TURTLE POST!!!! by Ryan

I have always wanted to construct an outdoor habitat for my turtles. Now they have an outside home during the summer to live in. They are all much happier living outside, and they are enjoying the colorado sunshine.


Yes.... Those all are fake plants. The tortises have eaten everything that has attempted to grow, including any weeds that have tried to grow as well. I have given up on having real plants. If you look close enough you can see "stripe" on the left hand side near her pond.
Here are the tortises eating some lettuce. You'd be suprised at how much they actually consume. I enjoy watching them all come running out of their hiding spots when I go outside. The one you can see is "squirt". We got her 5 yrs ago on Caitlin's birthday. It was estimated that Squirt was only about a year or two old when we got her. Here is "Scooter" eating some seafood. Its hard to believe that I got her on my 8th birthday! I've had her for 21 years now and she'll most likely out live me.

Random Fun

Playing on the trampoline with daddy.

Our cute munchkins.

All the Sunflowers that Caitlin "planted" around the yard are blooming. They are so pretty.

School has really tuckered Caleb out. He is always disappearing into his room, after dinner, and I find him like this.

My Stumper

Okay, maybe I'm a little too blond lately, but this is driving me crazy! My hummingbird feeder has been hanging outside for quite awhile, with the same level of food in it. The past few weeks the food "disappears" for the day and then is back to the same level at the end of the day. WHY? So, all of you smart people out there, TELL me what's happening!

My goof, hanging out in his "boat" shooting birds.

One day, when we went shopping at the mall, the kids decided to cool off in the fountain. NUTS!

Not to be forgotten, Ryan turned 29 last week. I'm finally no longer, the "older woman."

He decided he wanted peanut butter pie for his dessert too. I was NOT complaining. YUM!

Last, but not least, our goofy cat. It's REALLY annoying, when he sneaks in and does this, while I'm reading in the bathtub!

Happy Birthday Caitlin!

On August 1st, 9 years ago, this little angel joined us.

Last weekend, we celebrated 9 years of her life. I don't know HOW it has gone by so fast. She is turning into a young lady. I don't know where my baby girl snuck off to. I wish time would slow down just a little.

Amazing how much entertainment balloons and a fan will create!

Birthday Breakfast

Caitlin wanted to go to a water park for her birthday. We decided to go to a smaller on and she got to bring a friend. So, Nana, papa, all the family, and Caitlin's friend headed out for a day in the sun.

Caitlin the water dog hopped right in.

No Fear!

Caleb and Papa hanging out in the pool.

These two liked to hang out in the Lazy River.

Caitlin had to make a few trips down the slides.

The girls getting dumped on

Daddy and Caleb having fun in the sun.

Having fun with papa.

Cute girls!

After some dinner, we enjoyed Caitlin's Butterfinger blizzard cake. YUM!

Checking out her new minerals/rocks. Thanks grandma and grandpa Browne!

Watching the rocks tumble in the new rock tumbler? It will be fun to see what she ends up with.

Trying out the new microscope.

Looking at a fly's eye. Yuck!

Our Anniversary Present

Another Great Craig's list find.

We have been looking for an entertainment center, that would work for the flat panel tv that we were "eventually" going to get, since we moved in, 10 months ago. I pretty much gave up, because I wasn't going to pay the new price, but couldn't find anything used, because no one seems to be getting rid of ones for flat panels. Ryan has started looking, since, well, he's home. He found this one and loved it, but it was 70 miles away. Me, I would have said, "that's too far and it's not worth it." Ryan really liked it and it was worth it to him. So, I went along. It ended up that the people that were selling it, were moving this weekend. We started talking about meeting up halfway or something. Then I told her where we lived. Amazingly, they were moving into apartments a half mile from our house. So, they hauled it in on their moving truck and we rented a truck from Home Depot, a half mile away and picked it up, another half mile away. What are the odds?!? So, we used some gift money that we had tucked away, waiting until we found one. And we got this for the same price that I could find just a stand at the store. Nice job Ryan!

This was the only "before" picture I could find. Very cluttered and messy and the new TV did not look good on it.

My Girl

I know, I have birthday posts to catch up on, but I have to do this one, while it's fresh.

Caitlin got some wonderful gifts yesterday and today she decided to give one away. She had decided that she wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love,so that another little girl could enjoy her beautiful hair.

BEFORE

AFTER

She had some reservations today, but she went ahead with it. We had Nana do it, since she was in town. I think SHE and Ryan were on the verge of tears, seeing her hair get chopped.

10"

Cousin It