Beaver Pond

Friday, September 17, 2010

We are so thankful that Julie's parents have allowed us to stay at their home while we are in Colorado.  Not only is it a gorgeous home, but there is plenty of room for the kids to roam and explore!  Since the last time we visited, Tom & Connie (Julie's parents) have given their home and surrounding land a name.  They call it Hind's Feet.  They named it after a verse in Habakkuk:

"The Lord God is my strength,

and he will make my feet like hind's feet,

and he will make me to walk upon mine high places."

Habakkuk 3:19

It is absolutely breathtaking at Hind's Feet!  Here's a picture of the log home (a dream home for me and Mike!)  The balcony on the top floor leads to the huge guest room where Mike and I are sleeping.  The big window in the middle is the master bedroom (where Ben & Julie sleep).  The kids have rein of the lower level. 

I didn't take many pictures of the inside of the home because the views outside are so breathtaking!  This is what I saw when I stepped out onto our balcony this morning. 

Mike and Ben left at 5 am to drive towards Aspen and Pyramid Peak.  The kids were up not long after 6:30 am, so the day had begun for me and Julie.  After breakfast, we decided to hike to Beaver Pond.  It was a short hike from Hind's Feet and the kids were happy to be outside running freely through the woods.  I love how Malachi grabbed Brody's hand to run with him along the path.  So sweet!  Mikayla wasn't far behind while Barrett insisted in riding in the backpack (he loves that thing!) and 8-week old Sylvia rode in Julie's wrap.

I forgot to mention the other tag along...Izzy!  Isabelle (Ben & Julie's dog) loved running through the trails with the boys.  I think it was because she knew where we were going!  She bounded into the water as soon as we arrived at Beaver Pond.  I have to toot my own horn a little here...I think the picture below of Izzy in the pond is gorgeous!  I mean...wow!  Just think...it's this gorgeous in a picture...I wish you could see how gorgeous it is in person!

 

Malachi and Brody have immediately become friends.  The last time they saw each other Brody was only 10 months old, however, they've heard plenty about each other from their mommies!  We came to Colorado at one of the most beautiful times of the year.  The fall foliage of the aspens is in full bloom and it makes for very vibrant pictures!

On the way home from Beaver Pond, Mikayla decided that she wanted to be carried across the log bridge.  Julie (who is holding Sylvia under a blanket) picked up Mikayla and carefully inched her way across the bridge.  I stood at the other side asking her if she'd rather me to grab Mikayla if they started to fall or take a picture of the event.  Thankfully they made it safe and dry to the other side of the stream.

I included this picture for one reason...the stick in Brody's hands.  Malachi and Brody each found sticks at Beaver Pond that they decided would be guns.  We actually brought toy guns with us, but these sticks must be much more fun.  They have become the toy of choice for both boys!  I post this picture as a record of the place where Brody found his gun.  (Side note - The gun made the trip home with us and is still played with by Brody!)

When we got back to Hind's Feet, Malachi was eager to show Brody the tree house/fort that his Pops (grandpa) built for him to play in.  They spent some time fighting an imaginary enemy while Julie and I relaxed on the porch and then made lunch for all the kids.

 

This is the view of Twin Lakes from the ground underneath the fort.  I should've climbed up in there to get a picture of the view from the fort, but I'd've had to avoid pine cone bombs and bullets from the stick guns to get up there.  At the time, it wasn't worth it for a picture!

 

After lunch we put the little kids (meaning everyone but Brody & Malachi) down for a nap (the big kids watched a little tv and then headed back outside to play).  I moved Barrett's pack-n-play upstairs to our room (which is so huge that he seems another room away when the pack-n-play is on the far wall) for his nap and probably for the rest of the trip.  Last night he kept the other kids awake talking to them (even during the night).  It's important to us (meaning the adults) that all the kids get plenty of rest.  It makes much happier children which equals much happier parents...so we'll see if we can improve on sleep quality for everyone by having Barrett sleep upstairs.