Watching the eclipse in the local park

The week began with the big solar eclipse. Anna was excited about it and made a little cardboard viewer and one of our neighbors had the special viewing glasses. The kids enjoyed looking at the sun for the first time and I think it is something they will remember for a long time.

The differing views on heading back to school are obvious

The long summer break ended on Tuesday as the kids went back to school, Anna into third grade and Jude into fifth. Anna was so excited to get back to see her friends and to start the school year, Jude was the opposite. He wanted summer break to keep going. But by the end of the week he has back into the swing of things and quite happy to be back.

Anna playing her new cello for the first time

In third grade at the Waldorf school you have to choose a stringed instrument to play. Jude chose viola two years ago and Anna decided on the cello. She was very excited to be learning an instrument for the first time.

Our three competitors getting ready for their Spartan races

On Friday night we drove up to the mountains because on Saturday the kids and Marcy were doing the annual Spartan race at Breckenridge. Marcy was doing the Spartan Beast, this incredibly grueling 12.5-mile race held mostly above 10,000 feet with 33+ obstacles along the way. The kids did a one mile race, twice as far as they did last year. The kids did great for the most part both finishing their race well.

With their medals after their Spartan Race

Afterwards, though, Anna was complaining that she couldn’t breathe so we took her to the first aid tent where they gave her an Albuterol treatment. I thought that would be it and we would go home but they strongly suggested we go to the ER. So Anna had what we think is her third ambulance ride of her life. Luckily, the respiratory doctor at the ER said that she was ok and so left after about an hour or so.

Anna receiving a nebulizer treatment in the ambulance

We made it back to Breckenridge just in time to meet Marcy after she finished. She did great, she was much quicker than last year and was in great spirits. We had been communicating through texts so she knew what was going on with Anna. Anna was in fact back to her normal self pretty quickly.

At the Broncos-Packer game

We got back to Denver on Saturday in time for Jude and I to head to the Broncos-Packer preseason game. I was able to get tickets from a friend and we had great seats. Jude was thrilled to see Aaron Rodgers play and he was even happy to see the Broncos.

It was a full week, that is for sure, and a bit of a crazy weekend.

Anna showing off her new haircut

This was the last week of summer vacation so Anna decided she wanted a back to school haircut. She had an idea in mind and her hairdresser, who Marcy started using 15 years ago, made it a reality.

The kids did drop-in tennis lessons at Gates most of this week as we had credits that needed to be used up by Friday. They also went up to Keystone for a golf lesson on Wednesday because they enjoyed that too. When I asked them at the end of the week which they liked best, tennis of golf, they both said golf. I am not sure if they really meant that but that makes me happy nonetheless.

Anna and Reed share a paddle board at Bear Creek Lake

On Friday after their tennis lesson Marcy took the kids out to Bear Creek Lake. It was a hot day and it was good to be by the water. Stand up paddle boarding seems to have been the new pastime for this summer as they had another afternoon with it. Anna and Reed shared a paddle board for most of the day while Jude enjoyed fooling around on his own rental board.

Jude doing a cannonball off his paddle board

Saturday we had meetings at the school as the new academic year starts on Tuesday. Then Sunday, Marcy got up bright and early to go for a long hike in the mountains and I took the kids to a Rockies game. This time we all rode our bikes because they had a special giveaway for the first 250 people to ride their bikes to the stadium. We got their early to make sure we made the cut and the kids got their free backpacks and they were also giving away free baseball caps too.

At the Rockies game with our new baseball caps

Marcy rode down to get Anna after 6 innings but Jude wanted to wait to the very end. We rode home at around 5pm. Jude did great on the ride back, he has really gotten a lot stronger as I rode about 90% of my normal pace and he was able to keep up just fine.

Anna and Jude in a paddleboat on Keystone lake

We have had a great time up in Keystone. For our second vacation week the kids did all kinds of activities. There was more camp, hiking, tennis, a golf lesson, some time on the lake and just relaxing at the condo. It was a work week for me so Marcy spent time with the kids during the day. We put the kids in camp on Monday and Friday and to our surprise Jude liked it almost as much as Anna.

Anna showing her form after her golf lesson

The golf lesson on Wednesday was a big hit and not just because of the donuts at the end (although that helped). When I arrived to pick them up they begged to stay and hit more balls. Jude went off to the putting green and Anna showed me what she had learned on the driving range.

Anna took a stand up paddle boarding lesson on Lake Dillon

Saturday was a big day at least for Jude and I. While Marcy and Anna had stand up paddle boarding lessons Jude and I decided to tackle two 14ers in one day. We got up early and were at the trail head at 7:20am. We hiked up the lightly traveled south route to Grays. This was Jude’s first 14er he did exactly two years ago but we did the very popular north route that time. This time we virtually had the trail to ourselves.

On the top of Grays Peak, the first time we summited

It was a tough climb to the top of Grays but we did it in 3 1/2 hours. Then it was on to Torreys. This 14er lies only 0.8 miles from the top of Grays and it is popular for people looking to do two 14ers in one day. Which is exactly what we did. We arrived at the top of Torreys at 11:50am. It was hard work but we were both doing ok. We sat down and had a quick lunch looking out over what seemed like hundreds of miles of mountains.

On top of Torreys Peak, our second 14er of the day

What I didn’t think about much was that to do Grays and Torreys by the south route, we had to summit Grays on the way back. This was hard. I was already pretty tired and it was a hard slog back up to the top of Grays. Jude on the other hand was doing great and he had to wait for me on the way back up Grays. It was slow going on the way down, particularly the steepest part near the summit. And then the last hour I was really hurting and we had to go slowly. We made it back to the car around 4:30pm and my watch said we had been hiking for 8 hours 45 minutes. I was completely exhausted but happy to have done it. Jude was fine although his feet were a little sore.

Anna during her record breaking 1,000 pogo stick jumps

We were sad to leave when we packed everything up this morning. It was a great couple of weeks and we will miss the mild weather, the lack of traffic, the peace and quiet as well as the beautiful mountains. As I was packing the car Anna decided to get out her pogo stick and she made it to 1,000 jumps for the first time.

Jude teeing off at Harvard Gulch

Jude and Anna have been really into golf after their lesson. They both wanted to play after we got home so I took them to our local par 3, Harvard Gulch, and they had some fun before a thunderstorm ended our round early. Then it was back home to watch the final major of the year.

All the kids outside our place in Keystone

We have had a great week in Keystone with the Dahlens visiting from Iowa. Nathan and I played golf most days and out of five rounds we only had one that did not get interrupted by rain or hail. The weather was not good at all but we made do and still had a good time.

Nathan teeing off amidst the hail at #15 at the River Course (he stuck it to 10 feet)

The kids were in camp all week. Anna, Lily, Ella and Chloe were at the Keystone Science School while Jude did another Challenger Sports soccer camp. Everyone enjoyed their camps but it did mean we only got one day for all us to hang out.

All the girl cousins get in a paddle boat on Keystone Lake

Saturday morning most of us went over to River Run for a little shopping and then in the afternoon we walked down to Keystone Lake. The kids played at the “beach” there and we rented paddle boats. Anna also decided she wanted to try stand up paddle boarding. She just scraped over the high limit and was very excited to give it a try on the lake. She did great and had to be dragged in after her time was up.

Anna trying stand up paddle boarding for the first time

On the Dahlens last night we all went to the now traditional Mexican Dinner at Dos Locos which is right next door to the condo.

The kids enjoying their Mexican food

This morning we said our goodbyes to the Dahlens. It was a great week and everyone is already looking forward to next year. With just the four of us left we decided to do a hike. Anna had been wanting to try Revenue Mountain which is the first major hike that Jude did when he was 8. Anna also wanted to do the difficult way, the same way that Jude went, and it was tough. It consisted of a rocky scramble on hands and feet up a steep slope towards the end. After some challenges we all made it to the top. We also saw some amazing mining ruins along the way, and mountain goats on the trail on our way down.

Enjoying the view and a snack at the top of Revenue Mountain