surrounded by the kids' toys

7/22:  OLIVE 2 months.
Not sure how I caught this cute smile.  She is much happier since mom finally picked up her acid reflux meds.  She clearly has blue eyes now. Olive loves the Nick Lachey lullaby album.  She is quickly outgrowing her 3 month clothes and wears size one diapers.  She sleeps long stretches at night 8-9 hours.  She has even started cooing and smiling the last couple of weeks.

both 7/26

Olive in her newborn size "dress"

7/27 Olive in Autumn's doll's hat

7/27: again Autumn posing Olive

Mav and Violet are so good at playing with each other

Violet needed to take a bath and Lark joined her

Lark!

7/28: doing some face masks Grandma Pattie sent

7/30