backyard buddy

102

Mack really wanted to take his favorite DoDo bird toy outside and play today.  But when he got outside and was hit with 102 degrees, this was about all he could muster.

That lasted about 5 minutes before he decided that coming inside & laying on the cool kitchen floor was a much better idea.

shadow dancing

When the temperature is above 100 degrees and the power goes out for 6 hours, do we curl up in a corner and cry?  Heck to the no.  I channeled my inner Laura Ingalls and fired up the BBQ grill to cook the casserole I had ready to go into my dead-to-the-world oven.  No problem...turns out BBQ'ing a casserole is just fine...we even added a few pieces of bread on the higher rack to whip up some toast to go along with it!  Power-schmower.  Who needs it?!? 

When it got dark, we did a little old-fashioned family shadow dancing with a camping lantern and some tunes from a crank radio. 

Really, bring on the apocalypse.  We're ready to take it on...until we get too hot...and tired...and frustrated...and just want to watch a little on-demand tv...and not go to the bathroom in the dark.  But other than that, we're so ready.

first swim meet

Sophie did well in her first swim meet today...the 5 1/2 hours we were there flew by...only felt like 4 1/2 hours!  I'd rather spend the morning sitting poolside than all day on a soccer field...no soccer moms here!
Go Sophie!!

Ok, Sage it is

Whatever you do, bunny, do not turn around...haha.  Actually he and Mack touched noses several times with no visible signs of distress...maybe faster breathing, but Mack will get over that soon. 

Everyone, meet --. --, meet Everyone.

The girls have been dying for a rabbit.  They came up with a three page informational packet for us to try to convince us to let them get one.  They have all the finances and expenses figured out and divided equally among the three of them. 

So, upon seeing the adorable bunny they discovered at the Boulder Humane Society, we just couldn't resist checking him out in person at the shelter where he threw a ball around and put his front feet on all our laps...acting as adorably adoptable as possible.  I don't know much about rabbits, but that seemed positively un-rabbit'ish to me...and even almost fun!!  So, home he came with us.

We'll see how long the enthusiasm for cleaning his cage lasts...but so far, the enthusiasm for name-choosing has not wavered a bit!  The shelter named him Green...and put a big bingo marker blob of green on his forehead (to distinguish him from his brother Blue and sister Orange...no kidding).  So far, at our house his name is --.  Hard to say, but easy to type.  I'm sure they'll come up with a name they can all agree on at some point, but that seems to be the hardest part so far.  Their top contenders are Thor, Osiris, Midori, Pipkin, Sage, Sprite, Mr. Snuggles, Starbuck, Fiver & Olive.  See their dilemma?

look at his lightening fast ball-wielding skills

birthday weekend

We had a weekend of birthday celebrations like no other! Last night topped off the party weekend with Bonnie's 80th birthday dinner at the Briarwood Inn in Golden...classy, charming, and lovely...could describe the venue and the guest of honor! We always love a chance to get gussied up and eat cake...and it was especially fun to get most of her family together to party!

breakfast of champions

The girls had free cupcake coupons from a local cupcake bakery.  They got the coupons when they ran the Cottonwood Classic 5K a couple weeks ago.  Mental note: 5K=cupcakes.  So enter next time!! 
We stopped by there after swim team to redeem our coupons.   Yummmmmmmmmm...lemon raspberry, strawberry lemonade & banana split!

short & sweet

Today was summer haircut day...now some of us will be nice & cool...

birthday

Crab legs and prime rib and flan, oh my.  That can only mean one thing...a lovely birthday dinner for Bob, courtesy of Bob's Dad & Nadine.  So fun to get gussied up and spend time with them!  Thanks to them for dinner...and special thanks to Bob for having another birthday...hope the rest of your year is Country Club fabulous!  You deserve it...Happy 40th (for the 9th time)!!!!!!!

rug

Is this rug too busy for my kitchen? 

It's pathetic, I know, but I've loved this rug from afar for THE longest time. Who pines for a rug, for pete's sake?! But, it has tiny cows and mini houses and adorable willow trees and picket fences.  Love it!

I think my admiration of this rug stems from my childhood when Karen and I would drive our matchbox cars...complete with tiny rock people inside...around an oriental rug of my mom's, and park them in front of the two oriental houses on one end of the rug, and play house. With our rocks.  We didn't grow up in the sticks or anything, we had fancier toys.  We just enjoyed tiny rock people, and driving little cars around and around abstract oriental houses...for hours. 

Anyway, now that I have a job, I splurged and got the rug of my dreams only to roll it out & think to myself...pattern overload...interior design faux pas #29.  But it does lend itself to the country kitchen design I tend to enjoy, so maybe I'll just let the dog splooge on it for awhile & see if it grows on me (the rug, not the splooge).  I'd hate to send it back after all the longing I've done for it over the years!

what the

These clouds looked a little naughty for a few minutes too...ever seen that before?  The line on the left was really trying to hook itself to the big donut/circle...yipes...!!!  Luckily it pooped out before getting too organized!    

 

did you really think I could let my doggie lay there all cute-like with that big bucket of sidewalk chalk next to him...and not mess with him?

c'mon now 

I would've outlined his whole body, but he wasn't into it.

here comes trouble

 for a little perspective...

That's what we call a Tornado Watch in our county.  I'm a-watchin'!

first day of swim team

1 word: nerrrrrrrvous

 But then the swimming happened...

 And it was over too soon...she LOVED it!!

mandalas in the grass

I got some fabulous new water color pencils & a mandala coloring book. The girls and I enjoyed a little lazy afternoon coloring in the sun...in between shopping for birthday parties and going to parties!

green mountain

Today was a lovely day to hike the Green Mountain West Ridge trail!
Emma, Steve, Karen

 Dad, Mom

 Susan, Karen, Emma (Bob), Julia & Sophie

 Chipmunk

View along the way