Author's Tea...

Hayden's first Author's Tea this year was so fun to watch! He has come from hiding behind the book and not being able to hear a word he said, at the beginning of first grade. To being able to hear his whole story with inflection in his voice, and he even threw in a joke! It's so fun to watch your children progress and literally see the growth they have made. Way to go Hayden, "How To Train Your Dragon 2" was an awesome fairy tale!

 

 

 

Budding Gymnast...

Ana has been begging to take gymnastics since she saw it on the olympics a couple of years ago. Finally it was her chance... and what to you know, SHE LOVES IT...

 

 

 

 

Round two...

For some reason, this year Ana's body has decided to develop a nasty asthma-like reaction to every cold that she contracts. Now that she is in school, colds are pretty common around here. So for the second time since school started, we've had to give her nebulizer treatments to help her breathe. Sophie was sure that it was her sole responsibility to make sure that the treatments we administered properly...

 

September Date Night...

I love the autumn in Colorado. When you can spend beautiful evenings on a lake, with wonderful fall colors, and still be warm enough in a a short-sleeved shirt. Rob and I spent our September date night on the lake at City Park. We rented a paddle boat, cruised around, and just chatted. It was relaxing and so fun! We ended the evening with dinner at the d Bar. One of our new faves...

 

There is an island in the middle of the lake that is swarming with geese and other water birds. It was fun to get to see them up close...

Make do...

Seriously, I don't know why I think that once the kids go back to school I'm going to have more time. It's the exact opposite! Lately it's been so busy that I haven't even had time to go to the grocery store, let alone make a decent meal. So thus, we make do with what's in our fridge. Bread and cheese. And we spice it up a bit with cookie cutters. I hope my kids remember this as a fun memory, instead of a "My mom doesn't even have time to make us real food" memory...

 

 

Does life get any less busy as your kids get older? Don't leave a comment if your answer is NO! Just kidding;)

Flashback...

I remember having an afternoon just like this one with Ana a couple of years ago, right after Hayden started Kindergarten. Now it's Sophie's turn to spend blissful afternoons, by my side, painting and jabbering. Thank goodness for sweet little girls...

Still Got It...

Rob has been playing in a co-ed soccer league this year. It's been so fun for him to get back into soccer. And after all these years, yeah, he's still got it...


Way to go babe! It was so fun to watch you in your element!

Thank goodness for modern medicine..

We made our first-ever trip to the emergency room (Not bad for almost 8 years of having kids). Little Sophie, she fell off a teeter-totter and we thought that she had broken her arm. It turned out that it wasn't broken, a ligament in her elbow slipped between her bones and was being pinched. Ouch! She was super tough and didn't even cry once through all the x-rays and prodding. It wasn't until they manhandled her to get the ligament back in place that she let out a wail. Poor girl. But she did look super cute in her little hospital gown... Showing us which arm was hurt...
She thought the bracelet was awesome (didn't take it off for a couple days)...
X-rays...piece of cake...
But she did need some Motrin after being contorted...
And they give you Care Bear stickers if you cooperate... Yesss!
Thanks for being so cheerful and brave, Soph.

First Days...

So, I know it's been over a month, but the kids did start school and it needs to be documented. Besides, they look so darn cute in their uniforms that I can't help but take pictures of them... Overjoyed is not even close to what Ana was on the first day. She's been ready for this day for months...


An update for all that care: School has been going really well this year. Hayden's teacher and para are wonderful and very attentive. They have made a great difference in how the year has gone so far. Ana is doing equally great. Her teacher is so happy and encouraging, she's been teaching for many years, and is just fantastic with 5 year-olds. We are really happy that they both have such wonderful teachers to guide them.

T-Party with Nona...

We can't ever leave Nona's house without having a T-party. "T" stands for "Tiny", the size of all the food...

Attendance was "somewhat" mandatory... But if you don't listen to the "lovely" conversation, you aren't really in attendance...
And as always, it was a high-fashion occasion... Enjoyed by all...

Oh, how I love my sisters...

There is something comfortable, heartwarming and relaxing about spending time with the people who love you for who you are, no questions asked. For me, those people are my sisters. I always come away from times that I spend with them, feeling rejuvenated, ready to face the world again. Thanks girls, for being my best-friends, for filling my cup when it's half empty...

This was hilarious. We were taking turns, while we were shopping, finding backdrops that matched our outfits...

Trying to see how many people we could fit into Katie's MiniCooper... I think there were 13...
Lindsey modeling the Twizzler jewelry we fashioned for her on "game night"...
Good times, all around...

Utah - Just For Fun...

So I'm way behind on blogging... oh well, at least it's happening now, right?
We went to Utah the first week of August... just for fun! Aren't those kind of trips the best? The just-for-fun kind. We stayed with my sister Ana's family for the first few days. Along with my sister, Kris, and her boys, and my sister Kami and her kids. 13 cousins, Wahoo!! It was such a blast! We spent a whole day the the Children's Museum...