Suzanne McGrath Photography

My Top 10 List for Breckenridge, CO

Sorry I missed last week.  I meant to post from Breckenridge but we ended up skiing Sunday afternoon so I was pretty exhausted.  But a good exhausted!  In light of our trip for spring break this past week I thought rather than do my regular Six on Sunday I'd give you my Top 10 list for why we love Breckenridge, CO.

10.  Road trip!  OK, seriously.  I totally don't love spending 10 hours in the car - BOTH WAYS.  But I do love that it's close enough to allow us to drive.  Flying anywhere as a family of six is rather cost prohibitive, so it's nice that we can drive. 

And I have to admit, the girls are pretty darn good travelers.  I think it helps that they have all grown up going on trips to visit grandparents, etc. so they are rather used to it now.  And I know that it will continue to get easier and easier as #3 and #4 learn to read and grow even more self sufficient.  

9.  St. Patrick's Day!  It seems as though we get to celebrate St. Pat's Day in the mountains quite often.  This year the hubby was bound and determined to go out for a drink that night.  I was ready.  I had psyched myself up for it.  I put the the little girls to bed and was ready to walk to a bar.  But the hubby lost his mojo.  We stayed in.  We are losers.  

But...my mom bought us all shirts.  And considering our last name is McGrath, we wore these with pride!

P.S.  Don't you love #4's stripes?!  Yes, she picked that outfit out all by herself!

8.  Beau Jo's pizza.  Every year we stop in Idaho Springs for pizza on our way up the mountain.  It's such an adorable town and the pizza is seriously delish.  It was fun to be able to introduce my parents to it this year!

7.  Eating out!  Yes, I said it.  I love being able to take a break from cooking every now and then.  When we are in town we rarely eat out.  As in, not even once a week.  So, when we travel it's a real treat for me to be able to eat out!  Of course I mentioned Beau Jo's in #8 above.  This year we went to the Salt Creek Restaurant and Saloon for brunch again.  It did not disappoint!

We also hit a great little breakfast place on Main Street, Xtreme Pizza, and a few others.  So good.

6.  Apres Ski.  Oh yeah.  The beer (or Bloody Mary or Colorado Bulldog) at the end of the day is divine.  The girls know they get hot chocolate so they even enjoy it!

5.  The mountains.  Growing up in Eastern SD and now living in Eastern KS, we have NOTHING resembling mountains.  I love them.  I wish they were like, 10 hours closer, though.   

4.  The hot tub.  I'm not kidding, we used the hot tub at least twice a day!  It was the perfect temperature - not too hot, not too cold - which meant we could sit in there for a LONG time.  And our view was the picture from #3 above.  Beautiful.

3.  The Town.  For reals.  We love everything about it.  First, it's a real town and not just a resort.  The views - mountains all around.  The shopping - lot of cool art galleries, great T-shirt shops, and tons more!  Ice Cream - enough said.  The horse ride through town - an absolute highlight for #4!  Skiing less than 10 minutes from your front door.  I don't know if it could get any better?!

2.  Skiing.  Breck.  Vail.  A Basin.  Everything is so close!  Summit county rocks.

Sunday we took the big girls to A Basin for the afternoon.  It was a great day, albeit fairly cold and windy.  

Then Monday and Tuesday the three older girls went to ski school at Breckenridge while the hubby and I enjoyed the whole mountain - Peak 7 to Peak 10 and everything in between, including the T-bar and the Imperial Lift.  So cool.  We had originally signed #4 up for ski school but Sunday morning when I went to check her in I was told she would only get a one hour lesson and 30 minutes with the group.  The rest of the day would be spent in daycare.  Uh, come again?!  So we decided to save over $300 and leave her with Gamma and Papa for the morning.  (She was not happy to be left out of ski school.)  But my dad brought her to the mountain for an hour lesson from yours truly both Monday and Tuesday.  She still can't wedge but she loves to ski.  And afterall, that is the most important part.  She just needs to enjoy skiing enough to want to try again next year.  Mission Accomplished.

Thursday we took #1 and headed over to Vail for a little back bowl action.  I have to say, the powder was phenomenal but the blizzard conditions put a little damper on the skiing.  Regardless, we were toughies and skied Blue Sky Basin and the front side, too.  Unfortunately, what should have taken us 30 minutes to get back to Breckenridge actually took FOUR HOURS since I-70 ended up closed for several hours.  Oh well.  We had a great time.  I doubt I'll see powder like that for another 10 years.

A-Basin:

Top of the T-Bar at Breckie:

Back bowl blizzard at Vail:

Powder at Vail - seriously a lot - this is a green run:

1.  At the risk of sounding sappy (and those who know me know I am NOT the sentimental type), Family is the best part of Breckenridge.  Duh.  Getting to spend a week with each other just having fun and enjoying each other's company is the best part of vacation.  Are we perfect?  No way!  I lose my patience and #4 whines too much.  The other girls squabble but it's still fun.  And this year my parents were able to make the trip out with us.  All in all, it was a fantastic week and I can't wait to go back again next year!

And there you have it.  My Top 10 list for Breckenridge, CO.  I hope you enjoyed my little recap.

Have a great week!

 

Six on Sunday

I'm back!  We've had two super busy weekends but I wanted to get you all caught up.  Be prepared.  I'm about to bombard you with photos - both via my iPhone and my big camera.  Are you ready?  Here we go...

1.  A week and a half ago the hubby and I celebrated 15 years of marriage.  15 years!  We felt like a decade and a half deserved a super special celebration so we headed to Starbucks for coffee.  Yep.  Coffee.  That's how we roll.  But honestly, it was awesome.  The grandparents were in town so we headed out sans kids and felt like we were skipping school (it was a Wednesday) and it was awesome.  

You know, some days I want to throttle him but most days I look around and feel like I won the lottery.  I think I'm very lucky to be married to such an all-around great guy and fantastic, fun dad.  (And I'm not just saying that because he'll read this.  Because he doesn't read my blog!)

2.  Here are the girls playing in our pool with the hubby's parents.  Like I posted on facebook, my girls totally think their grandparents are the equivalent of rock stars.  They get SO EXCITED when they get to see them.

And we were so lucky to have the grandparents watch the girls while we escaped to the lake (and Starbucks!).  

3.  #4 made it to the All City swim meet again this year.  She qualified for Freestyle, Breaststroke, and Butterfly but only swam in the free and fly.  She was very disappointed because Breast is her favorite stroke, but her coaches didn't know that and they try to get as many kids to All City as possible which meant they let someone else swim breaststroke.  So she missed swimming her favorite stroke.  Luckily, she perserved and did her best.  She didn't place because she had slow starts and actually swam slower than earlier meets, but we're still so proud of her for making it!  She was also able to swim in the relay and her team won - by about a fingernail!  It was seriously a nail splitting event to watch but she led off and started her team out in the lead so she felt like she sort-of made up for her previous slow starts.  I just LOVE watching her swim.  It's so fun.

Here she is doing the fly.  Look how far out of the water she gets her whole body.  Man, is she strong or what?!

And here is her start.  Her dive is beautiful and graceful.  I mean, check out that form!

4.  After watching her swim, the hubby and I headed to Omaha for a pit stop before driving the rest of the way to OKOBOJI!  That's right, our annual trip.  It was just as much fun this year as past years.  Here's a smattering of shots from our trip...

If you're friends with me on facebook you've already seen some of these.  Please forgive the repetition.

These next three were shots I took on my run the first day we were there.  I could seriously get used to these views every time I ran!

 

(Man, I love Instagram!)

This is a path down by the dock.  Simple and lovely.

 

 

Bracco on the lake.  Great view and great food.

 

We girls were enjoying a cold beverage while just hanging out in the water.  It was a tough day:)

 

We decided we needed to spice up our second day on the lake with a little spectator sporting.  Hence, we broke out the tube and acted like our kids.

 

Yes, that is me.  Do you see the sheer terror on my face?  The next photo is the reason.

It may be blurry but do you see the air under the tube?  Yes, that is spectator sporting.  And yes, I felt my brain touch my skull.  And yes, I lost about a million brain cells and then we quit.  

 

Hot-dogging.

 

This one just makes me laugh.

 

I'm proud to say this year we came home with money.  We've been wiped out the past three years.  I am finally starting to get the hang of Texas Hold 'Em.  It only took three years.  Not bad.   

After a strenuous evening of dart-playing at the bar, we decided we needed to make friends and get a ride home.  Enter Mike and Christine.  (Christine was taking picture.  Who knows where the hubby was?)

 

This is a must any time I visit Okoboji.  Cheese Balls.  'Nuff said.

 

Sangria.  Refreshing.  Delightful.

 

Sunset from the Dry Dock.

5.  We turned around and left this past weekend and headed down to Bella Vista again.  The kids could hardly wait to go boating and tubing again!  You are now stuck looking at a bunch of BV photos.  You have been warned.

Here is Papa helping #4 turn on her camera.  

 

I have officially started my marathon training.  Yesterday the scheduled called for 16 miles.  I was determined to get it in.  I found a set of trails in Bentonville (just down the road from Bella Vista) that are sort-of connected to each other.  The plan was for me to run 8 and have the hubby join me for my last 8.  

If you know me well, you know I have NO sense of direction.  None.  Zero.  Zip.  I have been known to get lost in Kansas City.  True stories.  Anyway, I started out and everything was going great until I popped out of the trails and realized I had done a complete 6 mile loop.  I had NO IDEA how I did it.  Well, I called the hubby and he met me while I did another half mile.  That meant he had to do 9.5 with me rather than just 8 but he was a trooper and did it!  See, aren't I lucky?!

These next three are shots I took on my 16 miles.

Downtown Bentonville.

Crystal Bridges.  Phenomenal.

 

Here are a bunch of lake shots:

The hubby fancies himself a wakeboarder.  He likes to "shred" it.  Nevermind he's using a borrowed girl board!  He cracks me up.

 

#1 and #2 LOVE the tube.  I think they could do it all day if we let them.

 

Here are my folks with the girls.

 

Isn't my mom cool?  Check out her Hurley shirt and I love her shorts!

 

Nevermind the tube is made for four people.  Who says you can't fit FIVE?  Including a grandma?!

And there you have it.  Our weekends recapped in pictures.

6.  We left the two little girls down in Bella Vista with my parents.  They were so excited to get to spend time down their by themselves but then got a little sad when we left.  I know they will have a blast, though!

And I have to say, after the four of us got home and were eating a late dinner tonight, we realized how quiet it was at the table.  #3 and #4 are TALKERS, man.  It will be strange around here with two less kids.  Not that I'm complaining:)

 

Have a great week! 

Seven on Sunday...a Breckenridge Recap

I'm here today and I'm feeling chatty.  If you're not interested in hearing about our vacation, you'll probably want to stop reading right HERE.  (I won't feel bad!)  But if you ARE interested in hearing about our trip to Brecky, keep on reading!

1.  We left here last Saturday at 5:17am.  Yep, you read that right.  5:17am.  It was GREAT.  We had picked up Dunkin Donuts the day before so we had breakfast ready to go.  The girls slept until about 6:45am which wasn't bad.  All in all, the trip wasn't bad.  We stopped a few times for potty breaks and gas, but that was about it since we had packed a cooler and snacks for the car.  

Once we hit the mountains, though, we knew we had to stop for pizza at Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs.  The pizza there is to die for!  The best part?  The honey for dipping the crust.  And we were all ready to get out of the car for more than 15 minutes!  Here's proof.  Don't they look happy?

Of course #3 and #4 were not in the picture because they were too busy running off steam outside!

Grandma and Grandpa met us for pizza and the girls thought that was awesome.  Did I mention my in-laws joined us again for this trip?  It was wonderful to have help for the girls; especially since #4 wasn't quite ready for ski school! 

2.  We got into Breckenridge and our house about 5pm or so Mountain time.  That meant we didn't have time (or didn't want to rush) to rent skis for the girls.  So we just hung out and enjoyed the house and let the girls run around.

Here's the town: 

Sunday we enjoyed a fantastic brunch!  Then while walking back to the house we were able to stop and rent skis at A Racer's Edge.  They were fabulous and so helpful.  We'll definitely rent from them again.  All four girls rented skis and so did Grandma.  They stayed patient with us the whole time which is something else considering we're kind of like a walking circus!

After naps Sunday the hubby decided to hit A-basin for a half day.  And the girls and I walked around town.  (That's one thing I love about Breckenridge - the ability to walk everywhere.)  We managed to find ice cream.  I became a hero to my kids!

3.  Monday brought about ski school for #1, #2, and #3.  The oldest two were fine.  Actually, #2 wasn't looking forward to it, but she went along with it.  #3 cried.  It broke my heart.  But I knew that I couldn't teach her as well as the instructors.  (And the hubby has NO patience for teaching the finer points of french fries and pizza pie!)  #4 stayed back at the house with Grandpa Jerry since Grandma Rori attended her own version of ski school.  Cool, huh?

At the end of the day, the hubby and I had an awesome day on the slopes - we hit all four peaks, the T-bar, everything we wanted to hit.  The girls had an equally great day.  Of course, #3 was too exhausted to show off her new skills, but that was fine.  The hubby took #1 and #2 up for one last run while I tried to get #4 in skis.  (Grandpa Jerry met us down at the Maggie with #4 after her nap.)  She was all about it until the very moment I clipped her boots into the skis.  At that point, she went all, "Get these OFF!"  I guess you win some, you lose some.  

4.  Tuesday was more of the same.  All of us headed to the slopes while Grandpa Jerry and #4 hung out at the house.  (Thank goodness for Grandpa because I know #4 was a pill for him on Tuesday!)  However, the hubby and I picked up #2 and #3 at lunch.  (We couldn't get #1 because we didn't know where she would eat lunch - or what time.  Plus, she had no desire for us to get her early!)  It was actually really enjoyable to get to ski with the girls for a couple hours.  #2 was working on her parallel turns, especially on the blues.  And #3 could make it down the greens completely by herself!  Not bad for it only being her third day on skis - EVER.  I was so proud of her!

5.  Wednesday meant a day off for us - our legs needed it!  (Not to mention our pocket book.)  We bummed around town and found ice cream.  Again.  We really just enjoyed hanging around the house, too.  The scenery is so beautiful.  Check it out for yourself.

Our house:

And the view from our front porch:

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the hot tub.  While we all enjoyed the sking, #4 enjoyed the hot tub.  She managed to get in there almost twice a day!

6.  Thursday meant our last day on the slopes.  #3 decided to stay home with #4 and her grandparents which was nice.  That meant the older two were able to get a little one-on-one time.  We didn't rush out the door that morning and just enjoyed a leisurely day on the slopes.  Even the snow left a lot to be desired (it hadn't snowed in a week or two!) we still had a great day.  Spring sking is so warm!  We took turns skiing with both girls.  We hit the blues and the blacks!  They both improved immensely over the three days and it was so fun to watch it.  

Grandma and Grandpa left on Friday morning so we had to make sure to document the fact that they were there.  Check it out!

7. Friday morning was spent at the tubing hill.  #3 and #4 weren't so into it but the other three had a BLAST!  (I wish I had a turn.)  Can you guess what we did Friday afternoon?  If you guessed ice cream, you would be right!  Yep, we had ice cream three times last week.  So delicious!  

We spent our last night in Brecky just enjoying the view and dreaming of winning the lottery!

And that is all, folks!  We had an amazing trip and can't wait to do it again next year.

Have a great week.
 




 

Six on Sunday...Breckenridge Style

I'm sitting here watching Legally Blonde while blogging surrounded by the girls, the hubby, the grandparents, and it's great!  We all made it out to Breckenridge yesterday for a week in the mountains.  It's pure bliss.

I have my big camera and have busted it out a few times, but everything I'm putting on the blog tonight is via my iPhone and uploaded to my laptop.  But hey - it works.

1.  We pulled out of our driveway at 5:17am yesterday.  It was the first time we've done that and it turned out great!  The girls just went straight from their beds to the warm car.  They each had a blanket and a pillow and slept until just shy of 7am.  We had a dozen Dunkin Donuts in the car along with drinks, yogurt, and apples. 

2.  Of course, we had to stop just 15 minutes after they had breakfast so #4 could go potty.  Oh well.  You win some, you lose some.

3.  All in all, we made it to our house on French Street by 5:30 CST.  (It was perfect that daylight savings time was last night because we don't feel like anything has changed!)  We managed to stop for pizza at Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs on our way up the mountain.  That meant we didn't need to dinner last night which was great because I didn't feel like cooking after 10 hours in the car!

4.  If you read about our trip to the Black Hills for New Years, you know the girls love the hot tub - especially #4!  So far, she has already been in the hot tub three times - last night, this morning, and again this afternoon.  Below is my facebook post from this morning - of course I have my coffee!  (Note, we were in the hot tub by 8am!) 

5.  After our hot tub escapade, we ventured out for a fantastic breakfast at Salt Creek Bar & Saloon.  I know, that sounds weird.  But it was awesome food!  We all chowed down.  The girls each had a yummy hot choclate.  It was so pretty I had to take a picture.

After breakfast, we stopped at A Racer's Edge to rent skis.  I will never rent skis anywhere else again.  They were fantastic.  They were so helpful and patient with us.  (We're sort of a traveling circus.)  My mother-in-law is going to ski tomorrow so she needed skis.  And then all four girls rented skis.  It took forever but they were great!  They even loaned us a harness to use with #4.  How awesome is that?

6.  After our morning, we headed back to the house.  I put #4 down for a nap while the hubby and his parents headed over to get the girls all set up for ski school tomorrow.  My MIL even signed up for an all-day lesson.  I'm so proud of her! 

After #4 woke up, we ventured down Main St.  Of course we bolted straight for the ice cream shop.  We each enjoyed delicious ice cream to give us energy for the rest of our shopping excursion.  We all walked away with something although #2 still needs a T-shirt.  But that's great because it's a valid excuse to do a little more shopping:) 

Of course we enjoyed the hot tub AGAIN after shopping!  And then #4 just ran in and out of the house handing us stuff while we sat on the front porch enjoying the view of the slopes.  I'm telling you, I could totally get used to this!  Here is #4:

And there you have it.  Our trip so far.  Cross your fingers that tomorrow goes well.  The three older girls are going to ski school so the hubby and I can tear up the slopes on our own!  And Grandma is taking an all day lesson since it's been a "few" years since she last saw a ski run.  And then Grandpa is going to bring #4 to the slopes after her nap.  I'll help her learn the basics on the magic carpet and the hubby can take the three big girls up for a few runs after ski school.  If it goes well, I can always take #4 up for a green run - either with the harness or just between my skis.  We'll see how she feels.  She's a little fire cracker so it depends on whether or not she feels like cooperating.  Like I said, cross your fingers for us!

Have a great week.

Six on Sunday...First Post in the New Year

WooHoo!  I'm back.  I meant to blog during the holidays, but life just got in the way.  It happens.  We had a great break but honestly, it's kind of nice to get back into a rhythm.  Grab a beverage, have a seat and let's get this thing started...

1.  Our Christmas was nice.  We started Christmas Eve off with a nice mass in the church basement.  Yep, that's right.  The basement.  Again.  Our Christmas Eve service begins at 4pm and my sister got there at about 3:25 to reserve seats and we were still the second to the LAST row in the BASEMENT.  Oh well.  I guess God doesn't care where you sit, He's just glad you made it. 

After a nice mass, we headed home for a delicious dinner - seafood crepes for the adults and (homemade) spaghetti and meatballs for the girls.  The kids were great and it was actually a nice meal.  After dinner the girls each got to open one gift.  Every year they receive new PJs for Christmas Eve.  That ensures they all look adorable on Christmas morning:)  The presents were all wrapped and ready to go so we had a lovely, relaxing night after the girls were asleep.  I think that was MY present!

Here's the calm before the storm:

Christmas morning didn't arrive too early - thank goodness.  #4 woke up first, followed by #2 who patiently (and then not so patiently) waited awhile for her other sisters to wake up.  When she finally couldn't take it, we woke them up and the fun began!  All the girls had a blast and were super excited about their gifts.  Here's a few pictures I snapped during all the craziness:

#1 was genuinely surprised by her want gift.  That was really fun to see!

#2 was shocked by her want gift.  She thought it would come from Santa.

And finally, #4 copies EVERYTHING #3 does these days.  Here they are playing Barbie computer:

The carnage:

We ended the day with an attempt at a family movie - We Bought a Zoo.  It didn't work out well.  #4 made it through the previews and about 20 minutes of the movie.  At that point she decided she had eaten all the popcorn she could handle and she was DONE.  After announcing to the ENTIRE THEATER that she was ready to leave, I made a hasty exit home.  Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

And that, folks, was our Christmas.

2.  I made a new BFF over Christmas break.  Want to know who?

Yep - Bailey's.  Yummy!  I make it "healthy" by mixing it with almond milk.  It's so delicious that I have to remind myself to sip it.  I only allow myself to have it on non-school nights.  Otherwise I'd gain about 50 pounds all due to "chocolate milk"!

3.  So you might be wondering if we saw any of the grandparents over the holidays.  The answer?  Why yes, we saw both sets.  

We stopped for a night (Tuesday) in Omaha on the way to our ultimate destination - the Black Hills.  We had a really nice evening with the grandparents, Uncle Sean, and my hubby's godparents and one of their daughters.  We all just hung out, munched on appys, and played with new toys.  The next morning Grandma Rori came to our hotel and went swimming with us.  The girls had a blast in the pool and it tired the littles out for the car ride to Sioux Falls - a definite bonus.

The next night (Wednesday) was spent at my parents house in Sioux Falls, SD.  We were supposed to head to the Black Hills the next day.  However, fate had another plan...about an hour before arriving, the hubby started feeling crappy.  Right before dinner, #2 started feeling bad.  #3 looked really pale before bed but insisted she felt fine.  

Ultimately, both girls ended up throwing up ALL NIGHT LONG and the hubby slept (fitfully) out on the couch.  Given the fact that I was up all night long with the two sick girls and a crying two year old, there was no way I could drive six hours to the Hills on Thursday - not to mention I didn't feel 100%.  Ultimately, the hubby decided to make the trek out to the Hills with only #1 and #4.  I stayed back with #2 and #3.  (I knew if he got tired, my mom could take over since she was hitching a ride with my sister and her two kids.)

The girls and I took about three different naps and just laid around all day Thursday.  Honestly, I kind of enjoyed it.  I would NEVER do that at home!  And then Thursday night we enjoyed a movie night (with a beautiful fire in the fireplace) with my dad.  We still made it out to the hills, it just took us an extra day.  Thankfully, my dad had been planning on driving out a day later, so we were able to hitch a ride with him on Friday.  Score!

Here we are in front of the dinosaur at Wall Drug:

4.  Once we made it out to the Black Hills, we really enjoyed our stay!  My parents rented an awesome cabin in the hills that was really big with room to spread out.  The kids had the whole basement area to themselves.  They turned it into a Wii zone - way cool.  That left the entire main level for the adults.  

We went tubing on Sat. morning.  It was pretty cold with really blustery winds!  #4 was too young to try it and #3 went down once and decided she was done.  I managed to go down the hill twice and it was a BLAST!  The older girls and the hubby really loved it and spent nearly an hour and a half out there.

The hubby and I managed to escape to Terry Peak for an afternoon of skiing by ourselves.  That was a real treat.  Seriously.  The mountain (or big hill?) is not very big, but it was still fun.  We managed to take the three oldest kids on Sunday.  The girls all went to ski school which was only two hours, but that allowed us to ski with my sister for a couple hours before we all had to pick up the kiddos.  It was still really cold but I think all the kids had fun.  

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of our escapades because I didn't bring my point and shoot.  Bummer.

The hot tub.  The cabin had a hot tub out on the covered deck.  It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip!  The kids would sit in it at ANY time of the day or night.  Five of the six kids LOVED it.  Only #3 was not a fan.  She'd get in, but only for a minute or two.  #4?  We could hardly get her out of there.  

Here we are in the morning.  I kid you not when I say we were in there before 8am MST!  And can you see our view?  Isn't that beautiful?  It was actually snowing when my mom shot this picture.  Gorgeous.

And here are the kids at night.  See?  I told you they would go in this thing morning, noon, and night if we let them!  But I'm not sure who loved it more, the kids or my dad?  (He's in this picture but you can't see him because he's holding up #4.)

So yes, we had a great time out in the Black Hills.  I just wish it wasn't 12 hours away.  

5.  Number five is a little sad.  #2 has had her best friend since kindergarten.  I still remember the first time they played together - it was over the holiday break.  The hubby and I were framing out the basement, #3 was at school that day so we could get a lot of work done, and #2 and Adeline played ALL DAY!  Her parents kept calling to check in on her but it was going to well that the hubby and I didn't want Adeline to leave.  It was great.  The girls just clicked.  And it's been that way ever since.  

They were in the same kindergarten class but I don't think they've been in the same class since that first year.  They are now in third grade.  Doesn't time fly?  Here comes the sad part - Addie moved to Dallas right after Christmas.  I always knew this day would come because her mom talked about moving back, but I secretly hoped it would be YEARS later.  Well, years turned out to only be four.  Such a bummer.

You know those BFF necklaces that are shaped like a heart split in two?  Each of pair wears one half of the necklace?  #2 and Addie are like that!  They are different but they are two peas in a pod.  They don't necessarily dress the same, #2 loves soccer and Addie loves tumbling.  But put them together?  They are hilarious and so fun to have around.  We felt like Addie was our 5th daughter at times - we were so used to having her around.  

Addie slept over here on the Monday after Christmas.  We were heading to Omaha that Tuesday and they were headed to Dallas on Wednesday.  So when Adeline's mom came to pick her up, we all knew the girls wouldn't see each other for quite awhile.  As Adeline and her mom drove away, #2 cried and so did I.  I'm not kidding.  I know how special it is to have a friend like that and I was so sad for the girls.  

My hope is that they truly become forever friends.  You know the kind?  The friend you've had since grade school (Rachel) who has been with you through all your ups and downs?  That is my hope for these two girls.  And I will do whatever I can to help foster that relationship.  Wish me luck.  

6.  Are you still with me?  I know this post is long and partly a diary so I remember everything.  So if you're still here, thank you.

I said it last year and I'll say it again.  I love January.  I love the fresh start.  I love the motivated feeling I have.  And this January has been particularly great.  It was 65* out last Thursday!  (Of course I went for a run.  Duh.)  This weekend it was in the '50s.  That means I've been able to work on some PROJECTS.  Can I get a WooHoo?!

I found an art store not too far from me and bought stuff to silver leaf a bench for my room.  I then managed to find two different fabrics - one for said bench and the other for the chair that is going with my desk in the kitchen.  I can hardly wait to get started!

I'm planning on painting my family room next weekend.  Therefore, I need to finish up the Roman shades I started for that room last fall.  I also started to spray paint a couple lamps for the sofa table in there.  That project looks to be a little rocky - we'll see how it ends up.  Right now it only has a 50/50 shot.  

And there you have it!  We are all caught up now.  I hope you have a great week!  Oh, and in case this helps you, here is our menu for the week:

Saturday:  Papa Murphy's pizza + caesar salad

Sunday:  cheeseburgers, quinoa salad, fruit salad, and acorn squash 

Monday:  Chickpea tostadas + various fruits

Tuesday:  Tilapia + brussel sprouts (my mom's recipe - delish!!!), broccoli

Wednesday:  Tortilla Chicken soup + salad

Thursday:  Southwest Chicken + veggies and/or fruit

Friday:  chili + sauteed spinach or salad for the kids

P.S.  #1 and I made these Z bars last night.  Try them.  You'll like them.  Pinky promise.

I'm signing off.  Have a GREAT week!  Hopefully I'll be back for a Thrifty Thursday.


   

Six on Sunday...Okoboji-Style

In honor of the previous weekend, I'd like to devote this Six on Sunday entry to Lake Okoboji in Iowa.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think the first time I ever visited Okoboji was when I was seven.  I learned to ski on that lake.  My family took several summer vacations at Crescent Beach on Okoboji.  I simply love it there.  I spent time there in different ways, shapes, and forms over my school years.  The lake has a special place in my heart.  

Enter my husband, 1995.  (OK, he wasn't my husband yet but I kinda thought he was cute and maybe he'd make a good boyfriend.)  His best friend's girlfriend's family had a cabin on Okoboji.  Score one for the Boyfriend! That summer was the first summer we spent time up at the lake with Jason and Susan and all their friends.  It was awesome.  It was the place we "honeymooned" with a crowd of oh, about TEN!  I've been up there while pregnant, while nursing a baby, and now as the mom of four girls.  Each and every summer has been a total BLAST and something we look forward to all year - both for the beauty of the lake and the company of our great friends.

I am now dedicating this post to Lake Okoboji.  Here are six reasons Okoboji ROCKS!

1.  O'Farrell Sisters  This place has been in business since before I was born.  For reals.  We go up there every single morning for breakfast and they never disappoint.  True, it's only about a 20 yard walk but still, it's seriously good breakfast.  And since I can really pack it in, it negates the need for lunch.  So it's like two meals in one.  A win-win.

This is the Triple K.  My favorite.  Two eggs, two slices of bacon, two pieces of toast, hashbrowns, and one pancake.  See?  I told you I can pack it in!  I wasn't lying.  Why do you think I run all those crazy miles?

2.  Barefoot Bar and Okoboji Boatworks and Bracco's  These are all fantastic places to go for a drink (Barefoot Bar and Boatworks) or for dinner.  What's the similarity?  They are all right off the water which means you can cruise on up, hop off the boat, and dine in your swim suit.  Perfect.  No need for a shower!

Here is the view at Bracco's.

3.  Cheese balls.  Deep fat fried, cheddar cheese balls.  Dipped in Ranch.  Enough said.

4.  The lake itself is simply beautiful.  It is one of the cleanest lakes you will find - especially in the midwest.  You see, it's really, really deep - the deepest lake in the state of Iowa.  What does that mean?  Well, the lake only "turns over" twice a year.  More shallow lakes can turn over once a day, even multiple times a day due to wind.  That means everything gets all mixed together - dirt, etc.  Since Okoboji is so deep, the wind can't turn it over.  So each spring and fall, it turns over.  When the water on top becomes colder than the water underneath it, it "turns over".  The result is a super clean lake.

 5.  Lakeshore Dr.  I love to run along Lakeshore Dr.  It is so fun to look at the different architecture!  Each house is completely different from the next which is so refreshing coming from the 'burbs.  Some homes are gigantic mansions and some are true lake cottages.  It takes my mind off what I'm doing and how hot I am.  Another plus are the trees.  The drive is almost all in the shade which makes it possible to run at all times of the day.  You don't have to get up super early to get in your long run - a definite bonus when you're on vacation!

6.  Friends.  Of course I have to end on this note.  Okoboji just wouldn't be the same without all our friends.  Oh, I'd still go - but it wouldn't be half as fun.  Now that we're getting up there in years, some of the boys can say they've been friends for 30 years!  And those of us who met in college are coming up on knowing each other 20 years!  That's a long time.  That's a lot of great memories.  

This year, three of Jason and my hubby's friends from grade school (through high school) came up on Saturday night.  Most of us were surprised and it was a truly awesome surprise!  It's so fun to listen to them reminisce and give each other a hard time.  Love it.  

Here we all are at the Ritz about midnight - so forgive the crappy picture!

When Smacker, Trump, and John showed up, nobody skipped a beat.  It felt like we had just hung out together the weekend before.  There are no awkward pauses, no silence.  Everyone just has a great time together!

Every year we play cards.  Every year I lose.  Every year the hubby loses our money.  Every. Single. Year.

We dance.  We love to go out dancing and that is something I NEVER do at home.  That means letting my hair down and that doesn't happen very often.  But when it does?  Watch out!  The hubby clearly enjoyed himself as well.  Here he is "singing along" with the band at the Ritz.  I am simply amazed he hasn't been picked up by a major label yet.  

Inside jokes.  We have a lot of them and they always make me laugh.  Running home from the bars, telling stories, taking pictures with other people's cameras, you name it.  Okoboji is always a great time!  Can't wait for next year.

 

Six (or Ten) on Sunday...a 4th of July Recap

Hi there!  Six on Sunday is back.  We've been super busy and I've been having intermittent internet access issues.  But here I go...

1.  We took off the Friday before the 4th of July to head up to my parents house in Sioux Falls, SD.  They are going to retire down in Arkansas next spring, so it was their last 4th in SD.  We decided to celebrate the holiday with them, my sister and her kids, and all of us since it will be our last opportunity to enjoy the cooler weather in SD over a 4th of July holiday.  We had a great time and enjoyed the weather immensely.  

2.  As a lot of you are probably aware, there is major flooding going on all along the Missouri River.  We witnessed it first-hand driving up to SF and again when we dropped the kids off at their other grandparents in Omaha.  It is really shocking to see it up close.  We had to take some major detours to get around the flooding.  While it was a minor inconvenience to us, I really feel for people who are out of their homes for who-knows-how-long.  

I snapped this picture out the car window off I-29 at the Rockport, MO exit.  Where you see water - you shouldn't.  It should all be land.  It's just crazy.  I can't tell you how many farms we saw where the house, the sheds, and the barns were all under water.  So sad.

3.  While in SF, the kids enjoyed a few sparklers and some fountains.  It was a little crazy with six kids running around while waving FIRE on a STICK - but whatever - they had a blast and nobody caught fire. (Not that is wasn't this close.)

4.  My dad found an old pool stored somewhere in the garage and inflated it for the kids.  Wouldn't you know it - the older kids were the ones who had the most fun!  We were cracking up just watching them.

5.  We enjoyed a parade on the morning of the 4th.  It was nice and short.  My only complaint is that nobody threw out candy.  Isn't that required at parades?  No?  Well, it should be.

They had free ice cream sandwiches after the parade.  The older kids knew to eat them fast.  #4?  Nope, she savored every bite.

6.  The kids also enjoyed the swing that hangs in the neighbor's yard.  And #4 played in the fountain every. chance. she. got.

Below is my nephew - patiently (or impatiently) waiting his turn on the swing.

7.  My mom bought a pellet gun.  At first I thought she was off her rocker.  A pellet gun?  Seriously?  But I must admit, the kids loved it.  My dad set up a big sheet of plywood with several targets on it.  The kids had a blast.  I think only #4 failed to shoot the gun.  (Not that she wouldn't have wanted to - I simply put my foot down.)

8.  My oldest loves to set the table.  She was in charge every night and she did a fabulous job!  She made the table look so festive and it was actually a huge help.

9.  I made it my MISSION to get a good photograph of the girls in their coordinating 4th of July outfits last Monday.  Everyone laughed at me.  But I wouldn't let that stop me.  Nope.  I did it.  I managed to get one good shot.  I've already submitted it to my printer for a large gallery wrapped canvas.  I can't wait for it to arrive on my doorstep:)  This is the image I captured:

10.  Lastly, I am just tickled to pink to tell you I have been featured over on The Design File.  You see, I was so happy with my mid-century dresser I revealed on my Thrifty Thursday post that I linked up to another blog.  That's where Lesley found my post.  She did a little write-up on it and included a couple of my pictures.  How cool is that?!  Seriously.  I think I'm famous!

All right, folks.  That's it.  Have a great week! 

Let's Play Catch-up

Another missed Six on Sunday.  I know.  I know.  But I have another good excuse.  I didn't get back from Colorado Springs until after 10pm Sunday night.  And that is just not enough time to get a blog entry done!

Rather than list a bunch of random thoughts, I'll just recap the trip.  So if you're not interested in our trip out and back, no worries.  We'll catch you next week!

First off, I have to give major props to my mom!  Since she is retired now (yippee), I tricked convinced her to join #1 and myself for the (9-hour) road trip to Colorado Springs.  I really didn't want to tackle that drive without back-up, so I'm VERY thankful she was able to join us.

We started off last Friday morning about 8:30am via a stop at Starbucks.  After about - oh, a minute - on the road, her tire light came on.  (Did I mention my mom offered up her car?  Since it's little and gets great gas mileage, I eagerly took her up on the offer!)  I'm not kidding when I tell you we checked the tires probably about eight times in three days!  Thankfully, they were fine.

Some snaps of our day...

This was a VERY common scene!

Gas stop - I was amazed at how fast and cheap it was to fill her car.  Sweet.

Did you know that Colby, KS is the oasis of the plains?  Well, that's what they would have you believe. Since it has a Starbucks and a Baskin Robbins in one location, I will agree.

We finally pulled up to our hotel about 6:30pm CST.  That is one long day!  This scene (below) was all too familiar.  We seriously had a hard time getting her nose OUT of the book!  You'd think she'd be done reading after doing it for the previous 9 hours.  But no.

And do you see these?  Know what they mean?

If you guessed "running" - you are correct!  I convinced my ortho to give me the cortisone shot without an MRI.  I received the shot Thursday afternoon and tried out my new knee Friday evening.  I only made it 20 minutes before I had to walk.  Pathetic, right?  Well, yes, it was.  But in my defense I was also running at 6,000 feet above sea level.  So you need to cut me some slack, right?  And it had been five weeks since I had been able to hit the pavement.  It was sort of a double whammy.  But man, did it feel good to get moving again?!

After my short 5k, we headed to dinner at a really fun airplane restaurant.  

SATURDAY:

Thankfully we didn't have to be to the swim meet early so we were able to take our time.  After the first round of figures, we headed back to the hotel and met my friend from college along with her two precious kiddos.  It was so nice of Tiff to meet us in the hotel!  And it was great getting a chance to catch up.  Tiff is one of those friends where no matter how long it's been, we fall right back to where we left off!  Wonderful.

We then headed back to the pool for #1's solo.  In the end, she took first place (out of two).

We finished watching the rest of the solos, including several on her team.  The fun part came next.  We were able to make it to the Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs for some much needed downtime.  Garden of the Gods is simply amazing.  

Manitou springs is an adorable little mountain town.  It has tons of shops and restaurants.  We did a little retail therapy before stopping for a burger at a little bar in town.  I definitely recommend stopping to visit if you are planning a vacation to Colorado Springs!

SUNDAY:

Mother's Day.  It was quite the Mother's Day considering the long, boring drive.  But in the end, I was able to spend it with my mom and one of my daughters - three generations.  We enjoyed the day and tried to make it as fun as possible. 

#1 swam the team routine before we headed back home.  We made better time heading home because we didn't stop as often or for as long as we did on Friday.  We rolled into our driveway about 10:15pm.  We were all exhausted and ready to hit the pillow.  

All in all, it was a good trip.  We managed to carve out some fun times and we spent it together. Perfect. 

 

 

San Francisco - the last two days

I need to finish what I started on Sunday night!  Again, if you are not interested in my trip you won't hurt my feelings.  You can just skip this entry.

Sunday was all about wine.  And Sonoma.  But mostly wine:)  We had scheduled a group tour but the other three people cancelled, so we had Jerry all to ourselves!  He picked us up in a van right outside our hotel door and drove us up into Sonoma.  We actually had views of the Golden Gate Bridge on our way up.  I managed to snap a few from the van:

This was the view at the first winery.  I like to call this one, "Breakfast of Champions".  (Hey - I had to eat SOMETHING healthy, right?)

Sadly, it poured again on Sunday.  I really wanted to be able to get outside and get some great shots - but that just wasn't possible.  I had to settle for an open door here or there.  I was most suprised by the size of the vines - they are HUGE.  When I see the wineries along the highway here in the midwest, the vines are really, really small.  I thought that was normal.  Uh, definitely not!

Here we are in the cellar at the second winery.  It was really, really dark so excuse the photos!

All in all, we visited five different wineries that day.  It was really fun to see the different tasting rooms and even more fun to TASTE the different wine!  Between the five of us we managed to procure 23 bottles of wine.  Thankfully, they have awesome boxes and we just checked the wine with our luggage on the way home.  Perfect.

If you are going to SF, I highly recommend a wine tour.  It was so nice not to have to worry about driving and figuring out where to go, how to get there, and who was going to be the DD.  It was really great.

Sunday night we went out for an amazing seafood dinner.  I didn't get any pictures but we all enjoyed it!  It's nice to get away and be able to eat a delicious meal without a one year climbing all over you.  (Not that that ever happens in my house.  Ha.)

Monday we lost one.  Tiffany had to get home a day early - so sad.  We mourned the loss by playing tourist.  Again.  We walked.  A lot.  But it was fun.  

We made our way to Chinatown.  I had promised my kids I would pick them up something from Chinatown, so it was definitely a priority.  I had never been there before and it was really cool.  (Also very touristy, but worth it.)

After refueling at a darling little cafe in Little Italy, we ventured down to the wharf again.  It's such a great place to people watch.  And the weather was absolutely perfect that day!  I managed to get a few shots:

Here are the seals sunning themselves.  Let me be the first to admit that my sense of smell is terrible.  Awful.  But even *I* could smell the stench.  So gross!

 

This next picture was taken inside one of the most adorable candy shops I've visited.  And they offered some "ahem" funny gifts, too!

This was one of the street performers.  At first, he didn't even look real.  But it was so cool to watch him.  He even gave one of my friends a kiss on the cheek!

After we'd had our fill on the wharf, we headed around to Lombard St.  How can you visit SF and not check out Lombard St?  It's impossible.  And the views over that way are simply amazing!

This view is looking up Lombard St.  You can barely see it.

And here it is close up.  (I cloned a lady out of the shot.  Can you tell where she was standing?)  

And that, my friends, is it in a nutshell.  All in all, it was a great trip.  Now, however, I cannot wait to take my family back.  I know my girls would just love it!  I need to wait until #3 and #4 are a little older.  I want them to remember it.  

I've gotta get back to "work".  I've got two sessions to edit!  

 

 

Six on Sunday - San Francisco Style

1.  I am re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird.  I had forgotten what a great book it is.  I have basically given up reading because I just don't have time anymore.  By the time I hit the hay, I'm too tired to read.  But this book is definitely worth the exception.  I can't remember how young I was when I read it, but it's almost like reading it again for the first time.  Fantastic. 

2.  #4 has decided she doesn't need to sleep in her crib.  She would prefer to sleep on us - while rocking her in her rocking chair.  We disagree.  We are now in battle.

3.  Tonight I told the girls we are going to change things up for Christmas.  (I was actually prepared for a backlash.)  They were great - so excited.  This year they will get four presents from us:  something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.  They immediately started thinking about what constitutes something they "need".  This one has them perplexed.

4.  My parents are coming down next weekend.  My older two girls have a veteran's day celebration at their school on Friday.  My dad is going to participate and #1 and #2 can't wait.  #3 has been talking about them coming down for WEEKS!  She doesn't know why they're coming but it doesn't matter.  She is so excited!

5.  Speaking of #3, we're having her birthday party next weekend.  She is thrilled that it's finally going to be her turn.  We're actually hosting it with another friend of hers from school.  There are so many November birthdays (did you see item number one above?) at her school that we thought it might be a good idea to combine a couple!

6.  I ordered my fresh turkey yesterday while doing my grocery shopping.  #1 and #4 came with me.  As #1 and I were placing my order, we didn't notice #4 had escaped her fire truck shopping cart.  Thankfully, some stranger came up to me and asked if "this was my daughter?"  Uh, yes, thank you very much.  Geez - apparently I have an escape artist on my hands!

OK.  So that was a quick and easy Six on Sunday.  Now, for the San Francisco portion.  I am going to warn you - this will be L-O-N-G!  You have been warned, feel free to sign off now.  Otherwise, here is the download of our trip:)

It all started off in the KC airport.  Apparently, my "bathroom bag" (that's what we call it at home) is simply NOT cool.  As in, totally vintage.  I love it.  And because I received so much grief because of it, the Lark shall forever more - ALWAYS - attend any girls trip by my side.

Regardless of the harassment I received regarding the Lark, I think any trip that starts off like this is the mark of a good vacation!  Because remember, it's always noon somewhere!

I think I mentioned it before...but the three of us from KC actually flew into Denver.  We met our other two friends in the terminal bar.  We had a fun lunch, a couple drinks, and then boarded our flight for San Francisco.  

Side note.  Funny story.  We made friends with our flight attendant because it turned out he was from Missouri.  So as we were leaving, he serenaded the "Pi Phi Girls from Lincoln, NE".  Cracked us up.  Again, another good omen for the trip!

Friday night we made reservations at Asia sf.  It was recommended to one of us through a friend.  All I can say is, it's an experience we will never forget!  The girls are all stunningly gorgeous!  Check out this shot from my point & shoot.     

Saturday.  It started off a little misty.  It ended up pouring.  By the time we got back to the hotel that night we were soaked.  Needless to say, we ordered in that night.

Of course you can't visit SF and NOT have a bowl of chowder.  This was to die for!!!

We wandered around, bought a couple umbrellas, and hit Ghirardelli square.  I don't know why, but it was really cool to see it up close.

After we were thoroughly soaked, it was time for Alcatraz.  Touring the island was truly the highlight of my day on Saturday.  I'm not sure why I've been so curious about it, but I have been since we visited SF when I was a kid.  The tour was fantastic!  I am only sad that we didn't get to wander around the grounds.  But by the time our tour landed, it was pouring, and we were all wet and getting cold.  

Look closely...can you tell what you're looking at in this picture?  The showers.  And if you look even closer, you can see bars of soap.

A little backstory here...on the plane, they had an article about the most haunted locations in the U.S.  One of them happens to be cell 14D on Alcatraz.  Of course we had to check it out.  This next shot was taken inside 14D.  I was a little freaked out - hence the poor shot.  But the story is cool.  (I didn't notice it feeling haunted.  It wasn't any colder than any other area Alcatraz.  Just my feeling.)

I've talked a lot about the rain.  If this next picture doesn't convince you - nothing will!

OK, kids.  I'm tired and I still have more work to do!  So I'm going to leave you there.  Tune in later this week for the Sunday and Monday edition.  I also have two sessions I'm working on so they will show up in the near future as well.  Have a great week!