4th of July in Pueblo, Colorado

Our 4th of July was spent in the great outdoors. Thankfully, here in Colorado, the highs are typically only in the upper 70's which make staying outside all day possible!  
We started the morning of the 4th with an off-roading dirt road adventure above the treeline. Mountain views and red rock outcroppings provided ample opportunity to sight see.
One spot in particular along our drive was steep and high {maybe 9,000 feet in altitude} and I had to lay my front seat back in our minivan and just close my eyes.
David has no fear of heights, so quite often I find our family visiting mountain summits against my will. The photographer in me can see the beauty, but it is a constant struggle to force my brain and heart to find a compromise. 
On a whim, we drove south to Pueblo, Colorado to walk the riverwalk.
We had visited Pueblo many, many years ago. Long before Harbor was ever conceived, we rode our Goldwing motorcycles from Pueblo all the way to Canada, Glacier National Park, and Yellowstone before returning back to Arkansas.
Pretty much in a different life. : )
We had, however, never visited the riverwalk.

We enjoyed the gondolas and party boats giving tours up and down the canal. 

We arrived shortly after six and people were just starting to come out for dinner.

Before too long the crowds had gathered and lines were forming for little cafes and restaurants.

We left the riverwalk and strolled the downtown.

I found several antique shops and wished I had the time {and space!} to bring back a few treasures.

One storefront in particular had a gorgeous oil painting of a mother holding a baby.

It was in a lush gold frame and looked pretty old.

It had such a great patina.

Price tag- $24.00

I'm still kicking myself for not buying it.

We enjoyed taking pictures in front of painted brick galleries and oddly numbered doors.

We ended the night at a Mexican restaurant off the downtown strip with the hottest salsa ever.

Even David, who loves anything with spice, had red eyes from trying to eat it,

Ha!

The things you remember.

: )

Harbor snapped this picture of David and me.

He is getting more confident with his camera skills and I'm thankful to be included in a few photos.

After dinner, we made the long drive back up north with three tired babies and tummies full.

{cell phone pic}

Fireworks were watched on a big plaid blanket under the stars.

Hollin fussed a bit with the first loud noises, but the boys cheered excitedly.

Harbor exclaimed, "This is totally amazing!"

And, of course, it totally was! Hope you had a happy 4th!

July 4th Visitors

Third trimester pregnancy + gallbladder disease and five hospitalizations + my oldest starting kindergarten in one more day {!!!} = no time to blog, but for my memory's sake, I'm bound and determined to record these pictures and stories.

 

Essentially, life is busy during this season, but these memories are too great to not record.

At least I'm trying, right?

: )

 

I'm hoping to blog again in a few days to get totally caught up.

***

 

 

The 4th of July brought my parents and granny here to visit for over a week.

 

The weather was cool and breezy.

Colorado summer is king!

 

We drove to Garden of the Gods to show my granny the red rock spires, the Kissing Camels formation, and the front range Rockies. The snow has finally melted off of Pikes Peak it seems.

 

 

We took my parents to the Sand Dunes for another day of majestic sand cliffs.

We brought sleds, sand buckets and shovels, and extra clothes.

 

We were much more prepared this time around!

 

We hung out in Denver at the Downtown Aquarium, dined with the mermaids, and touched sting rays.

 

We drove to the Air Force Academy to walk the grounds and visit the chapel.

{This was my Granny's favorite place we took her!}

 

And we celebrated without fireworks as they are illegal in most areas of Colorado. Due to the dryness of the forests, it's just too risky.

 

We ate good food, put a lot of miles on the car, and laughed a whole lot.

 

It was good to have family in our home again.

   

Our "4th of July" Mantle

I must admit that decorating our mantle here in Colorado has been really fun!

The two years we lived in Michigan, I decorated shelves and kept our mantle pretty simple.
{You can see the shelves here and skim to the bottom to see all the holidays represented}

 

Even though I have boys, they both really enjoy seeing the mantle change for the holidays.

And as an extra, unexpected bonus, Harbor has started to remember what time of year certain holidays occur- great for an educational experience!

: )

 

This year, I made giant double sided pinwheels with grommets.

They were time consuming, but now that I have them, I plan on keeping them in mint condition so that I never have to make them again!

Ha!

{Thanks a lot for the idea, Pinterest!}

Rolling eyes!

: )

 

 

4th Family Fun

We had a wonderful 4th of July!

We feel like every holiday we celebrate for the first time this virgin year in Detroit is a memory maker. We are just clinging on to one another, relying on each other, and it feels pretty special. We are so thankful for our freedom... freedom to love Jesus, freedom to choose our leaders, and the freedom to move 1000 miles from home for a career of our choosing, but still remain Americans, ever loyal, ever true to our red, white, and blue!

{and in case you're wondering, I am totally rocking my tripod and self-timer in all of these pictures {I took around 70}. Getting a two year old to cooperate is a challenge, but we have learned some tricks along the way!}

Happy 4th of July to you and your families!

I wish I had more time to blog tonight, but we had a full day at the zoo, watching fireworks on the water, and I have a house to clean. Have I mentioned that one of my best gal pals from Arkansas is flying into Detroit from Fayetteville in less than a week to spend four days with me! Yes, it is true! So happy!