mom-daughter day

 we finally set aside some time to go out and take some senior photos.  it was nice spending the day with little sister even if she thought some of my pose requests were cheesy.  then we went to try on prom dresses and ended up with a stunner!  i am excited to have both of these tasks accomplished and checked off the list.

bluebonnets

we stopped in at our local bluebonnet spot this afternoon for our annual bluebonnet photos.  we managed to stay out of the muddy areas and not trample any new patches, sticking to the paths already created by others who came before us to enjoy the beautiful blooms.

favorites cookies

i made a small batch of cookies to celebrate my niece's 14th birthday.  it's always fun coming up with new designs using my existing cutters.  her mom told me she is into tennis, karate, and loves the water.  so i came up with these designs.

98 birthday cookies

this might be my most ambitious undertaking to date.  98 mini cookies for great-grandma's 98th birthday!!  and since she grew up in hawaii and has fond memories, they are hawaii-themed.  and i didn't even have to buy any cutters. 

the last game

little sister's varsity soccer career ended tonight.  just another of the many "lasts" she is experiencing as senior year draws to an end.

day 4

 we said goodbye to the lovely resort and wandered around a bit for one last day together. 

we walked around a bit at the broadmoor.

i'm sure it's even more beautiful when everything is blooming or covered in snow. 

our 5pm flight got us home around 7:45pm.

we are thankful that we got to spend a few days with family.

*****

on a sidenote, a snowstorm came in just an hour or two after our flights took off and dumped several inches of snow.  we would have been so miserable and unprepared if this had happened a day or two earlier.  this is the webcam image from the resort on what would have been our day 5!!

day 3

today was a little more low key.  we ventured just a few miles over to the garden of the gods to explore its scenic and gentle trails through the rock formations.

we also attempted to recreate a few pics from our last visit here in 2016 - so fun!  i don't think we found the exact same rocks.....but we tried to get close.

then we ventured a bit north to see one of daddy's housing communities that is under construction.  then we had some retail therapy at scheels.  we have one back home near us, but it's a rare treat for my sister to shop there.

we ended the night with dinner at texas roadhouse, of all places!  my sister did not enjoy the early-birthday serenade that the staff gave her - but we sure did!  one of my children was sure to capture it on video, but you will have to ask them if you want to see it!!