Deanna Rose Farmstead

We only made it to Deanna Rose Farmstead once this year.  For those of you that do not know what Deanna Rose is, it is a "farm" for kiddos that has goats that you can feed, playground equipment to play on and tractors to drive (plus a lot of other very fun little boy things)!

Touch-A-Truck

This year we went to two Touch-A-Truck events - one held by the City of Overland Park (indoor) and one a couple of weeks ago held outside by Blue Valley Parks and Rec.  Everett loves these shows, as he gets to get inside the various trucks (police trucks, fire trucks, garbage trucks, combines, SWAT trucks and etc.) and also gets to honk the horns and push buttons in some cases!  Here are some pictures of Everett driving the trucks at these events.  I should also note that while I was waiting in line, the siren on one of the police vehicles went off (indoors) and it was VERY loud.  You'll never guess who set that very loud siren off!

Summer Recap - Triathalon!

 On August 27, 2010, Randy ran his first outdoor Triathalon. It was a Sprint Triathalon - 400 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride followed by a 3.1 mile run. It was a hot and humid August morning, but Randy did fantastic! He did it along with Scott and Tracy. See pictures below:

  



The Colorado Vacation - The Finale

On day 5, we sadly parted ways with the Kings.  As they headed home, we made our way to Denver for a few more activities.  We visited the aquarium and saw all kinds of aquatic wildlife.  We even got to touch a ray!

We stayed near the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver.  At the last minute, we decided to take in a Colorado Rockies game.  We rode the bus down the mall...

Then we walked to the ballpark where we enjoyed a good baseball game...

...and E enjoyed his first taste of cotton candy!

Our trip concluded with a quality visit with Mary's long-time friend Julie.  Julie, a current resident of Ghana (Africa), just-so-happened to be visiting family in Denver.  Julie is doing well and we had a wonderful visit.  We couldn't have calculated a better ending to our wonderful Colorado trip!

The Colorado Vacation - Part V

Day 4 of our trip was perhaps the highlight for my train-loving little boy.  We rode an authentic narrow-gauge steam engine from Silver Plume to Georgetown.  The train ride was absolutely awesome including big black puffs of smoke and a fine shower of mist from the steam engine's spout.  Everett was almost speechless...almost.

The Colorado Vacation - Part IV

Day 3 of the Colorado trip was a little more strenuous.  Scott and I got up early and headed to the base of Gray's and Torrey's Peaks.  In 2005, Scott and I summited our first 14,000-foot peak at Mount Bierstadt.  That 2005 hike was pretty tough for a couple of unprepared flat-landers and we paid the price. 

This time, Scott and I were both in better physical condition and we were a little more prepared.  As a result, we knocked out the 9 mile hike in 5 hours that were down right enjoyable.  We made it to the top of the Gray's Peak (14,270) and Torrey's Peak (14,267), took in the awe-inspiring views, snapped a few photos, and blazed back down the hill.  Now, I can't wait to do it again.

The Colorado Vacation - Part III

Our families chipped in and rented an awesome mountain home in Breckenridge.  The mountain house was complete with a hot tub, huge deck, and a wonderful view of the Breckenridge ski slopes.  However, it was getting late in the day when we finally pulled into our mountain retreat.  The boys, freshly coated with salsa, milk, honey (from the sopapillas), and other gross little boy detritis were nearing bedtime and ready for a wash down.  So, we tossed all three in a tub and sat back eagerly awaiting some quality entertainment that only parents can appreciate.  The boys had a fun time splashing and hollering and I think the parents got just as wet as the boys.

The next day, we all rode the gondola to the top of Peak 8 on the Breckenridge ski slopes. 

Once at the top of the gondola, E and I jumped on the ski lift and went a little further up the hill so we could ride the Super Alpine Slide.  The slide was awesome and E yelled "Yeeeehaw, faster daddy!" all the way down.