Our First Couple of Weeks in FoCo

A couple of months ago we decided that Tim would take classes this summer and I would pass on classes to be with the kids. There was the option for us to put the kids in childcare so I could have taken some classes but with their ages and the amount we both would have had to study in the evening, it just didn't seem like the right year to do that. Anyways, I've had a lot of fun with them finding things to do in Fort Collins during the day.   And we've also had quite a bit of fun as a family too. All in all it has been a great summer so far!

 A construction site right across the street from our apartment. Lots of huge trucks and bulldozers and other equipment that the boys get excited about!

 The library...the boys are working on summer reading plans to get a prize!

 Watching daddy grill from our balcony.

 Our apartment complex has a volleyball court that the boys view as a VERY LARGE sandbox!

Hanging with baby Levi

 The boys have all bonded with him. Here Cooper is giving him an anatomy lesson: "Hey Levi, here are my nipples." I'm sure the Skalmans are pleased! 

 Last week Carter went to Vacation Bible School so I got lots of time with these two. Cooper cried pretty hard on Monday but we made a plan to explore a new park each day and he thought that was pretty cool! 

 The boys are creating an art gallery in our kitchen.  

 Fort Collins has these painted outdoor pianos all over town. So fun for the boys to rock out at full volume wherever we go:) 

 Climbing on sculptures in Old Town

 Balconies are perfect for water balloons! They love when we launch balloons at them but might even get more excited when I go down and try to dodge their throws. Good times! 

The Gardens on Spring Creek

We love Fort Collins! There is seriously so much to do here. Britta discovered this little garden just a mile away from our apartment. There were lots of flowers and trails but also things specifically for the kids. As we walked in there was a water pump connected to a giant watering can. Within 2 minutes all three boys were completely soaked!  

 This pump/fountain/structure held there attention for about an hour. They LOVE water! I need to bathe them more:) 

 Admiring God's beautiful creation 

 Wandering around the fun trails...always exploring! 

 Snack time 

 Crosby introducing himself to one of the gardeners

A Dr. Seuss playhouse with a sandbox

This about sums it up!! 

Lee Martinez Farm

Last Saturday we took the kids to a small farm in town. They were able to see all sorts of fun animals and as Tim and I were talked afterwards, we were both surprised by how fun of an outing it was. You just never know how things are going to go with three young kids!

 Loving his daddy! Cheese!

 Most of the animals would come right up to the fence so the kids could get a great look at them.

Or feel for them:)

 We met up with our friends, The Wurglers. This is the only picture I have to prove it:) 

 The highlight of the farm was the water pump. Seriously. They spend a good half hour just drinking and getting soaked. Boys and water.  

 Ahhhhh

 Afterwards we walked to a park and had a little picnic lunch.

Cros had had ENOUGH! So sweet. Totally asleep.

 Muscle shirts! Might have been my idea to flex. Not saying for sure though:)

A Couple Pre-Colorado Favs

 Here are a couple of random pics from the past month or so...

 Holding hands with Hadley on the way to the park. 

 Sam's Club. Mom conquers the list with Cros and Tim takes the big boys to watch a video on one of the big TVs. In and out in 20 mintues.

 More fun doing our park tour! I think we only have 2 or 3 left for us when we get back. 

 Home-made Popsicles and red hats.  

 Cros loves dogs and our neighbor has three of them. Carter just discovered a hole in the fence and tries to help him spy on the dogs. It is so fun watching him be the big brother.

Off to Colorado...Again!

We have spent at least part of the past 5 summers in Fort Collins, CO. Our boys talk about it all year long and seem to love our summer adventures. They are pretty good travelers but they amazed us this past trip. We made it to Kearney, NE the first day traveling over 620 miles. 

 Here they are while we were still in Grand Forks. All smiles! 

 "Hey mom and dad, look! We are ghosts!"

 A dollar store dry erase board...one of a couple new things to help pass the time. Tim also went to a thrift store and got a bunch of new books for them. We didn't even watch a video until hour 8 into our journey. They love playing "I Spy", having van dance parties, reading books, making up stories. Crosby is the biggest challenge but even he did well. Praise the Lord! 

 A quick stop at McDs for lunch.

 Sooooo sleepy! Love that he fell asleep reading:) 

 Dance party pics from day 1 and day 2. At one point while Tim was entertaining the van I totally saw all three of our boys' personalities come out:

Crosby was laughing with tons of expression

Carter yelled up to the front: "Hey Dad, make sure you keep your eyes on the road!!"

And Cooper put his blanket over his head and said, "I'm a ghost". 

Love those boys! All four of them:)

 Pit stop for dinner. We picked up subs and let the boys run off some energy at a park. They made it an extra couple of hours after that so we were glad we took the time. 

 No naps from the big boys on day 1 but on day 2 they fell asleep right after Crosby woke up...so that nap didn't last long!

 We made it!! Our little college apartment has a deck and a grassy area outside the door where the boys can play with chalk and climb trees. It really is a great spot!

We are sharing the apartment with our friends, The Skalmans. This is their sweet little 2 month old, Levi. Carter loves to try to make him laugh!

More to come soon!