Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's off to the Yurt we go.....

I had been wanting to take the girls camping for as long as I can remember, and Mike finally agreed to be a good sport about the whole thing, so we made a nice compromise- we rented a yurt up in Winter Park so that Mike could have an actual bed to sleep on while at the same time giving the family the experience of camping in the wilderness.  The bonus was that our neighbors and dear friends, the Kensoras, would be meeting us up there and joining us!

Our yurt: The Porcupine

The girls deciding on who got the top bunks.

Our roomy accomodations.

Collecting firewood.

Some of us were more enthusiastic about the chore than others.

The girls' first real campfire.  We had roasted marshmellows in our backyard many times, but this was the first time it was the real deal.  We relaxed and enjoyed the fire for hours. The campfires were the highlight of our trip. 

Jessie sleeping with Haley (her imaginary BFF that she brought on the trip with us.  Those two stayed up late and had to be told to settle down and go to sleep more than once!)

The kids were the only ones who weren't frozen yurtsicles by morning.  Even with two electric heaters, our yurt never made it above 54 degrees at any given time!

Jasmine and Rian loved having sleepovers in our yurt.  Hayden stayed with Sarah over at the Kensora's.  After stuffing themselves with more s'mores and roasted marshmellows than one could count, the girls had fun staying up late and whispering to each other until they finally fell asleep. Luckily, I was the only one needing to make middle of the night bathroom runs!

Sunrise. What a peaceful and serene setting.

Our friend Mr. Fox

We also saw elk and one large moose fairly close to our campground, but unfortunately I was too shocked to grab my camera fast enough to click a picture! 

Rian and Jazzy

The yurt girls- don't they look like camping pros already?

Hayden and Sarah toasted bagels over the morning fire.  Hayden was so in her element all weekend.  Could this have anything to do with the fact that she was born in Boulder- the granola capital of the U.S.?

Tim giving a wagon ride.

Rian couldn't have been any happier.  She loved spending every minute of the weekend with her best friend.

We checked out the old Rowley Homestead which is on the property and was built in 1909.  Now that was roughing it!

Hayden and Sarah

Little Roo.

After visiting the homestead, we took a nice brisk hike to the waterfall.  Well, we never actually made it to the waterfall, as the hike ended up being about four times longer than we had originally thought, but it was fun and the kids loved being out in the fresh air.

We saw several beaver dams along the way, many of them works in progress, as you can tell by the shapes of these tree stumps. 

Jessie walked most of the way, but couldn't resist an offer for a ride on daddy's shoulders.

Sunset at our yurt.

Tim did a great job with the Jiffy Pop.  None of the kids had ever seen such a thing before!

Our yurt neighbors and real-life neighbors!  We are so lucky to have them so close by!

Even though we were chilly a good deal of the time, the kids had so much fun and it was great letting them run around and be nature girls for the weekend.  It was such a luxury to let them play outside and not make them be on such a short leash.  Everyone needs some good old nature time!  (Mike even did much better than I thought.  He was a good sport and pretended to be enjoying himself for the kids' sake.  It was only after they were asleep that the whining and complaining began.......

Rian's first bus ride to the pumpkin farm!

Rian had been looking forward to going on her first Kindergarten class field trip until she found out she would need to take a bus to get there.  She decided she simply wasn't going to go, that maybe I could drive and then we could meet the children at the farm.  No, that wasn't that way it works.  All the students must take the bus in order to enjoy the field trip. After fretting for several days, my brave girl decided she would endure the very scary bus ride to be able to enjoy a fun day with her friends.

Mrs. Themm's pumpkins

Rian and Helen enjoying the hay ride.

Jessie stole a ride on Kami's lap.

Mrs. Themm and her son, Kolby

Picking out the perfect pumpkins took quite a bit of time!

Enjoying some down time after lunch.

The kids enjoyed seeing the farm animals, picking corn, getting lost in the corn maze, picking their own pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, going for a hayride and climbing on the giant mountain haystack.  Everyone was getting a big "squirrely" by the end. Time to go, everyone!!

Jessie the Farmer

Jessie had been anxious all week about her preschool field trip to Miller's Farm in Platteville, Co.  We encouraged her to give it a chance as she tends to get really nervous and uncomfortable in new situations, and when all was said and done, she ended up feeling right at home in the vegetable fields and had a wonderful time!

We were pulled in a large wagon behind a tractor to all the different fields and given free reign to pick as many vegetables we could carry.

Riding the wagon with her good buddy Hailey.

You mean I have to get my hands dirty?

Mmmm, potatoes.

Jessie couldn't believe this is how beans grow!

By the time we were done, we had bags and bags of onions, potatoes, green beans, carrots and squash.

The kids finished off the morning with a tractor-train ride, jumping on a giant trampoline, climbing a mountain of hay and a giant pile of dirt, and checking out all sorts of old airplanes, fire engines, tractors, etc.

Looks like someone had fun on the field trip after all.

Boo's first business venture

Rian has been asking, no pleading rather, all summer, to have a lemonade stand and make some money "of her own".  Well, with the beautiful 80 degree weather we've still been having, we felt we could put her off no longer.  She was thrilled when we told her we thought she was ready to go into business on her own, and took care of all the planning:  pink lemonade for sale for 25 cents a cup, along with a complimentary iced oatmeal cookie.  She made the preparations- getting her apron and cash register ready, making the "Lemonade for Sale" sign, deciding on purple cups and pink napkins, etc.  Finally, it was time to open up for business!

Setting up for sales.

Getting the inventory ready to go.

Strumming up business on the corner (that doesn't sound good, does it?)

The first customer, Sandy Oresky.

Willey and Diane Wilson

A kind passerby.

Nicole and Sandy got the last two glasses of pink lemonade before the business day ended.

Time to add up the sales- $8.75. Not bad for an hour's work in the sun!

Speak Now Concert

The excitement had been in the air for weeks leading up to the Taylor Swift Concert, but finally The Big Day had arrived!  The girls took the preparations seriously: what should they wear, who should sit next to whom, what snacks should they bring, purses or no purses, etc. etc. etc. They decided on Taylor Swift t-shirts, popcorn, and a stop at Starbuck's on the way down so no one had even a remote chance of falling asleep at any point during the show.  Mike and Tim (the devoted, loving and awesome dads that they are) took this adventure upon themselves and everyone had the greatest of times!

Everyone loves T.S.!!!

Two highly devoted fans.

Rian was a little anxious before the show, but the minute Taylor came out on stage, Rian started singing and didn't stop until it was over!

Jasmine, Tim and Sarah

Daddy scored some really great seats off Craigslist.

Completely enamored and mesmorized.

Taylor didn't disappoint, she put on a fabulous show and the four girls were just the happiest of kiddos the entire night.  Hayden and Rian were just in their glory, what an awesome outing to share with their dearest friends.