Phoebe and I took Fritz with us to a Face Vocal Band concert at Red Rocks. We love to see Face together, and Phoebe was impressed with Red Rocks. She and Fritz spent a good amount of time running up and down the stairs. It’s a great place to take a kid who can’t sit still through more than one song (Fritz). Phoebe eventually got sleepy, and she even sat on my lap for a little while—that hasn’t happened in a long time! I had forgotten how much time the opening bands take; we got there at 5:30 and sat through at least 2 hours of opening acts. It was worth it, though; the weather was perfect, and the concert included all the adorable things about Face: Cody rapping, Forest dropping his voice into the basement, Stephen plugging the Face Musical Academy. They brought 300 singers from their academy up on stage with them for a couple of songs, which was really cool.
Kiddos.Red Rocks by day.
Fritz giving Phoebe his black licorice.Denver off in the distance.Selfie.Up at the top of the ampitheater.Here they come!Red Rocks shows in my dad’s birth year.And my mom’s.A bit more is happening in Dave’s year!And mine too.Love Stallion, a local glam band, was the third opener for Face.Fritz was kind of bored most of the time.Listening to one of the loud opening bands.Selfie at Red Rocks.The sun is starting to go down.You can see one star center left. What a gorgeous night!
July 11
Karate class.
July 12
Emily and I gave Benjamin and Sarah first communion classes on Friday night during dinner at the Brinkmans’ house. It’s lovely to reach milestones with old, dear friends.
Benjamin hanging out with Moose Brinkman.Phoebe went to town with the magnaforms.
July 13
Benjamin tested at karate in the morning.
Benjamin testing his Water Style, Level 2 form. Block.Chop.Sitting like black belts with their eyes closed (most of them).They were supposed to keep their eyes closed while being tickled.Benjamin is at rest position waiting for his certificate and new belt.Facing the parents.Hugging Daddy.Hugging Mommy.He’s a purple stripe!
Then the kids and I met an author of mine and his family at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. We were able to check out 7 tickets from the Lafayette Public Library! We had a lovely time catching up; they live in Rhode Island, and my author’s daughter was playing a soccer tournament in Colorado.
Antlers in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.Really cool dragon art.Alebrijes.View of Denver from the second floor.Gem carvings based on Russian folktales. I thought this was the coolest exhibit ever!New Pokemon hat.
July 14
After a Sunday morning run.
Phoebe read the lesson at church in the morning and Benjamin and Sarah Brinkman took their first communion!
Children’s time.Benjamin is enamored of Naomi. He’s always loved babies and animals!Handing Sarah her new Bible.Look at that grin.The happy communion-takers.A little silly!Even sillier!That’s the silliest.Gribbles and Brinkmans.
Church bought a cake to celebrate their first Holy Communion.
Speaking of milestones, after church we drove Phoebe up to Sky Ranch for her first week of sleep-away camp! Obviously, we don’t have any photos of that week except this one we took of her back as we drove away. Being Phoebe, she didn’t even wave goodbye; she was already settling in.
Driving away from Sky Ranch where Phoebe was beginning her first week of sleep-away church camp. Just getting a last glimpse!
July 16
Loud rain! It was a very wet first half of the summer.
July 20
Benjamin fell in love with this big Rubble at Barnes & Noble.
July 22
Phoebe at gymnastics class.
Phoebe walking along the beam.That’s Phoebe dismounting from the beam.
July 24
I pass an alpaca farm when I ride my bike to work. I love living half in town and half in the country!
They’re cute!I pass these alpacas when I ride my bike to work.
In the evening, we met Elaina’s sister Laura and her kids, Logan and Leah, at a marching band competition. It’s always fun to catch up with them, and Logan has always been great with Benjamin.
They made friends right away.It rained all around us, but the competition stayed dry.Phoebe, Leah, Benjamin, and Logan.Marching band competition.Laura and me.Benjamin had so much fun with Logan!
July 27
We flew out to Ohio for our annual vacation with the Otts. It was our year to visit their lake house, which means a very relaxing week. We spent most of it at the house; Dave and Lee went into town once, and so did Jennifer and I. Mostly we swam, boated, tubed, and ate. We did get a chance to see Matt and Erin’s new farm, which is just an hour and fifteen minutes from Lake Buckhorn. We got to spend a little time with my parents in Sagamore Hills, too. Benjamin really loves basketball, and he couldn’t wait to play with his funny grandpa.
Heading to Grandpa’s car.Conferring on the strategy.Maybe a little on the low side.Switching to soccer.Go get ’em, kid.Will it make it?Grandpa goes for the underhanded throw.Grandpa’s a pretty good shot.Watching the ball approach the hoop.He actually did a little better backwards.
July 28
We made it!
July 29
The dock and lake from the upstairs deck.Afternoon with a book and a bottle of wine.
Benjamin and Kaitlynn played basketball.
July 30
Kaitlynn and Phoebe waiting for their timer.They must’ve been watching a movie; no joysticks.Making deviled eggs.Benjamin discovered he loved jumping off the tube.Dockside powwow.Sadie was in and out checking on the little kids.Benjamin doubles up with the donut and life jacket.Jennifer relaxes in the “mom zone.”
Phoebe and Kaitlynn made deviled eggs.
July 31
Phoebe and I got up early (6:30 a.m.) to go on our biannual kayak trip to the beach/dock on the dam side of the lake.
Here’s mine.She wouldn’t pose with me for a selfie, so I took two separate photos.Almost ready!The perfect morning for a kayaking trip.She got in with no trouble, and the water was warmer than the air.Starting out on our morning kayak trip around 6:45 a.m.Look at that water, shiny and lovely.Selfie in the kayak.Taking a rest.Phoebe ahead of me on the way to the beach.We do the same trip every time; one of these years, Phoebe will be stronger than I am!Heading over to the beach.A misty morning; we got lucky.The dock and the back of the lake house.After my semi-annual morning kayaking trip with Phoebe. She went inside, and I went around the other side of the lake.
We got to Matt and Erin’s in time for lunch and spent a couple of happy hours in their lake.
Fuzzy sheep.Sheep on the move.Matt tries to entice a sheep over while the rest of us look terribly out of place.Must be a good day: beer and sunscreen.They’re pretty cute.It was a hot day, so the sheep were in the shade under the trailer.The rear end of a chicken.The little kids.Phoebe looks slightly disgusted.Alexander has one too.Not such a bad life in this spacious coop.Chickens!Benjamin with his egg.
Wool carding in the garage.Lee caught a fish and promptly got its scales caught in his tee-shirt.See Benjamin’s little hand reaching up for the fish (blue watch)?Tossing a fish into the box.Benjamin and Mommy hanging out in the lake.Not a capsized boat, just a few kids in a lake.Swim over here, buddy!It was a full-time job keeping track of Benjamin, who thought he didn’t need a minder when he had a life jacket on.Jennifer and Matt.Erin’s ready to get in the water.The kids hooked all the rafts together and climbed on and off.In the middle of Matt and Erin’s lake.
