Just Keep Skipping

Sunday, October 6, 2013

The Lost Year- Colorado: The Hopmann Clan Advances

The day after my parents and my family arrived, the rest of the crowd started to trickle in. By the end of the day, the Dimmitts, the Hopmanns and the Van Nests had made their way to Gunnison. The next morning, we planned a wild flower hike in Crested Butte. The trail head was hard to find, but when we finally got started, it was well worth the early confusion. It was absolutely beautiful.

Audrey making sure Drew's hat was on straight.

The view of town from the cul-de-sac we were dropped of at to get to the trail head. The trails in Crested Butte were so weird and the guide books were not particularly up-to-date or helpful.

Hiking up to the trail head.

Ready to hike after the warm up hike.

Stephanie and Drew

Didn't take long to find the wildflowers!

Charlotte being a punk and wearing the same outfit from the day before. She absolutely refused to wear anything else because she just had to wear running clothes on the trail. Whatever.

Making our way to a grove of aspens

Paige, Stephanie, Morgan and Drew

Charlotte still being a punk.

Poor Matthew carrying Charlotte after we were D.O.N.E hearing her wine about being tired.

Feeling better after the power of the wooly worm gripped her.

Drury/Freeman

Audrey got tired of the backpack so Grandpa become the lucky guy to carry her.

The trail was a wee bit dusty. We came back covered in dirt.

Waiting for the men folk to come get us. The neighborhood had so many signs forbidding parking in the cul-de-sac, which I found pretty hilarious as there was maybe three homes in the neighborhood. Whatever. I didn't mind. I wasn't one of the poor saps who had to go park the cars!

Cute girl, dirty face. :)

We met Dan and Diane in town for lunch at a nice little pizza place.

Super fun bench in town

The Lost Year- Colorado: The Beginning

I was going to upload a few more random pictures, but they are trapped on another computer and it won't let me upload them. Someone smarter than I will need to figure that out, so I'll move on to a few adventures that should get a little special attention. Colorado is definitely one of those adventures!

We stayed in Gunnison, CO with my parents and my mother's siblings and most of their families. We rented condos near each other and enjoyed the mountains together. It was a fabulous trip and I can't wait to do it again. Every time I go to Colorado, I start looking for jobs on the Colorado bar website. I just love that state with all my heart. It must be in the blood, as my dad was born in Denver.

On the road

Such a handsome hubby

We started to see mountains as the sun was setting. Beautiful. I love Colorado more than words can express.

Our hike on day 1. My parents and I arrived a day before everyone else, so we took a short hike with the girls late morning the first day out.

Audrey's lunch time spot.

Charlotte pretending to be the beaver that cut down this tree.

Charlotte at the trail head cheering on the rest of the crew. She and I ran back ahead of them. She has become completely obsessed with running. She's wearing her "fast clothes" and loves setting up races around the block, making Matt and Audrey stand in different places to cheer the runners. She's running in her first race at the end of the November, but don't tell her yet! :)

The race was too much for Audrey.

Friday, October 4, 2013

I'm back!

As much as I would like, there is no way on God's green earth that I will ever truly catch up on this blog with the hundreds of pictures I have taken in the last year. Instead, we will play a highlight game and just refer to October 2012 to September of 2013 as "The Lost Year". You know, kind of like the Dark Ages, only due to life changes and busyness. And I shall make a resolution to take fewer phone pictures, more pictures with my good camera, and then, miracle of miracles, actually blog about them since I have failed at a baby book for the girls. Go me.

In sum, between October 2012 and September of 2013, I started a new job, we bought a new car, we traveled to Colorado, we all got a year older and Charlotte started kindergarten.

So here is The Lost Year in pictures (some are still missing as they are on another computer, but this will be a decent round up and I'll put the other lost pictures on in a different post):