College Roomie Reunion!

Panorama from Aubrey's deck

Indoor/outdoor living

The boys spent their time catching grasshoppers

This activity never got old!

The girls enjoyed the swing set and the giant trampoline

Her overdone smile always kills me!

Aubrey's beautiful flowers!

My own little wildflower!

Our kids lined up from youngest to oldest (2, 2, 4, 4, 6, 6)

This guy's probably going to be an entomologist!

These guys became fast buddies

Miss Independent making her way up the trail

Enjoying himself at Garden of the Gods

What a stinker

There's my buddy!

We made it to the Beutler's favorite climbing spot

Looking down from way up high!

King of the mountain!

Please don't fall!

He did such a great job climbing!

We made it out with only one injury

Looking for horses in Aubrey's neighborhood

Beau shows me his grasshopper collection (which made it all the way back to ABQ!)

A lovely meadow near Aubrey's home

Enjoying the wide open spaces!

My sweet little trio

Girl power

Bugs, bugs, and more bugs!

Everyone found a stick souvenir

Beau lugged this giant log around!

He wanted to bring it home, but I thought a picture would be a good substitute for the real thing

Afternoon storms rolling in!

This was a long hike for my city boys!

Boys always find a way to make a gun!

Sweet little Lexi

Popsicle time after our walk

Mmm mmm good!

I loved Aubrey's big driveway for bike riding

Hey! Get out of my car!

One of my New Year's goals was to stay (or get) in touch with my family and friends. I've always considered my college roommate, Aubrey, to be one of my very best friends despite the fact that I didn't keep in touch after getting married (Ugh! I'm the worst at staying in touch!). I emailed her at the beginning of the year and she invited me to come up to Colorado Springs where she and her husband were building their dream home. I drove up there a couple of weeks ago, just the kids and I, and we I had a wonderful time getting to know their fun family, living in luxury at their mansion, and enjoying the beauties of Colorado! 

Trip Highlights

• Aubrey's Mansion: Aubrey's gorgeous home sits on four acres in northern Colorado Springs. It feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, but Dave's job and all of their necessities are only 10-15 minutes away! I'm definitely going to consult with Aubrey if we ever get a chance to design our own home! Some of my favorite parts include:

• The living room wall completely opens up to an outdoor living room. 
• The kitchen is light and bright with an enormous island!
• The pantry is huge with a deep freeze in it. 
• My favorite room was what they called the "flex" room - it was a giant laundry room with it's own sink. It also had 6 desk spaces and a craft closet. 
• A bathroom in the garage for people to use if they are dirty from working/playing outside and don't want to track mud inside. 
• A huge mudroom with space for everyone's bags and shoes. 
• A big gym in the basement. 
• His and hers steam shower in the master bedroom. 
• A water fountain outside for the kiddos. 
• An outdoor kitchen, dining area, and grill. 
• A secret hideout in her son's closet. 

• Catching Up: It was so fun to see Aubrey in her element, to see how in love she and her husband are, and to get to know her darling kiddos. Our kids are about the same ages and they all got along pretty well. Aubrey and Dave seem very happy and are loving life. I enjoyed our evenings together once the kids were down playing games and chatting. 

• Delicious Food: Aubrey spoiled us with delicious chicken tacos and baked corn, chicken and shrimp curry, peach cobbler, and green chili turkey burgers. 

• Fun Excursions: For the most part, we stayed home and hung out while the kids played. The boys were entertained almost all day long catching grasshoppers out in their huge yard. The girls enjoyed the trampoline and jungle gym. We did do some fun outings, though, including a hike at Garden of the Gods, a trip to a new splash pad and park, and a fun walk through Aubrey's neighborhood. Her neighborhood, by the way, is absolutely idyllic! It makes me want to own lots of land! Their property backs up to the "Black Forest" and there are pretty trees, rolling hills of grass, and gorgeous mountain views all around! I really enjoyed Colorado's summer weather, too - the mornings are sunny and warm, but each day afternoon showers cooled everything off.