Quick Update

This past Wednesday, Katie, Christie, and I helped serve our military through Challenger Homes. There was a military appreciation day at Ft. Carson, and so we joined some others in the sno-cone and balloon tent and served over a thousand treats! Tonight, I had another double-header for DCC, and we split the pair of games, which brings our record to 10-4, a great season so far.
     Sorry there are no pictures for now, but our "film crew" forgot to take pictures at my game tonight, so most likely you'll have to wait until Saturday. If all goes as planned, tomorrow I will finish and release the stop-motion film that I've been working on this summer! It will be up on my Studio 11 blog (there's a link in the side bar), so be ready for the post!

Cottonwood Creek Park

After morning chores and the like, the gang piled into the van, and we headed to Burger King for an early lunch. Thanks to the local library reading program rewards, we've received quite a few freebies!   Afterwards, we went to the Cottonwood park across the street from our house to play for a little while. When we started to leave, heading towards the parking lot exit, Ben wondered aloud, "Where are Becca and Anna?" This was most surprising, considering it's usually Ben (often referred to as the absent minded professor) who is being forgotten or not present at meals. So, fortunately we picked them up before heading home, and we all lived a happily ever afternoon. Enjoy the (yes, only three this time) pictures!

Where's Waldo?

This fine, blue-skyed Saturday saw Katie, Dad, and I traipsing along the Waldo Canyon Trail. We left early this morning, and did the 6.3 mile trek in just under three hours. The best part of the hike: I was the only one who likes ginger snaps... nom, nom.

Ben's Party... Ninja Style!

Yesterday, Ben had a great time with his siblings and some of his new neighbor friends, as we threw a Ninja themed party for him. Luke, Becca, and Anna all had been working hard at planning the bash for him, and they pulled it of well. From "Pin the Throwing Star on the Ninja" to a scavenger hunt to homemade piñatas to pizza and ice cream, we had it all. Enjoy the pictures!

Chalk Paint!

Yesterday, some of the kids were painting with chalk on the sidewalk, and Matthew decided his nose would be just as good. ;) A couple of pictures are up, and there will be another post and lots of pictures after Ben's birthday party this afternoon!

She'll be coming 'round the mountain...

This morning saw us heading to Denver to take Elissa to the airport. We made a day of it, and stopped for a tour at Hammond's Candy Store, which has been open for 90+ years! The feeling was that of, well, kids in a candy store (to borrow the cliché). And then we were off to see Sis to the Departures door...

Ben's Birthday!

Happy Birthday Ben! Today, Ben's festivities continued as we also celebrated Father's Day. We love you, Dad! Pictures of present opening are up for your pleasure...

Two for one!

Okay, you get two events for the price of one post... free. Today was a packed Saturday, with plenty of fun had by all. In the morning, Ben's birthday doughnut breakfast prepared us for the day with an extra healthy (or not) dose of sugar. Tomorrow, he turns seven! He had fun opening some of his presents, and after that, we loaded the gang up to take on Castlewood Park. The auspicious prospect of a leisurely family hike was not foiled, even with Will getting out of the car sporting one shoe in hand... where the other one is, we still don't know. So, Dad carried the barefoot boy in the hiking pack, I took Matt on my shoulders, and Josh got a ride from Mom. We found a few lizards on the hike, and Luke even "caught" one with his rear end. Talk about talent! 'Twas a fun time; the excursion was topped off with a trip to Sonic... ahh, slushies. Check out the pictures!

Zoo Trip (and more pictures!)

This morning, most of the gang too a trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. This week has been full of more unpacking/organizing, baseball, and time outdoors...

Sunday Hike @ Red Rocks

Tonight, we took a family hike at Red Rocks park. More pictures are up for your enjoyment!

Saturday's Explorations... mmm, Chikin!

This week has been good, and today we took a trip to the Focus on the Family's Headquarters here in the Springs. The kids enjoyed checking out the Adventures in Odyssey Whit's End, and we even got to record our own episode. Another favorite highlight was the three story tall slide- fun!
     For lunch, Chick-fil-a was our destination, and what a glorious platter of chicken nuggets awaited! :) Check out the pics of today's fun!

The Incline is conquered!

Wow... that was a workout. Check out the pictures to get an idea of what we did. The stairs are on the ascent, but a more gradual trail led back down. Katie, Christie, and I made in a little under 50 minutes, and Dad and Mom followed a short while after (this is without much acclimation to the altitude). So, who is ready to come visit and tackle the timed trial version? :)

New Photos

Now up: more pictures of our arrival to Colorado, the neighborhood, the Olympic Training Center, and a sign that really makes you wonder...

Baseball and the Incline

This has been our first week "alone" in the wild west, and we are pushing through the last of the unpacked boxes and miscellaneous groups of who knows what. It's our hope to be done with that by the end of this week. Tonight I played with the Discovery Canyon JV team for the first game of their season, and the whole family came out to cheer us on. Tomorrow, Dad, Mom, Katie, Christie, and I *cue dramatic music score* will take on the Incline. While it's only a mile long, the trail is composed of railroad ties forming a stairway with a +60˚ grade. We'll be hiking along with those from Dad's office, and it should be a lot of fun. Please continue to pray as we seek a church home out here, and for our interactions with those that we meet!

Weekend News

Our adventures continued on Friday with a trip to Pike's Peak. We piled into the van and drove to the summit- 14,110 ft above sea level. Visit the Photos page to see some of what we experienced- but pictures just can't do it justice. That night, I had the unexpected surprise of getting to play with the school's varsity baseball team. I might think it was a dream, but the bruise on my arm from that 0-2 fastball reminds me that it was, in fact, real. Saturday, some of the older crew took a hike on the Palmer Trail; there were some sweet hills and boulders that were climbed. Unfortunately, we had to let Grandpa, Chris, Susie, and Amy (shout out to my travel buddy!) leave for Indy and the Amazon. We had a great week with ya'll, and wish you were still with us, exploring Colorado!

The Day's Adventures & the Quote of the Week

Today's adventures began with a visit to Dad's office, where Challenger Homes was able to finally meet the whole family. Our hiking locale this time was Garden of the Gods, but we only started after miscommunication and one of the cars having to drive all the way through the park and back to the rest of the group. Following the trek, some of the older crew drove to Manitou Springs for the afternoon.
     I believe that the quote of the week should go to Will. Last night, he turned to Dad and innocently asked, "Dad, when are we going to Colorado?"

Houses and Hikes

Be sure to check out the "Photos" page to view the pictures of our house and today's hike to Helen Hunt!

Departure and Arrival

     After an early Saturday morning departure from Zionsville, Indiana, the Jarrett Tribe set forth on the path of adventure (known as I-70 to some). The day included visits to friends in Missouri, emergency bathroom breaks, and driving in abundance. We stopped for the night in Topeka, Kansas, continuing Sunday across the long, flat plains. Early that evening, the convoy pulled into Colorado Springs... home at last.

The Rocky Mountain Tribe

Dear Family and Friends,

I am excited to announce the start of our family blog: Rocky Mountain Tribe. We hope you enjoy the posts and pictures, keeping up to date on all of our latest experiences. I'll be doing the majority of the posting, and we'll have some "guest writers" from time to time. :) Thank you all for your prayers as we adjust to this change. We love and miss you!

   -Nate