La Dolce Vita

We went to the Italian festival!  Every year this gets better, mostly because the kids get older :)  I have absolutely NO Italian blood in my veins, but I've learned all the words to "Funiculi, Funicula" thanks to Dave, so I feel very authentic :)

Face painting on the arm (doesn't get in your eyes that way)  Alex the dragon warrior, and Lydia the butterfly
Flag throwers, they're amazing.  But those outfits looks SO hot.
Lydia and Al also helped make "little feet merlot"  So, they stomped some grapes.  Only kids can do it, kind of like child labor except they volunteer.  I don't know how excited I am to drink (if I did drink) merlot that was crushed by children's feet.  Those feet are dirty!
They had a blast.  It looked like so much fun that I really wanted to jump in, except then it would be "big feet merlot".  Doesn't sound as tasty.
Lydia slipped and fell in the merlot :)  It was such a fun day, and a great break from everything going on in our lives.  Thank you Italian festival!

Steamboat

Labor day weekend is traditionally the Mauger family reunion.  We used to go to Moab and mountain bike, but we're getting more kids in the family and that vacation is losing its fun :)  So, this year we went to Steamboat.  We stayed in a really big cabin (more like a house) all together, so we got to know each other pretty well :)  It was a true cabin with taxidermy and antlers all over.  The owner was also kind of obsessed with santas...weird.  Anyway, here's Lydia playing on her new best friend, the bear skin rug.  (I was completely grossed out by this)

Steamboat is a tourist town, so we had a BLAST!  Here we are at the "Wild West Air Fest".
Lydia and Alex getting outfitted in town, it's cowboy/ski country.  So she's sporting the latest in pink boots and hats :)
We went to a stock dog show (like the movie "Babe")  Here's Daniel & Michelle with Steve's little guy Weston
And Steve and Kass
We also went to a bull riding competition which was SO much fun!  I had no idea.  Alex and me were screaming all the time whenever the bull would come after one of the rodeo clowns.  People did look at us weird, so Alex decided to really give them a show.  I couldn't upload the video so if you want to see it... go to YouTube and type in "Alex dancing at the bull riding competition".  It's sideways because it was taken with my cheap camera, which apparently can't edit itself :)  but, it's hilarious.  We'll show you pictures of our home when it's all painted and roofed, should be soon!