Vacation #1: To Park City!

We took a mini vacation last week!  We didn't really plan for it to be a "vacation".  We planned for it to be a quick trip to a wedding, and knowing it was Samuel's first road trip, we prepared for the worst and hoped for the best.  But, God had other (and better!) plans, and blessed us in many ways.  It ended up being a wonderful, restful, fun time . . . a real, although short, "vacation"!

We have very dear friends who used to live here but moved to Idaho years ago.  Their daughter Katie was getting married, and although I thought at first "no way could we do this trip right now", my husband thought that we could, and the plan was put into motion.  This is Brittany and Katie, back in 1997.  They spent a lot of time at each others' houses.  :)

So last Thursday, the 16th, we packed up our clothes (in laundry baskets . . . all the suitcases are in storage) and headed off.  We took I-80 up through Wyoming, which was 
v-e-r-y windy, but we were happy to see these Speed Limit 80 signs!

We even happened to see a cattle drive.  This was a very long line of cows, complete with dogs and cowboys herding them.  It was quite a scene for us city folk!

We got to Park City, Utah on Thursday afternoon, where our friend Fred had hooked us up with this awesome condo for a great price.  We had the whole left side, with a pool just yards away.

Brad and Brittany had left a little later than we had, and we met them for dinner at a yummy Mexican restaurant once we'd all arrived.  Caylie was happy to see Tessa!

After dinner we walked through Park City's historical Main Street and visited some of the shops.  And, of course, several posed pictures were taken.  Justin wants to know why Tessa looks four years old in this one.  And Sam says, "I don't know why I make that face."  Haha.

Caylie found a moose.

And Brittany found herself a man.

Justin kinda liked the moose, too.

And Keelan grew a beard for the occasion.

It was a fun time!  

The next morning we left for Idaho.  Stay tuned for more!

New House Update!

Last time I posted about the house, it probably still looked pretty much like this . . . 

. . . and this.

We first saw the house on January 31, and put money down the next day.  We put our old house on the market at the end of February and moved out at the end of March.  While we've been living in the apartment, we go and look at our new house at least every weekend to see what's been done.  For a long time it seemed as though very little was being done, but now things are moving along!

Last month the drywall was done, and we finally had walls.  This is looking at the kitchen from the living room.

Downstairs in the rec room.  (I keep calling it the family room.  Jim calls it the rec room.  Our children are confused.  Haha.)

After the drywall was finished, door and trim were put on.  This is the doorway to the office/music room.

The metal construction railings were taken off, and our beautiful new wood and iron ones put on.

Living room and kitchen.

Master bathtub.  Ha . . . there is a broken one in the front yard waiting to be thrown away.  It's been there since February, I think.  

Justin's room.

Samuel's room.

Caylie's room.  

Cabinets were put in.  This is in the master bath.

And in the kitchen.

We finally got our driveway!

Then tonight we went in, and the inside painting was all finished!

And there was tile on the floor in the bathrooms.  And in the showers!

Laundry room floor.

And counter tops put on.  There is a green plastic covering over the granite.  It isn't really green!

Tile around fire place.

Upstairs family room.  Not to be confused with downstairs family room/rec room, haha.

Sun room off kitchen.

Backsplash behind kitchen sink.

Some of the painting has been done on the outside.  And the stone is finished.  I can't wait to see on my front porch!  We will move in mid-August.  :)

End of May Photos

OK, so it's only the first week of June, right?  Oh wait . . . it's the 8th, so it's officially the second week.  Oh well.  Here are some pics from the last part of May!

Justin had his first band concert at Global Village Academy.  He has worked very hard on his trombone playing.

Closer-up, so you can see him!

Getting an award from his band director, Miss McMaster.  

Caylie with two of her Chinese kindergarten teachers, Zhang Laoshi and Annie Laoshi.

My big boys before church one Sunday.

Sometimes Colorado is snowy in May.

 And sometimes it's sunny and warm.  Sam likes this dinosaur at the park.

Auntie Caylie and Tessa.  

Keelan finished up his 50 hours of driving with parents . . . 

. . . and got his license . . . 

. . . and there he goes.

New games have been learned and played.  I dunno what Sam's doing to Caylie . . . 

Caylie and Tessa again.  :)

Justin met up with an "old" friend at church.  He and Carolyn have known each other since pre-school and were in the same class till second grade, when I was their teacher.  They have been "Pookie and Pooka" (her mama's name for her and my name for Justin) since they were little.  We haven't seen them in a few years, and now Pookie and Pooka are big almost-8th graders.

Tessa and her ponytails on our balcony.  

She's getting to be a big girl!

Keelan had his last band concert at Gateway High School.  He's not going to be in band for his senior year.

Cutie pie Tessa Lillian.  This was the first time I put two ponytails in her hair, so this picture really should be before the other one!

Samuel and Caylie are going to be starting swimming lessons at this indoor pool in a couple of weeks.  I took Sam in for a swim test so they could see what level he needed to start at, and afterward he played on this cool slide.

Caylie and her friend Genesis.  They are three years apart in age, but pretty much the same size!  I took this pic at Village Inn when our friend Mark was in town, but for some reason this is the only one I took.  Sorry, Mark!

Keelan and his long board.  I told him I was taking his senior pictures.  On my phone.  Ha!

We've been window shopping for a few furniture items for our new house.  I want to get a new table that will seat many more than the current one does.  (You should see the 9 of us, scrunched up around a table for 6, haha.)  Sam and Caylie were trying out this one at IKEA, which will seat 10 - 12 without scrunching, and many more WITH scrunching!   

Next up . . . report on new house!