A Lot of Pictures In No Particular Order

Thanks to some incredibly generous friends, Josh and Karen, and their even-generouser family, we spent the weekend in the beautiful mountains of La Veta.

I'll be honest: Before this weekend, the free-association words that went with Southern Colorado were the same words I'd use to describe truck stops and uninhabited deserts.

Not that I've really toured the fine towns of the area, but I have been to every single rest stop and gas-station restroom along the I-25 corridor heading south to New Mexico. And of course, that is not really a fair way to judge a region.

Heck, that's not even a fair way to judge my house.

Anyway, we had a great time just hanging out with friends, enjoying the mountains and their many recreational offerings, and looking for bears.

(I know!)

Who ever knew I would get such a thrill out of a bear hunt? But oh yes, I did.

I wish these pictures were in some special order that allowed me to blog a lovely narrative to the weekend, but alas, they are totally random.

We drove a very long ways up the mountain, then hiked a very short distance to the top. However, it still qualified as a hike because based on the comments about the heat and tiredness, you would've thought we were summitting Everest with heat lamps singeing our skin.

But the hikers? They were cute.

Oh look! Now we're on 4-wheelers!

I remember as a kid marveling at the skill and precision that it took my dad to drive waverunners and quads. 

Now I realize that playing the Wii is ten times as complicated as pushing the little throttle button, but I've led the kids to believe that Quad Piloting is a sacred art form and they will not be ready to take the reigns until their 30th birthday.

Is it me or does Jackson look 17 in that picture?

Jackson and Lilly are both into fishing. I, of course, am into taking pictures and drinking Diet Dr. Pepper while they throw the line into the lake and catch nothing.

I also like to work on my photography "skills." Notice the white light of heaven coming off the lake?

I could probably tell people that is the Angel Gabriel and sell the photo on ebay for thousands of dollars. 

Ok, look at this next picture and tell me the first word that pops into your head:

Want to know mine? 

"Polygamy"

I think we look like a bunch of 21st century cultists who are all more related than we should be, carting our kids around rural America in the back of a pickup, waiting for Their Father to come home from swindling the locals out of millions of dollars.

I don't blame you if you never look at me the same again.

Moving on...
Payton & Jackson.

I just have to put in my two cents about the sweetness of this little friendship. I agree with Harry Burns and Sally Albright that men and women can't be friends.

However.

These two are just about as adorable together as can be. I have no idea how long this innocent companionship will continue before things get boring or complicated or both. 

But for now, their ability to wrestle, tease each other, and ride bikes together just lays me flat out. And when they play house, they are "Mom" and "Dad." 

I know things will change someday...probably sooner rather than later. But for now, I am just loving the two of them. Together.

These two, however...

...are a handful on a good day. They love each other to pieces, but spend a ton of time tattling on each other. They find messes and trouble like nobody's business, but do it in such a hilarious way that it's hard to get mad.

I take that back.

It's easy to get absolutely irate, but it's also easy to run into the next room so they don't see me crack up in between Very Stern Glances.

(Which have no effect whatsoever on their behavior. As you already imagined.)

This has to be on of my favorite pictures from the weekend:

I love how Reese is getting in on the face-making action. 

And here we are at the ice cream shop where amazing ice cream costs a dollar. That is good eating. I should know, because I downed the almond praline before I could get pictures.

Remember her?

There is my girl.

Eating.

Again.

Atta babe!

And we have Lilly...

...moments before she waded in much farther than we told her to and soaked her shorts.

Shockingly Predictable!

And lastly, the peeps hanging out in front of the Not Fake Mountains.

But aren't they beautiful? I wish you could've heard when Karen and I belted out a few bars from "TSOM" while twirling around on top. 

I think the elk were ducking for cover.

Or maybe that was just Brad.