AI

 The boys and Stacy have been showing me AI features on my phone and how it can change pictures.  It is fun to play around with but pretty scary how AI can manipulate facts.

This photo became...

this

and this photo of a trip to a corn maze with friends became...

this

Halloween 2025

 For Halloween this year, Kaiden was a pimp; Trevin was a pickle ball; I'm not sure what Gavin and Rylan were, but they look scary.

And of course we had to have this years' word (?) of the year - six, seven carved into a pumpkin.

October

 After the boys helped me with yard work, I took them to Costco (they love to find all the samples) and we had lunch.  I told Rylan I would cut his slice of pizza in half but he insisted he could eat it and he did.

Kaiden got his letter jacket.  I noticed in this picture that his and Nathan's are 30 years apart. 

Trevin started playing basketball.  Kaiden's season hasn't started yet.

My friend wanted to go through the corn maze for her birthday, so we did.  It only took us 35 minutes to do a 20 minute maze.  

The boys did one also with their parents.

September

I took a trip to Maine to visit my family in September.  I was greated by this group of stuffed Maine animals when I got off the plane.  I stayed with my niece and we had a great time.  There was a barbeque with my other relatives, a trip to a couple of picturesque seaside towns, and an early morning trip to see the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean.  It was an amazing trip.

We also celebrated Gavin's birthday in September.  He is now my favorite 9 year old!

 

Kaiden went with several friends to Homecoming.  I believe his shoes make the outfit.  The car belongs to his friend - a gift from his older brother.  I bet they made quite an entrance!

First Day of School 2025

First day of 1st, 4th, 8th and 11th grades 2025.

 

August

We made our annual visit to the Museum of Science and Nature.  We have several pictures of all the boys with the seal in the wildlife hall and the bear outside.  After doing a scavenger hunt for the gnomes hidden in the museum we had a picnic and then ran through the water maze.  Just like in the mountains we had to coax Rylan in but then he didn't want to get out! 

 

We also did our traditional painting of rocks in August.  I have numerous painted rocks around the yard and they always make me smile.

We ended the month with Rylan's 6th birthday.  I do not know where the time went.

July

The boys came over several days in July to mow the lawn and help with yard work.  One hot day I brought out the water guns and a bucket for water so they didn't need to run back into the house to refill the guns.  It soon escalated to dumping the water on each other and using the hose to squirt each other.

One Sunday we made our annual visit to Eldorado Canyon for a picnic and wading in the river.  The younger boys thought the water was too cold but soon got used to it and then didn't want to get out. 

And of course we had to take the traditional picture on the steps

June

At the beginning of June Rylan and Gavin enrolled in our library's summer program.  We did various activities.  One of their favorite was a scavenger hunt in the library to find different styles of art work.  It was a good thing that Kaiden came with us that day because he is much better than me at reading maps.

 One day they had a petting zoo and another day goats.  They bring the goats in every year to eat the weeded areas on the library grounds.

There are also numerous fun things to do in the library such as this wind tunnel.

One day I took Rylan and Gavin to Tiny Town.  The entire town is built in miniature and there is even a tiny railroad that encircles the town.  I had not been there since I was a little girl (I guess I never got around to taking Nathan when he was little). 

There is a school house, a hotel, a grocery store, several houses, a replica of a Denver restaurant, a windmill, a library, a jail and even a Fed Ex office.  When they saw the Fed Ex office, they had to find the Post Office (it has its own zip code)

May

I have not kept up on what has been happening since school was out in May, so here goes.

 Trevin turned 13, so we now have 2 teenagers in the family.

Kaiden received his second year letter for track as well as a certificate for keeping his grades up during the season.

Rylan graduated from Kindergarten.

Award Ceremony

 Kaiden at his Academic Awards Ceremony.  He got awards for being on the Principal's Honor Roll as well as an Academic letter.  We are so proud of him.

Easter

We had our annual Easter egg hunt and lunch but without Tito this year.  After lunch we did all go to see him at the nursing home.  He was very happy to see all of us.

Kaiden looking very happy as the first to find all his eggs and basket.

 

Trevin opening his basket which was a pillow this year.  The older boys got a pillow with pockets for their remote and gaming controller along with snacks and bubbles.  The younger boys got temporary tattoos, a joke book, drawing pad as well as snacks and bubbles.

Stacy got sticky notes, pink kitchen towels and dishcloth, pink spatulas as well as snacks and bubbles.  Kaiden got meat seasonings for his BBQ and smoking endeavors, B's for his collection as well as snacks and bubbles.

The bubbles were a big hit.