Pictures with Pumpkins and Pretty Leaves

September/October Hiking

Hiking is a lot harder with four kids--we have only hit the trails a handful of times since our family most recently multiplied. And we completely missed the fall colors in Estes Park. But we have gone on two notable hikes since school started: Lake Irene back in September and Well Gulch in early October.

Lake Irene was rather windy on Labor Day, but we were just barely tough enough to go through with the hike.

October 8th was a perfect autumn day to hike Well Gulch in Lory State Park.

Sunglasses proved to be both functional and fashionable for this excursion--the girls struck several glamorous poses in the sunshine.

Ramona wanted me to get my picture taken with the cautionary poison ivy sign:

Thank you, Colorado, for such lovely views--our family loves you!

A Taste of Fall

While Uncle Dan was in Colorado visiting at the end of September, we all went to the "Taste in Timnath" Fall Festival in Old Town Timnath.

There we did some pumpkin decorating . . .

. . . bouncy house jumping. . .

. . . tasting . . .

(this was the weekend Paula kept repeating: "Nom, nom, paleo," an inexplicable phrase from a T-shirt we got in a back of hand-me-down clothes.)

. . . and waiting in line for balloon animals.

We loved having Uncle Dan in town. With all of our family out of state (and his current residence all the way in Indiana), it was a very rare treat to close some distance between us.

In early October, we got another fun taste of Fall at the Bethke Elementary Fall Social. This event took place at the Northern Colorado Corn Maze, and involved more bouncy-house jumping.

It also involved me climbing into one of those inflatable structures to retrieve this polar bear ring after Ramona lost it, failed to find it on her own, and burst into tears. I hope it is the last time I have to accomplish such an awkward task!

Our little Wylie guy hung out in the stroller most of the time.

We paused for some snow cones after bouncy-time. It was a little chilly for frozen treats, but the girls were not deterred by the crisp autumn air.

Next we headed to the corn maze, where we wandered around among some rather scrawny stalks (corn seems much more robust back in Illinois).

 Finally, we visited the playground and petting zoo before heading home.

Mmmmm....Fall.