This Summmmmmer

Wow, this Summer. So much happened. It was so wonderful, It was busy. It was exciting. Have I lost my excitement in blogging...maybe. But I just can't quit...yet. So let's do captions. 

We reignited our Memorial Weekend trip to Lake Mac! It was so fun to close out the school year by hanging with friends! It did not feel like summer because it rained and was insanely cold. WHO cares...we had fun! 

We took Grandma and Grandpa to their first ever escape room and we got out! It was super fun, and everyone gets involved!

This was the whole gang at Lake Mac!

Russ and I went to one of our favorite festivals ever-the Outside festival! It was amazing! So many good people! We stayed at the cutest Bed and Breakfast and just really enjoyed biking around! 

My friend Heiser invited Katie and I to go see Ryan Bingham. I -ish knew him, but I tell you what....now I'm a huge fan. Hallelujah. AMAZING! 

WE went camping at Horsetooth with our friends the Holliness. It was kind of nuts, and Russ was the glorified driver. Poor guy was driving and working, and working and driving. Ryk started getting into fishing big time starting here! 

The Kellers came out to join us and it was wonderful!

I went to Nebraska to be there for my friend Sarah while she recovered from knee replacement surgery. I was able to dip out for a bit and see Enid and family! Their place is SO cute! Enid is at such a fun age and it was great to have her show us the way around!

This is Costa Rica-and it was wonderful! This was here at the Hanging Bridges and it was a very cool way to experience the jungle. We got to see spiders, snakes, and a monkey or two!

We did Canyons as one of our expeditions. IT was wild! It reminded me of what I did when I went to the Dominican Republic. It was so amazing seeing the kids be brave. It was also wild watching this as their Mom. I was 1/2 like GO kids and 1/2 like OH MY GOD be careful. LOL. Good times!

THis was a really cool waterfall we went to! We had to take 500+ stairs to get there and played in the water! 

Real life cowboys in Costa Rica! It was a really cool way to see some of the countryside!

We started finishing our basement! It has been so awesome to have the kids helping. Demps runs the chopsaw. AJ knows how to build the walls, Ryk is a rockstar at figuring out angles, and Russ he tells us all what to do. We definitely have to keep cheerleading them because they don't always want to build:) We are getting close to being done with framing! I know it's going to feel super cool for them to know that they played a huge part in making this basement happen!

I have done a decent bit of hiking this summer! This was Ouzel Falls! So pretty!

We went to the river and I got to see my Grandma. She is so darn special to me, and I cherish anytime I can put a hug on her. I love to continue to ask her what the secret is...this time she told me "I don't know Megan. I'm surprised I'm still alive." Oh Grandma!

The River was amazing! We never get enough time there! I could stay there for a week!

My parents are so good at keeping traditions. We went to the rodeo and it was epic as always. We got front row and Ryk had a special job babysitting cookies for the clown and host!

We got lots of tubing in! I feel grateful that I can still be on the tube at 42:) Let's go!!!!! By the way...the kids got to feel the tube on the river and they fell off so much! LOL. It made me happy, because that is how I grew up!

We finally got to go to CarHenge. JUST like StoneHenge BUT in Nebraska with cars;) Amazing!

This is Rogers Grove. The water has been slower than we are used to, so we didn't get to experience as much as normal! BUT this day was kind of amazing because the boys found this log and rode it down. Pretty hilarious!!!!!

Backpacking ladies a week before backpacking we hiked. Love these ladies so much! Even though we don't always get to see each other-it's so special when we are together!

This is a snapshot of my OFFICE. My real office for my real business. I can't wait to talk more about this in another post. 

It was just me and Nina (and Kevin) backpacking this year. So different than years back. It was special in it's own. Nina is just so amazing and just makes everyone so wonderful. It was good for us as we both were healing last year-so it was really good to show ourselves that we can do it! It was hard to come home because being out in nature is everything. It's so simple. It's so beautiful. It's everything. 

Kevin enjoyed backpacking so much! He's such a freak delight. He had a huge fan base up there on the mountains!

We introduced the kids to pickleball and now they are killing it. Frankly killing us, usually. I can't believe how quickly they picked it up. We are known to go down to the courts around 830pm when it finally cools off! It's such a fun family sport!

Ryker has drank the Fishing Cool-aid bigtime! He is constantly looking at lures, and fishing strategies. I LOVE his new hobby and this was a picture of us heading out early in the morning. It's been slightly annoying that we haven't had the best luck. BUT he keeps going.  

I know I'm leaving some things out, but this summer has been good. It's been lots of getting settled in our new house. Prepping for the new job. Russell has been working his landlord butt off. The kids have a had a chance to earn money by working for the business. We've camped a bit, hiked a bit, and traveled out of country:) Per usual we are adjusting back to work and school, and man that's hard. Retirement feels good on me:)

Love you all,
Mom

15

AJ turned 15 in June. This kid… he’s going to be an adult before I can blink. It’s such a bittersweet season. He’s smart, wise, a pain in the booty, a leader, a thinker, a reader… just an all-around solid guy. I can tell he’s flexing those “I’m growing up” muscles, which has led to some fun times. I remind myself often: this is all part of the process.

I’m so curious about where life will take him. We’ve always said he has an engineer’s brain, but recently my dad mentioned he thought AJ might end up in the humanities. (He even dabbled in helping me with my counseling scheduling, which was surprising!) Who knows?! It still catches me off guard when he hugs me and towers over me. It wasn’t always that way…

This summer he also got his learner’s permit, and I’ve loved watching him embrace driving with confidence. He’s said “yes” to every challenge—whether it was rush-hour traffic downtown, driving down the mountain from Estes with my parents, cruising along I-25, or even making it through drive-thrus. He’s already logged more than 35 hours toward the 50 he needs by next June. He’s even gotten comfortable driving the boat. I think he’s really enjoying the independence driving brings. And honestly, I love having another driver in the house—and so far, we don’t drive each other too crazy!

Another thing I’ve noticed is how he’s leaning into healthy risks. He’s tried rappelling, zip lining, and even jumping into rivers—despite his slight fear of heights. He agreed (maybe reluctantly) to get on a horse, too. It’s been so cool watching him step into new adventures with courage.

Here’s to his sophomore year—the last year before Ryker joins him in high school! I can’t wait to see what he gets into next.

Love,
Momma

I can’t even.

Yesterday we picked up a razor for Ryk! He’s started growing a decent mustache and he’s taken after Russell with the dark hair. This am Ryk said his upper lip felt a bit funny. I asked why, and he told me that AJ taught him to shave last night so he shaved. 

Are you kidding me? Ryker didn’t wait for Russ, he asked his older brother. And his older brother showed up :-) This makes my mom Heart so happy!

Love, Mom

Changes....

Per tradition, I’m sitting in the river, reflecting on the year—letting go of the hard stuff, the things I didn’t get to, and holding onto the sweet memories. This year hits a little differently, though, because change is happening.

After 11 amazing years at Longs Peak, I’ve decided it’s time for a new adventure. This place has been my second home. The friendships I’ve made, the students and families I’ve connected with—it’s all shaped me in ways I’ll carry forever. I’ve laughed here, cried here, and maybe eaten more than my fair share of donuts here.

A little voice has been nudging me toward something new, and I’ve decided to listen. Next year, I’ll be part-time with LaunchED (yes, I get to join some friends and amazing staff), and the other half of my time I’ll be starting my own therapy practice—with my newly certified therapy dog, Kevin. He’s the real boss now.

I’m scared. I’m excited. I’m sad. I’m hopeful. And I’m really hoping I can still play in the LPMS staff student basketball game, jk…..kinda:)

Oh—and because why not do all the things at once—we moved, too. So stay tuned for our new address. I owe you all one final Rolodex update.

Thanks for being such a beautiful part of my journey.

-Meg

Always up to Something!

I’m not sure we’ll ever fully settle—we always seem to be up to something! This spring, we made a big decision: to move into a new house closer to town. While we loved our land, the pool, and the wide-open space, we were feeling a little too isolated. Carpools were tricky, the kids couldn’t just roll over to a friend’s house, and let’s not even talk about the gas bill.

Our new house has been a great fit. The yard is a good size, we have an amazing group of neighbors, and the best part? AJ can walk out the back gate and be at school—literally right in our backyard. Moving was no small task (moving never is), and we’ve promised the kids we’re staying put for at least eight years. We mean it this time!

Huge shoutout to the grandparents for all their help getting our old house ready to list. The market’s been a bit tough, and it’s still sitting there... but hey, we’ll enjoy that pool a bit longer in the meantime.

Other Highlights Lately:

• Golfing Crew: Russell has been pretty successful at getting the whole family out for rounds of golf—even Dempsey! We keep tossing around the idea of lessons, but haven’t quite committed.

• Easter Joy: We took one of my all-time favorite family photos this Easter—everyone is smiling, and there’s a lot of pink!

• Birthday Picklefest: For my birthday, Russell invited some of our friends to celebrate at the first-ever Loveland Picklefest! The place was packed and it was such a fun time.

• Lake McConaughy Camping Trip: Our annual camping trip was a bit soggy—mid-50s and rainy—but somehow still a blast. The kids built their best fort yet (complete with a fire!), we played a can jam tournament, and plenty of other games. It’s always a treat to reconnect with the other families and watch everyone’s kids grow up.

• Escape Room Pros: We took the grandparents to their very first escape room—and either we’re getting smarter or that room was too easy, because we escaped with time to spare. It was so fun introducing them to something new!

And now, summer is here! We’ve got some great plans ahead—including finishing the basement in the new house because… well, why not?

Here’s to another season of adventures, memory-making, and probably not sitting still for long.

Love,
Mom

Ryker’s Trip to Worlds—Making It Worth ItRyker’s team qualified for Worlds at multiple points this season—an exciting accomplishment! But like many things, it came with some challenges. Team dynamics made it a bit stressful for Ryker, and although he was initially really interested in going, his enthusiasm started to fade as the trip approached. We’ve always emphasized the importance of following through on commitments, so we encouraged Ryker to think about ways we could make the experience feel fun and meaningful. In the end, it was just me, Russell, the grandparents, and Ryker making the trip together. And we made it count. One night, we introduced the grandparents to Top Golf, which was a hit. Another evening, we went out for a nice dinner and capped the night with a chilly—but not too chilly—dip in the hotel pool after a family basketball game. It turned out to be a really sweet memory. Ryker got plenty of one-on-one (okay, one-on-four) attention, and I think, in the end, he didn’t regret going. We even had perfect weather—at least when we managed to escape the walls of the convention center! Cheers to showing up, to finding the joy, and to making it all worth it. Love, Mom

Ryker’s team qualified for Worlds at multiple points this season—an exciting accomplishment! But like many things, it came with some challenges. Team dynamics made it a bit stressful for Ryker, and although he was initially really interested in going, his enthusiasm started to fade as the trip approached.

We’ve always emphasized the importance of following through on commitments, so we encouraged Ryker to think about ways we could make the experience feel fun and meaningful. In the end, it was just me, Russell, the grandparents, and Ryker making the trip together.

And we made it count.

One night, we introduced the grandparents to Top Golf, which was a hit. Another evening, we went out for a nice dinner and capped the night with a chilly—but not too chilly—dip in the hotel pool after a family basketball game. It turned out to be a really sweet memory. Ryker got plenty of one-on-one (okay, one-on-four) attention, and I think, in the end, he didn’t regret going.

We even had perfect weather—at least when we managed to escape the walls of the convention center!

Cheers to showing up, to finding the joy, and to making it all worth it.

Love,
Mom