Blessed With Boys

50 and Fabulous!

2012-01-20T13:30:00.001-08:00

So my Aunt Deb is probably going to hate me for giving out her age, but oh well lol. In the beginning of January my family threw a 50th surprise birthday party for her. My Aunt Patty and Uncle Jim hosted it and my Aunt Deb didn't have a clue. We had a cover story so she wouldn't figure out what we were doing. We were all going out to dinner to celebrate and she was going to drive with my Uncle Jim and Aunt Patty, but before they left their house my Uncle Jim had to show her a new Bronco thing he got in his basement and that was where we were all patiently waiting in the dark. She was so overcome with love and happiness when she found out that we were surprising her with a birthday bash, she started to cry. She was surrounded by most of the family, and some good friends too. It was a wonderful evening, celebrating a wonderful woman.

Wasn't she an adorable lil' girl? I think so!

My cousin Brian being silly and hiding in the corner lol

The little boys waited so patiently and quietly for thier Aunt Deb to come in

Waiting in the dark ha ha

She was so surprised she started to cry:)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU"

Opening all her gifts and cards...the majority of them had a common theme,

either Broncos stuff or dog stuff. She is a Bronco and an animal lover:)

One of the covers of the cards she got...LOL!

San Fran with my Man

2012-01-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

Besides my husband loving what he is doing for a living, him being a pilot has some great perks for me too. When we found out his schedule for January he saw that he had a 26 hour layover in San Francisco, so he invited me to come with him. Free airfare, free hotel (because his company pays for the hotels he stays in on his trips)...I was in!

My in-laws so graciously offered to watch the boys with a little help from my parents too. It was a quick trip lasting from Tuesday morning to Wednesday late evening, but it was the perfect getaway for Kyle and I. San Francisco is the neatest city and there is so much to see and do. Kyle's sister Katelin and her hubby Charlie are stationed in California about an hour North of San Fran. They met up with us for the day and we had a fun time exploring with them.

So this is our adventure...San Fran in a day:)

Kyle and I started the day with a walk along the bay. We were waiting for Katelin and Charlie to pick us up and it was a beautiful morning and the hotel was set right off the water. On our walk we took in all the water views and it made us miss Savannah and living so close to the water.

Biggest carousel I have ever seen

After our walk, Katelin and Charlie arrived and we headed straight to Pier 39 on Fisherman's Wharf to get some lunch and see the scenes. I love the atmosphere of the Pier. Even though it was the beginning of the week it was still busy. The warm temperatures of the day prompted shop owners to have their doors wide open and the smells wafting from the stores were tongue tingling, mixed in with the scent of sea salt of course. You had your basic souvenir shops, seafood restaurants, jewelry boutiques, art galleries, and a ton of other places. It was an interesting area full of culture that is native to San Francisco and other seaside cities.

Sea lions...a ton of them! Boy oh boy were they smelly and loud!

Can you see Alcatraz in the background?

The Rodney Lough Art Gallery was inspirational to any type of photographer, whether you are amateur, hobby, or a professional. I wish I could have been able to take some pictures of the pictures that he took because they were indescribable. Katelin and I thought to ourselves...these places actually exist on Earth? The scenes he captures truly look out of this world, they are that beautiful. I could have stayed in there for hours, but my hubby on the other hand could not.

Boudin's Sourdough Bakery...everyone told us we had to try the bread,

so we did and I sure was glad that we did. Very yummy and I

love how they mold the bread to create creatures...very cool!

One baker making sea turtles

We saw this sign and it lured us in. I love old fashioned arcades. Only wish that

each game cost a penny like it did way back when the arcade first opened.

Charlie trying to sneak a peak of what belly dancers do on their day off lol.

Taking a stab at arm wrestling...did I win? Nope! I even

picked the easiest setting. Man is that man in the mask strong!

Taking a whirl at the Kiss-o-meter

It said our kiss was timid....pfffff timid? No way!

Another view of Alcatraz

We decided to take a tour of the USS Pampanito submarine and it was my first time in one.

A broom was fastened to the top of the submarine

The broom signified victory when in combat

Very steep stairways

Very tiny doorways

San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge in the distance

Coit Tower "towering" over San Fran

Steep streets

Lots of trolleys

I believe that Bridge is called the Bay Bridge

Lombard Street is supposedly the world's crookedest street. After we drove down it, it is only one way, Charlie dropped us (Katelin and I) off at the bottom so we could take a picture.

All of the public transit buses run off these power line sort of contraptions

that are connected to the buses...kinda crazy! One sound I will remember from San Fran is the "zippppppp" noise that comes from the sound of the buses connection to the line.

San Fran's painted ladies by Alamo Square

After we left Fisherman's Wharf we did a lot of driving around just to check out the city and explore. The architecture is so interesting and something only you will see in San Fran. The hills are high and steep and you don't see too many SUV's driving the streets because parking spaces are tight and usually sideways. Katelin and I concluded that San Fran would be a great place to live if you didn't have kids. It is a fun, artsy city but there aren't a ton of places for kids to play except concrete slabs. The parks are beautiful, but they are very hilly and there isn't a whole lot of flat ground...or at least we didn't see any anywere.
As the sun was setting we walked around Alamo Square Park and could see city views for miles. I loved seeing the transition of the city from day to evening...slowly the soft glow of the night lights created a whole different look to the city. It was very romantic!

I loved this city at night!

We took a trip to Little Italy for dinner and ate at a delicious cafe and for dessert

we grubbed on some delicious Italian gelato. I felt like I was in Italy...only if...def someday!

I had such an amazing time in San Fran, even though it was only for a day. I have lots of plans for our next trip to San Fran:

Take a bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge
Go on a tour of Alcatraz
Participate in a Segway tour of Fisherman's Wharf
Go on a ferry ride
Try another place to eat in Little Italy
Find the "Full House" house
Go back to Boudin Bakery to get some more bread
Go to a Giants game
Float around some other art galleries
Oh and so much more!

Wordless Wednesday: Cousinly Love

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

* Disclaimer: Kaleb enjoys running around in his undies...I do have clothes for him:)

Snow...lots of it!

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Kyle's parent's house is up in Northern Colorado Springs and if you are from Colorado Springs you know that, that is where the snow is. Last snow fall here they got soooo much more snow than us in South Colorado Springs. When we last went up there the boys and Kyle jumped at the chance to enjoy the powder.

Gourmet by Gigi...

2012-01-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Kaleb and Kaden are the best helpers in the kitchen you could ever want. Each time I cook/bake they always ask to help...how could I not let those cute faces help me? Well, my MIL (mother-in-law) has an amazingly beautiful kitchen that anybody would want to make something in. While we were up there for the holidays spending a couple of days, the boys helped their Gigi make desserts for Christmas dinner. On the menu Death by Chocolate and banana pudding...family favorites!

My future chef!

The boys couldn't keep their hands out of the cool whip. I think by the end

half of the cool whip was in their tummies and the other half in the dessert.

The banana pudding came out so yummy!

I resolve to...

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

1.) Be a better, more patient mommy

2.) Be a more loving, attentive wife

3.) Be a more helpful, available daughter (and daughter-in-law)

4.) Be a better, not so motherly sister and just be the cool big sis to my lil' sis

5.) Be a a better, compassionate, mindful friend

6.) Make new friends and build back old but important friendships too

7.) Travel to new places

8.) Get healthy!

9.) Spend as much time just loving and cuddling with my boys because they grow up too fast

10.) Show my family and friends I love them

11. ) Build my relationship with God and get closer to Him

12.) Have fun and not stress about the little things and enjoy the big important things

So those are just some of my New Year's resolutions. I want to do so many things and improve myself in so many ways. I think 2012 is going to be another good year for us. We have so much to look forward to.

Our New Year's Eve was spent with my family. Kyle was out of town...again...and I didn't want to be lonely so we drove the 3 minute drive to my Aunt Deb's to her annual New Year's shindig and enjoyed a buffet of finger/snack foods, movies, football, noisemakers, party hats, a round of poker (which I wasn't involved in at all because I stink at the game, and 3 noisy little boys hyped up on sugar.
Laura (my sister) is a closet poker player. Nobody knows how good she is til' she beats you! She beat my Dad, my Uncle Sport, my Uncle Jim, and my cousin Brian and got herself a cool $20...holla!!! lol!!!
I remember the one time I went out for New Year's and it was ridiculous...too many drunk people slathering themselves all over the place, not cool. I love just being with my family, talking about our plans over the next year, watching my boys get all giddy when they get to play with their cousin Kody, and taking in all the blessings that my family has in one another.

I wasn't able to kiss my hubby at midnight, but I blew him a kiss ;)

More Christmas Captures

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to not just have one Christmas, but we had two Christmases! After all of Kyle's family came back to Colorado (Matt and Kristen were in Texas and Linda and Craig in Cabo...I know, I was jealous too), or in Katelin and Charlie's case came back to visit, we all gathered together at the Robinson Retreat (which I lovingly like to call their new home) to open presents, eat a delicious dinner, and spend time together.Grayson got a cape for Christmas too! So the boys ran around for a bit, acting like they were superheroes saving the day. Grayson kept his on most of the night. He recently changed his name to Batman Grayson :)

All the boys love their Uncle Charlie and loves when he comes home because he lets them hang all over him and wrestle with him. He is a good sport. We were blessed to have so many fun presents and this year Kaleb, Kaden, and Grayson delivered the toys to everyone while we were opening presents. They were such great helpers!
All the men and boys got super soakers for Christmas. That will be one interesting water fight come Summertime. The boys were so excited to play with their toys and did their best to share with one another despite the newness of their treasures.
Linda (Gigi) served a scrumptious dinner after opening presents. The evening was so beautiful and the colors in the sky were so gorgeous I couldn't help but step outside into the brisk Colorado air to snap a couple shots of the beauty God has bestowed upon us.
We enjoyed a little after dinner entertainment...the Little Boy Blue Trio:) Linda said the way that Kaden held the mike she reminded him of Mick Jagger ha ha, Grayson was like a star in the making with his singing, and Kaleb though anxious to get up there and belt out a tune got a little timid when he stepped up to sing. I told Kristen that although we listen to a lot of music in our family, we don't sing a whole lot...we tend to dance. I guess you do what you are better at because Matt and Kristen have beautiful voices, Kyle and I not so much but we do have some pretty groovy moves lol. The boys all did great though! It was a wonderful white Christmas!

Christmas...the condensed version...sort of

2012-01-04T22:30:00.000-08:00

As always over the holidays I take a TON of pictures, making sure I am capturing every moment. Especially when it was my first Christmas in my own home and hosting Christmas Eve dinner for the first time. I wanted to make it very special for my family.

Kyle was working, but thankfully I was surrounded by many wonderful people...my awesome family (all of Kyle's family was out of town too). I missed Kyle so much! Before dinner we went to the children's service at St. Dominic's (the boys didn't do so well lol...big surprise there, they just couldn't sit still). Afterwards we had dinner back at my house. I made it so we were all able to eat in the same room, something that can be difficult with such a large group. I decorated the tables with linens, and candles. I wanted it to feel like a fancy- but not too fancy, casual- but not too casual, warm and cozy dinner. I hope I achieved that.

We did our tradition, that we started last Christmas Eve, of having a white elephant gift exchange. It is always good fun and provides us with some solid belly laughs. My white elephant gift was a lawn ornament (the frog playing the trumpet ha ha). The boys (Kaleb, Kaden, and Kody) got to open some gifts, one gift they all got was super hero capes and masks...a big hit among them! We enjoyed one another's company, and yummy food. It was a good night!

After everyone left and went home, the boys and I got Santa's plate ready. His snack consisted of cookies, brownies, milk, and lettuce and peppers for his reindeer.
Christmas morning we were greeted with full stockings and presents from Santa. At this point I was really missing Kyle and couldn't wait for him to come home later Christmas Day. I was so sad he was missing our first Christmas morning in our new home. Thank heavens for pictures and video.
We headed over to my parent's house, which is 2 minutes from ours, in our jammies for Christmas morning breakfast and more presents. My mom had everyone over for dinner that evening and I was so excited when Kyle finally got home.

Later on in the evening after everyone left my parent's house, we got to open more gifts with Kyle and we got some fun stuff. One thing in particular I loved were the awesome plane and rocket costumes my parents gave the boys. My sister Laura liked it too lol. We were so blessed to have a wonderful Christmas.

Under Construction...

2012-01-04T22:04:00.000-08:00

My Mom got us a gingerbread house kit to do with the boys and Kyle and I realized after the fact that neither of us has built a gingerbread house, or at least it as been awhile...long enough to not know how to. Everything started out great with the frosting ready to be slathered on the walls of the house and lots of candy to be placed randomly creating the perfect, random, sugar coated, and colorful home for Mr. Gingerbread Man.
Kyle started by building up the walls on the foundation. I don't think anybody is going to hire us anytime soon to build anything (although Kyle and his Dad just built an awesome work bench in our garage). We failed to read the directions...you must slowly build the house over a course of a couple hours, making sure the frosting solidifies. Well...we didn't and...

CRACK!

Kyle was so determined that he could fix it because the boys were so anxious to get to decorate it, but...

CRASH, BOOM, TOPPLE!

And the house was no more, just a pile of frosting clad rubble. Perfect for chubby little boy fingers to extract the frosting and savor the sugar and all it's glory. Luckily, my mom had an extra gingerbread house on hand and we tried again...this time following directions. I think it turned out much better the second time:)

It's Electric!

2011-12-31T11:44:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas my parents, the boys, my sister, Kody, Krystal, Brian (our cousins) and I (Kyle was working :( )went to the Electric Safari at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The whole zoo is decorated with Christmas lights fitting for a zoo. They have really cute displays that are animal inspired and very creative. It was one of warmer nights in the month so we weren't freezing at all, but it was very crowded with people...a lot of people!

The zoo overlooks all of Colorado Springs and you can

get a really good view of the city from up there

In the distance you can see the Will Rogers Shrine that

is lit up every single night, 365 days a year.

Some of the animal exhibits, well most of them, were open so you could visit the

animals. The boys particularly enjoyed seeing the giraffes, which we were able to

get very close to. One of the giraffes almost licked my sister Laura's head.

Ooooing and awwwing...

2011-12-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

Those are the sounds the boys made while looking at Christmas lights this year. We saw some really neat displays...we went to "Many Lights of Christmas" at Springs Church, Seven Falls, and meandered in out of streets and viewed the lights shining brightly from some of the houses in our area. I particularly love to see the brilliant presentations of lights and the true spirit of Christmas comes out abounding through the nativity scenes.

We enjoyed most of the light viewing from the warmth of our car, but we did bundle up to see the magnificent waterfalls at Seven Falls lit up in various festive colors. I am so glad people decide to take the time to create these amazing scenes of baby Jesus, Rudolph, Santa, Christmas trees all rolled into one yard, especially glad since I don't have to pay the electric bill :)

Singing & Ringing in the Season...

2011-12-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

Kaleb goes to an awesome preschool and they put on the cutest, most precious Christmas program this year. The kids sang songs, did finger plays, poems, and there were a ton of sweet little smiles upon their faces. The kids all did a great job and Kaleb especially was my little star up there on their stage with his Santa hat upon his head and his newly bought argyle sweater. I have said before that he can be shy in certain situations, so I thought he might not want to perform.

However, he sang his best and rang his jingle bells with all his might. Simply said the Christmas concert was a priceless memory I will never forget and I am glad I got to be there to see my big boy in his first performance. I am sure there will be many more performances to come in the future and many many minutes of tape will be recorded capturing the singing, shouting, dancing, acting, being silly and having fun.

Ringing that bell!

I just have to say that we are so blessed to have had so many people from our family attend the performance to support and watch Kaleb. I think it made him feel really really special and put a little pride in his step. Thank you to all who came!

He was so happy he had so many fans in the audience

Kaleb with his teachers. Such nice ladies!

Kaleb with his cousins and his brother

Kaleb with Zach...his friend from school

Decking our halls...

2011-12-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

I love decorating for Christmas! With Christmas comes a feeling of warmth, togetherness,and love. I love the lights, the stockings, the reds, the greens, and dim glow of candlelight against glass.

This year I finally got my stockings embroidered with our names and since we don't have a fireplace, the stockings hung from a table in our living room. I scattered candles throughout our home and decorated the banister with lights and garland.
I got the boys a special nativity set of their own because they were playing with my very fragile one, and it was a hit. If you look closely I love how Kaleb made all the animals, Joseph, Mary and the Wisemen gather around baby Jesus in the manager...so precious. I adorned our kitchen cabinets with many cards from friends and family. I love getting cards in the mail at Christmas and hearing how well everyone is doing. This year we also were introduced to our very own elf that kept watch over the boys for Santa this holiday season. Kaleb lovingly named him Rumpel!
Kaleb made many fun art projects at school and we did some together at home and they hung in our home over the holiday season as well. I just love Christmas and look forward in the years to come adding to my decoration collection and someday having a home that is completely decked out for Christmastime. I want the boys to grow up remembering how Christmas was a special time in our house full of love, traditions, and ultimately a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus and give back to others!

Trimming the tree...

2011-12-28T13:23:00.000-08:00

I was so excited for our first Christmas in our OWN home. Since Kyle and I have been married, almost 4 years now, we haven't spent ONE Christmas in our own place. We have always been traveling or living with one or the other's parents and because of this we didn't have many decorations at all. When we were living in Tulsa one of our friend's gave us a small 4 foot tree to put up, but when Kyle went to start building it he decided that this tree wasn't going to cut it for our first Christmas in our new home.

So off we went on the search for our tree. Our journey took us to a few different stores in search of the right one. Once we found it though we knew it and we threw it and some more ornaments in the cart and we were set. The boys were so excited to get home and decorate the tree and in the end they did a wonderful job. Kaden tended to line 3 to 4 ornaments on one branch...he likes the cluttered look :) Kaleb was meticulous in his hanging and tried to space each ornament out evenly. My mom made us a special angel and we even received some ornaments from family and friends honoring our first Christmas in our home.

I am so excited for future holidays in our home and I can't wait til' next year to add to our tree even more. When Kaleb was two and Kaden just an infant I started a tradition in which each Christmas the boys get to pick out their very own ornament to put on the tree, so each year I look forward to picking out those ornaments with the boys and add them to the tree the next year along with the others they have picked out in the past. I also look forward to the cute and priceless ornaments that the boys will create and I will so proudly display them on our tree.

Keeping a promise...

2011-12-20T06:52:00.000-08:00

I promise to post soon...I really do! The unpacking and getting settled in combo with the decking the halls and all things Christmas oriented has thrown me for a loop. I know I have been absent for awhile, but I have a ton of pictures to post for your viewing pleasure. So stay tuned. Here are some funny pictures I forgot to post all the way back from Thanksgiving with my family.

My boys love their cousin Kody

In our family for some reason we like to do this see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil thing. Kinda silly I know, but I think it started with my Grandma Laura. If I could pick one almost perfect person that I have known, it would be her. She was kind, generous, compassionate, honest and just all around good. I am missing her this time of year. This will be our first Christmas without her here and I find myself very sad about that. At least she is celebrating Jesus' birthday with him this year and singing with all the angels :)

Full of thanks...

2011-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving week was a busy one for us! Lots of family came to town on Kyle's side of the family and Gigi and Papi's house was packed, which is hard to believe as big as their new home is. We were blessed to have spent time with all of them and it was so nice for everyone to be together. Linda (aka Gigi) always does such a nice job of making the holidays special and it is in the details. She always makes sure we are fed well and comfortable.

Kaleb and Daddy playing some ping pong

One day while we were up at Papi and Gigi's my men and I

took a picnic lunch to the pond that is in their neighborhood,

we did some fishing while we were there too.

Gigi and her two youngest grandboys

Grandma and Grandpa Robinson and all 4 of their great grandboys

On Thanksgiving Kyle was unable to be with us(due to work, I was so sad to be without him), so the boys and I started the day with lunch at Gigi and Papi's. Where we feasted on fried turkey, rolls, a variety of salads, mashed potatoes and gravy, and much more. The boys romped around with their cousin Grayson and Avery (a family friend's little girl).

Meme and all the boys

After a nice afternoon of playing, eating, and enjoying one another's company, we headed to the opposite end of town to spend the rest of the day with my family (pics of that to come). Being surrounded by so many wonderful people on Thanksgiving just proved that I have so much to be thankful for.

Gigi and Papi have been waiting to show the boys this fun interactive

dinosaur they got them. They decided to finally let them see it on Thanksgiving.

Kaleb was a bit unsure of it at first

But then we couldn't get all the kids away from it

A favorite activity while at Papi and Gigi's...jeeping :)

Papi (aka Craig) had a special beer brewed called Papi's Pride. Too cute!

Cousins!

Turkey time! Grayson's face cracks me up lol

Linda had these adorable pumpkins with all 4 boys names carved in them. So neat!

Katelin & Charlie

Meme with Jackson...she loves babies!

What a cute lil' turkey :)

The table settings were gorgeous

Even the kid's table was festive

Everything I have to be thankful for is due to the glory of God, and while reflecting on that I was led to this passage from Colossians 3:15-17:

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Orange and blue through and through...

2011-11-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a Bronco crazed family. I can remember countless Sundays getting together to watch the vibrant orange jerseys run around the field and knock each other and the other team around. My Aunt Debbie and Aunt Patty never go without the Bronco paraphernalia on Sundays or whatever day of the week they may play. It is so nice to be back home for football season, continuing the traditions I remember from my childhood.

The family's 3 cutest and youngest Bronco fans

Now my boys get to spend Sunday afternoon/evenings with my family...I see them becoming fans right before my eyes. I myself am a fan, but not a fanatic. I don't eat, breathe, and live orange and blue, but many members of my family LOVE them Broncs. Today while watching the game, which they won (Tim Tebow is da' man), I was reminded of one of the biggest Bronco fans I knew...my Grandma Laura. You see her very cute and very unique way of cheering for them was hollering and patting her mouth (ya' know the noise kids make when they are pretending to be an Indian). She did it with so much energy and pride in her team. Today we all did that when the Broncos were in overtime and they ended up winning. I like to think she still watches the games from Heaven:)

First Annual Halloween Costume Party 2011...

2011-11-14T08:05:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know it is almost Thanksgiving, but I've been a busy lady ;) This Halloween my family had our first Halloween party ever. We had such a ball that I think we might just make it an annual tradition. It was a costume party and I think everybody had a fun time coming up with their costumes. We even had a costume contest. I think next year I am going to try and be a little more creative with my costume so I can win the contest.

My hubby helped create this spider web with an extra large spider in it...spooky!

ARRRRRRRR mateys!

The boys with Curious George

The boys played some fun carnival games

Krystal was an oven with a bun in it...she is pregnant.

Needless to say she won the costume contest. I loved it!

The Man in the Yellow Hat and Curious George...aka Brian and Kody

John Elway drinking a beer...aka my Uncle Jim

Gunslinging Cowboy...aka my Dad

Biker Chick, Devil Lady, and Cowgirl...aka my Mom, Aunt Deb, and Aunt Patty

My sister's boyfriend Clint, bobbing for apples

Kaden and Kody enjoying some of the food

Greek Goddess and Karate Kid complete with his gi (Brad was very proud of that gi

because it is an authentic gi that he spent a fortune on. Bri informed this is Brad's

Halloween costme for life lol)...aka my friends Bri and Brad

Cowboy (love the mustache) and Indian...aka Zach and Ravyn

Kitty Cats...aka Pam and Laura

Unfortunately, we were experiencing a round of the cold when Halloween rolled around, so I don't have any trick-or-treating pictures because Kaleb and I went without Kaden and for only about 15 minutes. My poor babies! In that short amount of time though, we got plenty of candy for both boys. I think Kaden is still too little to care anyways. He stayed home with Grammy and was perfectly happy :)

Free for Fall...

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

For most, Fall means the start of more time indoors. For us it means equal opportunity to have some fun. Leaves + 2 vivacious lil' men = a free for all, or shall I say a free for Fall. See the fun taking place below.

Time with Kaden...

2011-11-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

The Saturday before Halloween we planned on going to the Colorado Pumpkin Patch after Kaleb's soccer game. Kaleb ended up not feeling well that day (my parents ended up watching him for us), but we still wanted to go so we took Kaden and got some special time with him...just the 3 of us.

Kaden loved the pumpkin patch...he loved the tractor ride, the hay slide, the corn box, the hay maze, and the petting zoo. He simply loved everything and was running around the place like a nut with excitement. He also loved being the center of our attention, even if it was only for a little bit.

Weeeeeeeeee!

Tractor ride

I think he is starting to look more and more like his Daddy

Wordless Wednesday: My how they grow...

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Batman & Robin...

2011-11-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

If you can recall last year Kaleb and Kaden were a Cowboy and an Indian for Halloween (Click here to see my boys last Halloween). In an effort to keep the tradition of paired costumes, I had to find some fun costumes for the boys to wear this year.

Brothers & best friends at the Family of Christ Fall Festival

Like all little boys eventually do, my boys are into superheros lately so when we happened upon a Batman costume for Kaleb while costume shopping with my parents, I got the idea for Kaden to be his trusty sidekick Robin. I had to convince Kaden that Robin was a superhero though since he had never really heard of him before. Kaden eventually took the bait and we were in business...the cutest superhero duo ever (at least in my opinion). Ideally...in a perfect world...I would make their costumes and let my creativity run rampant...maybe next year.

Wordless Wednesday: Halloween Snapshots Edition...

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Newest Addition...

2011-10-31T08:19:00.000-07:00

On October 17th we were blessed with another little boy when our newest nephew Jackson Matthew was born. He is healthy and handsome-- just holding him makes me want to have another baby and then I go home and see my children bouncing off the walls and constantly bickering and I rethink baby #3. You forget how tiny babies are until you hold a newborn. I will always miss hearing all the gentle coos, the endless angelic sleeping, and how they shape themselves into a ball when you hold them...the preciousness of a newborn. We are all so happy to have him join the family. Kristen (my SIL) is doing great and adjusting well to being a mommy of two. I think Matt, Kristen, Grayson, and Jackson are loving being a family of four.

He looks just like his Mommy.

1, 2, 3, 4 grandboys...life is going to be busy and fun!

Uncle Kyle and Jackson

Papi and Jackson

Kaleb really enjoyed holding Jackson.

Fire House Fun...

2011-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

My cousin Krystal runs a daycare out of her home and she is always so good about asking us if we want to come join her and her daycare kiddos, including her son Kody, in all the fun they have. She even invited us to come with them to visit a fire department and I jumped at the chance. My boys love the bright, red fire engines they see whizzing down the street with lights on screeching sirens blazing. I knew they would love it. One of Krystal's kid's that she watches has a Dad who is a firefighter at the particular fire house we went to. He did a great job of showing all the kids around the fire department and showing them all the vehicles and equipment that they use.

Checking out the helmet.

Getting a feel for the hose.

The firefighter turned on the ambulance lights so the kids could see all the lights flashing.

Venetucci Pumpkin Farm Pumpkin Pickin'...

2011-10-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

We have been pumpkin patch crazy this Fall. The first time we went was with Kaleb's school for his very first field trip and then second time we went with a playgroup that we go to sometimes. Kaden wasn't able to go with us on Kaleb's field trip so it was fun to be able to take him one time too. We also went to one in Black Forest today so that Kyle could go with us, but Kaleb ended up not feeling well so we got some one on one time with Kaden (pics to come of that). I love all the fun we get to have in the Fall because it is the last jaunt of playing outdoors until the Winter comes and we are either left with the choice of plastering on layers of cold weather garb, or staying inside and playing board games and building forts.

Kaleb all ready to go on his field trip.

Our first field trip together and Kaleb's first time riding in a big, yellow bus.

The Venetucci Pumpkin Farm located in Security, Colorado next to St. Dominic's Catholic Church has a program each Fall called Pumpkins for Kids, in which school children can come to the farm, learn about farm animals and farm jobs/duties, and get a free pumpkin in the process. It is a great program and each year hundreds of children visit the farm and get to bring a bright orange and fresh jack-o-lantern home with them. At this pumpkin patch you don't have to pick from pumpkins placed in grassy fields...you actually get to go pick your pumpkin straight off the vine. Before you go pick your pumpkin from the field, a volunteer (the whole farm is run by volunteers) tells you the story of Nick Venetucci (the late owner of the farm). He was a very generous man and always gave back to the community.

Kaleb probably went through 10 pumpkins before he picked "the one."

There were all kinds of farm animals for the kids to pet, feed, and learn about.

Posing with all the kiddos in his preschool.

Kaleb got to shuck beans for the first time.

Digging for worms.

When we went with Kaden he had a hard time finding the right pumpkin too.

The boys posing with a little girl from our play group.

In addition to many other things, Kaleb and Kaden learned about composting.

Fall in full swing...

2011-10-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

I LOVE FALL! I just love everything about it...trips to the pumpkin patch, romping around in crinkly leaves (or diving in them in my boys' case), Fall festivals filled with games and food, decorating for Fall, Halloween parties, carving pumpkins (or as we did this year Mr. Pumpkin Head...you will see what I mean later on when I post pics from our pumpkin carving), sipping on hot and soothing apple cider (wish I had time to make my own, but for now it comes from the box), an abundance of craft fairs (which I have yet to go to one sadly), picking out Halloween costumes, trick or treating, and so much more. One of my favorite Fall happenings however is watching the leaves change from the green and greener colors of Summer to the warm and vibrant colors of Fall.

Several weekends back before it snowed, which it currently is as I am typing, we took a drive to the Colorado mountains to see the leaves making their annual transformation. I hadn't been to the mountains to see the leaves change for a long while and I forgot how beautiful it is. If I could choose what my Heaven looked like it would be like what I saw that day.

For miles and miles you could see the hillsides and mountainsides painted with yellow, orange, and red. Golden trees stood out among the pines and the few trees that turned a vibrant red stood out even more. As we drove higher and higher in elevation the Fall colors got more and more bountiful and beautiful. The pictures that I took don't even do what I actually saw in real life justice. I couldn't take my eyes off of the beauty around me as we drove down, or up I should say, the dirt and rocky road.

Half way through our journey we got out of the car to let the boys use up some of their energy, which from sitting around for an hour in the car was bottling up inside their busy little bodies. I swear my children are like a shaken can of soda...the moment you release them their energy bursts out like the soda coming out of the can. Kaleb and Kaden of course found some rocks to scramble around on and we had a breathtaking view of the city below. I could have stayed at this spot a lot longer if it weren't for the boys pushing the limits and trying to climb up on rocks that were way over their climbing abilities. My boys don't have any fear.

The red leaves were a lot rarer and harder to find.

Kaleb had so much fun with his Grammy looking at all the different colors of leaves.

It was such a beautiful Fall day that we were able to roll the windows down. One little leaf found it's way into the car and into Kaden's lap. Kaden was so excited that he caught a leaf. He held onto it for awhile and the proceeded to crumble it up in his little hand and spreading it all over the car...all in good fun!

Heaven on Earth!

I look forward to making this trip to the mountains an annual Fall tradition. I will now never skip a chance to go see the leaves debuting their new colors on the most gorgeous stage that God has set before us. It was truly a sight to behold.

4 years have flown...

2011-10-20T06:57:00.000-07:00

It feels like it was just yesterday I was holding my first newborn baby in my arms, holding his tiny little hand in the palm of mine. Now I hold a little bit bigger and much dirtier hand in mine that doesn't always want to hold my hand back. I almost always have to bribe him to hold my hand or cuddle lol. Four years have seemed just like a flash before my eyes. I wish life would...slow...down!!!

Kaleb's party at the gymnastics place was a total blast, but we had to have that party a week early so that Kyle could attend. Kyle has a schedule now which requires him to be away from us mostly every weekend and the weekend of Kaleb's birthday he of course was going to be gone. Since we already partied it up a week prior I still wanted to make Kaleb's actual birthday day special.

The night before I used some leftover decorations from past parties and the rest of the helium from the helium tank we used from Kaleb's party to create some festive decorations. Imagine me at almost midnight blowing up balloons and hanging up streamers. I was tired but it was totally worth it the next morning when he woke up and was so excited to see the streamers and balloons covering the room. I knew right off the bat it made him feel special and that is exactly what I wanted him to feel.

He was so excited to see all the fun decorations.

For breakfast I got him an extra special birthday breakfast of chocolate donuts...one of his favorite morning treats. Again he was very excited. I stuck four candles in his donut and we sang him an early morning "Happy Birthday." If you could maybe tell from some of the pictures Kaleb woke up pretty darn early on his birthday. I think he remembered me telling him a million times the night before that it was his birthday the next day.

We saved a present to give to him on his actual birthday

and he got to open it right when he woke up.

The present turned out to be a hit and Kaden loved it too of course.

Donuts for a special birthday breakfast.

My handsome 4 year old boy!

Blowing out the candles.

I love it when they are sweet to one another.

He was so excited to leave for Chuckie Cheese he started dancing.

Kaleb was supposed to have a soccer game the day of his birthday but it got cancelled because of the weather so we had a free day. Most of the day we hung out at home and the boys played with all Kaleb's new fun toys he got for his birthday and we watched movies. I told Kaleb that we could do whatever he wanted to do that day because it was his special. We bundled up and ventured to one of the most popular destinations for children, especially when it is cold outside...Chuckie Cheese.

Uncle Sport helping him with a shooting game.

The boys' cousin Kody (my cousin Brian's son) met us there too.

Here Kody is playing a game with a little help from his Dad.

Shooting some hoops.

Kaden seriously rode in this car 10 to 15 times. He loved it!

All in all I think he had a great birthday:)

Tumble, Flip & Jump...

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am finally posting pictures from Kaleb's 4th birthday part at Artsports. Artsports is a huge gymnastics place that has trampolines, rope swings, and foam pits. It is such a neat place and all the kids had a blast running, tumbling, flipping and jumping around in our own private room that we had all to ourselves. A lot of the moms told me that after they got home from the party their kiddos zonked right out from having so much fun. I also loved that I didn't have to spend hours prior to the party cleaning a house and slaving over preparing food in the kitchen...I think I might just have all the boys' parties there from now on ;) Maybe they will go for it!

Before we left for the party we gave Kaleb his first birthday present...a new bigger bike!

He had to get on it right away and try it out.

This was the whole room we had to ourselves...it was awesome.

The party room setup complete with blue punch and all.

I made these yummy funfetti cupcakes with blue frosting.

The favors for all of Kaleb's friends.

Thinking about jumping into the foam pit.

He didn't think too long.

Kaden had so much fun too!

When Kaleb was in the harness on the tramp he was able to jump really really high.

Cali & Kayleigh

Kenzie!

Grayson!

Ahhhhhhhahhhhhh! My lil' Tarzan.

Loves being the center of attention.

4...really? Where did the time go?

Cute Kody!

My Kaden chowin' down on some cake. His lips were bright blue afterwards.

Surrounded by friends and family :)

Anxiously Awaiting: House Update...

2011-10-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

As many of you may know Kyle and I have been on the hunt for our perfect first home. Well after weeks of searching and hoping we have found a wonderful house that we can see many memories being made and our boys growing up in. We quickly made an offer and received a counter offer which we accepted and we are now anxiously, painstakingly, and kind of patiently awaiting the final signature we need to get the ball rolling. Please not only pray for these signatures to arrive to us soon, but also pray for patience for my hubby and I as we are elated to be purchasing our first home together and we so badly want everything to go smoothly.

I feel so blessed to be able to even purchase a home and all of our hard work and dedication has finally paid off. Hopefully this Christmas will be our first Christmas in our own home. As I looked back in years past since we have been married, we have not had a Christmas in our own home yet. It has always been in one of our parents' homes. All this waiting I know will pay off because good things come to those who wait and good things also come to those who have the confidence that He will lead them in the right direction!

A Season of Soccer...

2011-10-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

This Fall we decided that it would be exciting for Kaleb to start pee week soccer. I asked him about and he said that he wanted to do, so I signed him up, bought him a new ball, and found him some of the tiniest shin guards that I have ever seen. I just have to say Kaleb in his soccer uniform, the first time he modeled it for us, was adorable. I can't believe my baby who used to hold a soccer ball rattle in his chubby, nubby fingers is now kicking around a real soccer ball.

The boys always go in a group huddle before the game starts. They are the Pirates, so naturally they all yell out "ARRRRR!" and raise their hands in the air.

The soccer experience thus far has been hit or miss. Kaleb is a natural athlete...quick and nimble. However, he is a bit on the shy side and when we went to his first practice he was very hesitant and didn't even want to get out of the car. You see in new situations he takes his time adjusting and waits to immerse himself whole heartedly into something until he is completely comfortable with his surroundings. So the first practice was a no go, but the second and third and fourth have gotten so much better and he is even getting comfortable enough to start acting like 4 year old boys do when at practice...wrestling around with teammates, wearing the practice cones as hats, and not listening to the coach...all in good preschooler fun! The funny thing is even though he hesitates he is a great ball handler and seems to enjoy the sport.

Games have been hit or miss too. His first game he made 3 goals, 2 in his own team's and 1 in the other team's :) Since it is a developmental league they don't keep score and there are no goalies. Right now these little men are learning the fundamentals of the game, good sportsmanship, and an all around love of the game. Game 2 he didn't even play! Game 3 Kaleb started strong and I don't know if it was the time of day or his shy self getting the best of him, but he ended up sitting out more than half the game.
He has his eye on the ball and he is going for it.

Now I have to remind myself that he is 4 and it is just for fun in order to not get frustrated with him whining and making excuses to do anything but play. Game 5 was a total success...he played the entire time! No fussing, no mussing, just a small case of space cadetitis (he was frolicking across the field and intentionally falling down). I didn't care that he was lolly gagging around because he was having fun and he wasn't complaining. Right now the most important thing is that he is enjoying himself, building his self-confidence, learning how to work with others as a team, and staying active. Soccer may or may not be his favorite sport, but it is a start in exploring his potential, which is endless!

Watching his team intently from the sidelines.

Sideline halftime snack.

End of the game "good jobs" and handshakes.

Wordless Wednesday: Reminiscing Edition- My Boys Both @ 1 Year Old

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Team Maiurro: Walk to End Alzheimer's

2011-10-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

In September my family participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer's that took place at America the Beautiful Park in downtown Colorado Springs. We did the walk in honor of my sweet Grandma Laura, as well as to raise funds for this devastating disease that so many Americans are affected by. In addition to my Grandma we also lost my Great Aunt Priscilla and my Grandpa Pete to the disease. I thought this walk would be a special thing to bring our family together to continually remember my Grandma, so my mom, sister, and I organized it together. We even made our own special team shirts. We ended up raising close to $500 and we thank all those who donated to our team. It was a memorable day in which we came together as a family to celebrate the most important lady in all of our lives.

If you would still like to donate to our team follow this link:

http://walktoendalz.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.aspievent=452380&team=4815362

It was such a beautiful morning!

America the Beautiful Park has this amazing

sculpture that really highlights the park.

Each of us received a purple flower that

symbolized we had lost someone to Alzheimers.

So we wrote my Grandma's name on it.

Other people carried various colors of flowers

symbolizing other things like the yellow flower

which meant they were caring for someone with Alzheimers

and a blue one that meant they had Alzheimers.

Team Maiurro

The back of our shirt read "Team Maiurro"

My Grandma Laura loved those mountains. In addition

to my Grandma, we walked for my Great Aunt Prissy,

and my Grandpa Pete, who were all affected by this disease.

The starting line.

They had signs all along the route that gave statistics

and information about the disease and some of them

were quite shocking and scary!

The two youngest members of Team Maiurro.

We finished!

Celebrating my Dad...

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Last month my Dad celebrated another birthday. We had a quiet family dinner at Panino's, which is an amazing Italian restaurant. After dinner we headed home for presents and dessert, which I made special just for my Dad. My Dad is a golf fan, so with that in mind I made these golf themed cupcakes. They turned out so cute, my Dad loved them and he loved having his grandboys with him to celebrate another great year gone by.

They love their Papa

The boys even helped their Papa open his presents

The golf themed cupcakes, complete with a pennant with

a P for Patrick on them (which if you don't know is my Dad's name)

The Start of Something New...

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I know September is almost over, but like I said I am VERY behind on posting. In August Kaleb started his 2nd year of preschool, but at a new place, the Widefield Community Center Preschool. Kaleb loves school and enjoys all the things it entails...painting, singing, dancing, playing, and learning. So far he is doing great in school and I love the program. The teachers are so awesome!

On our way to his first day of preschool for the new year

Next year this lil' guy will start preschool...I just can't believe it!

He is getting big so fast...makes me sad

and happy all at the same time...do you

remember way back when he was just a

newborn??? Time flies!!!!

Once he got to school, he sat right down

in his chair and was ready to have fun :)

The Great Sand Dunes...

2011-09-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

While camping we took a day trip to the Great Sand Dunes near Alamosa, Colorado. You can definitely see why they call them the GREAT Sand Dunes...you have never seen piles of sand so large. We were hoping to be able to do some sand sledding/boarding, but it didn't work out so good. The right kind of board (smooth bottom, wood works best) and the right kind of sand (moist/damp) are the preferable conditions for sand sledding/boarding to work and we had neither. I opted to wear tennis shoes, the boys wore water shoes, and the rest of the crew went with flip flops. Since I lived near a beach this Summer I knew what happened when heat and sand mix and it calls for scorching hot sand and burnt feet. So other than the unsuccessful sledding and burnt feet, we were able to take in some gorgeous scenery which Colorado has so much to offer.

This mountain range is opposite the dunes

So much sand!

Making our way to the dunes, board in hand

Kyle and Kaden taking a shot at sledding, didn't get too far lol

Kyle had to give Kaleb a lil' nudge, but still didn't get anywhere

It was quite the trek so the lil' boys got tired

By the end of it my shoes were FULL of sand

Highlights from our 2011 family camping trip...

2011-09-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY have my camera back and I have so much catching up to do. So you will be seeing some pics from about a month ago lol. It is sooooooo not like me to not post at least once a week, so I am soooooo glad that I have my camera back.

Before everyone started back to school and the Summer ended we went on a camping trip to Ponderosa Campground with my mom, dad, and sister. We went to our traditional spot in Southwest Colorado near the town of Antonito. The campground we went to is a great family place with a playground, pool table, showers (gotta have showers), and a river that runs right along side of it. It is so picturesque there and a great place to unwind and relax. Even though I didn't do much relaxing with two lil' campers wanting to get dirty and chase chipmunks. I look forward to future camping trips in the years to come and as the boys get older will be able to go on some awesome great outdoors camping adventures.

Our setup. All 7 of us slept in that tiny popup. It was pretty squished!

Ahhhhh! This is Kaleb saying it is really early in the morning.

Can't go camping and not have some hot chocolate in the morning.

Kaleb had a hot chocolate mustache.

The sky is so blue in Colorado.

Some early morning fishing with Daddy

The first morning Kyle caught a mini fish.

The second morning he caught a much bigger fish.

Kaleb loved relaxing in the hammock.

The boys helped Grammy get the firewood.

Kaleb helped Papa chop the firewood.

Kaleb liked fishing with his Papa too.

He was a great fisherman!

Kaden enjoyed watching from the bridge.

Even though Kaleb enjoyed the smores. He enjoyed

catching the marshmallows on fire more :)

Guess Who!?!

2011-09-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Now who does this look like? I am not going to reveal who it is just yet, but do I have any guessers? If you already know don't guess people :) I will reveal who it is in a day or so. Also, who looks like this? Happy Labor Day weekend by the way. Everyone stay safe and enjoy your weekend.

Whoever this little guy is sure is cute!

P.S. I am currently without my camera so please be patient for a few days because I am unable to post anymore at this time. Thank you!

The Great Outdoors: Four Wheelin' Style...

2011-08-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

Now that we are back in Colorado we are ready to get back into outdoor exploration mode. Kyle and I love the outdoors and want to pass that love onto the boys too, so we enjoy it when we spend family time exploring this beautiful state. When we were dating we hiked and went bouldering, and even liked to snowboard (Kyle actually taught me even though I am still not great at it). Hiking and bouldering could be quite challenging with a 2 year old and almost 4 year old, so we decided to borrow Papi's jacked up (by jacked up I mean raised off the ground) Jeep which is a lot of fun to drive. We took a ride on the dirt trails of Gold Camp Road and had a dust spinning, brain rattling, bouncing around good time. After our jeeping adventure we stopped downstream from Helen Hunt Falls to have lunch and cool off in the stream. It was the perfect day and a great way to spend the winding down days of Summer.

All strapped in and ready to bounce

A view of Colorado Springs from above

The boys loved going through the tunnels

Right when I was going to take the pic the buck

sprinted off but I was able to capture this...

Helen Hunt Falls

Lunch break

Getting refreshed in the stream

Kaleb loved exploring all the little streams

and little alcoves that made great hiding places

Nearly Far...

2011-08-26T20:19:00.001-07:00

www.nearlyfar.com

G's Gymboree All Star Party...

2011-08-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

My nephew Grayson (known as G) turned 3 this month and to celebrate his Mom and Dad threw him a big all star birthday party at Gymboree. We love Gymboree! You may remember Kaleb went there for a little bit two Winters ago. The party was a great time with the laughter and energy of lots of sugar filled kiddos. It was the best way to celebrate Grayson turning 3! Just think at his next birthday he will have his little brother around and there will be 4 grandboys. So much to look forward to in the years to come with all of these little boys running around:)

Kody and Kaden

Gigi relaxing :)

Mid air

Batter up

Jeremiah

Monkey bars

He is so cute!

Grayson's cookie cake

Lol

Marie and Wyatt eating some yummy cookie cake

Opening presents

Getting our beach fix...

2011-08-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ok ok so it isn't the same as the beach, but the Rock Canyon swim beach at the Pueblo Reservoir gave us that beachy feel that we miss so much. There was definitely no comparison between Hilton Head and Rock Canyon, but it was still a fun family day in the sun. We even got to play in the sand/gravel:)

I just want to take a second to say...my boys are getting SO BIG. They are growing like weeds and their little personalities are just blooming. I am such a blessed mommy!

Sweet brothers!

CAUTION Construction Zone: Kaden's 2nd Birthday

2011-08-17T20:46:00.001-07:00

Two weekends ago we celebrated Kaden's 2nd birthday with all of our Colorado friends and family. We sure are blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives...just saying! Kaden's party had a construction theme because he absolutely loves dump trucks. I went all out as usual and had such a fun time planning the event. I love to use my creativity to come up with some fun stuff. Everything turned out great, but I only wish I had more time and money and I would have done more lol.

The cake table

I made the construction cone cake all on my own.

I think it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself.

In addition to cake we just had to have brownies.

My graphic designer sister LJ helped me design

these signs and I put them all together.

We are sooooo blessed to be surrounded by so many

wonderful and amazing people in our lives!

The cute birthday boy

Grayson!

Kody playing with Kaden's new gift from Grammy & Papa

For a fun activity for the kiddos, I had them decorate "hard hats"

and little apron tool belts. This turned out to be a lot of fun!

Instead of goody bags, I just put Kaden's friends' party

favors in the pockets of their apron tool belts.

Kaleb with his hat and tool belt.

Some of the party guests decorating their belts and hats.

Cali's finished apron. Great job!

Kyle took over the grill and cooked an amazing lunch.

Ready to be sung to!

Look closely and you can see black frosting that Kaden

tried to eat before he was supposed to. Too funny!

Kaden cuddling with Uncle Sport. Papa is silly in the background.

Even the "big kids" got into the hat and apron decorating.

I used their dump trucks and tractors as balloon holders.

Kaden helped me clean up and he wanted to let the

balloons go and watch them as they floated away.

He was completely exhausted from his awesome party!

He fell asleep as soon as we were done cleaning up. So precious!

Wordless Wednesday: Stunna Shades

2011-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Scenes from a moving truck...

2011-08-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

We moved from Georgia to Colorado (as many of you know), literally half way across the country (actually probably a little more than half way). It was a loooooooooooooooong drive and seemed like it would never end. The enjoyable parts of the trip were spending quality time with my hubby, just the two of us, and getting to see some beautiful country along the way. We went through Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Kansas, and finally Colorado.

Our little mover #1

Even though it wasn't the ~~vacation~~ trip we truly wanted with just the two of us, thinking more Bahamas or Cabo or even Thailand, we still enjoyed the time together. We never got bored because we were one another's entertainment (I showed Kyle how to take out aggression by screaming at the top of my lungs in the car and he informed me on how to fly a plane...totally over my head) We also really enjoyed some silence (but it wasn't pure silence because the engine was super loud and outta control), even though we missed our little bugga boos! Good times, good times!

Our little mover #2

Went around 55 THE...WHOLE...WAY!!!

That is Nashville

AHHHHHHH this is torture!

The road just went on and on and on and on and on...

Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri

Yes my hubby made me drive the 30 + footer vehicle

Thunderstorms in Kansas...it got kinda bad

Sunsets in Kansas were very perdy

Beaufort, SC

2011-08-13T17:39:00.002-07:00

Ok ok ok...this is the last post I am doing from my parent's visit.

One other thing we did during their visit was take a short drive to the quaint and cozy and charming town of Beaufort, SC (go see it if you are ever in the Savannah area, it is only about a 45 minute drive from Savannah). Now Kyle and I have been to Beaufort before to do some sightseeing and spend the day, but we never got to learn much history about the town. This time around we went on a horse and carriage tour of the historical area of town and learned a TON of history and some neat information about movies that have been filmed in the area and movie stars that have stayed in the area. The tour was soooooo worth the time and money. I enjoyed it sooooo much! After the horse and carriage ride we went to dinner and then the girls walked around the downtown area to do some shopping, while the big boys and little boys ventured to the nautical themed playground.

Check out the captions under the pictures to learn some of the interesting stuff we learned about the area.

All aboard!

This tree was kinda creepy. Especially when the tour guide

told us that soldiers that were unruly and had to punished

where hung from this tree. Very spooky!

Spanish Moss everywhere!

When I imagine what a Southern home looks like,

this house is EXACTLY what I picture!

These trees were some of the oldest (over a 100 years old) on Beaufort Island.

This was a Sear's Craftsman Kit Home in which everything

you would need to build the home came in a box (I assume a

really really big box) and then you built it yourself. Interesting

idea and the owners have maintained it sooooo nicely!

The tour guide said that this church was also somewhere in

the Forrest Gump movie, but I couldn't find any clips or

images to prove it. It sure does look familiar though.

This is the house where Barbara Streisand stayed while filming

the movie Prince of Tides. The tour guide told us that with

what she paid for rent during the duration of her stay, the owners

of the house were able to put their kids through college. Crazy!

A very pink and very patriotic house.

Demi Moore stayed in this house when she was filming GI Jane

and part of the movie Forces of Nature with Ben Affleck and Sandra

Bullock was filmed here (check this link out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2rmeGIjGL4&feature=related to see a clip from the movie with the house

in a lot of the scenes). Apparently this place is HAUNTED!

An old Civil War fort in the middle of town

Our tour guide informed us this horse, Merlin, was the

horse used in Pirates of the Caribbean 4. So not only was this

horse a work horse, but a movie star as well.

At dinner...no Kaden, straws are not for noses ha ha.

Clever!

My mom, sister, and I found these neat chairs in downtown Beaufort

while we were shopping. Perfect picture op and such awesome chairs!

Harbor @ sunset...breathtaking!

Aunt Laura and Kaden were trying to lift these anchors lol.

AHHHHHHHMAZING!!!

Our horse and carriage tour guide told us that this

was the bridge in Forest Gump where Forrest (Tom Hanks)

runs across when he is doing his run across the country. Too cool!

(Don't believe me? You can get a glimpse of the bridge watching this clip

if you go to this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA1_aw2wAYI)

Had to get a picture of this house because it's was

the same name as my cute nephew Grayson:)

Harbour Town, USA

2011-08-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

I know that I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

behind on posting, but I have been busy moving half way across the country don't ya know. That takes a lot out of a girl. Even after almost 2 weeks of being back in Colorado I still have one box to unpack. Due to my being behind on blogging, I still have a couple posts to share from when my parents were visiting prior to the "great haul" as I am calling it (even though we didn't use a Uhaul truck...we used a Penske moving truck). The pictures and the places are too pretty and interesting not to share so who cares about back tracking right?

After we went on our dolphin cruise on Hilton Head Island, we spent the evening in the Harbour Town region of the Island, which is located in the Sea Pines subdivision. Harbour Town was full of life...a band was playing some rocking tunes, families were shopping in the cutesy little shops, amateur fisherman (ha ha) were crabbing off the dock that extends out into the intercoastal waterways, others were strolling along the harbor jealous of the amazing yachts that lined the inlet, kids were playing on the GIANT Live Oak trees that dominate (in stature and in quantity) the region, tourists were touring the Harbour Town Lighthouse, and couples were sipping on cocktails taking in the beauty that is a sunset in the South watching as the Sun sinks into the ocean and turns the water into brilliant colors of gold and orange.

Where we got our grub on

The boys had to get this picture with the pirate...I think they thought he was real lol

Oh barnacles!

The longest branch I have ever seen. These Live Oak trees branches twist and turn and

e----x-----t----e----n----d so far away from the tree. I loved the way these trees told a story with their branches...the ones with really long branches whispered "I am old but

still strong and I have seen a lot in my day." Oh if trees could talk lol.

The Harbour Town Lighthouse in the distance

Heavenly!

The boys thought this was a real life pirate ship, but in reality it was a novelty ship that takes sightseers on cruises along the coast and gives you that pirate like experience.

South Carolina is known for their Palm Trees and

they even are a symbol on the state license.

I love how the Live Oaks were lit up at night to

highlight their gnarly and twisty branches.

Wordless Wednessday: The Sleeping Positions of Kaleb cont...

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dolphin Watching: Tracking Down Flipper:)

2011-08-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

One fun adventure we went on while my parents were in Georgia was a dolphin tour on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (Savannah is only minutes from the Georgia-South Carolina border). Our cousins were still visiting us in Savannah for the weekend, so we were lucky to have them come along as well.

The long dock we had to walk on to get out to the boat

The boat trip took us through the Calibogue Sound heading towards Harbor Town. This was honestly some of the most beautiful region of the country I have ever seen. Hilton Head is definitely one place you must visit if you haven't yet. The waters were calm, the weather was hot, but the cool coastal air kept us comfortable...to a certain extent at least.

Good to know, especially since I have two boys

who want to feed anything that moves

It was neat to get a view of Hilton Head from a different perspective...a boat. The boys loved looking over the side of the boat, searching the waters to get a glimpse of a dolphin. Unfortunately, we only got to see a couple dolphins and from a distance, but the boat ride was worth it to see all the mansions lining the sound (and here about some of them via our captain), some other wildlife sightings, and just enjoying a summer afternoon in the salty, relaxing waters of southern South Carolina.

The Island Queen...love Kaleb's whole look, he looks so excited lol

(yes he was forced to take this picture with his Aunt Laura)

Quint was ready to go

Kaleb was helping the first mate get the boat

ready to leave the dock. Always a good helper!

We spotted this boat all the way from Durango, CO.

We spotted a dolphin pretty early on, but only for a

moment and then it went under :(

So this house was an 18,000 sq ft. house with a 10,000 sq ft. guest house

next to it. Can you say wowser! There were such beautiful

homes (mansions really) along the Calibogue Sound.

I think there might be more docks than garages on Hilton Head :)

This was a floating ice cream stand where boats

can just pull up and get some cool treats. Great idea!

Apparently the roof on this house alone was $250,000

(because it was copper)...man oh man!

Even boats get stuck out on the water and have to get towed

The view towards Harbor Town

Kaden was looking so hard for those dolphins

Parasailing!

"I am looking for them mom!"

And then we spotted another one

Kaden got to be the Captain of the boat for a very

brief moment...very brief. Kaleb opted out of that responsibility lol

Playing Doctor...

2011-08-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

Oh the wandering imagination of a preschooler. One minute they are a dog eating a treat and the next minute they are a doctor writing prescriptions :) While my sister was visiting us in Savannah the boys decided to make her the patient and she didn't know what she was in for. Look at this way...I wouldn't give anyone looking for a doctor a referral to my boys lol. They were super rough on their Aunt Laura, but as always she is a great sport and does almost anything the boys want to do. Such a great and fun aunt!

Checking her heartbeat and respirations

Doctor Kaleb on duty

Kaden giving Aunt Laura a shot in the forehead...ouch!

Kaleb writing his Aunt Laura a prescription for more sleep

and less staying out late ha ha jk (she just turned 21 in February)

I know this random and has nothing to do with this post but I was just thinking...where did the Summer go??? If somebody knows I would like you to get back to me on that.