While we were kid-free, we definitely missed them. And, we took advantage of being kid-free -- we had a wonderful time with each other, and we had a blast hanging out with Frankie's friend from the Grand Junction days and his wife. While the boys were parent-free, they took full advantage of Grandma and Grandpa time. Parks, milkshakes, toys, twinkies, you name it, they were spoiled with it. One of their favorite outings was a trip to the fish hatchery. TJ loved learning about stocking the rivers and lakes for Grandpa & Uncle Carl to fish for them, and they enjoyed feeding time.
Wednesday, Uncle Dave and Aunt Judy stopped in BV for a quick visit on their way back to Missouri. We absolutely loved spending time with them. They hadn't seen TJ since he was three months old, and they'd never met Frankie, so it was a very special time, even though it was a short time.
After UD & AJ drove off, Mommy, Daddy and the boys headed to the Sangre di Cristo mountains and the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Ranch. The JKB foundation holds a special place in Mommy's life. She was lucky to be a scholarship recipient to spend a life-changing week at the ranch in 1997. Two years later, after graduation high school, she worked there for a summer, solidifying her belief in the work Ken & Colleen Braid are doing in honor of their son, Kyle. Now, 20 years after Kyle's suicide, the Braids are honoring him in another way, and they are selling the ranch. We were so lucky to spend the afternoon at the ranch. The boys had a great time, and Mommy was flooded with wonderful memories. As we drove away, TJ said, "I want to get a lot of money and earn the ranch before it is sold to someone else."
We wrapped up our week just relaxing and hanging out at the house. Frankie finally got his first haircut -- Mommy had put it off for far too long because she just couldn't part with those crazy curls. Luckily, we went to cousin Amy's salon, and she left a few curly q's behind! He did a great job -- as long as he was sitting on Grandma's lap with a sucker in his mouth! He may not have crazy hair anymore, but he's still my crazy boy!
We headed back up to Parker in time for TJ's last basketball game of the season. It was so amazing to watch TJ's growth from his first week, to his fifth. He became more confident, improved his skills and had the most wonderful time. It was wonderful to watch him having so much fun out on the court. He was a excellent defensive player -- often playing man-to-man when he was on offense, but hey, that kid was NOT going to get the ball! The last game, all the parents made a tunnel for the kids... their teams were announced as music blared, then they ran through a fog machine, a break-away banner and through the parent tunnel. It was so great!!
The summer is winding down. The boys have their fall doctor's checkups tomorrow, and TJ begins Junior Kindergarten next Monday, so stayed tuned for some more updates!
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