Oh Yeah, How's that Deck Comin' Along?

The end is in sight! We're almost done! I'm super pleased because we'll be able to enjoy my favorite season so much more with our beautiful new deck. Did someone say cookout?



...and lest we forget, here is a reminder of how far we've come...

Who Are These Children?

I happened upon this pudgy kid who apparently ate Isaac:

...so I found it necessary to find a picture of Charlie at around the same age:

enjoy!

Charlie's First Day of School

Charlie started Kindergarten this week and is doing great. He learned to take the school bus all on his own. Such a big kid!



Charlie (and Isaac) waiting for Mrs. Walden. All the kids line up and walk in together.




After a whole week of school, it was time for ice cream!

Road Trip to Chicago... and back

We're home. Back in the land of High Speed Internet and Familiar Beds.
We drove 1,000 miles to Chicago, 1,000 miles around the Chicagoland area, then 1,000 miles back to Colorado. We decided not to drive the van today.
While we were in Chicago, we saw 5 sides of our combined extended family; Anne's Dad's side (Kowalski), Anne's Mom's side (Skafte), Anne's Step-Mom's side (Blair), Brian's Mom's side (Appleton), and Brian's Dad's side (Dupras). The boys did great meeting a million people that they're related to -- mostly because a lot of those people had kids to play with!
We were gone for 2 weeks and did A LOT. I've posted a boatload of pictures on Flickr but here are some highlights:

Our first stop on our roadtrip. Breakfast in Fort Morgan, Colorado:


The Children's Museum in Milwaukee with Grandma Jane:


Fishing at Lake Summerset outside of Rockford, Illinois:


Playing with Cousin Paul on the trampoline:


Finally meeting Uncle Matthew's Robosapien and teaching it to pick up things (in muck-boots):


Going to a Mastodon dig in Dupage County (about 2 miles away from where we were staying):

[ side note: this was cool, but I wouldn't really call it a "highlight" since it was about 100 degrees and 150% humidity that day. none of us were very happy ]

going to Millennium Park in downtown Chicago with Grandma Laura and "Grandpa-Grandpa"




Walking all the way to the end of Navy Pier and feeding the seagulls.


The 6 of us actually rode this ferris wheel. Yikes.


Grandma Belle's 80th Birthday Party


The Kowalski Cousins: Kaylee, Claire, Charlie and Isaac


We hooked up with an old friend of mine, Rebecca, at Oberweis Ice Cream shop and our kids played chess together.


...and then we drove home. In one day.

It's Pear Season

Come and pick some pears from our trees!




I'm serious. Let yourself in!

That Triathalon I Was In

I have a crazy friend who likes to do triathalons. I don't know why, it's not my thing. She invited our whole small group to do with with her and we agreed to do it as a relay. So I biked 12 miles. It was fun -- I mean, I like biking. The other ladies in our group did an outstanding job and we all finished.

All of us, with our medals! (l-r Paula, Julia (crazy friend), Dawn, me, Linette & Steph)


Isaac and Charlie showing off the shwag.


Julia and Linette before the big plunge!!


me, before the ride


Paula, before her 5k


Steph and Dawn, out for a yummy lunch and margaritas!

Some of the ladies want to do it again, or do it themselves. I feel like, well, I've done it. There. Now I never have to do it again.

Progress on the Deck

Yes, I know. It's been FOREVER since I've updated our blog. I call myself a Deck Widow because Brian comes home from work, snarfs down dinner and heads straight outside to work on the deck. I think he's trying to get as much done as he can before we leave for Chicago (on Sunday) even though we keep telling each other that we don't have a definitive deadline.

So, here are the latest pictures. Brian's an amazing man.

This is what Brian did while I was doing a triathalon. Oh, did I forget to mention that? More on that later.