Preparing for a hurricane can be terrifying, I know as a Galveston resident! Preparing for Hanna (named after our latest gulf coast terror:) was pure family fun. Big Bro Bo helped Pappa Matt every step of the way, putting together furniture, learning the fine art of cradle rocking, and even adding an attic fan to bring in the cool fresh mountain air for little sis to enjoy. (That’s Pappa Matt staring down at us from a fresh cut vent-sized hole from the attic to finish the project). This was hilariously funny to Bo, needless to say. Pappa was like looking down from heaven on him:)

After all that hard work, the family enjoyed a bit of hiking along Clear Creek near Golden. The boys grew up on Clear Creek in Clear Lake, but it was definitely a misnomer there. Nothing clear about the one in Texas. This Colorado mountain stream is so clean you could drink from it safely. The rocky cliffs invite many mountain climbers and the rapids offer a challenging river raft run. Someday (after COVID) we’ll do a family trip down the river, landing in Golden next to the Coors Brewery. Can’t wait!

Back at home we arrived in time for the hail storm of the season. Even though the temperatures were in the high 80’s, peanut-sized hail covered the patio furniture and remained icy for quite awhile. Unique experience for me, coming from Galveston. Shortly after that, the Austin family arrived in time for the big event. Ivy and Hazel moved onto Bo’s maple tree to wait for Hanna’s arrival. His swing just barely held Hazel; Ivy was clearly too big. That was ok with Ivy, as she met a fellow tree climber Lincoln, from next door, and they whiled away the hours showing off their acrobatic skills. By the end of the visit, Lincoln had invited Ivy to go to a “drive-in” movie on her next visit. Pappa Tres said that would be when she was 20!

Still there were only three grandkids to hike Mount Galbraith with. We took full advantage of the time biking and hiking the local terrain, and enjoying the view of the hearty hang gliders launching themselves from the top of “Mount M&M” as the girls named it. At night the “M” lights up to remind Golden that it is home to Colorado School of Mines. Inarguably the finest geology and geophysics oriented colleges in the country, the “rock” museum on campus is worth the trip. Again, that will wait for “after COVID”.

Finally, on August 10th, Hanna made her arrival. Get ready world! Bo, Ivy, Hazel, Laura, Tres, and Mamou waited anxiously for her to come home to us. When she did, we were ready with cameras and kisses. She was perfectly adorable, of course. Our famous family photographer came with her equipment to take the first photo shoot of our gorgeous Hanna. She has become, like most second babies, a marvel of eating, sleeping, and that other thing they do so well:)