Spring Flew By

Tomorrow is the first day of summer. I’ll just jump right in to catch you up! Phoebe’s adorable Keen tennis shoes finally got too small. If you ask her why she keeps getting bigger, she’ll tell you it’s because she keeps eating! She and Benjamin are both good eaters; it’s the Gribble way.

May 11 was Mother’s Day. We went to church and then enjoyed a brunch prepared by the youth. Phoebe’s been working on her photojournalism skills; she took a few of these photos. I got a new travel mug and a gift certificate to Boulder Running Company for Mother’s Day; I’ve been needing new running shoes!

The weekend of May 17 we headed to Salida for our first camping trip of the season. We left after work on Friday, so it was dark by the time we got to the campground. It was starting to look like rain, so Dave put up the tent quickly. We all climbed in just as it started to pour! Perfect timing. Usually Dave and I build a fire and hang out for a while when the kids go to bed, but the rain trapped us in the tent. We climbed into our sleeping bags and went to bed in our clothes without brushing our teeth. I slept beautifully! On Saturday we wandered around town. We made a picnic lunch and ate it next to the river. Our friends Andrew, Maggie, Tilley, and Whit planned to join us that afternoon, but a case of strep throat sent them home. Phoebe did some biking around the campsite in the afternoon. It was a very relaxing trip. We drove home on Sunday, stopping for lunch and some bouldering in Buena Vista. We planned to go to the bike park when we got home, but we ran out of time and had baths instead.

For the first time I can remember, we didn’t go camping over Memorial Day weekend. We just didn’t make plans in time! It turned out to be a really nice holiday anyway. On Saturday, we went into Boulder for the Creek Festival. I complained for two weeks beforehand about how terrible it was going to be downtown with all those people, but I ended up having a great time! There were all kinds of amusement park rides, but Phoebe was just as happy with a little train.

On Sunday, we went to church and then to Boulder Running Company to pick out my new running shoes. They were having a big sale because of the Bolder Boulder, so Phoebe got some new sandals too. It was fun to have my gait analyzed, and my new shoes are terrific. The kids were delighted with free slushies. That afternoon, Dave had band practice in Loveland, so the kids and I came along and went to Jumpin’, an indoor jump castle place. Even Benjamin had a great time; he tried out the toddler jump castle. Phoebe had the most fun going down a huge jumpy slide. Afterward we met Dave at his friend Sara’s house for dinner. What a nice day!

On Memorial Day we went to Waneka Lake in the morning for Phoebe’s friend Kylie’s fourth birthday party. There was a face painter (though Phoebe chose her arm instead) and a pinata, plus the playground. After the party, we washed the cars and Dave did some bike work. That evening we met up with the Johnsons for dinner; they’re in town for the summer so Todd can do some research at NIST. We had pizza in their basement apartment and then walked to the ice cream shop for dessert. Phoebe enjoyed Henry’s company; I had forgotten about his delightful giggle, and Ingrid is already a big girl!

The first weekend of June we had a makeup softball game on Friday night, which we lost, but the score was close and spirits were high. Saturday morning we finished packing up for camping, had our usual burritos and coffee, and drove the 2.5 hours up to Sky Ranch. We found a great campsite, said hi to all our church friends, and had a snack. (It was a bit late for lunch.) We geared up for a hike, and Dave and I were delighted that Phoebe was able to make it all the way to the waterfall. Benjamin seemed to enjoy the kid carrier backpack pretty well. When we got back, we had an early dinner and then an evening church service led by camp staff. We put the kids to bed in the tent and walked over to the next campfire to chat for a while before going to bed ourselves. It was a pretty cold night, but as usual, I was the only one who was freezing!

Sunday morning we packed up and drove as far as Fort Collins, where we stopped for lunch. We were walking back to the car after watching a train go by when we stumbled on some people dancing in traditional costumes. They were great!

This past weekend was Father’s Day, and my brother Matt and sister-in-law Erin were in town briefly. Erin had a conference in Denver last week, so Matt drove out to meet her. They came to our house for dinner on Friday. (I made pasta carbonara, which I’ve been wanting to try. Turns out it’s delicious because it’s basically Grandma Mazak’s six-layer salad as a pasta.) On Saturday Matt went running with Renee and me, and I did six miles for the first time! Then we had burritos at the coffee shop, as always, and went into Boulder to meet Benjamin’s physical therapist and her four-year-old son at the bike park. Phoebe got to try Nate’s pedal bike, which she was able to balance with no problem. With a little practice, she’ll be off on her own! The Strider bike really shortens the learning curve. We came home for Benjamin’s nap and then went back to Boulder to watch part of the World Cup soccer game. There was standing room only at the beer garden, so we mostly hung out in the front room eating German snacks and drinking beer.

Sunday we skipped church to spend more time with Matt and Erin. I was so excited about sleeping in…until Benjamin woke up crying five times. Turns out he has an ear infection and might finally be getting his fourth molar. We played until lunchtime, when Matt grilled steaks that he’d brought from Ohio in a cooler (they were from the Hazelton cows). Matt and Erin left after lunch to head up to Leadville; it was a short visit, but it was really fun to see them.

Dave and Phoebe and I watched Frozen with Phoebe to celebrate Father’s Day; Dave had promised to see it with her. We snuggled on the couch and ate Carvel ice cream cake. That’s a good dad!

Monday it was back to work and a YABS dinner with our church friends. Our summer is so busy, we hardly have any time at home together as a family. But we’re having a good time and looking forward to lots of extended family visits starting in July!