The Fair

The kids had so much fun at the fair last year, so we had to go again :) Even though it's just so ridiculously expensive!! I mean I know when you're little you don't really know the value of money - you just want everything and it doesn't matter how much it is. BUT I remember not too long ago going to a fair, or Elitch's or something, where those carnival games were like $3, or 3 for $5. Because I remember getting to try several times and failing before I realized how hard they really were. They are now $7, or 2 for $10! To try to throw one ball in a bucket, or one dart at a balloon - that's just ridiculous - and you never win, or else you spend $50 and get a little dollar store stuffed animal. The rides aren't AS expensive luckily, seeing that that's mainly what my kids wanted to do anyway :) And I know funnel cakes are like $7 a piece now, but somehow that's still worth it (priorities) :)

Pony Rides

I finally got Bradley signed up for a class at the Farm. I did my internship there in college and taught those classes, so I knew how much fun they were and I have always wanted to get them in there, but the fill up super quickly. He liked it a lot, and really enjoyed the last class when they did pony rides. I'll have to get on the ball and get Gracie in there for a class soon :)

 

Zoo

We took a day trip to the Zoo with Tammy and Ayden in late July. It was a nicer day than last time we went, which also meant it was a lot more busy (I'd rather the colder day), but we had a lot of fun! Since I had a nice BIG car that would fit all of us, we were able to fit all together and put Ayden in the back seat next to Sammie, and she was in heaven :) She was petting his arm for the first 30 minutes of the car ride. She sure loves that boy :) (but who doesn't? :) )

100%

Bradley got his cast off 2 days before July 4th. He was pretty scared going into the dr but it came off really easily. He was so scared to hurt it again though and was holding it close to his chest the whole time we were at the dr and the whole ride home. The dr had told me that he could do that for hours or days, but eventually he will be ok using it again. We were home for about 5 minutes and he was sitting at the table eating - holding up his arm,

then he said, "Hmm.. I wonder if I can swing the bat..." and that did it :) He went outside and played baseball for an hour and was back to normal :) He got 3 more games in without the cast and LOVED being able to play 100% - with glove and all! He had been wanting to play catcher all season and finally got the chance and played 1st base a lot too, since now he had the ability to catch the ball :) On the very last game, we was playing short stop, got a grounder and threw it to first and first caught it!! (First time all season!) And that was the last out of the game, it was very exciting! (I swear I video-taped every play except for that one, typical).

 

4th of July

Kevin's favorite day of the year, and one of mine as well. Fire danger was high again this year, but luckily not as bad as last year. A lot of cities cancelled fireworks again, but City Park was a go. We did the norm - BBQ at home, then over to Mom's to walk over. We found a great spot on the grass this year and sat down with about 45 min to wait until start time. It was hard to keep all the kids occupied and in the same spot, but with the promise of fireworks coming soon, it was manageable. Then start time came... and went. They sent off a warning firework, and everyone sat there waiting, staring at the sky, and nothing happened... for a LONG time. For 45 min we kept telling the kids, "ANY minute now!" but they were starting to doubt us, and the longer we waited the more I thought it wasn't going to happen. There was no word going through the crowd, which was frustrating and people started to leave. We just started to get up to pack up our things when it finally started - almost an hour late. It was a good show, but it was LATE and the kids were tired from the long wait, and it was definitely time to go home :) I guess the delay was for wind, and the city got a lot of complaints about the lack of communication, to which they said they'll do better next time :)

Sprinkler fun

Kevin made the kids a new sprinkler out of PVC pipe, and as much as Gracie loves water, we've pretty much been playing in this ALL summer :) Every summer I talk about getting a big above-ground pool, but then it gets too late into summer and I feel like it's not worth it :) Maybe one of these years. Gracie just LOVES the water, Bradley thinks it's ok for a little while, until he wants to play baseball again, and Sammie ran through it right away having no idea what to expect. She'd hold her breath and look all surprised, but she kept going back for more :)

Goodbye Car :(

June 17th was a Monday. I hadn't been to the gym in weeks and decided that I was going to be really good and go at least 4 times that week to get back into the routine. We put the kids to bed and I headed out at the normal time of 9:15. I always take Drake to Timberline, but as I approached the light at Drake I made a last minute decision to take Horsetooth because I didn't feel like waiting for the light to turn green. Then when I got to Horsetooth and Shields I was reminded how it was closed, so I turned and planned on just going to Harmony and take that the rest of the way, when I decided at the last second to turn down the neighborhood street to get to Meadowlark and cut back over to Horsetooth. Funny how little decisions like that make such an impact. I was driving on Meadowlark approaching Horsetooth, passing the movie theatre when I saw the headlights of a truck coming at my passenger side window and it was too late. He hit me HARD and pushed me into the other lane of oncoming traffic where a car hard to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting me from the front. And I started screaming and crying. It scared me to death. I had never been in an accident before and was in a little bit of shock. It jolted me so hard that my chest was hurting pretty bad, probably mostly from the seat belt, partly from my heart beating out of my chest. Pretty quickly a woman appeared at my window asking if I was alright and she was on the phone with 911, then the kid driving the truck came up and started apologizing and making sure I was OK. It was a mess! I had glass in my lap from my broken windshield and the whole interior passenger side of my car was caved in, glove compartment stuck open. I ended up taking the ambulance to the hospital because of chest pains, where they did x-rays to make sure nothing was broken. I was REALLY hoping my car wasn't totalled, I loved my car. But a week later when the insurance finally went to look at it, they determined that there was so much damage because of how hard he hit me, it was totalling $15,000, and my car was not worth that, so I had to go say goodbye. I get attached to things... and I don't like change :) So it was hard to say goodbye to a car that I knew, and felt comfortable in, AND was close to paying off :( It's been 2 months since the accident and I am still having doctor appointments because my back and neck were all messed up from the whip-lash. I'm happy to say it's FINALLY getting better. I know people get in car accidents every day, it's scary to think how frequently accidents happen, but this was my first experience, and hopefully last! Thank God the kids weren't with me! After I told the kids what happened and they saw the car, Bradley was really worried driving anywhere that someone would run into us. And still now when I tell the kids I'm going to the gym Gracie asks, "That guy run into you again?"