Hook, Line, and Sinker

Corynn, being the little tom-boy she is, has been begging to go fishing for years. Since neither me nor Chris fish, I was able to recruit my brother Jeff to take her and Dallin before we left to go home to Hawaii. I remember as a kid my dad took me fishing a couple of times. I liked it OK, but I hated cleaning it and eating it. Corynn and Dallin happily promised that they would help clean and eat it. Corynn caught her fish pretty early on, but after about an hour Dallin still hadn't caught anything. Just as we were about to pack up to leave, Dallin finally go a bite. Thanks goodness! Here they are with their spoils. They kept their promise, and were so excited to eat their own fish! The whole time, the only thing going through my mind was, "Yuck." I'm glad they enjoyed it though.

A Day Spent With Friends

On our last day in Colorado Springs the Strattons came down to spend the day with us. We ended up a the Cliff Dwellings Museum, which was pretty cool. It was a series of homes/caves that had been built into the mountainside by Indians. It was a very "hands on" experience for the kiddos, who had fun climbing, running, and exploring.
This is the museum and gift shop, which was even more expansive than the homes/caves. I think I got lost in there once or twice.After the museum, we drove down to the Garden of the Gods area. It was just as majestic the second time. We walked around, took pictures, and let the kids get out all their energy. Here's a picture of the kids being their silly selves!
We had a blast with these friends. Living close to them would be just one more perk of moving to Colorado Springs.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

While in Colorado Springs, one day we took the kiddos to the zoo. This zoo is built onto a mountain side, so by the time you reach the top, it's like you have climbed up a 10 story building. As we were huffing and puffing (it was probably the altitude...right?) we saw all sorts of animals. The giraffes were among our favorites.

Colorado Springs, or Bust!

So, most of you know that Chris is a dentist in the Army. The Army paid for BYU, and Dental school, and a 2 year residency in Comprehensive Dentistry. We, in return, owe them 9 years active duty, of which Chris has served 7. So, in two short years we have some major life decisions to make. Do we stay in the Army with the good benefits, 30 days paid vacation, a pretty good steady paycheck, or give it all up and start from scratch, maybe go into debt big time to buy, or even more scary start up a new practice? The Army has had many advantages, but the HUGE disadvantage is that they tell you where you live. I have been drug all over this lovely country, and have seen some amazing places, BUT I miss family. It all comes down to me wanting to live closer to family. And Chris, being the wonderful husband he is, just wants me to be happy. I told Chris the only way I would maybe want him to stay in the Army is if they can get me closer to family, and the closest military installation is in Colorado Springs, Colorado. So, while on vacation to Utah this summer, we decided to take a little side trip to check it out. The drive through the Utah and Colorado mountains was beautiful. We stayed in a cute touristy town called Glenwood Springs, CO. Here is a couple of (not very good) pictures of the kids swimming in the hotel pool. We stayed with our friends the Strattons one night. Our kids were in heaven playing with their best friends from Texas, who had just moved to a suburb of Denver. Here is Brandt and Dallin, with Xander giving them bunny ears. Xander and Corynn have been friends since they were little. I still remember dropping Corynn off at Xander's 4th birthday party, shortly after they moved to Fayetteville, NC. I think we still have the Harry Potter wand she received as a favor. After leaving the Stratton's house (which is beautiful, I might add), we headed down to Colorado Springs. We drove around a little, and ran into this area called Garden of the Gods. There were beautiful rock formations with the Rocky Mountains in the back ground. Shortly after arriving in Colorado Springs, I turned to Chris and told him this was "it." This was where I wanted to live. It was love at first sight. I am smitten! We're going to try to get here with the Army, but in case it doesn't work out, does anyone know of a dental practice for sale, or another dentist looking for a partner?

4th of July

For the 4th of July, my side of the family has a tradition of playing in Park City. It's a beautiful town with nice weather and you get the gorgeous mountains as a back-drop. First thing in the morning we met up on Main Street for the parade. After walking around for a little while, we ended up at this yummy pizza place for lunch. It was soooooo good, we didn't have any leftovers.

After lunch my mom and I headed for the outlets :D, while Chris took the rest of the gang to the resort where they have fun outdoor summer activities. Here is a picture with my niece Jordyn, Corynn, and Dallin eating ice-cream.

Here is Chris and the kids heading up the ski lift to the Alpine Slide.

Here come the girls! I guess Jordyn won this race!

Dallin loved jumping on trampoline. He got a little daring and tried a few tricks such as back flips and front flips. As long as he sticks to the tricks while he is strapped to a harness, we're good. He better not get as daring on the trampoline at home.

We all also went down the new Alpine Coaster. It's like the Alpine Slide on steroids. It was such a rush! Sadly, nobody was around to take pictures. I screamed so long and loud, by the time the ride was over I was hoarse.

While waiting for the fireworks to start we had a picnic and played cards. Here is my brother Kris, me, my brother Jeff, and my cousin Ryan.

Such fun times. Same place next year? Save me a spot :)

Reunion Photos

Instead of hiring a photographer, we asked Chris' sister Melanie to bring up her SLR camera and take some family photos. I guess we waited a little too long into the evening after the sun had set before we got started. We were having too much fun visiting! This first picture is Grandma and Grandpa Lambert with all their grandkids. They have 17, with 2 more on the way! This is Chris' immediate family, from left to right, Shawn, Steph, Kim, Jen, Shelly, Mel, Chris, and of course, Mom and Dad. What a good lookin' group they are.This is our little family photo. This was my favorite candid shot.

The next morning, as we were all heading our seperate ways, they decided to hurry and get another picture since the lighting was better.

Lambert Family Reunion 2009

This year Chris' family held their family reunion in a cabin in Big Cotton Wood Canyon. What fun we had with all 7 Lambert siblings, along with their spouses and kids (17 kids in all, 3 of them babies), and Mom and Dad. Chris calls it kid fest 2009 :) These pictures are in no particular order. Here I am getting our room set up for our 5 day stay.One night we had a Family Talent Show around the fire-pit. We enjoyed such talents as Mom's horse impression, Kayden's amazing musical talents, Ryan's bobcat impression, Corynn and Dallin's Ohana song, and many other wondrous delights. There was a lot of goofing around and laughter. I think we need to make this an annual tradition.The kids had so much fun playing with all their cousins. Between the hot tub, ping-pong table, pool table, and the great outdoors, there was never a dull moment. Here is Corynn and Dallin with their cousin John.
The hot tub (or hot pool as we called it) was a big hit with the kids. From left to right is Sara, Dallin, John, Corynn and Brendon, with Emily (I think) hiding behind Corynn.

One day we all took a walk around Silver Lake. It was a gorgeous day, with beautiful scenery. I think we took about a hundred pictures just in the couple hours we spent there.

One day was spent up at Snowbird Ski Resort. We all rode the Aerial Tram to the top of the mountain. It was COLD, and there was SNOW! In July! All the kids had a snowball fight, until Uncle Chris broke it up, with the fear of someone getting hurt. "Every party has a pooper, and that's why they invited Chris."After we came down from the mountain, some of the kids went mining for gold, at one of the activities offered at the resort. I'm not sure exactly what was found, but we called them "treasures".

Ok, I made Chris snap this picture, even though he thought it was indecent. This is my niece Jordyn giving Emily a piggy back ride. How cute! I think this is my favorite picture of my whole summer vacation!