A Couple Of Firsts

Viv headed off to preschool:

And got to play with green sand:

Not only did Baby J turn 5 months but he mastered the art of sitting up!

And had his first taste of real food:

By his expression, we think he was hoping for something more tasty than rice cereal.

 Ted got his first taste of stardom with the publication of his paper on California's water scarcity and over allocation problem in the journal Environmental Research Letters which was picked up by over 20 newspapers, including The Los Angeles Times, and several radio stations. 

We were pretty proud of Dr. Daddy but his official quote went something like this, "These reporters need to leave me alone so I can get something done!"

River's 1st River Trip

As we gave our second born child the name "River," we thought we should finally check out Cache la Poudre that runs right through our new town.

As Ted watched the flow patterns and Vivi splashed in the pools, 

River slept right through the whole glorious day.

 When he finally woke up, we think he was pleased with his namesake.

Larimer County Fair

 "You can take the girl outta Texas, but you can't take the 'Texas' outta the girl," or so the saying goes. So, I took my gang to the Larimer County Fair for a good 'ole 'Texas' fun.

I'm not sure they were all that amused.

However, after watching the pig ropers, Vivi said, "Daddy, I really want a pig."

There was more 'Texas' here in Colorado than I ever saw at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo!

Finding The Lake

We went for a little walk around the neighborhood and discovered this majestic beauty right around the corner! 

It's been so fun exploring the natural beauty that exists in Fort Collins, so we spent the afternoon wandering around.

Finally, Momma couldn't take it anymore and just went for it.

Julius' First Camping Trip

Little guy met a lady...

And got carried by his momma on the most beautiful hike she's ever been on. 

Big Sister actually hiked!

 

He missed out on the s'more party.

And didn't get to go fishing...

Photo: Brian McCurdy

We all saw the hungry fox, begging for human food. It was kinda sad that humans are feeding the wildlife but amazing to see the stunning creature up close.

Photo: Brian McCurdy

 It couldn't have been a more beautiful place to experience the great outdoors for the first time! 

(Pike National Forest near Breckenridge, CO)

Photo: Brian McCurdy

Fishing in the Wild West

 Only two days into his new job, Ted took an entire day off work to go fishing with Gary, a friend from Houston.

There's gotta be some perks to moving across the country away from dear friends and family, and I think this was one of them.

Ted says this little guy fought like a much bigger fish. And apparently, they narrowly escaped this hidden rattlesnake:

 The Poudre (pronouced Pooooderr) River runs right through Fort Collins. I imagine there will be more of this activity in the coming weeks....

We arrived!

After driving 1, 186 miles in five long days in two cars with a toddler and infant in tow, we arrived in our new town and headed straight to the nearest bar (to watch the World Cup). Thanks to G'ma and Grandad for helping us schlep across the country! - June 27, 2014