August 13, 2010 · filed under: Grace Evelyn, Trips by Geoff

With Grace’s fascination with animals growing by the day, we decided to take her to the zoo.  She loved her first visit to the zoo in Denver, so we brought her to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines.  For a small zoo, its quite good, and Grace had a great time!  She especially enjoyed “Kid’s Kingdom” where she got to see and feed lots of animals up close.

And a few additional videos of Grace feeding and watching the animals:

Then on a recent trip to Minneapolis, we made a point to swing by the zoo there.

And lots of videos of the action.  The first is Grace playing in the tunnel through the monkey house:

Next is Grace getting some close action of a Russian Grizzley Bear:

Grace getting a close encounter with a leapord:

And Grace’s first encounter with a shark:

And a short video of the sea dragons that Grace liked:

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August 9, 2010 · filed under: Family, Trips by Jill

Summer days seem to drift on by. It hardly seems that it’s already been six weeks since our first summer getaway. However, those weeks have flown by and we are finally getting the photos up from our June adventure.

It’s been said that one of the favorite things the Janes family does is sail. Chartering a sailboat and spending a few days out on the open water is both exciting and relaxing. It had been 3 years since the family had sailed, and six since both Janes boys had been aboard together.

So at the end of June, Gil & Donna, Geoff & Jill, and Greg & Kim set out for three days on Lake Superior. Boarding the Harmony at Port Superior near Bayfield, Wisconsin, our sail brought us three days of good wind for picking up speed. With this speed we were able to beat a thunderstorm into a protected cove, race out to Devil’s Island and the unprotected water, and enjoy a rousing sail back to port. Each day also brought periods of stillness when there seemed to be virtually no wind at all. This meant time for sunbathing on the deck, leisurely enjoying a book, and catching up as a family.  Additionally, our evenings at anchor allowed us time for delicious meals prepared by Donna and adventures to shore for collecting rocks and watching sunsets.

While the others sailed, though, the littlest Janes enjoyed an adventure of her own. Too young and too active to take in the confines of a sailboat, Grace spent four days enjoying the farm with Grandpa Paul, Grandma Darla, Sarah, Hannah, and Jake. With so many willing to partake in the spoiling, it seemed Grace never had a moment to misbehave. During her stay, she enjoyed watching Jake play baseball, splashing at the aquatic center, playing at Grandma Sally’s house, chasing the kitties, and winning the hearts of all her caretakers.

As always, there are a load of additional pictures available in the gallery.

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July 25, 2010 · filed under: Grace Evelyn, Trips by Geoff

Despite all of the rumors that we’d all gone crazy in the head, the Janes & the Thompsons embarked on what was to be a legendary trip to Colorado.  With a 1 year old, a 2 year old, 4 adults (plus 2 picked up in Denver), 4 bikes & a bike trailer (plus 2 bikes picked up in Denver) and 1 pop-up camper all pulled by the trusty Escalade, we set our sights on the mountains and never looked back.

The skinny:

• 5 nights camping in Glacier Basin Campground, Rocky Mountain National Park
• 3 family hikes with kids in backpacks
• 2 man hikes to climb peaks large and small (thanks Kim for joining the men on the one and for finding the Geocache!)
• 2 campfires with cherry cobbler & peanut butter smores
• 1 home-made gourmet sushi meal
• 1 trip to the zoo
• 1 visit to a water park
• No real naps or clean kids

Our campground had been decimated by a pine-eating beetle, so instead of camping in the woods, we had a clear view of the mountains.  The kids didn’t mind, they were more interested in the dirt, sticks and rocks.  The adults enjoyed good food and good company:

And all the beautiful hikes, only a few where we got caught by the great Colorado freak rain storms:

Man hikes were a way for the guys to get out and get some real good “man” time.  Greg is currently living with two girls and was man-time hungry, so the “man hike” was a great way to get barbaric and go somewhere manly.  Hallett Peak was the chosen destination.

Even with all of our outdoor adventures, we found time for lots of adventures just for the kids.

And in the end we all have fond memories of a great trip and hopes of doing it all again another time.

For a bazillion more pictures, check out the gallery.

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