Part Eight: Darcy & Dave's House

After a wonderful day in the Tetons, the boys and I headed back to Colorado to visit Grandma & Grandpa J again. We had a few other things on our To-Do List like getting a Slurpee, going to the BIG REI in downtown Denver and meeting up with our dear friends, Darcy & Dave. Daddy had more climbing plans with Mr. Steve so we left him car-less, kid-less, and wife-less for a few days but we sure did miss him.

When we were downtown Denver at Confluence Park, I found out that Darcy & Dave were home so we decided to make the extra trip to Colorado Spring (Manitou Springs) to see the Hurlberts! It was well worth the drive and such a treat to spend the night with dear friends. We had a blast! It did make me a sad that we couldn't see all our CS friends...we'll have to make a special (longer) trip next time.

Just for a little break down...Darcy and I have known each other our entire lives. Our parents were friends before we were thought of and since being infants...we've been friends. I love this girl! Now, I love this girl and her husband and her, Little B, who she is waiting to adopt, oh, and the puppies to of course!

Lucas is also in love....every since he can remember, he's loved Mrs. Darc!
He does not really love dogs. However, he liked being the center of attention and control with his cereal in hand. Great dogs help ease the fear too.
Axel loved all the new toys to explore.
We built a fort...And made cookies...
And got to learn ALL about the espresso machine. Lucas & Dave made yummy, yummy Lattes.
Darcy & Dave are expecting to bring home Little B early 2010. It's been quite the journey and you can read more about it here: Darcy & Dave's Adoption Journey.

There was a lot of talk about adoption which brought up the question from Lucas, "What's adoption Mommy?" We explained the best we could and without missing a beat, Lucas turned to Darcy and said, "Darcy do you want to be Axel's Mommy?" Darcy about died laughing...like the rest of us. Lucas was trying to get rid of Axel and this seemed to be perfect in his mind...helps out me...helps out her. Perfect! Little stinker bug!
There was a little jealousy in the house. Check out Wallace in the back ground...he was not too sure about these little critters taking all his Mommy's attention away from him. What a great pup but a pouter too. So cute!
Nice try Lucas but sorry, Axel is coming home with us. :)

Here's my girl Darcy!Then, it was off to the Garden of the Gods for a quick hike and a quick trip to the old neighborhood. Our house looks amazing, we have such wonderful renters and neighbors and yes, we miss Colorado.
Thank you Darcy & Dave! We love and miss you and can't wait to meet Little B! :)

Part Seven: Day at the Grand Tetons

We couldn't go to Wyoming without going to the Grand Tetons. Mike and I have spent many hours, days, nights in this amazing mountain range while we were kid-free and living nearby in Utah. It was so fun to take our whole family this time around. The itinerary has changed over the years and instead of waking up at 2am to climb the Grand, we woke up at 6am and drove to Jenny Lake for a boat ride to the trail head of Cascade Canyon. With snacks, packs and kiddos we hiked back about 3 miles in. What a day! It was soooo beautiful!
There's those mountains we love so much.
We even spotted a Bald Eagle as we arrived at the trail head.Lucas is such a good hiker. He had no problem with this trail which after the first section is actually really flat. Great for running if you wanted to do something crazy like that. :)
And the view...AMAZING! If you've never been to the Tetons (Darcy) it is something you must go see! :)Throwing a few rocks is always fun.
Shoulder rides are pretty good too. :)Photos don't give the feel of really being there but we soaked it up as much as possible.
I heard some grunting along the trail so Mike set off to explore while I took the boys further down the trail to keep things quiet. To Daddy's surprise, there was a family of moose. However, they were content to sit down in the shade for most of the time. Daddy was patient and finally got a nice shot.
After Daddy stalked the moose for a few hours while we made bow & arrows, we realized that we only had one hour to get back to the boat. Out came the baby bjorn for Axel and in the pack back went Lucas. Mike and I literally RAN back to the boat...3 miles or so and yes, we made it. Phew! If not, it would have been an extra 2 miles to hike around the lake.
As we were headed out of town, we saw a gaggle of cars at Oxbow Lookout. Again, Mike set out with camera to investigate. Mommy and the boys played with our new bow & arrow and hung out at the car. Wildlife photography and two loud little boys don't really go hand in hand. We made it work because Daddy got some great photos...way more than I have posted.

Mike found a family of moose again but this time the big male was protecting his territory from a younger more handsome "teenage" moose. The Bull was not messing around. He scared the younger one across the river and Mike witnessed the whole thing. So cool.

This is where it started: Teenage Moose sees hot Mama Moose
Oh no, Mama Moose has Big Husband:and he doesn't look like one to mess with.

Here's Mama, Papa and Kiddo Moose:
Young Handsome Moose makes a good choice to swim across the river.
Here he is making sure there is really no way to get to the hot Mama Moose. Sorry dude, she's taken!
Here's Papa proudly standing his ground.
What a treat. Mike has been looking for a Bull Moose to take photos of for YEARS. Great photos Daddy!

Another treat happened as we were driving home. We looked in our rear view mirror to see this...definitely worth an extra stop before heading back to Lander. :) Oh how we miss those mountains!
We do love the Tetons.

Part Six: Daddy in the Wind River Range

The Wind Rivers are an amazing mountain range in Wyoming. The trail head is about an 1.5 hour drive from Lander and the hike can be anywhere from 6 to 10 miles in. This is where Mike and Steve spent their weekends trying to climb new routes. The route below is on Mt. Temple and it was a COLD weekend! It gives you a good idea of what Daddy was up to while we stayed warm in Lander. :)

It's beautiful for sure.

Here's the brave crew:
Steve & Mike trying to ignore the fact that they are FREEZING!!!
Another guy named Ty also joined in on the fun.Here Daddy is paving the way up a new route.
And, nothing like a nice little rock to sleep under after a long day of climbing...
The wonderful sunrises helped to get everyone going in the cool mornings.
We sure missed you Daddy but were pretty happy to be sleeping in our cozy RV. :)

Part Five: Day Hike - Lake Louise

We wanted to get out of Lander for a day and do a little exploring. We headed out towards the Dubois, WY and found a wonderful hike and delicious pizza at a place called Paya downtown.

Lake Louise, Wyoming: 8,600 ft, 4.4 miles round trip
After a 10 mile or so dirt road drive, we found the trail head and headed out. Little did we know that this would be one of our new favorite day hike spots. It was BEAUTIFUL!!

Lucas & Mike happy to be in the mountains again.

Axel and Mommy were super happy too....although Axel looks a little uncertain at this point.
The hike went through so many twists and turns and wonderful little tree groves and rocky out crops.
We even found this big wasp nest!
We had to stop for a little snack to take in the view...
of Lake Louise!

Great spot to take a break and remember how much we love the mountains.
Lucas had his sprayer so he was happy. This little trooper did the WHOLE hike by himself. We were very impressed with his hiking skills.
I thought it was the perfect spot to get a photo of the boys together and to my surprise, Lucas wanted to cooperate. It started off so well...
Then Axel heard, "CCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHEEESSSSSSSSSSSEEEE!" over and over and over and it REALLY scared him...
and I was able to get the cutest sad face photo ever! I love it and after some big hugs he was a happy boy again.
Then, it was back to the car with a little side trip to the waterfall.

Awesome day!!

Still to come:
Part Six: Daddy in the Wind River Range
Part Seven: Day at the Grand Tetons
Part Eight: Quick Colorado Springs Trip
Part Nine: Home Sweet Home

Part Four: Our Home Away From Home

Lander, WY: Our home away from home! Steve & Ellen know some good Lander folks who let us use their RV. It was AWESOME and perfect for our family and all our stuff.
This is where Axel learned all about standing up and seeing the world.
It was a cozy place to hang out too. Here the boys are watching YouTube videos...free entertainment! (Uncle Mark, Uncle Bill, Daddy & Lucas)
Ellen & Steve also opened up there home to us and we were so thankful. It was nice to have warm showers and a great kitchen for meals and wonderful company. :) Not too mention just how cute this place is!They recently moved into this new home which is BEAUTIFUL!!!Lander has a wonderful city park we visited on numerous occasions. Sam & Ellen joined us this day.
Mr. Sam Bechtel...what a ham!
Axel snoozing at the park.Our dear friend, Grace, made the long drive from Palisade, CO with delicious Palisade peaches and pears and other treats. It was so awesome to see her. We spent a wonderful weekend relaxing, catching up and of course, making Dirt Soup. Lucas LOVES Grace and her undivided attention for most of the weekend. Making Dirt Soup started back in Colorado and has developed over the years to include recipes now. It was fun to watch Lucas and Grace together. She sure is a special and a dear, dear friend. Thanks for making the trip Grace and thank you for the book, "If You Give a Moose a Muffin."
Aunt Kate & Uncle Mark made few trips to Lander to join in on the fun. This picture was taken on one of our "rest" days or also known as "non-climbing days"...there's no such thing as real rest days if your in this Anderson family. (I learned this hard truth long, long ago) Lucas climbed all the way to the top of the boulder. Big stuff!
Before Sam was born, we bought a cute little baby outfit fit for the adventures he would have. We had no idea if Sam was a boy or girl at that time but he got lots of use out of this cute little outfit. Axel had no problem with the slightly girly color and wore this most of the time to keep warm. It was perfect. Thanks Sam for sharing!Most of our time in Lander was spent outside climbing at Wild Iris or Sinks Canyon. Here is a view of one of the climbing walls at Wild Iris somewhere around 9,000+ feet elevation. The colors were just beginning to change and the long hike got easier and easier the more we did it.
These next photos were taken during our trip but not all on the same day. Here's our life at the climbing crag...

Daddy, Lucas & Axel. If you notice Lucas' face, he's not real excited about whatever Axel is going. We call this his "mean" face and know to watch his every move when his "mean" face is out.
Mike's youngest brother made it out for a weekend too. Uncle Bill is in the Air Force and stationed at Nellis AFB, NV. It was a long haul for him but it was great to spend a few days catching up and doing a little climbing together.
Mommy & Axel...what a little peanut!
Uncle Mark lent a helping hand too!
Lucas loves to swing but every once in awhile we can convince him to actually try climbing.
And look at this, Mommy even got to climb!
Daddy did too!
All this climbing would not be possible without the help of family & friends! Here Aunt Kate & Uncle Mark are trying to teach Lucas how to do jumping jacks...I think he's clearing the landing area in this photo.

The trip would not be complete without some awesome swings. Sinks Canyon is a perfect place for HUGE swings which Lucas LOVES. This kid has no fear when it comes to swinging. He loves to pretend he's a bird, plane and parachutist. It's really fun to see and a little scary too.

Click Here to see him in action.
One day we hiked in after a little first season snow. Working fast, Lucas and Daddy made snowman before everything melted. There was even some snowballs flying that morning. It started chilly but warmed up nicely in the afternoon.
Who are the crazy people who allowed The Anderson's to invade their home and bring in family and friends along the way? Ellen, Sam & Steve Bechtel!! THANK YOU GUYS!!!
Coming soon...Daddy's Weekend Adventures, Wyoming Hikes, Darcy & Dave's House and a few extras. Yes, it was LONG trip!!

I'm trying to get these finished up so I can keep everyone updated on the latest and greatest here in Dayton. Fall is my favorite so I don't want to miss anything. :)

Part Three: Labor Day Weekend Road Trip

Another road trip you ask? Why...YES! (We are truly nuts!)

Back in the car. "No worries Mom, we're used to this...just wake me up when we get there."
Good thing we are NUTS! because we had a wonderful time. My parents invited us to join them on a National Park Whirlwind Weekend while Mike was climbing with his old crew in Lander, WY. We set off early Saturday morning and trucked across Wyoming to the Fossil Butte (near the Idaho/Wyoming border.
Some fossils.
Happy to be out of the car and with Grandma.
And Mommy too!
I even caught this one for a quick photo.
Here's a close up of a fun activity you can do in the car with Bling. Stickers are awesome!!
Grandpa givin' and gettin' a little love too.
That night, we drove to Logan, UT and had my most favorite dinner ever: Cafe Rio Sweet Pork! I about crapped myself when I saw one in Logan on the way to the hotel. It is SO DELICIOUS and so MISSED! Mike was going to be jealous...I had to call him to make sure to rub it in a little. hehehehe. :)

The next morning we were off to Golden Spike National Park.
"May 10, 1869 the Union and Central Pacific Railroads joined their rails at Promontory Summit. Golden Spike National Historic Site commemorates this incredible accomplishment of this nation's first transcontinental railroad."
The had a reenactment too which was the best part!
Beautiful locomotives! Grandpa J was in love. :)
We tried for a quick group shot...horrible lighting but o'well.
Then, we were off to Snowbird, UT. The place where Mike and I were married (7 yrs ago today!) and spent many hours hiking, climbing and skiing. It's located in Little Cottonwood Canyon...one our favorite spots!

Snowbird was hosting an Octoberfest so we joined in on the fun and the beer.
We even panned for a little Gold!
Here's Axel watching the action.
Lucas in the middle of the action.
We took a tram ride...is that a smile?!and here we are at 11,000+ feet. (We flat-landers made it to the top!) It was a BEAUTIFUL day! We wish Daddy was here...miss you Daddy!
We even had the chance to meet up with my dear friend, Wendy and her son Tyler. Here Axel is getting to meet Wendy for the first time.
That evening we spent some time at Wendy's home and then back to the hotel for some zzzz's. The next morning we headed to American Fork Canyon to see Timpanogos Cave...a 3.5 mile round trip, up 1200ft of elevation gain. Lucas did it all by himself (so did Grandma! Way to go Grandma, you made it look easy!) :)
Hiking up, up, up!
View of our favorite canyon.
Taking a little break.
We made it!
The cave was really cool to see. You hike through it horizontally and go into numerous different rooms. Worth a trip up if you're ever in the area.

Inside one of the cave rooms.
Mommy tower...fun photo but nope, Lucas didn't get the free ride, only Axel this time. :)
Down, down, down.
What an awesome day!!
After the cave hike, it was back to Cafe Rio. This time, I was nice and ordered some for Mike to take all the way back to Colorado. Boy, I got some "AWESOME WIFE" points doing that!

Thanks for a wonderful Grandma & Grandpa J. It was A LOT of driving but well worth it. We had tons of fun and now have a whole bunch of memories to add to our memory bank.

We love you!

Update Needed: Axel is 8 Months Old

I need to take a little break from vacation posts because you all are missing out on this little man taking off. He learned to crawl on our trip (7months) and now Axel is standing, pulling up and climbing on EVERYTHING possible. He's also finally interested in food and loves his high chair. Today he chased banana pieces around and boy do those get slimy and hard to catch. He loves his puffs too! It amazes me how fast babies learn things and how fast it changes the dynamics of our house. Axel is trouble but super cute trouble. :) I still think we will keep him. Miss you all.

The one legged crawl at my parents house. More practice.
And he's off down the sidewalk in Dayton.
He got stuck on top of his box tonight and was NOT happy about it.
Before getting stuck, he had to meet the Witch.
Puff practice.
Using those pinchers.
Mmmm...so tasty!
Trouble at it again...
Notice the gate? Yep, Mommy covered up the DVD player, VCR and DVR...mean Mommy!
That's our "baby" boy these days.