Somehow I was blessed with the world's best friends starting as early as kindergarten. Katie (pinkish shirt with husband Ryan) and I have been friends since kindergarten. Jacquelynn (left with fiance Randy) joined us in sixth grade, and Shaundra (center with husband Rob) joined us in seventh grade. They are the friends that are always there when I need then (even when I don't realize that I do). It doesn't matter how long we haven't seen each other, talked on the phone, or even emailed, when we get together, it is like nothing has changed. Now, we all have found wonderful men to join our "family." I just wish Joel could have made the trip too. Wally obviously could tell how special they all are by the way he interacted with them.
Wally and I flew into Denver on Friday (July 16th) when Shaundra picked us up and took us to her house in Parker. That night Katie and Ryan (who live in Denver) joined us at Shaundra and Rob's house for a BBQ. Wally was pooped since he didn't nap all day, so he went to bed early and I was able to catch up with my buddies.
We drove to Fort Collins to visit Jacquelynn and Randy on Saturday. I talked everyone into getting Subway and heading up the Poudre Canyon for a picnic and so I could make it into the mountains some. It was terribly crowded, but we found a place by the river. Wally enjoyed his olive with a little ham sandwich.
Jacquelynn and Randy: 
Katie, Ryan, and Cutter: 
Shaundra and Rob:
It was crazy hot (100s) nearly the whole time we were in Colorado, so it felt great to dip our feet in the icy cold water.
Everyone enjoys looking for Daddy-long-legs!
We then drove back into Fort Collins to see Jacquelynn's art gallery. I'm kicking myself because I somehow forgot to take pictures of it! Check out jacquelynnwoodley.com! We then walked to the Walrus to get some much-needed ice cream and for me to walk down memory lane in Fort Collins.
We then returned to Jacquelynn and Randy's house where Wally learned to play the drums. I hope this doesn't mean there will be a drum set in my future.
Jacquelynn also has 3 dogs that Wally had a blast with. I was worried about what toys to pack for Wally, but then remembered that everyone has dogs, so Wally was set. I think Othello could play fetch for hours!
It didn't take long before the sprinkler was out and the clothes were off (just off Wally).
Wally did get all of us to run through the sprinklers with him. It didn't take much convincing since it was so hot.Randy made some phenomenal fajitas for dinner. Oh, and of course, there were margaritas.
Sophie was still up for chuck-it, but Wally was starting to get pooped. Being tired and naked didn't stop him though.
Jacquelynn even had birthday cake for Wally and I as the next day was my 31st b-day. The party hats were perfect for Wally. He wore his the rest of the weekend, and still has it. He even wore it on his birthday!
Me and my little (almost) 4-year-old man!
Considering the girls always spoil me, there were gifts for both of us. One happy boy:
Sophie was still up for chuck-it, but Wally was starting to get pooped. Being tired and naked didn't stop him though.Jacquelynn even had birthday cake for Wally and I as the next day was my 31st b-day. The party hats were perfect for Wally. He wore his the rest of the weekend, and still has it. He even wore it on his birthday!Me and my little (almost) 4-year-old man!
Considering the girls always spoil me, there were gifts for both of us. One happy boy:
That night we drove back to Parker and Wally was of course up bright and early, so he got to play with his new Play-doh set.
For my birthday, Shaundra and Rob took us to Duffy Rolls. They make these delicious cinnamon rolls out of croissant dough. Wally and I both ate way to many!
Then we went to the Parker Wildlife Experience. It was a new museum that had all sorts of realistic animals/habitats.
The coolest part of the museum was this computer projection on the floor. If you stood still in the middle, the fish would start swimming towards you, but if you started moving, you could chase them all away. Though the video is of Wally, rest assured that I spent my fair share playing too.
They also had a neat thing about using cameras on wild animals to learn more about them. There was a camera (on a penguin) that was focused on a dome that the kids could go into. The camera was on time-delay, so the kids could play in the dome and them run out and watch themselves. This video isn't the first time that Wally did this sadly because the first time he was so surprised when he was watching an empty dome when suddenly he appeared in it!
That afternoon we went back to Shaundra and Rob's for a much needed nap. We then went swimming at their housing development's private pool and splash pad. It was a lot of fun and refreshing because it was so hot. For my birthday dinner, we all went to dinner with Katie and Ryan. Wally had to wear his birthday hat to the restaurant. He was awfully cute.
Our last day in Colorado, Shaundra took Wally and I to the Colorado Springs Zoo. What an amazing place. It is built right into the foothills up the side of a mountain (definitely an added bonus for me!). We started out visiting the giraffs and trying to feed them crackers. Most were full already.
Wally got to hold a giant hissing cockroach...lovely!
We found a couple giraffs separated from the rest, and were able to get them to eat a couple of our crackers...
They prefered to eat the wooden fence though.
The hippos were actually a lot of fun. They were swimming in the water and one was rubbing against the side of the pool, just like Moose does on the end of our bed at 5:00 in the morning. Wally liked singing the song about hippos that he learned in Sunday School: "Hip Hip Hippopotemus, Hip Hip horrary God made all of us!"
The finalely were the gorillas. They had a large hillside to roam, so it was fun watching them from the base of the hill. But the best part was when we were in the building looking through the window. One gorilla came down the mountain and then sat right by Wally. Wow! After a bit, he went away, only to find Wally watching through a different window and the gorilla came and sat by him again. I guess the gorilla knows a monkey when he sees one!
While in the ape house, it started raining, and rather hard, even by Iowa standards. It felt glorious after the hot weather (Shaundra might disagree). We made a quick stop by the giraffs to see if they were hungry. I think the rain put a damper on their appetites. Wally found a good place to weather the storm.
At the gift shop, Wally was drawn to the gorilla stuff. He ended up choosing a little stuffed gorilla. He loves telling everyone how the gorilla sat by him "two times!"
We had a incredible vacation. I just wish Joel could have been there with us. I think the last two pictures summarize pretty well how much fun we had.
They prefered to eat the wooden fence though.We even got to pet a baby wallaby. By this time, it was getting really hot and Wally was starting to get tired, so we didn't get to enjoy the wallabys as much as possible.
I thought it was really neat how all of the habitats incorporated the mountain's natural landscape. We got to see a grizzly bear (a real one) and a tiger roaming (ok, laying down and sleeping) the hills.
I thought it was really neat how all of the habitats incorporated the mountain's natural landscape. We got to see a grizzly bear (a real one) and a tiger roaming (ok, laying down and sleeping) the hills.
The hippos were actually a lot of fun. They were swimming in the water and one was rubbing against the side of the pool, just like Moose does on the end of our bed at 5:00 in the morning. Wally liked singing the song about hippos that he learned in Sunday School: "Hip Hip Hippopotemus, Hip Hip horrary God made all of us!"
The finalely were the gorillas. They had a large hillside to roam, so it was fun watching them from the base of the hill. But the best part was when we were in the building looking through the window. One gorilla came down the mountain and then sat right by Wally. Wow! After a bit, he went away, only to find Wally watching through a different window and the gorilla came and sat by him again. I guess the gorilla knows a monkey when he sees one!
While in the ape house, it started raining, and rather hard, even by Iowa standards. It felt glorious after the hot weather (Shaundra might disagree). We made a quick stop by the giraffs to see if they were hungry. I think the rain put a damper on their appetites. Wally found a good place to weather the storm.
At the gift shop, Wally was drawn to the gorilla stuff. He ended up choosing a little stuffed gorilla. He loves telling everyone how the gorilla sat by him "two times!"
We had a incredible vacation. I just wish Joel could have been there with us. I think the last two pictures summarize pretty well how much fun we had.
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