Miss Wesel Goes to Colorado Day 1

As part of our summer travels we took my sister, Alli to Grand Junction, thus allowing her to check off a huge bucket list item.  She has made it her sole purpose in life to get to every national park in existence, so the Colorado National Monument has been high on her list for a while.  This summer we made it happen!

The day after Lagoon we said goodbye to Rock, who was headed home for some alone time, and picked up Alli.  We stopped at Walmart to get snacks after eating lunch at In-n-Out Burger and Liberty provided this gem without any prompting at all.  Every once in a while she shows that she is the only girl in a family of boys.

Then we were off to Colorado.

Our first day in GJ we did the Monument.

Disclaimer: None of these pictures do the Monument justice. Grand vistas and vibrant colors just don't look that great on a phone camera.  I'm trying to justify a purchase of a newer iphone just so I can do justice to the grand vistas and vibrant colors.  Rock isn't convinced. 

Another thing you can't tell in these pictures is how close to a cliff someone is.  Most of these pictures were taken right next to a cliff.  It's a miracle we ever survive trips like this.  It's a miracle I don't have a heart attack from worry that my kids will fall off a cliff, a miracle my kids don't throw me off a cliff for constantly trying to stop them from falling off a cliff and a miracle my mother in law even agrees to take me because I'm the mom who is constantly trying to keep her children from falling off a cliff.  

Alli REALLY likes cliffs.

These two are definitely kindred spirits.  Nancy loves to talk about the Monument and Alli loved learning about it. I wish they could have gone off on their own for a day without my kiddos and me in tow.

 Goofy Grin

Levi spent the entire day begging to go exploring for animals. He asked at every. single. stop.  Everyone got to practice patience that day.

Independence Rock

Yes, that really is the same rock, Alli.

Nancy took us to the coolest spot for lunch!  Overlook Everything!

More exploring for Levi.

Alli was a huge help and together we tag teamed the "Levi exploration buddy" assignment.  Levi is out in this picture somewhere exploring and if you look closely you can see Alli following close behind.

We stopped at the Visitor's Center on our way out of the park and Liberty found a book about Arches National Park.  The kids and Rock went to Arches over spring break and I have been lamenting the fact that I haven't gotten to see it yet.  When I exclaimed over the book, she said, "It's OK, Mommy, you will see it someday, just don't die." 

Then as we drove out of the parking lot, we saw this arch in the sky!!

On our way home that day we stopped to see Great Grandma Dot.  So glad this neat lady is still around!

Great Grandma insisted on walking us out to the car and giving her daughter a hug goodbye.  

Stay tuned for our day on the Grand Mesa.  Hopefully you won't have to wait too long.....

Crazy Roller Coasters

In July we took a trip down to Lagoon to take our crazy roller coaster riding children on some crazy roller coasters.  

First Stop; The Pizza Factory

We LOVE these breadsticks!

Lagoon!

So, the secret to doing Lagoon is to go on the hottest day of the year.  No lines for most of the day!  We were melting, but we got through all the rides we wanted multiple times! We opened AND closed the park!

 Libby is my kind of ride partner.  Nothin too fast, no flips or loops.  While the boys hit all the big rides she and I hung out and rode the rides she wanted to.  I was only too happy to oblige.

 As we walked past Tidal Wave and watched in awe as those crazy people screamed and our stomachs turned, we realized Rock and the boys were on it!  See if you can see them.

On the sky ride

 Levi got a little sick on some of those big rides, so he took breaks to ride with Libby.

Trying to stay cool.

Rattle Snake Rapids

The Ferris Wheel

Here is Liberty on her 6th or 7th time riding the mini Tidal Wave ride.

The next day everyone but Rock headed to Colorado.  Stay tuned for that post!

Our Liberty

Liberty turned 8 years old in July!

It is so fun to have a girl because I was a girl.  My boys have always been a little bit of a mystery to me.  Interested in dirt, bugs and animals.  But it is so fun to have a little girl doing the same little girl things I did when I was a girl.  Nail polish and hair stuff, gymnastics and hand clap songs.  Some things never change!

She finally has several friends in the neighborhood to play with and that's a big blessing. I blame it on the playhouse.

If you paint it pink, they will come.

Obviously, we didn't paint the outside pink, but just painting the inside pink must have brought the little girls.  Now they are always playing in it and in our yard and it makes me so happy to have our big yard and trampoline and playhouse used.

But most of all I'm glad she finally has friends in the neighborhood.

There is always some sign that little girls are playing in our yard.  From plates full of rocks and grass arranged to look like food, to little creations like this one I found in the yard last week:

They even decorate the sprinkler boxes.

Liberty LOVES shopping, especially at the mall.  When our Target got mannequins after a recent remodel, she ran up to them squealing with delight.  She wants to be a fashion designer when she grows up and spends hours designing clothes and jewelry.

Eating Smores

Her birthday was at the beginning of the month but because of summer travels we didn't get a chance to have her party until this weekend.  

The Bunny Birthday 

Liberty has had bunnies on the brain so we had to throw a bunny birthday party.

The Cake

Liberty made the sack bunnies for the table centerpiece.

We made bunny plates,

held a real bunny,

and picked up bunny tails with vaseline on our noses.

We even found Blue Bunny ice cream with chocolate bunnies!

Cleaning up the wrapping paper.

This girl made such a haul! 

I love this creative and fanciful girl who helps her 

momma stop and smell the roses.