The Adventure Continues...

So much has changed since my last post.  I have been held captive to such things as taking Metro Dash footage and turning it into hundreds of snapshots, searching out gyms in each city we go to to find email addresses for marketing, and of course playing mommy to my little cutie.  So sadly, my blog has been placed on the back burner, but I am back!  While in Houston, we discovered the RV Resort we were staying at had an amazing pool complete with palm trees and a "water feature" as the signs which told us to stay away put it.  It was a welcome respite if you went after 5:00 when the sun wasn't as strong, if you faced away from the field of endless power lines, and could ignore the high-pitched, ear pinging sound that came every 5 seconds to keep the mosquitoes away.  Beckett didn't seem to mind any of these minor annoyances and had a blast swimming away with his mom and dad.

Notice water feature in the background

Our little swimmer

Swimming with mom is the best!

I'm an alien!

Keeping warm when the sun goes down!

The Houston event went off wonderfully with a great turnout--over 260 people.  We even got to meet up with our friend, Emilie, which put the icing on the cake and made the heat of Houston worth it!  I even had a little helper who helped me count the medals when it was all over.

A whole new world has emerged now that little man can sit up on his own!

Denver.  Oh Denver.  How we love you!  Denver was filled with mornings of mom drinking coffee outside, while baby, all bundled up, sat up and played with his toys.  And of course, Cooper snuggled up to mom or baby to make sure everything was going smoothly.  The mornings were crisp and cool.  A sweatshirt and pants were all you needed to be comfortable.  Then the afternoon brought with it warmer temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s.  No humidity, and we were free from the tiny RV we call home.  It was a wonderful week!

Mama's big boy (and no, I'm not talking about that glorious RV in the background--though I can't tell you how much I wish it were ours!)  Look at that belly!

Our little guard dog

We even made time to read!  Baby's favorite book--thanks Auntie Paula and Uncle Brentee!

As the week in Denver went on, we discovered a beautiful lake at the park we were staying at.  It took about 30 minutes to walk to from our site, but the walk was beautiful, and it was so nice to be outside and not withering in the heat!  We had the beach to ourselves, and Cooper went nuts over the chance to run around off leash.  And of course, he LOVES beaches!  There was a tiny floating dock that we walked out on.  Cooper loves water, but only if he can walk in it.  Chicken dog is NOT a swimmer.  He is also not a fan of narrow, bobbing docks.  But, he did discover that even at the far end of the dock, the water went up to his elbows.  We managed to lure him out onto the end of the dock, where he became a dock-diving dog.  He loved jumping off into the shallow water and doing it all over again.  It must have been quite a site to see from afar.  Beckett also got to enjoy his first time sitting up on his own and playing in the sand.  Amazingly enough, he didn't even try to put it in his mouth!

Chicken dog exploring the water next to the dock

The slow walk out

Chicken dog diving into the shallow water

The view from our private beach.  Downtown Denver and mountains beyond.

One happy doggy

Standing in the sand!

Most kissable cheeks EVER

As the week in Denver came to an end, I knew it was time for the trip to my favorite place (no, not the showers!):

Now these particular laundry facilities in Denver were outside under a covered overhang.  There were three washers (YES!) but one was broken (BOO!).  Not such a big deal, because I had four loads to do anyway.  I passed the time by reading Beckett my most recent book, Marley and Me.  Now I am pretty sure I am the only person this has ever happened to.  As my two loads of wash were coming to an end, and while standing next to a pile of dirty towels and sheets and a pile of dirty baby stuff, I was approached by a man and woman.  Their smiles of greeting quickly dropped from their faces when they saw me and all my stuff.  Over the sounds of two machines spinning, they asked me if I was still doing wash.  Despite all the sarcastic comments that flashed through my mind, I told them that I had two loads about to go in the dryer and two more to be washed.  They then informed me that they were there to unhook the washers and dryers because the building was going to be torn down.  Imagine the look of dismay sheer panic on this mama's face with dirty sheets, no clean baby clothes, washcloths, bibs, etc., and two loads of wet laundry.  Thankfully, they took pity on me and told me that they would let me finish my laundry before they unhooked anything.  Sometime during this exchange two things happened: the laundry in the washing machines finished and my once pleasant baby began crying.  So now, feeling guilty for making them wait, (even though there was no sign posted or park staff announcement about this catastrophic event) I began frantically transferring my wash to the dryer.  Don't forget about the fusser on my hip!  And my new laundry friends just stood there and watched me.  They WATCHED me, and they watched my purple undies and black bra, which of course HAD to fall on the ground amidst my frenzied clothes transfer.  WHY did it have to be the underwear?  No, it couldn't possibly be Sean's t-shirt or my running shorts.  And why are they staring at me?  Why is Beckett screaming?  How did I get to this place again????  So, even though there were now two free washers for my two loads of laundry, Washer Machine man asked me why I wasn't using the washer with the large sign that said "OUT OF ORDER."  Yes, that is how my day was going.  When I explained to him my reasoning, (it was crazy, I know) he threw some quarters in it, looked at the stream of water, declared it a functioning washer, and told me to use it.  With great hesitation, I put the detergent and clothes in and closed the lid.  My clothes promptly started spinning.  For those of you who aren't laundry experts, the spin cycle is the LAST cycle of a load of laundry.  You know, after the washing machine fills with water, after the clothes have been washed, and after the clothes have been rinsed.  Lucky for me, I had a free load of wash from my washing machine friend.  However unlucky for me all I was going to end up with was a bunch of dirty, dizzy clothes.  Thankfully, he made some adjustments and fixed it--I think the look I gave him made his life flash before his eyes.  After about 3 hours, my laundry adventure was over and all washers and dryers at Cherry Creek State Park were out of commission for a few months.

So now, here we are in Salt Lake City, enjoying "unseasonably hot" weather.  Thankfully, it is nothing compared to the oppressive heat of Houston.  We are looking forward to some fun times here--we are getting together with Kimberly, a friend made in Kindergarten that I haven't seen in years.  Looks like baby is going on his first hiking trip!  Stay tuned for pictures! :)