Colorado Mountains

We headed to Copper with our friends Ann and Lawrence for the weekend. We left Eme behind with Papa and Grandma to give some attention to the big ones. It was a fun filled weekend of touring Leadville, spending time at Turquoise Lake, visiting a fish hatchery, girls doing flips on the bungee trampoline (go Sophia who learned first and Malina with her double flips!), go carting, wandering the farmers market in Vail and relaxing with friends. It was a beautiful weekend in every regard.
Sophia (4-years old)

Jumping off the diving board!

She bonds us all.

The best cook in the kitchen.

Stubborn, persistent, creative and so stinking cute!

Eme's (2-years old next month)

Favorite phrase: "Get up. COME!" while he is pushing under your bum and tapping his chest with his hand.

Every vehicle is a fire truck.

Loves to sing A,B,C's, kick balls and hit balls with the tennis racket.

Strong willed, affectionate and endearing!

Malina (6 1/2-years old)

Discovered Magic Tree House books and loves to curl up at the pool reading her books under a tree.

Sports that require balls: tennis, golf and soccer!

Independent, smart and a beauty inside/out!

Banks

Outside staining his Maldives dhoni (boat) tree house tonight. Building in progress. Good afterwork therapy!

Resident breakfast chef. He is so sweet to have breakfast waiting for me when I return from boot camp.

Me

I am loving boot camp. I am addicted. I am definitely becoming the healthiest in my life.

Also, I am enjoying the relaxed summer with our children!! Watching the bond between them grow each day is beautiful. When we all sat down for dinner tonight, Malina looked at me and said "Mommy I see you have happy tears." They hadn't fallen from my eyes but she knew I was feeling blessed for everyone sitting at the table.

Kicking my Booty Camp

I have been stupid enough to sign up for Fitness Boot Camp. I am going five days a week from 530-645am in Downtown Denver. The camp lasts FIVE weeks long.

I have never been so exhausted in my entire life. I should have known to quit on the first day when we had to do 10 minutes of push ups, 10 minutes of lunges and JUMP ROPE! I am going with two other friends. The first day they said we had 23 hours and 59 minutes to cancel before the next class. OH I thought about it but we never whispered a word to each other. The second day the instruction was to run to the state capital and back. Now that is far!! It is REALLY far to someone who cannot run a block! I had to figure out the distance and it was 4 1/2 miles. Big time for Mrs. Baker!! I have done the army crawl in mud, crab walked in the rain and run further than my body could tolerate.

My frig is bare, my family is surviving on breakfast sausages for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Banks has to pull me out of my sports bra each day and I have to nap for hours on end. I remain. I am determined. I perservere. It is mental. These exercise people ARE mental! It is the biggest high I have ever had in my life and I am excited, yet, terrified to see what lays ahead.

So Malina I hope you enjoyed your soccer camp and tennis camp. Sophia you have been a trouper helping me cook and entertaining the dozens of kids that come over everyday. Eme, thank heavens that I bought you a Fisher Price Lawn Mower.

Time for nap...