First Day of School at ACS

I have really dragged my feet this year about getting into a new school year. I seem to have over scheduled our summer so I never really felt like we got into the unhurried feel of the summer. But here we are! Alivia starts 5th grade, Will starts 3rd grade and John starts Kindergarten. None of them feel like this is a huge change since it has been the same school for them at least since last year. Matthew is very sad that he won't be joining them this year. Especially since his friend Blair Mezger is at Pre-K at ACS with her siblings. I almost pulled him out of our neighborhood preschool and put him at ACS, but think I'll give the preschool a shot for now and stick with the plan.

It was really rainy all this first week of school which has kept temperatures down but made it hard to take any pictures outside. Most of these are so awkward looking - they make me giggle.

Bummed he is not going to ACS. . . 

Look at my new amazing homeschool room! This has been such a nice new space to work with.

Mrs. Foshea and John

Mrs. Williams and Will

Mrs. Strickland and Alivia

The FABULOUS FIVE in 5th grade

These girls go THREE days a week to school this year - Monday/Wednesday/Thursday. This was the first Thursday EVER for ACS. They are such leaders at the school. 

Summer in Colorado

This summer Mimi and Grandpa took our family on a vacation. They alternate every year between Peyton and me. We had originally thought Emily and Peyton and the girls were going to join us this year, too, but in the end it was just the girls that came. It was SO FUN. I really think we might include Avery and Paige every time we go on a vacation with Mimi and Grandpa. Alivia loved having some other girls to play with and Avery and Paige are a breeze.

We went to the YMCA Camp in Estes Park which holds a special place in my heart since I went there a summer or two with Mimi and Grandpa back in the day. It is such a beautiful place. 

We had asked for two cabins close by one another and we got them! Sunny pine and Starry Night were within yards of one another. One cabin was a 3 BR and the other was 2 BR. Avery and Paige stayed with Mimi and Grandpa in the 2BR and the Risingers all stayed in the 3BR. The cabins are very basic but comfortable. There is no TV which is a blessing and we hid the iPads during our week there, too.

I was on the fence about placing all the kids in camp all day every day that we were there but it turned out they really liked it. Thankfully I stood my ground and held them out of camp on Monday and we all hung out together and went to the top of Trail Ridge Road which was so fun and beautiful.

Usually after we picked the kids up from camp we would head to the Art Shack for various arts and crafts which all the kids really liked. Their Arts and Crafts are really amazing. I could tell we were there before the rush of the summer because there was lots of staff around the help and it did not seem that busy which was really nice. Alivia and I made woven baskets, Will made a night light out of glass and the other kids tie-dyed t-shirts and painted various objects.

We cooked dinner every night and the kids were fast asleep by 7 pm. It was so light early in the morning they were getting up around 6 am! And the altitude really wiped us all out. I am glad that Matt and I decided to take Diamox to help with the altitude. I know it made a difference.

On Wednesday Paige, Matthew and John were begging to stay out of camp so we decided to let them play hooky and choose and easier hike for us all to do together. I wish we had been able to pull out Alivia and Will on other days but one day we had to go into Boulder to get Matt a new iPhone so that ruined our plans for that. Bummer!

All in all, it was a really fun trip. I can tell Mimi and Grandpa are getting older because the trip really wiped them out. Mimi got really sick with a URI after we got back and was under the weather for almost a week. I would love to go back again though. The camp has a little bit for everyone. It is such a better fit for my dad than sitting on a beach somewhere. The beach is more Matt's family's style! We are looking forward to a beach vacation next summer.

Getting all of us anywhere was a hoot - it looked like Matt and I had SIX kids. I loved it!

View from the porch of the YMCA camp. Beautiful.

First day hike around Emerald Lake

The Art Shack

Trail Ridge Road - we had prepared Alivia for brutally cold weather, but it was really pleasant. It wasn't windy that day.

The kids were thrilled to see SNOW

Trail Ridge Road

Dropping the girls off at Day Camp - we made sure they were together!

Basket weaving!

Making a night light from glass

Playing hooky from camp with Paige and Will

On one of the last days Matt, me and Dad hiked to Estes Cone

Camp Gladiator definitely helped me stay in the front of the pack while hiking. It felt so good to not be out of shape.

Top of Estes Cone. Beautiful! It was a tough hike - 6.5 miles with 1606 feet elevation with steep scramble at the top. I think my dad was really glad he had hiking poles with him.

View of one of the kid's bedrooms.

Another kid bedroom

Front of the cabin

Our cabins were side by side and connected by a small driveway - so perfect! The kids could run back and forth.