Leadville Camping

Jamie and I have decided we may go live in a tent in the mountains because:

1. Both kids fell asleep the second their head hit the pillow....(no rocking, no reading, no water, no "I need to go to the bathroom" and any other excuse Belle often thinks of before going to bed AND no waking 5 times for the first hour after putting Mark down for the night). Seriously can't get better than that.

2. They slept in until nearly 8:00 a.m.

3. Mark only woke once a night to feed.

It was about the greatest thing ever, although I still wouldn't say we got quality sleep in the tent, but much better than we expected!

We had a great time visiting with Danelle, BC, Noah, and Will and we were really thankful to Nana and Papa who watched the kids while Jamie and I got out on some beautiful bike rides! Here are some photos of our exciting 4 day trip to Turquoise Lake in Leadville.

The hike behind our campsite. And, yes it rained a little that night, so Belle insisted on wearing her rain boots.
Kisses from Will.
Happy 3rd Birthday, Noah!! Belle loves you! It's not a party without the party hats.
Dinner by the camp fire, followed by Noah riding his bike and Isabelle chasing him in circles for about an hour straight. Hmmm....could be why she slept so well???Good Morning! (I couldn't figure out how to turn the picture)Sierra slept like a gem too, if you can't tell here.
Loving her brother.
Mark's first camping experience and he loved every second of it.
Making s'mores for the first time."Ta da!" She liked it, but didn't love it, thank goodness :) She much preferred to just eat the chocolate.What? You don't floss when camping?
Our hike to the Matchless Mine where Baby Doe Tabor lived and died. Mark's down there being smothered by Belle, which is not uncommon.

This and that....

We just returned from a fun four day camping adventure, but I haven't had a chance to sort through the photos yet. That it is to come soon. In the meantime, I've gotten a bit behind with all the other exciting things happening, so I decided to add a few photos of the latest happenings in the Mercier household.

First, happy 4 month birthday to Mark! We love the millions of smiles you give us, your giggles, and squeals! We love how you're totally attached to mom and dad and want to be held all day (even though we would really like a break here and there and we would LOVE for you to take a nap, on your own, that is longer than 5 minutes). We love how you adore your older sister and we can't get over how quickly you grow and change each day. We hope one day you learn to like car rides. They really aren't that bad if you'd just take a nap and please understand that we're sitting right in front of you! We love you Bubba!!
Next, happy 2 1/2 years to Isabelle! We love your sense of adventure and exploration. You amaze us with how excited you get over such simple things. (We do wish you'd stay closer to us when you do your exploring and have just a tad bit of fear). We love your sense of humor! There is not a day that goes by without you making us laugh once or twice or a gazillion times. We love your imagination, especially when you play with Seesaw (her number one favorite toy, a dinosaur). You really know how to make our day bright and full of adventure! We love you Princess!
And in other news, some of the latest adventures we've been on in the past couple weeks include:

Swimming with family members. Mark's first swimming adventure which he loved.
Visiting the zoo with family members.
Going to the newly discovered Westland Park that was fantastic, especially during these hot days!!
Hiking in Evergreen.
Shhhhh.....we're hiking and need to listen for animals.

And finally, getting good at riding bikes!

Cabin Fun

We FINALLY found time to go to the cabin. We hadn't been there since before Mark was born, so we were pretty excited to spend some quality time up there. We enjoyed the numerous hikes Belle took us on, relaxing in the cabin while watching the thunderstorms, and cooling off from the Denver heat.

Rock star Belle enjoying her lunch on the deck.

Mark spent most his time in the carrier while we followed Belle everywhere.Hiking after the rain storm = must wear rain boots.Learning about ants.
She did settle down at times to swing in the hammock and to rest in her fort.Only the best...PBJ.Loving tummy time and scooting in circles on the open floor.Although the jealousy kicks in here and there, Belle still adores her little brother more than anything and we love to see them together. Mark just beams when she comes around to play with him.

Science Experiment and Tight Rope Walking....

Belle was pretty impressed with her first science experiment taught by dad. I thought it was pretty cool too. She learned all about dry ice. She is now ready for a science fair (as soon as she starts school).....
We went to Belleview Park for some fun in the sun. We rode the train.
As tired as Mark was, he must have enjoyed the train ride because he managed to stay awake for the whole ride. He was out as soon as it was over.
Then we visited the animals in the petting zoo.
Unfortunately, this rat was named Mark. How disappointing. Belle made friends with this couple who brought a tight rope and were practicing walking on it. A pretty random thing to see at a park, but Belle was thoroughly amused and even got to try it herself, something I can say Jamie and I have never tried. Lucky girl.