I know, I know, I’m a terrible mommyblogger for not yet having recapped our family vacay. FINALLY, I have a few minutes to put the kind of thoughts picture collages together to give you a sense of the trip. Since the post would be forever-long if I put it all into one, I’m going to divide up by the three major places we stayed: Great Sand Dunes National Park, Crested Butte/Mt. Crested Butte, and Buena Vista.

We started out on Saturday, July 14th, after Caleb’s All-Star baseball team finished up an amazing summer season. Our goal was Amarillo, but things were going well, so we pushed on to Clayton, NM for the night. We stayed in a little family-owned motel, the Holiday Motel in Clayton. It was clean, quiet, and clearly well-loved by the family-owners. We got a room with 3 (yes, 3) queen beds, and there was even room for a dresser, desk, two chairs and end table, and TV, and the room didn’t feel cramped at all. The bathroom was cute, clean, and the kind of retro that reminded me of the bathroom at my Nana’s house. We’d definitely stay there again. After a good night’s sleep, we loaded back up and headed for CO. We stopped in Raton for breakfast before heading up Raton pass and on to Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO.

Clayton, NM and Raton, NM pics

Great Sand Dunes National Park is something rather amazing to behold and almost impossible to really comprehend. First of all, they’re HUGE (750 feet, or thereabouts) – you can see them for hours before you’re anywhere near them. I think the information in the visitor’s center said the dunes themselves are something like 30 square miles. And it’s a crazy weather phenomenon that created them, too. I won’t try to explain it all here, when the Park’s website is really informative. The kids thought the dunes were neat, and we wandered around them for maybe an hour. It was quite warm that day, so we tried to be mindful of the sun and heat.

Park entrance and some visitor center shots

Out on the dunes

And, just in case you were wondering, in the middle right picture on that collage, that little blurry spot is Caleb. He got the bravest in dune exploration.

Sunday night we spent the night at the Great Sand Dunes Lodge. It’s a small lodge (10 rooms), but really cute. Clean, simple rooms, each with a semi-private porch off the back with INCREDIBLE views of the dunes, mountains, and surrounding valley. And, of course, the boys were THRILLED that it had an indoor pool. I would highly recommend the lodge. There are plenty of camping options around, too, if you’d rather go that route. Oh, and the hummingbirds! Did I mention those? Off each porch was a hummingbird feeder, and boy, did those hummingbirds love them! It really was so peaceful to sit on the porch with these views after a longish day in the car, hiking on the dunes, and swimming with the kids.

Some of the amazing views from our room’s back porch

The next morning after a hearty breakfast at the only restaurant around (which, of course, meant we had dinner there the night before, also), we loaded up and headed across the immense San Luis Valley (really, at what point does it cease to be a valley between two mountains and just become a plain between mountains?) toward Vacation Part 2: Crested Butte.

So, it's not a breakfast picture, but, really, can you blame me for wanting to share it?

Mommy and Daddy are not overly articulate at the breakfast table, so Sam often carries the conversation. Here are some snippets from recent days that I think you’ll enjoy.

This morning

S: Mommy, where Daddy?

M: Daddy’s in the potty (sorry, B)

S: Daddy in the potty? I see him!

M: You see Daddy in the potty? Do you have X-Ray vision now?

S: Yes, I have X-way vision now. 

Yesterday morning (note, we were all very tired and grouchy from SOMEONE not sleeping through the night for the last couple weeks)

S: Mommy, I want my shirt off

M: Okay (help him take his shirt off)

S: (after pondering his belly button for a minute) Daddy, what deese? (pointing to his nipples)

D: Those are your nipples, Sam. Don’t play with them.

S: Daddy, pay wif my nipples.

D: No, Sam.

S: Mommy, pay wif my nipples.

Had we not been so exhausted, I’m sure Mommy and Daddy would have been rolling on the floor laughing.

I know, I know, you’re all wanting a vacation re-cap blog, and I promise, I’m working on it. But since the camera was lost until late last week, I’ve still got some culling editing of photos to do.

In the meantime, our adorable neighbor, Bailey, turned two last week. Sam was invited to her birthday party at Let’s Jump. Everyone had a grand time. However, because I’m not very clever, I have no pictures of the birthday girl, with or without Sam. 🙁

Never fear, though, I did get some adorable pictures of the munchkin playing on the bouncey toys. For your viewing pleasure:

All kinds of fun on the slides and obstacle courses

I thought this one kind of turned out neat, in an artsy-type way.

And, of course, the requisite cupcake-devouring picture.

It’s standard procedure at Sam’s bathtime to let him play in the tub until the water drains out (very rarely does he want to get out before then). Wednesday evening he decided his tub toys needed a little extra TLC and he rocked them and sang “Rock a Bye, Baby” to them and tucked them in, using his washcloth as their blanket. (I only had my cell phone camera available at hand, so I’m sorry the pics aren’t any better.) It was ADORABLE.

Even tub toys need some cuddling sometimes.

Because we all need a little Elmo on our brushes.

Thank you, Sam. 🙂

Have a floor picnic with breakfast, complete with a guard dog and bouncing sillies.

Spend some time playing cars.

Make sure to leave time for some painting.

Make silly faces.

Read books.

Play toys.

Watch the world go by.

We hope everyone has a safe and fun Independence Day! To get your day started with a smile, here are some pictures from Sam’s 4th of July celebration (parade and class party) at school! (The good pics are courtesy of Lily’s Mom and Dad!)

Really, the title says the important stuff. Caleb’s All-Star team, the Keller 8U Gold All-stars, won the PONY District 3 Sectionals tournament this weekend. That means they advance to the Regionals tournament July 10th – 15th in Cleburne. (For anyone keeping track, after Regionals is State, and after that is the PONY World Series.) For your viewing enjoyment, some pictures from the Sectionals tournament. (Sorry, no action shots – though there were some amazing plays in the field and at least one out of the park home run by one of C’s teammates.)

Team waiting for their awards (L); Caleb getting his Sectionals Championship Medal (R)

Team with their Championship Banner

Post game Coaches' rah-rah chat!

Some fun candids of Bubba and Sam during the Sectionals games.

All ready to go for the first day of swim lessons!

Sam took Mommy and Me swim lessons the last two weeks (as in, last week and the week before. Yes, as usual, I’m lagging in posting).

Since lessons were at our neighborhood pools, I decided to try to work in some exercise for me, too (something I struggle to do lately), by pushing Sam up there in the BOB. It got me a little over a mile of walking , plus the 45 minute lesson. I gotta say, I enjoyed it.

Okay, so I really just wanted to work these two pictures into the post, and since the BOB is in them both, and you can see my sneakers in one, I'm using them as proof that we really did walk to/from lessons every day.

Lessons were from 7:45-8:30 each morning (Tues. – Fri.). And no, I didn’t take two weeks off work to do lessons. My boss – who is way, super cool –  allowed me to take Sam to swim lessons and come into work afterward. Because of the time it takes to shower, change, drop Sam off and then get into the office, that really meant that I came into work at 10 am for those two weeks. It made for a busy two weeks, but it was so worth it to get that extra time with my little guy in the pool every morning. And he was WORN OUT most days by the end of the day. It’s times like this I’m reminded how lucky I am to have the flexibility I have at work. So, thanks, Janet!

Ready for school after the first day of swim lessons!

Sam made new friends whom he loved to talk to and play with. He even talked about and ask about them outside of swim class. There were 5 kids in the class – Sam, Kendall, Andrew, Henry, and Sydney – ranging in age from 9 months to 2 years. Everyone was so adorable! Mommy made new friends, too; it was so much fun!

The whole class,plus Syndey's Mommy and brother and minus Henry, after lessons one day.

Sam loved the water, mostly. He wasn’t so much a fan of going UNDER the water, but he liked blowing bubbles and showing his new friends how to blow bubbles. (Until, of course, he’d start laughing while his face was still in the water and he’d choke; he didn’t like that so much). He loved jumping off the sides of the pool and sliding off the bottom of the slides to me. Sometimes he liked kicking us around the pool, but sometimes he just wanted to be carried. He loved to talk ABOUT his teacher, Miss Emily, but when she tried to work with him, he wasn’t very cooperative. Thankfully, she was very patient with all her young charges. He cried at the end of every lesson when we had to go home.

We had some feathered company in our pool sometimes, too! The ducks were a big hit with kids and Mommies alike!

The ducks enjoyed swim lessons, too!

And, of course, we had to end every swim lesson with snack time. It actually worked out well, because the snack kept the kids relatively still while they dried off some.

Snack time!

Overall, I’m calling swim lessons 1.0 a success! I’d sign him up for another session this summer if it didn’t conflict with vacation plans (and, you know, work – my boss is way, super cool, but I think asking for another two weeks of coming in at 10 might push my luck). We’ll definitely be doing it again next summer!

To bring you Keller All Star 8U Baseball

Colleyville tournament (Memorial Day Weekend) photos:

First Tournament as a Team; 2nd Place Finish!

Coppell tournament (Jun 8-10) photos:

Batting Pics

Base Running Pics

Fielding Pics

Keller Invitational (June 16-17) photos:

2nd Place Finish, with most of the Championship game played in the rain.