Restaurant critics

Abby went again...the Canyon Chop House is very elegant and we had a GREAT meal...and you can see she enjoyed her dessert!

Fall

Lots of leaves here...and Zoe likes to go walking and collect them in her shopping cart.

 A trip to the dollar store...lots of stuff to try on and play with.

Michele and I took her for an outing at the park.  She can do lots more now than the last time we took her.  Loved watching the geese!

Restaurant critics

Outing #2...Abby and I.  This is an excellent Italian restaurant right in the middle of Old Town.  Very good food!

Restaurant critics

Emma, Abby and I are embarking on a food adventure.  We're going to eat at every (well, lots) of the restaurants in Fort Collins.  We created a Facebook page and will be putting our "review" of each establishment.  We're pulling the names out of a hat so we never know where it will be until that evening.

Emma was first and this is where we went....VERY nice...delicious food.  We forgot to take pictures of our food.

Pumpkin time...

We took her to a pumpkin patch today.  She's just starting to walk a lot so had a great time going from one cluster to another.

 And this is what she does when she doesn't get her way!

First snow...

My cute patio lights with their first "snow hats"

Zoe is 1!!!

Wow...how time flies!  One year old...had a small family party...she was a little shy...not used to so many people in her house...but she had fun.  Matt, Stef, Emma and Abby were there as were Mike and Teresa.

Zoe's taking swim classes.  She loves being in the water!

Emma...

She loves making cards...and she does a really good job.

A look at the past...

I LOVE this picture!!  We had a small plastic pool in the backyard of our new home...before any grass.  One run and jump in too many and the pool popped.  And the boys had an outstanding time playing in the mud.

Mark's 50th birthday...

The second son to turn 50...last year it was Mike...next year it will be Matt's turn.  Lovely day, had a nice brunch and get-together...always fun when the family is here.

Wyoming vacation

Joel and Julianne spend a couple weeks in Wyoming every year with their other grandparents.  Great pictures...Joel took the one of Julianne...love it!

Can you believe it...new cards!

Every once in awhile, the urge strikes me and I make a card or two.  It's hard for me to imagine how many cards I made every day when I was having the shows at my house and at the French Nest...wow, doesn't seem possible I did all that!!

New Zoe pictures...I'm sure you haven't seen enough...

They took a vacation to California.  This first one is on a ride in "It's a Small World"...she was fascinated.

Took this at my house...as I've said before, once in awhile you get lucky!

Always standing on her tippy-toes.

Out on the water...

My brother, Edward, is here on his annual visit.  He passes through Fort Collins on the way to visit his daughters in Wisconsin.  His new pontoon boat was just perfect for an outing at Horsetooth Reservoir.

Hemingway and friend. 

Captain Will 

Zoe...

More adventures with Zoe.  Michele and I have been taking her swimming.  After initial hesitation, she now LOVES it and laughs and kicks her feet the whole timel

Saturday we all went to the Farmer's Market.  She loves to go anywhere there's lots of people and dogs! 

Later that same day at the fountain uptown. 

Mike and Teresa bought a great house in a beautiful neighborhood in Loveland.  The house needs a LOT of work but when they're done they'll have a wonderful home.

Happy 4th of July!!

Firefighters...

Colorado has had two terrible forest fires in the last couple of weeks...hundreds of homes lost.  One was just 25 miles from Fort Collins.  Emma and Abby made this sign to thank the hundreds of people fighting the local fires.

Adventures with Zoe...

Zoe and I go to the mall about once a week.  She loves the fountain, the ice cream cone and the kids play area.  She's too little to play much but she LOVES all the kids.  She tries to crawl to where they are and play but by the time she gets there, they've moved on.  Almost sad...but she laughs and giggles and shrieks the whole time.

Picasso...

We decided to try giving her some paint.  In the bathtub...perfect place to try this.  She wasn't really too interested...preferred to play with her bath toys.  But it was fun and we got these cute pictures.