Last trip to Taylor 'til next year

Last weekend I decided the kids and I needed to make one last trip to my folks' cabin for the year.  It made for a hectic week leading up to it (had to get the week's homework done by Wednesday night so we could leave Thursday after school) and for a hectic week this week (no "extra" day to work on homework or get laundry done or house cleaned or grass cut or...)  But, it was so worth the craziness!!!!

Beautiful scenery, even if the lake is the lowest I've ever seen it!

Fun car rides....

A couple nature hikes....Mommo joined us for a few!

A cold morning hike (it was around 40 the morning of this little hike)

Kyra caught her 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fish!  (Note, PopPop and I only caught 2 each so the beginner was the champ of the weekend!)

Showing off fish #2 with PopPop (not only did she catch the most, this one was the biggest of the weekend!)

Being silly!

Her 1st fish :)

Next summer he can try a hook and bait!

One fish broke her line literally at the shore.  She was NOT happy.  Picture a stomping foot and her informing that fish about how naughty he was for breaking her line and taking her hook and weights and everything with him!

I caught a couple myself

S'mores....sound like so much fun, but, in reality, no one is a fan!

Her 1st, and last, bite of s'mores!

Seriously, it's been that long since I last posted?!?!?

I can honestly not believe I haven't posted since the end of July!  August was an absolute blur.  The end of July and first few days of August I was in Gunnison beginning my path to teacher's certification and a master's degree; came home for a few days then went to Pagosa Springs to spend time with good friends and celebrate my birthday; came home and literally cleaned out every cupboard, drawer, and closet in the house. Then school started.  I will be student teaching in a 5th grade classroom three days a week for the entire school year as well as taking online courses and tutoring, and you know, being a mom.  So, just a teeny tiny bit busy.  My goal for this year (school year) is to get through it with my sanity in tact.  If all goes according to plan and I pass all my classes with at least a B, I'll be a certified teacher at the end of this school year and can start looking for teaching positions. Then I'll have one more year of classes and I'll have my Master's.  A couple busy years, but it'll be worth it in the end.  I think. I hope.
While the kids and I have had lots of fun (I'm still attempting to keep up the fun time once a week), I haven't done a very good job of taking pictures or we haven't been somewhere I could take pictures (a lot of our weekly fun times have been at Sunday morning Family Swim...and the pool isn't a good place for a camera). So, I'm "stealing" pictures my mom has taken and posted on her facebook page and I'm posting them here.  Hope you enjoy!

Kyra being a little ham

ALWAYS climbing

her 1st boat ride

shark shirt

making ice cream

testing Mommy's finished product

the reception I got when I came home from a few days at school

at the Fair

petting kitties and puppies at the petting zoo at the State Fair

Pony rides

milking a cow with Josh....She LOVED it!

milking a cow with Brittney....He did NOT love it!  I won't tell you what he thought he was milking!!!!

hangin' with Smokey

sportin' Smokey hats!