His and her camping styles

The kids had a day off school last week, so we headed up to Estes Park as a family for the day. It was gorgeous outside and we were able to walk around downtown in the middle of February. Not too shabby! We had lunch at our favorite little pizza spot and did a little shopping.

We also had some business to take care of up there in looking at some potential spots for Doug's family reunion in 2010. It is our turn to host the 40 immediate members of his family next summer and our house is not an option. We had heard that the YMCA had cabins big enough for our group, so we checked it out and it was amazing! Eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, fireplace, and kitchen facilities big enough to make it all work. MY kind of camping out! The place is now reserved and we can put it out of our minds for about 12 months.

This last weekend, Doug and Cooper camped out a whole different way. It was Cooper's first overnight scout camp and the only bad weather day we've had in a month. Go figure. The temperature got down to 10 degrees at night and they woke up to frost on the inside of their tent. Thanks, but no, thanks! They had a good time and I'm so grateful the moms are not involved in that part of scouting!! When they got home, I realized Cooper was getting older as I heard the sounds of joy as he hoppped in a warm shower and the smile on his face when he climbed in his warm bed that night.

My little Valentine is 5

For some reason, I have always felt that the age of 5 signified the loss of all babyhood. Maybe it's because kids go to kindergarten at age 5 or maybe it's simply that when I see a child hold up a whole hand to tell how old they are, it looks pretty important. Whatever the case, I had a very bittersweet weekend watching my baby turn 5.

Miss Kinley had a wonderful birthday and Valentine's Day and she has always thought it was pretty neat that the whole world celebrates love and affection on her birthday. She still calls it Valentime's Day and I will not correct her. She had a blast at her school party, even more fun at her friend party on Saturday and topped it all off with her "grown up" party on Sunday with my family. It was non-stop fun and it's a very good thing she doesn't have school for President's Day. She might sleep all day. :)

Her birthday party with friends was spent in Denver at a Children's Hospital function to celebrate Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Day, which happens to also be on Valentine's Day every year. It's something I've been involved with even before she was born and something I'm very passionate about. Close to 800 children will be born just in Colorado this year with a heart defect or irreversible heart disease and more research is needed to understand why this happens so it can be prevented.

This year, the Cardiac Kids group that I'm a part of put on a huge CHD Day carnival at Chatfield High School. There were bounce castles, games, prizes, face painting and lots and lots of prizes. I took Kinley and four of her best buddies and they had a ball! Each of the kids won a couple of cute bears and lots of other fun stuff. It was neat for me to be able to accomplish two goals--a birthday party and an awareness day. I saw lots of former patients and it's so neat to see the kids outside the hospital setting. It's also a day I celebrate Cooper's life.

We also celebrated with family and I think Kinley is now set for a very long time with new stuff to play with! She is such a joy in our family--our comedian, our princess, our snuggle bug and our extrovert. We love you, sweetheart!!

Loving her unicorn cake

With best buddy, Maddie

Starting to collect some prizes!

Enjoying lots of new Barbies

Having fun at home before the carnival

Another season in the books

As soon as February hits, my brain switches to baseball season (you should realize that pitchers and catchers report to spring training for the Rockies in 6 days), so perhaps it's a good thing basketball season for Cooper is now over. Less than three months til baseball starts for Coop.

This is the 4th year that Doug has coached Cooper's basketball team and they have continued to get better and better. He has great assistants (he would actually tell you he is the assistant) and a great group of kids. These kids play football, basketball and baseball together minus a few kids in each sport and they are getting to really know each other's strengths and how to feed off each other. It's hard to imagine that it won't be long before they are high school teammates.

Yesterday's single elimination tourney concluded the season and even though they lost 16-9, it was a hard fought game and they were seeded in the winner's bracket. I heard one mom describe the game as if our basket had a lid on it. We had shot after shot and I swear I counted five that went half way in and popped back out. Fortunately, one of them that Cooper threw up went in the hoop!

Thanks, Kris, for sharing your photos with your new fancy camera!!