Even split

This month was a big marker for our biggest kid.  As of this month Samantha has lived in Colorado and California an equal amount of time.  That marker won't happen for Chris and me until 2016.

When we moved to CA she looked like this.

Now she looks like this.

But she doesn't always wear that outfit.

My hope is that Samantha will always have a little Colorado in her.  A little love for mountains, a little love for snow, a little love for hiking, a little love for camping, a little love for skiing (not snowboarding). 

We tell her often how she was born in Denver and lived in Littleton for her first two years of life.  We show her pictures of the three of us hiking in Aspen and Rocky Mountain National Park.  We talk about our friends in Colorado. I hope that she will feel special that she was born in a wonderful place like Colorado, and I hope we will be able to bring her back there often enough to keep her connected to her birthplace.

I smile thinking about how we used to bring her to the National Western every January to see the cowboys for the rodeo, and now we bring her to the Hurley Pro at Trestles every September to see Kelly Slater in his wetsuit to watch world class surfers.  Snow used to be right out our front door, now it is a novelty that we only enjoy in Chicago at Christmas (if it is over 10 degrees), or on occasion in Big Bear. Sniff sniff.

A lot has changed in two years.  But "birthplace: Denver, CO" will never change for Sam.  I love that.

------------------------------------

One of the biggest changes over the last two years is that we added this little lady to the mix.  

Our homegrown California girl...our constant source of entertainment.

But she doesn't always wear that bike helmet.
Although it wouldn't be a bad idea.