Babysitting Both Boys

It was fun to babysit both boys while Jim and Sheryl went to Dan and Michelle's wedding about 45 minutes away. Trenton was looking forward to the visit as he hadn't been here while we were away all summer. Oliver asked for "Mama" a couple of times but was happy all afternoon and evening. He does an excellent job of feeding himself. He enjoyed sitting in the high chair positioned so he could look out the window at the birds. It wasn't that long ago that Trenton did the same thing.
Trenton loves playing the Mr. Incredible pinball game.
Turning over rocks is just about Trenton's favorite outdoor activity. Let's hope we can find a worm like this when we're taking him fishing! Unfortunately, the gnats were horrendous this weekend. The pesky bugs swarm all around your head.
The weather was excellent on Friday for an outdoor wedding and a reception in a big tent. Jim and Sheryl enjoyed being with friends they hadn't seen in a while.
This salamander was a special find.

Oliver pulls to stand easily now. He's stretching to grab the chair back. He tried out all the possible places for pulling himself up.

This bird seed crock was just the right height for him.

Trenton's modeling a clown wig from our Halloween box.

He's very creative with the Bristle Blocks. This is a robot.

Now I have pictures of Jim, Jason (when they were toddlers), Trenton and Oliver looking out the deck window at deer with John. The deer is right over Trenton's head. See how Oliver's looking down at it?

Uncle Jay and Trenton read a bedtime story - the long Mr. Incredible book.

On Saturday Sheryl, the boys and I went to the Bloomsbury Fine Art Show. The weather was cool and cloudy but just fine. We walked up and down the closed Main Street looking at all the artist's wares, listened to some music, and ate lunch.

Family Camping Trip - Allaire State Park

We had a wonderful family reunion weekend even though the weather was not ideal. Please see Sheryl's blog for lots more good pictures. Friday morning we got reacquainted with Oliver who's grown and matured from a baby into a little boy in motion. He's happy and fun to be with. Then we picked Trenton up from preschool. He even introduced us to his teacher. Hmmm, how many 3-year olds would do that?!
Oliver loves to bounce in this seat. He feeds himself all kinds of finger food and isn't fond of baby food anymore.

Trenton is still an amazing vegetable eater. Here he's showing off the after-affects of eating beets. Jim and Sheryl have enjoyed another year of organic produce from a co-op they belong to.

Oliver pulls himself up quite easily now.

Sheryl's parents brought yummy baked beans and potato salad to go with our grilled chicken and Sheryl's veggies, so dinner was a complete success.

Sheryl's blog has Saturday's pictures of our hike at Allaire State Park. The weather was cloudy and damp but we were able to spend the entire day outdoors. Sheryl, Jim and the boys were in a yurt near us in the camper. The guys played wiffle ball, a family favorite. Jim, Jason, Trenton and I went to Allaire Village's Railroad Days where we rode on the train and saw some interesting train exhibits.

Then we drove to Brick for a hibachi dinner - my first. It was quite entertaining.

A nice family outing.

Oliver gets a taste of chocolate ice cream. Once he realized how good it was he opened his mouth eagerly.

Play time after dinner.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny so off to the beach we went. It was John's and my first time there this year. Everyone always says the Jersey shore is great to visit after Labor Day and now we know that's true. This summer we were in the Pacific and the Atlantic!

Trenton loves the sand and the water. He played non-stop for a long time. Right after this snack he collapsed on my lap, whining and crying for "Mommy hugs." Luckily grandma hugs worked, too. Poor kid, he had a fever and had to head home. We thoroughly enjoyed this long-anticipated weekend.

The West

Our 65-day journey has come to an end. Rather than do a chronological blog, this chronicle will be divided into sections. Each section will feature the best pictures in that category. Believe me, this was no easy task as some days we took 50 pictures and there were so many good ones. Rocky Mountain National Park is abbreviated RMNP. Be sure to click on the older posts link at the bottom right of each page to take you to all the entries.

Mountains

Mt. Hood as seen from Timothy Lake, Oregon
Mt. Hood
Looking into the foggy valley from the road to Mt. St. Helens

Mt. St. Helens, Washington - a fascinating place to visit

Such destruction, such magnitude and power

Mt. Rainier, Washington

The view from our campsite at Moraine Park Campground, RMNP. Can you see Abraham Lincoln? Head to the right, chin to the left. It's quite distinctive in person.

Reflections

Reflections in the beaver ponds by Timber Creek Campground, RMNP-West.
It's sad to see all the dead lodgepole pines, but the reflection is clear.
Fern Lake, RMNP

Hikes

RMNP is famous for its scenic hikes. Our hikes were about 4-9 miles in length, some with over a thousand feet of elevation gain. There was usually a beautiful lake as the destination. This is Fern Lake. It was our longest and most strenuous hike. The weather was beautiful and the fishing superb.
Fern Lake
On the Fern Lake trail.

On the Loch Vale trail.

Loch Vale lake - very good fishing here, too.

On the Bierstadt Lake trail. Too bad the views were obscured by wildfire smoke.

On the Lake Hiayaha trail.

On the Lake Hiayaha trail.

Ouzel Falls - in the southeast portion of RMNP-East.

On the Ouzel Falls trail.

Oh darn, and I brought my horse instead of my llama!

Wildflowers

I don't know the names of these wildflowers except for the thistle above (by the Missouri River, MT) so I've just included their locations. They are all so colorful and outstanding.

Timothy Lake, Oregon

Mt. St. Helens, Washington

Mt. Rainier, Washington

North Platte River, Alcova, WY

RMNP-West

Tundra

The tundra hike on Trail Ridge Road in RMNP is (literally) breathtaking. John contemplates the long walk up.
The views are worth it. You can see for miles in every direction. We saw marmots, pika and elk.
It was cloudy, windy and quite chilly. The tundra grasses have turned reddish brown and the wildflowers are past their peak. Winter is not far away.
This walk is breathtaking, too. It feels like you're on top of the world. It's the highest road in the country at over 12,000 feet.
It's easy to see how RMNP got its name.