Fall Foliage

Here are some fall foliage photos from Colorado that I took with the 35mm camera, enjoy:

A view from the outskirts of Aspen.

A view within the city limits of Aspen.

Scenery on the north side of Twin Lakes outside of Leadville.

A view looking at the southwest side of Twin Lakes.

Scenery on the west side of Twin Lakes looking south.

Aspens near Jefferson.

More, more events! Plus, a doctor's visit!

More exciting adventures! We took Samara swimming at the local rec center. I thought she would really like it, because she loves to kick around in her bath. But, she was busy watching all the other kids play and trying to figure out what it was she was supposed to do in this pool of water. We started her out in the big pool, but mom thought the water was too cold for her, so we went to the kiddie pool. It was about a foot deep and the water was very warm. Well, once Samara got relaxed in moms arms while mom swished her around on her back in the water, she went to sleep. I guess she's not old enough for swimming yet. We'll try again later.

Samara had an appointment with her pediatrician, Dr. Boothe, on Friday, October 20th at 9:00 AM. We hadn't realized when we scheduled the appoint ment that 9:00 AM is early for our little girl; she usually wakes up around 9:30 AM on a typical day! She was groggy most of the morning, but not cranky (which is good news). The bad news is that Samara was due her second round of killer injects, her immunizations. Once again, she proved the warrior by only crying for about 20 seconds; afterwards, she returned to her normal self! I supposed we are blessed with a child as calm and patient (most of the time) as Samara; at least that's what everyone tells us. She is patient in the fact that she seems like she absorbs her surroundings as if she was in a trance-like existence. The closest analogy I can think of is when the rest of us (adults) visit a majestic place we have never been or experienced before. What it must feel like to live your first couple of years in that state of mind. For instance, the weather brought us snow last night, and this morning, Samara and I walked around while stopping ever so often so she could stare at things or reach out to grab a limb covered in snow. She didn't mind her hands being cold...

Back to the doctor's visit: Samara weighed in at 15 lbs 9 oz and 25 inches in length (both were in the 90th percentile once again). Her head circumference was in the 50th percentile. This is good news because she was in the same percentile grouping 2 months ago at her 2-month check up. Healthy babies, as the doctor told us, will stay on the same percentile curve throughout their infancy!

During Shana's 2-week water quality course in September, our friend Jerrod was in town (to take the same course). We decided to drive to St. Mary's Glacier located about 30 minutes west of Denver. St. Mary's Glaciers is one of the few permanent snow fields left that do not completely melt during the summer months. Once again, we exposed Samara to the elements! By the time we made it to the base of our hike, snow began to fall and the temperature was just above freezing. After bundling Samara, and ourselves, we hike to our destination. At the top, the wind was blowing frantically and the snow was blizzard-like. Samara seemed to enjoy the snow hitting her face as she'd let out a "coo" her and there! On the way down to our vehicle, I noticed that my face had become numb from the elements and wondered if Samara was in the same situation as myself. I tried to get her to smile, while she was bundled in Shana's coat, and noticed she was having a hard time smiling. But, after a couple of tries, she gave me a big smile! She survived!







Samara has shown us, on a daily basis, increasing motor skills! She watches Orion as he walks around and even reaches out to touch him on occassion. She also has great upper body strength and can sit up by herself for limited amounts of time (before rolling over). We've also been practicing her "rollover" technique by laying her belly-side down on the floor and encouraging her to roll over onto her back. She did that once, but we weren't watching!! In addition, she has also begun to watch us eat and drink, even going as far as reaching out and grabbing our cups and utensils; she even began opening her mouth in anticipation of eating something. As a result, we began feeding Samara "solids" (rice cereal) 2 or 3 weeks ago. She seems to enjoy eating!

Jefferson Lake

Once again, the adventurous nature of Samara's parents came calling. We were invited by some friends to drive to Jefferson Lake in the mountainous region known as South Park. The primary purpose of this adventure was to fish in the lake, picnic, and then eat at Hog Heaven (bbq restaurant) in Bailey; all the while enjoying the great weather. Some of you may have heard of Bailey recently on the news. That is where a gunman went into a school and as a result, Emily Keyes lost her life. Yeah, we were in Bailey the day before this all happened. Kind of creepy and sad to think about. Onto to the real message of this blog..........

Jefferson Lake is at about 10,500 feet and there was snow on the ground. While we were up at the lake, Samara pooped everywhere; it squirted up her back onto her clothes. So, we had to change her, clothes and all, right next to the lake at 40 degrees with wind. She was totally naked for about 60 seconds in the frigid air. She never complained about being cold though. Shortly after we changed her, we snuggled her up in blankets and she fell asleep. The lake was pretty impressive in that it was so clear we could see the fish swim around and go after baited line. Our friend Jeff caught a lake trout that was about pan size, but he was only fishing catch and release that day, so he threw it back. We didn't realize that we had not taken any pictures of Samara at the lake...sorry!

Relative Relatives!

Life has been hectic. Or should I say, Life is Life. Sometimes I feel like we are automated machines; things once learned become second nature (similar to riding a bike). Every once in awhile (sometimes more often), things change temporarily. Our September seemed like an extravaganza of un-automation. Shana went to a 2-week water quality course (taught here in Denver) and, as a result, threw our schedule off. We were lucky enough to have supportive relatives who took time to venture our way andpay homage to Samara. We are indebted to them for helping us out during such a hectic time. The first week, Samara's Aunt Shannon and Cousin Tori (hereby refered to as the Tazmanian Devil, or Taz) tended to her every need while Shana was in class and I was at school. The second week, Grandma Mashburn was able to spoil Samara for an entire week! She hasn't been the same since those "action packed" days in September!

While Aunt Shannon, Taz, and Grandma Mashburn were here, we felt like we needed to show them the beautiful scenery! Fortunately, they came to Colorado at the right time; the awe-inspiring Aspen trees were beginning to turn and provided heavenly views. The weather was also a nice change from the occassional brutal Oklahoma September. The first week, Shannon, Taz, Samara, and I drove to Aspen to show off the beauty; the second week, Samara Grandma Mashburn, and I drove on the Peak-to-Peak highway from Blackhawk to Nederland. Below are some of the images.