tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31809633185262972112024-03-16T11:52:49.099-07:00A Day in the Life of My Little BroodSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.comBlogger231125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-10394654878544143202017-10-28T21:42:00.003-07:002017-10-29T08:04:17.148-07:00Homeowners!Well!<br />
<br />
Talk about a momentous occasion. Our little brood is finally one with a permanent address. After years of twists and turns, we signed closing papers on a dream home this week and were able to carve out some time from our hectic schedules to walk through the front door as a foursome today. I've been choking back tears, running through memories of our family journey and everything it took to get to this day.<br />
<br />
Nathan and I have spent lots of years together..adventuring, struggling, celebrating, searching, discovering, creating, and making the most of whatever life threw at us. Our path is not one we predicted but the strength in character the unexpected created has become a treasured central feature of our family. We are a little band of travelers who cherish our time together and know, more than anything, that no matter where our mail is sent to "home" is wherever we happen to be together at a given moment. Whether we are in temporary university housing, a rented apartment, a car traveling across the country, a cheap hotel room, a cabin in Vermont, a friend's apartment in NYC, or our very own honest-to-goodness purchased home, we are happiest when able to experience the world together.<br />
<br />
When I think about our story, I feel all sorts of gratitude for the help we received while going through Nathan's grad school years. We relied on generous family and friends, thoughtful teachers and compassionate schools, and government assistance programs that are often branded as a waste of tax payer money. We accepted this help with gratitude and did our best to counter with volunteer work, always hoping we would be able to find our feet and go it alone someday. There were moments we lost hope but powered through, on the lookout for a lucky break or sliver lining.<br />
<br />
Here we are now..proud owners of a house we completely LOVE. Finally able to give our kids a yard to play in and rooms of their own...a place to add to the memories they have already collected. Our adventuring doesn't stop here, of course, but we are swimming in the glorious reality of having a home base in which to kick off our shoes in between road trips and busy days.<br />
<br />
There's no way I could list all of the people who have contributed to this moment in time for us. If I tried, I'd end up in a puddle of tears, unable to finish this post so I'll just go ahead and share some pictures of the house, knowing that those of you out there who have rooted for us all these years will look through them with a smile on your face. If you do, know that you are one of the many people we feel thankful for. Thank you all for your support and love. We would not be "us" without you. Our door is always open so come on down to South Texas any time.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdid-QrPiEMizoih12-lgkqqwZiAxE8HNW7geDQSvwcwPqtMByjptpbguUo9acZ-iUgzxIJZJwiBb_3s7GP6t-6VlqfBMoWty6ihlMWoKNkp2A099-tyT-W8nMUsF0_cTKaOO9bX1tW1U/s1600/IMG_5091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdid-QrPiEMizoih12-lgkqqwZiAxE8HNW7geDQSvwcwPqtMByjptpbguUo9acZ-iUgzxIJZJwiBb_3s7GP6t-6VlqfBMoWty6ihlMWoKNkp2A099-tyT-W8nMUsF0_cTKaOO9bX1tW1U/s640/IMG_5091.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEuNgVgN-7QEsOYHw6aqNhe2hSL-ZWrz7mEI2f1x2p1K56pWKrbXnaYAFlFExplAUbKPbLYtGnXvwwTCgSqMjxWUE9r-qKXNCR0b2LuBj44tvTjtZ38bnIUAMfdh8seEfrhFHPRnIWCI/s1600/IMG_5098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1364" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEuNgVgN-7QEsOYHw6aqNhe2hSL-ZWrz7mEI2f1x2p1K56pWKrbXnaYAFlFExplAUbKPbLYtGnXvwwTCgSqMjxWUE9r-qKXNCR0b2LuBj44tvTjtZ38bnIUAMfdh8seEfrhFHPRnIWCI/s640/IMG_5098.jpg" width="544" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So awesome to look out the window and see these two playing in their first ever backyard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOO6q54jMZvMRZoGawQ6mi6w6rsOUAur9sYNL1WUvy3WWK-UE2fCBH2bHD7e5JKPOxiY57Ofne3QWN_Hyus8haqm8CiEy4mwmZYB7YXTrv5MPyEHGM4z0wEAzedJObCpkSMzyaUjsxdMg/s1600/IMG_5105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOO6q54jMZvMRZoGawQ6mi6w6rsOUAur9sYNL1WUvy3WWK-UE2fCBH2bHD7e5JKPOxiY57Ofne3QWN_Hyus8haqm8CiEy4mwmZYB7YXTrv5MPyEHGM4z0wEAzedJObCpkSMzyaUjsxdMg/s640/IMG_5105.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So far the kids win the prize for super star packers. Owen in particular-he's been a packing fool! I love love love, catching sight of his labeling...here are two of my favorites so far: "Memories and Pokemon cards"...and...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEldIEYRC8R61YCnM8gXAPIMiLKZ0iyfPLDIVwOM4YWKxnzDH8RdHw7QFXoRlZZN5xFgq2k4mXVldrGuKK2vN_tFs4HtL-81apa9yH2Eii_SewZwf1Uab2udBhQmgmoSorT4kNs_mcgEs/s1600/IMG_5115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEldIEYRC8R61YCnM8gXAPIMiLKZ0iyfPLDIVwOM4YWKxnzDH8RdHw7QFXoRlZZN5xFgq2k4mXVldrGuKK2vN_tFs4HtL-81apa9yH2Eii_SewZwf1Uab2udBhQmgmoSorT4kNs_mcgEs/s640/IMG_5115.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">..."Owens stuffys and slippers"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyBIIajDaq7LF6gPShp2Zf-pGfYdrCOTOG2c3rzELGnPxlnzGIKR9PD95zYMv4Urlchx9zWBrFweR1qsXhkTgkvBadpaoi0msxfMP8KTdgmEFDVNITjnhBmR8Oh6huQgOf5vr3hzURDI/s1600/IMG_5116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJyBIIajDaq7LF6gPShp2Zf-pGfYdrCOTOG2c3rzELGnPxlnzGIKR9PD95zYMv4Urlchx9zWBrFweR1qsXhkTgkvBadpaoi0msxfMP8KTdgmEFDVNITjnhBmR8Oh6huQgOf5vr3hzURDI/s640/IMG_5116.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNoGU3Dbk1V3rF5pN7IY8z4p24s_wlTeaRusNknawQ6m4wx__Ui9VlgKG-lsj66ezqL4BwkJjnLxZVL7st7GBMu_5RBp700rJOMw_ZXOXIqCzIHWf0fc5clzU8gICioMf6vVGq1TQcaU/s1600/IMG_5118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNoGU3Dbk1V3rF5pN7IY8z4p24s_wlTeaRusNknawQ6m4wx__Ui9VlgKG-lsj66ezqL4BwkJjnLxZVL7st7GBMu_5RBp700rJOMw_ZXOXIqCzIHWf0fc5clzU8gICioMf6vVGq1TQcaU/s640/IMG_5118.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room/Kitchen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcdTLJZn9GpdjAEoRd0fGmssb6f9qsZMbB04P-CpldsupoFD6Cqj3dGYV0Z81pDfGjzx8tJe8dm5gGzDmWDAYnOrC2ediGqYfHht149yJVVhyxtrOHuH5-IKU9VQQj03ZlDsIvwPIVCw/s1600/IMG_5120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcdTLJZn9GpdjAEoRd0fGmssb6f9qsZMbB04P-CpldsupoFD6Cqj3dGYV0Z81pDfGjzx8tJe8dm5gGzDmWDAYnOrC2ediGqYfHht149yJVVhyxtrOHuH5-IKU9VQQj03ZlDsIvwPIVCw/s640/IMG_5120.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen (we bought a bunch of furniture from the previous owners...score!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegbR8w4a8Bz8G_GyzhDSfjhCCUa54aeNZi1VsnFE5bL5B8DmgnfxKpOr8rQtjSIrotpirQvapHel6gciPGAe1w0Nspc7m7eDTLfG6hLhSUnbS3vq8Dut8jOYzed7ZvgiEsEiB66uhim8/s1600/IMG_5122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhegbR8w4a8Bz8G_GyzhDSfjhCCUa54aeNZi1VsnFE5bL5B8DmgnfxKpOr8rQtjSIrotpirQvapHel6gciPGAe1w0Nspc7m7eDTLfG6hLhSUnbS3vq8Dut8jOYzed7ZvgiEsEiB66uhim8/s640/IMG_5122.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screened in Porch!!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbD_5e5F11hDHu9B4xScdySv0Xfvda9R4l5k40JnwENvnIpEnDAqhJYJb1aGuzcjT69BPz_BoG-kO8yFUDiRElF9tFnOA-2mYg3M0Tdhrxin5ofGGOK3Inwc1oY818NQNBbH6DgfA72k/s1600/IMG_5124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbD_5e5F11hDHu9B4xScdySv0Xfvda9R4l5k40JnwENvnIpEnDAqhJYJb1aGuzcjT69BPz_BoG-kO8yFUDiRElF9tFnOA-2mYg3M0Tdhrxin5ofGGOK3Inwc1oY818NQNBbH6DgfA72k/s640/IMG_5124.jpg" width="478" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Tub!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rEv22KRDlcqfR_Swgb-_wHhkt4254HXR7xv-vkM-iTOuHxx9ZieKnrxXpTYNH4jkLO-EZBXvtRIwygDLJfFa8FLHbTeR6uznsaraWhkHahKsxQRwh2-UETGlfv2SZl-Kdn-iWThcXwc/s1600/IMG_5125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rEv22KRDlcqfR_Swgb-_wHhkt4254HXR7xv-vkM-iTOuHxx9ZieKnrxXpTYNH4jkLO-EZBXvtRIwygDLJfFa8FLHbTeR6uznsaraWhkHahKsxQRwh2-UETGlfv2SZl-Kdn-iWThcXwc/s640/IMG_5125.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kids. Playing in OUR YARD.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuMAiNHdoHTTSniiMiq3u4hw26jQ0IA5Bi3xzDiWPYagZc4jr_QgnNldWypfRkRn0InQ_9AbPN0XqnBQermri6atcNYym-6feNvoqsXjwN4DTFUDN05OfIip_g7KgbiMzGyamAXHi_RA/s1600/IMG_5127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuMAiNHdoHTTSniiMiq3u4hw26jQ0IA5Bi3xzDiWPYagZc4jr_QgnNldWypfRkRn0InQ_9AbPN0XqnBQermri6atcNYym-6feNvoqsXjwN4DTFUDN05OfIip_g7KgbiMzGyamAXHi_RA/s640/IMG_5127.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWcqnrwwgxlisV5V8C8Ap9sUig14HXX4RKUS8UR1r9Eo5jcdtnyY2KOJnAavZ-ZcJhFziptg-UVz26Ga6ozsPY6WBfS6-vhyphenhyphenTfDx5m9mG7GfeO4yAXcaXGsskUa8h1kLxtzQVWahS0F0/s1600/IMG_5129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWcqnrwwgxlisV5V8C8Ap9sUig14HXX4RKUS8UR1r9Eo5jcdtnyY2KOJnAavZ-ZcJhFziptg-UVz26Ga6ozsPY6WBfS6-vhyphenhyphenTfDx5m9mG7GfeO4yAXcaXGsskUa8h1kLxtzQVWahS0F0/s640/IMG_5129.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHpeh4hGNvvZMxf4ydNPD17LBykvR_XBp017ZM2T8oaiMclCggtUuJ2l0qq8xJupQ9gmoIKM3j9oFVLWO2mph3BfZBavgAyU39KYWqSg6lwsIv6w2ISIZMMyAbFKO6kcHjFOJBKgGAwY/s1600/IMG_5131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHpeh4hGNvvZMxf4ydNPD17LBykvR_XBp017ZM2T8oaiMclCggtUuJ2l0qq8xJupQ9gmoIKM3j9oFVLWO2mph3BfZBavgAyU39KYWqSg6lwsIv6w2ISIZMMyAbFKO6kcHjFOJBKgGAwY/s640/IMG_5131.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Built in countertop for outdoor grilling there, if you can see it...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JgdxXp3awD3ndVGBImB52JkFvUeczi3BQxCxO-hXA2IJ6rpXpxdixreSHLxr_X8vdNYWPt7eMLbga_tr3JOt8JV6IuOhGRRs2Ja2f9vXGT954E8Xo5gBIlpOXTc1NdJSuU8WaonR-UU/s1600/IMG_5135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JgdxXp3awD3ndVGBImB52JkFvUeczi3BQxCxO-hXA2IJ6rpXpxdixreSHLxr_X8vdNYWPt7eMLbga_tr3JOt8JV6IuOhGRRs2Ja2f9vXGT954E8Xo5gBIlpOXTc1NdJSuU8WaonR-UU/s640/IMG_5135.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgnuzS6P7toPeZW_08Iz8VEZLu8lVna2lw6Iv480W-FjHhNyhZ1pMag05PYC1PDxaayfdbaqtUfAAQQjlMUCRlQ7yaH2rEuuhdKRq3O3V5hMrJ_nrtBoNl9ZCde2vmnPq88bAjjbZ_4s/s1600/IMG_5146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgnuzS6P7toPeZW_08Iz8VEZLu8lVna2lw6Iv480W-FjHhNyhZ1pMag05PYC1PDxaayfdbaqtUfAAQQjlMUCRlQ7yaH2rEuuhdKRq3O3V5hMrJ_nrtBoNl9ZCde2vmnPq88bAjjbZ_4s/s640/IMG_5146.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Area next to the hot tub. It feels private and spa-like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvs8HaCcHSbuPOIG0TjzIKeb1wL_sDWZ7BPl6fsPBQMNdPfbU5xfcY3aXb6hFqGQoPeVuLugxkDhGXQiVN4vZTE98qiNNxfthsLhyphenhyphend2qYdafd7171txh27B4vCbHaNeRuub7uhiHXi0I/s1600/IMG_5151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXvs8HaCcHSbuPOIG0TjzIKeb1wL_sDWZ7BPl6fsPBQMNdPfbU5xfcY3aXb6hFqGQoPeVuLugxkDhGXQiVN4vZTE98qiNNxfthsLhyphenhyphend2qYdafd7171txh27B4vCbHaNeRuub7uhiHXi0I/s640/IMG_5151.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master bedroom with a door leading out to the hot tub</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZB50ZDBsY_phDTxNEckg611bLvVxZqUZr1zsXiRFKSskLpbV1gtQoXDRpON5nnktjsXMXcSDn1bHLOO_njCLHXhos1eACHL8QTs2sIpirukSH8ni1ZTCM9fwS8SkZpPgz-f-SUP2WAc/s1600/IMG_5153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZB50ZDBsY_phDTxNEckg611bLvVxZqUZr1zsXiRFKSskLpbV1gtQoXDRpON5nnktjsXMXcSDn1bHLOO_njCLHXhos1eACHL8QTs2sIpirukSH8ni1ZTCM9fwS8SkZpPgz-f-SUP2WAc/s640/IMG_5153.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master bath with a shower very much like my mom's shower, which I covet. We realize we will need to get used to keeping that shower door clean, don't worry--on it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2yHzLYa_jNbrdRwQDtklQkcXxrihGTSfpnOIx1b1x9G3Nd0b87ZHpxSk7-ia101Ae2UOJQxH3qIsGYsbkB9CCU9_bZ5rwonVHPZVuxWes9RX18-OgJBKCxsiK9cIaHqtm9_ZZKpX0WI/s1600/IMG_5159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2yHzLYa_jNbrdRwQDtklQkcXxrihGTSfpnOIx1b1x9G3Nd0b87ZHpxSk7-ia101Ae2UOJQxH3qIsGYsbkB9CCU9_bZ5rwonVHPZVuxWes9RX18-OgJBKCxsiK9cIaHqtm9_ZZKpX0WI/s640/IMG_5159.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh you know..just relaxing on the screened in porch. No big deal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZMi-kz-apJURFUPuiD5i4E3oLEhlmgM7TqmeD2_Eyp3wmUu1GIvcXZzyPjyeTHV0Ctb01WjwiRvLbCasA2Om0AJ7FOGWnUpwrM2kMHiCSIdHPDi-5C4wcUHzb4eaDcpdLrE2XHU9HIo/s1600/IMG_5164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZMi-kz-apJURFUPuiD5i4E3oLEhlmgM7TqmeD2_Eyp3wmUu1GIvcXZzyPjyeTHV0Ctb01WjwiRvLbCasA2Om0AJ7FOGWnUpwrM2kMHiCSIdHPDi-5C4wcUHzb4eaDcpdLrE2XHU9HIo/s640/IMG_5164.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went to a few stores and got ourselves set up with a fire pit, ingredients for s'mores, and pizza so we could end the day with a hang out session at home before heading back to our apartment. We don't have time to pull off the actual move for a couple of weeks so settled for an evening for now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_zjwQjxIG7B8pWdZaqatsX6Qwk62dCz45eWp6Kt_cDax_8eBV5FCl0l9ySFEW76Gsk09pm0VQ6FPG6iTsU3AwNj7OcuwMHRRQLVVqpyvxQrXYbjSNpPhPYXHNG5zlnM_qkVAMJVMGzc/s1600/IMG_5166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_zjwQjxIG7B8pWdZaqatsX6Qwk62dCz45eWp6Kt_cDax_8eBV5FCl0l9ySFEW76Gsk09pm0VQ6FPG6iTsU3AwNj7OcuwMHRRQLVVqpyvxQrXYbjSNpPhPYXHNG5zlnM_qkVAMJVMGzc/s640/IMG_5166.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0lSAmAJ8Qtrc4hijgJ5yazDlGr0x7mylq49nkXIa6N2XO2DkhMYBDBWYkpBSnWNGxa_LZZNWK-BObF2fRR79ENsdeMAcikqZo9Ut2NAzl_TIujcl31hAU74mIDU9Q-VWzneRKjpuMRU/s1600/IMG_5167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0lSAmAJ8Qtrc4hijgJ5yazDlGr0x7mylq49nkXIa6N2XO2DkhMYBDBWYkpBSnWNGxa_LZZNWK-BObF2fRR79ENsdeMAcikqZo9Ut2NAzl_TIujcl31hAU74mIDU9Q-VWzneRKjpuMRU/s640/IMG_5167.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-21576819270152836142017-10-01T20:10:00.003-07:002017-10-01T20:10:32.493-07:00Owen's Birthday Party and a New NeighborhoodI haven't had really any time at all to take pictures lately, since I'm spending all my time and energy adjusting to teaching. I've missed my camera! Here are just a very few shots from a couple of recent family happenings...<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Owen's birthday party was last weekend. He had a surprise visitor from Colorado--his best buddy Verity! It was a great day of swimming with good friends.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShTQWRVF27aDrAQBtp-WtEY24gUJiBrPf9sm-dGDa3tX5WG84KydFXOZKSTW646QR6WcPDLIDlYp4h_V-vw7qpgBxli8d7VtmTxWIPGR4eYgVn6aPhMp7F4tmuKbQTDflH8sR82tw7JU/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShTQWRVF27aDrAQBtp-WtEY24gUJiBrPf9sm-dGDa3tX5WG84KydFXOZKSTW646QR6WcPDLIDlYp4h_V-vw7qpgBxli8d7VtmTxWIPGR4eYgVn6aPhMp7F4tmuKbQTDflH8sR82tw7JU/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+001.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi504A7WyXso8tmQLvE6GigejbYf6BDkN5zXEbBlbig9C5IVGNzTuEpGmcgCMuX5QjLb691Kfmp4OOikct2QvwY1qu1EyI7B04Du0QBerILOc5pzcEpxkMOYxMOKUrAZgmnTSBKQf6OW08/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi504A7WyXso8tmQLvE6GigejbYf6BDkN5zXEbBlbig9C5IVGNzTuEpGmcgCMuX5QjLb691Kfmp4OOikct2QvwY1qu1EyI7B04Du0QBerILOc5pzcEpxkMOYxMOKUrAZgmnTSBKQf6OW08/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+002.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYNqU-aUCGgoeH6xJFcbQIaqqlbgELqvMuKT3S2ta1k3TfpRtJhyphenhyphenES0cEZ8J3T3FFJuiRgq8UormRdi-z0xS4S7zkcXQB3Qs81Qb98hyv6seYlmed7JW8pjrS4BH3DkuQ0f9wnaEDH0g/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYNqU-aUCGgoeH6xJFcbQIaqqlbgELqvMuKT3S2ta1k3TfpRtJhyphenhyphenES0cEZ8J3T3FFJuiRgq8UormRdi-z0xS4S7zkcXQB3Qs81Qb98hyv6seYlmed7JW8pjrS4BH3DkuQ0f9wnaEDH0g/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqfrR9wZ_ogEHYfrxbGw0Y7EVeg54yhNNGicdZCJAxye5QSiIA4kNhLBBdjX3vltI5rj_8QXuSpmLEYSBelMUJeVyGmdIXO_yGTFSJlwcUuQdBEab6udrg6f6SfnTDicgtY4CV9_lAwo/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqfrR9wZ_ogEHYfrxbGw0Y7EVeg54yhNNGicdZCJAxye5QSiIA4kNhLBBdjX3vltI5rj_8QXuSpmLEYSBelMUJeVyGmdIXO_yGTFSJlwcUuQdBEab6udrg6f6SfnTDicgtY4CV9_lAwo/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblG6cFw7g8IblcD7bpTSWspzvie7Jih8rSqpKvOD4E4qRDDoSfxY6KpE2Troe_5jtX7bFGEXb-il2if-3842-HfZQIx8Pqwxw1XRGswWZ6Tl4PG8_L3WZDBDZI2YL4seuT-OPDobPS_E/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblG6cFw7g8IblcD7bpTSWspzvie7Jih8rSqpKvOD4E4qRDDoSfxY6KpE2Troe_5jtX7bFGEXb-il2if-3842-HfZQIx8Pqwxw1XRGswWZ6Tl4PG8_L3WZDBDZI2YL4seuT-OPDobPS_E/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1P9IWSX3iHK5adJehqQSiIT1Yf7mizbGXwMA1QrIGMF_F7DyPMIH-sr8koRCO84Zqm1SLoWxOWm2lD24IMGa8ogcMyXClP2rePgTDR2IYcUXMyxEkJaL5yCNyYVoI87pKRujMjNNmHK0/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1P9IWSX3iHK5adJehqQSiIT1Yf7mizbGXwMA1QrIGMF_F7DyPMIH-sr8koRCO84Zqm1SLoWxOWm2lD24IMGa8ogcMyXClP2rePgTDR2IYcUXMyxEkJaL5yCNyYVoI87pKRujMjNNmHK0/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+010.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEi5elpGAkYgEp_6cDmDzxfduWawp4kUHsDpcQHWbBia-YPjvTlcOm4GYy5Fy-WxM7-4n6DjTY7UqpM3jr5oyi9cHIa2qXU3GtSjPGhLtH4JlWils1INKOumx4NjinJtk7hx5-PUOsTk/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSEi5elpGAkYgEp_6cDmDzxfduWawp4kUHsDpcQHWbBia-YPjvTlcOm4GYy5Fy-WxM7-4n6DjTY7UqpM3jr5oyi9cHIa2qXU3GtSjPGhLtH4JlWils1INKOumx4NjinJtk7hx5-PUOsTk/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+011.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGuhdhiuHpYdAd0cGWzKT11dJGxpPeHKS-MTuzgO9gGJa3ddHuD16gbntuzFYB6wgeHJvo_kRNQnaSf-hi_8PpWM8HjSQkUkXyejFL4ZzrN1_Xo3B-sRkIyXQx0yPSN4ad7snHARDRbM/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGuhdhiuHpYdAd0cGWzKT11dJGxpPeHKS-MTuzgO9gGJa3ddHuD16gbntuzFYB6wgeHJvo_kRNQnaSf-hi_8PpWM8HjSQkUkXyejFL4ZzrN1_Xo3B-sRkIyXQx0yPSN4ad7snHARDRbM/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+012.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEger7ZqOK9ZsC5R8Xly0nVswA8_cvL2wDePM7c7z8qjrWyGHN_o6TtlnkmnhybbXBfLzIHu_S3yG3xzkcPxyWi9WwufK3fW0gKLyK0gwNwSnTB8NIFophe04NsVjVdw8iYNupARaG6DggI/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEger7ZqOK9ZsC5R8Xly0nVswA8_cvL2wDePM7c7z8qjrWyGHN_o6TtlnkmnhybbXBfLzIHu_S3yG3xzkcPxyWi9WwufK3fW0gKLyK0gwNwSnTB8NIFophe04NsVjVdw8iYNupARaG6DggI/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+013.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjZhs80ovSboPTlLiDj9XZ941kqqbHz3wV4MO1KMI_CWwzvLPKyT7p7oicnVJKTxAf6s5xfrAp3F52xkAHsnw2bVa9wQLZ9JHpq488_w0pPu-S-CZgGeMDnRq1nVAYRinRkVi75k9_TY/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjZhs80ovSboPTlLiDj9XZ941kqqbHz3wV4MO1KMI_CWwzvLPKyT7p7oicnVJKTxAf6s5xfrAp3F52xkAHsnw2bVa9wQLZ9JHpq488_w0pPu-S-CZgGeMDnRq1nVAYRinRkVi75k9_TY/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+014.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPb61rvoz0dd1A9ebrLE42aWetqSiPpPrUlzPw-LtQLq84-FA1qbQSHIs06ZcfWH13_mlGIKZUQP4KK2Vd0vhX30rG-n74jCBosjZeSmcdlenauNZPruJjD5XMQ6jpnFYvnXiuInJLqXM/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPb61rvoz0dd1A9ebrLE42aWetqSiPpPrUlzPw-LtQLq84-FA1qbQSHIs06ZcfWH13_mlGIKZUQP4KK2Vd0vhX30rG-n74jCBosjZeSmcdlenauNZPruJjD5XMQ6jpnFYvnXiuInJLqXM/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BMd41wWwcT9toT6Y1dM9nVJoUomM8A427eXLxt3q8ZlpyOd6RenQBMzb4Uz8I48TX5ISOWoq4SNLcBttfutgVLFkMH0HP7JUB44LlvYJGvS2Q87Ok2jZB43S-zBOaIiV-bQoOMdprx0/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BMd41wWwcT9toT6Y1dM9nVJoUomM8A427eXLxt3q8ZlpyOd6RenQBMzb4Uz8I48TX5ISOWoq4SNLcBttfutgVLFkMH0HP7JUB44LlvYJGvS2Q87Ok2jZB43S-zBOaIiV-bQoOMdprx0/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+016.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bIq3gDwxznE-R7E5hmIojX0FcvF6fuRGnxU9FcNz8EEf3BnxgDerC6MVU8v2SMX9KRpi98TDuzum0C6z4AwnW1QuPpSDA-3WxeWXX9UNYJiA5x9mj5fhQPHrfbH8JnElAiBMfLMJ5jw/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bIq3gDwxznE-R7E5hmIojX0FcvF6fuRGnxU9FcNz8EEf3BnxgDerC6MVU8v2SMX9KRpi98TDuzum0C6z4AwnW1QuPpSDA-3WxeWXX9UNYJiA5x9mj5fhQPHrfbH8JnElAiBMfLMJ5jw/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvLWc3E7vnPKC01y_JktIpm_Dde3yiIxiJN7ua37PGHRsnsc-ad0xBhr_OTFjfOjml7uNq_hWfHa1tTdygjVXgshB294m8c4UxfcguVBn-bSx2qHYiQ5cXPQ2ndfy_aC6ffGSkdSHonk/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOvLWc3E7vnPKC01y_JktIpm_Dde3yiIxiJN7ua37PGHRsnsc-ad0xBhr_OTFjfOjml7uNq_hWfHa1tTdygjVXgshB294m8c4UxfcguVBn-bSx2qHYiQ5cXPQ2ndfy_aC6ffGSkdSHonk/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+018.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtqvhZcByayUV4t8pE8TS-BTBbQYK-WVra4LYFq0UA4MlP6uqMX3CiQumqWiocMgsYLEAIuoHC8Ms7xWSZBegz4wQfHA-1uIRinT78EmHdja4eXRWVU4zSyWBZt7S6plzbXGg4cjca6c/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTtqvhZcByayUV4t8pE8TS-BTBbQYK-WVra4LYFq0UA4MlP6uqMX3CiQumqWiocMgsYLEAIuoHC8Ms7xWSZBegz4wQfHA-1uIRinT78EmHdja4eXRWVU4zSyWBZt7S6plzbXGg4cjca6c/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+019.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
..and today we drove over to our (fingers crossed!!!) future neighborhood. While we bite our nails waiting for the last couple of house buying hurdles, we find moments to skip over there and check it out. We were so excited to find today that the beautiful park RIGHT across the street from our (fingers crossed!!!) future dream house can be accessed literally around the corner. There are seemingly endless hiking/biking trails with about a million deer running around. Please, please keep your FINGERS CROSSED!!! for us. If all goes well we will own our dream house in less than 30 days.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUfXeljlFzae7lcUBHxrNORlqlaXFOdABudshBukVFoeGIJMcMpdMdFUF7IpARsk9dU7Msc3jqifpJ8ejux4wfypQEEsBAkEkh-7tXEpE_NB6YZZzkfh0DNZhcLk9As5oGgLGeenh-xg/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUfXeljlFzae7lcUBHxrNORlqlaXFOdABudshBukVFoeGIJMcMpdMdFUF7IpARsk9dU7Msc3jqifpJ8ejux4wfypQEEsBAkEkh-7tXEpE_NB6YZZzkfh0DNZhcLk9As5oGgLGeenh-xg/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+020.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3FBy3CJPzNziQ01DaI9jcxGl7RRdrc4SAvJ7gAItxieM16XA-OfCP_BTlkNPJTXIzCEA4IjQyFBWvWXq34A58iIaqpGxiSzeBmRXNMhTz66i4alaX1cq4lMzTpr-HyyalY6jJ8vUHsE/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1006" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3FBy3CJPzNziQ01DaI9jcxGl7RRdrc4SAvJ7gAItxieM16XA-OfCP_BTlkNPJTXIzCEA4IjQyFBWvWXq34A58iIaqpGxiSzeBmRXNMhTz66i4alaX1cq4lMzTpr-HyyalY6jJ8vUHsE/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+021.jpg" width="402" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSE5eabs6Hr-ye73Ekr68dbXoIbedMs6fzRJ2EiarcraNY3Pgme_x5gIZ5gUASIdm9BayG2PD5N-SzueAqZpUA-l42tJCuxiYPJv1aPFVx_r7MCs8GeNimbKtrDDjT9sCqMuAo2Rm9GQ/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZSE5eabs6Hr-ye73Ekr68dbXoIbedMs6fzRJ2EiarcraNY3Pgme_x5gIZ5gUASIdm9BayG2PD5N-SzueAqZpUA-l42tJCuxiYPJv1aPFVx_r7MCs8GeNimbKtrDDjT9sCqMuAo2Rm9GQ/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+022.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wwrgEUJ4u-_5WXrf7ini0auiCBw6nqWI_TbSE7V9ZUJNztGBmaP9BaSc0Arnronov2t86TPqnDIBKOSBcdhmZcbsvPZfPyw0zZ2tPirIJ6pm40Uh8x2_qFL7WOJV9Z_ylF_ms2ZSfyQ/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wwrgEUJ4u-_5WXrf7ini0auiCBw6nqWI_TbSE7V9ZUJNztGBmaP9BaSc0Arnronov2t86TPqnDIBKOSBcdhmZcbsvPZfPyw0zZ2tPirIJ6pm40Uh8x2_qFL7WOJV9Z_ylF_ms2ZSfyQ/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+023.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzyW52FSk80FFzBzHvsQKLfBYPVSvC1a1un-NOGHUdFybN8YgAcheHYydwZTbbovMAFik-rkGltbdNMhu997bcXV8RmNiNxJib9BJiO_fu73JVfnU0zL8uY9XFnFXVGN0L5RPc9cCgR0/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNzyW52FSk80FFzBzHvsQKLfBYPVSvC1a1un-NOGHUdFybN8YgAcheHYydwZTbbovMAFik-rkGltbdNMhu997bcXV8RmNiNxJib9BJiO_fu73JVfnU0zL8uY9XFnFXVGN0L5RPc9cCgR0/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+024.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9pfDfNyVRJD6N_nuAMPN8G8WB0gautVXWP02VktrVRyLhDHXfOx4paBRt3ipUQGc8LXMdACpVYq59Mt_x3wJ_-aY1-qLmFFoNK40vfwCJcjODZNNjzCLqDb-s3W5ZppK-p3wxAt6zEY/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9pfDfNyVRJD6N_nuAMPN8G8WB0gautVXWP02VktrVRyLhDHXfOx4paBRt3ipUQGc8LXMdACpVYq59Mt_x3wJ_-aY1-qLmFFoNK40vfwCJcjODZNNjzCLqDb-s3W5ZppK-p3wxAt6zEY/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+026.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv-x1Iq4ltRJZSatDM9smUmUQHZlqCeoVtVkddWRFBWjcoPiCbHlukBBNg0l4vFYYufbH4cXFeIN5Zu1TUEg_H9rOg3RSITQQbL7WQm4FFtzN2y4XBnvVohRHgXoCILy6CTvoeUQ185c/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipv-x1Iq4ltRJZSatDM9smUmUQHZlqCeoVtVkddWRFBWjcoPiCbHlukBBNg0l4vFYYufbH4cXFeIN5Zu1TUEg_H9rOg3RSITQQbL7WQm4FFtzN2y4XBnvVohRHgXoCILy6CTvoeUQ185c/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+030.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
...and then I took the kids out for a dip to wrap up the weekend. They helped me experiment with some shutter speed practice. I want to get the hang of a technique I learned about in an online class a while ago. I don't have it yet, but got a few close calls today.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MW1KeCyTcCPM6Et2ftydusUPlO1jRcKllHiIWsViF7klS9aCMZBXeVH_jCkqlV_hrOcHQq51jK61VAobm3qxRxmZFfDsMgsvDMY8PmWZpSKy1FoAnSxlSnUVbYkXbHglvhOYCfUtUYA/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MW1KeCyTcCPM6Et2ftydusUPlO1jRcKllHiIWsViF7klS9aCMZBXeVH_jCkqlV_hrOcHQq51jK61VAobm3qxRxmZFfDsMgsvDMY8PmWZpSKy1FoAnSxlSnUVbYkXbHglvhOYCfUtUYA/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+033.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnh1sVvUre_47G6yENq7RMMcGIyCCWqUenIeKZpXBiWSL569u4ivMNSNO9f9jcLVUFbjpXHDYv74hCQ5HUQ9brSCSdxJtDFv6V6dN_KMQBMm50yAzlqns9lDMxfh2cseNMqM7lDYfbN2o/s1600/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnh1sVvUre_47G6yENq7RMMcGIyCCWqUenIeKZpXBiWSL569u4ivMNSNO9f9jcLVUFbjpXHDYv74hCQ5HUQ9brSCSdxJtDFv6V6dN_KMQBMm50yAzlqns9lDMxfh2cseNMqM7lDYfbN2o/s640/Owen%2527s+7th+bday+and+McAllister+walk+034.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-1289381547148657162017-07-24T07:49:00.003-07:002017-07-24T07:49:57.250-07:00Cape Week 2017Our annual family trip to Cape Cod was a smashing success yet again. We had a smaller crowd this year, but the magic remained. It's so fun each year to notice how much the kids have changed...most notably for the Stith clan this year was the independence we were able to let Zoe experience. She and her fellow older cousins spent much of the week going back and forth between the beach on bikes, creating their own memories, while the adults relaxed back at Regan Road. We soaked up our "sittin' circle" (lawn chairs surrounding our beloved Mom/Gram) with the constantly rotating collection of cousins, aunties, and uncles. I love the traditional destinations we always hit but cherish those quiet conversations with my nieces and nephews, watching them bond with each other and Gram.<br />
<br />
I'm proud of the pictures I took this year, so wanted to share a handful of them. Next year I hope to capture more of the Regan Road vibe but we will see...something pretty great about putting all devices away and just soaking up the together time.<br />
<br />
Let the countdown to Cape Week 2018 begin!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4y_FRRLhMORDMRn1lEHud6UsDC_yXUIDPZ6fDDrOWy81Ejse111t1hSTN5FzICqa6EbBAd7cl1g5AEjH-LWHWsUDj2AI2Dzvkc9feU7tN15a5bS0Ls9bn6yEvbWulMrzrolIuQBzkZi0/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4y_FRRLhMORDMRn1lEHud6UsDC_yXUIDPZ6fDDrOWy81Ejse111t1hSTN5FzICqa6EbBAd7cl1g5AEjH-LWHWsUDj2AI2Dzvkc9feU7tN15a5bS0Ls9bn6yEvbWulMrzrolIuQBzkZi0/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+037.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking at Flax Pond</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpFRV4S8lOUI-z3czAW6EDu6Wu6APJXiuFEXk-U1qapeMA2S-TRdw7wVj0cTAJnTXbjLVl2cIa603O8sAnymymMrCZUxzUDaOSxnnhszlkf18oIBvRjq8ONo2DQdzD-XmLWL-VDJQ4qU/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpFRV4S8lOUI-z3czAW6EDu6Wu6APJXiuFEXk-U1qapeMA2S-TRdw7wVj0cTAJnTXbjLVl2cIa603O8sAnymymMrCZUxzUDaOSxnnhszlkf18oIBvRjq8ONo2DQdzD-XmLWL-VDJQ4qU/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+038.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fisherman Owen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT5_3sFj_At62ZdN4kRkepERl0NDd-u55yPqDn0QH3GNl8y9l-UubHfCpv08KiFnay6xqmW1MtTEKvbs_Ck2TOUE5PrhYYg1gVLyMl8QxbpeOdDHzSdGoO2pou2m5e40mt50K4kmS8kU/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT5_3sFj_At62ZdN4kRkepERl0NDd-u55yPqDn0QH3GNl8y9l-UubHfCpv08KiFnay6xqmW1MtTEKvbs_Ck2TOUE5PrhYYg1gVLyMl8QxbpeOdDHzSdGoO2pou2m5e40mt50K4kmS8kU/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+044.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA56shL-SMgIHP8gKcBM7cHMmrIMJB2RY55d6BjiIFqB6drpdBI421Sq8cjdKdC4HZlqtpTdl7Rsear26vt5vBHEmu3wo-sbVGJBzT8bfRYRY0uz1486x1gvLZWUNrYPtrxj2S3l6NJy8/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA56shL-SMgIHP8gKcBM7cHMmrIMJB2RY55d6BjiIFqB6drpdBI421Sq8cjdKdC4HZlqtpTdl7Rsear26vt5vBHEmu3wo-sbVGJBzT8bfRYRY0uz1486x1gvLZWUNrYPtrxj2S3l6NJy8/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+046.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edgar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHzz6HtN3weF34sFCokQtpvNQPCL6QT2MvTumXMYFXvikZaijnEz0LPkYkDcsSB_FGIh3FgPw-6NfGQpi9APtg_5WZNb5-qQkUMxYA-x4m1VBnNm_1MGOyQlnPi1QIBipu_0w9UtPFiU/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHzz6HtN3weF34sFCokQtpvNQPCL6QT2MvTumXMYFXvikZaijnEz0LPkYkDcsSB_FGIh3FgPw-6NfGQpi9APtg_5WZNb5-qQkUMxYA-x4m1VBnNm_1MGOyQlnPi1QIBipu_0w9UtPFiU/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+051.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edgar getting a good toss from Uncle Mike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOlBkVv4nzLoJ49x1URaYqPupHsLXBHbQfSKLBVBVk80JmDomAzWCCkD9p_cLRJkBUHPBSXCo3BZ0YYjnpoPpCLwVTrwPtZkQgCyKsEhjfDP6KZnKoKDRo28VK_z36x1RHFKqwSTfBv4/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOlBkVv4nzLoJ49x1URaYqPupHsLXBHbQfSKLBVBVk80JmDomAzWCCkD9p_cLRJkBUHPBSXCo3BZ0YYjnpoPpCLwVTrwPtZkQgCyKsEhjfDP6KZnKoKDRo28VK_z36x1RHFKqwSTfBv4/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+055.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lukas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kS7qE5vT8G8JpOvpbw29ecaUeoyrqhFs1U1pPCAsaxSN5eVUqBJk8KOcBUJQ5_lGNvHwMpO_edJtdkgKgdHJgXvdN_Hx_QBWSavz9AlJ6fE2aj-iiUWssqlhJYNngPVIITJoq1nRF0o/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="1600" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kS7qE5vT8G8JpOvpbw29ecaUeoyrqhFs1U1pPCAsaxSN5eVUqBJk8KOcBUJQ5_lGNvHwMpO_edJtdkgKgdHJgXvdN_Hx_QBWSavz9AlJ6fE2aj-iiUWssqlhJYNngPVIITJoq1nRF0o/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+065.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7syczfyvWJiJCjoyPfyJxKgVhDecqtcKkiXShRqevRp69ThOGNEYyOw_lvX21ec9t0MkUB1xKPzPSmfsAZ6Ol0hvqcCa2bBkDD4n4Gyq7AM6MD0yQJuJav6uSUgpoYSTJv9W9i1XtlM/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7syczfyvWJiJCjoyPfyJxKgVhDecqtcKkiXShRqevRp69ThOGNEYyOw_lvX21ec9t0MkUB1xKPzPSmfsAZ6Ol0hvqcCa2bBkDD4n4Gyq7AM6MD0yQJuJav6uSUgpoYSTJv9W9i1XtlM/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+070.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gram and Zoe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdbWiSWRJXwDt0L59lDNT6wiKHp4yxNzMyG0FW5hn7nn4ENBo8AvVYBShdAe4gr7THpWD8G0rnepAZ9_o9ThnHLs2WukQKtkuyWuTzoomNtDXZ27asp9xw1Wz5eytuTC3KEmjhI_2rZg/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdbWiSWRJXwDt0L59lDNT6wiKHp4yxNzMyG0FW5hn7nn4ENBo8AvVYBShdAe4gr7THpWD8G0rnepAZ9_o9ThnHLs2WukQKtkuyWuTzoomNtDXZ27asp9xw1Wz5eytuTC3KEmjhI_2rZg/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+071.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jill and Ess soaking up the fun at Flax Pond</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIwEuXy9Y6FgJYlV8a4f2TnhmhvxFLNjujyBfW6pPK52TneMMX7qjkMTOx4Sp7Bbo3P39p_zy5O0YIGeyeh6nTYzZZIAwQ_DGyoQjgSg-jKka63YUxb5INMIl9XQzROuVmjxxN9eSJEM/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIwEuXy9Y6FgJYlV8a4f2TnhmhvxFLNjujyBfW6pPK52TneMMX7qjkMTOx4Sp7Bbo3P39p_zy5O0YIGeyeh6nTYzZZIAwQ_DGyoQjgSg-jKka63YUxb5INMIl9XQzROuVmjxxN9eSJEM/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+075.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNa8GK2XMVeozKLxyPnjUoxfi6o_Bv-PGlGBwyGJ6kIZ6hyphenhyphenV7lhek8LguYH-ODykAmtfQ72Zfp251WCuavogqdP96V-cFOQZjJyQEkhGYHVZzrVxdnCRRnWI6UDdGwt4D7Pj2tzNDwyZc/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNa8GK2XMVeozKLxyPnjUoxfi6o_Bv-PGlGBwyGJ6kIZ6hyphenhyphenV7lhek8LguYH-ODykAmtfQ72Zfp251WCuavogqdP96V-cFOQZjJyQEkhGYHVZzrVxdnCRRnWI6UDdGwt4D7Pj2tzNDwyZc/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+086.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otto</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxjfGMqpwW6St0kCFkQnGUEY_zIM2WWT-zuo2loX7F6hQgJyuYX0nhOEhBTCTPtL0bvPcur_G6_jFSYoYZXkUnkJgEghvzXbYZ_YHVlnr5xuEbP75F5OcZK_D8GnplAIlX0Vh1jKhjek/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="1600" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxjfGMqpwW6St0kCFkQnGUEY_zIM2WWT-zuo2loX7F6hQgJyuYX0nhOEhBTCTPtL0bvPcur_G6_jFSYoYZXkUnkJgEghvzXbYZ_YHVlnr5xuEbP75F5OcZK_D8GnplAIlX0Vh1jKhjek/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+087.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpy5Y1yoyiigVGLqQ1EnAf5BU2sXQM8bgwrT07gYsWOXDOqtHoDduZM3KBkCsQa2o5hKvtMKiug9lE3psVFO_RKUet_K_-zKQtlIGWGTo8ttcqItsJxtCbkD-hnIg_WalCLKPQK2BEIs/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpy5Y1yoyiigVGLqQ1EnAf5BU2sXQM8bgwrT07gYsWOXDOqtHoDduZM3KBkCsQa2o5hKvtMKiug9lE3psVFO_RKUet_K_-zKQtlIGWGTo8ttcqItsJxtCbkD-hnIg_WalCLKPQK2BEIs/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+108.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen getting launched by Uncle Ben</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHD_c2-u2447NTiWI-50JdGnoyCm43dsxeKtkEzEeM2EdwB_XDFlV-R3-zXNmSzG6R3GW_aP98RaXkkNGLxQj1OqIdAOFN7MRvA79lMWDxdJdCpToyTK6o6SZy69dpFzrALn3YrUMyhPo/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHD_c2-u2447NTiWI-50JdGnoyCm43dsxeKtkEzEeM2EdwB_XDFlV-R3-zXNmSzG6R3GW_aP98RaXkkNGLxQj1OqIdAOFN7MRvA79lMWDxdJdCpToyTK6o6SZy69dpFzrALn3YrUMyhPo/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+110.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ali</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRK9T8zAr8T8md9HtVU9qcGIvopFezkpTOsi4HVa410xWJWWwYepUMFyCmLxvlHZWzT1rVwWc686D4jSZ2ax7pdiyYIIriQRGYJjgJXnEzuiljGrXLqQC5llv8LJkrVzP2xlcAhd4GQl8/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRK9T8zAr8T8md9HtVU9qcGIvopFezkpTOsi4HVa410xWJWWwYepUMFyCmLxvlHZWzT1rVwWc686D4jSZ2ax7pdiyYIIriQRGYJjgJXnEzuiljGrXLqQC5llv8LJkrVzP2xlcAhd4GQl8/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+111.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Regan Road! You can see Gram at her perch there...nothing better than stumbling out with a cup of coffee each morning to head down for a sit and chat with that lady</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVQCsY-9EyBwR82h-M94ug9sfS3mSQKBVqyFxMWBXthcj3HDmvz-2qw4ud8sHjuEFzW_hDmZDL4bHkttq_pJ0Y9RQPyPXFQoHISEOVm61umfn7oXXN007bxvFnu_jp7o_yzl9icdIwUg/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVQCsY-9EyBwR82h-M94ug9sfS3mSQKBVqyFxMWBXthcj3HDmvz-2qw4ud8sHjuEFzW_hDmZDL4bHkttq_pJ0Y9RQPyPXFQoHISEOVm61umfn7oXXN007bxvFnu_jp7o_yzl9icdIwUg/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+114.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe and Auntie Catherine escorting little Sammy down to one of the houses to find more cousins to play with</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ9Cn2EaXXPvK_ZFklIxv1qX71839XdY6wPyFk9qFM-8NtQyvqlQThDu0jYxMWUBRMv1vOFiOcBL27RvElFjj5xTeTo8eqWXq4dmKYNPPUIvHlyQRtsS2w4QnUlZfFM_KP9NBX27ySuU/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZ9Cn2EaXXPvK_ZFklIxv1qX71839XdY6wPyFk9qFM-8NtQyvqlQThDu0jYxMWUBRMv1vOFiOcBL27RvElFjj5xTeTo8eqWXq4dmKYNPPUIvHlyQRtsS2w4QnUlZfFM_KP9NBX27ySuU/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+116.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 week old Toby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwBnjisz2yk8Wl-MIhzrCYfgy7HKd-P9q6l4nK4VU4HsMaqYLRjCsgeiIumKy3Ykz4w7l_5f1iqHLm1dWTSGKjFbkmeCoV9fkQJL1GQy1-RE2-yXoxbnIE079DLI7O2ImzH2FJwtEaRQ/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwBnjisz2yk8Wl-MIhzrCYfgy7HKd-P9q6l4nK4VU4HsMaqYLRjCsgeiIumKy3Ykz4w7l_5f1iqHLm1dWTSGKjFbkmeCoV9fkQJL1GQy1-RE2-yXoxbnIE079DLI7O2ImzH2FJwtEaRQ/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+119.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gram and Toby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND3QbQArlsrzNQjmNzsLTfebZb2BU3z6vjuVAmjXxmFYpoKnXDsScTHI0nw6Xix-pjj6ZvjmfQwnW2MRfYAzD8vyta2gtqrf5qOvh0C8o1xMd-8UXwEiC82MfLXpHSxvIBQHR3C89NhA/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND3QbQArlsrzNQjmNzsLTfebZb2BU3z6vjuVAmjXxmFYpoKnXDsScTHI0nw6Xix-pjj6ZvjmfQwnW2MRfYAzD8vyta2gtqrf5qOvh0C8o1xMd-8UXwEiC82MfLXpHSxvIBQHR3C89NhA/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+122.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otto and Ali sharing a float at Scargo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYtMBI4rWulpBohN7jKCbXUdwQMw8Cd6Zr3bRCm2OFpKExr4BFb5lHbZHva6jMvZb_1gKToh1YeshhgcicbzZ1jO2KshdM3kltA_exdhbSh8faWegDg8Upwbes_U4atNMmvNv73FFZSs/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEYtMBI4rWulpBohN7jKCbXUdwQMw8Cd6Zr3bRCm2OFpKExr4BFb5lHbZHva6jMvZb_1gKToh1YeshhgcicbzZ1jO2KshdM3kltA_exdhbSh8faWegDg8Upwbes_U4atNMmvNv73FFZSs/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+128.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyB54HIhCoky8vru35E3ZYO-ATUuB4RZ-rAI0KfaUUxdBqOvj5BmdDtVgUaq5nLVl6jOGxaeTcjgzRFi21Awu5THSW5fNyBTsV2vxWfmzFlxTT7jLdqv0NOjC4O6C5bY4gXl8pwFXgTJc/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1045" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyB54HIhCoky8vru35E3ZYO-ATUuB4RZ-rAI0KfaUUxdBqOvj5BmdDtVgUaq5nLVl6jOGxaeTcjgzRFi21Awu5THSW5fNyBTsV2vxWfmzFlxTT7jLdqv0NOjC4O6C5bY4gXl8pwFXgTJc/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+129.jpg" width="418" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicholas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1bSBa2JM3-08wBfTcqNpRHM6Mb6bvTvbqT0Fp3R72_nHdzwddst2A8aUpyBX7OZWzZ3c3EMDV9C1UDKrlHQje_cWjgI38rQf2qGSZZQJhyphenhyphenT-2D6lbs-e6uku5p2lPcQNkWApHL2tCAA/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1bSBa2JM3-08wBfTcqNpRHM6Mb6bvTvbqT0Fp3R72_nHdzwddst2A8aUpyBX7OZWzZ3c3EMDV9C1UDKrlHQje_cWjgI38rQf2qGSZZQJhyphenhyphenT-2D6lbs-e6uku5p2lPcQNkWApHL2tCAA/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+142.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handful of cousins!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmmSktbDBzqtMTv5ZH4aMxkn1_GfVBH81CWKMVBCpJpWujdIBFZaw3uHBAKhklv7tFZkV1KGa4JDxonPJ01bxs6n48FYJFseX2pmq4LAYqyt7UDYphaCbnaoMBfCLBFhiJIR54RgnkYg/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmmSktbDBzqtMTv5ZH4aMxkn1_GfVBH81CWKMVBCpJpWujdIBFZaw3uHBAKhklv7tFZkV1KGa4JDxonPJ01bxs6n48FYJFseX2pmq4LAYqyt7UDYphaCbnaoMBfCLBFhiJIR54RgnkYg/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+145.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFCj4HO7r46OdbMuKbfB89rm53R22Vs2Bb8Kfv7JXo0myDoac2Eg-v4C_UNy6bw2C_SV_be1tXgMuraccCl-74XPnyh4rUfdFFt6zzlvjat7CamoD0ZWzUHfxDvD0JRMN_LksUNshyphenhyphenZ0/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFCj4HO7r46OdbMuKbfB89rm53R22Vs2Bb8Kfv7JXo0myDoac2Eg-v4C_UNy6bw2C_SV_be1tXgMuraccCl-74XPnyh4rUfdFFt6zzlvjat7CamoD0ZWzUHfxDvD0JRMN_LksUNshyphenhyphenZ0/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+150.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen and Toby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnu70AssHIaH5cfvNO3NyYKZuBbECsdwwsCLB5qiLp4GtAe2qMnMN4o80EB1Q8MSBX6KJ8_kAvaoi68RF9mEMFutrDlhaVD6NtJRf7KO8rK1UoK-MiWdZYXhqAify-xsh_ZtYUL0E-HQ/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnu70AssHIaH5cfvNO3NyYKZuBbECsdwwsCLB5qiLp4GtAe2qMnMN4o80EB1Q8MSBX6KJ8_kAvaoi68RF9mEMFutrDlhaVD6NtJRf7KO8rK1UoK-MiWdZYXhqAify-xsh_ZtYUL0E-HQ/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+152.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe and Toby</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ns4jwK4ybpY1m4foU95Yrc28y7J3RvYvIKocD5oPHNxdoDFuVL6PKN32SqUjbMT2x3dAi3qZiXApuXKLRRSjzbCQu5t_XQ1JSPxzFvTLr4fvVC53UFMLxNjmlGzfOUFe2muXJ2FzLxE/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1225" data-original-width="1600" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Ns4jwK4ybpY1m4foU95Yrc28y7J3RvYvIKocD5oPHNxdoDFuVL6PKN32SqUjbMT2x3dAi3qZiXApuXKLRRSjzbCQu5t_XQ1JSPxzFvTLr4fvVC53UFMLxNjmlGzfOUFe2muXJ2FzLxE/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+160.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lukas trying out the skim board</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTB_LsYQlhyphenhyphenCxk0IOvmwn67pyiztNvuFWy5-oz2KakM0NC-OR0iZlwOYrTJZFwnfgE0Z8JOEMiVJ1_IPaKJ1jPC4VtxZinUJKY6TwwSVPWsAcl4DyBWh4gRCwzLQFLeg8aiR6o8dR0fis/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTB_LsYQlhyphenhyphenCxk0IOvmwn67pyiztNvuFWy5-oz2KakM0NC-OR0iZlwOYrTJZFwnfgE0Z8JOEMiVJ1_IPaKJ1jPC4VtxZinUJKY6TwwSVPWsAcl4DyBWh4gRCwzLQFLeg8aiR6o8dR0fis/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+161.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex showing us how it's done</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01qS_trSB6NjzFDVDxfBNNNFhZToL6qV8ZzBqolgVh2drokfNNR6D5Q9YS4Z-ZrBtRRbzW7z3aWClRjoAzQ8XUiG6O86NIz1HHT8_R31jqDYFzQKCFkhAze6Z0Y94bJvmj7lBMQzeAEM/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01qS_trSB6NjzFDVDxfBNNNFhZToL6qV8ZzBqolgVh2drokfNNR6D5Q9YS4Z-ZrBtRRbzW7z3aWClRjoAzQ8XUiG6O86NIz1HHT8_R31jqDYFzQKCFkhAze6Z0Y94bJvmj7lBMQzeAEM/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+166.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gymnasts and Target shoppers, Taylor and Zoe often discover they have the same items of clothing. Popsicle swimsuit twinsies this year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwilATic7ZTMr_HTrBOHBeW-CeC_GX4VosNZOtTvDKMfCXivZqIITZvA_0RFvwgqqR_90REUNZ7nB6XfhyBFF5UxiWtnxm0P6-IGC8hkjK6YFvp6Vn3AtiC7_OHYk2rYFj00RNFZ9AVE/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwilATic7ZTMr_HTrBOHBeW-CeC_GX4VosNZOtTvDKMfCXivZqIITZvA_0RFvwgqqR_90REUNZ7nB6XfhyBFF5UxiWtnxm0P6-IGC8hkjK6YFvp6Vn3AtiC7_OHYk2rYFj00RNFZ9AVE/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+169.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheering on the skim boarders</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oV3EZCdvlkOVfUqbMjL71aDSh8htzwMyHSeYiLYpvj-qbQXTp-eFLHxtH7BJ2uaEOTg2hObz7FcvQvTHVuE_QZ0zKX9yo_NhapMJjI3diLqICNzP0yM0m_Yw-Bzg_JRFGP0402MPhgM/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_oV3EZCdvlkOVfUqbMjL71aDSh8htzwMyHSeYiLYpvj-qbQXTp-eFLHxtH7BJ2uaEOTg2hObz7FcvQvTHVuE_QZ0zKX9yo_NhapMJjI3diLqICNzP0yM0m_Yw-Bzg_JRFGP0402MPhgM/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+174.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex waiting for just the right moment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqSqlpy9_q-ylpwI8b7m6TGuy4aip4ouwS1mxc_2DxR0OVyY0ZlmZgub1PDsdnKnZRpH1Nxtm4JD_qryvnU3KL7ONQZGI9yJU8yk9Bk_k4OGNXpKlcmol5882Nxw1bi6Zyf-k9lTxcQ8/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqSqlpy9_q-ylpwI8b7m6TGuy4aip4ouwS1mxc_2DxR0OVyY0ZlmZgub1PDsdnKnZRpH1Nxtm4JD_qryvnU3KL7ONQZGI9yJU8yk9Bk_k4OGNXpKlcmol5882Nxw1bi6Zyf-k9lTxcQ8/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+177.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Max</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKPXhSeDJn3VxC49DI7fegZQP9nBzNSiVpWWBpg28bIy_hqOc5UxoAtIsEFUeNYeUiKNu7VtTdDCLJw-Zg2cscduanz1O7F0oYHfLkiS6rnAbtKlbRPIOADqiJOeMhP-QkbgconrRgnc/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+182.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRKPXhSeDJn3VxC49DI7fegZQP9nBzNSiVpWWBpg28bIy_hqOc5UxoAtIsEFUeNYeUiKNu7VtTdDCLJw-Zg2cscduanz1O7F0oYHfLkiS6rnAbtKlbRPIOADqiJOeMhP-QkbgconrRgnc/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+182.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan got totally knocked over by a wave at Big Wave Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHaho__ZRTnziM6yzjT8kKiBtdAbTcwfzxrOLmHRf0AN5dhd4jPpJ09fUwlrIv_Jyou6Ez1XB_B52GmsV4OVj6GeyAju7D1QUfsoSnb8mLzXa3u7XBl_Wc8kGzsk0AgNKLI1rT35qTWk/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHaho__ZRTnziM6yzjT8kKiBtdAbTcwfzxrOLmHRf0AN5dhd4jPpJ09fUwlrIv_Jyou6Ez1XB_B52GmsV4OVj6GeyAju7D1QUfsoSnb8mLzXa3u7XBl_Wc8kGzsk0AgNKLI1rT35qTWk/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+187.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3 of 4 Grabowski sisters...we missed Rachel this year, but she and her family pulled off the cross country trip of a lifetime, so we don't feel too bad for them :-)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiHYgryC3eOsiSCTXzIlUPfkEIJir-EuHnflgaaBd4ZDxdS_55OYUE7hKxHNPENkP1XWU7UahdIVVItuVQjZUiucbvzdA7jYC6nsksd2Fou5OpNVrRsv5FtSyb0CKdgShpkw_p95J6EI/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiHYgryC3eOsiSCTXzIlUPfkEIJir-EuHnflgaaBd4ZDxdS_55OYUE7hKxHNPENkP1XWU7UahdIVVItuVQjZUiucbvzdA7jYC6nsksd2Fou5OpNVrRsv5FtSyb0CKdgShpkw_p95J6EI/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+188.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Got some great QT with Catherine this year. Can't wait to organize a trip to see them in Georgia sometime sooner rather than later</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYf1bJzy-sHV6vfErcUIoxtdc89DxAQ72aJE7o6tDbSkh5033PiJUcpuJKNFLlmDo3VVrd8eVwJl6B3fUsAEabup_VNsGH3KN3u_LbqTrGKpA1VYRPSAwLTNqSOpxXJm2uwi7C1G9bZ8/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlYf1bJzy-sHV6vfErcUIoxtdc89DxAQ72aJE7o6tDbSkh5033PiJUcpuJKNFLlmDo3VVrd8eVwJl6B3fUsAEabup_VNsGH3KN3u_LbqTrGKpA1VYRPSAwLTNqSOpxXJm2uwi7C1G9bZ8/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+191.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Wave Beach (not it's official name)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jodiq8FUNR5WA2cuctOjxjLVQHqyqt67-yPzoTl6MhFTGuli9zITLRS9ZIoKjzTXP_f6E4oPaE0gi_lG8cU_690R5nFRIzE5g8bDnSw21_JXKUV5QF35CvdMbAjeiZ8SGxsTq-U0nDs/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1003" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jodiq8FUNR5WA2cuctOjxjLVQHqyqt67-yPzoTl6MhFTGuli9zITLRS9ZIoKjzTXP_f6E4oPaE0gi_lG8cU_690R5nFRIzE5g8bDnSw21_JXKUV5QF35CvdMbAjeiZ8SGxsTq-U0nDs/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+193.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VHusWlTYZUn1EpYZ0h_w_WpuWEmDQz8PqDNkwwt0Rb4uY1QGVgklWR8acIimU6oeZUsZAR0wqPmTAxx9o6bDi9v_JhV5Ijp1AKlDYDE_0oEpqo_jPgmYbvlF6evo0kg8UCOgv2Am7tk/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1600" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VHusWlTYZUn1EpYZ0h_w_WpuWEmDQz8PqDNkwwt0Rb4uY1QGVgklWR8acIimU6oeZUsZAR0wqPmTAxx9o6bDi9v_JhV5Ijp1AKlDYDE_0oEpqo_jPgmYbvlF6evo0kg8UCOgv2Am7tk/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+194.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of seal sightings at Big Wave Beach...watch out for sharks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJD4M4T5_0VDA97dfoMX68-EEiJJITOiB0Bp4Hy6m4w5DNW28oY2rbDnLodDBqBWnWiSAmt3eKs9wIjtPKEesq84p8xc_5qnstsk_AES_-ssIZVUjrKgEYOr6YRPzZRqfQIJ6LzuUxuFY/s1600/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJD4M4T5_0VDA97dfoMX68-EEiJJITOiB0Bp4Hy6m4w5DNW28oY2rbDnLodDBqBWnWiSAmt3eKs9wIjtPKEesq84p8xc_5qnstsk_AES_-ssIZVUjrKgEYOr6YRPzZRqfQIJ6LzuUxuFY/s640/Cape+Week+2017+and+misc+192.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So long Cape Week 2017. Thanks for the memories!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-35749214998100077562017-04-22T19:48:00.000-07:002017-04-22T19:48:01.785-07:00Senior PortraitsI got to dip my toes into new photographic waters (for me) this morning. A friend from work and her daughter were kind enough to let me try my luck at taking her senior portraits. I really enjoyed this experience..such a difference taking photos of someone who doesn't get tired of the camera after 5 or 10 minutes. They came prepared with props and ideas and I think together we came up with some nice shots. I hope to do more and more of these and at some point this year start a modest photography business. Feel free to let me know what you think!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_SUsG8lzleaDEgWxFBm09LF6fdRhOGhqjDGtviuyD6Oop1ze-3AEcA-E1WGguc04435mm17Jz3mJ72-MDpaN1bCWI0t6vVcoqwf1qftH3pnH2mfYF3Q5X_qh1ytIDLHz8SUfipj-vJI/s1600/Gabriella+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_SUsG8lzleaDEgWxFBm09LF6fdRhOGhqjDGtviuyD6Oop1ze-3AEcA-E1WGguc04435mm17Jz3mJ72-MDpaN1bCWI0t6vVcoqwf1qftH3pnH2mfYF3Q5X_qh1ytIDLHz8SUfipj-vJI/s640/Gabriella+004.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9nsQJFJFEsGN9fS7w2Ra0u8YZ3mN_RZfnviURgOZtuyZqWat56ZKcBuH7sMH92leXHxjtvJ8U5LxbzpbVrN2NVObGWyYwc2a1xnZ8KuaWMLsPgEOeR0Nqa1x49lSr7XfxxU155MMFOw/s1600/Gabriella+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ9nsQJFJFEsGN9fS7w2Ra0u8YZ3mN_RZfnviURgOZtuyZqWat56ZKcBuH7sMH92leXHxjtvJ8U5LxbzpbVrN2NVObGWyYwc2a1xnZ8KuaWMLsPgEOeR0Nqa1x49lSr7XfxxU155MMFOw/s640/Gabriella+019.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJycyiWM6IJhsntRidBw3DDu2izrfuskEjXKTJNnsnxK__S0oSDcD0xxkD268irlOIkAs1HVIxbu3TbCD3ZQpxP95P-M0wvGNYsR8lev355uN5x2r84o5J8-6oXCjk5s_1aYOhLc9WPls/s1600/Gabriella+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJycyiWM6IJhsntRidBw3DDu2izrfuskEjXKTJNnsnxK__S0oSDcD0xxkD268irlOIkAs1HVIxbu3TbCD3ZQpxP95P-M0wvGNYsR8lev355uN5x2r84o5J8-6oXCjk5s_1aYOhLc9WPls/s640/Gabriella+032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghd6gRz4Pw254TygH25OrJbD5uOhSnrgOGuUif9hqqmGKmkQWq3aEFPQqj9plTblex8IzeS4nIy52Knpl4cqR3oVwP3NNTzkwURAlwUWiv5tAGE3XFaBFkmEsTEVYogN-aplKAhkPqRlg/s1600/Gabriella+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghd6gRz4Pw254TygH25OrJbD5uOhSnrgOGuUif9hqqmGKmkQWq3aEFPQqj9plTblex8IzeS4nIy52Knpl4cqR3oVwP3NNTzkwURAlwUWiv5tAGE3XFaBFkmEsTEVYogN-aplKAhkPqRlg/s640/Gabriella+035.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmExrjZek4CPQ2O1D65yMXkhVIGkFUwcuG3QKFc_jWrfZ6vNxR8DCoN8HAmIeK8tHmDvrK1uLbKsclDNgTzd4PG07Q6JPyxg_7ONFoS8P3XZd-NaPn9Bs0fnrj1GmXpb-TJq6-3N83SyY/s1600/Gabriella+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmExrjZek4CPQ2O1D65yMXkhVIGkFUwcuG3QKFc_jWrfZ6vNxR8DCoN8HAmIeK8tHmDvrK1uLbKsclDNgTzd4PG07Q6JPyxg_7ONFoS8P3XZd-NaPn9Bs0fnrj1GmXpb-TJq6-3N83SyY/s640/Gabriella+040.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhxeYHxkMSteF8iRCUmZ3jVwRz-v5aO0pVIDzYaDsmtkSOWrVXbtlWl2Fwq8461HdOJL62FmNnC0r-6ddjMyPd65MWpxZxCdriT8NUn7T0vyjoFUrPaiqDw2bYWjat7fh3HxMXf2b5WA/s1600/Gabriella+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhxeYHxkMSteF8iRCUmZ3jVwRz-v5aO0pVIDzYaDsmtkSOWrVXbtlWl2Fwq8461HdOJL62FmNnC0r-6ddjMyPd65MWpxZxCdriT8NUn7T0vyjoFUrPaiqDw2bYWjat7fh3HxMXf2b5WA/s640/Gabriella+044.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmnPy2fJH1_zbmm09AvJzIgwV5miShclj98tHUYJHVNHUVAGvhNJ7QTf4SZuSW72UZcbm5pz2AmvGjJ5_cQDg8ACdnhX3xNHUJESOmEIlKscbZjzwLtRxzibmO68_f8nh0AWZdD9DxSI/s1600/Gabriella+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmnPy2fJH1_zbmm09AvJzIgwV5miShclj98tHUYJHVNHUVAGvhNJ7QTf4SZuSW72UZcbm5pz2AmvGjJ5_cQDg8ACdnhX3xNHUJESOmEIlKscbZjzwLtRxzibmO68_f8nh0AWZdD9DxSI/s640/Gabriella+045.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-74453176289729317032017-04-16T14:55:00.004-07:002017-04-16T18:46:50.388-07:00Wildflower PeepingHappy Spring!<br />
<br />
Since visiting just before our move last year, we've been hearing a lot about the stunning Texas wildflowers. In order to officially ring in the season, we thought we would celebrate by peeping at Spring in all it's glory up in the Hill Country. Most of the color and variety was found along the highway where we couldn't stop and snap photos, but we finished the day off by enjoying <a href="http://www.wildseedfarms.com/home.php">Wildseed Farm</a> in Fredericksburg. The farm has beautiful poppy fields right now and although we didn't really get a closeup view of our state flower, the bluebonnet, we did see an endless amount along the highway. All in all a success although, as do so many places and moments, it made me wish my Mom could have joined us...I think she would have loved the vibrant colors and wide variety. Maybe someday, Mom--in the meantime I hope you enjoy these photos!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0gdlYqssuTGUiF_OKuNXbQZLlmS6g9CaueMp1b0UzMrYAhRlQHecRW8cMgI4dHcSJCnFAiOTI9VKgi3KoiD-ttGb4EkglNLFZTZw7MuE-ek-WiOCbgeCKdCSsg9xhcNiyK23UYwKYco/s1600/IMG_3189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0gdlYqssuTGUiF_OKuNXbQZLlmS6g9CaueMp1b0UzMrYAhRlQHecRW8cMgI4dHcSJCnFAiOTI9VKgi3KoiD-ttGb4EkglNLFZTZw7MuE-ek-WiOCbgeCKdCSsg9xhcNiyK23UYwKYco/s640/IMG_3189.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one photo I was able to snap with my phone along the highway. I suppose we could have found more spots, but I was busy just soakin' it in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqQPccAjQmawLTrPC7Bd5GAPamVsqJfznN29Meceq7jrcBoE1n_PQYCs85zK5RRBjlALeSQLuj1LkiI6i4QVsePF2hdQxSZutNfDmOxx7kyYld9tBUWaZ5t8oKHhI7gVfAArIMYvmp_E/s1600/IMG_3206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqQPccAjQmawLTrPC7Bd5GAPamVsqJfznN29Meceq7jrcBoE1n_PQYCs85zK5RRBjlALeSQLuj1LkiI6i4QVsePF2hdQxSZutNfDmOxx7kyYld9tBUWaZ5t8oKHhI7gVfAArIMYvmp_E/s400/IMG_3206.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen took this one with my phone. I edited it a bit in Instagram but the kid has a good eye, no?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij0W86WAzs5RIMJai_cqi8cBz4q8P5sqw3UHDeMiQCmNdqLHT0F6dk9IBiYspDluUWOx6vMKvVak_e8UsNdoIhspmGAKzrpRl23B62ptupS5RfXTkhBBQfe1gTsEepwObaXNV-QaeIVA/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+001%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhij0W86WAzs5RIMJai_cqi8cBz4q8P5sqw3UHDeMiQCmNdqLHT0F6dk9IBiYspDluUWOx6vMKvVak_e8UsNdoIhspmGAKzrpRl23B62ptupS5RfXTkhBBQfe1gTsEepwObaXNV-QaeIVA/s640/Wildflower+peeping+001%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjB3w2jPj8KgKlN6r1GeFB_0jht4FzCdjyR_JmYOWCogu6KjE5AZZnnHE_Xrt0PvgDRwh07ZLUih8T9OZI1qrdrKP7u65kZSNpiSbPyxRwBrKDutkJmNS0OamB1YAyKG1H2AUkttBCTs/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+002%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjB3w2jPj8KgKlN6r1GeFB_0jht4FzCdjyR_JmYOWCogu6KjE5AZZnnHE_Xrt0PvgDRwh07ZLUih8T9OZI1qrdrKP7u65kZSNpiSbPyxRwBrKDutkJmNS0OamB1YAyKG1H2AUkttBCTs/s640/Wildflower+peeping+002%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These cactus flowers are proving to be Nathan's favorite. I see cacti in our future yard!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEPOk30GYKzXvlJArH785y6Kr3tlj3ZjyBxuVDFbtQnuGx2H2COLwUXu_p-gOCAiXUsWMhb7Jv8xRPr7ErUsXzo1JqN7t2PFaBArVLGXdFg_afFlZXZcKfNb1PRc0u6cfyjgOl08wuyE/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+004%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEPOk30GYKzXvlJArH785y6Kr3tlj3ZjyBxuVDFbtQnuGx2H2COLwUXu_p-gOCAiXUsWMhb7Jv8xRPr7ErUsXzo1JqN7t2PFaBArVLGXdFg_afFlZXZcKfNb1PRc0u6cfyjgOl08wuyE/s640/Wildflower+peeping+004%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CYyvHfJEGvfew0vIhPEqN5ce02XbQhyphenhyphen7Wy6QVWHzSpDfdd9hCxmnYAMF9L3GQ4jt94fh8n3rl1Hy54eHRb6h-HtFqs5dzgPsARMTBAmOewJ-3T-E9_l_DI2yTWbdZ7MTb1DvSssXXh0/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+008%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5CYyvHfJEGvfew0vIhPEqN5ce02XbQhyphenhyphen7Wy6QVWHzSpDfdd9hCxmnYAMF9L3GQ4jt94fh8n3rl1Hy54eHRb6h-HtFqs5dzgPsARMTBAmOewJ-3T-E9_l_DI2yTWbdZ7MTb1DvSssXXh0/s640/Wildflower+peeping+008%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7G8HVWekEYi7mUiSnWWS0rVuqb1P5JVVKDUJO1E-STLpbYyE_VyiaHnHpOkLEaEFTcI9VR2dGpGI_yD1Rbj7TVD2JhvQ9GYHJLw2XAQW5n5_qXW4UVEX4UuCvZnp5jY36FjwW4RN3igk/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+009%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7G8HVWekEYi7mUiSnWWS0rVuqb1P5JVVKDUJO1E-STLpbYyE_VyiaHnHpOkLEaEFTcI9VR2dGpGI_yD1Rbj7TVD2JhvQ9GYHJLw2XAQW5n5_qXW4UVEX4UuCvZnp5jY36FjwW4RN3igk/s640/Wildflower+peeping+009%25282%2529.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPwmBNdiW4CDW9qsIJFE_urap1cqvLfxW07MrcB55YOI5pMWhpxVTRn6bhqXu_Dt2HVPJ9T0DYv-zSc6USAvqjD_ZDi3dtXbszZzyX0bcYHPe3HNLUNtHzx826BT727INbHCezczx9Ys/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+011%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPwmBNdiW4CDW9qsIJFE_urap1cqvLfxW07MrcB55YOI5pMWhpxVTRn6bhqXu_Dt2HVPJ9T0DYv-zSc6USAvqjD_ZDi3dtXbszZzyX0bcYHPe3HNLUNtHzx826BT727INbHCezczx9Ys/s640/Wildflower+peeping+011%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Managed to snap this one lonely bluebonnet. The farm had a big field of them, but it was fenced off for limited viewing from afar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnIjL8AUK4mtYejnC-Ao3BgiuWyaYAeMyDeiCDmLUz9fFdtHHwvRndOl_Z4C3VcgiN8jm3zqrYiHChUC9gtLBQz4qye7YKjk7XbYJcjVi6FPtxjd-G4YpT0BdcFVCiv3dVjLMpzlq110/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+011%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmnIjL8AUK4mtYejnC-Ao3BgiuWyaYAeMyDeiCDmLUz9fFdtHHwvRndOl_Z4C3VcgiN8jm3zqrYiHChUC9gtLBQz4qye7YKjk7XbYJcjVi6FPtxjd-G4YpT0BdcFVCiv3dVjLMpzlq110/s640/Wildflower+peeping+011%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7z7IIB-EfAXjqcUOWGoUNzvhafwz1636D9RJl72-AMl3iFk-x3q1A3QzE49H0NeoXRzdXF9vQKISREgBKd0vhb_14hVBsmobSS37qQLBJ8GJoyn1hvrWv9ObVLJ7NOrjn-YmIYSbe-E/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy7z7IIB-EfAXjqcUOWGoUNzvhafwz1636D9RJl72-AMl3iFk-x3q1A3QzE49H0NeoXRzdXF9vQKISREgBKd0vhb_14hVBsmobSS37qQLBJ8GJoyn1hvrWv9ObVLJ7NOrjn-YmIYSbe-E/s640/Wildflower+peeping+012.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't remember the name of this one, but I dubbed it a personal favorite when I worked at <a href="http://www.clearbrookfarm.co/">Clear Brook Farm</a> in Shaftsbury after college (sooooo long ago). Still a fav, whatever it's called!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbQy140BJ70l2ztjXm9oCiP6-AdDYo5ddiRn_6A7ZMKE2_cxj_eKU67VVsLvFZ1XuJfZOmOaJOJIRmms2Chr69P2FPE9O9fdXbiUuWMmPGnw5E4tBS4CJGZ-4Z_UgzEHDkNC3g2yW21w/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+015%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbQy140BJ70l2ztjXm9oCiP6-AdDYo5ddiRn_6A7ZMKE2_cxj_eKU67VVsLvFZ1XuJfZOmOaJOJIRmms2Chr69P2FPE9O9fdXbiUuWMmPGnw5E4tBS4CJGZ-4Z_UgzEHDkNC3g2yW21w/s640/Wildflower+peeping+015%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3nkw8JCQSSXKBrlHefUWO1ZbEt-F1wvhNMrxdO9MOzRpe-dqP1GWUdQZ3G27vdvm8u2K4ShUtWs8RtP86jkK3guqqa2-ryNwqb9B1U2SeJ4VdFEYcmD3YiJ8pSvAlPuttgGy6J2qYi8/s1600/Wildflower+peeping+015%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3nkw8JCQSSXKBrlHefUWO1ZbEt-F1wvhNMrxdO9MOzRpe-dqP1GWUdQZ3G27vdvm8u2K4ShUtWs8RtP86jkK3guqqa2-ryNwqb9B1U2SeJ4VdFEYcmD3YiJ8pSvAlPuttgGy6J2qYi8/s640/Wildflower+peeping+015%25283%2529.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-19775225275816594532017-03-25T21:15:00.000-07:002017-03-25T21:15:01.261-07:00T-Ball!Today was opening day for Owen's big T-Ball season and it was a great morning! He has a sweet team with a kind coach, and they get to play all their games on the fancy little league fields all season. I took on the project of getting a good collection of photos of all the kids today, and I hope the other parents are happy with what I came up with.<br />
<br />
Hooray for T-Ball!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bn6kobIQiI2HaGdPS9f-ocQ13tNuIeyk-ShqqfQygjAJ_Fn91Xfz1AMsm5jFTbJmoTEBpJv7tKXZ7ukZvmFmT2nuXW4o6KtWXAzx1YpQzvVg9rKWHLxW8ZiIIiGlekNoeRVph4P0IEE/s1600/1st+Game+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8bn6kobIQiI2HaGdPS9f-ocQ13tNuIeyk-ShqqfQygjAJ_Fn91Xfz1AMsm5jFTbJmoTEBpJv7tKXZ7ukZvmFmT2nuXW4o6KtWXAzx1YpQzvVg9rKWHLxW8ZiIIiGlekNoeRVph4P0IEE/s640/1st+Game+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsBrAvJYHY4819qRMO_YEtKlGp3hcau72UiRH4lWgbAYBe-uqSHRxkfyCewXujXg6b0gxF928C3umxIap_oswSJ3dyhOzczgoK8f3d1mFAelC2EdeH8RpBCIOAcmtTePrT1yDhgwfPdM/s1600/1st+Game+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsBrAvJYHY4819qRMO_YEtKlGp3hcau72UiRH4lWgbAYBe-uqSHRxkfyCewXujXg6b0gxF928C3umxIap_oswSJ3dyhOzczgoK8f3d1mFAelC2EdeH8RpBCIOAcmtTePrT1yDhgwfPdM/s640/1st+Game+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhl7MtvKvwOFisXZRf1S7Y8Xulf71efqTL_MPoLUbd6euZfm3uBI6TMjgUalvRwxSa30fsgoTHkwPWKqSG74Lqe03XaucieLTp5HqwwPq_zTt0eNJ9eG4NjRcWiHKGTSiXMlcm9h-TbE/s1600/1st+Game+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhl7MtvKvwOFisXZRf1S7Y8Xulf71efqTL_MPoLUbd6euZfm3uBI6TMjgUalvRwxSa30fsgoTHkwPWKqSG74Lqe03XaucieLTp5HqwwPq_zTt0eNJ9eG4NjRcWiHKGTSiXMlcm9h-TbE/s640/1st+Game+005.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOLsBjMZHjNsWRDfrZb3bfRanIL5yyC7E1HqUvzzZsGYUx7MrhI4RPRv7kk__dYOvDburQzmlSASxRkZTHO_QprfONjxJ7vvUb89uhzGwFOumt6BSWGqUeBEhUyyHCsiW87yErEwYbXA/s1600/1st+Game+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLOLsBjMZHjNsWRDfrZb3bfRanIL5yyC7E1HqUvzzZsGYUx7MrhI4RPRv7kk__dYOvDburQzmlSASxRkZTHO_QprfONjxJ7vvUb89uhzGwFOumt6BSWGqUeBEhUyyHCsiW87yErEwYbXA/s640/1st+Game+006.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4NXECSRMSKDNlZ5TXwpLN4dQ7ugSBUoPHJev1qqrDGwSNOWsQ9hCsrMYoppNxDEpygPMlsWHQ_wxFbnmE279r_q05OMUJUAzkYLdgX84QXZTDFdJ4W2VXES9Crlrrilui4DUkDdeID0/s1600/1st+Game+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4NXECSRMSKDNlZ5TXwpLN4dQ7ugSBUoPHJev1qqrDGwSNOWsQ9hCsrMYoppNxDEpygPMlsWHQ_wxFbnmE279r_q05OMUJUAzkYLdgX84QXZTDFdJ4W2VXES9Crlrrilui4DUkDdeID0/s640/1st+Game+009.jpg" width="514" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaurR1xkd_kV9VMO_fYRSbTdH8Vz_6spGh8Bh1a9b3dsdAUIt7xdoeZxHfLkn0-RgZdeNLDyZmzBCtZ_677GJXgL-F-ePeaU44CI9z8y7X60YSbAoyrJFKVm965l0b5gtDa7e9fMcJ_EM/s1600/1st+Game+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaurR1xkd_kV9VMO_fYRSbTdH8Vz_6spGh8Bh1a9b3dsdAUIt7xdoeZxHfLkn0-RgZdeNLDyZmzBCtZ_677GJXgL-F-ePeaU44CI9z8y7X60YSbAoyrJFKVm965l0b5gtDa7e9fMcJ_EM/s640/1st+Game+010.jpg" width="482" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGtygBxBVpSc57MZoq6gyOiCKnJ448v2gcFBXAarNB7b-a6aS8p299LBJt5xjkO8D9f0CTymiXVKvTJujbcpJRknQcpr6IBta8f4OCQXCl4UPlrEpXnxg0EPf7CUtbaeNdC95sofwJVs/s1600/1st+Game+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipGtygBxBVpSc57MZoq6gyOiCKnJ448v2gcFBXAarNB7b-a6aS8p299LBJt5xjkO8D9f0CTymiXVKvTJujbcpJRknQcpr6IBta8f4OCQXCl4UPlrEpXnxg0EPf7CUtbaeNdC95sofwJVs/s640/1st+Game+011.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQCnNenf6iEjy1s16VG0Ry9xyxe-EwBvmU1thwvc3ZgeJwI0xzM_Io3dOjwVKljXeXXRSEdNNbFAZ81N40Jzbvp8_izorkK6Ywo9sCuRIUPHHi6f7MMhCyT86P4g9LmjooAqRL56yeqg/s1600/1st+Game+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQCnNenf6iEjy1s16VG0Ry9xyxe-EwBvmU1thwvc3ZgeJwI0xzM_Io3dOjwVKljXeXXRSEdNNbFAZ81N40Jzbvp8_izorkK6Ywo9sCuRIUPHHi6f7MMhCyT86P4g9LmjooAqRL56yeqg/s640/1st+Game+012.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kOQU75pK6mKWICKy5rYoTB9NfAJDTi1KBYHQBmXI6qxgol5PVNBRmyaJEry6JhWbK0FOieH6MnHJRZjAtDzSFr8FERyD4w9m3MFFDn-pCN1fXWPH1w9RV87kJJTwUAGzrsDFusxKTHw/s1600/1st+Game+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kOQU75pK6mKWICKy5rYoTB9NfAJDTi1KBYHQBmXI6qxgol5PVNBRmyaJEry6JhWbK0FOieH6MnHJRZjAtDzSFr8FERyD4w9m3MFFDn-pCN1fXWPH1w9RV87kJJTwUAGzrsDFusxKTHw/s640/1st+Game+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7E2YKhZYfuTEhm9AP1hHpBEbg27x_6kCrKkQCOooIEnW43xfh0QDXs50X0GmEi46nrBcPRm1wnHbFFk20BZftDOyqJj1TwqzrCtNY6zrKas82YCaSVUdbOJB4g4PAFTSCrfv1sZR740/s1600/1st+Game+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7E2YKhZYfuTEhm9AP1hHpBEbg27x_6kCrKkQCOooIEnW43xfh0QDXs50X0GmEi46nrBcPRm1wnHbFFk20BZftDOyqJj1TwqzrCtNY6zrKas82YCaSVUdbOJB4g4PAFTSCrfv1sZR740/s640/1st+Game+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYAXaGmPr9JZgEroqouD0fc74jKzgaVCdYmrf6mPjUH3UKWF2vVEzC7y5N8Koa25Xpo1ZMcNujzxwtW4F9p2vnVfpkGYVPLKli4o9225CgSSvho1iDJ7XiiDQE3YVYqi0YDhcIknuWW0/s1600/1st+Game+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYAXaGmPr9JZgEroqouD0fc74jKzgaVCdYmrf6mPjUH3UKWF2vVEzC7y5N8Koa25Xpo1ZMcNujzxwtW4F9p2vnVfpkGYVPLKli4o9225CgSSvho1iDJ7XiiDQE3YVYqi0YDhcIknuWW0/s640/1st+Game+015.jpg" width="508" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhKHp1MqqPLmTBv4fd7KAwcG8_JYXQG188hTOuGvdHUKBo5-Hqhw_0t3g6_r95BiyYNiNnWswob0s5qe5Zsb2m0t7Br3-wLHJujJVDAb-FuR26PA29R9O9J3y1KWt63EtxLzim1chfZo/s1600/1st+Game+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhKHp1MqqPLmTBv4fd7KAwcG8_JYXQG188hTOuGvdHUKBo5-Hqhw_0t3g6_r95BiyYNiNnWswob0s5qe5Zsb2m0t7Br3-wLHJujJVDAb-FuR26PA29R9O9J3y1KWt63EtxLzim1chfZo/s640/1st+Game+016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJyH9nw_v-tVtFb4By2exu9l8Rcg03CHVzAY9VOn_M2ti28D6DKdwqoc222I7qmnODdij4ITqaQfuhx0UNgiBt2P4buZd_K5lgZwgoh2mooiFQ7a-_nYFWfvIHNuLwGUeiAwFefiDzrU/s1600/1st+Game+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJyH9nw_v-tVtFb4By2exu9l8Rcg03CHVzAY9VOn_M2ti28D6DKdwqoc222I7qmnODdij4ITqaQfuhx0UNgiBt2P4buZd_K5lgZwgoh2mooiFQ7a-_nYFWfvIHNuLwGUeiAwFefiDzrU/s640/1st+Game+017.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsY9BEtieYcUn1AyF02szn__ei6PXc5WLpXETLxTwy9IpEDMuuggH2s0pTddhZnZyN7uZoSdBb5r9G-MY5wjTLHAHbPX3giTNWm1is5yMvTLJmT7zGRloLzHCqvdgylMCYZfpb38HBzbg/s1600/1st+Game+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsY9BEtieYcUn1AyF02szn__ei6PXc5WLpXETLxTwy9IpEDMuuggH2s0pTddhZnZyN7uZoSdBb5r9G-MY5wjTLHAHbPX3giTNWm1is5yMvTLJmT7zGRloLzHCqvdgylMCYZfpb38HBzbg/s640/1st+Game+019.jpg" width="538" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKp_lURAwLLR2fLse4ysni_DKef9MjmJCB05GD89PFPKgMpxMZPRb8s4ZLXGiDgAfDzSQRDOyyPhDps0Ra_Kchcp3tdyFMdZp4p5okYvxbIAD-NnvuDiXA-afnNK02j2sXl9r09GT2YQ/s1600/1st+Game+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKp_lURAwLLR2fLse4ysni_DKef9MjmJCB05GD89PFPKgMpxMZPRb8s4ZLXGiDgAfDzSQRDOyyPhDps0Ra_Kchcp3tdyFMdZp4p5okYvxbIAD-NnvuDiXA-afnNK02j2sXl9r09GT2YQ/s640/1st+Game+020.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aQ9mUGv3hWt2b6zpEslCw53lHbU9Or6no17LwW5-OGdszfr9PFUJSDGnNFwLkypCuFsAzJoGNKWeYfRxL131lIrChoDAjZAUKRSIJIGtA7N3CLTWWq47z_uqMio7ZW-p7WL8j-olOVQ/s1600/1st+Game+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aQ9mUGv3hWt2b6zpEslCw53lHbU9Or6no17LwW5-OGdszfr9PFUJSDGnNFwLkypCuFsAzJoGNKWeYfRxL131lIrChoDAjZAUKRSIJIGtA7N3CLTWWq47z_uqMio7ZW-p7WL8j-olOVQ/s640/1st+Game+021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD6-wdzuLheUx0wYARNR12Yaj15gW4MyplQy9h-Yzc3IHBg6d3f8H_YM7OevpMkOrY4LVIB_gfJbnG4FCR4BT6F94Gj8hBQX7u364km2E_4tlR-ZDidsRAhnBFckpgsoHB-37upRngig/s1600/1st+Game+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwD6-wdzuLheUx0wYARNR12Yaj15gW4MyplQy9h-Yzc3IHBg6d3f8H_YM7OevpMkOrY4LVIB_gfJbnG4FCR4BT6F94Gj8hBQX7u364km2E_4tlR-ZDidsRAhnBFckpgsoHB-37upRngig/s640/1st+Game+023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bM_v2gc0oSIiefl_BcoHtmZIk1MlatG4H9mAr2jc31Kfhj0HOYHDMalluWtTowu79-gFIwVqPMoYLtdYnHWFI6t-1PUA6wqXupH03w-s0_kKqbXeyII8jaehwZtuELJPrZk5ngzl2sg/s1600/1st+Game+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bM_v2gc0oSIiefl_BcoHtmZIk1MlatG4H9mAr2jc31Kfhj0HOYHDMalluWtTowu79-gFIwVqPMoYLtdYnHWFI6t-1PUA6wqXupH03w-s0_kKqbXeyII8jaehwZtuELJPrZk5ngzl2sg/s640/1st+Game+024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-O7fXr2shYjUWcSmEMqXxeS5w1XFkd6VOWvSN2QLyBpTl__R30WL_2dMqvl5SPhN7UN5j3Jl3FPYT916Zrts2CDlTSI5O6JoRAa_ga6wR-35pfXxpXvSaVDXWHa7WbXqIl8IwYR6Qm9Y/s1600/1st+Game+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-O7fXr2shYjUWcSmEMqXxeS5w1XFkd6VOWvSN2QLyBpTl__R30WL_2dMqvl5SPhN7UN5j3Jl3FPYT916Zrts2CDlTSI5O6JoRAa_ga6wR-35pfXxpXvSaVDXWHa7WbXqIl8IwYR6Qm9Y/s640/1st+Game+025.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXEofY-L-hAqSUL5vzpFMNsREmPhfs_fq9UwHalELQzQE91AecCi84HN8zOkCOGTZMjj63MpYReS4iuIefHTpZimnoO9owzjeg0nOdnAmArMyOLjBXtvYMtXuSubs8nwTtJ4wR73q8kU/s1600/1st+Game+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXEofY-L-hAqSUL5vzpFMNsREmPhfs_fq9UwHalELQzQE91AecCi84HN8zOkCOGTZMjj63MpYReS4iuIefHTpZimnoO9owzjeg0nOdnAmArMyOLjBXtvYMtXuSubs8nwTtJ4wR73q8kU/s640/1st+Game+026.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5HYUklltFDUyL5Yu76ZkYVof04ManYombSzctsbSU5GbDGlnKb5baG8EXzwm8gWEWH5buIESYxw4fNDbJCcg3waUa3Q8DyaMXdC0lqRVZBAbJy-eb3f-O_sJI3s8PLmjHrcSzj30eWg/s1600/1st+Game+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5HYUklltFDUyL5Yu76ZkYVof04ManYombSzctsbSU5GbDGlnKb5baG8EXzwm8gWEWH5buIESYxw4fNDbJCcg3waUa3Q8DyaMXdC0lqRVZBAbJy-eb3f-O_sJI3s8PLmjHrcSzj30eWg/s640/1st+Game+030.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRJlu-9AnzMkSoQkbcAXYnNtfYJICnA4ftphQFDKERz7U9abfZz-tgF57ZF4LU3lY6eE4VEqpnE2nJ4gY3SeDpU2rZf9vSRlBsKCz1XWdbIG6SBwNFtpNLkEznNEfdiFxtd2OAuu-LZw/s1600/1st+Game+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRJlu-9AnzMkSoQkbcAXYnNtfYJICnA4ftphQFDKERz7U9abfZz-tgF57ZF4LU3lY6eE4VEqpnE2nJ4gY3SeDpU2rZf9vSRlBsKCz1XWdbIG6SBwNFtpNLkEznNEfdiFxtd2OAuu-LZw/s640/1st+Game+031.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgBDzRbtxLD29bt4R0bth20bOimXiLEmqHGlacwtLaKfE-fuRbTkRVAd2Fgxu6zw3Th6yY1jtt4mt0SpZvEn-hVFC7wWykOy98MXFkx_Dyrae913F3jV-5Knt2Bzlp_xO4X0-l8u5kEE/s1600/1st+Game+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgBDzRbtxLD29bt4R0bth20bOimXiLEmqHGlacwtLaKfE-fuRbTkRVAd2Fgxu6zw3Th6yY1jtt4mt0SpZvEn-hVFC7wWykOy98MXFkx_Dyrae913F3jV-5Knt2Bzlp_xO4X0-l8u5kEE/s640/1st+Game+032.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvF4zM6yyTCS8UI7wh3C2bUC6Isr5F9lhQaTOiPBMKIayW8-8l70wAUucVB_iBw2fW9_ToFf9Per3-Z1gzGnurgBnD2cNOP92R6ozU7jAAtuiLfwF0KMOsAtGGx88CFYYvNFD6trR0Uk/s1600/1st+Game+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvF4zM6yyTCS8UI7wh3C2bUC6Isr5F9lhQaTOiPBMKIayW8-8l70wAUucVB_iBw2fW9_ToFf9Per3-Z1gzGnurgBnD2cNOP92R6ozU7jAAtuiLfwF0KMOsAtGGx88CFYYvNFD6trR0Uk/s640/1st+Game+033.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs9Jhcyoc88bvkyeWNF2UEs_OBYHP5C6v8poS4A9UpH5ppbceTue0pJ2C7nHJKf0N-ihZ6P5oC7PqzMRKgkwArGuqPCleG_zmINZpm7ol32I2a4_SRh1z_BtheOKb79hUSoOQCDG7OSQ/s1600/1st+Game+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcs9Jhcyoc88bvkyeWNF2UEs_OBYHP5C6v8poS4A9UpH5ppbceTue0pJ2C7nHJKf0N-ihZ6P5oC7PqzMRKgkwArGuqPCleG_zmINZpm7ol32I2a4_SRh1z_BtheOKb79hUSoOQCDG7OSQ/s640/1st+Game+034.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj7LrV3j9zUCQCvVKmgZd1e9dVlaXd_IStUGKNJnerObFUzV4n59yZJ0y23DbOMJ42SiKP5QVhGDgHA_ZVukj7BUNGH1pE_fA8d0SSQGBl_PHBjLNDpG_WE7xsFYElHyjiCg030ytn9M/s1600/1st+Game+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj7LrV3j9zUCQCvVKmgZd1e9dVlaXd_IStUGKNJnerObFUzV4n59yZJ0y23DbOMJ42SiKP5QVhGDgHA_ZVukj7BUNGH1pE_fA8d0SSQGBl_PHBjLNDpG_WE7xsFYElHyjiCg030ytn9M/s640/1st+Game+044.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uToWT-q-My4t0TMTRuaqs3-SeKx4SuJD9lzSKQqYqadlKhYQ2n6AHqzWvCLWuiGSaSIfbDbmD_T9skV8B6CEXJ9BpKjeCvXUiIj5taNMKlJ8sH1dEeJ0olK2hn40ViSmC-JgPqATlTE/s1600/1st+Game+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3uToWT-q-My4t0TMTRuaqs3-SeKx4SuJD9lzSKQqYqadlKhYQ2n6AHqzWvCLWuiGSaSIfbDbmD_T9skV8B6CEXJ9BpKjeCvXUiIj5taNMKlJ8sH1dEeJ0olK2hn40ViSmC-JgPqATlTE/s640/1st+Game+049.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cJaGEIN3w-WbUVWEcRsfVlVqDMiEIjGi17XQ32dUutfTfuAHJBv73d27B0UXVgTbIL5eHrYXY_nQjcyza-0YzxWYmBBLGAEHCFOsdYyjGWeKqYDDqCllPLMyW5YUmUHfXTdLVi_B-BA/s1600/1st+Game+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cJaGEIN3w-WbUVWEcRsfVlVqDMiEIjGi17XQ32dUutfTfuAHJBv73d27B0UXVgTbIL5eHrYXY_nQjcyza-0YzxWYmBBLGAEHCFOsdYyjGWeKqYDDqCllPLMyW5YUmUHfXTdLVi_B-BA/s640/1st+Game+051.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja5yvCSTPK1wMPmMm_892qhv0_ytGE9ZgBr_iDsnJzXd2ryTtcTb8GGz2lTze0vitTU3rKyRPNdh5B16O8JJcqzEfmE6yWRK78_SvzGMT1PrpZleqEmNpK432jAULufMZK1QbQ3Pa6Xs/s1600/1st+Game+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjja5yvCSTPK1wMPmMm_892qhv0_ytGE9ZgBr_iDsnJzXd2ryTtcTb8GGz2lTze0vitTU3rKyRPNdh5B16O8JJcqzEfmE6yWRK78_SvzGMT1PrpZleqEmNpK432jAULufMZK1QbQ3Pa6Xs/s640/1st+Game+052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDc-daVtLIO96Ec4Ex1z8DQ9NmnNUcDokZcImuy4IL1oTJDBfHJYz-O5VaajmDwR_eQAuOzzuOe2uQYiLWj_5p1FzDreYyd-rHrL9IgS3I3J1ivgG0mMMiFy6GJJaxDMxqGEBtAIM-Do/s1600/1st+Game+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDc-daVtLIO96Ec4Ex1z8DQ9NmnNUcDokZcImuy4IL1oTJDBfHJYz-O5VaajmDwR_eQAuOzzuOe2uQYiLWj_5p1FzDreYyd-rHrL9IgS3I3J1ivgG0mMMiFy6GJJaxDMxqGEBtAIM-Do/s640/1st+Game+067.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vRYLCi7eJWD6GgtfNOmF2VuvdGXQ7w5fIBeTs4Cd0mGyby4hVN8fjkRkGSBQ8dLZ86VAgd95DHWzazxUd0DbOCUmIyjtZOUh_Qw2IaR-8D5ZkwZ6-4zD4Uq6XXyJFHqUm7tS14npnV4/s1600/1st+Game+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vRYLCi7eJWD6GgtfNOmF2VuvdGXQ7w5fIBeTs4Cd0mGyby4hVN8fjkRkGSBQ8dLZ86VAgd95DHWzazxUd0DbOCUmIyjtZOUh_Qw2IaR-8D5ZkwZ6-4zD4Uq6XXyJFHqUm7tS14npnV4/s640/1st+Game+072.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvZjhKyur8b8RLBQuiJ5Xw73K35tgmixuSeOMLeUTVL3_kL_RawpuBjHKJfPh2btncXe6kF_lBQiyGDAFj6F4UsFDUxSC4ezn5SyTaBeGgyGD9Ezfo04hHzEFRAsJdgbT-goQZJOc578/s1600/1st+Game+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvZjhKyur8b8RLBQuiJ5Xw73K35tgmixuSeOMLeUTVL3_kL_RawpuBjHKJfPh2btncXe6kF_lBQiyGDAFj6F4UsFDUxSC4ezn5SyTaBeGgyGD9Ezfo04hHzEFRAsJdgbT-goQZJOc578/s640/1st+Game+075.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNM224uwJPvvnkog02l9mEYT00sUO5qYGlvtzBumw_pVL2QCcg3n9kTmlie0QmgsjGA3C5Rhk1JmcjLuBBYGcLPh4NbkKdwGhQipwPexutglrFafb4YVHQQQas5jdCDdh6hdyakwCdd3g/s1600/1st+Game+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNM224uwJPvvnkog02l9mEYT00sUO5qYGlvtzBumw_pVL2QCcg3n9kTmlie0QmgsjGA3C5Rhk1JmcjLuBBYGcLPh4NbkKdwGhQipwPexutglrFafb4YVHQQQas5jdCDdh6hdyakwCdd3g/s640/1st+Game+076.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8_MS2OQFTUJjJJXTyjHvFJNGCp6hi-ZzgvPFy4kY8zTMa_VIO5AiXXkD3dwRCflKT-ECD4t89KJLvxltIb8HpVDgpaSOBuhKY3sVDkn_e6lk31p7k7HeM7azGsGG2iOD7CwsYnYZFeA/s1600/1st+Game+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX8_MS2OQFTUJjJJXTyjHvFJNGCp6hi-ZzgvPFy4kY8zTMa_VIO5AiXXkD3dwRCflKT-ECD4t89KJLvxltIb8HpVDgpaSOBuhKY3sVDkn_e6lk31p7k7HeM7azGsGG2iOD7CwsYnYZFeA/s640/1st+Game+078.jpg" width="486" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxFMR1r-ML-3mvCKq1Ov309MkwpRFEHNgbR3TR_JPmxtJcln7K7EmhLNt_Zkl4NfMkL9LlFPolik2yvv_l8pRp06DmZKpcQ-NQaUC-LEWbmMfL7g7ERGd4ivktfb245jNKpB6cF3S5iw/s1600/1st+Game+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxFMR1r-ML-3mvCKq1Ov309MkwpRFEHNgbR3TR_JPmxtJcln7K7EmhLNt_Zkl4NfMkL9LlFPolik2yvv_l8pRp06DmZKpcQ-NQaUC-LEWbmMfL7g7ERGd4ivktfb245jNKpB6cF3S5iw/s640/1st+Game+084.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpDuPxqGyLlvHYf2M7y8U42rHgCuXGu-3QGe-QnPMmYQFp1S-HYvfCmhpXVWUHzTccA5jF-92E8gUU2pVgSYc75OYwqwnckRTyxc8AserSRx_-Js4e7fIuaJCAPPp2MLpPQBZ3F08vXA/s1600/1st+Game+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpDuPxqGyLlvHYf2M7y8U42rHgCuXGu-3QGe-QnPMmYQFp1S-HYvfCmhpXVWUHzTccA5jF-92E8gUU2pVgSYc75OYwqwnckRTyxc8AserSRx_-Js4e7fIuaJCAPPp2MLpPQBZ3F08vXA/s640/1st+Game+085.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIvoRTXOh_hWneLHOi4B3ZvoLQSpVuys_8uhYHDM1c-hUFAjdP6AgAot7FwLDwM2VJyV15ge1THnf06vdUo_d_Zha_biE_nYE57iMMfVeNg0d5-h4GckrBNdKKbNbCcbkGksgrLd94H4/s1600/1st+Game+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIvoRTXOh_hWneLHOi4B3ZvoLQSpVuys_8uhYHDM1c-hUFAjdP6AgAot7FwLDwM2VJyV15ge1THnf06vdUo_d_Zha_biE_nYE57iMMfVeNg0d5-h4GckrBNdKKbNbCcbkGksgrLd94H4/s640/1st+Game+087.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2NEI4k8RRuQMKM5dB1xiULZYb8cXPBMRbSf2g0kjUYYf4LtdYJUTiihOT6B88oawIGXcyoIq1H7nD0342I7_KjdxGahZzMOIfUzdGbBYMdK7lnv1BtH97btsppFgJUMlgL_oYYH15mc/s1600/1st+Game+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2NEI4k8RRuQMKM5dB1xiULZYb8cXPBMRbSf2g0kjUYYf4LtdYJUTiihOT6B88oawIGXcyoIq1H7nD0342I7_KjdxGahZzMOIfUzdGbBYMdK7lnv1BtH97btsppFgJUMlgL_oYYH15mc/s640/1st+Game+088.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9PMfx7UkqHKX8Lv8jIun5OBIbbbKmWZlp7_XyYkHXn7qHHewPZkA3_Qi-S_l96SI5z68MeHTn9_XwN5v0Jh2g-aRYkCl0ex3TgIXvzDUr9D0Nn1glUu6PBgVgFt2RS1Ki_Z9zfL7F2k/s1600/1st+Game+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9PMfx7UkqHKX8Lv8jIun5OBIbbbKmWZlp7_XyYkHXn7qHHewPZkA3_Qi-S_l96SI5z68MeHTn9_XwN5v0Jh2g-aRYkCl0ex3TgIXvzDUr9D0Nn1glUu6PBgVgFt2RS1Ki_Z9zfL7F2k/s640/1st+Game+091.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-23437919465157439672017-03-15T08:54:00.000-07:002017-03-15T08:54:02.255-07:00Big Bend National ParkWe had a much needed family trip to <a href="https://www.nps.gov/bibe/index.htm">Big Bend National Park</a> for the first half of our Spring Break week. Road trips like this are what I consider to be at the core of our family unit, so I've felt quite a bit of emotional weight on my shoulders since our big move here. We just hadn't been able to carve out enough time to really get away like this, so I was so relieved and excited to be out on the road with my 3 favorite people yet again. We have also been missing the mountains a ton, and more than one person had suggested we check out West Texas to get a good strong nature fix. Spring Break presented the perfect moment in time to explore our (gigantic) new home state once and for all. We will definitely return at some point, maybe even in a rented RV...but already have some more road trips in mind to tackle first including a jaunt to the beach, a New Orleans experience, and a trek to our family in Georgia. Feels good to have so many trips on the "to-do" list, and this first one under our belts to hold up as an example that we can in fact escape the city whenever we want to.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaNhbEE1zSa25AdJECRXDClwne6J2Zlv_b3WN3UdgF6p_-L5tRzapo03fUWBohc_4M98zzZBVWDwWhAW42ho1RKgPYkbpz_Ns8y2aJKKQ2bxdK8LvZj_5L3vu6xs1Q7ZJybk1Kvngtyg/s1600/IMG_2792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLaNhbEE1zSa25AdJECRXDClwne6J2Zlv_b3WN3UdgF6p_-L5tRzapo03fUWBohc_4M98zzZBVWDwWhAW42ho1RKgPYkbpz_Ns8y2aJKKQ2bxdK8LvZj_5L3vu6xs1Q7ZJybk1Kvngtyg/s640/IMG_2792.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The kids and I took care of the grocery store run the night before we left. It was the moment it really sunk in for me that we were actually headed out for a good ol' Stith Family Adventure and I got so excited!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvWhEGCZVONYbqGHgshtRCwlfmwUBa1FHH9StuSt3LTTr46KZMsy0rXlzYrYijoLPKoGTR4HP_FuBl8L6Jn-giUrxmRGhQ1b6Hybx_rF_IhTmnU6pmc-2X4t8FFRR_wV6EM9gL3tRwrU/s1600/IMG_2793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvWhEGCZVONYbqGHgshtRCwlfmwUBa1FHH9StuSt3LTTr46KZMsy0rXlzYrYijoLPKoGTR4HP_FuBl8L6Jn-giUrxmRGhQ1b6Hybx_rF_IhTmnU6pmc-2X4t8FFRR_wV6EM9gL3tRwrU/s640/IMG_2793.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Headed out!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qSqAK4cjpoaj-8MpFWtX05mP7dbvmU56zyyaiOYKajq4z7N5p6xtSCpFklRN0OIyRATvuKpq1OUj3aWVcPB237MKAaG8aMYVXpEp1pMUIIuwsBthJIJht-gMYYJXQMDDlDKd1eD99t0/s1600/IMG_2800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qSqAK4cjpoaj-8MpFWtX05mP7dbvmU56zyyaiOYKajq4z7N5p6xtSCpFklRN0OIyRATvuKpq1OUj3aWVcPB237MKAaG8aMYVXpEp1pMUIIuwsBthJIJht-gMYYJXQMDDlDKd1eD99t0/s640/IMG_2800.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">One of my favorite views. The outside world flying by, changing and getting more and more sparse, while my whole world remains steady and true right there in the car with me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmT6XvIRnDKntJ-f1iXM5FPm2EOEDrT4B-Aj4Xbr6epPcciiQLDenwCkygFjILKqKb91gaMj5tNvL4SUgSmtENGKrOhamAakTrTKM1PrCHSgjp0_eFDrX63myeoykF0AsHBkKn1iEecbQ/s1600/IMG_2803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmT6XvIRnDKntJ-f1iXM5FPm2EOEDrT4B-Aj4Xbr6epPcciiQLDenwCkygFjILKqKb91gaMj5tNvL4SUgSmtENGKrOhamAakTrTKM1PrCHSgjp0_eFDrX63myeoykF0AsHBkKn1iEecbQ/s640/IMG_2803.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Anyone need anything? Discovered this "Target location" on the highway just outside Marfa, TX.<br /><br /><br />...and then 6 hours later, we had arrived! We spent the next couple of days mostly in the car because the only place we were able to find a hotel on short notice was in Fort Davis, TX about 2.5 hours away from Big Bend. We made the most of it by checking out Fort Davis itself by way of a <a href="https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/visitors/programs/star-parties">McDonald Observatory "Star Party"</a> the first night we were there and the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/foda/index.htm">Fort Davis National Historic Park</a> the day we left. On our way back and forth from the park each day, we made stops in <a href="http://www.visitmarfa.com/">Marfa</a> and <a href="http://visitalpinetx.com/">Alpine</a> because we had heard they were funky little towns worth checking out. Mostly we experienced them as little towns with extremely limited food options, but we are glad to have been there all the same. After all, who doesn't need the occasional late night emergency visit to DQ?<br /><br />So, enjoy this photo dump of our lovely trip to the desert. While there we spotted at least 10 different species of wildlife (road runner, <a href="http://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/land/habitats/trans_pecos/big_game/javelina/">javelina</a>, deer, coyote, greater earless lizard, hawk, vulture, jackrabbit, grey fox, burro...notice the absence of venomous snakes/centipedes/spiders--I'm not complaining!), swam in the Rio Grande, touched our toes to Mexico, hiked to a sand dune nestled in a spectacular canyon, and watched the sunset in the absolutely clear desert sky. Needless to say, I was hesitant to come on home. How many days until summer?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5b7M8NuBCGWaFIhyO__KwoSHhP0xe3etDpSgIotHfincCL_yt88v58_Q4GtmWcRyHPOFy6CYOnNWGataauF4ZhlgeVJZ7dR_jR4ciJzVpwGv7V98Swh0K_jiGQ7N10JWnwQvPv6BuTFE/s1600/IMG_2847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5b7M8NuBCGWaFIhyO__KwoSHhP0xe3etDpSgIotHfincCL_yt88v58_Q4GtmWcRyHPOFy6CYOnNWGataauF4ZhlgeVJZ7dR_jR4ciJzVpwGv7V98Swh0K_jiGQ7N10JWnwQvPv6BuTFE/s640/IMG_2847.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset in Marfa, Texas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVEB7wIwUgllvNdpt71Wp9wDUj5JwGnuIl2kD0wDFcOv7baJwxDtWGoXYmy0_H7dhClzR1UH1FHaV45hPW23XY_neqeAFl28uTDbUojjANXmnbJDsUpxPAZ10fBkNgfaEx8ImHxidp6w/s1600/IMG_2852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVEB7wIwUgllvNdpt71Wp9wDUj5JwGnuIl2kD0wDFcOv7baJwxDtWGoXYmy0_H7dhClzR1UH1FHaV45hPW23XY_neqeAFl28uTDbUojjANXmnbJDsUpxPAZ10fBkNgfaEx8ImHxidp6w/s640/IMG_2852.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Alpine, Texas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABghndDFtzKYkJ4GlvopfkB5rVuU0uPDnxLY9lnjZcCElXp97LqXJYTU0agPmGvVPmHr7q0Itq0iRvA_p9YTQECEPnvMOQtuQY-RcV3meEKkn94hV-zTsOsYlUJNEsMh9dQEq2gG-sao/s1600/IMG_2853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABghndDFtzKYkJ4GlvopfkB5rVuU0uPDnxLY9lnjZcCElXp97LqXJYTU0agPmGvVPmHr7q0Itq0iRvA_p9YTQECEPnvMOQtuQY-RcV3meEKkn94hV-zTsOsYlUJNEsMh9dQEq2gG-sao/s640/IMG_2853.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Greetings from Alpine, Texas"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxpNQ620xUdbP30L6e7pTtyso4a_n9mZ0hPdCo3d6nhE9tZy9J7kh4JH-TvCACcf7V_gJtX9A3kbxVmeVQHE86n9h2EG0aQsCaYFiJw266ZKTjUVl0kQqWbjjz5VEmNBU4uS157XTiy4/s1600/IMG_2875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxpNQ620xUdbP30L6e7pTtyso4a_n9mZ0hPdCo3d6nhE9tZy9J7kh4JH-TvCACcf7V_gJtX9A3kbxVmeVQHE86n9h2EG0aQsCaYFiJw266ZKTjUVl0kQqWbjjz5VEmNBU4uS157XTiy4/s640/IMG_2875.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Desert lunch with a couple of cuties</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWBDX5crBTEfuQuDj4Yr3Q_OCqhk72YZ6tVLfFNu-O1djNhbe5cZ06jdFRaYQsHY-2nNAM5qeooQwJ7lmnBUNap-RS3JUXS0OQ48Xtd0IVz3qgfZO-njYcv_XrpUTa6yVdsyNrE4waWQ/s1600/IMG_2845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWBDX5crBTEfuQuDj4Yr3Q_OCqhk72YZ6tVLfFNu-O1djNhbe5cZ06jdFRaYQsHY-2nNAM5qeooQwJ7lmnBUNap-RS3JUXS0OQ48Xtd0IVz3qgfZO-njYcv_XrpUTa6yVdsyNrE4waWQ/s640/IMG_2845.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tricky Zoe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcb8xmpTJhvEsNDIb9RLZiilaigpmOuws-HxAFkewv1T4feQi84wRMZPlyeg7JEJEYdYuwbdyN7sR__rESy2Ek_bMXFvqRH12wRoD2oz7sqdxpb9klG89fkFYrP1WmQkQIctUYXN6-Eo/s1600/Big+Bend+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcb8xmpTJhvEsNDIb9RLZiilaigpmOuws-HxAFkewv1T4feQi84wRMZPlyeg7JEJEYdYuwbdyN7sR__rESy2Ek_bMXFvqRH12wRoD2oz7sqdxpb9klG89fkFYrP1WmQkQIctUYXN6-Eo/s640/Big+Bend+006.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found it difficult to capture this park without a wide angle lens. Everything is just so huge!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlybbvbFnIZaPWXILCABxD3xMV5uTB5UEDj5ianYzuFImzC5rgvzUJ2u4__HNTMegxL4BZIwQNDsXAlm1PpNv2HWdPubIvtIJwj56Bh5t87VaGLMp1G_3K3efef6iQ-tgy55TF3WuZSE/s1600/Big+Bend+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlybbvbFnIZaPWXILCABxD3xMV5uTB5UEDj5ianYzuFImzC5rgvzUJ2u4__HNTMegxL4BZIwQNDsXAlm1PpNv2HWdPubIvtIJwj56Bh5t87VaGLMp1G_3K3efef6iQ-tgy55TF3WuZSE/s640/Big+Bend+007.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cacti everywhere</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvN1sfN0ZbgDMXtKs24FUlZukahJRIfQYU0C9f0f0ZjKu4IcEVM620YzhRIGRZGHooDqcwHV8s9PkXVTvbMsKwBmXkZE8eEpmTkJLPWIch-QtV6bY18T_DGVHUgi2PErBvinRjttsbTi0/s1600/Big+Bend+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvN1sfN0ZbgDMXtKs24FUlZukahJRIfQYU0C9f0f0ZjKu4IcEVM620YzhRIGRZGHooDqcwHV8s9PkXVTvbMsKwBmXkZE8eEpmTkJLPWIch-QtV6bY18T_DGVHUgi2PErBvinRjttsbTi0/s640/Big+Bend+008.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhzoVU9R8VrvNs7JUeH88xvJivav2g1obnHoWTxvz9u0ExQkodQtSsJrZUS2pePmNqfNkdzOtaaGwUK732U2oQx3qmMByoQYPXTW7c6s6TrEQi4pX4U5LYvtkxb1_oNt-G88eLcgfubI/s1600/Big+Bend+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhzoVU9R8VrvNs7JUeH88xvJivav2g1obnHoWTxvz9u0ExQkodQtSsJrZUS2pePmNqfNkdzOtaaGwUK732U2oQx3qmMByoQYPXTW7c6s6TrEQi4pX4U5LYvtkxb1_oNt-G88eLcgfubI/s640/Big+Bend+009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greater Earless Lizard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRz4Ok8Gk8dn2NDmtYhdihBjY_Jme6VkweebvPSgGuPGAH7HT5_ocOGz5oTKpoFE1dwlPwZt4hb3OSf0o-ctcFnuHnSQKa2ws2YhnNihcR_bJG47zXDXeoQgJldXTAu8M96YHq31xges/s1600/Big+Bend+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRz4Ok8Gk8dn2NDmtYhdihBjY_Jme6VkweebvPSgGuPGAH7HT5_ocOGz5oTKpoFE1dwlPwZt4hb3OSf0o-ctcFnuHnSQKa2ws2YhnNihcR_bJG47zXDXeoQgJldXTAu8M96YHq31xges/s640/Big+Bend+011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphjxOpHu46cSYuw-R94JUz1Mq6Ts_HFNXeGW4BveRmMBeUuLjuFmGjNi-UhUktdcfqxWJnzrc3Tj4oalPgagY9kOxHt-1tAlsfOgnHOO_PoeE3f89Mf2aH5SAbrOzZxGhEOqGmZba3KI/s1600/Big+Bend+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphjxOpHu46cSYuw-R94JUz1Mq6Ts_HFNXeGW4BveRmMBeUuLjuFmGjNi-UhUktdcfqxWJnzrc3Tj4oalPgagY9kOxHt-1tAlsfOgnHOO_PoeE3f89Mf2aH5SAbrOzZxGhEOqGmZba3KI/s640/Big+Bend+012.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burro Mesa Pour-off. Can you see the kids sitting in there?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9BB6dSQlU25WLgP1IN0WMyfaIYzQfU-HO10HUMuCiu_RLj8PgR6T3H5x9AjRWxMdN6MlbzpsT82Fm4PgzmkTlQulonCDijx3Jw98wCBlz9kYgp1hpxuzTiNww_wb10Cgc1aM2ySWxNY/s1600/Big+Bend+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9BB6dSQlU25WLgP1IN0WMyfaIYzQfU-HO10HUMuCiu_RLj8PgR6T3H5x9AjRWxMdN6MlbzpsT82Fm4PgzmkTlQulonCDijx3Jw98wCBlz9kYgp1hpxuzTiNww_wb10Cgc1aM2ySWxNY/s640/Big+Bend+015.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQ37tAj_GZEf2T6dN1qrLvfq7i81IR7u_2C-vFppLFTaCb8NAiCStWvbRNGD3dHIHIdfavRKSrNP_k6tMlewrhLkSUvvpq7GE3CKvvRse6zgBVyl7YeIzcRFHn9ZJ6L-bagr0jWyd720/s1600/Big+Bend+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQ37tAj_GZEf2T6dN1qrLvfq7i81IR7u_2C-vFppLFTaCb8NAiCStWvbRNGD3dHIHIdfavRKSrNP_k6tMlewrhLkSUvvpq7GE3CKvvRse6zgBVyl7YeIzcRFHn9ZJ6L-bagr0jWyd720/s640/Big+Bend+025.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQiWUhVWYeCGw9khDpVPy04OmW_Xt_K7SYXlNa6MLRnPj7jE9l3TttCuyYJETaCZNTyu9IRFVT7YZyTL407K1LrmfBQ8XuPjcAt36HTcuBA3TXjg-kMLb2at6ImjfLCHRKskgVOFW05g/s1600/Big+Bend+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQiWUhVWYeCGw9khDpVPy04OmW_Xt_K7SYXlNa6MLRnPj7jE9l3TttCuyYJETaCZNTyu9IRFVT7YZyTL407K1LrmfBQ8XuPjcAt36HTcuBA3TXjg-kMLb2at6ImjfLCHRKskgVOFW05g/s640/Big+Bend+029.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH7icwjg9vNOnPStUYuxcL-oUmlli3nKkUSB_291UrLGN1Wby71tRwUuCFqqDn7ROd-MFai0FNytG6XbeHrEBw4F9ZnX8dBcsm_KdUG1SP2cu-xNnryn-VR1jZ9AJ-dxpZPfoUAv0aaI/s1600/Big+Bend+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBH7icwjg9vNOnPStUYuxcL-oUmlli3nKkUSB_291UrLGN1Wby71tRwUuCFqqDn7ROd-MFai0FNytG6XbeHrEBw4F9ZnX8dBcsm_KdUG1SP2cu-xNnryn-VR1jZ9AJ-dxpZPfoUAv0aaI/s640/Big+Bend+032.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVoi-y77dDAKudl__m03UauMWNEti3GgS4UI8xNDCCX62W0AEBOIEI8Shv1l-1PY0hFBFH5wdq6P_FaoAZQgDENGpXzMJIadP-qy7o_A4R-kYeugUjN-jj_8IEotitTX7JHV5gxiohEg/s1600/Big+Bend+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVoi-y77dDAKudl__m03UauMWNEti3GgS4UI8xNDCCX62W0AEBOIEI8Shv1l-1PY0hFBFH5wdq6P_FaoAZQgDENGpXzMJIadP-qy7o_A4R-kYeugUjN-jj_8IEotitTX7JHV5gxiohEg/s640/Big+Bend+035.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC-x33ekTVpBtF3MVhinZddu6HqltvuJdBOjor6kkxBn_6vZ7hzfmyZ5-mPnozxSQ86d4yTD-lJXYDZAimqv5akE98dkyAkQuhQv9Xx7Yhd0VgMeee8fHfR7Hx-f_VoXm0INjaPHBzeQ/s1600/Big+Bend+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmC-x33ekTVpBtF3MVhinZddu6HqltvuJdBOjor6kkxBn_6vZ7hzfmyZ5-mPnozxSQ86d4yTD-lJXYDZAimqv5akE98dkyAkQuhQv9Xx7Yhd0VgMeee8fHfR7Hx-f_VoXm0INjaPHBzeQ/s640/Big+Bend+036.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vRvg54P9s1XziqLJsT2VdJEUuX6b_jcYcbdbT6mIZgq-CuckK4FyKr8MV3zvoNs99bipBfV5zZmWjBMJe0tyV1XgDIYOKI7l4FWvf_E2X5sPUPofi9JOTDcC9xnu9LHVdTwWkE0eaoU/s1600/Big+Bend+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vRvg54P9s1XziqLJsT2VdJEUuX6b_jcYcbdbT6mIZgq-CuckK4FyKr8MV3zvoNs99bipBfV5zZmWjBMJe0tyV1XgDIYOKI7l4FWvf_E2X5sPUPofi9JOTDcC9xnu9LHVdTwWkE0eaoU/s640/Big+Bend+038.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-HeVJ-gsgJAAykJ4o5PdKOPrUC-vvfGSMjUIPAPlwxEi5x05jLvY9uBU6UnP9gFpf7bA3cvVKuN-D8ExFC6kwvDLDXSgoAbozf00gf40CrswN4vAN9z38qOzhq79BWuDn1xMjtvTchA/s1600/Big+Bend+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-HeVJ-gsgJAAykJ4o5PdKOPrUC-vvfGSMjUIPAPlwxEi5x05jLvY9uBU6UnP9gFpf7bA3cvVKuN-D8ExFC6kwvDLDXSgoAbozf00gf40CrswN4vAN9z38qOzhq79BWuDn1xMjtvTchA/s640/Big+Bend+039.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen wanted to go for a serious shot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhi_hTRMT3_eZqlQTzrqXCrQExtIJgnm1XZY_yME8QBBSPu6_sq6MDql9UGkuIvMVv6c6RVg4qUsicC5eVrm6O1PoKIjcIM5IjYysdMPcHenIuRULGTP7iCtQk7Gg8CuN_vSVhhZR3j8/s1600/Big+Bend+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLhi_hTRMT3_eZqlQTzrqXCrQExtIJgnm1XZY_yME8QBBSPu6_sq6MDql9UGkuIvMVv6c6RVg4qUsicC5eVrm6O1PoKIjcIM5IjYysdMPcHenIuRULGTP7iCtQk7Gg8CuN_vSVhhZR3j8/s640/Big+Bend+041.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEn3SYqMjGtXTCLY0uCnY2xkxYJkz32-GM-vXvkSPLOctCx0jkPzYT7SAQUhZs8lPJ8vIiLfDJ5wrPw7AtK9BccBpCJpftOq3KgqN5FKxM4e-TtE1mvP2wN5RB0Uxa_Tb1C0O06H5EnI/s1600/Big+Bend+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEn3SYqMjGtXTCLY0uCnY2xkxYJkz32-GM-vXvkSPLOctCx0jkPzYT7SAQUhZs8lPJ8vIiLfDJ5wrPw7AtK9BccBpCJpftOq3KgqN5FKxM4e-TtE1mvP2wN5RB0Uxa_Tb1C0O06H5EnI/s640/Big+Bend+042.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Didn't last long</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fQpGZ28HzhvQb-2C8iq6Tjn9zFNhVKXksl5FilHt34OC48qdgkK2RSHvUkpsAw-l9i87SxUHJ_lJ4PTYzjybK-DVddVZXHyIRY4bYv0mzigEK6damxYg1g-ZFR8KzySoXgut_VPQlGM/s1600/Big+Bend+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0fQpGZ28HzhvQb-2C8iq6Tjn9zFNhVKXksl5FilHt34OC48qdgkK2RSHvUkpsAw-l9i87SxUHJ_lJ4PTYzjybK-DVddVZXHyIRY4bYv0mzigEK6damxYg1g-ZFR8KzySoXgut_VPQlGM/s640/Big+Bend+044.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXmIvIoaQklAkTR-8JUBOogaYr_f1Kj7In6-6AnaGRqQsJAxnomla2QYdiJyOX8xd2xsNUJ0pdcVec7Lfel1-I8zHt8UEJUuFq3vF-bKDXqUcnGP2jRxCHVtSjgAvmNrveLJm7Drnh5o/s1600/Big+Bend+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXmIvIoaQklAkTR-8JUBOogaYr_f1Kj7In6-6AnaGRqQsJAxnomla2QYdiJyOX8xd2xsNUJ0pdcVec7Lfel1-I8zHt8UEJUuFq3vF-bKDXqUcnGP2jRxCHVtSjgAvmNrveLJm7Drnh5o/s640/Big+Bend+047.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorites</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5PsjwVS8BZ-1RGzjK37NUHXi1l18ZnqcNhS_mGlQVtkUVswNOtnmeXxabHgT8yxZ1TPJYr6UmGpTV2ZQGbHWpAAjKrBgK-YynJ_cb6T7uS42Wn0r47ux3beFwz3GEvWB1ylzFENBKXY/s1600/Big+Bend+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5PsjwVS8BZ-1RGzjK37NUHXi1l18ZnqcNhS_mGlQVtkUVswNOtnmeXxabHgT8yxZ1TPJYr6UmGpTV2ZQGbHWpAAjKrBgK-YynJ_cb6T7uS42Wn0r47ux3beFwz3GEvWB1ylzFENBKXY/s640/Big+Bend+049.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSaMuaKcaUe3jPod0f3M-4xk5s00LwYYzncgPem0skRg7vD6F8oDEte8OuflLmXzPHcOg1EXkzw0Y5wteAu3eY32TAHNVkoOJegN-Kap01iuouzkT_k-skINDZZgwS9yHEhG94n4SmqM/s1600/Big+Bend+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSaMuaKcaUe3jPod0f3M-4xk5s00LwYYzncgPem0skRg7vD6F8oDEte8OuflLmXzPHcOg1EXkzw0Y5wteAu3eY32TAHNVkoOJegN-Kap01iuouzkT_k-skINDZZgwS9yHEhG94n4SmqM/s640/Big+Bend+050.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_npPBmB0ii5149BrJwmb-1e_lBEY3ExgVdmifzN4aPOGZ0nkT9d0dNEbbNLX0hjlbG5fKgxZhek4gb4NM5nmpuWchnaF9p87KXwRphEmPp77FJMs1EDoi721BlWAplQBc_TDHOkz3lRI/s1600/Big+Bend+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_npPBmB0ii5149BrJwmb-1e_lBEY3ExgVdmifzN4aPOGZ0nkT9d0dNEbbNLX0hjlbG5fKgxZhek4gb4NM5nmpuWchnaF9p87KXwRphEmPp77FJMs1EDoi721BlWAplQBc_TDHOkz3lRI/s640/Big+Bend+052.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gazing at Mexico</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigA4vIdmZxrGU4ArxSeVxtToqQbCoqywQR0OJBQ-gJhEf79uAyuJkFZRBraoczbSUsQzxwF5MkRjRgnYrs0eL0U4kAxHypfx4PMiBw6-gvnmkZbiUgPgEdSD7kC4qyri0I2u66QtumK3M/s1600/Big+Bend+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigA4vIdmZxrGU4ArxSeVxtToqQbCoqywQR0OJBQ-gJhEf79uAyuJkFZRBraoczbSUsQzxwF5MkRjRgnYrs0eL0U4kAxHypfx4PMiBw6-gvnmkZbiUgPgEdSD7kC4qyri0I2u66QtumK3M/s640/Big+Bend+053.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSInsaQmPYXvWi0QhZF2E27RyeTBtQbNZu_YWueelS9IPUZrjkcgUWCvJDqle-VzQnmROfZ49wp0RzdJ9XsdklSh3dl3a75sdZjgrgqZcNnfRlP87xVQ2vnbEIgzxFJlsDuX6eRvDkq10/s1600/Big+Bend+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSInsaQmPYXvWi0QhZF2E27RyeTBtQbNZu_YWueelS9IPUZrjkcgUWCvJDqle-VzQnmROfZ49wp0RzdJ9XsdklSh3dl3a75sdZjgrgqZcNnfRlP87xVQ2vnbEIgzxFJlsDuX6eRvDkq10/s640/Big+Bend+058.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNObLjQFKJwpQXLZEfyLZP7FigujR1TRfWX2iplR8g6T-gv2VwELFexhtCMSMrgtqA4BljG_KWa4JENwehWoAPzyNeZgt8yDU5DTnfUIzvn9QI-DbjMKdGkJYbQtHwBJFpxyyhcl9rmlM/s1600/Big+Bend+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNObLjQFKJwpQXLZEfyLZP7FigujR1TRfWX2iplR8g6T-gv2VwELFexhtCMSMrgtqA4BljG_KWa4JENwehWoAPzyNeZgt8yDU5DTnfUIzvn9QI-DbjMKdGkJYbQtHwBJFpxyyhcl9rmlM/s640/Big+Bend+061.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soaking in a riverside hot spring on the Rio Grande. This was the highlight of the trip for me. I almost didn't get my suit on because it was crowded and the only place to change was a makeshift changing room in the middle of some bamboo. Thank goodness I came to my senses and realized what a rare opportunity it was. We then spent way more time than we'd planned alternating between the hot spring and riding the current downstream, laughing and playing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGIcAy-mWfOs1Enp04dXbsNK5xLVSJiII-XMan7rFfdCOp-yAajebetRixYRhQG8xSYYPF78wFRhN2d6ZmdCucoqnqinVV5uou8Fz6_U0hVjuDFbcohatr5653KiR7nW2i1qYgfV21Y8/s1600/IMG_2908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQGIcAy-mWfOs1Enp04dXbsNK5xLVSJiII-XMan7rFfdCOp-yAajebetRixYRhQG8xSYYPF78wFRhN2d6ZmdCucoqnqinVV5uou8Fz6_U0hVjuDFbcohatr5653KiR7nW2i1qYgfV21Y8/s640/IMG_2908.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE-cksUBv1nDcpuHeVVS1OoDd-_S2gFsuZKMnYaI1B6SviGrXKDs5toJBKeYb0I7AUghf2YexIa7yLuqqey8Br4SkUvmyeavLAtAgvpaXAeQ7M5JpGAyqL6BiNOJIcfNlYhJtlNmHrag/s1600/Big+Bend+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE-cksUBv1nDcpuHeVVS1OoDd-_S2gFsuZKMnYaI1B6SviGrXKDs5toJBKeYb0I7AUghf2YexIa7yLuqqey8Br4SkUvmyeavLAtAgvpaXAeQ7M5JpGAyqL6BiNOJIcfNlYhJtlNmHrag/s640/Big+Bend+065.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgf-REmCSUMw79BM8qly6q_unutJHigMK4Trw-irsi4tJPBYS7ZJA_xBep86eHXMBpkR0f5K7RzOgVUpSWqmNrWWcFVmqnlTsh64RpHpkHXfb_YAnSJPsMoXeCwpjmgUg8ahrRtkn1hI/s1600/Big+Bend+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPgf-REmCSUMw79BM8qly6q_unutJHigMK4Trw-irsi4tJPBYS7ZJA_xBep86eHXMBpkR0f5K7RzOgVUpSWqmNrWWcFVmqnlTsh64RpHpkHXfb_YAnSJPsMoXeCwpjmgUg8ahrRtkn1hI/s640/Big+Bend+073.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand dune at the end of <a href="https://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/river_hikes.htm">Boquillas Canyon Trail</a>. I don't think playing here was nearly as fun as the kids anticipated because it was SO WINDY. They were troopers though and recognized how cool it was to experience despite the stinging pain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuvLEs6CD0i_X3qMXZ4sDf5tnY1Ku1VSj7-R5MNCciCX-mBxa10UeTqY_KHXX5MIC4d9TloKT67h7_V_IAAmI36wf7nJGvmyalSTi1HQpkW9vwnoCCtyTKixGfvxWpHWFJDi_ARkRb90/s1600/Big+Bend+074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiuvLEs6CD0i_X3qMXZ4sDf5tnY1Ku1VSj7-R5MNCciCX-mBxa10UeTqY_KHXX5MIC4d9TloKT67h7_V_IAAmI36wf7nJGvmyalSTi1HQpkW9vwnoCCtyTKixGfvxWpHWFJDi_ARkRb90/s640/Big+Bend+074.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun beginning to set in Boquillas Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrc53QCSRkM5UXVy1iaeWhyRjlMxwT9ddZUTL48ETniM0QtBjYq-Oz9ekzOqCsdXo9NykpiKjhZcuU2nPYdcUBi3Nzi6FsVgOcd5QGH2YZh86IuK5e9BX6xreZX_lnnfuW2yf8y0dueVc/s1600/Big+Bend+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrc53QCSRkM5UXVy1iaeWhyRjlMxwT9ddZUTL48ETniM0QtBjYq-Oz9ekzOqCsdXo9NykpiKjhZcuU2nPYdcUBi3Nzi6FsVgOcd5QGH2YZh86IuK5e9BX6xreZX_lnnfuW2yf8y0dueVc/s640/Big+Bend+075.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild burros across the way on the Mexican side. Nearby is an official crossing for those with passports (ie not us). You can take a boat across the river where guides are waiting to give you a donkey ride into riverside Mexican city <a href="http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/boquillas-mexico-big-bend-texas">Boquillas</a>. Safe to say we will plan ahead next time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfHxW2YVq25r-XOatngak0xtENBzyFqGk5mzMfFJnR_w-yZ8VpgP4X9VuwvtdhWHchL26_ezSAf0pO1tsuKvlL0Oou0SHp6ihmIZ_WS0XNTZp5L_HZHOUEo0DVoKdOmkhRDF_YRzXKZY/s1600/Big+Bend+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfHxW2YVq25r-XOatngak0xtENBzyFqGk5mzMfFJnR_w-yZ8VpgP4X9VuwvtdhWHchL26_ezSAf0pO1tsuKvlL0Oou0SHp6ihmIZ_WS0XNTZp5L_HZHOUEo0DVoKdOmkhRDF_YRzXKZY/s640/Big+Bend+076.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_Efxbzeng1CFdg9A9BEhXqD_f86f_38MfznUljnljcAWAL_Oe6FN64VmA4AGTCLRght44eU9D9gOM5Ulf8wSv3aa4KG9FJZlL5oOWN1nmAejHr3Gdv8vM-KMy2uPC_B-UnLcYU66KVY/s1600/Big+Bend+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_Efxbzeng1CFdg9A9BEhXqD_f86f_38MfznUljnljcAWAL_Oe6FN64VmA4AGTCLRght44eU9D9gOM5Ulf8wSv3aa4KG9FJZlL5oOWN1nmAejHr3Gdv8vM-KMy2uPC_B-UnLcYU66KVY/s640/Big+Bend+080.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3sajBRjmAeB_22M15D9YEfmKcLL7Gg-ZsbdMb1kxbw3kqgZzlw-4WL44hi_ULHhENALpDQysYwvTwwnAVtxm2hVoaMQSuUBXX68e09kHKeZv9Z4I-COhqtIX04N4FuRecEfZHciyWgM/s1600/Big+Bend+082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF3sajBRjmAeB_22M15D9YEfmKcLL7Gg-ZsbdMb1kxbw3kqgZzlw-4WL44hi_ULHhENALpDQysYwvTwwnAVtxm2hVoaMQSuUBXX68e09kHKeZv9Z4I-COhqtIX04N4FuRecEfZHciyWgM/s640/Big+Bend+082.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving out of the park at the end of our last day, enjoying the gorgeous sunset</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-dpITieldw2O1nOAiai0DOpV7BI6zps4LfN2OHt0T1Btqb9Iog9DMkDOkkUZpL272ZD8sbzdy_9sl635lnzuy8OPu4ZqAgQH7kdNhjK2yqQlibl_PVROHy424BvBI37CBjPzS1wJybY/s1600/Big+Bend+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-dpITieldw2O1nOAiai0DOpV7BI6zps4LfN2OHt0T1Btqb9Iog9DMkDOkkUZpL272ZD8sbzdy_9sl635lnzuy8OPu4ZqAgQH7kdNhjK2yqQlibl_PVROHy424BvBI37CBjPzS1wJybY/s640/Big+Bend+083.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObPI6no-Az8RYkTnMGGhxImT1anPgFKtZZ8lUxwdM_AbXEGrb-ka0EDAYEbGxBFVSzFbrstMa9hfIb2fQHDRLIasbA4KsYMJm-m6xWemyeO1_RuF0fZ2ywy8weDHEt1yDQjYTBhtdozo/s1600/Big+Bend+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObPI6no-Az8RYkTnMGGhxImT1anPgFKtZZ8lUxwdM_AbXEGrb-ka0EDAYEbGxBFVSzFbrstMa9hfIb2fQHDRLIasbA4KsYMJm-m6xWemyeO1_RuF0fZ2ywy8weDHEt1yDQjYTBhtdozo/s640/Big+Bend+088.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way home, but one more stop. This is a complicated place, as it's main purpose was to protect settlers and soldiers from Native Americans valiantly and desperately defending their land</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3OU-3pBAGfPtsAdXjD22jLNuGJH7_0BB-2yYKc2_NYRt-ZxdyzQnaMegd6Y5b0Z8etmWfYyxnGXOaX5yii1b7hfGYZZqS9I3LZh64t2DHsr_Ta77dDYrkWxoDWG0UbSN67KXB0dVaP4/s1600/Big+Bend+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3OU-3pBAGfPtsAdXjD22jLNuGJH7_0BB-2yYKc2_NYRt-ZxdyzQnaMegd6Y5b0Z8etmWfYyxnGXOaX5yii1b7hfGYZZqS9I3LZh64t2DHsr_Ta77dDYrkWxoDWG0UbSN67KXB0dVaP4/s640/Big+Bend+089.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfMjgJt4dbGRzsFlET4JBZBsZSxnprCGqQIxQM4vd4mS772tYg7Cfoz9C2e_xuBp5hD_rysuewVt6YskWe0CiCImzB1_hUY-SBz8IPOVl0LDKf468cVN9N1aMSLr0BUHk-brOtXR0ans/s1600/Big+Bend+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfMjgJt4dbGRzsFlET4JBZBsZSxnprCGqQIxQM4vd4mS772tYg7Cfoz9C2e_xuBp5hD_rysuewVt6YskWe0CiCImzB1_hUY-SBz8IPOVl0LDKf468cVN9N1aMSLr0BUHk-brOtXR0ans/s640/Big+Bend+091.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfFq1uXBFa-jWQI5JjmXPu1XXxLF1yX0AClZO02iQtNHinv56tHVe5zxZ9rBFRngckRnahYOBMjn_E4CY2VYTkrfFJCEnpa3o_9BH1Nmw6vrwh3iUHaLevhbGdW1aeIuLK1uwGK9UrB8/s1600/Big+Bend+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVfFq1uXBFa-jWQI5JjmXPu1XXxLF1yX0AClZO02iQtNHinv56tHVe5zxZ9rBFRngckRnahYOBMjn_E4CY2VYTkrfFJCEnpa3o_9BH1Nmw6vrwh3iUHaLevhbGdW1aeIuLK1uwGK9UrB8/s640/Big+Bend+092.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-81412247288987418052017-01-29T16:40:00.009-08:002017-01-29T17:12:28.297-08:00Mock MeetZoe had her first "Mock Meet" this morning at her gym and it went great! She has been working so hard, and it's exciting to be in this phase where we will get to cheer her on as she faces fears and reaches goals. The big accomplishment this time around was the <a href="https://youtu.be/8CFKxL_MhUY">round-off back handspring</a> she has been fighting for for almost 2 years. I only just saw her do it by herself this past Friday! Yay Zoe!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_e8yXcp-uK6gb1RzRkYZUDHqcp7S_dletOIGwNdSAu3wE9rgkYVMYDOHVVO2whbIzm0fa5kGd03bjtzEO3LqKk20rY7PCCCqM3DToLQ7mAjNk1RTmUista0PuvHlqizKC9cx9LJ252U/s1600/Mock+Meet+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_e8yXcp-uK6gb1RzRkYZUDHqcp7S_dletOIGwNdSAu3wE9rgkYVMYDOHVVO2whbIzm0fa5kGd03bjtzEO3LqKk20rY7PCCCqM3DToLQ7mAjNk1RTmUista0PuvHlqizKC9cx9LJ252U/s640/Mock+Meet+007.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0Ybh-OrvzxIcfzZBO_zj5ZnfBIGOzcOFBtpUSFU4Re3TNYTrM2syKWGe3LbDIcr4tEAvY1vwCHbFxfwNa3VJuWeU0L2rAgwbtmWTcWumhirvRVqCRjL6_MCgApWSmRobk7C3q6yB8Pg/s1600/Mock+Meet+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0Ybh-OrvzxIcfzZBO_zj5ZnfBIGOzcOFBtpUSFU4Re3TNYTrM2syKWGe3LbDIcr4tEAvY1vwCHbFxfwNa3VJuWeU0L2rAgwbtmWTcWumhirvRVqCRjL6_MCgApWSmRobk7C3q6yB8Pg/s640/Mock+Meet+006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKztATHwMT5BEyxpiC_fVzusZp6E6bXYR2eRfUP9SAaqEbJQ4OQaR-Ynmvbdl1BOcM3AjwPM4001PFsGu4oyEJwcnU1Ma_VVq_JR1o4o6hkXGlKaC4LRAYuEDSxvF7GlYJbjhFUC9ijWo/s1600/Mock+Meet+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKztATHwMT5BEyxpiC_fVzusZp6E6bXYR2eRfUP9SAaqEbJQ4OQaR-Ynmvbdl1BOcM3AjwPM4001PFsGu4oyEJwcnU1Ma_VVq_JR1o4o6hkXGlKaC4LRAYuEDSxvF7GlYJbjhFUC9ijWo/s640/Mock+Meet+008.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruNJ2j1PFXu_qgULloFxzEq5d4r5p6k8hfoBnf4lBqPn54qLT9CYHFDP1b6RyBaZMfc7QOkJrAn7z2SL8lycF6fD_RrnHY1t8vHY-xonfy07_X9rzZxyJf6Yldu0XUXasHjxxEcXtFNo/s1600/Mock+Meet+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruNJ2j1PFXu_qgULloFxzEq5d4r5p6k8hfoBnf4lBqPn54qLT9CYHFDP1b6RyBaZMfc7QOkJrAn7z2SL8lycF6fD_RrnHY1t8vHY-xonfy07_X9rzZxyJf6Yldu0XUXasHjxxEcXtFNo/s640/Mock+Meet+009.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTbWS3YygUCD4MTga5_7iI1PT6zZCGacn8Efm63oUFjJQA0OK37_FJQfBlpXJYuHX5LEH7i2DRvcnot9x54PNSRl4gfoNIjIL3zrrEYcs6LhTiihVNanisdqgq8T2zAGHEPRtqf68uR0/s1600/Mock+Meet+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTbWS3YygUCD4MTga5_7iI1PT6zZCGacn8Efm63oUFjJQA0OK37_FJQfBlpXJYuHX5LEH7i2DRvcnot9x54PNSRl4gfoNIjIL3zrrEYcs6LhTiihVNanisdqgq8T2zAGHEPRtqf68uR0/s640/Mock+Meet+011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxPEGnRXfM3S4k6qEdEYAFykDRFNqag86CGTPOJT9qGtNZ5P8F9MqyPlR4pQ43nLDwEiYI1DY9MrM66fdLyCuQmxgblEGD91UIrceW53uvVlGSICeDEhJYHihYbPtyUljnZHT9eoGRkI/s1600/Mock+Meet+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxPEGnRXfM3S4k6qEdEYAFykDRFNqag86CGTPOJT9qGtNZ5P8F9MqyPlR4pQ43nLDwEiYI1DY9MrM66fdLyCuQmxgblEGD91UIrceW53uvVlGSICeDEhJYHihYbPtyUljnZHT9eoGRkI/s640/Mock+Meet+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpon7Pis5OBXbYGdd1lgB9gPhcfQljv9HMcJT1Z5hbLER78vohxaZWVg1kVqCkpsRmaNjuXADaBMthB9fbkSdT5S6Lj7TJVIgQ6ugM6qns__ady9CDz3DFVKA5uHeB3ikDVaYE2uDz-s/s1600/Mock+Meet+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOpon7Pis5OBXbYGdd1lgB9gPhcfQljv9HMcJT1Z5hbLER78vohxaZWVg1kVqCkpsRmaNjuXADaBMthB9fbkSdT5S6Lj7TJVIgQ6ugM6qns__ady9CDz3DFVKA5uHeB3ikDVaYE2uDz-s/s640/Mock+Meet+014.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg34s2xMOxjDC-Kuu9TfcdRrKhY1pqYpt3nML3TIpkYY79bPDpFYiohwgJXUTa0ZI3cLIhqnIcb7W2F3-ciOuW_61LKdmHHQWfu3rm9pmIAljofsvxt-hshNvz-YiqET5zcDQ58vEIN4/s1600/Mock+Meet+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg34s2xMOxjDC-Kuu9TfcdRrKhY1pqYpt3nML3TIpkYY79bPDpFYiohwgJXUTa0ZI3cLIhqnIcb7W2F3-ciOuW_61LKdmHHQWfu3rm9pmIAljofsvxt-hshNvz-YiqET5zcDQ58vEIN4/s640/Mock+Meet+015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexo-P1L_rR0U4XXSoOyAO3JtRfcvfVWanrnR6XgJtQq3Dky8XRiFj-se0DmeHlBPMZ6XABuSKyeHfrAjFYbQ5QXBDlcOCWmtC8zyiTdxuhr39UL58BvYQWRWaaiTTjx1ylYyzO5jV6eI/s1600/Mock+Meet+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexo-P1L_rR0U4XXSoOyAO3JtRfcvfVWanrnR6XgJtQq3Dky8XRiFj-se0DmeHlBPMZ6XABuSKyeHfrAjFYbQ5QXBDlcOCWmtC8zyiTdxuhr39UL58BvYQWRWaaiTTjx1ylYyzO5jV6eI/s640/Mock+Meet+018.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjat3sijxGegOgNh1sFzqFp1gxpRQRUybteGQa0plrAk3imOM-RjplecpHgvs0LG2LaDQRQAkqu7xFdA3i9NCe42l6_0_64FeJBnDjSMUPeVYkpu_58fkUcMEaldQsXHRp7khe4xAddJI/s1600/Mock+Meet+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjat3sijxGegOgNh1sFzqFp1gxpRQRUybteGQa0plrAk3imOM-RjplecpHgvs0LG2LaDQRQAkqu7xFdA3i9NCe42l6_0_64FeJBnDjSMUPeVYkpu_58fkUcMEaldQsXHRp7khe4xAddJI/s640/Mock+Meet+021.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YjX9mBKa6jx3PFd_cmOXXRtV0SFVdBdVbyl2bTM7fwlNVyyUPyH5tUQIeJpGpjcHyvLqvq93upYDUbddblZ8I0p4vD34LWFNreJ36mLCTUDuhiMrCXXYCnmM-mUfim276rwMGfrM46Q/s1600/Mock+Meet+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YjX9mBKa6jx3PFd_cmOXXRtV0SFVdBdVbyl2bTM7fwlNVyyUPyH5tUQIeJpGpjcHyvLqvq93upYDUbddblZ8I0p4vD34LWFNreJ36mLCTUDuhiMrCXXYCnmM-mUfim276rwMGfrM46Q/s640/Mock+Meet+030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSiYWnR1dsVW73tQR_sV6l-dpxnxR63x7pjQsYmZ64ubHWf0if7nhngXlkaXiagNEi2nTqatzTlwqK0sipvCis-FSCK56ISLMcbIlu6vhIe8dtfQUb1vShlwuHJ0tBAgLtcTVqEtiR00/s1600/Mock+Meet+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSiYWnR1dsVW73tQR_sV6l-dpxnxR63x7pjQsYmZ64ubHWf0if7nhngXlkaXiagNEi2nTqatzTlwqK0sipvCis-FSCK56ISLMcbIlu6vhIe8dtfQUb1vShlwuHJ0tBAgLtcTVqEtiR00/s640/Mock+Meet+035.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMLQ5w_lyOJUEfhM8vzydKTU4gCPVkKARRr2pU5WVvSsJRJBujCfd_8X5pSnEkcez5beCDIdzJ_BEyKFdpHKFtIRy1ZH9G_9-vP3LKeygwN_5gVZY8ahmWPcZ_mdURtCs7841BjlCAQY/s1600/Mock+Meet+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMLQ5w_lyOJUEfhM8vzydKTU4gCPVkKARRr2pU5WVvSsJRJBujCfd_8X5pSnEkcez5beCDIdzJ_BEyKFdpHKFtIRy1ZH9G_9-vP3LKeygwN_5gVZY8ahmWPcZ_mdURtCs7841BjlCAQY/s640/Mock+Meet+044.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO8I6JNbynZcFzjZ9fTxsUCFsCB0I9qaespJ-mNwZpq_EqSoQO4pPfScPXY6DFpj8Rn0e2_pT-ltxERBs98HpSZLEryYBu6HXgcdOwrHyZ4urKKsie3ZTTcoDFvXMWbwPAFtLnBBx7aQ/s1600/Mock+Meet+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO8I6JNbynZcFzjZ9fTxsUCFsCB0I9qaespJ-mNwZpq_EqSoQO4pPfScPXY6DFpj8Rn0e2_pT-ltxERBs98HpSZLEryYBu6HXgcdOwrHyZ4urKKsie3ZTTcoDFvXMWbwPAFtLnBBx7aQ/s640/Mock+Meet+047.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-42311308823878196422017-01-21T19:33:00.000-08:002017-01-21T21:41:49.799-08:00Women's March San Antonio<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"This," cried the Mayor, "is your town's darkest hour!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The time for all Whos who have blood that is red</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To come to the aid of their country!" he said.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>We've GOT to make noises in greater amounts!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>So, open your mouth, lad! For every voice counts!"</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Thus he spoke as he climbed. When they got to the top,</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The lad cleared his throat and he shouted out, "YOPP!"</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-Dr. Suess, <i>Horton Hears a Who!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
What an unforgettable day. I'm so thankful my sister Jill inspired and then encouraged me to go to the <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/">Women's March</a> here in San Antonio. She was marching in Boston and since I'm not on Facebook anymore, I hadn't heard about the movement. I committed myself and the kids (Nathan had to work) by writing it on the calendar. I almost psyched myself out when my imagination got the best of me and I started to worry about the safety of the kids. However, one uplifting text exchange with Jill and a confirmation from my friend Carrie that she and her kids would join us, and I was back on board. So glad. It was a beautiful day here and I'll never forget walking with my children, seeing them holding signs and chanting with the crowd.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There were lots of highlights, and one interesting moment when we march by the jailhouse and heard whoops and hollers coming from the shadows of the tall, thin windows and bars...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
...but the moment that got me the most was when a 10 year old girl started chanting, loud, strong, clear, and proud from the middle of the marching crowd "Hands off my future!" and we all responded "Hands off her future!" 10 or so times. When she had her fill and slipped back into the crowd, we cheered and congratulated her for wearing her strength for all to see.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So while I don't necessarily agree that this is our darkest hour, and I accept the outcome of this election in full, I am glad I showed up today to contribute to the message that democracy does not mean we shut our mouths and take punches. We always have our voices and our votes. Let us exercise our right to use both and use this time to get more involved and informed.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So, let's hear it friends. All together now.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
YOOOOOOOOPPPPPPP!!!!!!!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMqYABLLQP94P-TY0M8-rsfye6DQmVoF8T5KQIEjnTrKys7hAY7zUgqvufRj7CGtwyA-3zN2dmq2D2f-hzkGqhkPox7vY72xPwAwoH3Y671WfFliW5Qp9Zvd_D5rVMy6qDTUv_qD8F9Q/s1600/IMG_2516+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipMqYABLLQP94P-TY0M8-rsfye6DQmVoF8T5KQIEjnTrKys7hAY7zUgqvufRj7CGtwyA-3zN2dmq2D2f-hzkGqhkPox7vY72xPwAwoH3Y671WfFliW5Qp9Zvd_D5rVMy6qDTUv_qD8F9Q/s400/IMG_2516+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe and Lillie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52qF3S0DtTwrR7EIqIsBEfVFtNUm_MUYOGgRN97zZsLmsMRiQ9SLtFPKtQRag70Sjmw83K6RfImJZxEZSkJhEoKh4fX84_Vd5D0wV7TsX5gdFpYYpaxm3aVw8aVqm3m1ExHfTPZFIUSM/s1600/IMG_2522+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52qF3S0DtTwrR7EIqIsBEfVFtNUm_MUYOGgRN97zZsLmsMRiQ9SLtFPKtQRag70Sjmw83K6RfImJZxEZSkJhEoKh4fX84_Vd5D0wV7TsX5gdFpYYpaxm3aVw8aVqm3m1ExHfTPZFIUSM/s400/IMG_2522+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for making the signs Carrie!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeKYSAbTQZnwtvX3K7Hgw4yqQmz0qYf7S9QnOsllY9e8jKeyU29uCc4GpWQyv_JMOwd2wgSZ3noem8OwoQt9i9mh3YLvVojCG2koPk2vd_6Brm1Sq_0qDL5N_FWvRjiNeDHmMXwbbuE4/s1600/IMG_2533+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipeKYSAbTQZnwtvX3K7Hgw4yqQmz0qYf7S9QnOsllY9e8jKeyU29uCc4GpWQyv_JMOwd2wgSZ3noem8OwoQt9i9mh3YLvVojCG2koPk2vd_6Brm1Sq_0qDL5N_FWvRjiNeDHmMXwbbuE4/s400/IMG_2533+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my girl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERDmNRSgJQQhyphenhyphenQl5_BvmmLWHOB7y8qbWvRraAM9xuV9G7iCrN6FVi2mHLkJ4VV3g5Spus-F2-zhR838uP0zEKfauid-DcAHvtA5G1vCmcmQO04EQ_1QCiA0hcDhulHC2hS3D11soudDo/s1600/Women%2527s+March+002+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjERDmNRSgJQQhyphenhyphenQl5_BvmmLWHOB7y8qbWvRraAM9xuV9G7iCrN6FVi2mHLkJ4VV3g5Spus-F2-zhR838uP0zEKfauid-DcAHvtA5G1vCmcmQO04EQ_1QCiA0hcDhulHC2hS3D11soudDo/s640/Women%2527s+March+002+-+Copy.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCaW_c-1yv_wnXhEkpoR27bl4_OX3gu2LB3d-qM1dXn5tOZZHXqE0C5Jm4l0h-impKEs2oZqGqspPF9ckubz3AiYOKHZ9PnZ6ZVzw-H8ATF1IXkJ_21VHkWPB4UJ8XyE3_g3aMtatx38/s1600/Women%2527s+March+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCaW_c-1yv_wnXhEkpoR27bl4_OX3gu2LB3d-qM1dXn5tOZZHXqE0C5Jm4l0h-impKEs2oZqGqspPF9ckubz3AiYOKHZ9PnZ6ZVzw-H8ATF1IXkJ_21VHkWPB4UJ8XyE3_g3aMtatx38/s640/Women%2527s+March+003.jpg" width="498" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owen was a soldier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDtzxlv9JGruPSctVrzk8dtAvto6eXRFY1kIt9woT2LINEYK1SHeYbOgw266B7ReE5WsiWz0K6S9cnS9q3NmewmhPgyEJ1ZlaHqMf0rjpbcYxq2Pja1r_FNRsZXG_6dYTlVEYJX7xSeQ/s1600/Women%2527s+March+004+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDtzxlv9JGruPSctVrzk8dtAvto6eXRFY1kIt9woT2LINEYK1SHeYbOgw266B7ReE5WsiWz0K6S9cnS9q3NmewmhPgyEJ1ZlaHqMf0rjpbcYxq2Pja1r_FNRsZXG_6dYTlVEYJX7xSeQ/s640/Women%2527s+March+004+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lxVEz0cEWHXfyUHnnhc9m7Ug1_ruZg0KlRWufm5BjDmRV8as2q7yzoO8IhiTEaqp6kvHXXtv2LE6MS9iGCAD4VVafQll7ZKZY1Zk5mVAsB821UeJxKP5EPM1zTYeeZpkfusQtRiLS-M/s1600/Women%2527s+March+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lxVEz0cEWHXfyUHnnhc9m7Ug1_ruZg0KlRWufm5BjDmRV8as2q7yzoO8IhiTEaqp6kvHXXtv2LE6MS9iGCAD4VVafQll7ZKZY1Zk5mVAsB821UeJxKP5EPM1zTYeeZpkfusQtRiLS-M/s640/Women%2527s+March+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5hGYZYFjYxwUD9wutNjXaPLcQtZ7n81SCpBgAlvxiDm-ZCr2MXAJJw2bBL_igTEnmw1_9DKgoH7tzVADX7mJ07je2yTdCdbm3Z06WThZPyjsXip5TKeRUeBkyLrB-dcyVdtjHWi6RwI/s1600/Women%2527s+March+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5hGYZYFjYxwUD9wutNjXaPLcQtZ7n81SCpBgAlvxiDm-ZCr2MXAJJw2bBL_igTEnmw1_9DKgoH7tzVADX7mJ07je2yTdCdbm3Z06WThZPyjsXip5TKeRUeBkyLrB-dcyVdtjHWi6RwI/s640/Women%2527s+March+006.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo26NEnaacGK0Cvc9sKGFoXw6YekPE0IwvTESIDRQw0QAKK5a-2oZYLU34ArWyK4N_Qiu0kWtovC71JBJ3_TCN_F-2qvo3VE_BT-o76CIakC0Tg0lgwj5_6hojDuW_CRTTtFEMCunymo/s1600/Women%2527s+March+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIo26NEnaacGK0Cvc9sKGFoXw6YekPE0IwvTESIDRQw0QAKK5a-2oZYLU34ArWyK4N_Qiu0kWtovC71JBJ3_TCN_F-2qvo3VE_BT-o76CIakC0Tg0lgwj5_6hojDuW_CRTTtFEMCunymo/s640/Women%2527s+March+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpJUmPYA474ArDoqxhyrvzlRk1PbXe9p1B4ml_VHv_-PyIfuaimEwXY04G0nJ8_4KvEbeOTY7PbzZdFEdZgKMschKL_CgaIDn-V0MwWA9_2I5Su14LaBh4MRIQ2riUNehg0D4pScrnac/s1600/Women%2527s+March+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpJUmPYA474ArDoqxhyrvzlRk1PbXe9p1B4ml_VHv_-PyIfuaimEwXY04G0nJ8_4KvEbeOTY7PbzZdFEdZgKMschKL_CgaIDn-V0MwWA9_2I5Su14LaBh4MRIQ2riUNehg0D4pScrnac/s640/Women%2527s+March+012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6EIUokVmenBskLVTriA1VQEpwEI8dTrLxkf3S5PQfoCYdxSurITYOxEX-tiPzSaMF9QJ9HuJImDLA9TY4MaaueyolR1qIpBIJ_dYpDLgV4CQMqCxmutCGdvq3GUARFgRJ-_T4BA8R9w/s1600/Women%2527s+March+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6EIUokVmenBskLVTriA1VQEpwEI8dTrLxkf3S5PQfoCYdxSurITYOxEX-tiPzSaMF9QJ9HuJImDLA9TY4MaaueyolR1qIpBIJ_dYpDLgV4CQMqCxmutCGdvq3GUARFgRJ-_T4BA8R9w/s640/Women%2527s+March+013.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFbSZvTLXf1CC9as5sRNRIjj5kD9Sg_K7y8CLi246w79MO1l6vbtlx0YcyVv6jy6zpD_mA-ckQ_Aq5aLJN7Df9badMTM0TSZfyluNLWlZEGQD1XKzm9qBCy3sWlUIx46QNgKlWPeEPiA/s1600/Women%2527s+March+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFbSZvTLXf1CC9as5sRNRIjj5kD9Sg_K7y8CLi246w79MO1l6vbtlx0YcyVv6jy6zpD_mA-ckQ_Aq5aLJN7Df9badMTM0TSZfyluNLWlZEGQD1XKzm9qBCy3sWlUIx46QNgKlWPeEPiA/s640/Women%2527s+March+014.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ran into Owen's friend Priya from school. I love both of these pictures..this one because you can see their sweet little linked arms and Priya's awesome shirt...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sLQU-Hr_zWsG1qJoANpvyV_7JrWNdfieq3mjhN_bypbiDOOyc1Tol7bT5P1afgXOwE_fALFG5J3Nt7ZGjovqvn8VpjTlOA4gFgSdCYBqBvH61S7TVAcRs0GXje7UxDQBEkGrJCBe4H0/s1600/Women%2527s+March+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9sLQU-Hr_zWsG1qJoANpvyV_7JrWNdfieq3mjhN_bypbiDOOyc1Tol7bT5P1afgXOwE_fALFG5J3Nt7ZGjovqvn8VpjTlOA4gFgSdCYBqBvH61S7TVAcRs0GXje7UxDQBEkGrJCBe4H0/s640/Women%2527s+March+015.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and this one because Owen's holding his sign right up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-RjyN88I3IOXtxTK6LvkInXOeytxoNh22ba-F5oDLmVtaO5bIGhpqINnrsJ6OLYIgaYOPTxyrjHfOmCNigSKy4yR_Pe6u1_6S6hJtkbueG7AiHtbDbmt2eIYFkRVX6dh9KrB4fGcEtU/s1600/Women%2527s+March+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-RjyN88I3IOXtxTK6LvkInXOeytxoNh22ba-F5oDLmVtaO5bIGhpqINnrsJ6OLYIgaYOPTxyrjHfOmCNigSKy4yR_Pe6u1_6S6hJtkbueG7AiHtbDbmt2eIYFkRVX6dh9KrB4fGcEtU/s640/Women%2527s+March+016.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tagged along with a couple of Carrie's buddies...everyone wanted pictures of them with their awesome signs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7vpK4lBPdy0e0O2i9Ux_OyUi3jcHffFdnMGMH6rk0_xjy3X9WLPe-fUHUZDLdMXFuB2eQ7J2iadpOkZfWZwxV3c0Ox67egRZMSk2OC9ZjOj5vIdu4t9ULdtNLANT-kiTs-pLM_dqogQ/s1600/Women%2527s+March+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7vpK4lBPdy0e0O2i9Ux_OyUi3jcHffFdnMGMH6rk0_xjy3X9WLPe-fUHUZDLdMXFuB2eQ7J2iadpOkZfWZwxV3c0Ox67egRZMSk2OC9ZjOj5vIdu4t9ULdtNLANT-kiTs-pLM_dqogQ/s640/Women%2527s+March+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQln4cOTEzdXJwCenXB7xlQ5ErmcgK4xo3CslnDlWaIZFZByWIRr2QZIFWiOC-UXsxU35Rbeorv0U-xW1rhBeAtdx-pLGrIX_FPSHwR2vLRCVoW3SrEpWDRVNa0ag67jiebzNWVZ314cQ/s1600/Women%2527s+March+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQln4cOTEzdXJwCenXB7xlQ5ErmcgK4xo3CslnDlWaIZFZByWIRr2QZIFWiOC-UXsxU35Rbeorv0U-xW1rhBeAtdx-pLGrIX_FPSHwR2vLRCVoW3SrEpWDRVNa0ag67jiebzNWVZ314cQ/s640/Women%2527s+March+018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWwWl03nIVYx1a3clh21gr9Yemuj_XejmhoaD58WAuRQ9wMLfRxXun4Hrvu9iLeEtutwo4JaMhQglzBcy6LrUWGB2dVm57BMj0xrvwYPFMMIbLYL_q2ynINLOhge2ulI9fdJTQls0lf8/s1600/Women%2527s+March+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWwWl03nIVYx1a3clh21gr9Yemuj_XejmhoaD58WAuRQ9wMLfRxXun4Hrvu9iLeEtutwo4JaMhQglzBcy6LrUWGB2dVm57BMj0xrvwYPFMMIbLYL_q2ynINLOhge2ulI9fdJTQls0lf8/s640/Women%2527s+March+019.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCs3oCLYii2L3TiyMM2-JoTxJvuWk-SvAuS5coNHRne1xCyjqPZGXQsjHtYtnAVujFT-zcByzNOvH1Nx3_8Uu8hI3P0Oho_g_RoRTP62xvjFrLkex-H6YgYChno-_Ot5v8JhHztQJTeHQ/s1600/Women%2527s+March+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCs3oCLYii2L3TiyMM2-JoTxJvuWk-SvAuS5coNHRne1xCyjqPZGXQsjHtYtnAVujFT-zcByzNOvH1Nx3_8Uu8hI3P0Oho_g_RoRTP62xvjFrLkex-H6YgYChno-_Ot5v8JhHztQJTeHQ/s640/Women%2527s+March+021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bus we piled into at the end of the March and rode to the parking lot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-40477535876158833602017-01-08T16:23:00.001-08:002017-01-08T16:23:47.138-08:00Mommy and Kiddo WeekendNathan is in New York City for a conference this weekend, so it's just me and the kids keeping each other company. We talked with him earlier today and learned he is actually missing South Texas weather! We all had a good laugh (including him) as he told us he can't wait to get home and stop wearing so many layers. How things change!<br />
<br />
The kids and I felt inspired to get outside and enjoy the sun since Daddy can't so went to one of our favorite parks. They humored me by modeling while I practiced with a few new camera accessories I scored for Christmas. I'm also trying to learn more and more about how to utilize Lightroom and can admit I'm probably going a little overboard with post production processing but oh well--I'm gaining more skills while I over process!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnrXSoChpsCdc9-qZ1H8sm5k5jnyFTlTcV6gbOZv5fX9eRySP-p5YttRhQbPDqmsRhuAqWq0y3YTKBbYphZyhdLzXLe4nvTPyjxQbeqXVYA0Wv43VF3w7ABu3BU5CIEMB4JRBqGA1PsI/s1600/Mommy+and+Kids+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnrXSoChpsCdc9-qZ1H8sm5k5jnyFTlTcV6gbOZv5fX9eRySP-p5YttRhQbPDqmsRhuAqWq0y3YTKBbYphZyhdLzXLe4nvTPyjxQbeqXVYA0Wv43VF3w7ABu3BU5CIEMB4JRBqGA1PsI/s640/Mommy+and+Kids+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't realize this shot was blurry until I got home. Was bummed but used it as a reason to practice with my editing tools</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1W9c759nAj0qpaBdPEFR6lJjQ7CkOIa8uicLYxG49S3emwVAn0LIwEcansQdcxbJwU2UEAGYax9YnpNmsWXWXN4MQTGL7IyhFE7aLOXS8EgIB_CqZD9HBOq-J0DBDrfmU9-kJEXD2ac/s1600/Mommy+and+Kids+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1W9c759nAj0qpaBdPEFR6lJjQ7CkOIa8uicLYxG49S3emwVAn0LIwEcansQdcxbJwU2UEAGYax9YnpNmsWXWXN4MQTGL7IyhFE7aLOXS8EgIB_CqZD9HBOq-J0DBDrfmU9-kJEXD2ac/s640/Mommy+and+Kids+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't decide which of these of Owen is my favorite. He is just so darned photogenic!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1vxrxFd_4b5v-D3aIriSm1fuJSKYNjmYnv4-O58YpqjjkSMHrZrWVF-w8ec8_OkIAO2WFmVPlg9ZNZsvVON1t4xQYYFXbjTr7xZENxtN169HyV-MYg2L1GLLuUmm-gCtsGIxjLaqQ8o/s1600/Mommy+and+Kids+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1vxrxFd_4b5v-D3aIriSm1fuJSKYNjmYnv4-O58YpqjjkSMHrZrWVF-w8ec8_OkIAO2WFmVPlg9ZNZsvVON1t4xQYYFXbjTr7xZENxtN169HyV-MYg2L1GLLuUmm-gCtsGIxjLaqQ8o/s640/Mommy+and+Kids+003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZoZkfCT8kdykGsnx3p7M0gBJkUCAEJvZ5JKYMbSfObvVFEqltxeaD6-xRdbpwdc_3oV7wiSAdExlh3NPvO5OclqDZprvvrKTEbL4C5nz6UawiFj2pu6kfkj2MOxfiQ9uLM7SCKCTOLw/s1600/Mommy+and+Kids+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZoZkfCT8kdykGsnx3p7M0gBJkUCAEJvZ5JKYMbSfObvVFEqltxeaD6-xRdbpwdc_3oV7wiSAdExlh3NPvO5OclqDZprvvrKTEbL4C5nz6UawiFj2pu6kfkj2MOxfiQ9uLM7SCKCTOLw/s640/Mommy+and+Kids+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtawb2EI25N2aNO3601haNfZXcpWHK_9JcwB6RhxD7YTwiinROmuBHVRyk_KFTtQQTT_Mlo8dmJIFDwq9C-NZV5nSFbOeVZGNH7s-MItO7eIVIcdLc68qGLQt8pC_Nj5InEhyphenhyphenNCECMlP0/s1600/Mommy+and+Kids+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtawb2EI25N2aNO3601haNfZXcpWHK_9JcwB6RhxD7YTwiinROmuBHVRyk_KFTtQQTT_Mlo8dmJIFDwq9C-NZV5nSFbOeVZGNH7s-MItO7eIVIcdLc68qGLQt8pC_Nj5InEhyphenhyphenNCECMlP0/s640/Mommy+and+Kids+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSqvT6ICxcgTEtzqLlSKp7oKkAljjHD_35fZxa4ot_qmZwWg45s3fzCAUXuDV9eBAxkqDB4bbYB0k6EhKdC5y00FU5G_VZa4EuROjzsgsEVLjGe-lavlyWBnyeVcq2OCFb0jI_yTB8T0/s1600/Mommy+and+Kids+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSqvT6ICxcgTEtzqLlSKp7oKkAljjHD_35fZxa4ot_qmZwWg45s3fzCAUXuDV9eBAxkqDB4bbYB0k6EhKdC5y00FU5G_VZa4EuROjzsgsEVLjGe-lavlyWBnyeVcq2OCFb0jI_yTB8T0/s640/Mommy+and+Kids+010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdM8GFOUd3I6EE5l0v6my2FRajbhGkXS68mqXFcrq0B91AkDcfEEy0CU-WfNEgeOvh-HLBI_K5W9TBaHbyfOHQ4rKTCMq-7r-TemoNvhk20_M-L6Dqfy7ZiLLIyhD1f-PAl7V8wuyqUM/s1600/Mommy+and+Kids+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdM8GFOUd3I6EE5l0v6my2FRajbhGkXS68mqXFcrq0B91AkDcfEEy0CU-WfNEgeOvh-HLBI_K5W9TBaHbyfOHQ4rKTCMq-7r-TemoNvhk20_M-L6Dqfy7ZiLLIyhD1f-PAl7V8wuyqUM/s640/Mommy+and+Kids+011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"ROAR!!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yCLFkX1F58thnbFxP8vsne-HVG_rGU7jtGUPG3sELjtUTnAB4QhmGX2R29w_o75TGSPqipcPTA3qjwzJ1g19rwB3u-Oc_8CBjDeYjqqJkrRmxKqMtUtc7vc-DQLo4dYGJPHwCZ0aR9k/s1600/Mommy+and+Kids+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yCLFkX1F58thnbFxP8vsne-HVG_rGU7jtGUPG3sELjtUTnAB4QhmGX2R29w_o75TGSPqipcPTA3qjwzJ1g19rwB3u-Oc_8CBjDeYjqqJkrRmxKqMtUtc7vc-DQLo4dYGJPHwCZ0aR9k/s640/Mommy+and+Kids+012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBFUuLoASuhwnNQPhFhwvA0AYPOwyC3YLG-oSZwzR5iznCMiRX2SCKGaa9K5kYtTNcnyMfpFaXEJwJVo00-okRup4DOwhZ2k2i-GdaMV5QN2kQIOj6soOUch3Frq9Jc93gsxzpevZNm8/s1600/Mommy+and+Kids+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaBFUuLoASuhwnNQPhFhwvA0AYPOwyC3YLG-oSZwzR5iznCMiRX2SCKGaa9K5kYtTNcnyMfpFaXEJwJVo00-okRup4DOwhZ2k2i-GdaMV5QN2kQIOj6soOUch3Frq9Jc93gsxzpevZNm8/s640/Mommy+and+Kids+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-14007572233618781422016-12-29T21:02:00.007-08:002016-12-29T21:02:37.160-08:00Alamo BowlI scored a new lens with my Christmas money and had a fun excuse to take it out and practice today since our CU Buffs are in town for the Alamo Bowl. Nathan's parents are here with our nephew Brayden, so we all went down to a pre-game party (we didn't lay down the cash for the actual game) and enjoyed the Riverwalk while we were at it. It was a really funny combination of our life experiences over the last 7 years being surrounded by Buff fans in all-out gear downtown, snapping a picture with Chip next the the Tower of Americas, and randomly joining into the fight song as we walked along the river. Personally I couldn't get over how perfect the evening was for the 4 of us. Now we are in the comfort of our apartment watching them get pummeled...just like old times. I'm becoming more and more positive that having our family within 100 miles of the team must bring them bad luck. Sorry Buffs but welcome to San Antonio anyhow!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOC5YiXKb3mqJVxcex8KhHg2rsAODF8cBgjym9XyTex6HoNrTXEXJ8B36okpu0BycdlhadHv4kHiBGrd_K2SYJGUWHuNaXRbiYuTAL37nPffrRsFkCs2W3pkgiQLDAMCyPrFR3S7dy0w/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOC5YiXKb3mqJVxcex8KhHg2rsAODF8cBgjym9XyTex6HoNrTXEXJ8B36okpu0BycdlhadHv4kHiBGrd_K2SYJGUWHuNaXRbiYuTAL37nPffrRsFkCs2W3pkgiQLDAMCyPrFR3S7dy0w/s640/Alamo+Bowl+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghM4sW6zGWuSnNZ294OUKRhyphenhyphenZi4oc8DgOED3YWe7ot8kGaE-mTTxP00mb3j3y_LJVn143F8o2Z6F44KpWiBnb_otzUxeyAqiTJqGDj4XSJh-PCAluskQicI1PFQW8ys1SiTbv1_oEoMqI/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghM4sW6zGWuSnNZ294OUKRhyphenhyphenZi4oc8DgOED3YWe7ot8kGaE-mTTxP00mb3j3y_LJVn143F8o2Z6F44KpWiBnb_otzUxeyAqiTJqGDj4XSJh-PCAluskQicI1PFQW8ys1SiTbv1_oEoMqI/s640/Alamo+Bowl+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjog25eY9GZvSDkNhr9NINLQOtYZ-6cCAuY0rcV8DShXu3iuYctaEAMq9SzuxsxY3HrZfuTf8q6PoBxhYZFpfozeU0mh-1VzgXv9AEHPXCkbdK-Wvx6zwp3AUmyTTdqoe9s82vWWQR5-E/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjog25eY9GZvSDkNhr9NINLQOtYZ-6cCAuY0rcV8DShXu3iuYctaEAMq9SzuxsxY3HrZfuTf8q6PoBxhYZFpfozeU0mh-1VzgXv9AEHPXCkbdK-Wvx6zwp3AUmyTTdqoe9s82vWWQR5-E/s640/Alamo+Bowl+004.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5VKQcdl2Q-lkSHwhHms88g574YsM4A0vLWIiIEputcxppl73JFA0nsi9HAy9HeTlTvXwxtM_fXQdncM0tmYVTWKzQvfCZcjsOObWazavWkz9UcCf4Xt6xKAy_LkFJhOjfc_EC6DLDuU/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5VKQcdl2Q-lkSHwhHms88g574YsM4A0vLWIiIEputcxppl73JFA0nsi9HAy9HeTlTvXwxtM_fXQdncM0tmYVTWKzQvfCZcjsOObWazavWkz9UcCf4Xt6xKAy_LkFJhOjfc_EC6DLDuU/s640/Alamo+Bowl+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKkeKQUl514I6jPrnSPCloIA73azLm-k5LHKMl52jcLbPQINFAzlptHc5WASzNhcJfc0QL6x7xYT-Bnr_LQMHIYUn9tRgThPk0IFVvbbgSpJQK4VA65YynJ5_tDsKX2hfGXXmeQRtrDY/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+006+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKkeKQUl514I6jPrnSPCloIA73azLm-k5LHKMl52jcLbPQINFAzlptHc5WASzNhcJfc0QL6x7xYT-Bnr_LQMHIYUn9tRgThPk0IFVvbbgSpJQK4VA65YynJ5_tDsKX2hfGXXmeQRtrDY/s640/Alamo+Bowl+006+-+Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_INLDrMcBvuw3ZqdxGyQcxNC_oU3h6-JktIOMaKwk4bHiE_pt6dEwgDgIHTnOdPpMS7xByJ_hhdEDce1fTo7H3cE8YtktjVN0PQz7Vb6gaA4FdZUb-R1qrzlEOUyCBHQibx6xPaySCDA/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_INLDrMcBvuw3ZqdxGyQcxNC_oU3h6-JktIOMaKwk4bHiE_pt6dEwgDgIHTnOdPpMS7xByJ_hhdEDce1fTo7H3cE8YtktjVN0PQz7Vb6gaA4FdZUb-R1qrzlEOUyCBHQibx6xPaySCDA/s640/Alamo+Bowl+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oFQStVgvRdFpgy6eVatKIzaSEuEcATg339bJerU1GvErTlaC9wea1IwfKbU9zDPgA7kCR4ghk7BrCyoGxvCFYymX9c29PqhFAuwk1M3p0UNbpqv0TwZgfqYZw-RLQJ_kzKHcW3f9-QI/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oFQStVgvRdFpgy6eVatKIzaSEuEcATg339bJerU1GvErTlaC9wea1IwfKbU9zDPgA7kCR4ghk7BrCyoGxvCFYymX9c29PqhFAuwk1M3p0UNbpqv0TwZgfqYZw-RLQJ_kzKHcW3f9-QI/s640/Alamo+Bowl+009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u8OIa74BGPRM_gFxUA1Mr0LiO7sYbCmBSdtVILdqk0bd906LlJdreVls7mpuYTsAyA2WyIPiNlzaocyov1nZ6wY_RmeRLALDmLV08L5VerWrxPLXBLh8FgYcAYOMrbN7owA8d3QSPTM/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6u8OIa74BGPRM_gFxUA1Mr0LiO7sYbCmBSdtVILdqk0bd906LlJdreVls7mpuYTsAyA2WyIPiNlzaocyov1nZ6wY_RmeRLALDmLV08L5VerWrxPLXBLh8FgYcAYOMrbN7owA8d3QSPTM/s640/Alamo+Bowl+012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK6kac2w8riUPNf3ETDV0a-l0BQY_X2XpLhVbwYCk7M8bGz8TfNfIrTsHZB9BXimuPEzEnW-ngYj8PhOTKJOKvQQkcZrkToSa4SgqUYWrbC7e5RlOi8C15wllS7MiVTOuSJ11ZFXeYtk/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK6kac2w8riUPNf3ETDV0a-l0BQY_X2XpLhVbwYCk7M8bGz8TfNfIrTsHZB9BXimuPEzEnW-ngYj8PhOTKJOKvQQkcZrkToSa4SgqUYWrbC7e5RlOi8C15wllS7MiVTOuSJ11ZFXeYtk/s640/Alamo+Bowl+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ticSGA_-86_m97RqyRXs4Q1x_RPC_frcbnrLyxPsRVC8tYvEYbQ6vvvfxdRiGRjnzAwCMQL1sn21B3AD9YFidKAKaNxiw6VOWjXkJXrO-Y9BSCxxn-c2SUO0zVacMLESA4YQ-I01GyQ/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ticSGA_-86_m97RqyRXs4Q1x_RPC_frcbnrLyxPsRVC8tYvEYbQ6vvvfxdRiGRjnzAwCMQL1sn21B3AD9YFidKAKaNxiw6VOWjXkJXrO-Y9BSCxxn-c2SUO0zVacMLESA4YQ-I01GyQ/s640/Alamo+Bowl+018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1RcQTCHVSZMXUiX_VsBeVhJpJ2Q2nb-DLeSi__l7Duejoxdm8q4pZ9yF4qx5_Vti-7w7dVTvqJLHpCLxRtgGupWO5vrvWM2jm21HEFBpCC8BGdGSejXsMGD9shpRZy1ZszV4WUQM0Nw/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1RcQTCHVSZMXUiX_VsBeVhJpJ2Q2nb-DLeSi__l7Duejoxdm8q4pZ9yF4qx5_Vti-7w7dVTvqJLHpCLxRtgGupWO5vrvWM2jm21HEFBpCC8BGdGSejXsMGD9shpRZy1ZszV4WUQM0Nw/s640/Alamo+Bowl+019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH3vCNT36dK7yWVcM7RHPj2trCfFuV9hIcMvsoBwXM-1am9_2-WJGaXUw_8P1rWFMgCQNzAVgVX7_ovUSGBH97vcowUHlCA0IGzjwyGNBan0o0yDVOh5zvgOzOoZUGArf_VMYlQynSgw/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH3vCNT36dK7yWVcM7RHPj2trCfFuV9hIcMvsoBwXM-1am9_2-WJGaXUw_8P1rWFMgCQNzAVgVX7_ovUSGBH97vcowUHlCA0IGzjwyGNBan0o0yDVOh5zvgOzOoZUGArf_VMYlQynSgw/s640/Alamo+Bowl+020.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOe7UUsy1FcuyyoVfGSoq4DFDxlYCmd6A_jRdwZ5zff1bWFLskAlZrOI0idUKsKwVdTAyDKGjgkaalwPkPN8OIS4XGlXMRklO_tGlTmbhQAWI7tuYp7FYgvaf_CNlaZboi95pF-H5oNFs/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOe7UUsy1FcuyyoVfGSoq4DFDxlYCmd6A_jRdwZ5zff1bWFLskAlZrOI0idUKsKwVdTAyDKGjgkaalwPkPN8OIS4XGlXMRklO_tGlTmbhQAWI7tuYp7FYgvaf_CNlaZboi95pF-H5oNFs/s640/Alamo+Bowl+023.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEpXiyOCaI_ODjnZousJfH8t7swdO4AETaxuPV9zVLoTd9u6x9P7PVv53t_tqU93Vf5KHFqUF17_8SKBzpcFeEniArsC3aeNVSSPxkRihKDN7bMS8WUBhxYqrc19c2sO6bEVs7aahf9A/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEpXiyOCaI_ODjnZousJfH8t7swdO4AETaxuPV9zVLoTd9u6x9P7PVv53t_tqU93Vf5KHFqUF17_8SKBzpcFeEniArsC3aeNVSSPxkRihKDN7bMS8WUBhxYqrc19c2sO6bEVs7aahf9A/s640/Alamo+Bowl+031.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSc_67RGWqzmEFn87l0hS3lHnnXOaFrfYY6jKcr8FWRGu2-qTsvwHc8Zy-5ApbCxFYC4NC71Qs1Jv79eip-lImnwTKqnegWC6vUhAx-m3qZj769AX3qJTI4tawqNK6EXQhN7kJ00UYdgM/s1600/Alamo+Bowl+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSc_67RGWqzmEFn87l0hS3lHnnXOaFrfYY6jKcr8FWRGu2-qTsvwHc8Zy-5ApbCxFYC4NC71Qs1Jv79eip-lImnwTKqnegWC6vUhAx-m3qZj769AX3qJTI4tawqNK6EXQhN7kJ00UYdgM/s640/Alamo+Bowl+032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-42190388528693024362016-12-19T20:53:00.002-08:002016-12-19T20:53:16.258-08:00Comanche Lookout ParkChecked out another great park here today with a few nice little walking trails leading up to a funky castle-like tower. <a href="http://comanche%20lookout%20park/">Comanche Lookout Park</a> named as such because the site was used by Apache and Comanche tribes as a lookout for warfare and hunting purposes. The tower is the unfinished project started by a romantic, retired Army colonel in the 1940s. It feels a little random and you can't go inside but we still enjoyed the stroll on this beautiful fall day (yes, we are now experiencing beautiful fall weather complete with lots of color around the city!).<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH6tMhLRqaEzx3iGkZhMNGRMtTqIgpQk0ieSxEE9M0X2FKvd2kv5h2YZcqA7619963mw_4gzutzG51XEaBdQs7MqyOkx3Pqt-UDEaLzypSIUQFBF_gTT-2uVQoY4yQww6ikFmE1NIWn8/s1600/Comanche+Park+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkH6tMhLRqaEzx3iGkZhMNGRMtTqIgpQk0ieSxEE9M0X2FKvd2kv5h2YZcqA7619963mw_4gzutzG51XEaBdQs7MqyOkx3Pqt-UDEaLzypSIUQFBF_gTT-2uVQoY4yQww6ikFmE1NIWn8/s640/Comanche+Park+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFeQgYDc7OA4kg0hUYDcN8Bv6Xjm8Bx8KWtX6zzOp-XLzUwHLPQ0n7qVxV8R1EHmj5tVGXPalsPuGJGnW2QXXjQCr8oE4nwUyM_Ifh51B5ygH0wPuwh8y4EVyzMnA-9cGT3pr4pcanhA/s1600/Comanche+Park+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFeQgYDc7OA4kg0hUYDcN8Bv6Xjm8Bx8KWtX6zzOp-XLzUwHLPQ0n7qVxV8R1EHmj5tVGXPalsPuGJGnW2QXXjQCr8oE4nwUyM_Ifh51B5ygH0wPuwh8y4EVyzMnA-9cGT3pr4pcanhA/s640/Comanche+Park+006.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yBhr5R2ZCx3kaXbozrcILCQvOpi9TlY3c4q0NhYZKlpfRKGkQ3fQPc8KRwfG0Emt65nIw65E96k890hu1THTKP3gPhrDJHq_kwvISdcDKsrTz8SXY5J6CVCygbLehpE_593ZS1vnifA/s1600/Comanche+Park+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8yBhr5R2ZCx3kaXbozrcILCQvOpi9TlY3c4q0NhYZKlpfRKGkQ3fQPc8KRwfG0Emt65nIw65E96k890hu1THTKP3gPhrDJHq_kwvISdcDKsrTz8SXY5J6CVCygbLehpE_593ZS1vnifA/s640/Comanche+Park+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-72700547870938712762016-11-27T18:37:00.005-08:002016-11-27T18:37:48.119-08:00Lost MaplesWhen we were contemplating our move here, my personal biggest anxiety was whether or not we would have any fall foliage to speak of. Having grown up in Vermont, vibrant fall colors are woven into my bloodline and I wasn't sure I'd be able to be happy in a place that didn't have some form of a foliage season. Most people I talked with who had spent time here promised there is plenty of color in the fall but since actually moving here, it has become all too clear that those people were LIARS. I have struggled through the last month, unable to even peek at pictures from family and friends enjoying the beautiful East Coast and Colorado fall.<br />
<br />
We learned, through research and from word of mouth, of <a href="http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lost-maples">Lost Maples State Natural Area</a> but were a little afraid to let our expectations rise above a pretty low level. It takes a little under 2 hours to get there, and the website doesn't seem to promise anything spectacular. However, starving for a little taste of the fall we know and love, we got up early this morning and piled into the car to see what the park had to offer before we completely missing the boat this year. Man, I am I glad we did.<br />
<br />
It was a perfect chilly day (even had to buy the kids a couple of unexpected sweatshirts when we arrived!). The park is huge and, despite the fact that most of the leaves had already fallen and it's supposedly a more subdued year than it can be, we had an amazing time. We marveled at the similarities between this park and some of our favorite Colorado hikes. In true Stith fashion, we headed out with the intention of taking a quick look around and ended up hiking 5 miles or so, mostly motivated by the stubborn curiosity we all seem to share. While looking at the map, we noticed a section labeled "steep" and all agreed we had to see for ourselves how "Texas Steep", as we fondly dubbed all the inclines after that, measured up to "Colorado Steep" (incidentally, we were all impressed!).<br />
<br />
As we drove out of the park, I felt deep gratitude for this little pocket of Texas. Not only did we enjoy it today, but we now know it will be there for us in the future.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfq98ecE7n3oLBeCPLTF6dpqNugtB5f_eOZUjtJj1DasEbOQHXRyNNMH1dhsfv5tHEEnHfQhhLaaf4UvXLuP_SA750rpHe20XokfAyJlHygI1GkXU2uZYlYfTPkCC3bVSXhRt2APs_fE/s1600/IMG_2115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfq98ecE7n3oLBeCPLTF6dpqNugtB5f_eOZUjtJj1DasEbOQHXRyNNMH1dhsfv5tHEEnHfQhhLaaf4UvXLuP_SA750rpHe20XokfAyJlHygI1GkXU2uZYlYfTPkCC3bVSXhRt2APs_fE/s640/IMG_2115.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3H0H7wVlmsqiH03CE6Ap0WJELLFW4w5_XIocODxRwWgb_RIcY6JaiQVpEezjX4PM-SOl1fpFWSmyIoiKS8S75tIRpx_p4HC45XjyBRmM9WHBMhANfTXpXzjDSqgCK2bYUrwUrnA-tpI/s1600/IMG_2144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3H0H7wVlmsqiH03CE6Ap0WJELLFW4w5_XIocODxRwWgb_RIcY6JaiQVpEezjX4PM-SOl1fpFWSmyIoiKS8S75tIRpx_p4HC45XjyBRmM9WHBMhANfTXpXzjDSqgCK2bYUrwUrnA-tpI/s640/IMG_2144.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJs02emYB6-aXF-di10ofSB7-gf6xMs7yRvXa1LkyjzFbeahrCyntfCG7cMlrsrAxsHCTqHuYDQ4Ju_zKyktQM9SV_E6MqMTgZ0_liIc1MQdLoRoTNub2-x2IJdmKiOWloz8gzio-Was/s1600/Lost+Maples+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJs02emYB6-aXF-di10ofSB7-gf6xMs7yRvXa1LkyjzFbeahrCyntfCG7cMlrsrAxsHCTqHuYDQ4Ju_zKyktQM9SV_E6MqMTgZ0_liIc1MQdLoRoTNub2-x2IJdmKiOWloz8gzio-Was/s640/Lost+Maples+001.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIujOz2X6hRLLraYNJF2hLTT9TeGtraTncDvuzd4QsguLYVlE02Qfk8a7yr_wxVe43xcDw09awbkQvQ-A1sLsAkHI-tkB7_7A1rgSuXgMkv0zKtZJLS0w2GZSGYICDvfVzBAbzef-Nhmk/s1600/Lost+Maples+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIujOz2X6hRLLraYNJF2hLTT9TeGtraTncDvuzd4QsguLYVlE02Qfk8a7yr_wxVe43xcDw09awbkQvQ-A1sLsAkHI-tkB7_7A1rgSuXgMkv0zKtZJLS0w2GZSGYICDvfVzBAbzef-Nhmk/s640/Lost+Maples+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UP44-t7EFcom8Jt4AwIS4z_hLPF_uY9A7jA4LuByNnjysV7nUZIRBDV0UFFJR3L7WVQV-jXyLrEH9Dt7jxpo0lEk5Rm8nOOQca5FuhbypuAAqTi4YTMqFmofJikvkSgUtFLzAzTH8Wg/s1600/Lost+Maples+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0UP44-t7EFcom8Jt4AwIS4z_hLPF_uY9A7jA4LuByNnjysV7nUZIRBDV0UFFJR3L7WVQV-jXyLrEH9Dt7jxpo0lEk5Rm8nOOQca5FuhbypuAAqTi4YTMqFmofJikvkSgUtFLzAzTH8Wg/s640/Lost+Maples+009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmVRrup_xvs79kemWFtK-PA9r7aAh-3lBDwoTejgfqVxoHktFNDMbJkD9lJHsZw-IpP-2jNTq9K_Dxo7gclQNXuc5D7ncv-j2qFLJZq67rpkvv9_uqneMyfKZ0dBca7xnqfyoUl1UAfg/s1600/Lost+Maples+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmVRrup_xvs79kemWFtK-PA9r7aAh-3lBDwoTejgfqVxoHktFNDMbJkD9lJHsZw-IpP-2jNTq9K_Dxo7gclQNXuc5D7ncv-j2qFLJZq67rpkvv9_uqneMyfKZ0dBca7xnqfyoUl1UAfg/s640/Lost+Maples+012.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3-ylwy765S4HPttgIJNKrD7Ex9T-Ncrl5x99eAuGa79j4_CeVNiLkbpwh-UCxHZFbY55ppaYx0AiEpQmOmDaKjNtzV-2j0I8MkIiE2gtufsWZzo6zyYz3AGF4MVvXJBuUlUAbbOUiK8/s1600/Lost+Maples+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3-ylwy765S4HPttgIJNKrD7Ex9T-Ncrl5x99eAuGa79j4_CeVNiLkbpwh-UCxHZFbY55ppaYx0AiEpQmOmDaKjNtzV-2j0I8MkIiE2gtufsWZzo6zyYz3AGF4MVvXJBuUlUAbbOUiK8/s640/Lost+Maples+019.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JxBvg03MFfpGjwNaMNcAYHT2lEc6mTanzBSg2l1YkfaahOAhOvTZtH3PDqIRFIECTCaGf8fET9Ga6KC-HTbQc7Nv4ykweQg4xHXLShs1qh_V8L_WL_lXzNKxZMAR0JHSBO9ReG-s8Bk/s1600/Lost+Maples+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JxBvg03MFfpGjwNaMNcAYHT2lEc6mTanzBSg2l1YkfaahOAhOvTZtH3PDqIRFIECTCaGf8fET9Ga6KC-HTbQc7Nv4ykweQg4xHXLShs1qh_V8L_WL_lXzNKxZMAR0JHSBO9ReG-s8Bk/s640/Lost+Maples+023.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Point of interest: "The Grotto"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-I7osULLkfMDuNLZMn8WN-ZYjAf0NmFuVPoIR1Iz6NDndDF0Q5AWbHgAj1zbhodA2jqUCyfUqaXuJJRpn40ejy8a5jr9u2odDe8lqxPqvbL1ST2G7kjDYNbc_uLdxgYrvIFlbNevU8k/s1600/Lost+Maples+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-I7osULLkfMDuNLZMn8WN-ZYjAf0NmFuVPoIR1Iz6NDndDF0Q5AWbHgAj1zbhodA2jqUCyfUqaXuJJRpn40ejy8a5jr9u2odDe8lqxPqvbL1ST2G7kjDYNbc_uLdxgYrvIFlbNevU8k/s640/Lost+Maples+027.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9v-O0HmJREAUIIs17al6aB9EgGtx9CkCA4_r8ySCxRNV6KLW-hKSNBpjQZzdjC2F5CvQhylGIhRMdFHIkl2Z5w4yJjm_HWOEkEr7MfYhRRi0ztLnwwgkHLDwIbhTnXLSBG8xRlbqh1A/s1600/Lost+Maples+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf9v-O0HmJREAUIIs17al6aB9EgGtx9CkCA4_r8ySCxRNV6KLW-hKSNBpjQZzdjC2F5CvQhylGIhRMdFHIkl2Z5w4yJjm_HWOEkEr7MfYhRRi0ztLnwwgkHLDwIbhTnXLSBG8xRlbqh1A/s640/Lost+Maples+037.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OTT7ldSeMKgKrsfkB5t1cCpQBv03iMC4YUG5bW4zuUfP9UWdpXUCyBFnCsNrSQVLC4oprYNOd0q639g9vmek2rmTvdQZvpXZ9tP3wWnkCvxEK3VGMLR0umQYm_Yf5iFSP86vfE1vWGY/s1600/Lost+Maples+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OTT7ldSeMKgKrsfkB5t1cCpQBv03iMC4YUG5bW4zuUfP9UWdpXUCyBFnCsNrSQVLC4oprYNOd0q639g9vmek2rmTvdQZvpXZ9tP3wWnkCvxEK3VGMLR0umQYm_Yf5iFSP86vfE1vWGY/s640/Lost+Maples+045.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLsRNRN_ANOXHSvmptI-pzTXoioug7zdJh1zvwmd74mFL7gE8XPxlWXkBl0QHa3ASml6iDkznI3RwiIPWX5QTktzsl1DFz34xBAeYaKHNrl048CsTf-1JdWnEH9Dsn4tLho2f0x_SB1s/s1600/Lost+Maples+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLsRNRN_ANOXHSvmptI-pzTXoioug7zdJh1zvwmd74mFL7gE8XPxlWXkBl0QHa3ASml6iDkznI3RwiIPWX5QTktzsl1DFz34xBAeYaKHNrl048CsTf-1JdWnEH9Dsn4tLho2f0x_SB1s/s640/Lost+Maples+048.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Point of Interest: "Monkey Rock"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdbxdFsOHsaGfIXMZvmYIL2eUzmO-MvAIwCxS72cEMny6o_atFN4eVPZu6HpK3uuUQtUn6vWs5WWmuH8A9_MoerAoigjf6mCQH7apzHNTjKvV3NDt4oqvKQiqinBDwBDS6paqVQbGm-w/s1600/Lost+Maples+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdbxdFsOHsaGfIXMZvmYIL2eUzmO-MvAIwCxS72cEMny6o_atFN4eVPZu6HpK3uuUQtUn6vWs5WWmuH8A9_MoerAoigjf6mCQH7apzHNTjKvV3NDt4oqvKQiqinBDwBDS6paqVQbGm-w/s640/Lost+Maples+052.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyySjz6oZENGn8fS32v8mw00lrz9v5P1Hecjl3os0uuyOImXC75kSmX6eGD-WrFwPVmQ13jwSdwaBEA-sBghdEP0AwAzr6LC7jt7NF0CMXyos8jUILDAzyv8B_2ikTVP8SWzjA8MRsMU/s1600/Lost+Maples+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheyySjz6oZENGn8fS32v8mw00lrz9v5P1Hecjl3os0uuyOImXC75kSmX6eGD-WrFwPVmQ13jwSdwaBEA-sBghdEP0AwAzr6LC7jt7NF0CMXyos8jUILDAzyv8B_2ikTVP8SWzjA8MRsMU/s640/Lost+Maples+054.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipm6Py1akoouuTsF52xv336BNTuHKUS1FDc8IldUMzwSi9f7uLXGTljrHL6usnjdzIcvYk6ZRFRzv06mvJQqEBJbXctQJrBpjeYA9LeyafCJuq8zbKpmTci6kpdGCMHFKxQOIKG5cs0c4/s1600/Lost+Maples+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipm6Py1akoouuTsF52xv336BNTuHKUS1FDc8IldUMzwSi9f7uLXGTljrHL6usnjdzIcvYk6ZRFRzv06mvJQqEBJbXctQJrBpjeYA9LeyafCJuq8zbKpmTci6kpdGCMHFKxQOIKG5cs0c4/s640/Lost+Maples+058.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1HVSy1NkZCr-g16VvmEOe9e4aWb63111fA9eYalTScn1pFfginQ-SHpiPCWTzqdBm19RnRXqMnAFkxQD-LUG4j0x5xnQVq5TopmFWBv9AElxXz-LuFLPictr1AJoTx1EFH7iRKZ545s/s1600/Lost+Maples+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH1HVSy1NkZCr-g16VvmEOe9e4aWb63111fA9eYalTScn1pFfginQ-SHpiPCWTzqdBm19RnRXqMnAFkxQD-LUG4j0x5xnQVq5TopmFWBv9AElxXz-LuFLPictr1AJoTx1EFH7iRKZ545s/s640/Lost+Maples+060.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-68101652448693430572016-11-20T18:59:00.005-08:002016-11-20T19:20:30.505-08:00Mission San JoseWoah! Long time no see, huh?<br />
<br />
I recently decided to separate myself from Facebook, so am reviving my blog. This time around, I'll be focusing more on posting pictures as opposed to writing, and putting less pressure on myself to post only when I feel like I have "something to say". I just want a place to share my photos as I work to improve my photography skills and to give little updates on our family adventures for those who enjoy following along with us as we explore this new life of ours in San Antonio, TX.<br />
<br />
So, here we go!<br />
<br />
Grandma and Pepaw are here visiting for Thanksgiving this week and we couldn't be more happy to finally have the chance to make a family connection in our new home. After taking Pepaw to a movie in the park last night ("The Three Amigos"--one of my all time favorites!), we were joined by Grandma and piled in the car to head to <a href="http://visitsanantonio.com/english/Explore-San-Antonio/Only-in-San-Antonio/The-Alamo/The-San-Antonio-Missions">Mission San Jose</a>. We finally got the cool down we've been promised for so long, and we have been practically walking on air the past few days in our 50-60 degree weather (including the middle of the afternoon!). Anyway, it was a beautiful day that we ended by strolling around and eating dinner at the <a href="http://www.getcreativesanantonio.com/Explore-San-Antonio/Market-Square">Historic Market Square</a> downtown.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoz69HnVI1-d13l-zckGVCO_0N23ocwcEfHz7ANVDwMcXih8QLiszqxhpmGGqisoAa7moSHil8vpO6z0LeE-nJQVq1IASl6NDb30XUlKvbdfOvuSrnVwiIJN8PLcgaIyALmB1yUenN0I/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoz69HnVI1-d13l-zckGVCO_0N23ocwcEfHz7ANVDwMcXih8QLiszqxhpmGGqisoAa7moSHil8vpO6z0LeE-nJQVq1IASl6NDb30XUlKvbdfOvuSrnVwiIJN8PLcgaIyALmB1yUenN0I/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNfZXzadG04ETezAZAPMMbmfGPlMI6-eWROH0zwRvuodrvqVBcYtaSvFrWyuZQRdbF8vHCWCZVYNIhWTIYyUtEUfOn7iGSh4bSIH2SgbPsFXN4jCbazvIh5jP4o6Qu05SH1qXbGx7CaA/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNfZXzadG04ETezAZAPMMbmfGPlMI6-eWROH0zwRvuodrvqVBcYtaSvFrWyuZQRdbF8vHCWCZVYNIhWTIYyUtEUfOn7iGSh4bSIH2SgbPsFXN4jCbazvIh5jP4o6Qu05SH1qXbGx7CaA/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+002.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NjCV2rwrIDWeQair2n_43ENHKbjawQVkU6JBwJPvsjsp-mFZoCN2xaQGq6GTcuArW2yhBhmGpeKPi2A0TKeeuP34hibdjT9quHjgE89E1LFqsZVpIETq81X77XQWJgn-1dvxrKzoxPc/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NjCV2rwrIDWeQair2n_43ENHKbjawQVkU6JBwJPvsjsp-mFZoCN2xaQGq6GTcuArW2yhBhmGpeKPi2A0TKeeuP34hibdjT9quHjgE89E1LFqsZVpIETq81X77XQWJgn-1dvxrKzoxPc/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+005.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJPu23W1pxjet1VRrmfk31iofpsk9zNkLbYQOEyixkLYmbTqIt0Ny8hn7Buieidx6uNL6iLn5Eo12jYDmgFb5Gtnh_Ut4gbj5semCM3CY8jAbj3cbhoAGV5ZXTlac0V2L2XN5Xa94F6c/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJPu23W1pxjet1VRrmfk31iofpsk9zNkLbYQOEyixkLYmbTqIt0Ny8hn7Buieidx6uNL6iLn5Eo12jYDmgFb5Gtnh_Ut4gbj5semCM3CY8jAbj3cbhoAGV5ZXTlac0V2L2XN5Xa94F6c/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+006.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGe2tAkiNxFNVBrDOLdlfSbAz0jSTDfXxIptwH6EQXk1B-g-aVhsSYMdFOYFyeRADDIVeJLs3IcVHaXNMODoBxri99iemuL264Omk7xR6ScTN6QUbvVtvzxUyzk-1cgqbZhCH24oDbSg/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGe2tAkiNxFNVBrDOLdlfSbAz0jSTDfXxIptwH6EQXk1B-g-aVhsSYMdFOYFyeRADDIVeJLs3IcVHaXNMODoBxri99iemuL264Omk7xR6ScTN6QUbvVtvzxUyzk-1cgqbZhCH24oDbSg/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+007.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKLvMldV5uKPan6boA9DmLF97S2ev74bThKFftc7Fs2uxeII3NgUrxVPTgNFZihnxr2KlfhVm-FjQBGo1uQW25B_Kc4Cnxt4M6UAxPAH6dUikFZGQyNSNI_QGmxpj-Yaqj3e45WmnytY/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKLvMldV5uKPan6boA9DmLF97S2ev74bThKFftc7Fs2uxeII3NgUrxVPTgNFZihnxr2KlfhVm-FjQBGo1uQW25B_Kc4Cnxt4M6UAxPAH6dUikFZGQyNSNI_QGmxpj-Yaqj3e45WmnytY/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlN9jAT8_WeB4ZDVUP_fbdCFeLKZlxQlE-ys8i6XyalOopmOJw4Mz8F5NicEYJ3ADrdeT20zs3FFDce9gEe03UyxU4TxvNueE0Ww0THA68uFaeiKLUWExIMU4AthPCMnI5X3lwZJgM7s/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlN9jAT8_WeB4ZDVUP_fbdCFeLKZlxQlE-ys8i6XyalOopmOJw4Mz8F5NicEYJ3ADrdeT20zs3FFDce9gEe03UyxU4TxvNueE0Ww0THA68uFaeiKLUWExIMU4AthPCMnI5X3lwZJgM7s/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+011.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4BLl-4RaQo6VB0feIpkgsKNfK7NxoGlxeAHDax4Q1-qY6DJ29dwBY-nNl77Rrie8Ujy91tZ8H-vKZW3HvvEEtTymRNy_B6FM1v5DumL6HCVY-BrHK4Sy77WDFFHSL-wbD2RYgpXHcJ0/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4BLl-4RaQo6VB0feIpkgsKNfK7NxoGlxeAHDax4Q1-qY6DJ29dwBY-nNl77Rrie8Ujy91tZ8H-vKZW3HvvEEtTymRNy_B6FM1v5DumL6HCVY-BrHK4Sy77WDFFHSL-wbD2RYgpXHcJ0/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+012.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzePxG5UiJMb0gyA5ALjVWFFR12HogX8ZTTibkskr18HaWs5W2lqTSIp9uvtE8ulrF6eauNruj9VZ2MNJFRHP49WYF3RO-LWHI9ZcBtRGnfWw82OJI-cfXMaDmGH5B579NPzUSrxn6kPA/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzePxG5UiJMb0gyA5ALjVWFFR12HogX8ZTTibkskr18HaWs5W2lqTSIp9uvtE8ulrF6eauNruj9VZ2MNJFRHP49WYF3RO-LWHI9ZcBtRGnfWw82OJI-cfXMaDmGH5B579NPzUSrxn6kPA/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiNySRIr_jMi3YQ68k-3e0Bfr0caLrrvlxEK1DSEuND7gIZtuUX768DF0fh3CDg2m3I9usHSgjXZYK7IBWPOOI7Vh7Hz_Eju5yuU_rKIYTqJa0q2fGmPEvqpWZznuh59mW1UC8cyAQ_0/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitiNySRIr_jMi3YQ68k-3e0Bfr0caLrrvlxEK1DSEuND7gIZtuUX768DF0fh3CDg2m3I9usHSgjXZYK7IBWPOOI7Vh7Hz_Eju5yuU_rKIYTqJa0q2fGmPEvqpWZznuh59mW1UC8cyAQ_0/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1n9pZnDdt-VA9-564cVRxO91uNZ0JrRSTuvQqnqAK2iF05fcIxhSg4F83C5RFMccHgdjOS9HjyxHo5nq27-cFx6LPMTSB2ECo28oeLU2R2m9rRSeEWdRfbVdIvBrDru1vKw_wr8io3JY/s1600/Mission+with+G+and+P+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1n9pZnDdt-VA9-564cVRxO91uNZ0JrRSTuvQqnqAK2iF05fcIxhSg4F83C5RFMccHgdjOS9HjyxHo5nq27-cFx6LPMTSB2ECo28oeLU2R2m9rRSeEWdRfbVdIvBrDru1vKw_wr8io3JY/s640/Mission+with+G+and+P+016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-88893826367451795052015-07-09T22:14:00.001-07:002015-07-09T23:54:41.150-07:00To my sweet friendThis past Monday, I found myself at the airport for a last minute trip East. Normally, this would have me buzzing with excitement but I couldn't lift the 50 pound weight off my heart because I was going back for a funeral. Throwing on my baseball cap, I pulled the brim down low so as to avoid eye contact with my fellow travelers. I was in no mood for friendly conversation and wanted to allow my teary eyes the right to overflow without well meaning strangers asking if I was okay. There was nothing they could say to make it better. All I wanted was my friend back...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdrf-bOuBOFfR1AYIK6wXFtnZZOK2_4gUuVgF9I3KqMtVtdSwuggeUiKJeewkQ6-MnAOqEfS4C48gyhMVSEOjT6qBRtSrvxoWz008tcZvuSKre7xCVZLilsOyWhp9y4z2grxIOpDIPl8/s1600/Kaitie+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdrf-bOuBOFfR1AYIK6wXFtnZZOK2_4gUuVgF9I3KqMtVtdSwuggeUiKJeewkQ6-MnAOqEfS4C48gyhMVSEOjT6qBRtSrvxoWz008tcZvuSKre7xCVZLilsOyWhp9y4z2grxIOpDIPl8/s400/Kaitie+001.jpg" width="326" /></a></div>
<br />
The only phase of my life when I didn't know Kaitlin was the year I spent being a baby before she was born. In other words, I have no memory of her not being an integral part of my life. Aside from the obligatory high school spat between close friends followed by the typical temporary silent treatment, we never felt ill will towards one another to any degree whatsoever. We were both one of the youngest of large families so by the time we were born, our households were already fully entwined and she and I paired off as natural sister-friends. Our friendship morphed a lot as we grew older. We seldom ran in the same circle of friends and there were spans of time when we were both too busy to check in--we even lost touch for a bit when my family moved out here to Colorado. Through all of that, we managed to maintain a connection between our hearts that would prove impossible to break. Reconnecting effortlessly and brimming with delight as soon as we had a chance to sit down for coffee together.<br />
<br />
I am the youngest girl in our family and felt robbed of the chance to take a little sister under my wing and share the mystical womanly knowledge that was being passed down to me by my older sisters. Even though Kaitie had her own sisters to do so for her, I dubbed myself her unofficial older sister, overloading her with unsolicited advice whenever I had the chance. Soon, we were going through the same things at the same times and I no longer had the answers--so we plowed through together, comparing notes and sharing top secret-secrets. When we transitioned into adulthood, I realized our original dynamic had done a 180, and I was now hanging on her every word, wanting to hear her point of view and advice on all my big challenges.<br />
<br />
Kaitie was the absolute best at looking life square in the eyes and showing it who was boss. She was unafraid of being herself..every detail, to the core. Her perspective was unique and inspiring. Talking with her made you feel like anything was possible because she believed in you. Strong as steel, her strength ran alongside an ocean of sensitivity, warmth and humor. 2 years ago, when I <a href="http://mylittlebrood.blogspot.com/2013/06/thats-what-you-do-for-friend.html">spent an afternoon with her</a> before her first chemo appointment, she caught me up on the specifics of her cancer and treatments. She was scared but wasn't going to let her fear run the show--she was already finding humor in the situation. Her stoicism was staggering. After a couple of hours concentrating on her stuff, she was ready to hear about mine. I divulged that a year before, I had been struggling with depression. I admitted to entertaining a fleeting pros and cons list about ending my life. Before I could get to the happy ending (that I immediately knew something was wrong, got help, and felt a million times better), Kaitie burst into tears. 2 hours of laying out details of her newly discovered aggressive cancer without batting an eye and my friend was moved to tears by the mere mention of a fleeting thought I'd had a year earlier. From that moment on, I made a silent promise I would go to great lengths to prove myself worthy of such a friendship. <br />
<br />
From that moment on, I have drawn upon her inspiration to find courage. From that moment on I look for things I take for granted and honor them instead. From that moment on I have believed in myself. From that moment on I have forgiven my shortcomings. From that moment on I have felt driven to make Kaitie proud. Her death will not stop my mission. I will never stop trying to make her proud to be my friend.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-29963792367237450792015-03-05T08:38:00.000-08:002015-03-05T10:11:51.134-08:00ClarificationHi there, me again!<br />
<br />
I wanted to make a quick clarification because when I went downstairs after writing <a href="http://mylittlebrood.blogspot.com/2015/03/ive-been-aware-of-perfectionist-in-zoe.html">last night's post</a>, the first words out of Nathan's mouth were, "Are you okay?"<br />
<br />
Ack! I didn't intend to sound doom and gloom. Last night was actually meant to be more hopeful than I apparently came across.<br />
<br />
Here's the thing. Whenever I get worried about the kids, I do a lot of self reflection. I try and identify things about myself that allow me to relate to whatever struggle they are going through in part, because I think it helps for them to know they aren't alone. There is also some "They got this from me so it's all my fault" for sure, and I used to beat myself up over it. Over the last few years though, I've learned to use these realizations as opportunities to learn and grow in front of their eyes. I want them to learn along with me and adopt these coping skills at a much younger age so they don't find themselves drowning when they are old and stuck in their ways.<br />
<br />
I've learned and accepted some key aspects of who I am in my hard work these last few years. For one, I know I have a particularly harsh, persistent internal critic. I always have and always will. A few years ago, it dictated my every move, leaving me paralyzed and feeling like a hollowed out shell of a person. Now, after lots of difficult self exploration, it's more like the negative friend we all have in our lives. The person you avoid talking to about stuff because you know what their reaction will be and it most certainly won't be on the bright side of things. They become so predictably negative, it's almost funny. You learn to shrug off their nay saying because it's so ridiculously untrue. For the majority of my life now, my internal critic is that negative friend I can easily brush off.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I can't though. Sometimes I'm tired. Sometimes I'm unsure. Sometimes I'm a little lost and that friend hits a nerve causing me to spend a few days teary and insecure. This is another thing I've accepted about myself. That sometimes I take my inner critic to heart and it slows me way, way down. The difference now is I can pick up the pace before coming to a halt.<br />
<br />
Courage. Strength. Honesty. Vulnerability. Compassion. All words I've found new meaning in and welcomed into my life so I can use them to leave my critic eating some serious dust when it slows me down. Words I want my kids to understand and weave into their beings as they enter the difficult school aged years. Some of their struggles will be much different from mine, some the same but I want them to see their mom for who she is and find their own strength and courage in that.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyljKxGGJ-khfdGPpzvhZYjv4d4q9tjQXhBmQsN7V1olrA4H6WjyOuKCpKBFAfbFXZyjeu9mZ2C-zF8_lweno_xosrcgWNoLTB8ts704EcqGLqItAk8LkhT6RuGz8ME_TqaP5Njm45y70/s1600/10931028_10153020461920747_8148785932003723568_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyljKxGGJ-khfdGPpzvhZYjv4d4q9tjQXhBmQsN7V1olrA4H6WjyOuKCpKBFAfbFXZyjeu9mZ2C-zF8_lweno_xosrcgWNoLTB8ts704EcqGLqItAk8LkhT6RuGz8ME_TqaP5Njm45y70/s1600/10931028_10153020461920747_8148785932003723568_n.png" height="536" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-2101094731897563692015-03-04T19:26:00.000-08:002015-03-04T19:29:52.169-08:00Taming the PerfectionistI've been aware of the perfectionist in Zoe for a long time now. She has been hard on herself since preschool and it's become more obvious to me as I watch Owen grow in his laid back way. Even more so now that she is in 1st grade and school is more structured. She is an excellent student, tackling assignments so fearlessly and successfully that even her teacher is at a loss sometimes. Trying to find ways to challenge her in class has become so commonplace in that room, her teacher and I have started talking about whether we think she might be more comfortable in 2nd grade this year instead of 1st. I'm not sure if we will all decide it's the best decision or not, but it's a valid question to be exploring. Despite her excelling in the classroom though, Zoe often comes home worried she is a "bad student" or that she is not "doing it all perfectly".<br />
<br />
I'm sure I don't need to explain how hard it is for me to watch and hear her going through this. I know what the perfectionist tendency can lead to in the long run. I know she has me and Nathan to guide her through life but perfectionism is a powerful force, fighting against logical thought so hard it's almost no contest at times. When I get to thinking about it, I inevitably come back to the realization that the reason I know the dangers of perfectionism so well is because it runs deep in my own being. I bury, deny and mask it as much as I can but it rules my world.<br />
<br />
Here's a window into my inner monologue:<br />
<br />
"5 minutes late to school and barked at the kids the whole way. You're a horrible mom."<br />
"The first draft of your book wasn't perfect. You can't write, you should quit before you embarrass yourself."<br />
"The clutter around this house is out of control. You're such a lazy wife."<br />
"You forgot to call your friend when her son got his tonsils out. You're a shitty friend."<br />
"You've aged about 20 years in 5 years. You're tired and worn out and can't hide it anymore. You're old." <br />
"You suck."<br />
"You suck."<br />
"You suck."<br />
<br />
That's just the tip of the iceberg and I know many people think these thoughts but for me, the weight of them is so heavy and constant, I often get tired of keeping them at bay and let go for a bit. Those are the times you won't see or hear much from me. I want to be clear, I'm not looking for a pity party. I've done a lot of work learning how to trust and listen to my logical thought more than my critic and am a million times stronger than I used to be. I've also accepted I can't silence the critic so must live with it while finding more ways to tell it to shut up sooner rather than later. My hope is I can share what I'm learning with Zoe now so she will have a jump on these skills instead of finding herself in her late 30's, grappling with decades worth of poor self esteem and the habits that go along with it.<br />
<br />
So, today I did something huge for us. <br />
<br />
For the last 5 years or so, I've kept a cleaning schedule for the house. I'm not super uptight about it but it's always there and if I let us off the hook on a given week (Nathan and I split the work) you can guess what my critic has to say about it. I write it up on the dry erase calendar in our kitchen so none of us can dare forget it's there looming. I don't have this schedule because I'm a neat freak. My house is a shambles in many ways, but I have a constant fear that if I let the basic cleaning duties go at least a little bit, I will immediately revert back to my disgusting college days and my kids will be traumatized and mocked.<br />
<br />
Today, I was reading an article about things parents can do to help their perfectionist kids accept the inevitable chaos in life. One of the ideas was to ask your child what they think would happen if one of their fears came to be. Do they think the world would end? I just happened to be sitting near my kitchen calendar in that moment so gathered my courage and erased the cleaning schedule. I said to myself "Fuck it, let's see what happens." <br />
<br />
I'm not convinced it will last. Maybe I'll find I'm more relaxed with the schedule but I'm hoping the attempt will at least teach me something or give me some fresh perspective.<br />
<br />
Fuck it, let's see what happens.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-62407601520133101252015-01-27T20:38:00.003-08:002015-01-28T09:58:40.287-08:00If the moon is a coin...I threw our stroller in the dumpster yesterday. The stroller that was given to us 8 years ago when I was pregnant with Zoe. The stroller I pushed around Brooklyn, for countless hours on countless days, while my first born napped. The stroller I pushed while chatting on the phone with my mom and sisters, soaking up every possible motherhood nugget before I had any of my own to offer. The stroller I pushed while walking the streets of Park Slope with my first mommy friend for life. The stroller I pushed a baby and preschooler in. The stroller they later pushed their own baby dolls in.<br />
<br />
I briefly considered giving it to someone else but after all the miles it worked, keeping my little lovies safe and comfy all these years, it was showing it's age and exhaustion. Wobbly and rough around the edges, it wasn't fit to pass along. So, out it went.<br />
<br />
I realize I'm being sappy but I'm not sad about it. Just contemplative. I will carry a touch of melancholy for a long time, knowing there will be no more babies for me but the wonder of witnessing my children growing is overshadowing that more and more. I couldn't be more grateful.<br />
<br />
Tonight, Zoe had her first official go at 1st grade homework. They are to observe the moon all month and write in a "moon journal" every night before bed. The kids and I went out after dinner and soaked up the spring-like evening air while pointing out constellations and discussing the magic that is the night sky.<br />
<br />
After quietly completing her first entry, she shared her observations:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLuid9whGAi_N5SWjYf4CAH10XJ4Yc7G1OYFiDoO2MaVg_hDT4WNDSQakUeE99LEiV3tyE1W13rggLWMH8STmO44ImGbut8uF8SpaaIAXUSz5hmZLCFvVmUmsOKwVKyVFzmOGLJ7IJjQ/s1600/20150127_205846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLuid9whGAi_N5SWjYf4CAH10XJ4Yc7G1OYFiDoO2MaVg_hDT4WNDSQakUeE99LEiV3tyE1W13rggLWMH8STmO44ImGbut8uF8SpaaIAXUSz5hmZLCFvVmUmsOKwVKyVFzmOGLJ7IJjQ/s1600/20150127_205846.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"If the moon is a coin hung in the sky to pay the old dream maker whenever he goes by."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She didn't write that last bit. Her class learned it in school but looking at the moon tonight made her wonder whether or not it could be true. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm so thankful to be able to have these conversations with her now, Owen listening in and contributing in his 4 year old way. To hear something I've never heard coming from her and be able to ask her about it. To learn from her and watch her grow. I think about how much has changed and how it's just the beginning...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
...I find the strength to heave that old stroller in the dumpster, take a walk with my big kids and discover together what this world has to offer us.</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-36907030173098174012015-01-21T10:31:00.002-08:002015-01-21T10:31:33.359-08:00Slow and steady...Some of you may remember a few years ago, I found myself in a <a href="http://mylittlebrood.blogspot.com/2012/02/ugh.html">pretty dark place</a>. Thankfully at the time, I was writing a lot so spilled my guts on this blog and got the help I needed. Support came in the form of emails, comments, phone calls and in person conversations all of which started me down the healing journey I'm still on today..the one I will always be on. <br />
<br />
The most important thing I learned was I wasn't alone in my deepest fears. Not the ones I openly discussed but the ones I was afraid to utter lest I be heavily medicated against my will. Little did I know how many of us think our deepest fears are too disturbing to be expressed aloud. I know now keeping lines of communication open is crucial. Sometimes the difference between surrendering to fear and conquering it is realizing you're not the only one living with it. <br />
<br />
The past few years of my journey have been about crushing my demons. I've accepted they will never disappear completely. Passive remnants of them will stick around my whole life but with vigilance, you can be damn sure those suckers will remain mere dust, trapped under the solid foundation that is my renewed spirit. <br />
<br />
I've worked hard to get to this point. I've set lofty goals and pursued them with my heart and soul. Some challenges were surmounted, some met and some abandoned but whatever the outcome, it's been important for me to keep piling them on.<br />
<br />
Lately though, that tide has changed a bit. I've realized while I don't regret setting any of them, some of my lofty goals caused me to burn out. Two of the most notable were:<br />
<br />
1) <a href="http://mylittlebrood.blogspot.com/2013/10/262.html">My marathon accomplishment.</a> A million dollars would not tempt me to erase this from my life experience but it caused a loss of focus in my running. My motivation had always come from the desire to run farther. No part of me will ever want to run that far again so I've spent a lot of time and energy trying to find another source of motivation.<br />
<br />
2) My <a href="http://mylittlebrood.blogspot.com/2013/07/here-goes-nothing.html">determination to write a book</a>. This kicked my writing ass, wiping out any and all confidence in my talent. I have felt embarrassed to write anything since the attempt because everything sounds like crap to me. <br />
<br />
So, I decided to take a few steps back. To look at these things from a different angle and see what happens. I needed these years of lofty goal crushing effort but think it's time to have faith in the work and settle into something more slow and steady. I committed myself to a modest running challenge I feel confident will keep me focused all year and I will be back here more often, silencing my inner critic and saying whatever I feel like saying even if it's not perfect. <br />
<br />
Wish me luck!Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-41702144035005945952015-01-19T19:27:00.001-08:002015-01-20T09:20:42.056-08:00The other side of the coin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAG3wwL0VBqCKg7MUId24XnmW0oa_ivzefdY3ytoekAxK3YRiPMPL_5pcmcjmdeR2sPAEM2ZBQAK1fFsJnYvCHtqa417owpk8dYDtP5l5dsxwUOnqSk-hMnFVwjp4_FzeEGBYkoNRaWHY/s1600/cottonwoods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAG3wwL0VBqCKg7MUId24XnmW0oa_ivzefdY3ytoekAxK3YRiPMPL_5pcmcjmdeR2sPAEM2ZBQAK1fFsJnYvCHtqa417owpk8dYDtP5l5dsxwUOnqSk-hMnFVwjp4_FzeEGBYkoNRaWHY/s1600/cottonwoods.jpg" height="148" width="640" /></a></div>
My favorite tree has forever been the maple--hands down. I grew up in Vermont and am 100% emotionally attached to my home state. As a matter of fact, the East Coast as a whole lives so deep in my bones that as soon as we entered Pennsylvania on our big <a href="http://mylittlebrood.blogspot.com/2014/10/road-trip-on-budgetwith-kids.html">road trip</a> this summer, I felt a layer of tension I didn't even realize was there release. The deep, dense forest and endless green replenishing my soul, the word "home" whispering just under conscious thought. I experience this every time I go east and know I always will. Once while driving north from Boston to Vermont, I unrolled my window and became so overwhelmed by the smell of hydrandeas I could feel my heart break knowing how many times since moving west I'd missed out on this explosion of springtime life. No doubt about it, the East Coast nourishes and comforts me from the inside out.<br />
<br />
When we first moved to Colorado 5 years ago, the dry air and resulting brown grass were like a punch to the gut. I was speechless, but for reasons I hadn't expected. Afraid I couldn't appreciate the striking Rocky Mountains as much as I'd anticipated, I got to work recalibrating my expectations. It didn't happen right away but over these past 5 years I've grown to love what this part of the country has to offer. Loving the mountains is easy, but feeling connected to the foothills took this green mountain girl a lot longer. It wasn't until this bonus year of ours here in Boulder that I realized I not only appreciate it, but cherish it. As the abundance of life back east quenches, the absence of it here clarifies. Now grateful for the stripped landscape each winter, I can get lost in thought tracing silhouettes of bare serpentine cottonwood branches, now my 2nd favorite tree, against the never ending sky.<br />
<br />
These 2 lives used to make me feel torn and incomplete. Now I know without them, there would always be something missing. We will move on to a new place sometime soon. I will mourn the loss but can't wait to see what part of me I discover when we get there.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSSmSId6pM4JP55QToqhu6WQ0nAhcnlK-46YKbiU2zTOYGOEEY4miJspRhblWojhA6k70FO8cT9loJsL6LFVH0ELx6SF1H71yIJWNmZDZ6QZj8QMEGijiWZ-dAD7-eddY-55TuH9gME0/s1600/10253744_10205031869008712_1356196810191596377_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSSmSId6pM4JP55QToqhu6WQ0nAhcnlK-46YKbiU2zTOYGOEEY4miJspRhblWojhA6k70FO8cT9loJsL6LFVH0ELx6SF1H71yIJWNmZDZ6QZj8QMEGijiWZ-dAD7-eddY-55TuH9gME0/s1600/10253744_10205031869008712_1356196810191596377_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-28608252685621196252015-01-08T19:59:00.000-08:002015-01-08T20:03:15.986-08:00Tea TimeLife these days is moving so fast I can't seem to hold onto a single thought that interests or inspires me. Not necessarily in a bad way, but in a head-detatched-from-my-body kind of way...which still sounds bad...but...ugh, this is exactly why I haven't written a single word here in 3 months...<br />
<br />
Our family is still stuck in limbo, but I'm handling it a hell of a lot better than last year. The uncertainty of our future brought about depression and anxiety this time a year ago, but after our unexpected opportunity to stay in Boulder another year materialized I was able to let go of all of that. I was relieved, and still am, but the release of that junk didn't exactly result in a magical transformation. Yes, I'm much more positive now we will ultimately make it through on top. The depression and anxiety were replaced by random, tiny bursts of gratitude and a deeper understanding of what it means to be mindful. Progress for sure, but this new "one moment at a time" way of life I've adopted doesn't have any patience for rumination...<br />
<br />
...but I miss it. I've been teasing my brain, seeing if I can find any corners to sit in a while and think...and write..and share...but I can't seem to take the time to cozy up just yet. I hope to soon...<br />
<br />
...in the meantime I wanted to share this photo of one of my favorite things. For the last 20 minutes of each day this week, these two rapidly growing and changing miracles in my life have been sitting in a dimly lit kitchen with their ol' mother, sharing a cup of tea and a chat. These snapshots of our life together are what feed my soul right now...witnessing spontaneous giggle fits when one of them "accidentally" says<i> </i>something naughty, the laughter gaining hysterical momentum as they catch each others "Mommy's <i>totally letting us</i> laugh at that!!" thrill saturated eyes. I can't wait to finally give these kids a picture of our future but am grateful to be fully here with them now.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5gZ3d5F3aguGAJZjN2HQY_kKduU1kP4YDlSUkFi7GVFbKmTrtXzHRpc_h3BbEKrcnT1deeOVuF2cY8wUTniupq877emq3YvhQuQW5GP-7ECRNpccuemoqBk9-fP1ZIcRe68SZwpcV-w/s1600/Tea+Time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5gZ3d5F3aguGAJZjN2HQY_kKduU1kP4YDlSUkFi7GVFbKmTrtXzHRpc_h3BbEKrcnT1deeOVuF2cY8wUTniupq877emq3YvhQuQW5GP-7ECRNpccuemoqBk9-fP1ZIcRe68SZwpcV-w/s1600/Tea+Time.jpg" height="640" width="590" /></a></div>
<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-30700582849020213702014-10-09T14:38:00.000-07:002014-10-09T14:49:08.308-07:00Road Trip on a Budget...with Kids<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]--><i>Hey everyone! So sorry I've been quiet lately--my life is seriously jam packed right now with every spare minute "to myself" going towards work or other commitments. I'm dying to find my pockets of time to write again but this season is just not the one for that. In the meantime, I wanted to share this post I wrote for my friend's website <a href="http://www.karynburns.com/">Karyn Burns ABC's Posters.</a></i> <i>When our family was on our big summer road trip (which feels like forever ago now) Karyn wrote to ask if I could collaborate on a post about traveling with kiddos on a budget. I promptly forgot I committed to her and then randomly got it all down on paper a couple weeks ago. Karyn is just as, if not more, busy than I am right now though so we had to put the collaboration on hold. We will work something out soon but for now here is the post I'm finally getting out to those of you who asked for specific tips on this topic. Check out Karyn's website (and purchase a poster or 2 while there!) and stay tuned for our earth shattering collaboration sometime soon.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Have you ever considered packing a month’s worth of necessities into
your car and driving across the United States?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sounds pretty romantic doesn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think we’ve all had that daydream at some point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, have you entertained the dream knowing
you have extremely limited funds and 2 small children?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Neither had I before my family took to the road this summer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A few months before the trip, my husband and I were in our living room
after putting the kids to bed, reviewing the day’s events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of the blue, he said “You’re going to
think I’m crazy, but what if we drove to the East Coast this summer?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending upon where you live this may or may
not sound like an insane idea but since we live in Colorado and have 2 young
children (ages 6 and 3), I was befuddled by his ludicrous suggestion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I listened anyway because he’d told me not to
interrupt him until he managed to get his line of reasoning out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Truth be told, a part of me was thrilled from the first with the
absurdity of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My side of the
family was going to be convening on Cape Cod for an annual vacation we’d had to
miss out on 2 years running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our current
financial reality does not include 4 plane tickets to the East Coast so missing
it again was a given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After my “Say
WHAT?!” moment, I promptly embraced the role of co-conspirator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We talked out a pros and cons list and found there were countless pros
vs. 2 cons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pros were too many to
fit in one blog post so I’ll reveal the cons alone:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1) We are totally and completely broke and 2)
there are 2 small children living in our house who might make 5 days in a car
the most hellish 5 days we’d ever lived through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you must do when a pros and cons list
paints an indisputable picture, we took a deep breath and committed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We were able to figure out the saving money piece pretty easily that
very night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Venturing the kids would be
blinded by excitement at the thought of seeing their cousins and therefore
ignorant of the reality of being in the car for days in a row, we left that
piece in the “to-do” pile...and broke the news the next morning.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
My breathless reveal of the surprise we had in store for them was met
by an incredulous 6 year old and her tearful objections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She could not believe we were going to make
them sit in the car for just shy of a whole week. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew I had to spring into action so started
hatching a plan for fun and games in the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I promised her a good time and believe me we had to deliver.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Long story short, here is a list of tricks we discovered to make our
“Road Trip on a Budget…with Kids” a success with a few examples of how to
incorporate the ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not going to
lie, it takes some prep but the amount of time spent getting ready was more
than worth the hours it paid off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
proud to say we came home with more money in our bank account than we would
have if we’d stayed home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, we
had some help with gas (thanks Mom!), temporary use of a hybrid car instead of
our beater (thanks Mom-in Law!) and relatives who wouldn’t let us pay for
anything once we got to The Cape (thanks family!) but still I think that’s
notable, to say the least.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">No Eating Out</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-Pack light clothing-wise so as
to leave more space in the car for food.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-Bring healthy salty, sweet and
protein rich snacks as well as a few tried and true creature comforts for each
traveler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will help to avoid
impulse buys when you are all tired/wired.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-Stock a small bag for the car
full of enough snacks for the travel day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Keep extra snacks in a suitcase in the trunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Replenish the bag from the suitcase stash
when at your rest stop for the night.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-Before the trip, buy fixings
and pack lunch each day before heading off again (or before you go to sleep).</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-Stock a cooler in the trunk with dinner
possibilities: frozen burritos, single serve mac and cheese…anything you can
pop in a microwave or add hot water to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you think of it, bring along some utensils but most truck stops on
major interstates have everything you need to prepare an on-the-go dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hey, they even have showers if you’re up for
that!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Couch Surf</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-Pre-plan your stops and stay
with people you know whenever possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don’t be afraid to ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
people will be happy to contribute to the success of such a grand
adventure!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-If you can’t stay with someone
you know, search online for hotels beforehand or on your phone when approaching
the destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Prices are often higher
if you walk up and reserve the room in person.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Scavenger Hunt</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoYW9DqozFBgE2JgiaRrdq1T1d8yyjBuaT9RFYVs_iUQTTTMzN0q-m1-rf_0kMvTvS9gXjf5GQqdx2zJgxE779j04AlC9nvswHxJpTWO9qMsO9wm7LPUOCkRNUOLA5OO5pzsDRwNkV_s/s1600/10550857_10203618341991420_251463442788248336_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoYW9DqozFBgE2JgiaRrdq1T1d8yyjBuaT9RFYVs_iUQTTTMzN0q-m1-rf_0kMvTvS9gXjf5GQqdx2zJgxE779j04AlC9nvswHxJpTWO9qMsO9wm7LPUOCkRNUOLA5OO5pzsDRwNkV_s/s1600/10550857_10203618341991420_251463442788248336_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was inspired by the all the amazing downloadable scavenger hunt choices out there but decided to create ours myself. If you would like help creating one, let me know--I'd love to give you a hand!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-Create, or snag online (there
are TONS of free ones available for download), a car trip scavenger hunt for
the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a sheet for every state
you pass through so they have something new every once in a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept ours in envelopes saying “Do not open
until…” and presented the sheets at every state line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every point earned was worth a minute they
could stay up past their bedtime while on vacation.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCHLs-ebRkoH9f2rPZihH4ma95zBxVllX6sEYF0wi77jtSVgm8jENzVhqympF3aCHsG9kyuWvi90tqoWJjW5dE5msIoag27hx8op53icjCRHeJG9okWj0MYC1qYEewT9XeEYbYS_Vmws/s1600/10527308_10203618308150574_73045600154863236_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCHLs-ebRkoH9f2rPZihH4ma95zBxVllX6sEYF0wi77jtSVgm8jENzVhqympF3aCHsG9kyuWvi90tqoWJjW5dE5msIoag27hx8op53icjCRHeJG9okWj0MYC1qYEewT9XeEYbYS_Vmws/s1600/10527308_10203618308150574_73045600154863236_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-Include a “Mystery Item” for each state
by mapping your route and spending some time (pre-trip) on <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/">Roadside America.com</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There you can find kooky, oddball
destinations pretty much anywhere in this country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance, we stopped at the <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9792">World's Largest Ball of Paint</a>
in Alexandria, IN and painted layer number 24,085!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ITkEK0wXF2r-lFI0GCmrxAfqiWhc9k0tybj4BDMnW6mq43gEqGKJYluH1YfygS47PqY4RxFoPvBfcGkzb4_1gq-5we5BndIOaabqc3XiJlJVsSYY6mWrQ5WDNwMoZ-u52xO7Jaf9W-U/s1600/DSCN7590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ITkEK0wXF2r-lFI0GCmrxAfqiWhc9k0tybj4BDMnW6mq43gEqGKJYluH1YfygS47PqY4RxFoPvBfcGkzb4_1gq-5we5BndIOaabqc3XiJlJVsSYY6mWrQ5WDNwMoZ-u52xO7Jaf9W-U/s1600/DSCN7590.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">License Plate Game</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
-Don’t forget this
classic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s an easy way to get
everyone involved and can pop up just when you need it in the form of a
distraction (“How many license plates have we found so far?...Which ones to we
have left?”).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention spotting a
hard to find plate is exciting even for the adults.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Download a free printable like <a href="https://www.blogger.com/Week%20Total">this one</a> so the kids can keep track of what’s been
found. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Map It</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-Print out road maps for each
state you will go through and give the kids highlighters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Encourage them to find and map your
route.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This helps quell the “Are we
there yet?”s because they can see for themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the start of the trip I presented each of
them with a brand new clipboard and fancy pen attached so they had a convenient
way to write on their maps, license plate game and scavenger hunt sheets.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Geocache</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-If you’ve never heard of geocaching,
read about it<a href="http://www.milehighmamas.com/blog/2014/09/23/denver-geocaching/"> here</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is our all-time favorite family
activity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We use <a href="http://www.geocaching.com/mobile/">this $10 app</a> but if you don’t have
a smartphone you can buy a GPS unit such as <a href="http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/82818?productId=1375250&attrValue_0=Yellow&mr:trackingCode=CA828854-E413-E411-B7CA-90E2BA285E75&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=pla&mkwid=uHSv4tJ6_dc&pcrid=55725345680&qs=3091386_google">this</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that purchase, geocaching is FREE any
and every time you feel inspired to go on an adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We challenged ourselves to find a cache in
every state we went through. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finding
one was also an item for the scavenger hunt.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkOrbZZVuQ49OG1LsV_Nmun1l-t_9Q3rjNY535CyDa1kIL4s_Hj9CjpxnKVbvyna6pbfwlwh2acxTjo-4ED-QoPC55qcpM6qlQw1XHWa4MYhBMatnZRu9vKjeTM_09BONR-6putI-_0A/s1600/10305953_10203631235193742_6480188392479089074_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkOrbZZVuQ49OG1LsV_Nmun1l-t_9Q3rjNY535CyDa1kIL4s_Hj9CjpxnKVbvyna6pbfwlwh2acxTjo-4ED-QoPC55qcpM6qlQw1XHWa4MYhBMatnZRu9vKjeTM_09BONR-6putI-_0A/s1600/10305953_10203631235193742_6480188392479089074_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geocaching at sunset on Lake Erie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Technology</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
-When all else fails, take
advantage of any technology you have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
be honest, our 3 year old was more apt to want to watch a movie than play the
games we had prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We accepted this
and moved on with our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t beat
yourself up if the kids just want to zone out to a dvd, a game on your
tablet/iPad/phone or music for hours on end (although whatever you do, don’t
forget their headphones!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s okay, their fried brains will return to
normal before you know it and you’ll get some amazing quiet time for a bit.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Keep It Simple</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
-If you are worried
you will all get stir crazy despite your preparation, don’t worry—you’re
right!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try not to anticipate every snag
by overloading the car with more possible distractions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk to the kids beforehand about the trip
being a mix of fun and boredom and that you will all get through it
together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s better to have a fairly easy
to keep in order car and a few hours of complaining than it is to have a
jumbled mess of a car with the same (if not more) amount of complaining.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you can’t resist getting more stuff, keep
it to things they can stash in the pockets on the back of your front
seats:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>workbooks, books, stickers etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
There you go—hope
you have as much fun and argue maybe a little less than we did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a great trip!</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-43688601684355459692014-06-01T20:08:00.001-07:002014-06-01T20:13:36.690-07:00Fresh StartAfter a roller coaster of a school year, I finally feel like myself again. The last few months in particular have been trying but this past month I've s.l.o.w.l.y worked myself back into the grateful, hopeful person I usually am. The other day I found myself feeling excited at the prospect of being given the opportunity to enjoy Boulder for one more year. It's still possible something could pop up for Nathan somewhere else, but it's more likely than not at this point we will be here another school year. That reality is hard for a couple of reasons but wonderful for a lot more. I spent most of this year counting all the "lasts" and dreading having to leave. Now, I'll be able to soak it up in a more positive light because instead of being the <i>last</i> year here, it's a <i>bonus</i> year here. Plus, now the job slate is cleared for Nathan and we can go back to crossing our fingers for a great job on the East Coast. We are going to have to be creative financially but we are no strangers to that, so bring it on Boulder. You're going to have to entertain these Stith's a bit longer.<br />
<br />
Days like today do nothing but boost the positivity level because it was a perfect summer day and I was lucky enough to spend pretty much the whole day outside hiking. Since moving here we have hiked a few times but haven't made it a priority because our kids haven't been terribly great at it. In fact they usually kind of hate it. We make the most of it when we do go and find the positives for sure but we just don't run out and do it every chance we get. Today though, was another world. They hardly whined, walked the whole way themselves and had a great time from start to finish. Nathan and I feel like another layer of this beautiful city is now accessible for our family and the timing couldn't be better.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJP-EPWyr_Gapu_s_t-DMqItJ_TDKWWB3AjWnXJ_k-JVqNgHaRSvAa6kZyOr23K5NUuqooiYa2ByQ9Kx-4RttV3HxYxzi-61dwMKV0IDFJ9K1RuiFyAKxeuJpZpNh5r65n6TQvSIB784/s1600/10432108_10203346574117393_3511793837704943853_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJP-EPWyr_Gapu_s_t-DMqItJ_TDKWWB3AjWnXJ_k-JVqNgHaRSvAa6kZyOr23K5NUuqooiYa2ByQ9Kx-4RttV3HxYxzi-61dwMKV0IDFJ9K1RuiFyAKxeuJpZpNh5r65n6TQvSIB784/s1600/10432108_10203346574117393_3511793837704943853_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This morning I spent a few hours getting lost in the Chautauqua trail system with my great friend Jessica. She and her family are moving away soon and we will miss them like crazy so I was so happy to have this long morning to hike and chat with her.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6tpqBk8WlvOp81UemEz9rfKOYqSGvRUiGk73CbW9lngsN2kGJiMZm0P-2-J-1ovLS-uWJfazKNAhuumkp0lADIta4jGuQNLF0fxWNxRhrlO6c_Zo7wYCk0_9vE2Iwe4XLg6CAwg6294/s1600/DSCN6978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6tpqBk8WlvOp81UemEz9rfKOYqSGvRUiGk73CbW9lngsN2kGJiMZm0P-2-J-1ovLS-uWJfazKNAhuumkp0lADIta4jGuQNLF0fxWNxRhrlO6c_Zo7wYCk0_9vE2Iwe4XLg6CAwg6294/s1600/DSCN6978.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soaking up the pre-hike atmosphere. We came up here to Flagstaff Mountain to geocache but there weren't any caches nearby. Nathan and I were about to hop back in the car to find another spot but Zoe asked if we could explore. So glad she did!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-4GEr9tkI2UCD3p-o29J__4p4La7cb0R2IPXcYUfvCPY_lNLoiQ1YjuORArGs3sKw9Jf5pIduz5pTrvgFTHQwt4r2fl-u3xFc8_tMse6SJEfDZ_6xD7uypxGE83tdK5sbI6hMy8WLiE/s1600/DSCN6980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-4GEr9tkI2UCD3p-o29J__4p4La7cb0R2IPXcYUfvCPY_lNLoiQ1YjuORArGs3sKw9Jf5pIduz5pTrvgFTHQwt4r2fl-u3xFc8_tMse6SJEfDZ_6xD7uypxGE83tdK5sbI6hMy8WLiE/s1600/DSCN6980.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool little pavillion you can rent out for bbq's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKrorRFtSLki-6C9Ljr8RKZc2tKehXgMeJijMw_PL247c2QjETyKCnuteylEiI5x1ncUUkvZVTq-OKGuubWBghRilmgByuMOYmeDmVlhZCDEtcbzGWW-SfqFNcpnwJXpJ2JeoqpJR_NM/s1600/DSCN6983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKrorRFtSLki-6C9Ljr8RKZc2tKehXgMeJijMw_PL247c2QjETyKCnuteylEiI5x1ncUUkvZVTq-OKGuubWBghRilmgByuMOYmeDmVlhZCDEtcbzGWW-SfqFNcpnwJXpJ2JeoqpJR_NM/s1600/DSCN6983.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many beautiful views and wildflowers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvLkmMszVWAm0EHAQ0VAxozAyAj6j15uzUsY1PwEdC-s5pH-92ecSTwFXqNKXko7uZi2oyOUO2kpHsckt6a9pJEHqCdWEtfYFhkiEjElY8lYAhAIe1jT3g2c84Yq0GWL3lIv8EfJDK04/s1600/DSCN6984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvLkmMszVWAm0EHAQ0VAxozAyAj6j15uzUsY1PwEdC-s5pH-92ecSTwFXqNKXko7uZi2oyOUO2kpHsckt6a9pJEHqCdWEtfYFhkiEjElY8lYAhAIe1jT3g2c84Yq0GWL3lIv8EfJDK04/s1600/DSCN6984.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqlg3z25dC9IR4Myl3SdEkcVWdkaagotvocit4D_GRSgUfVUzZ27xy0msfZiyhrZheO0nQKYJTe1ea8XQ5G_C3F9J5yZ_IWlk8nyXvKMLJVC-IS64OoFO0LxyykpwihB_wnqNld1cOgg/s1600/DSCN6987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcqlg3z25dC9IR4Myl3SdEkcVWdkaagotvocit4D_GRSgUfVUzZ27xy0msfZiyhrZheO0nQKYJTe1ea8XQ5G_C3F9J5yZ_IWlk8nyXvKMLJVC-IS64OoFO0LxyykpwihB_wnqNld1cOgg/s1600/DSCN6987.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf64xBzTwiihiL1mfI09GjJpXBRN4zZCFVtoepXoznbjwwJPivTSRbsUbkUkS9ObuKG0laHLQisUrpPhj7gMltuAn2-3NEp2GH0sQT9-g6TjQ7V2CJAtphlG6iOECGu0gCzHVIi5d9-ec/s1600/DSCN6992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf64xBzTwiihiL1mfI09GjJpXBRN4zZCFVtoepXoznbjwwJPivTSRbsUbkUkS9ObuKG0laHLQisUrpPhj7gMltuAn2-3NEp2GH0sQT9-g6TjQ7V2CJAtphlG6iOECGu0gCzHVIi5d9-ec/s1600/DSCN6992.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jN_n0pSLrqbJTvhTo99OnwLKimYvQEvm-rWw1OEXLE3MdPNM6-cJxqJyLJdo8lfFxRuPSm-yCqCqpTFZzGfLK7TtCDJKaRwBxgO-P-u31d4DkROooJYrO1YjyF-n0YZG3RnhrXs-jiQ/s1600/DSCN6993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7jN_n0pSLrqbJTvhTo99OnwLKimYvQEvm-rWw1OEXLE3MdPNM6-cJxqJyLJdo8lfFxRuPSm-yCqCqpTFZzGfLK7TtCDJKaRwBxgO-P-u31d4DkROooJYrO1YjyF-n0YZG3RnhrXs-jiQ/s1600/DSCN6993.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnf4GOuWHjIUC9iQIlEDS3qwWs010dBzLMWetdrME_FYNKBWw1JxPubov33K3ysLjJrLokCiubYd6huvoG8MGOitfXWJzoO5iO6hRisrfrWVvM9phuuNM8qrmHNPAmdIcpnbCfVsSNJtI/s1600/10409426_10203349102340597_6081376107951202576_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnf4GOuWHjIUC9iQIlEDS3qwWs010dBzLMWetdrME_FYNKBWw1JxPubov33K3ysLjJrLokCiubYd6huvoG8MGOitfXWJzoO5iO6hRisrfrWVvM9phuuNM8qrmHNPAmdIcpnbCfVsSNJtI/s1600/10409426_10203349102340597_6081376107951202576_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So proud of these kiddos today!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEjmp_BkxeF7W2_wQCUMi9-SymxkBd2evnQceiqYuw5vrfVxTTczxc2uAckab1lEs0FnlIcsRLyvcgC_iBSlvDAiNC_oYJY0VMit6RIKxWtwALGh5N3fRKpbuzYvCSpDyuHNcdDrenCI/s1600/DSCN6995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivEjmp_BkxeF7W2_wQCUMi9-SymxkBd2evnQceiqYuw5vrfVxTTczxc2uAckab1lEs0FnlIcsRLyvcgC_iBSlvDAiNC_oYJY0VMit6RIKxWtwALGh5N3fRKpbuzYvCSpDyuHNcdDrenCI/s1600/DSCN6995.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean..come ON! How lucky are we??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBNm7gRd2wytj3PqPnbE1V7Pd1ZNKitNTL63kris32BA3unznmvtoSekrnxh7cB_kLMF8I2zRyHIU7nyTfbiQXu8BF3F-8U5tQ5mvs6WdeDCCtaAbDnL_3gEz6DlZLGcqZdiervhcmho/s1600/DSCN6999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBNm7gRd2wytj3PqPnbE1V7Pd1ZNKitNTL63kris32BA3unznmvtoSekrnxh7cB_kLMF8I2zRyHIU7nyTfbiQXu8BF3F-8U5tQ5mvs6WdeDCCtaAbDnL_3gEz6DlZLGcqZdiervhcmho/s1600/DSCN6999.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They loved this "baby tree"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNmzIhaHe4qPs8sfqup9Ty6MVlUd7y_ln-zN0kaBNlkQmxWRxxE1sL68oN1wRkWlHFZcKIrUXdRibLV-_qU9On42aPdcWGQhGpeQ8x5RdIk32Wc6KZ0ayrW8PtdQZ6kUUDvAPGW2Zqhk/s1600/DSCN7000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNmzIhaHe4qPs8sfqup9Ty6MVlUd7y_ln-zN0kaBNlkQmxWRxxE1sL68oN1wRkWlHFZcKIrUXdRibLV-_qU9On42aPdcWGQhGpeQ8x5RdIk32Wc6KZ0ayrW8PtdQZ6kUUDvAPGW2Zqhk/s1600/DSCN7000.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWimG_OsMoFHxyuHShh4KkYoFbNU4ze1xJHaBQ5oFTMQvcdTRI2RVjSqRHZ0sPc8RCMRxSLn56fyNESha6laBMULjGbFeKW5vXEFZD9OapNY0_-MCevRP7ItWi-1dWB-EHN_EKPvqBdg/s1600/DSCN7005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMWimG_OsMoFHxyuHShh4KkYoFbNU4ze1xJHaBQ5oFTMQvcdTRI2RVjSqRHZ0sPc8RCMRxSLn56fyNESha6laBMULjGbFeKW5vXEFZD9OapNY0_-MCevRP7ItWi-1dWB-EHN_EKPvqBdg/s1600/DSCN7005.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbvKdHLQPrqoLII4gbT4Z6RROAShS5rnZTY2mGD53VhHxQanZcRvBc4Lgzh6o-Nmg4m9OkI3DRjn_nmu5ztrX_Wbo5PPLOl0ppbgn0u8bo-IbEYPoO6vj8Lva0SVIrB49kx7myEwxGTQ/s1600/DSCN7008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbvKdHLQPrqoLII4gbT4Z6RROAShS5rnZTY2mGD53VhHxQanZcRvBc4Lgzh6o-Nmg4m9OkI3DRjn_nmu5ztrX_Wbo5PPLOl0ppbgn0u8bo-IbEYPoO6vj8Lva0SVIrB49kx7myEwxGTQ/s1600/DSCN7008.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise Amphitheater. Nathan and I vowed to grab some coffee and doughnuts and come up here someday soon to watch the sunrise because....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIM8gn9XtXI8tHoTcV9kTMnXgRWOfoQNtu-8G1rj4myjObvgo_x2mh4ICAddlzTgsXN7onM7-Zp1S0HySfiJBvSqfXiKcC9ivzYlc27y7wZXSHpJKJQ7jxzxcB7I5BNQ5XFjdyeW2vfY/s1600/DSCN7010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIM8gn9XtXI8tHoTcV9kTMnXgRWOfoQNtu-8G1rj4myjObvgo_x2mh4ICAddlzTgsXN7onM7-Zp1S0HySfiJBvSqfXiKcC9ivzYlc27y7wZXSHpJKJQ7jxzxcB7I5BNQ5XFjdyeW2vfY/s1600/DSCN7010.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...wouldn't you?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82EM1xJP150D7LAbSMaoGDmEV5Bfh1u4xg9E0Z57WWvaCRcmCT0SZHhXC7Cjf1CLKAqqZBvS4iyohjJKS1TKmawMvXUwz1qTeIJsIMOVhYfvphxmmQxW-m-jL9kDCINkyP73ZDyemDZ4/s1600/DSCN7012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82EM1xJP150D7LAbSMaoGDmEV5Bfh1u4xg9E0Z57WWvaCRcmCT0SZHhXC7Cjf1CLKAqqZBvS4iyohjJKS1TKmawMvXUwz1qTeIJsIMOVhYfvphxmmQxW-m-jL9kDCINkyP73ZDyemDZ4/s1600/DSCN7012.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching big sister put on a show. Didn't take him long to join in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTZ1oapUaja6pLsSOKmB-NtnLpOkOcPuojpH9PiIXdesth8Qy3tqJLFD5cyHXiiY96gwyH7mXJk2g2sImZzlbYkMr7Nq2ZdNVj3ZCvFQX8EoKuReDljGhyphenhyphenIZuZH0VFYVQkcoB7j-QabU/s1600/DSCN7021.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTZ1oapUaja6pLsSOKmB-NtnLpOkOcPuojpH9PiIXdesth8Qy3tqJLFD5cyHXiiY96gwyH7mXJk2g2sImZzlbYkMr7Nq2ZdNVj3ZCvFQX8EoKuReDljGhyphenhyphenIZuZH0VFYVQkcoB7j-QabU/s1600/DSCN7021.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwe0n106JQyzlNCzYDb-PZHaelsUVoNo1Dl-1E2n1vKXTvgWdNDHyZyjLFKwzZpel4YnZdgkmt49K4CbY7qzZsAxev8601TCEX4D4uIAaWRbWG3HyZaAnmL5SdLdPnVRKADs1EJ9Xjsu4/s1600/DSCN7030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwe0n106JQyzlNCzYDb-PZHaelsUVoNo1Dl-1E2n1vKXTvgWdNDHyZyjLFKwzZpel4YnZdgkmt49K4CbY7qzZsAxev8601TCEX4D4uIAaWRbWG3HyZaAnmL5SdLdPnVRKADs1EJ9Xjsu4/s1600/DSCN7030.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way down in the car we came upon this mother fox and her 4 kits. Nathan had just been telling the kids he is always hoping to see an animal when he is out hiking. Pretty special!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5cQxUqLW9Ru6q-7QQr02EJjI0x-X_eLC9WsJ6Ehau_G7y2BAoj4koojuzMPalNbjCXHrM6-u8ROVtba7kmhWZgiPMWbmsSU_hJp1RtZbHAOMiVZsBUrHigHij2utg0TjoUwq54q-nDk/s1600/DSCN7031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5cQxUqLW9Ru6q-7QQr02EJjI0x-X_eLC9WsJ6Ehau_G7y2BAoj4koojuzMPalNbjCXHrM6-u8ROVtba7kmhWZgiPMWbmsSU_hJp1RtZbHAOMiVZsBUrHigHij2utg0TjoUwq54q-nDk/s1600/DSCN7031.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vAOGPSvIuLM1RzkIRISJf7HLJPa1sUVCSq0evtTbUyd4OfiYUjqaaxOknhdg4KVz8CoClNONaUmpn92seRKZ64t5cAspqH0Th63C9S_bFRcPR33E-gjfCltM5EwW0FzN2YbTqn09Ru8/s1600/DSCN7040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vAOGPSvIuLM1RzkIRISJf7HLJPa1sUVCSq0evtTbUyd4OfiYUjqaaxOknhdg4KVz8CoClNONaUmpn92seRKZ64t5cAspqH0Th63C9S_bFRcPR33E-gjfCltM5EwW0FzN2YbTqn09Ru8/s1600/DSCN7040.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afterwards we went to a park near our house (Park East) to cool off in the water. We walked quite a ways in the stream like this and it took me way back to 88 Monument Avenue, the house I grew up in. A friend and I used to pretend we were explorers and would slowly make our way up the brook behind our house. I had kind of forgotten about it until today.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKeo7HBi6wd-DIEg-le7_oci-MWam9Vb7sUfeQ6PRpMG0Uvp0tyigOugqHrMt1KcNu3S3DTDl61OwX_72_i6HWIRYw9aXfw8LOBUxJ6D-puidmyMdaadAgprbM5TTjfaU8Dob7dTy2Xc/s1600/DSCN7043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKeo7HBi6wd-DIEg-le7_oci-MWam9Vb7sUfeQ6PRpMG0Uvp0tyigOugqHrMt1KcNu3S3DTDl61OwX_72_i6HWIRYw9aXfw8LOBUxJ6D-puidmyMdaadAgprbM5TTjfaU8Dob7dTy2Xc/s1600/DSCN7043.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice pre-dinner soapy bath, dinner outside on the patio and post-dinner popsicles were in order of course. Not a bad way to kick off summer vacation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-47186747304041117212014-04-24T09:45:00.002-07:002014-04-24T09:57:51.093-07:00To unplug or not to unplug?I don't know if you've noticed but parents are under a lot of pressure. Not only are we spending our days keeping our children alive, but we have to make sure their childhoods are <i>happy </i>ones. I know that might sound horrible or overly simplified..or dramatic depending on your personal life journey and current situation but it's true. This job we've committed ourselves to is relentless. My kids see me at my absolute worst. I am constantly trying to improve the way in which I deal with the emotions that come barreling out when I'm pushed to my limit. There are times when I feel I'm improving and times when I feel I've lost my grip on every skill I've crafted since giving birth for the first time 6 years ago. In other words, I am nowhere near perfect and my kids could be the first ones to tell you that.<br />
<br />
This truth is hard to grapple with sometimes because I hate the feeling I get when logic is kicked to the backseat and raw emotion and knee jerk reaction take the wheel. At the same time I know these moments, as long as I take responsibility for them and apologize when I need to do so, are important to the emotional development of my kids. I know without showing them my imperfections and modeling owning them, they would probably grow into people who bury their emotions and have difficulty dealing with adversity.<br />
<br />
If I were more well read and professional, I would start this paragraph with, "Research shows..." but I'm going to choose to be perfectly honest and admit I'm too tired and short on time to find any articles supporting my argument. Instead I'm going to fess up that my "research" is what my therapist tells me she has seen in her professional experience. I not only believe her because she's awesome and really smart but because this "perfectly imperfect" angle on parenting is the one I've believed in even before my therapist validated it for me.<br />
<br />
Anyway, that wasn't the point I was going for when I sat down to write this. What I really wanted to talk about was on top of all this built in pressure the job comes with, why do we all (fellow parents, friends, family, society, our own damn selves) insist on finding ways to add <i>more </i>pressure to the mix? Breastfeeding (or not) and all the scrutiny that goes along with that...vaccinating (or not) and all the scrutiny that goes along with that..."screen time" or "media" (or not) and all the scrutiny that goes along with that...co-sleeping (or not) and all the scrutiny that goes along with that...the list goes on and on and on and on and....<br />
<br />
The most recent thing to get my goat in this respect is all the judgment surrounding how much parents use their phones. I know, I know...and I kind of agree but I wish we could all lighten up about it just a little. Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of folks who could benefit from a smartphone intervention. As soon as I'm done with my current "20 hour a week" resident manager job (aka "you must be available to your residents 24/7"), I plan to put it far out of arms reach or even turn it off once in a while in an effort to break my habit of checking it every 3 minutes. <br />
<br />
Like my love affair with chocolate though, I will never strive for a life without my phone. Yes, once in a while I'll need to work a little harder to scale back on the amount and frequency but in the grand scheme of things, these "vices" are part of enjoying life and I think that's okay.<br />
<br />
I feel sure there has been more than one time when a stranger has walked by me and my kids at the playground and silently chided me for staring at my phone but you know what? That stranger probably kept walking and missed the part when I put my phone in my pocket and resumed the endless "Ice Cream Store" game I was fully engaged in 2 minutes before they walked by. I can also admit to more than once waving my kids off as they pleaded with me to watch them on the monkey bars so I could text my sister. You know what? I watch my kids on the monkey bars every other day for as long as we are able to stay at the playground. I lift them up when they can't reach and coach them through their fear almost every time they ask. I talk to my sisters at most every other month so yes, when I find a moment to exchange a few quick texts with one of them, I jump on the opportunity. Once in a while as I'm sitting quietly watching my kids play together, I might take a minute to read an article on my phone that caught my eye. I didn't have time to sit down and do so quietly over a cup of coffee because someone was tapping my shoulder at 5am expecting me to spend the morning making breakfast smoothies and wiping butts.<br />
<br />
So if you wouldn't mind I'd like us all to agree on a few things: 1) let's put our phones somewhere we can't see or hear them when we are driving 2) maybe we could stand to put the phones away during family dinners and 3) leave us overworked and overtired parents alone about how much we use our phones. We'll work on it if we think it's becoming a problem for our families but in the meantime we're just doing our best to keep our kids alive and happy.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180963318526297211.post-70660234095516541702014-04-24T08:35:00.004-07:002014-04-24T08:35:47.823-07:00My friends, my familyI spend a lot of my time striving to create for my kids the solid
foundation my parents gave me. It’s a lot of pressure because I had a
great childhood. One of seven kids, there was never a dull moment.
Endless memories were made in the house we grew up in and sometimes I
wish I could go back and hang out with that motley crew again, just for a
day. Or that my kids could.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
**<i>You can read the rest of this post over at <a href="http://www.milehighmamas.com/blog/2014/04/22/friends/">Mile High Mamas**</a></i></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13684604131518233668noreply@blogger.com0