August - End of Summer Vacation

8/1

No summer is complete without a day trip to Breckenridge! We hiked on the east side of Hoosier Pass this time and found some pretty wildflowers. We also hiked to the famous Breckenridge troll. I didn't realize that it would be as busy as it was there; we had to stand in line in order to see the troll! Wouldn't you just know it, a little bit before our turn, Hattie had to go to the bathroom so Matt took her. They ended up missing it! (Spoiler alert: we went back and saw it again in the fall so everybody could see it, and it was much less busy!) It's made completely out of wood and is pretty neat. It's only a few years old but is quickly becoming iconic in Breck. 

We love this view!! 

We also love this view! 

The flowers in Breckenridge are always so beautiful. Due to COVID, all of main street was closed to vehicles and only open to foot traffic. It was a refreshing change! It allowed for some really neat outdoor dining options and just more space for people to walk. It was definitely a positive affect of COVID!

Hattie was playing dolls and needed to take a time out to feed her baby. 

I bought some fabric and made several neck gaiter style masks in prep for the school year. They are light and easy to wear, and hard to lose since they're around the neck all the time. :) 

August 6-9

I flew to ND for a quick weekend in August to surprise Jill for her 40th birthday. It was SOOOO fun! Kathy and Brady definitely helped me pull it off. Kathy picked me up from the airport on Thursday the 6th and we went straight to Kath's favorite burger place, JL Beers, for dinner. On Friday morning, Jill's actual birthday, Kath and I spent the morning organizing her kitchen in prep for their new cabinet doors. The plan was to go to Spicy Pie and meet Jill and everybody for lunch. Kathy and her kids walked in first while I waited a minute and then walked in. It was so fun to see the shocked look on Jill's face - it took a few seconds to realize that I was actually there live and in person! :) My parents, Jason, and Jill's whole family were at the restaurant, too. We spent Friday afternoon hanging out at Jill's house; she opened gifts and we ate ice cream cake. It rained for a bit and then cleared up after a few hours so we could play beanbags outside. That evening, all of the adults went out for a nice birthday dinner together. It was such a great birthday - and it wasn't even mine! 

On Saturday, Kathy made appointments for us girls to get pedicures. After our feet were pampered, we went out for coffee and sat at the coffee shop for a couple hours. Then we drove downtown Fargo and shopped for a while before having a late lunch of appetizers. We ended the day grilling hot dogs and brats at Jill's. On Sunday, I hung out at Jason and Kathy's and helped Kath with a few more projects around the house. My parents drove to Fargo and brought lunch with them. We played cards and chatted all afternoon before I had to get to the airport. It was a memorable weekend and I'm so glad I went to Fargo! 

This was my view when I got back home. 

August 12

One new thing that happened due to COVID was a 1k fun run at the Dinosaur Experience up by the gorge bridge. It was a timed event so there wasn't a mass gathering of people. It was a nice morning to run around some dinosaurs! Technically, the run was only one lap around the dino path, but I think Charlie ended up doing five and the girls did three or four. Alanna and I took some silly photos during one of our laps. Ha! 

We got to run with our friends the McIntyres (Winter's fam!), and Charlie and Adam had fun running together. 

August 13

And now for the most anticipated event of the summer.... the great WATERMELON EXPLOSION!!! :) We used our whole brains this year and had the kids put on swimsuits before we started. I also took a really fun time lapse video of part of the process. We ran out of rubber bands (so I guess I wasn't using my whole brain...) again, but Matt got creative and got out his ratcheting straps. The kids successfully finished the job one click at a time. They really had to work for it! Once we exploded the watermelon, we then did the whole Mentos in cola trick. The kids each got to put three Mentos in their own 2-liter cola bottle. It was a fun addition to the evening! I wonder if we will add something like a Jello pool next year... 

August 14
We went over to Salida for a day trip and found a new lake to fish at. The kids waded and Charlie fished. It was a pretty hot and smoky day so it was nice to go to Salida where it was a bit cooler than Canon. We ate at Moonlight Pizza for dinner that night before going home. We very rarely go out for dinner just because so it felt like a special treat. 

Another lost tooth... so this makes three in a row missing on the top! And corn on the cob season is here... I guess we will be cutting it off!

Molly and Hattie sometimes put on "shows" where they dress up in silly outfits and parade around the house. Silly girls!