11-22, Santa's Workshop

We've been long overdue for some family fun.  We surely caught up yesterday at Santa's Workshop up in the mountains near Colorado Springs.  It's a year-round amusement park that holds special appeal during the holiday season.  The 1.25 hour drive was worth the smiles and laughs of the outing.  We went with our good friends (and how lucky are we that they happen to live across the street, too?!).  Our four kids are all different ages but the spread between the years and the boy/girl ratio worked out really well.  They paired off in multiple ways and had a great time.   Us parents even got in on the action a bit, too..... which was cause for even more laughs.  Thank you, the Crow Family, for sharing this great day with us!  What a fantastic way to kick off the holiday season!

10-31, Halloween

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!  Besides a few bumps in the planning stages for us, we all enjoyed the festivities.  I got the kids in the studio for some fun pics.  We then headed into our town of Parker to partake in the trick-or-treating on Main Street with some friends.  What I had imagined it would be like and what it was like were worlds apart.  We had never done this before and I was thinking "quaint Main Street trick-or-treating" and it was more like "trick-or-treating with the masses".  (I guess last year there were 5,000 attendees.) Insanely crowded.  Think trick-or-treating at a farmers market while standing in line with 5,000+ of your closest neighbors.  Hmmm..... fun but definitely not what we expected.  The most entertaining part was observing everyone's costumes-- everyone's!  There are some very creative people out there.  Sadly, when it comes to dressing up (or wanting to), I am not one of them.  Oh well.  Our evening ended with heading home and handing out candy (with our next door neighbor joining us) to a handful of kids (where were they all?  In town??) and putting a pleading Emalie to bed ("Please!  I'm so tired! I want to to go sleep!") while Nik went out around the neighborhood with some friends.  When I got into bed last night, I felt like I'd run a marathon and immediately passed out (because the day involved swimming, karate and Costco before taking on the Halloween activities).  What a busy day it was, fun, but busy!  Anyway, happy belated Halloween!!

Nik and Emalie participating in a Tae Kwon Do demonstration at one of the booths.

Nik and his buddies..... Darren makes a beautiful Elsa, doesn't he?  I was astonished!!

Em was so psyched to meet some firemen and sit on the truck.

The fun is everywhere when you attend a Main Street function.

10-10, Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2015

So after we said goodbye to Pat and Michelle and watched them drive off to Albuquerque for the annual balloon fiesta, Sven had a great idea:  "Why don't we go?"  We had made preliminary plans last year to attend this year, but the plans got aborted when Sven realized the dates coincided with hunting season. It dawned on him, almost too late, that he didn't get his Wyoming antelope tags and he wouldn't be heading out hunting after all.  So on a whim, we packed up the kids and our trailer and headed south to Albuquerque.  Pat and Michelle were great about providing the information we needed for RV parking and getting us tickets into the fiesta.  We were so lucky- they made it so easy for us!  We spent the weekend getting up early, staying up late, watching hot air balloons glow and fly high in the sky.  It was a wonderful, wonderful weekend.  We made new friends and were lucky enough to tag along with the crews who've been doing this for many, many years.  It was truly awesome.  Here are the highlights of our weekend.  If you want more in-depth info and photos about different aspects of the fiesta, visit my other blog via this link:  Finding Focus blog: Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2015.  (Don't worry, the other blog may contain 12 different posts about our adventure, but I spared you the 802 photos I took that weekend!!)  If you just want to see the highlights, scroll on, but you'll miss the in-depth stories about how Sven and I both got to go on rides!!  Whew, that was awesome!

10-15, Miles for Smiles

Look who found their way to Denver!  (Easy, I told them, take  90 to 25.... you can do it!!)  Mom and Dad were here for last Christmas, but we honestly can't remember the last time they visited during their migration (really, after awhile the bird analogy just rolls off the tongue....).  The appeal of Denver being 'in the middle' and 'an easy stop for anyone doing a cross-country trip in any direction' has faded with each time we get passed up.  We were thrilled when Mom and Dad didn't pass us by this time.  (And in fact, they are still here as I type this.  How about that?!)  For not having planned this visit for more than a few days in advance, it couldn't have worked out better.  Both kids are on fall break and they have loved having Grandma and Grandpa here with them during their days off from school.  How perfect is that?  Couldn't have planned it better, I tell ya!  (Grandpa even babysat AND took both kids fishing at the lake while mom and I did some shopping.  Isn't that awesome?  What a Grandpa!!  I bet he slept well last night.....LOL......)  They were even good sports about updating their portraits.  (I know, the wonders never cease...)  We had a great time (yes, I think even they did, too) while I took their pictures.  When I was finished, mom even said something to the effect of "I didn't spend all this time getting ready just for that.  Are we done already?"  Ok, you can imagine I took that statement and ran with it.  HA!  And, I'm glad it worked out that way or I wouldn't have gotten one of my favorite images from the session (the second to the last).  Don't they look like a couple of sweethearts in love?  An engagement session photo, right?  So, all in all, we've had a great visit, had great quality family time and I was able to get some new pics of them.  Happy, happy, joy, joy!  Denver may not be as 'on the way' as we always thought, but I think you'd agree, Mom and Dad, that those smiles were worth the miles!!  

10-1, Quinlan's Visit

October wouldn't be complete at the Krauss Haus without an annual visit from our friends Pat and Michelle.  Each October they drive from Minnesota to New Mexico to participate in the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.  Finally, a scenario where Denver is actually on the way to somewhere else!  It's so awesome that they take the time to stop and see us.  It's so fun catching up with them.  And, the kids love, love, love them, too.  Short and sweet, but always special.  Thanks, guys, for stopping....and maybe we'll see you next week! 

Just about the only time Nik has asked "does anyone want to play Monopoly?" and the answer was yes!

Emalie and Pat-- two jokesters!

Emalie loves that Michelle will sit and read with her.....

..... and play games with her, too!

A photo of everyone before they pull up anchor....

Emalie has somehow persuaded Pat to give her money.....
not sure how that came about.  LOL.....

Trying to get a simple smile from these two is a difficult task!
What fun they are!

Em may be smiling, but she's none too happy that Pat and Michelle are leaving!

Enjoy the Balloon Fiesta, Pat and Michelle!

We look forward to seeing you again soon!