It Smells like the Cabin

Upon walking into the cabin at 3:00 am with the boys, we were greeted with "the cabin smell" (as D-man pointed out). While not fun to fly so late, it was wonderful to wake up with a view of the lake. 

The boys and I enjoyed a typical lake day - dock time, water toys and more water toys, darts, card games and legos inside - while we waited to Marshall, Matt and Claudia to arrive from California. 

Breakfast view 

Darts 

Dock time! 

A perfect view 

Sports Week

Golf and soccer dominated this week. T-man was in soccer camp every morning and D-man did golf camp in the morning Mon - Wed and today both boys participated in the Louisville Open.  

High five from the coach 

Learned some great new skills 

Ready to play 

Measing around in the cart 

The golfers 

BMA Evening Brew

When I wasn't working, there was a request on LinkedIn for a speaker on email list strategy for the Business Marketing Association.  I put my hand up and didn't hear anything so I assumed that someone else did the speaking engagement. The contact actually did eventually reach out and request a speaker for the last week of school (which I declined because I was getting ready for our Wyoming vacation and the last week of school is always crazy). Once again, I was surprised when they reached out in June and said they had postponed the topic and asked if I would be interested in speaking in July. While I wanted to decline again, I said yes. If I wasn't working, I would have said yes, so I did it. 

I was nervous and the presentation was quite robust - 45 minutes - an hour total with questions - so I had to cover a lot! It was a small, but engaged crew and I had positive feedback and requests for copies of the presentation. I will take that as a positive sign! 

I wrapped up the night listening to an audiobook and snuggling with my two boys (while dude #3 is on a plane to Cali). Time for vacation! 

Whew - I survived the presentation! 

Snuggle time! 

Family Time

Our eldest returned from Camp Santa Maria and spent the majority of Saturday on his electronic devices. While T-man was at a birthday party, we did get him up to chat with is while we made dinner and we all enjoyed yummy hamburgers on the back deck. 

Sunday started with a delicious brunch cooked by Marshall and enjoyed on the back deck. We headed to the pool with Nadja around noon and we all eventually made it back by 5:00. We tried dinner while watching a movie, but T-man didn't really like the movie. So, ended up watching MythBusters which was fun. 

While we were at the pool, it was great to have D-man say he was happy he didn't do anything with friends today. Me too. 

The boys lounging in the pool 

Happy to have him back 

Music in the Park

Our first (and last) music in the park for 2017. We ordered pizza, had some drinks and chilled with friends. T-man enjoyed time with his friends on the playground. A fun night in Louisville. 

Hard to see - but double rainbows 🌈 

A Special Visitor

For the last week, we have been fortunate to have Matt staying with us. It was wonderful to have him here with us for yummy dinners, pool time, card games and just hanging out. He also got some time with the boys last week in between all of their socializing. He was also a big help with kid shuffling and helping with T-man's tutoring homework. The good news is that we will see him at the cabin in a little over a week! 

Farmer's Market 

Time at the range 

Lots of time and dinners (and drinks) on the back deck - here coding minestorm 


  

A hike......

Followed by a trip to a brewery for the brothers 

Pisco sours! 

Doing homework before camp 

The PT Baby

The boys always love seeing their cousins in the Pender Times so it was a treat to see them (and their cousin) in one of the recent Pender Times. (D-man's head on the left and T-man waving to the Shriners with Alyssa in between). 

Camp Santa Maria

And after a week at home, D-man is off to sleep away camp with a couple buddies. He's had a great week at home - waterworks, golfing, swimming and just hanging with friends. It's already quieter with him gone. I'm glad he is having such good summer. 

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

We headed to Boulder to the Boulder Dinner Theatre to see my friend's daughter perform in the show. Unfortunately, Marshall wasn't able to go because he had a work dinner with his new boss who was in town this week. 

The good news is that Marshall's brother is in town so he went with us. It was an entertaining show, albeit a weird story line. And I was able to catch up with my friend a bit which was also nice. Always fun to do something new! 

 

 

 

Luzia Part 2

When one son is super disappointed he didn't get to go to the Cirque De Soleil show when the rest of the family went, you buy two discount tickets and go on the last day of the show (right after returning from Nebraska). He loved it and I loved that he did. 

 

The crazy contortionist 

   

My handsome date 

Nebraska Passport

We took the less traveled road on the way home to Colorado today. After breakfast at Popo's, we packed up the car, said our good-byes and hit the road. We went through central Nebraska and hit four stops in the Nebraska Passport program. We toured a chalk mine and hiked to the top of the bluff outside of Scotia, grabbed Runza and toured the historic Arrow Hotel in Broken Bow, stopped by the Fort Cody Trading Post in North Platte, and did a fly by of Front Street Saloon in Ogallala. 

Our trip took a couple hours longer, but it was more of a vacation than just a drive. I actually can't believe over the 20+ years of driving back and forth that I have taken a different route before. What fun to check out some parts of Nebraska I'd never seen. 

 

A stop in Greeley for F'Real ice cream treats and to check out the Greeley County Courthouse 

 

Seashell in the chalk mine 

 

T-man testing out the mining equipment 

 

Signing his name in chalk 

 

 

View from the top of the bluff over the chalk mine 

Happy snap 

 

Arrow Hotel Lobby 

 

 

The trading post 

Gud L1fe

On the way to Colorado today, we were behind a truck with the license plate "Gud L1fe." Here are a few pics from "Nebraska: the good life."