Up Close at the ZOO

Recently, we were introduced to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. We love it and bought a season pass so that we could enjoy going back a few times. One day, we went as a family and it seemed all the animals were out to play. Almost every exhibit allowed for up close interaction with the animals. It was a very memorable day.



Some animals got a little to close for comfort. The giraffes, for example tried to lick Blake in the face. Because of this, he was hesitant to feed them and a little nervous to get to close to the other animals. At lunch, Mike showed him there was nothing to be afraid of. He warmed up to the idea of feeding animals and ended up feeding crackers to the wildest one at the zoo that day:)







We rode the sky tram and were able to look at the zoo from a different perspective. The tram took us to the top of the mountain where there were amazing views. After eating our lunch at a picnic spot, we headed down the mountain to the remaining exhibits.



High five (or four) to the lion and gorilla.





The neatest exhibit for me that day was the one housing the bears. This one was napping on a rock when we showed up, but then he took a particular interest in the boys. At first, he appeared friendly and the boys were laughing and snuggling (through the glass).





Then a crowd started to gather and the bear began to snarl and swat at the boys with his sharp teeth and enormous paws. I don't know if he was being playful or angry, but it was a bit scary for me and we left him soon afterwards.

Happy Halloween

This Halloween we had fun coming up with costumes. The boys definitely had their opinions on the matter. Caleb created a joker get-up complete with checker pants, a funky tie, and home made hat. He wore it with pride and a huge joker smile. Dallin went for the skeleton costume. He thought it would be cool to glow in the dark.

Blake has had his costume idea for months. During our last move, he became well acquainted with The Karate Kid. Daniel-son is his new favorite character and "the crane" is his new favorite fighting move. Tyler, didn't really have a choice in the matter. This cow costume was a steal and the butt alone made it irresistible.

We joined a couple cute Care Bear cousins for neighborhood trick-or-treating and scored big on candy. The big boys ran ahead to ensure they hit the entire block while little guys hung back. Even Tyler caught on to the Trick- or-Treating concept, although he only seemed interested in approaching the door when the sucker in his hand ran out:)

We also were pleased to have discovered "Peter Pumpkin" again this year. Each year, we try to pick the right pumpkin out of the patch. If we're lucky, after carving him, we light him up and see if he talks. Peter knows our family well and it's always fun to have a conversation with him on Halloween night.

Family Reunion at the Lake House

One of the highlights of our summer was a week spent at a lake house in Mass. for the Swenson family reunion. It was so nice to see family again and to be able to visit in such a relaxing place.



While there, we attempted family photos. We were able to get a few, but our favorite was this one with Blakester running down the dock. He is so full of energy and entertains us constantly.



While we were at the lake, the boys spent a portion of every day fishing. They could have spent the entire time doing so, but fortunately we had some other activities planned. Some of the other highlights included: berry picking, sailing in Newport, visiting Boston, watching movies and eating good food. Already looking forward to the next reunion:)


Thanks again Dave and Nicole for all your efforts in planning this vacation.

Rocky Mountain National Park