Halloween

The pictures speak for themselves...

It's been a Halloween marathon around here. We started with a party down south with our friends in Powderhorn. From there Meredith went to her Stepping Stone's party, we went trick-or-treating in downtown Gunnison, and then we hit the streets tonight with several friends. The costumes that Grandma made for the girls were big hits and Delaney seemed to enjoy her first Halloween.

If you missed it, check out the previous posting of our first snow here in Gunnison.

First Snow

We had our first snow on Monday and couldn't wait to let Delaney experience it! Her cheeks and nose got nice and rosie and although she had a hard time sitting up she appeared to have a good time. Meredith loved it as well and begged us to get the sleds out. It took a lot for us to convince her that there wasn't enough snow for sledding yet and that it probably would last long either. Sure enough most of it has melted but the cold stayed...it was 16 degrees when we got up this morning. Winter is here!

I suppose you've lived in your house awhile when you've had two little blond girls take baths in your kitchen sink. Can you tell who is who?

A few weeks ago, Brandon's parents dug out his old He-Man toys from the childhood stash and brought them over for Meredith to play with. It was a blast from the past to look at the 25 year old toys. Most of them are in pretty good shape and Meredith seems to like them. Delaney was infatuated with Skeletor...

Brandon and his friend Paul had a nice hunting trip and explored most of the southern Gunnison Basin in the sun, snow, and rain. Thanks to Paul, at least there was one elk to be packed out. The highlight of the season was getting Paul's son out for his first elk packing adventure (don't worry Mom, he'll get caught up at school). Kids sure grow up fast.

It was a very busy but uneventful week in Gunnison. The mornings have been chilly but it seems to warm up quickly and we find ourselves enjoying a true Indian Summer. The sunny days have allowed us to savor several bike rides throughout town and evening walks to the river (two things that will be greatly missed once the snow flies). Brandon left Friday for his long awaited elk hunt leaving his "girls" at home to decorate the house for Halloween. We also enjoyed another visit from Grandpa and Grandma who came for lunch and delivered two homemade Halloween costumes...to be revealed soon!

Fall is upon us in Gunnison and there are all sort of things to report from the Diamond household. Delaney continues to impress us with her development and it is always fun to see what she has in store for us from week to week. She is to the point where lying on her back isn't good enough anymore and she seriously wants to be up and in the thick of things. She has started to sit up on her own (mostly on her own), and likes to watch what everyone is doing. She still enjoys toys but needs plenty of variety. She also likes to sit in her "johnny jump-up" where she can move around a little bit and stretch her legs. Check out the picture of Delaney working on her first art project at our kitchen table!

Fall also means hunting seasons, and Brandon and his dad took to the hills recently for Al's long awaited elk hunt. The weather was great, and they managed to find a few elk to chase. Al has waited for 13 years to go on this special hunting trip and it was well worth the wait. It's definitely nice to get the freezer filled up.

This weekend we made our annual trip to our favorite pumpkin patch and picked out four instead of three! Soon we'll get our tools out and do some carving- Delaney is sure to love the new experience....

Family Traditions

Five years ago we took one special picture that created a family tradition for us. Now every September we pack a picnic and head out to our spot where we enjoy the fall colors and try to replicate the original picture. For the past couple of years Meredith has hiked all the way by herself and along the way manages to find leaves of every color. Delaney loved her first adventure to our picture destination, staying alert and ever so curious while napping only once after we ate a delicious lunch. We were very excited to have an addition to this years picture. Unfortunately, the hike has gotten rather difficult for our aging Annie Dog. However, we will do whatever it takes to include her...even if that means her best friend Brandon helps her to get back home!