How do you sum up...

one of the most awesome-ist, super fanastic, over the top fun, giggle fest-y, and memorable trip to visit your in-laws for a month in one word??!! YOU CAN'T!!  So hear are my highlights.

DO YOU WANT SOME MORE WATER??

WHERE ARE THE BLUEBERRIES??

MICHAEL?! MIIIIIIIIIICHHHHHHHHHHHAELLLLLLLLLLLLL!!

TOP GEAR UK RULES!! 

20 lbs of children's books

A GIANT children's GIRAFFE shaped coat tree!!

yummm... Sweet Tomato's Irish Potato and Leek soup... yummmmy.

photos.. did you not read the last 100 blog posts? (ok so maybe it was like 7 or 8, but I love photos and it's all about making memories!)

Going to sleep Thursday night and dreaming about what treasures I might find garage saling with Penny!!

Friday... GARAGE SALING WITH PENNY!!
Meeting a few of Penny and Roy's friends.. Mr. Eddie!


There were so many wonderful things and memories.. too many to list on a single blog post, but the kids and I had so much fun.  And yes, it would have been more fun if fathead (aka sweetie pooh, aka Monty) had been there too!!

Michelle

Oh one more thing.. DO YOU WANT SOME MORE WATER??!

Our last museum trip...

for our summer marathon visit to Denver! I can't believe it is coming to an end! Yesterday we went to visit the Four Mile Historic Park in Aurora.  While all the history was great (for me) the kids loved the gold panning!! And it was great that they stock the creek with pyrite (aka fools gold) for them to find!

Peter-Leo shows us how to pan for gold!

And he finds GOLD!!

Kody finds dirt. lots and lots of dirt. And she is happy.

Both kids panning for more gold!!

Peter-Leo takes a break from walking on the back of a wagon!

Momma takes the reins on the big covered wagon!! Giddy Up!!

This was a neat little place for us to visit. The best part is teaching & showing kids history. The covered wagon was a neat thing for Peter-Leo because he studied about the Oregon Trail in school and can now see what a covered wagon was really like.  Not very big. 
Great times!

Michelle

Colorado School Of Mines: Geology Museum

And what a fun place this was! Despite all the glass cases.. the specimens were astounding. I loved this small but impressive place!  After spending the morning up at the Wild Buffalo Bill Museum this little gem was a perfect treat!

Peter-Leo and Kody in between the lava rock tall thingee split in two with purple crystal stuff inside. Way cool.

large round rock with that same purple crystal stuff!

the glowing rocks getting a dose of light, then off go the lights....

and BAM! Glowing rocks!! AWESOME!

The best things about this place.. the Apatosaurus thigh bone! The actual fossil bone! Amazing stuff.

If you look closely you can see a dragonfly in the stone! The camera did not do it justice.

The second best thing....
and BYU your stupid Y ain't got nothing on the letter M they have!!
woot-woot!!

All in all what a great day spent with the kids.. and they only complained once the entire time!! Can I get another WOOT-WOOT!!??!

Michelle

The Wild Buffalo Bill Museum

Another fun day seeing the local attractions around Denver. Today's stops included the Wild Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave site.
This museum was small but super cute and LOADED with history.  Plus the view from his grave site and the rest of Lookout Mountain were superb!

At the beginning of the museum.. what a show that must of been!

Peter-Leo.. not into being a cowboy.

Kody on the other hand.. could stayed and played all day!

The kids playing in the teepee.

All Sitting Bull things. Amazing.

View from the Buffalo Bill Grave site.. he picked a good place to be buried!!

The kids looking at the grave stone.. they were excited for about 5 seconds.

A marker for the Lookout Mtn (just to the left of the museum)

Below the marker was a short trail and an outcrop of rocks over looking the valley.

Pretty amazing that by this point I had not hurled.. heights are not my friend.

Peter-Leo and Kody chilling on the rock.

An unobstructed view from the rocks. Awe inspiring!

What a fanastic day we had. After this place we cruised back down the mountain and visited the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum.. but that's another blog post!

Michelle

just a chill day..

It seems between museums and playing with the cousins there is rarely a down time for us. Which is kind of how I like it.. busy busy busy. going going going. doing doing doing.  We managed to get in a few photos of just the cousins playing..in their "fashion show" check them out.

Arianna & Cassandra struting their stuff on the runway!

Arianna getting ready for her solo walk.

Cassandra gives the whole show a thumbs up! YAY!

Peter-Leo  judging/can we get this over with!?!

All of the fashion show contestants.  Sister Decker, Cassandra, Arianna and Kody.

Kody doing her "crazy dance/cheer."

So as you see the cousins were having a blast... and that was the whole point in coming to Denver.

Marvelous Mud creating with clay..

Our last stop on todays visit was the Marvelous Mud/Clay Sculpture Studio for kids. This was a wonderful example of how to introduce children to clay.  And I loved the fact that they had the actual tools for us to use.. not some silly pared down plastic junk tool... ok so .... getting down from my soap box... onto the photos!!

One of the buildings; from the sky bridge.

Kody working on her clay sculpture in the Clay Studio.

Peter-Leo working the clay wheel. That instructor was so nice.

Peter-Leo is doing good now!

 

Peter-Leo finally gets a hang of it.. again that instructor was so patient!

Kody spent the entire time working on her clay.. only to smush it into a ball.

And we are finally done..

And we aren't even half way through the place!! Seriously, who wants to push their luck with a 9 and 4 year old in an art museum for 3.5 hours. I'd say I am pretty lucky they lasted that long! YAY! ME!!

Denver Art Museum

This morning the kids and I spent 3.5 hours at the Denver Art Museum. It was a wonderful time! I always enjoy art and getting my kids to enjoy it has been a challenge.. well.. it's been a challenge getting Kody to enjoy it. However, this museum had lots of small activities within the exhibits to help. Where it was Picture Bingo or a hands on "Build your own sculpture." It was great to spend soo much time there. It was a peaceful and quiet experience that really helped with us strengthen our bond.

I guess she wasn't thrilled to be King Tot!

Peter-Leo on the sky bridge that connects the 2 buildings.

Kody playing the Picture Bingo game. GENIUS!!

Art you can walk on!

This "piece" of art... made me feel like I was going to vomit!

Leaving the Outside Sculpture Garden..

Building their own sculpture/marker in the Oceanic Gallery. (Islanders rules!!)

And what would be a trip to the museum without IPODS!

Ever changing art.. the kids got to piece together scraps and attach to the art wall.

Kody working on her piece, which she decided not to share.. but take home.

Peter-Leo working on his piece.

Attaching our pieces to the wall.

I have decided to post the Marlevous Mud photos from today's visit in another post. Too many photos!!