Anna is so excited about her new bike

It was only five days at home and then the kids and I went up to Keystone. It was incredibly hot in Denver all week and we were happy to escape to the cool of the mountains. We drove up Friday night and so had the whole weekend here. But before that happened, earlier on Friday Marcy and Anna went to Sports Plus, our local used sporting goods store, and Anna came home with a new (to her) bike. It is a little big for her but she will grow into it and she loves it so much. Her old bike was just getting a little small.

Enjoying a late lunch at the Frisco Marina after our ride around the lake

We immediately put Anna’s bike to good use on Saturday morning as we did the almost 14 mile ride to Frisco Marina. We did this last year and Anna struggled a bit, particularly on the way home but this time she did great on her new bike. We had a bit of a mishap on our first attempt as Jude got a flat after 6 miles. Once we got that sorted, we tried a second time and we made it there for a late lunch in just 65 minutes from the condo. By the time we got back we were all exhausted but pleased with the effort. Jude showed what a strong rider he is also, leading us all the way back.

We made it to the Colorado Trail

Today, we decided it was a day for hiking. We thought about doing Buffalo Mountain but decided that we too tough after a hard day’s biking yesterday. So, we decided to do a much easier hike up to the Colorado Trail from Keystone Gulch Road. We took the road all the way to the Outback at Keystone Resort and parked by the lift there. Then we hiked about 2 miles to the Colorado Trail only about 500 feet of elevation gain and then came back. We got caught in a downpour just 15 minutes from the car. It was 61 degrees when we got back to the condo where it also started raining.

Golf at the River Course to round out the weekend

We had a relaxing afternoon at home watching a movie and then we decided to play some twilight golf. Both kids were a little rusty at first as it was their first time on the course this year but they were playing well by the end of it. Although we didn’t get to finish as once again, a rainstorm came through and we had to stop after 8 holes. It was a full weekend and I expect the kids will sleep well tonight.

Marcy spent the weekend at home with the pets

You will notice there was no mention of Marcy in our weekend activities. She had a Ridhwan weekend so she stayed in Denver and is coming up first thing in the morning. Tomorrow night the Dahlens will be here and I will be taking the rest of the week off work to spend time with them.

Hiking in Ledges State Park

The week started off with a morning hike in Ledges State Park about a half hour drive from West Des Moines. The kids enjoyed the trails and playing in the river. Then on Tuesday we drove up to Clear Lake to visit our friend Scott and hang out as his place on the lake. They have had this place on the lake for over 50 years and they have every type of water craft you can imagine, including jet skis which we used to explore the lake.

Riding the jet ski on Clear Lake

They also had stand up paddle boards which the kids used to go the whole way across the lake. The trouble was there was an offshore wind and they couldn’t make it back. Not to worry, Scott’s sister got the boat out and we went and rescued them and Marcy and I paddled back. We also explored the lake on Scott’s boat, it is a beautiful 50 year old wooden boat that Scott has restored.

Jetting around Clear Lake in Scott’s old (but beautifully restored) wooden cruiser

On Friday, it was Baba and Grandpa’s 50th wedding anniversary. We had a low-key celebration that involved dinner and drinks at home along with multiple desserts.

Lon and Connie’s 50th wedding anniversary

On Independence Day Nathan and I played golf and when we came home the kids had a surprise in store for us. They had filled dozens of water balloons and we were attacked as soon as we got home. It was such a hot day we didn’t mind at all. As night fell we had our own mini fireworks display. The kids all lit sparklers including some fancy ones that shined in multiple colors.

Lighting sparklers on July 4

And, of course, there were “snakes” as we have been doing each year.

Watching the “snakes” emerge on July 4

Overall Olive did great on the trip. She became reasonably comfortable there but she was always excited whenever we went swimming. If we did laps Olive would greet us at the end of each lap by barking loudly. She also fell in the pool a couple of times and seemed to be afraid of getting in. So, yesterday Marcy took her in the pool and calmly let her get used to the water. When she gently released her Olive swam straight for the steps, she wanted to get out.

Marcy giving Olive a quiet introduction to the pool

Today, we woke up in West Des Moines and did the long trip home. It was just over 12 hours door to door, a bit longer than usual because of bad traffic and a long stop in Lincoln for lunch. Everyone was exhausted after a fun-filled two weeks.

The annual trip to Perkins for breakfast with Baba

The kids have had a fun-filled first week in West Des Moines, Iowa. While it was a little rainy at the start of the week the weather has been great for the most part and the kids have spent a good deal of time in the pool. They also got to play lots of games with their cousins as well as watch movies and while some of the typical places they go are closed due to the coronavirus they have had a busy week.

Movie time with popcorn

There was the annual trip to Perkins with Baba and a visit to Jordan Creek to feed the ducks.

Feeding the ducks at a local lake

One day, Anna, Chloe and Ella prepared all three meals for us. It was a colossal undertaking that was weeks in the planning with Anna bringing a bunch of stuff from home. They named their “restaurant” Gallery Kitchen with Anna and Chloe as cooks and Ella as the waitress. They did a great job and worked really hard both cooking everything and cleaning up.

Celebrating Baba’s 70th birthday

Baba turned 70 earlier this month so one night we had a belated birthday celebration with her that included ice cream cake.

The traditional photo of the five cousins by the pool

Yesterday, I played some golf with my brother-in-law and today Marcy and I went for a long walk downtown. We were going to stay at a hotel for a couple of nights but decided not to risk it with the coronavirus making a comeback. So, we did a 12-mile walk along bike paths most of the way. We were tired and thirsty by the time we were done.

Tonight we had dinner at the Dahlens, homemade pizza which was delicious. Olive enjoyed playing in the backyard, particularly with the new doggie pool we bought.

Chloe and Anna watching Olive in her new pool

The traditional jump into the pool on arrival to Baba and Grandpa’s house

Yesterday we drove to Iowa for our annual summer trip. The kids have been so excited about it for weeks and were so happy to hit the road. Olive came along for the first time and she actually did really well. It was a relatively uneventful trip and we pulled in to West Des Moines at 8:30pm. Baba was waiting on the corner with a welcome sign and the kids were so thrilled to see her. After a quick hug to grandpa it was into the pool, fully clothed as is the tradition.

All wet after falling in to the pool

Olive didn’t know quite what to make of the pool. She was barking at both kids and leaning over to get closer to them. Then she fell in. We found out she could swim but she was a little freaked about it and has not risked going that close to the pool since.

The twins were up early to greet Jude and Anna

We thought the kids would sleep in because neither of them got a good night’s sleep the previous night but they were both up early and were in the pool with the twins before Marcy and I got out of bed. And they have been in and out of the pool all day today. Of course, there was lots of great food and treats as well and they spent the day between the Dahlen’s house and Baba and Grandpa’s house.

The five kids had a wresting match

Before we left Anna wrapped up her school year. She did a great video on the music of slavery for history that we both worked on quite hard. Then there was a “drive by” celebration at the school for Mr. Kevin, one of Anna’s favorite teachers, that Anna had an integral role in organizing and she had a great time seeing him and some of her friends. It was great to end the school year with a little bit of physical connection.

Anna giving Mr Kevin a hug to celebrate his 25 years teaching at Ricks

Anna having a tea party while babysitting

Anna took a babysitting class back in February and was looking forward to earning some money in her new vocation. Then came the pandemic and suddenly that was not an option. But our hairdresser, Shannon, had a four-year-old and was looking for some help. So, today Anna had her first babysitting job and it was at our house.

Marcy helped out a little with lunch and setting up the slip’n’slide in the backyard. They played on the trampoline, played with both Olive and Pickles and Anna set up a tea party picnic. Anna said she had a great time and she was delighted to be paid for her time when it was finished. She celebrated by going to the gas station to get some candy.

Enjoying some Glacier ice cream courtesy of Baba

Speaking of celebrating, Baba said both kids should go out and get some ice cream, her treat, to commemorate the start of summer break. They were delighted to go to their favorite ice cream place, Glacier, where they enjoyed their special treats.

Ice cream at Glacier courtesy of Baba

It was another hot weekend and Marcy worked in the yard for most of it. Jude hurt his foot while playing soccer in the park so he was a little less mobile than usual. This was our last weekend in Denver for a while (we drive to Iowa on Saturday) so we spent the entire weekend at home.

Anna loves her new Pride swimsuit

Historic Tallman Ranch on our Windy Peak hike

Jude and I decided to do another hike in the mountains this weekend. We went a little further into the mountains mainly to escape the crowds and try something new. We decided on Windy Peak outside Golden and it was a beautiful hike. On the way down we passed historic Tallman Ranch with buildings from the 1870s when a Swede named Anders Tallman settled there. The home he built and several of the surrounding buildings are still standing today. Jude and I both thought this was  fascinating learning about their life.

Celebrating the end of school with a root beer float

While Anna doesn’t officially end school for two more weeks, because of online school Ricks extended the school year by two weeks. But Anna is staying on for a couple of classes and we let her wrap up the year as long as she does all the assigned work. So, Friday we had a little celebration to say goodbye to fifth grade. It was a crazy finish to the year and I think everyone is glad to be done with online school.

Digging the hole for his time capsule

This week, being Jude’s first week of summer break, he decided he wanted to capture this moment in time. So, he decided to create a time capsule and bury it in the backyard. This wasn’t just any little hole. He worked hard to dig down two feet. And he is gathering the items for his time capsule and will bury it this week. Anna thought this was a great idea and decided to do one herself. They intend to dig these up in five years time in the summer of 2025.

Relaxing with “Little O”

We didn’t do much else this weekend. Marcy spent almost the entire weekend doing yard work, Jude played soccer in the park and Anna had a sleepover at a neighbors house. Also, Marcy spent some time at the vet as Olive has not been feeling that well this week. She was throwing up a lot and had some GI discomfort, and so we wanted to get it checked out. They thought it might be a chicken allergy. By Sunday afternoon she was doing much better.

Celebrating the last day of school with some cream from the can

While not officially the last day of school for Jude, he treated Friday as if it was. That is because there are no formal classes this coming week and the fact that he is not actually going to school makes it feel like the last day. We humored him and he celebrated with Dusty Millers and some cream straight from the can.

Cheering on the graduates from South High School

Marcy noticed on Nextdoor that they were looking for volunteers to help with the South High School graduation parade this past week. She signed us all up for it and we had to make sure and stand on the corner just three blocks from our house. This ended up being really fun. We cheered on all the graduates as they drove by in a procession of hundreds of cars. It was actually quite emotional for everyone involved.

Anna and our neighbor doing a sleepover in the back yard

On Friday night Anna and our neighbor decided they wanted to sleep in a tent. So, we setup our big tent in the backyard and they made an evening of it. They watched a movie and were in bed by 9:30pm. It was an early morning with both kids waking up before 6am complaining it was really cold outside.

Anna shopping at Target this week

We didn’t do much this weekend. We gave the kids a bit more leeway than usual with screens as the school year was winding down. Marcy did a bunch of yard work and I had a lot of work to catch up on. The big outing for Jude and I was to the shoe store to buy new hiking boots, so we can go for another hike next weekend. I also took Anna to Target for a project she designed for her and Marcy. Anna’s plan is for them to come up with a make-over look for each other. Anna chose an outfit for Marcy and did her make-up. Marcy has yet to choose Anna’s look, so that will happen next week.

At the top of South Boulder Peak

Jude and I decided it was time to hit the trail on Saturday. He had barely left our zip code in over two months so we knew it would be good for him to get out. We chose South Boulder Peak because it is relatively close (a 35 minute drive) and it a challenging hike with around 3,300 feet of elevation. While it was crowded because of a holiday weekend when we made it to the summit we managed to find a secluded spot for lunch. Going down was much harder than going up, at least for me. By the end of it I had very sore knees and toes.

Getting a little air on the bike jump near our house

The kids have been spending a lot of time at this bike jump just 200 yards from our house. It is part of a flood plain with a bike trail through the middle of it and relatively steep sides perfect for making a jump. They even spent some time trying to improve the jump with shovels and water. They often head there after dinner with the neighbors.

Jude near the end of his 10k

Today is normally the Bolder Boulder, a popular 10k that happens every year in Boulder. Because it was canceled they encouraged everyone to do their own 10k race. I was planning on doing it with Jude but I was still feeling sore after our Saturday hike, so I did our regular 6k course instead. Jude did great on the longest run of his life coming home in 48:21, a solid time for a 13-year-old.

The rest of the weekend was spent mostly at home. I baked my weekly loaf of bread, and did the Peloton. The Peloton has become quite a regular thing in our family, with most of us using it at least three times a week, as well as doing their classes for other things. And yesterday I watched my first sports event in months, “The Match” a golf match with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. It was very entertaining.

Anna getting ready for her school Zoom party

On Wednesday this past week Anna’s school had a “Decade Party” where you come dressed in fashion from a decade of your choice. Anna chose the ’80s and put on the big hair and makeup that was typical of that decade. While she said it was fun, we could tell it was a poor replacement from an in-person party.

Olive decided she would join Marcy as she was reading her book

Jude was really looking forward to getting a haircut

Things are finally starting to open up in here in Denver and Jude has been dying to get a haircut. It is the longest his hair has been in years. So, this week we booked him in to the hairdresser and he was a happy camper.

Sporting his new haircut

We broke up the online school monotony this week for Anna by inviting a friend to study with her for the day. It was good weather so they actually set up their tables on the upstairs balcony and did Zoom calls in the fresh air. Anna really liked studying with a friend.

Doing sign language class on the hammock

It was another quiet weekend. No one ventured very far from home. The kids played with the neighbors, I baked my weekend sourdough loaf and we ate every meal at home as usual. Jude has been taking to going to the park by himself with his soccer ball just to juggle and kick goals. Sometimes Marcy and I join him but he is just as happy to go by himself.

Today, Anna had an actual birthday party to go to with a school friend. There were five kids invited and the parents had to ok it obviously but instead of a drive-by party which she went to a few weeks ago this one was a drop off, regular birthday party. When I picked Anna up I could tell she had a blast. It was so great for her to get this little bit of normalcy back into her life.

Relaxing with a book and Olive on the hammock

Anna doing a painting during Art class

The kids are getting doing a little bit better with “digital school”. Neither of them like it but they are resigned to the fact that this will be how their school year will finish. One of Anna’s favorite classes is Art and this week she decided to do her painting outside. She set up her easel and paints in the backyard and enjoyed the sunshine while she worked.

Most mornings this week Anna and Marcy would get out early before school and go for a bike ride around Wash Park. Jude and I would go for a run and we would see them on their ride. It good for them to get some exercise before school with no physical school happening.

The start of the neighborhood bike race with Anna in her Broncos jersey

Speaking of biking today the neighborhood kids decided to have a bike race. There are some bike trails near the park and they made up a course and ran a relay, family against family. The kids all raced hard and it was great to see the friendly competition.

Jude finishing up the neighborhood bike race

Jude mowed the front lawn yesterday and Marcy looked out at him and saw him on his hand and knees staring at the ground for about five minutes. He had found a grasshopper and was watching it closely. He then caught it and showed it to us.

Jude discovered a grasshopper while mowing the lawn

Marcy decided for Mother’s Day she wanted to stay around the house. She played with the kids, did a yoga class and a walk and then we both watched the big bike race. We managed to keep her out of the kitchen most of the day, Anna made her morning coffee and emptied the dishwasher first thing, and I cooked dinner. We had some nice Omaha Steaks which were delicious.

About to sit down to Mother’s Day dinner