Owlets -- October 21

We've been reading and learning about owls this week, and had a great time on this owlet craft.  We used pine cones and polyester batting, and glued the eyes on.  The best part was trolling the neighborhood for the right kind of pine cone.  The girls rode their bikes, and collected pine cones in their baskets.

Swimming in October -- October 21

We filled up the pool with leaves, now that the tree in the backyard is finally done.  Even Jane had a nice time.  It was a very warm morning.

Halloween Practice -- Oct. 21

Nana made the girls clip on earrings and matching necklaces for their princess costumes for Halloween.  They couldn't help but try them out this weekend, even though we don't go trick-or-treating until next Friday!

Crafty Hike with the Hiking Group -- October 14

We managed to meet up with the hiking group this week.  We met at Vedauwoo, and it was windy but not nearly as chilly as last Friday!  Hazel and Vivian climbed rocks, and the other children followed them up.

Samantha, whose husband works with Andrew at WEST, had a craft for us all.  We made little sage sachets with cloth and sage leaves.  The girls are all about sniffing the sage, so this was perfect for them.  Also, very simple.

On the way back to the car, we took the road instead of the trail, and Hazel and Vivian held hands with 2-year old Lukas.

The Too Cold Hike -- October 7

We were going to the Snowies to meet the Little Laramie Hikers group, and once again, we drove into winter.  It was very cold at the top of the mountains, about 25 degrees with very strong winds.  There were ground blizzards on the highway again, and visibility was low.  We made it to the Mirror Lake picnic area, which was not the right place to meet the hiking group (they were at Lake Marie, on the other end of the paved path that comes out on Mirror Lake).  We made it about 5 minutes, before turning around and heading back to the car.

Hazel (blue hat) is bracing herself against the wind.

Hazel got a little bit behind, and called out for someone to hold her hand.  Vivian was more patient than I was, and ran back to help her sister.  Vivian is just nice like that!

We left Mirror Lake to find a warmer hike!

We found one at the Little Laramie Trailhead, a few miles down the mountain, and about 25 degrees warmer.  Hazel wants me to say "and little girls liked it!"

 We spent about an hour here, and walked a little over a mile round trip. 

Hazel collected pinecones and colorful leaves in Vivian's hat, and Vivian helped me find the blue diamonds that mark the trail.  Jane liked riding in the big frame backpack, because she gets to be way up high! 

Possibly the best part of the day was going out for lunch with Andrew when we got back to town.  That was a special treat for all of us!

Playing at Camping -- October 5

We set up the tent that Grandpa John and Grandma Lou gave the girls this summer in the backyard when it warmed up, and they had fun playing camping again.  They even had a pretend campfire, and pots and pans, camp chairs, and they brought their play food outside too.

Hazel's phonics -- October 4

Hazel working on her phonics for the morning.  This time of year, there is nice sun in the back door in the morning.

Hazel in her Fleece "Dress" -- October 3

We've been trying to spend a little one-on-one time with the girls on Mondays, and this was Hazel's evening with Andrew.  They went up to Vedauwoo for a hike, and it was very cold.  Very cold.  Hazel ended up wearing Andrew's fleece, and she called it her fleece dress.  She will still giggle about it if she thinks of it!

Vivian and Jane and I set out to throw rocks in Meeboer Lake, which we never found.  We missed the turn. We did throw rocks in Sodergreen Lake, but it was so windy that the rocks kind of floated.  We didn't last long!  When we got home, we all had hot chocolate with marshmallows and popcorn.  

Bicycling to Washington Park -- September 24

Our epic adventure into winter robbed us of our nap time, so instead of hanging around the house and being cranky, we walked to the park.  Hazel and Vivian rode their bicycles.  

 Jane tried out some new shoes, which kept falling off.  Grammy got her some better ones, which aren't nearly so easy to take off.

Hiking Trip turned Aspen Alley Tour -- September 24

We were planning on a trip to the Snowies to do one of our favorite hiking trails before it was too cold and snowy, and we woke up to this:

Hoping that it would warm up over the day, and the snow would melt, we went out anyway.  It was beautiful, but the snow stayed with us.  Up at the top, where our hiking trail is, it was like winter, complete with ground blizzards and sub-freezing temperatures. 

We kept driving, thinking we could go see what aspen alley looked like this year.  The Saratoga side of the Snowies was also beautiful, it's such a nice area.

We stopped for lunch, but it started to sleet, so we ate lunch in the car after walking long enough to take just a few pictures.  There were also signs up warning pet-owners and parents about traps that were set in the area, so we wouldn't have walked much here anyway.

Aspen alley was a mix of trees that had already dropped their leaves and trees there were still green.  Maybe next year?  The area around aspen alley was beautiful, many orange and red leaves, especially for this part of the country.

We stopped at the Libby Flats observation point on the way back over the mountain, but none of the girls wanted to get out of the car.  It was super windy, and super cold.  We didn't spend very long here!  It was a fun day, even if it wasn't a hike in the mountains.  We'll have to hike that trail before September next year!

Piano Mat for Baby Jane -- September 23

Grandma Evelyn sent this giant piano mat for Jane's first birthday, and the girls had a great time trying it out.  Jane liked to press the tiny buttons, but also was pretty amazed when it made noise as she crawled over it.  Evelyn had told me in an email that a present was coming in the mail,but she didn't tell me what it was.  She did say it was 8 feet by 4 feet, so I was relieved when this is what showed up!  A clever trick :).

Jane's Baptism Birthday -- September 13

We were in Montana for Jane's birthday, so we celebrated a few times.  Nana and Grandad came over for her baptism birthday, and we ate soft foods in honor of the birthday girl (think meatloaf and cottage cheese).  

Nana and Grandad brought balloons for each girl, and read stories with them.

Happy baptism birthday, Jane!

Hidden Falls-- September 10