Life at the Lake

Living in Colorado means an obvious attraction to the great outdoors. You can't go to Target here without seeing  purple mountains majesty, snow capped distant peaks, or groves of stark white Aspen. I'm being serious. Nature is king in the Rockies. They just build the Target where they can. The mountains win every time.   David and I play a little game sometimes where we name our perfect "-------" fill in the blank. Perfect dinner: Perfect date night: Perfect vacation: Perfect drive:
One we play often is perfect hike. We hike so often that we have, sadly, developed hiker's snoberry. It is a bad case of being so spoiled by grand vistas, heavily pined hillsides, and swiftly flowing Colorado rivers that even the most dazzling of hikes leaves us playing the game... "That could have been a perfect hike, except I didn't see any wild sunflowers. Ugh."
See what I mean?
My perfect hike goes like this:
Mountain views, preferably from the north side as to see the full range of Pikes Peak. It must also include an Aspen grove.  Blooming or not, I could care less, as long as the grove is thick and hearty and the trunks are full of black eyes. An additional requirement is that water be nearby, preferably a running creek or hidden forest lake.  Valley hiking is desired and must avoid steep and deadly drop offs if little ones accompany. Bonus points for wildlife sightings or golden hazey light.
I'm not too hard to please, mmmkay. : )
Where can we find such a hike?
Here. Rampart Reservoir in Woodland Park, Colorado.
Y'all.  
Aspens and Pines saddled up next to boulders that overlook mountain vistas and open upon a large glistening Colorado lake.
We were blessed to spend the afternoon with our dear Arkansas friends turned Colorado residents, the Gaughan family.
Their four kiddos plus our three made for a fun day!

With the older two girls holding Hollin and the slew of little boys playing alongside one another, I was able to play photographer most of the afternoon.

And not too shabby a backdrop either!

My perfect hike!

Hollin was loved on and she soaked it up!

Being baby number three and not having family nearby means a serious lack of smooching.

: )

We are so thankful for friends who love our babies like their own.

Harbor, later that night, declared that playing at the lake with friends was  his favorite.

And poor Judith had to shimmy up a tree and around a boulder to help a daughter who had climbed too high!  All in flip flops!  Such a funny moment, but not for the one who was stranded up top.

: )

Judith and I taught together for many years in Arkansas.

My worlds are totally colliding here in Colorado.

And I love it.

Love they are here with us on this adventure.

Doesn't God weave such a delicious plan and work all things for our good?!

Me and little sister, Hollin.

Can you believe her 1st birthday is coming next month!?

If you come to Colorado, visit this lake.

You never know.

You might find me here.

: )

Soaking up the sun!

Life at the lake is happy!

And Judith captured this moment for me.

So thankful for these family pictures.

They just tell the story.

#happycamper

Here.

This is a perfect place for me.

I could go to the beach or not....

but these mountains draw my spirit in.

And with the sun getting hazy, I knew I needed pictures.

The kids were wet, tired, and crabby from playing in the water, so unbuckling them and plopping them in {snake infested?} tall grass was out of the question.

David wasn't going to model, so I threw David my camera and  reveled in my own little moment.

: )

And he delivered with some beautiful pictures.

I'm thinking our Christmas card pictures might look smashing up here.

It was a hike for my "perfect" list.

Life at the lake is sweet.