Colorado Wrap Up, Part Two

Goslings from the Denver zoo a couple of weeks ago. We noticed several nests and some babies here, too, at our visit to the farmstead over the weekend.

So cute!

Lainey looking like lunch, no doubt.

Pa being patient with a hand swatting grandaughter!

Train! Notice Jack clapping as they started going.

Carousel!



One of our favorites in Denver.....The White Fence Farm. A family style restaurant famous for fried chicken.

The petting zoo.

Pictures cannot do this place justice. It's absolutely precious. Good food and lots of fun for the kids!

Pa and Blake cannot get enough of these fritters. They're delicious.

Outside before dinner.





Feeding the fish.







As we played upstairs with the kids, this sweet old lady sang, "Going to Kansas City." Our cue to leave. Bye, bye, lovely Colorado! We'll be back to visit!

Colorado Wrap Up, Part One

OK. So, in the interest of our new life here in Kansas, I cleaned up my files and condensed a couple of weeks in Colorado into two posts. I already have so many fun things to post about here, so it's time to finish with Denver!

Lots of randoms.....

Love Lainey here subtly reminding Jack that she'd like some popcorn, too.

Aquarium visit.

And, fun at home afterwards.

Big girl....

Love when they play together nicely. Of course, he launched her from the dump truck seconds after this picture was taken, but this moment was peaceful!

Hokey trip into the mountains......buffalo roaming nearby.

And, Carter, without concern, enjoying an authentic buffalo burger.

Visiting the museum and grave of lengendary Buffalo Bill.











Zoo trip....











Aquarium trip....

Jack learned that clothes have pockets. He's quite impressed.

Lainey bug in her pj's I love and bunny slippers from Easter.

Picnic at a nearby playground.

Spring Blizzard

We woke to snow covered grass this morning and it should continue all day. Initial reports suggested more than a foot of snow was on its way, but it seems that the forecast has changed and we might get closer to 8 inches.

While the south prepares their spring flowers and starts cultivating green grass, we enter the second snowiest month of the year. No planting for us until after Mother's Day. Starting around Halloween, 7 months of our year here in Colorado are filled with snow. Skiing can go as late as June at some resorts, depending on which direction the mountain faces. Blake and Carter skied Cinco de Mayo last year at Arapahoe Basin.

While visiting Kansas last week, I inquired about the seasons and was told that they're usually OK to plant at this point but that the snow has been more frequent than most years. Blake said they're expecting this storm to move their way tomorrow.

In preparation for a day inside, we shopped for groceries last night and have some projects in the kitchen to look forward to. And, a nap. It's lovely to curl up by the fire with a good book on a day like this and sleep, warm and cozy inside while it snows outdoors.

Carrot and rice soup, homemade bread and some stove top popcorn will keep us busy today. Enjoy your weekend!

Life In Colorado

Some observations of our very different lives here compared to the south.

We have tumble weeds. Lots of them. And, when the snow hits, they look like this:

Evergreens.....so lovely.

We shovel drive ways often. This is the cheater's version....and all that I'm capable of some mornings with 3 kids to wrangle out the door!

And, those kids.....those kids who have lived for 2.5 years in Colorado.....still LOVE the snow. It has not lost its magic.

Coyotes and lots of other wildlife lurk in places you would not expect them. Took this photo on the way home from dropping Carter at school.....in a suburban neighborhood....on the side of the road.

We didn't own a snow shovel until moving here. Think we've bought (and broken) a few since arriving!

Mounds of dirty snow like this pile up in parking lots. The plows come through and push the snow out for people to park and it has to go somewhere.....so here it is.....until it melts.

We have sleds. And actually use them.

This is a fabulous old sled from my childhood. More suited for ice than snow. We'll likely get a lot of use out of it in KC!

We own ski and snowboard gear instead of renting it. It takes up a lot of space!

A snowman kit is a must.

We wear snow boots for at least half the year and when not in use, they drain into pans like this.

Cold weather requires lots of gear!

We have geese. Tons of geese. Look closely at this pic and you'll notice hundreds of them.

They rule the zoo. And, since they don't have their own exhibit, they invade others and pretend we're there to see them.

They fly in amazing patterns that fascinate me each time I see them.

We have the most beautiful grass I've ever seen. Super soft.

The quiet after a snow storm is lovely.

It makes our house look like it's quiet, too. Far from it inside.

We have basements. I wonder how we ever lived without them.

Basement windows provide 6 foot drops into the wells.

So, we pay a lot of money to cover those drops instead of letting our kids fall into them. And, you know my dopey kids would.

Driving in the mountains can be tricky. Runaway truck ramps are everywhere. Scary to think of not having them.

Finally, we have a fondness for carving hokey things out of wood. This, I could do without.

Most of these little nuggets of life will be present in Kansas, too....except the mountains, of course. Good thing we're not scared of a road trip!