This morning Mara asked me about our blog and its status. Let's just say mommy got really, really busy. Nothing like a kid's comment to get you back on track. Amazingly, I remembered the password :) Summer 2011 has been filled with fun so far. We started off with a 1700 mile trip to the following national parks: Bryce Canyon, Zion, Capitol Reef, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Boulder, UT, won the Best Small Town award. Tucked in a valley on Utah's winding US 12, it is beyond remote. We stayed at a fantastic lodge with a restaurant that was recently written up in the New York Times. The restaurant is co-owned by a Mormon and a Buddhist and the food was phenomenal. The majority of the food is grown locally by the very Mormon community.
Since that trip we treated ourselves to the Ringling Bros. circus (worth every penny), spent a weekend camping with our good friends from Denver at Chalk Lake (with a dip at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs afterward), have done numerous bike rides and hikes, CC basketball camp, and art class. Ian is also doing t-ball, the equivalent of watching paint dry. Picture this: Ten daddies on the field with ten boys, five of whom are messing in the dirt. Doug sent me out to replace him the other night to show a little gender equality.
Last Saturday the girls and I ran the Panoramic two-mile race. Although it was hot, the trail was delightfully shaded and the massage afterward made it all worth it. We toured the farmer's market with Doug and Ian next. Ian cherished his cantaloupe juice while the rest of us feasted on fresh goat cheese, Palisade peaches, tamales, tomatillo salsa, lemon chocolate bread, and cherries. Because the fun couldn't end there, the kids and I went to the community day at the Olympic Training Center. What a treat! Athletes signed autographs, various sport demonstrations (we watched aerial skiers, table tennis, fencing, BMX, swimming, women's wrestling), played rugby with some athletes, and then enjoyed the live band and free BBQ lunch and smoothies. Next year's plan: Get there earlier to stand in line to "spin the wheel" for free Olympic gear. The line was 45 min. - 1 hr. long and unshaded. It was hard to walk away from the Vancouver sweatshirts, towels, blankets, t-shirts, and hats. Our highlight was getting the girls' picture taking with Colorado Springs' very own 2010 Olympian, figure skater Rachael Flatt. What an inspiring day!
