Isn't he the cutest? This little guy never ceases to entertain me. He has the most endearing smile and gaze and his laugh is contagious.
When we first arrived at a camp/picnic spot he wasn't real sure about venturing too far away from mommy and daddy. I had to make him take a walk with Grandma to see what was "over there." Once he saw the water, that was it...no more prodding him to come long. It was all I could do to hold him back! I love this little guy and he loves his water. :) I love this picture, too. He had already gotten his shoes off and waded around for a bit. Now he's tossing rocks.
Isn't this an amazing contrast of colors? TJei in her colorful shirt and shorts and the intense greens of the surrounding area. The kids had so much fun climbing around on those rocks, staying "dry" as they played in the icy cold water so high in the mountains.
They kept easing out, further and further. Still, they did a pretty good job of getting "just their feet" wet. :)
Jacob and Maria couldn't have picked a better activity to help celebrate my birthday! I loved getting away for a few hours and especially loved watching the little ones as they explored and played. :)
While we were at the water's edge, Jacob and Maria had hauled stuff from the vehicle and spread out the foodstuff. They had things all set-up by the time we came back. :)
That's Maria's parents van in the background. They let us use it to go up which was really nice because we could visit together all the way up and back. I have the best neighbors in-law ever!
Not your typical picnic, but the best kind. Little kids ...and lots of them. We had rolls and turkey and beef for sandwiches with trimmings. I even took along some crasins for the turkey sandwiches, and the kids. :) They had chips and potato salad, water and sodas. hahaha They even brought along a bottle of Pepsi, just for me. :) Feeling the love here.
Jacob and Maria had a tray of cupcakes, too...and all of them sang Happy Birthday to me before digging in.
The kids had so much fun climbing around on rocks and exploring the nearby areas. There were some little chipmunks and grey squirrels squrrying about in the area around us. The kids loved when they spotted one playing in the dense forest growth.
Daphne is so cute! She has four teeth on the bottom now. And she has grown so much, even since I last saw her at Baylee's birthday just one month ago. :) I love that cheesy smile of hers!
And, the gifts...gotta mention the gifts. They're awesome! The girls gave me a card with their hand prints traced inside. So many memories...that's what I always did with my kids when I sent a card to my mom or family in Ohio. It was the best way to show them how much the kids had grown. They also gave me a spiral tablet, too. I know how much they love tablets so I know it was a special gift from them. Love these girls!
And, gotta wipe the tears just to even write about the terrific gift from Jacob, Maria and the kids. I absolutely LOVE this book of pictures and sentiment. Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness even though I feel a bit guilty knowing how you two are pinching pennies during these tough times. I love you bunches and will cherish this gift. :)
Can't you just see this scene on a Norman Rockwell type print? I love it!
After eating, singing, gift-opening, and crying (that was me) Jacob and Maria took a turn going to the river's edge with the kids.
I stayed behind with this dazzling diva, Daphne...
Talk about a character! She was grabbing up little rocks from the ground and as she'd grab one, she'd turn away from me and pop it into her mouth. Reminded me of the little ones as they cover their eyes and disappear, the adults not being able to "see" them because they had their eyes hidden. I wasn't supposed to know what she was doing...Grandma just kept removing those rocks though! :)
And Grandma did a much better job of keeping the kids dry down at the river. ~wink~ I think Jacob had as much fun as the little ones playing in that icy water!
Such an amazing scene. It was so quiet and tranquil.
The air was crisp and clear, not too warm, not too cool. It really was a great day to visit the mountains!
Davis was shivering, he was so cold from playing in that water. He didn't want to quit though! :)
LOL Even after he got those wet clothes off, he wasn't too concerned about putting on anything dry...or anything at all. :)
The two f them had to wear clothes that were too small in order to make due. I didn't have dry shirts for TJei or MIa (Mia kept her clothes dry) so TJei had to wear Davis' little hoodie and Davis wore Daphne's. They looked so cute with their little tummies peeking out. :)
It was so much fun! Thank you for making this day so special.
