Last weekend we took a drive through the mountains to see the foliage.  Believe it or not…the whole 6 years we have been living here we haven’t done that.  Maybe its because the foliage here, while beautiful, just doesn’t really compare to where we grew up…New England. ;D  I will say that there isn’t anything that compares to the Rocky Mountains!  Except maybe the ocean.

We drove on the Peak to Peak highway.  It was really beautiful.  I love what Ava had to say about it.  “Mom, it was a lot of fun.  Except for the part when we were in the car driving.  That was really boring.”

“But Ava, that was most of the trip.  The driving.”

“I know.”

These are just some of the many photos I took…

Black Hawk, a gambling town.  I took photos of the “older” part of town cause I found it more interesting.  No we didn’t stop for gambling…just photos. ;D

Some foliage…with vistas…

Ava, taking photos with me.  Me taking photos of her. ;D

St. Malo Historic Church…

We ended up in Estes Park.  This time of year there are elk everywhere because it is mating season.  The males are in the rut and bugle constantly.  They even have what’s called an Elk Fest.  It just happened to be the weekend we went up there.

I’ve been feeling extremely nostalgic lately.  I’m not clear on the cause.  One of the medications that I take periodically makes me feel this way.  Weird I know.  Fall does it to me too.  School starting back up does it too.  It could also be that a close friend of mine was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer.  It could also be that another person that Corey and I know committed suicide a couple weeks ago.  It could be my recent hospital stay.

Or it could be talking with the girls about the things going on in their lives and me relating stories to them about when I was in school.  They LOVE THAT!  It always seems to happen when I’m driving them to school.  I love driving them to school and picking them up.  It gives me a chance to “check in” with them and see what’s going on at school and stuff.  I find out the greatest stuff!  I’m enjoying it because I fear one day when they turn teenager on me they will clam up.  But for now I get the skinny on a lot of stuff.  Lately the conversations have been mostly about boys.  And how weird they are.  Cause let’s just face it…they are!  ;D

Both of them have had some “issues” with boys at school recently…nothing too major…but just boys being mean or whatever.  So I told them one day…”You know if a boy likes you then he usually is mean to you.”  The girls eyes got big as saucers!  There have been example after example of how that has been true.  One boy did something to Ava that landed him in the principal’s office and the principal told her, “Boys are so strange.  When they like you they beat you up.”  She was like, “That’s what my mom says!” ;D

The girls asked me, “Mom?  When you met Dad was he weird?”

“Yes!  He didn’t straighten up until about 25!”

They laughed and laughed.

Laney has been having a tough go of it with a little boy in her class.  He won’t leave her alone.  He’s to the point where he doesn’t want her to do anything but play with him and hang out with him and be friends with ONLY him.  He whispers to her in class everyday….“Laney.  Laney.  Laney.  Laney.” When she says, “What!”  He just says, “hi!”

“Mom he’s so annoying I can’t get anything done!!!!”

I know.  Big drama.  But it IS if you are her.

This morning on the way to school I told them about a boy in school that liked me just like this boy likes Laney.  Soon Laney’s story wasn’t as interesting as my story and they wanted to know all about it.  “This is COOL!”

I’ve noticed in parenting that all my girls want to know is…did that kind of stuff happen to me and what did I do as a kid?  And sometimes…there is no resolution…at least not one I can think of.  OR we think of one together.  OR they think of something after I tell them all about my childhood woes. ;D  Either way…we get a great laugh out of it…and it draws us closer together.  I’m sure when I pick them up today there will be more about what happened with this boy.  And they will wanna know more about what I did when I was in the same situation.  I don’t mind telling them.

I imagine that I am better than I am.  Because I didn’t go through the trauma of the last procedure and I don’t remember anything from this one…even though they did basically the same thing.  They took two hours to get it out.  And I was under for it.  My mind thinks…woohoo!  My body says…well nevermind that.  My body has been a little unhappy with me lately. ;D

So I walk into the hematologist’s office on Friday…  This sounds like it is going to be the start of a really bad joke, right?  Well it IS!  She tells me, “Weeeeeelll.  They got it out.  But they sure had a hard time doing it!”  THIS is the first time I’m hearing this story.

Apparently the IVC filter was REALLY stuck in my vein and a blood clot was forming around it…which is common.  Apparently.  So Dr. ____  had to work at it for 2 hours to get it out.  AND because of that I have to go BACK in and see him in about 6 weeks to look at this vein to make sure the blood flow is good in thru that area.  AND if it isn’t he has to go BACK in and do this type of procedure AGAIN and basically clean out the wall of the said vein so I won’t develop problems in that area.

So picture me doing really well Wednesday and Thursday…mentally anyway.  Then I get this news on Friday.  That basically…I’m not done yet.  I’m not saying the worst has happened.  But the fact that I’m not done…yeah.  It messed me up pretty hard.  I had a teensy tinsy breakdown over the weekend.  ;D

So instead of writing more about my medical issues…which will be a year now…

I suppose I could write about how nothing hurts but my neck.  And that I overdid it the other night playing Rock Band with my family…because we all know I play drums. ;D  And of course doing stuff with the fam always seems to help me.  Just not THAT something.  He he!

I could write about how Ava came home from a sleepover this weekend completely tired and she and I had a huge fight that I didn’t think was going to start happening until teenage years.  OMGosh.  We made up but it wasn’t fun going through it…at all.  It reminds me of Ramona Quimby Age 8 that I just recently read to the girls…about how Beezus and her mother argue about how Beezus comes home moody from sleepovers. ;D

I could write about how Laney has done nothing but film things all weekend with her camera.  She practically filmed a documentary about her life.

I could write about how I have deadlines looming before me and I have zero desire to create or work.

I could write about the season premiere of Dexter…did you watch? ;D

Or I could just stop writing.  Include a photo…to help my neurosis.  And take a nap.  What option is this? ;D

It is quiet in the house.  Not that it isn’t usually.  I’m just a little surprised.  I was expecting there to be more going on after my hospital stay.  But everyone is gone!  And will be gone for a bit.  The girls both have sleepovers after school tonight and Corey is going mountain biking tonight after work.  I’m all alone!  I just thought that I would be more sick and there would be more people here.  However…

My “procedure” went really well.  Better than I expected, actually.  They got the IVC filter out!  I’ve been feeling pretty good.  My only issues have been from the anesthesia…and that is a little unusual, for me…and I’m just a little tired.  I was bracing for all the things that happened the last time they tried to remove the filter and it just hasn’t happened that way.  I’m glad.  It’s just surprising.  I got all ready for a month’s worth of recovery and I’m actually doing fine.  I would just like to thank God for this.  I would also like to thank everyone for the well wishes and prayers.  I’m a little dumbfounded so I don’t have much to say! ;D

It was raining last night and Laney went out to enjoy it.  Here she is! ;D

I’ve told you before that when I get out the camera to take photos of the dogs Skits poses and Baxter runs away.  It makes me laugh.  You might wonder why I have more photos on my blog…cute photos anyway…of Skits and why I have layouts, and the kids do too, of Skits and not Baxter.  Same reason.  Better photos cause he poses.

The other evening Corey and the kids went outside to play catch in the front yard.  We have a window seat in the formal living room that the dogs like to perch in and watch the goings-on in the front yard.  I found the dogs perched there watching.  I grabbed my camera to capture it.  As soon as I returned Baxter ran away.  Skits turned and literally “posed”.  Here he is…

…the photos from our home fireworks show.  I love that we can buy fireworks here in Colorado.  In Maine we were lucky if we got a box of sparklers for the 4th. ;D  We got a large pack of fireworks on sale this year and there were a ton inside.  You know its pretty good when the neighbors come out and watch.

Having fun playing with long exposure time.  I told the girls to not move…but move the sparklers.  So much fun to do this!!!!

I’m so thankful I have Corey who will light these things.  Cause even tho I will participate…I hate lighting them.  I especially hate the loud ones and I hate those freakin popper ones…the little white ones that you just throw at the ground and they snap really loudly.  The girls just LOVE THEM…even tho they are the most simple things on earth and Corey will do all those nice loud ones with them.  When they come out…I disappear inside.  Thank goodness for a fun Dad! ;D

After almost a year…my Kia is finally fixed and running again.  Oh man is it ever nice not to be doing the one car thing!  Why so long you ask?  Well it needed a new engine…and they aren’t cheap!  Don’t ever buy a Kia.  Just sayin’.

So we drove my little suv over to Roxborough State Park today and went hiking.  So when I say back to normal I mean we are starting to do more and more outdoor adventures like we used to…before I got sick.  And it feels so good…AFTERWARD.  During we have to listen to the girls complain how horrible their lives are and they can’t take one more step.  Then when we get home they are like, “That was the best day ever!”  They make me laugh!  They were saying how much they have to write about over summer break when they go back to school.  In an hour they will be saying how bored they are.  Oh, to be a kid!

Corey really does have the best ideas. ;D We were trying to decide where to watch fireworks for the 4th.  Lots of places were firing them off on Saturday the 3rd.  One of those places was Glendale…which just happens to be where Corey’s office is.  In a high rise.  On the 15th floor.  Facing the directions of where they were going to shoot off the fireworks.

We avoided crowds, parking problems, noisy people, mosquitoes and enjoyed comfy office chairs, air conditioning and hot chocolate!  Oh yeah…and we could see the fireworks just perfectly!  The 15th floor offers some advantages…and so does a private parking lot and a badge to get in the building.  What a neat way to watch them! ;D

My only issue…I still can’t exactly figure out my new camera when taking photos at night.  So these aren’t the greatest photos…at least not how I like them! ;D

Two weekends ago we took the doggers to another dog park.  This one is further away…but…it is off leash and in the mountains! ;D  So we took the 45 minute drive to investigate.  Yeah.  It rocked.  It has fenced in areas so you can rest easy about your dog running off.  But.  It also has just regular hiking paths in the woods and if your dog is under voice command…which our are thank goodness!…then you can be on the trails with them off leash.  Oh man was it ever fun and nice.  We got a little hiking in…and didn’t have dogs on leashes…which really rocks!  Yes.  I said rocks more than once…but it DID!

Skits is total outdoors dog.  I mean he is anyway…he loves going outside all the time…even in the snow and rain.  But he was like all over the woods and hiking and climbing rocks and doing crazy stuff.  Following the kids everywhere…even up big rocks!  He is a wild man! ;D  And very entertaining!

Oh yeah.  In other “Skits news”…he caught a bird the other night.  He came up to the back door and “presented” it to us (like cats do).  He was like, “LOOK what I got!”  He’s moved on from snakes cause he has killed all of them in our yard.  He is crazy! ;D

And here’s a layout I did of some photos of Ava on our hike…

Monday we did a little of everything.  I’m feeling it now.  I mean…I’m feeling better overall…but apparently I can do too much.  I guess I wore myself out.  We biked 4 miles, went to the pool and then took the dogs for a walk.  Then I took the girls to the pool yesterday.  I got too much sun and a sunburn.  I’m wiped out.  But so so glad to be able to be doing things! ;D