The View From the Top

So last Saturday Brendan had planned to take us on a hike with waterfalls and all that jazz however we were talking Friday night and then a small change of plans. We decided to go to Pike's Peak instead. So we all loaded in the car and drove to the top of the mountain.The drive was way fun. Corinne sat in the back with Kate so I got to sit in the front. It mostly consisted of Brendan making fun of me and calling me gay so then then I would call him gay and then he would just make fun of me some more but it was lots of fun. It took about 45 minutes to get to the mountain and then 15 minutes to pass through the check in point that gives you the maps and warnings and so forth. So as we were passing through Brendan asked for this Jr. Ranger booklet that they give kids to show then what things to look for and color in and what not. So Brendan made Kate take a pledge to always protect the forest and be nice to everyone like Mommy, and Daddy, and Cammy, and Asher.

Then after she promised, Brendan gave her her Jr. Ranger Star that she wore the rest of the day.

So after the gate it is another hour to get the top. So after an hour with amazing views we got to the top and the view was beautiful!

This is the Preston's with the sign.

Then me with the sign. And in my blue jacket that I bought for this very event.

Then me planking on the sign because I knew Adam would have wanted me too.

(Beat that Alexis, Emma, and Stephani)

And I would have crawled on top but there was like a line.

One of the great views.

Me standing on the egde.

Me planking on the edge. Don't be to critical of my technique. I'm a little rusty. It's been about two months. So after this Corinne and Kate went inside the summit house so Brendan and I did some exploring and picture taking.

(Another pretty view.)

So there was this rock that you can climb out to so Brendan and I took turns. This is my favorite picture of him on the edge.

So then I took my turn and crawled out to the edge.

This is my favorite picture of me on the edge.

Brendan likes to caption this one as

"Ashlynn with the whole world in front of her" 

So finally we made our way in and met Corinne and Kate.

We did our souvenir shopping. Kate got a marmot stuffed animal. And I of course got a shoot glass to add to my random, pointless collection that I have worked hard to build.

I think it's cute.

Ok Gabbitas' and Dave Bunting, after doing our shopping I finally made my way over to the very much anticipated, famous donuts. And let me just say, they were quite yummy

They did not let me down. i'm sure there are other donuts that are much better however, I was pretty pleased and quite satisfied. But what we didn't know about was the amazing fudge that they have.

After I got my donut Brendan and I made our way around to the other side of the counter and got some bomb fudge that Corinne told us about. That was qutie delightful too.

So then we went back out side before we left and looked at the other side of the summit house. This side consisted of the more historical parts of Pile's Peak. Did you know that the view from Pike's Peak inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write "America the Beautiful"? Well it did and I can see why. So this is the monument that has "America the Beautiful" and then explains the history behind it.

It was really cool. So then we continue walking and then Kate jumps up on the railing, asking us to take her picture.

So after we do, she is playing around and then slips.

So I take one of my favorite pictures ever. 1) It's a super good picture and looks like Kate is just sitting there admiring the view but 2) she really is crying because she slipped and landed on her butt. Haha.

So we make our way down and take some more pictures.

So then we pull over and Brendan and I continue to play a little. So we get out of the car and start making our way up this hill so we can climb on some rocks.

So then Brendan starts taking some artful pictures 

while I . . .took off and climb more rocks!

I felt so cool and hard core. I was pretty impressed with myself. Not going to lie. I did some pretty hard core climbing but sadly no one was there to witness it.

So we take more picture and make finally make our way off the mountain.

So we stop at this camp site that we are planning to camp at in a few weeks do to do some re-con. So while we are there we come across this little creek that we decided to play at for a while.

Of course I find a super good, super narrow spot to plank on (that even Corinne was impressed with my balance and that I didn't fall in) for our planking war.

 But then I take a serious picture because I know that Dad would have wanted me too.

So then get this. Corinne wanted Kate to take a nice picture too but she wouldn't sit on the tree so we get here to sit on the rock. But while I am putting her on the rock, I slip and fall in so then my foot gets completely soaked.

I was a little brought down. Not gonna lie.

So then we leave the creek and start off on our little tiny hike where we get to test run Brendan and Kate's back pack.

It was a great success and super helpful towards the end when Kate started to get a little tired.

All in all it was a fun day. I can officially cross a few things of my list. We have some plans to actually hike the peak in a few weeks so that still remains. However for the most part, things are holding up pretty well here in The Springs.

This Will Test Your Mind, Strength, and Endurance.

So last Friday was just the day that finished up the first week. We did your regular morning routine of waking up and eating. After we played with some dolls for a little bit when Brendan had this idea that Asher could set up Kate's tent for her to play in. So I was like oh. Ok. A little kids play tent? Not a big deal. Does he not know that I went to Girls Camp for the past six summers? So I get everything ready for me to start setting up this tent.

Bangs back and everything. So a few minutes into this pink mess I realize that I was setting more than a tent. So then I find myself  wrestling with these poles that all look about the same length but then when I looked really closely and examined them all, there was like a quarter of an inch difference. So then I have to take some pole back out and then put them back in (all by myself might I add because really, Kate was no help at all). So then it starts to get warm, so then I start to get warm. I was gonna pin back my bangs but then I remembered I already did. Some poles had stickers and most of them didn't and there was not any instructions or anything. So then i'm still fighting with the poles and the holes I thought they went too but didn't. But I was not going to give up because that would have been stupid and a sign of weakness and shown that a stupid tent would have beaten me at it's mind game so I had to stick it out. But then finally, after maybe 15 minutes, I finished setting up a house.

So Kate was all sorts of excited when I finished and just hopped right in with out hesitation. 

Then we opened up the doors to see how that looked. 

Not gonna lie. I was pretty proud. Like, I did it all by myself. I did ok without not having directions read or anyone to help. 

So super excited Kate gets in and then my heart dropped.

Kate apparently likes to play, I don't know, earthquake or something because then she starts flipping my house.

First she stands in it and then pushes it over

and then she falls out like she has been in some great disaster. 

 Then she would get out, flip it back over and did it all over again. All I kept thinking was that my 15 minutes of endurance could easily come undone with one roll. But it didn't. In fact the thing is still up. And it still gets rolled over on a daily basis; but in Kate's room not the Family room.

So then we had lunch and  then she decided that she wanted to watch her movie in her tent. So I moved the laptop to the family room and Kate and I watched some Netflix from inside her house.

So we did that for about two episodes of the cartoon Spiderman and then took a few pictures for documentation. 

After we were done with our shoot we went out front for Project: Save the Dying Tree in the Front Yard.

So we played with the house and got wet and tried to work on my fading tan. After a while Kate didn't like that I got to hold the hose so then she took it decided to chase me around the yard and get me wet.

After a few minutes of that (really when she got tired of running) she decided she would do some water ballet. 

So after I was forced to sang Little Bunny Foo Foo about, no lie at least six times, and a few other random songs I thought would make for a good ballet routine we then retired inside to get everything ready for our hike the next day.

My Blue Rain Jacket

So last Thursday was fun. Brendan had decided that he wanted to take us on a hike to go to this place where he had gone that Tuesday with small waterfalls that Kate and Cammy (and I) could play in. But he wanted to this hiking back pack that you can shove your kid into so when Kate got tired or didn't want to walk anymore, which is very normal, he could just throw her back there and it would be fine. Brendan also has been riding me about how I still didn't have a rain jacket (I think he forgot that we don't ever need rain jackets in California so me having one prior to moving here was just a little ridiculous) so he thought that since we were going hiking that weekend and then camping in a few weeks it would have been a good time to get one. So we all got ready and  went to REI, which let me just say is way cool. I felt so outdoorsy and sporty. So as we went in Brendan gave me the low down on things to look for and the things to avoid: rainproof not rain resistant, breathable so I don't get hot, a hood of course, pit zips are a plus, and sealed seems so rain does not get in. So I set off and pretty much had so much fun, however it was really hard to meet all of the requirements and stay within a very poor budget. However, after looking and trying a few on, then picking myself  off the floor when I would look at some of the prices, and then looking some more, I finally found one for a reasonable price, and in the kids section! I was so excited! So I go find Brendan to see if this one is the one for me, however when I find Brendan this is what I found.

Brendan had found what he had been looking for. 

Him and Kate were super happy and super excited about it. Kate kept calling it the roller coaster.

So after a few test runs around, and around the store

Brendan and Kate decided it was just the thing they needed. However it was kinda expensive so Brendan was doing some mental debating. So as he was thinking I was showing him my jacket to see what if it was a good buy or a total fail when this solider walk up to us and started talking about he has the same pack and he loved it however his kid has grown out of it so he was thinking about selling it for 100 dollars! So Brendan asked him for his name and number and totally struck a deal with this guy. As did I apparently. It was a super good jacket for a really good price (sadly with no pit zips but I'm saving that for my next jacket). So then we got some pants for Kate and then sunglasses for Brendan and then decided to check out. So here is kinda, sorta the best part. Wednesday, when we got home from the Focus on Family place, a little piece of plastic with my name on it, that also said I was a big girl, came in the mail. Yep. My very own credit card. So I was able to use my first credit card, for the first time, for my first rain jacket.

 Now I know all about credit cards so I paid most of it in cash and then just the last little amount with my card; but either way it was a little exciting. I just really like that my name is on it to be honest. Even if it was completely fake, my name looks so cool.

So this would be me rockin my super cute jacket (or so I think) with my credit card that I actually have not used since.

So I wore my jacket out of the store, at lunch, and all the way home. The best part, a little after we got home, it started raining! Talk about excitement. I put it back on and then rain outside and stood in the drive way watching the rain ht my jacket and roll off. It was pretty much amazing! I'm sure the neighbors thought I was completely stupid and strange for just standing there in the rain in shorts just looking at my jacket the whole time.

So finally when my legs had tons of goose bumps all over them I came in side and thought I would start making dinner. The first when I got here I just really wanted my grandma's chicken casserole because it is pretty much amazing and I think it kinda cured any homesickness I might have been feeling. So i wore my handy dandy, super cute (and wrinkly) apron that Brittany made for me before I left. 

Lets just say that dinner was a success. It was so funny. Kate took her first bit and with big eyes went, "mmmm". Brendan kept piling it on his plate and Corinne said it was amazing. For me, it was just another good way to end the day. It just took me back to Sunday Night/Family dinners at Rhonda and Roberts being able to be with my family. Food really does just bring people together!

Kate This is Winnie the Pooh. And Blog, This is Beth and Eric.

Tuesday was a day I have been secrectly looking forward too for a while. It was the day I took Kate to watch Winne the Pooh.Don't judge me. I just really wanted to see it. I use to love watching it when I was little and I would even watch it with Andi and Little Walter sometimes so I just thougtht that Kate would appreciate it just as much as we do. And I was right! Kate was so excited to see Winnie the pooh. After we ate breakfast and cleaned up her room, I could just not drive fast enough for little Miss Kate. We got to the movies and to my great surprise, Tuesday at the theater all the tickets are half off! So it only costs us ten dollars to get in which made me so happy.

The seats were a little big for teny, tiny little Kate so when she would wiggle or move a certain way the chair would fold back up and she just about fell through a few times. It was kinda funny. However I went and quickly got one of those booster seat things and totally saved the day. When the movie started it was great. Kate just sat there the whole time and ate her popcorn and would occasionally drink her drink. And the best part was that she did not have to go to the restroom once so I was able to watch the whole movie. So anyways the movie ended and I loved it! Yes is it definetly a kid movie however I just thought it was so heart warming! And Kate loved it.

(She can't ever just take a normal picture)

In fact she loved thoe whole movie experience in general. After we got out she tried to make me take her to another one. She didn't even care which one she just didn't want to leave. So now I have found a weakness if I ever need to use bribery.

 So then we got home and hung out here for a little while and then decided to go to the park. So after I changed Kate and I walked to the park which is just a couple of blocks away from our house.

So when we got to the park I thought I would just sit and watch Kate from the swing. However when Kate realized I was sitting there she wanted me to push her. So selfishly I just thought I would teach Kate how to swing herself; it worked with Andi. However. . .

when Kate realized that she had to do all the work she got bored and hopped off and decided to play in the sand. All in all I think it was a good day. I was able to indroduce Kate to the importance of Winnie the Pooh and came to learn that will have to work on her endurance.

So if Tuesday was a trip down Memory Lane it would only make sense that today was full of new ways to make memories. So the first peole I was able to meet when I moved here were Beth and Eric.

They are just so cute and so nice. Beth and Eric actually use to live in Bakersfield about forever and five years ago. So Beth's parents knew Corinne's parents and would hang out all the time before everyone started moving away. But luckily for Colorado, it some how manages to reunite everyone.

 So anyways Beth and Eric are super cool. Eric and Brenden go hiking and geo-cashing all over the place and are like two little boys on a misson while Corinne and Beth who are just so cute and sit back and laugh at them. So anyways, Beth and Eric came over and this morning and told Kate that she would be spending the day with them. Kate tried to convince them that we should all go see movies however she failed. So after we finished getting ready we went to this placed called Focus on Family which has this huge play palace/kids center that is based off this kids tv show and audio series called Adventures in Odyssey where kids can come and play and have as much fun as their little hearts can desire. And let me just tell you. Kate's heart had a whole lot of desire. about four and a half hours worth.

So the first little thing Eric showed Kate was this little video section (since all Kate wanted to do was watch videos) for kids to come and watch videos while their parents shop through the book store.

So we were there or like a few seconds and then we went downstairs where all the real fun was.

What came to be one of Kate's favorite things to play on was this half airplane that kids could walk into and press lots of buttons that make plane engine sounds.

At first, because it was kinda dark and she wasn't expecting all the loud noses, it totally scared Kate. However after a few times walking through we couldn't get her out if there.

These were the blocks for the kids to line up the character with their correct outfit which Kate ad Beth liked to do.

So besides the blocks was a stage that kids could go and perform on; and right next to the stage was this "back stage" area for kids to and put on costumes fo perform in.

Eric just thought it was the greatest.

So what was my favorite part? What else did I do besides take pictures the whole time? Well let me tell you. So after a few minutes, Beth decided to show me around and look at all the other rooms and places for Kate to play. So then Beth takes me into this one room. It was a pretty empty room and only had a counter that held four pairs of shoes on it and then had a few head sets that kids could put on and listen to a story; but, across from the counter is this.

What is this you ask? What could possible be inside? Lets see. So when you open the wardrobe, what else would yo walk into but. . .

Narnia!

It was so cool. So you can open the doors and walk through the wardrobe that even has fur coats to walk in between. And when you get to the other side the walls are painted with snow and other things you would recognize in Narnia. And they even have fake trees with the fake snow and  some lights on them. I was so impressed. And what else would you expect to find in Narina but

the lamp post!

I was so excited! And yeah. Aslan was painted on the wall which was cool and all, don't get me wrong, but you can't really hold him like the lamp post so it's not as exciting.

Anyways, blew my mind! What is that saying, simple things interest simple minds or something like that? So true.

So anyways, after my Narina thrill Beth and I rejoined Kate and Eric and find that Kate waiting in this line for this computer that you can touch and color your own picture. 

So this girl was (no lie) taking FOREVER. But Kate was diligent and stalking her prey. Kate just stood there patiently waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and hoovering a little and waited a little bit more until BOOM!

She made her move. I was kinda proud yet a little afraid.

So after Kate painted her picture we moved towards the ending of our trip Kate went back on the jungle gym for one last trip down the little kids slide.

It was so cute. Kate and Eric were pretty much BFF's the whole day. It was way funny. Talk about partners in crime.

So I would think it was a successful trip. Kate had a blast and I now have a new place to take Kate. I don't think any of us really wanted to leave. The best part is that I think Beth and Eric had more fun being able to play, and spoil Kate then Kate then did.