When we went skiing this spring we discovered (drove by)
a place to go ziplining!
Ben immediately thought it would be a great idea
to do this for his birthday in May!
All of the children were super excited!
It turned out to be a perfect day!
70 and sunny!
We went to AVA Cliffside Zipline!
When we made our reservation
we could tell they were slightly
apprehensive...
How many children?
What ages are they??
Ummm okay!
They gave instructions to all of the children!
Grace and Emma stayed with us in Idaho Springs!
We hope that with time Grace will be able to join the group.
Grace is continuing to recover from her repaired club foot
(born with Spina Bifida)
and learning to walk on it.
But if that doesn't happen we love having her and Emma with us!
Emma is unable to partake in some activities
for her safety and the safety of others.
She gets frightened, she freezes
and is unable to respond in these situations.
We asked her if she wanted to go Ziplining
and she didn't even hesitate when she answered "NO"!
Idaho Spring is an adorable town
tucked away in the mountains!
The instructors were shocked at how smoothly
everything went with 14 children!
They even took the time to take this picture!
Beautiful cloud formations from the top of the mountains!
They thought it would take 3 hrs 30 min.
for our kiddos to go through the zipline trail.
(Anna ziplining!)
Thank goodness we came back early
bc it only took them 2 hrs 30 min!
(Luke ziplining!)
We were so glad to get a few pics
at the last spot.
(Ben- the birthday boy, ziplining!)
Mia LOVED it!
She has a combination of an adventurous spirit
along with having some fears and anxieties.
We are so proud of her strength and determination!
The end of the zipline!
And it was over...
much too soon
for this crew!
They had such a great time!
The birthday boy was quite happy with his choice,
as was everyone else!
Time to take off the gear and head back home for the rest of the celebration!
We would have loved to have spent more time in Idaho Springs
BUT
if you remember the last post...
we needed to get back home for the puppies!
And remember the concerns they had about 14 kiddos ziplining...
Well... it turned out that this was the best group they have ever had!
They went on and on and on
about how well the kids listened and
did all that they were instructed to do
for a FUN and SAFE time!
GOOD JOB GANG!
We were invited back!
Ben had some great birthday gift idea!
Sometimes artificial twinning is frowned upon...
BUT it has been an incredible blessing to our family!
That's when you have two children close in age that are not actually twins.
These two brothers are 3 months apart
and they are the best of friends!
They are perfect for each other
and having them both in our family
was exquisitely orchestrated by God!
Lots of happy faces!
It's your day buddy!
ENJOY!
Ben is so good natured!
His siblings sometimes like to tease him!
Both Ava and Sam pretended it was their birthday...
When I think of how long this amazing child waited for a family...
I shake my head...
He is incredible!
Born with Spina Bifida
(a sometimes feared special need)
and yet...
look at him...
I see courage,
I see capability,
I see joy,
I see an amazing blessing to our family!
Sam and Ben share so many interests.
They didn't in the beginning
but it's something that has evolved
as their love and respect for each other has grown.
The boys love legos!
And after watching big brother Johnny's team
make it to 3rd place in the nation...
they really love soccer!
Jersey's rock!
Especially when it's the #1 team Chelsea
or big brother Mark's favorite team
Manchester United!
(I love hubby's reflection in the picture!)
And then it was time to find the last gift...
Nope...
not there!
Wrong door!
Look at Daddy's face...
he thought he was sooo funny!
(We've been too predictable
so he decided he'd mix it up a bit!)
Ahhhh, there it is!
He was thrilled!
He has waited a long time for a bike that actually fits him!
He is so patient...
and he has a heart of gold!
We are so thankful
he is our son!
Someone...
ordered his cake from the wrong bakery location...
I don't know who could have made this mistake...
I ain't fessing up to anything!
Thankfully the bakery was soooo kind and whipped up another one!
(Thank you to "The Bundt Cake Shoppe"!)
HaPpY BiRtHdAy to you!
I love the looks on their faces!
And now we are all smiling!
Have a blessed year, sweet boy!
We are blessed by you
everyday!
