Life Is But A Dream

Nine Months Old

2012-01-14T14:13:00.000-08:00

He's been OUT as long as he was IN!

This month, our Baby Trey made a lot of changes! He enjoyed his first Christmas, which was much like any other day to him, except it was a lot more cluttered. He cut two more teeth (he now has six--four on top and two on bottom). He has become a pro at eating small finger foods. He can clap his hands (cutest thing ever!). He is sleeping through the night like a champ! He bounces along with songs and rhymes, especially those he recognizes.

His fine motor skills are quite good, but his gross motor skills are still delayed. My theory is that the surgery he had at 5 months slowed him down. At that point, when he had a lot of pain, he just stopped trying to roll or move around. So, now, although he can sit independently just fine, he still will only roll from his back to his tummy (and dislikes going the other way), and doesn't crawl at all. I can see him starting to figure it out, but he doesn't seem to be in a rush, so I'm not either.

The most significant thing I have noticed about Trey in the last month is how he seems to understand a lot more about his little world. His receptive language skills are impressive; that is, he responds to many words as if he understands them, even if he can't say any yet! If you say the word "clock," he can locate a standard clock in any room and starting clicking his tongue at it (like the tick-tock sound!). He loves bubbles and splashes and socks and toothbrushes and Cheerios. He LOVES his brothers and sister! He watches every move his Dad makes with keen interest. And he loves to torment me by grabbing me by the hair and pulling me to him for "kisses" just when he is messiest (with pureed vegetables and slobber and a runny nose all over his face) . . . seriously, he giggles while he does this!

And he loves it when we sing or read to him. He is so attentive; he sometimes whispers to himself while he listens. I can almost see in his eyes that he is thinking and learning right in front of me! Here is a telepathic conversation I recently had with him:

Me: "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."

Trey: "Wait 'til I get going!"

(Name the movie...) Ha ha!

Here are some pictures of our 9-months-old charming Little Buddy:

Working out with Mommy.

Here I told him, "Smile for Mommy!" He's so obedient. :)

Back to School

2012-01-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

We took a nice, long holiday break from our homeschool activities. But now we are back on the job and having fun while learning! Here are a few pictures of what we've been doing lately:

We were finally able to update our school room after moving the big desk up to the study. Now we have a lot more room! Our school room was used by the homeowners as a big home theatre, but it works better for us as a place to gather for our school work. Although it is in the basement, it has a nice big window and lots of light (our basement is a walk-out). In most schools, students are not allowed to bring weapons . . . but in this picture you can see that Chase is holding a medieval sword! He wasn't expelled, but he was asked to put it away until after school hours. :)

How many kindergartners do you know who can build an adjustable volume FM radio? Not many? Thanks to her big brothers, little Courtney can do it! They are working with a snap circuit system to study electricity, and Coco has jumped right in with them on this project. One of the many benefits of our happy little school . . . . :)

And, this picture is just a fun one of all the kids together, including our Little Buddy who comes to school with us every day!

My Favorite Christmas Pictures, Part II

2011-12-27T20:02:00.001-08:00

Here are a few more of my favorite photos taken on Christmas Day.

More fun in the stockings . . . so excited about toothpaste!

And a big smile for Phineas and Ferb bandaids!

First toothbrush for those brand new teeth!

Our Litte Buddy with the contents of his stocking in his lap:

Daddy got cookies in his stocking!

The man I love!

The big kids all chose this gift for Baby Trey and were so excited to help him open it (a game called Elefun).

What the heck is that thing?

Is this something to eat?

Avery painting the Wooden Whale he got from the Call Family:

Chase is pretending he's not about to shoot me with his new nerf gun (from Avery).

Pretty Courtney playing with her new cash register and getting ready for bed.

Finally! A picture with Trey smiling! And wearing a new outfit from Nana.

Such a fun Christmas!

My Favorite Christmas Pictures, Part I

2011-12-27T14:42:00.000-08:00

Below you will see some of my favorite pictures from our Christmas at home this year. It was such a magical day for the children, and a happy time for all of us!

This photo shows Avery, Courtney, and Chase displaying their gifts from Santa, first thing on Christmas morning. Love those happy faces!

I love this excited smile on Coco's face as she examines her gift from Santa.

And here is little Trey playing with his gift from Santa (with his characteristic intensity) while we get breakfast ready.

Here they are mining their stockings . . . don't you love the Christmas jammies? And Courtney is very excited to show me her Princess Bandaids that have Rapunzel on them. :)

And that's all I have time to upload for now! Stay tuned . . . there are more to come!

Sitting on Santa (Ackkkk!)

2011-12-19T10:58:00.000-08:00

Did you know that Santa Claus himself attended our ward Christmas Party on Saturday night? Wow! He was delightful, of course. Nate took some pictures with his phone of our 3 littlest ones enduring the horrifying experience of sitting on Santa's lap to report that they had been good this year and to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas (seriously, have our children EVER liked doing that?).

Sweet Avery, when Santa asked what he wanted for Christmas, replied, "I don't want anything in particular. I just want SOMETHING!" What a great kid! He's not at all greedy; he just doesn't want to be forgotten. Don't you just want to give him a squeeze?

Courtney and Avery were relieved to hear from Santa that they had made the "Nice List" (for a change--phewsh!). Poor Chase, however, seemed to hesitate about the whole thing, and in the end decided that maybe he was too big to sit on Santa's lap. Such a sad moment for Mom! However, the boy is huge, so his weight on Santa's leg may have been crushing enough to move him swiftly to the Naughty List . . . so perhaps he made the right decision. :(

Of course, this was Trey's first-ever encounter with Santa. And the picture you will see below was taken at the very moment he discovered that Mommy was not the one holding him. What the heck???? Poor baby! Still, thank goodness we got a picture of him sitting on Santa's lap for the first time ever! Hooray!

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth (8 Months Old)

2011-12-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

Our Little Buddy is 8 months old today and getting ready for his First Christmas! And, bless him, he really is getting his two front teeth (top)! Or, at least, as of today, he has one of them coming in already and will probably have the second one poking through by Christmas (that is my educated guess based on my many years as Mommy!). The little stinker is still giving me fits at naptimes, and refuses to be held by anyone but me or Nate (or maybe Chase) for more than 30 seconds, but otherwise he is completely and utterly charming.

He has a new smile that involves his whole face and a crinkled up nose that totally cracks me up . . . but of course I have yet to get a picture of it. He has great social interaction, loves to make really loud noises, and can pick up Cheerios with a pincer grasp. He still can't get them from his hand into his mouth, but it sure is funny to watch him try!

He is now sharing a bedroom with Big Sister Courtney, and so far they are managing their relationship as roommates very well. This is despite the fact that he often wakes up at 5:30am and babbles for half an hour before going back to sleep. Ah, she is so patient! His constant refrain, day and night, is "Da da da da da!"

His gross motor skills are coming along much slower. Our older kids were all crawling by this age, but Trey hates rolling over and isn't even close to crawling. He can sit up pretty well, though, and I really don't mind that his mobility is slow in coming. It means that we can leave the baby gates in storage for a little while longer, and he is not pulling ornaments off the bottom of the tree!

Finally, I am including the video below purely for fun, because it is the best song from my favorite Christmas special this year. I love it! Enjoy!

2011-12-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Yum!

2011-11-25T12:36:00.001-08:00

Our Thanksgiving Dinner this year was small (just our little family) but AWESOME! We had our traditional Famous Rolls and Frog's Eye Salad with yummy green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy. We cheated a little by buying a Turkey Roast for the crock pot (WAY better than a regular turkey and SO much easier!) and store-bought pies from Costco. When we have to do all of the cooking ourselves, we don't feel bad about taking short cuts or skipping the cranberries. We wanted to ENJOY the holiday and not kill ourselves cooking for 3 days! And, I've got to say, it was one of my most favorite Thanksgiving meals EVER! Nate even had time to put up Christmas lights on the house, so now we're all in a festive holiday spirit. I took a few pictures of the Thanksgiving table because I thought it was so pretty! Trey was asleep when the food was finished and on the table, but he got some mashed sweet potatoes and mashed turkey with gravy later. And, for dessert he licked the whipped topping from my pie right off my finger. That was his favorite part!

Turkey Trot 2011

2011-11-25T12:25:00.001-08:00

Hooray for the Turkey Trot! And hooray for Parker, CO, for organizing a 5k close by in which we were able to participate this year! This is a family Thanksgiving tradition that we didn't want to miss. Because of age requirements (participants had to be at least 8 years old), we decided that Chase, Avery and I would be the runners, and Daddy, Courtney, and Trey would be the cheerleaders. It was a perfectly beautiful day for a run on the Cherry Creek Trail! I am not a runner like I used to be; and although I am still recovering from pregnancy and postpartum sleep deprivation, I have been working out at home for the last 2 months. And the boys have been improving their endurance through their swim class every week. So, we figured we could handle it despite being out of practice. And we did! Especially considering that we had to keep it slow for Chase who was recovering from a cold and became winded easily, we ROCKED the Turkey Trot! So fun! And a great way to start a great Thanksgiving Day.

Visiting the Mayor

2011-11-25T12:19:00.001-08:00

Chase is working with his Webeloes Den to complete his Citizen Activity Badge, and recently attended their "Visit with the Mayor." The mayor of Parker, CO is David Casiano. They met with him to learn about his job and ways that they can be good citizens in the community. I love this scouting program; his den leader always plans great activities for them! Chase drew some pictures for the mayor, including one of a library and one of an American flag, stating "I can be a good citizen by caring for public places and respecting the flag." What a great experience!

Swimming All Year Round!

2011-11-25T12:07:00.001-08:00

One of the things we miss the most about living in Westminster (besides our awesome friends) is our Homeschool PE class. That was a really great program and we wish we could find something similar nearby. The closest thing we could find was a Homeschool Swim Class that is held once a week at the Parker Rec Center. Pretty awesome! The kiddos get to swim all year round because it is an indoor pool, and the classes are small so they get a lot of individual attention. Their swimming skills are really improving. This will make a big difference next summer because I will be much more willing to take the kids to the pool on days when Dad is not around if I feel like they have the skills to swim safely while I take care of Baby Trey. Total Win-Win-Win-Win-Win for me, Chase, Avery, Courtney, and Trey! Here are a few pictures from a recent class:

Avery:

Chase:

Courtney with her teacher:

Courtney

Personality Traits: 7 Months Old!

2011-11-17T19:40:00.001-08:00

This is a picture of our Little Buddy who is now 7 months old! Isn't he adorable? He now has 2 teeth and generally sleeps through the night. He can sit up with support and is rolling around a lot more. He has a few tickle spots that, when we find them, can produce some dang adorable giggles!

Every day we get to see more of the personality he brought to earth with him! And, I can assure you, he came cocked and loaded! He is making all kinds of new sounds and new expressions, such as the one in the photo below. This is one of the funniest pictures EVER, and you can only imagine what he was protesting when I snapped this photo. Ha ha!

And another photo in which Trey is doing his daily (or, more accurately, hourly) core workout. That kid can do crunches like nobody's business! Here, he is in full "banana" pose! Sorry about the fuzzy photo; it was taken with my phone.

He's my sweet Little Buddy and we are still enjoying every minute with him!

Writing, Writing, and More Writing!

2011-11-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

In our house, words matter! That is a given when Dad is an attorney and Mom is the teacher, and all the kids like to write, write, write. And right now we have a lot of reading and writing going on. Below you will find the links to some stories that the boys wrote that were published to the Scholastic website (you might have to copy and paste into your browser, since I can't make them publish as links to this blog). Chase wrote a folktale and Avery chose to write a mystery. Check them out!

Chase has some creative ideas and does a good job of descriptive writing. I really liked this story!
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/folktale_readrep.asp?id=58724&age=10&Page=24&sortBy=

Avery used some great "mystery" techniques in this story (including a "red herring") and wrote a fun little story. My favorite phrases in his story are "That threw Shirley's mind into confusion." and "But, then again, Sam had a loosely bound curiosity . . . ." He seriously came up with those all on his own!
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mystery/biography_readrep.asp?id=58727&age=8&Page=5&sortBy="

In addition, Chase has also committed to participate in NaNoWriMo this month, a.k.a. National Novel Writing Month, which takes place every November. This is a program where people spend 30 days writing a novel from beginning to end with a goal of a 50,000 word count. Chase is participating in the Young Writers Program, which begins at the elementary level and allows them to choose a more age-appropriate word count. Chase's goal is for 15,000 words. He is writing a story about the descendants of a royal line that was powerful in the Middle Ages. Awesome!

Meanwhile, Courtney has caught the writing bug, too! In fact, she filled almost an entire 100 page ruled notebook with her illustrations and stories! These are mostly illustrations with one or two sentences of the story per page. She worked for hours on a story that spanned at least 50 pages which she titled, "The Sad Tale of Love" (Books I, II, and III) by Coco Merrill. Ha ha!

Who knows? Maybe we're raising the famous authors of the future!

Sir Drops-A-Lot Gets a Haircut

2011-11-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

This picture shows our Little Buddy doing the totally age-appropriate behavior of grabbing whatever he can reach, chewing on it, and throwing it down to the ground. We have affectionately nicknamed him Sir Drops-A-Lot! And, you can see in the picture that his hair has been getting longer, which is why . . .

. . . we finally gave him his first haircut! So sad to see what was left of his newborn hair go, but he looks so cute with his new coif! We LOVE this sweet little guy!

Pinewood Derby

2011-11-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

Our new Cub Scout Pack did a Pinewood Derby this week as a fundraiser, which made for a bonus derby for us this year! However, because this was a fundraiser, they nixed the standard rules and allowed anyone to participate. We entered 3 cars, including one for Courtney (hers was pink!). The boys' cars were nice and heavy, and they actually raced pretty well! They all had a great time and are already planning their cars for next year. The picture below shows all 3 kids at the head of the track, cheering for Courtney's car:

We're Off to See the Wizard

2011-11-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

My sweet kids were kind enough to indulge me in a costume theme this year, based on a book we read last year, "The Wizard of Oz!" Plus, we now have a big enough family to represent the principle characters, so it was fun! Check out the slideshow below for pictures of our Halloween adventures!

October Snow

2011-11-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

We have seen snow here in Colorado early this year . . . and more than once! We've already had 3 good snowstorms and many opportunities to play in the snow. The pictures below were taken after the second snowstorm, which was the first snow to stick around for more than one day. One of the awesome things about our new house is that it is built on a hill, so the kiddos were able to create a sledding hill right in our own backyard! Which is especially awesome for Mom, because they can sled in the backyard while the baby sleeps peacefully in his own warm bed at naptime. Hooray!

Chase's Day

2011-10-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

We told Chase that he could choose our family activity for today, and he asked to go to a pumpkin patch and to eat dinner at Cafe Rio (not gonna complain about that!). We also stopped by Hobby Lobby to get supplies for the upcoming Pinewood Derby. The weather was awesome, and our Littlest Buddy held up pretty well for a long family outing! Below you will see some fun pictures from the pumpkin patch. A great family day, thanks to Chase!

Zero and a Half!

2011-10-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it? Our chunky little monkey is already six months old! Or, as Courtney likes to call it, he is "zero and a half" years old. ;-) As noted in an earlier post, he is now eating yummy rice cereal and is as charming as can be. And, up until his surgery last week he WAS sleeping through the night. So much for my short-lived glee on that one! But we have had to give him medication overnight as he recovers, so all of that effort has been undone. Oh well! For the most part, he has recovered pretty well from the surgery so far; but, as you might expect, we have had a few rough patches. He has clearly had some pain, he seems to have limited his own mobility (he doesn't wiggle and roll around very much), and has had some side effects from the medications. One medication in particular has given him a very dry mouth and cracked lips. So uncomfortable for the poor little guy! But as of yesterday, he is now off all medications except for the occasional dose of ibuprofen for pain. Hooray! So, we are celebrating him starting to feel better as well as reaching that exciting milestone of Zero and a Half! Oh, and "zero and a half" also happens to be the same number of teeth he has; I just noticed this week the very tiniest ridge on the top of his first tooth breaking through the gums! Now that he's off that medication, we can expect some serious drooling!Finally, I am including one more picture of our Little Buddy because I think it is so funny: don't you love how he is holding his chubby little hand over his chubby little belly like that? So cute!

Courtney's Primary Talk

2011-10-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

This beautiful girl is becoming such a great little reader! Last Sunday she gave a talk in Primary on prayer. She's given several Primary talks, but this is the first one she did without help, reading it all by herself. We wrote the talk together and practiced it several times so that she could be sure of herself. Then, when it was time for her talk, she read every word on the page fluently! In fact, she even opened her talk by reading aloud the title we had typed at the top of the page: "Courtney's Primary Talk." Ha ha! Dang, that girl is adorable!Incidentally, as a side note to this, our Chase might be something of a little prophet: After President Monson's talk in General Conference earlier this month, Chase predicted that the story he told about losing the five dollar bill in the laundry would become one of the best-known stories in the church over the next few years. Funny . . . I heard that story re-told 3 different times on Sunday! Excellent foresight for a 10-year-old!

Little Patient

2011-10-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is a photo of our Little Trey at the Children's Hospital yesterday, where he was a patient in Outpatient Surgery. He was born with a defect in his urethra called hypospadias, in which the urethra doesn't fully develop and makes an early exit from the penis on the underside. His was severe enough that it required a surgical correction. The picture above was taken pre-op, when he was dressed in his little hospital gown and gumming a tongue depressor. SUCH a sweet little guy! He had no idea what he was in for . . . it was only Mommy stressed out at this point!

Here you can see his pink, pink cheeks! He was so hungry and I had been holding him in my arms for a few hours trying to keep him comfortable. But he was still able to put on a smile and charm all of the nurses!

Just LOOK at those chubby, chubby legs! I'm IN LOVE!

Sleeping peacefully after surgery.

Here you can see some of the "attachments" necessary to monitor him while he was under the general anethesia (and epidural). Day one of recovery was challenging, but I am happy to report that today he seems to be feeling much better! He's tired, but I think his pain level is low, because he has been so cheerful! LOVE that sweet little guy and his perfect new urethra!

Don't forget, I also love THIS awesome guy!

2011-10-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

I have noticed that one of my super awesome sons seems to disappear when the camera is out, and is therefore missing from most blog posts . . . so here is a small gallery of photos to remind everyone that we love this awesome guy, too!

Sleeping Champ

2011-10-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

After ONE night of sleep training this weekend (one!), The Littlest Boy has been sleeping through the night!!!!!! Look out, World, he may just be our smartest one yet (and that's saying something!). :-)Incidentally, I feel completely justified in bragging about this, as sleep battles are extremely hard won around here! And as a disclaimer, I should note that he is still waking up a bit too early, and giving us more than our fair share of challenges with naps. But still! Requiring only one night of sleep training is pretty good; and at least we are making progress! Hooray for Trey!

Coco's Video Debut of Trey's Cereal Debut

2011-10-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

The amazing video below was taken by our little Courtney (please forgive the digital imperfections and the non-stop wiggling). This is the very first video she has ever taken! And her choice of subjects was the happy event of Trey's first time eating rice cereal. So, what you are witnessing here is a double dose of life changing moments in the lives of our little ones. Awesome!

The Grand Canyon

2011-10-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Biggest Boy is still losing teeth right and left! Or, more accurately, just on the left. In fact, he has lost two adjacent teeth on the lower left of his mouth in just the last month. Now he has such a large gap in his teeth on that side, he is almost as "gummy" as Baby Trey. Ha ha! Check out the picture below to see The Grand Canyon in his mouth. He's still awfully handsome!

5 Months Old!

2011-09-14T19:34:00.000-07:00

Our Little Buddy is already five months old, and I can hardly believe it! We have been managing our homeschool activities with him tagging along for over a month now, and it is actually going pretty smoothly. That is evidence that life with this baby is starting to become more predictable and a little more manageable. He slept through the night (8:45pm until 6:30am) for the very first time on my birthday last week . . . wasn't that a thoughtful birthday gift he gave me? What a sweetie! Of course, it was only a tease, because he immediately went back to waking up for a feeding in the middle of the night right away. But, still! He is becoming his own little person (okay--a person seemingly without a neck--but still a person!) with clear personality traits: he is very observant and intense and needs a lot of TLC, but he is also sweet, loving, and giggly . . . and seems to adore his older siblings! We're so lucky to have this darling little guy!

Fun Pictures

2011-09-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

These were taken in July by my sister, Hanna. I am finally getting around to uploading them so that I can share them with you! Trey was 3 months old at the time of these photos. Such a stinkin' kissable face!

The Boy With the Lightning Bolt Between His Eyes

2011-09-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

They say that it is never too early to start exposing children to books. Our sweet daughter took that advice quite literally, and generously shared a book with our Baby Trey by dropping it on his head. Oh, she cried longer and harder than he did, poor thing! She felt terrible and whimpered about it for about 10 minutes, until she discovered that the wound she had inflicted on him resembled a lightning bolt right between the eyes. Then she was so excited to have given him a "Harry Potter scar!" Well, it's never too early for Harry Potter, apparently! I love how my children always surprise me with little moments that warm my heart . . . even if those moments start out with a book to the head, or a late night trip to the bathroom ("Oh, so THAT'S what happened to my underwear . . . ."). LOVE these kids!

4 Months Old!

2011-08-21T19:21:00.001-07:00

I am a little late posting my photos of our Baby Trey at 4 months old (but I do have a perfectly good excuse, given that we started school this week at our house, so I've been preoccupied with that). But the photos above show just how adorable he is today! His latest development is in his hands--he is working very hard on the skill of Grabbing. And, I've got to give it to him . . . he's pretty good! He grabs just about everything within his reach, and fusses to get his hands on anything he thinks is interesting. He often has handfuls of hair, since my hair or Courtney's hair is easy to find within his clutch. This little guy is showing us some signs of a very happy, and very intense little personality. Which means, of course, that he fits right in! And, believe it or not, we learned at his 4-month well-child visit at the doctor that he is ONLY in the 85th percentiles for weight and height . . . what??? That may seem big to some, but compared with our earlier baby boys, Trey is puny! But I love my little guy, and am happy to keep him small (relatively speaking) for a good long while. He's delicious at 4 months!

12th Anniversary and Happiness is Hoops in the Driveway

2011-08-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

Here we are, still crazy in love after all these years! This picture was taken on our 12th wedding anniversary. We're carrying the scars of a difficult year that started right around our anniversary last year: a difficult pregnancy followed by the birth of our gorgeous baby boy (and remembering what it is like to be back at the starting line again), leaving a steady paycheck to start a new business, unexpected, life-threatening health problems, and moving to a new home. Yuck . . . I am worn out just writing the very short summary of it! But, we feel confident that things are starting to simmer down now, so we are going to settle in to enjoy what we are sure will be our "lucky" year--our 13th! Also, we generally try to include our children in part of our anniversary celebration. After all, as we tell them, it is our Family Birthday! The pictures below show one of the things we did together to celebrate:

I've got to admit, this is one of the things to which we looked forward the most when deciding to move to this house. We used to have a driveway that was about 2 feet long, and now we have a HUGE one (which we might not love as much once the snow starts coming this winter), which is PERFECT for playing hoops! Nate and I are so excited that our boys have a place to play one of their favorite sports without leaving home. No concrete leg burns yet, but I'm prepared . . . :-) So fun!

Yardwork!

2011-08-06T12:57:00.001-07:00

This is Chase trimming the bushes in the backyard. He loves it when we give him the jobs that need the BIG tools . . . arrrrgh!

We went from a postage-stamp-sized backyard to this lovely 1/2 acre along the 14th Fairway . . . lots more work, but lots more fun, too!

Working on the weeds along the side of the house. The kids were very happy to be working with Daddy, as he is at the office during all hours of the week.

This is all 3 big kids working on the back border of the yard. Too bad about the distracting scenery, huh? We couldn't have a lovelier view!

Gathering up weeds in the front yard. Such helpful kids! LOVE them!

Primary Temple Tour

2011-08-05T20:27:00.001-07:00

We're settling into our new home and getting involved in a new ward, and so far we like it! The pictures above were taken at a Primary activity in which we went to the Denver Temple for a tour of the grounds and Visitor's Center. The kids were so excited to go and had a great time, especially Courtney. In the Visitor's Center as the guide was showing us the Christus statue, she jumped up and down to tell everyone that her brothers had a copy of the very same statue in their room

Baby Noises (a.k.a. Video Only Grandma Will Love)

2011-07-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

3 Months Old

2011-07-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

Three months old . . . and OH, so YUMMY! Can you say, "IN LOVE!"? Because that's the only way to describe how we feel about our Baby Trey. I can never get the picture that captures his little personality with our camera, but since we are moving in 3 days, I can only try to digitally seize the moment when I have it. These pictures aren't too bad, but believe me, nothing beats the real thing. I LOVE his warm, chubby, soft, wiggly body, his sweet grunting and cooing sounds, the delicious smell of his baby breath and baby lotion, and his slurpy little kisses. And I absolutely melt when I pick him up and hold him close and he hugs me back. Three months old is pure magic!

New Home

2011-07-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

Just because we haven't had enough disruption in our lives this year, we have decided to MOVE this month! Ha ha! We have been looking to move closer to Nate's new office, and recently were offered the opportunity to move to a rental home in Parker, CO, which is about an hour south of us right now and cuts Nate's commute in half. We decided that renting is a great option for us while we explore the South Denver area in anticipation of finding a more permanent dwelling that suits our growing family sometime in the next year or two. The slideshow below shows a few photos of the home we will move into in a few short weeks. It is LOVELY and we feel very blessed to be able to spread out a little bit and get to know a new and beautiful part of Colorado. It is going to be another crazy month for us . . . wish us luck!

AB•OVO•USQUE•AD•MALUM

2011-07-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

The image above is a copy of the menu that Chase and Avery created for their Ancient Roman Restaurant for a dinner we had as a family last night (click on it for a closer view!). This project capped off their studies we titled "Racing Through Ancient Rome" which was part of our homeschool work this summer. They created a 3-course meal (Gustum=Appetizer, Prima Mensa=Main Dish, Secunda Mensa=Dessert), which was actually quite delicious! The name of the restaurant was "Astra Cena," which means Stellar Dinner, and the motto was "Ab ovo usque ad malum" which means "from egg to apple" becaue Romans often started their meals with eggs and ended them with fruit. The boys also gave us Roman names: Dad was Augustus (the Emporer), I was Julia, Chase was Felix, Avery was Leo, and Courtney was Lydia (Baby Trey was asleep and didn't participate!). Both boys did a great job preparing and serving the meal, but Chase later declared that he would have preferred chips and salsa. Ha ha!

Coco's 5th Birthday

2011-07-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet girl and the World's Biggest "Tangled" Fan! Oh, she was happy this week, since we finally arrived at the day she has been awaiting for months. Since her birthday is at the end of our family's "Birthday Season," she felt like it had been an interminable wait to get through all of the boys' birthdays before hers came along. BUT, I think she will state unequivocally that it was worth the wait. We had a great day celebrating our only Princess. Her gifts were mostly "Tangled" themed, and in the afternoon a handful of her little friends came over to do "Tangled" crafts with us. She has been smiling all week (and not sleeping nearly enough . . . when do you suppose we'll start to pay for that????). One highlight for me was when her Daddy gave her a foot soak and pedicure (including decorating her toes with little heart and flower stickers) using a pedicure kit one of her friends gave her for her birthday. Talk about pampering our little Princess! So cute!

Denver Business Journal Article

2011-06-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

The article you see pictured above was published in the June issue of the Denver Business Journal, and features Nate's new law firm, Goodspeed & Merrill! We're so proud of him, and are excited that he and Suzanne are getting such great attention here at the beginning of their business venture. They are going to be BIG! Click on the picture to enlarge it and read it!

Raingutter Regatta 2011--Champs Again!

2011-06-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

It shouldn't be much of a stretch to believe that Chase and Avery had almost NO help from Mom & Dad in building their boats for this year's Raingutter Regatta, considering recent events. Suffice it to say that they took the initiative and did nearly all of the work themselves, except for a few things requiring the hot glue gun. And they are amazing, because the results don't lie! Chase swept every race to become a Repeat Champion (second year in a row!) and Avery came in third place as a newcomer! AWESOME! Chase improved on his catamaran design that won last year, and built an amazingly fast boat (if I can figure out how to upload the video I took, I will post it here--it was CRAZY fast!). And Avery adapted the design to his liking, creating a Greek "Trireme" that also won the award for the Most Aerodynamic design. The smiles on their faces were priceless, and we were so proud! The prizes for 1st-3rd place were big water guns, which should keep things interesting around here this summer! Nice going, guys!

Father's Day - Blessing Day

2011-06-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

There was one upside to Nate's hospitalization earlier this month; we had to postpone our scheduled Baby Blessing because we were not at church on Fast Sunday . . . and we were able to reschedule it to Sunday, June 19th instead. That was a bonus, because not only was it Father's Day, but also because Scott & Donna Call and their girls were in town for an adoption reunion! It was extra special to have Scott there to stand in the circle with Nate for the blessing of our Baby Trey. And the weather was beautiful, so we had a quick family barbecue after the service in our backyard before the Calls headed back to Utah. AND . . . we got our very first family photo with all 6 of us together. We even look like we coordinated our outfits, don't we?

Someone Forgot to Knock on Wood

2011-06-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

There must be an easier way to get my attention, rather than the tactics my older children have resorted to since I have been so preoccupied with Daddy and Baby Brother lately! See, for example, the post I published two days ago, entitled "Buggin'." Although I made a big deal about how much we have been to the doctor lately, and swore that swift punishment would be in order for the next person to have an illness, injury, or accident that would take us there . . . THAT VERY NIGHT my daughter, Coco, took a spill in the bathroom that led to a mild concussion, landing us in the doctor's office the very next day. Poor little girl! I'm thinking we should just move in to the Kaiser medical offices, since we are there so often. As Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro from Phineas and Ferb would say, "Oy Caramba!"

Two Months Old!

2011-06-15T11:22:00.000-07:00

Don't be fooled by the look of surprise or alarm on the face of this gorgeous, chubby 2-month-old cutie! He really is a happy baby, and is loads of fun for the whole family. We love his smiles and his wriggly arms and legs and his cute little cooing sounds. He may be new on this earth, but he's King around here!

Buggin'

2011-06-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

Primarily because no one in the family had been to the doctor's office for a few days, Avery decided it was time for his annual infected bug bite! Check out the impressive photo above. The lines were drawn to show the spread of the swelling between Saturday and Sunday. Wow! The culprit responsible (the bug) must have found Avery at Cub Scout Camp on Friday. The swelling had spread so much that by Sunday after church, we decided we had better not wait any longer to get it checked out. They treat these infections as a mild case of cellulitis, and prescribe antibiotics to clear it up. But I have to wonder, since this has happened to him so often, if there is another cause, or another way to treat it. The doctor we saw at the weekend clinic seemed unclear, and she nearly scared Avery to death by mentioning repeatedly the ER and the need for IV meds. Really? However, it does match all the symptoms for cellulitis, and hasn't responded to allergy medication, while it tends to clear up quickly after starting antibiotics (augmentin). So, I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. Any thoughts?

I will add that we're getting a little tired of medical offices lately. Between pregnancy visits, followed by labor and delivery in April, follow-up appointments for Baby Trey (including a 2-hour diagnostic at 3 weeks old because he didn't pass his hearing screening at the hospital), my mastitis infection and postpartum check-ups, Nate's hospitalization and follow-up doctor's appointments, and now Avery's bug bite . . . I think I've seen a little more of the Kaiser offices and pharmacies than I really care to see for a long time! Of course, I have well-child appointments scheduled for Trey and Courtney on Friday of this week . . . *sigh!* The next person to need the doctor after that will be grounded on the spot!

By the way, can YOU spot Buzz Lightyear in the photo above????? :-)

Cub Scout Day Camp 2011

2011-06-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

My big boys just finished a week of Cub Scout Day Camp. For Chase, this was his 3rd and final year, and for Avery, this was his first year. So, it was the only year they were able to attend together; and by all reports, they were inseparable buddies! I'm so glad they have each other! Each day of the camp they rotate between activities in the areas of Sports, Crafts, Nature & Science, Games, Archery/BB Guns, and Scout Skills. They also build a mini rocket and launch it on the last day of camp. They are outside all day long, which explains the redness you see in the pictures above. Overall, they had great weather, great friends, and great leaders to go with all the great activities. I love to hear what they learn about at camp each day!

I usually like to be a parent volunteer for at least one of the days. This year that was impossible for me, since I had a new baby and a recovering husband at home. But somehow I managed to do drop-off and pick-up every day, so I could feel like I was still a small part of the daily events! Believe me, that was no small feat in itself, considering our circumstances right now. And now that this week is done, I can breathe a sigh of relief that next week I no longer have to juggle transportation to and from Cub Camp with the baby's schedule (or complete lack thereof) and with Nate's doctor's appointments and with Courtney's playdates and with everything else I have to do to keep from drowning in chaos. Phewsh! Praying for a quieter week next week . . . . :)

My Perfect Husband Has a Defect!

2011-06-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

Wow! This has been a crazy week for our family! The picture above gives some indication of that. But, don't be fooled by the smile! This picture was taken in the ER, just before we got the news that he was about to be admitted for what turned out to be a 4-day, all-inclusive, non-luxury stay at the hospital. For a perfectly healthy guy with no recent illness, trauma, or accident, it was certainly a surprise to to end up there!

It all started back in April, less than a week after our Trey was born, when Nate started complaining about leg pain, and shortly afterwards observed a red, swollen area on his calf. I encouraged him to check it out, but after internet research and informal conversations with medically-trained associates, we decided it must be tendonitis, but with no known cause. The pain continued, but shifted locations to other places on his leg and in his ribs, and then subsided altogether. Finally, over Memorial Day weekend, the symptoms reappeared--this time behind his left knee, and with pain so severe that he couldn't even walk and had fevers of over 100 degrees all weekend.

We finally got him to the doctor on June 1. Initially, the doctor thought it was some kind of muscle strain, as Nate had no risk factors of any kind for anything else. However, they did a blood test to rule out the possibility of blood clots. An hour after he left the lab, the doctor's office called and said he needed to come back right away. Next came a whirlwind series of events, including an ultrasound revealing a string of blood clots in his left leg, followed by a CT scan in the ER which revealed several more blood clots in his lungs. Hello! This left me more than a little freaked out! Thank heaven that it wasn't worse, and that we caught the problem before it became life-threatening!

What followed was several days in the hospital, where we began the treatment for getting him all better. It essentially includes medications known as "blood thinners" and lots and lots of rest until the blood clots clear up by themselves. We've also learned through this process that the blood clots were caused by a genetic defect, called Factor V (5) Leiden. This is an inherited genetic disorder that can increase one's chance for developing abnormal blood clots. Who knew? Physically, my husband has always been very strong and very healthy, and we had no reason to suspect that he had a condition that could lead to long-term health problems!

For now, he is resting at home and recovering slowly. We're learning a lot about how we will be caring for his condition for the rest of his life. It will be a change in lifestyle, but not super major because we're not exactly extreme sports or thrill-seeking types of people! The bottom line is that I am SO grateful he is okay, and that we know how we can keep him healthy and safe. We NEED our Daddy and love him so!

One Month Old!

2011-05-16T09:32:00.001-07:00

Baby Trey is growing just perfectly and is now a whole month old! We're starting to see the beginnings of social smiles, and he is very well-loved by the whole crew. Check out this yummy little face!

Chase's Birthday Slideshow

2011-05-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that we have been parents for a DECADE? Chase had his 10th birthday this week! And while we were stuck close to home due to our newborn baby brother, we had a really fun day celebrating our sweet, handsome, bright, wonderful firstborn son. See the slideshow below for some of the fun! Happy Birthday, Chase!

2011-05-05T12:32:00.001-07:00

Pinewood Derby 2011

2011-05-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

We got just a few photos of this year's Pinewood Derby with the Cub Scouts. We had two entries this year, as Avery has recently joined the Wolf Pack! Both Chase and Avery had great cars, but no winners among them this time! But, they were proud of their work and had a good time. Way to go, guys!

A Very Special Birthday!

2011-04-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

See below for a slideshow with the first pictures of our newborn baby boy! Trey Smith Merrill was born on his Daddy's birthday, April 14, 2011 at 7:08pm. He was our biggest yet, weighing 9 lbs. 12 oz., and measuring 21.5 inches long. And, he's DANG CUTE! Our heads are still in the newborn, sleep-deprived fog of the first week of life, but we know we've been richly blessed with our new son. Look for lots more pictures to come . . . this one slideshow took me almost all day to prepare . . . but at least it's a start!

2011-04-21T14:27:00.001-07:00

Clean as a Whistle!

2011-04-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a VERY special occasion this weekend when our Avery was baptized on April 9, 2011! It was so great to see him make this important step, and to feel his excitement as he became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is definitely one of the sweetest little guys you could ever hope to meet! Unfortunately, with Mom at 9 months pregnant, taking pictures that day was not high on my priority list, but I did get a few of Avery and his Daddy in front of the baptismal font. So, here they are--two of my favorite guys looking so cute I could eat them both up! Love them so!

Thhhhhhhhhbt . . .

2011-04-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

This is my beautiful daughter, Courtney. My completely biased opinion is that she is the most exquisitely lovely child I have ever seen! I adore everything about her, from her sweet thoughtfulness to her constant messiness. But I have to write about something she is doing lately that completely tugs at my heartstrings so much that I can hardly describe it! She happens to be one of those little people who struggles, at age 4 1/2, to pronounce words with the "th" sound in them. This has never worried me in the least; in fact, I think it's cute how she changes every "th" into a "f" sound, or a "d" sound (and even in the case of the word "thank" she changes it to an "n" sound!). Her older brothers, however, tease her about it now and then--mostly with affection (by saying things like, "Don't you fink?"), but sometimes with the intention to correct her. Unfortunately, this has made her a little self conscious about her "problem wif 'th's' ". Recently, however, she has discovered that she CAN make the "th" sound if she really tries--which means she sticks her tongue out and says each word with the "th" sound very slowly. Oh, it kills me! It takes such concentration that I just want to tell her to forget about it and go back to saying it the way it comes naturally (at least until the correct sound comes more easily)! But she is very proud of her new ability, and tries it out all the time. In fact, she now thinks she has to use the "th" sound for almost EVERY word she's ever said with the "f" sound! I can't describe how my heart almost burst this morning when she worked so hard to pronounce the word "funny" by carefully sticking out her tongue and saying "THunny!" She's trying so hard to do it right, but in exactly the wrong way! I so want to squeeze her tight and make her stay little and innocent and perfect and uninhibited by insecurities. There's no rush to grow up and "get it right"! My only little girl is just perfect the way she is. Don't you fink?

Nursery is Ready!

2011-04-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

We finally finished putting together the nursery for Baby Trey! I love the way it turned out--don't you? Now we just need "le petit garcon" to put in it! Thirty-eight weeks tomorrow, folks, and I look and feel like I'm about to pop. Bring on the epidural, baby!

Eight is Great Slideshow!

2011-03-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

See the slideshow below for photos of Avery's 8th Birthday! We celebrated with silly string and birthday gifts, a trip to Mid Air Adventures, dinner at Cici's Pizza, and cake and ice cream with Phineas and Ferb. Awesome day for an awesome little guy!

2011-03-19T16:41:00.001-07:00

"Adult Skills"

2011-03-09T14:30:00.000-08:00

As part of our homeschool program, I have created a series of "classes" to teach my children what we call "Adult Skills" . . . keep your mind in the zone of purity, folks! These are children we're talking about here! Anyway, these classes are all designed to give them experience doing things they will need to do all on their own once they become adults and move out of the house to be responsible grown ups (the whole point of raising them, don't you think?). I give them a binder with the syllabi for these classes when they are 8 or 9 years old (depending on their readiness), and they choose which ones to work on each month. They are simple things, like baking, grocery shopping, laundry and ironing, simple home repairs, car maintenance, yard work, etc., etc. So far, only Chase is "officially" working on his Adult Skills classes, but the little ones like to play along in preparation for their turn! Here I am posting a few photos of Chase's mastery of baking Snickerdoodles and painting a wall. Plus, there are some bonus photos of his younger admirers. You can see that no one wants to be left out of the fun!

Awwwwww!

2011-03-01T20:14:00.001-08:00

This photo is not the best quality, since it was taken in the dark by a cell phone camera . . . but, still! Isn't she sweet? This is how we found our Coco sleeping this evening. She had gathered together a whole slumber party of friends to join her in a cozy arrangement in her bed. Why does this photo make me so ridiculously happy?

Princess Paintings

2011-02-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

Chase insisted that we include an art project created by our little Coconut. These are paintings of Courtney's favorite princesses (Princess Aurora and Belle) and their castles with many windows!

Chase's Modeling Project

2011-02-09T12:28:00.000-08:00

Recently, Chase has been interested in model-making, and checked out some books from the library to learn more about it. He chose a design that he really liked (A Spooky Castle!), and said he would like to make it as a gift to his brother, Avery. He planned out the project and purchased the supplies, and over a couple of weeks he put it together. He did run into a few difficulties along the way, but persisted in solving the problems to make something of which he is really proud. Now Chase and Avery are using it as part of their battle scenarios with their "military guys" to figure out ways to defend and/or conquer the Spooky Castle.

Both Mom and Dad are especially impressed with Chase demonstrating the maturity to plan and carry out a difficult project, and solve the problems that came up along the way. Nice going, Chase! We look forward to seeing what other creations are in your future!

Making it Happen

2011-02-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

They say that big risks can bring big rewards! Well, 10 years ago, Nathan finished law school, and 8 years ago he completed his LLM in Taxation and was accepted by the Colorado Bar Association to practice law in Colorado. He has been working since that time for a local law firm, building up his experience and client base and earning lots of awards along the way ("Best of" 5-Star Wealth Managers and "Rising Star" Super Lawyers for 3 years running, for example). He's been looking for opportunities to advance his career in the last few years, and finally found the opportunity that suits him best in finding a partner to create a brand new law firm of their own!

So, after many months of preparation, we are excited to celebrate the opening of Denver's hottest new law firm: Goodspeed & Merrill, LLC, featuring our own Nathan Merrill as co-founder, partner, and President! He and his law partner, Suzanne Goodspeed, practice law in the areas of business, real estate, taxation, etc. So, last week he left behind the security of a steady paycheck in favor of building something new and exciting all on his own. It's a big risk, but will bring big rewards for him in creating a business and "making it happen" for himself.

A big thanks to his great partner, Suzanne Goodspeed, without whom this opportunity would not exist. So far, the office is coming together nicely as they work out the kinks of computers, phones, office furniture, printers, software systems, client files, rainmaking, etc., etc. The commute is a long one, but so far it is manageable. Here's to hoping things settle down a bit before our Baby Boy comes in April . . . you know, since we are wisely trying to do all these BIG things all at once! 2011 will certainly be a year to remember for the Merrill Family!

The News You've All Been Waiting For . . .

2010-11-08T19:53:00.001-08:00

Today was our ultrasound. Baby looks healthy! And here's your clue to its gender (do you remember your biology?) XY!

Halloween 2010 Slideshow

2010-10-31T08:54:00.001-07:00

Check out the photos below to see our Halloween celebrations, with Hercules, Harry Potter, and Cinderella. Fun!

2010-10-31T08:52:00.001-07:00

We Changed Our Minds!!!

2010-10-08T19:53:00.001-07:00

And you certainly can't blame us, having already been blessed with some of the most delightful little children on the planet! We had decided that we were DONE having children a few years ago . . . but something told us along the way that maybe we were wrong--way wrong. Ha!

So, we're pleased to announce that Baby Merrill #4 is now growing fiercely inside my womb, expected to arrive in the middle of April 2011. Yes, this is despite my "advanced maternal age" (medical terminology for OLD)! And yes, this does mean that we had to seek medical intervention to achieve this pregnancy due to my age and our formerly permanent form of birth control. But we were motivated by love for our family and a feeling that grabbed hold and wouldn't let go . . . and we wouldn't have it any other way!

Camping at Estes Park

2010-08-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

Check out the slideshow below for photos from our recent camping trip in Estes Park, CO. We had a great time and got VERY dirty and ate delicious food! We got some rain and some wind, but we were perfectly comfortable and enjoyed mostly great weather. Can't wait to do it again!

2010-08-30T10:38:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary!

2010-08-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

Nate and I celebrated our wedding anniversary--eleven years of bliss--on Friday! Nate asks, "Do you mean bliss-tering or bliss-ful?" Ha ha! Nothing but love, baby, nothing but love! We were married on a Friday the 13th, too, so this was an especially "lucky" year. We got a babysitter and went to dinner and a movie. Super fun to have the time alone together--love you honey!

Sweet, Sweet Avery

2010-07-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here is proof positive that our Avery is just as sweet as I have always said he is--he's always the one to attract the bug bites because his blood contains the Essense of Sweetness! Too bad he is also prone to infection. In this picture, Avery is showing us the infected bug bite on his arm . . . which has so far cost us $50 in copay and prescription costs. Last year he ended up hospitalized because of a major infection of a bug bite on his leg, where they had to administer antibiotics via IV. Unfortunately, the experience was a bit overwhelming to him, so he was very reluctant to tell me about this year's bug bite fearing he'd end up back in the hospital with a needle in his arm. Boo! But I discovered it after a day or two when it was huge and hot and swollen, and promptly took him to the doctor. This time, however, the antibiotics that we are administering at home seem to be doing the trick. But this tells me that we'll have to watch this boy more closely in the summer months, so we can avoid these costly infections! Word has spread among the mosquitos--my Avery is one tasty boy!

Must See--Coco's "Tea" Party

2010-06-26T18:55:00.001-07:00

Take a peek at these ADORABLE photos of Courtney's Birthday "Garden Tea Party" that we held this afternoon. These darling girls got dressed up, decorated hats, put on a "fashion show" and sat down for "tea" before we had cake and birthday gifts. So fun!

2010-06-26T18:54:00.001-07:00

Chase Takes First Place at the Raingutter Regatta!

2010-06-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

So cool! Our Chase was the First Place Winner of this year's Raingutter Regatta with the Cub Scouts! Hooray! After a little research earlier this month, he decided on the catamaran design, which was clearly a good choice! He built the boat entirely by himself, aside from a little coaching and help with the hot glue gun from Mom and Dad. He was so surprised to win, and so thrilled to bring home the Big Prize. Way to go, Chase! Check out the slide show below for fun pictures of the event.

2010-06-24T19:54:00.001-07:00

Chase's B-day and Summer is Here!

2010-06-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I am posting this over a month after Chase's birthday . . . but please note the other part of the headline--"Summer is Here!" That means I am finally pulling myself together enough to have the time for posting!

Chase had a fun birthday in May. He decided that he wanted to go to the Denver Botanic Gardens for our family activity, because he really wanted to go to a Rainforest (and the Gardens were the closest thing available). It was a beautiful day and we got to enjoy the spring flowers on the grounds as well as the Rainforest indoors. Of course, we also went to Cici's Pizza for lunch! It was a fun celebration for our big 9-year-old boy! We love our awesome Chase!

After we finished our school year, Chase attended his second year of Cub Scout Day Camp. It was a fun week full of lots of activities, crafts, and learning. The weather included everything from scorching hot sun to tornado warnings and thunderstorms! Phewsh!

Now, we are so happy to be enjoying our summer break, with lots and lots of time for play and reading and swimming and biking (and getting organized for next year). And maybe I'll even get a few more blog posts done!

Sledding!

2010-03-31T15:50:00.002-07:00

We took advantage of the season's (hopefully) last big snowstorm and finally took the kiddos sledding! We all had a great time, but didn't catch Avery in too many photos because he was in constant motion (Mr. Kinetic Energy himself). We ran into some friends on the hill and finished the event with a giant snowball fight (starring all of the children vs. Nate). See the slideshow below for some of the fun!

2010-03-31T15:50:00.001-07:00

Avery's Birthday

2010-03-31T15:30:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our super cool Avery's birthday earlier this month! He's 7 years old already! We had a fun family day with gifts, pizza, cake, ice cream, and a trip to Jungle Quest (a place where kids can play on zip lines and swings and climb a rock wall and play on rope bridges and slides, etc.). It was a happy day in honor of a happy, awesome guy! We love you, Avery!

2010-03-31T15:29:00.001-07:00

Halloween Fun 09

2009-11-02T09:34:00.002-08:00

Check out our slideshow of Halloween Activities for 2009! Avery said it was "the BEST Halloween ever!"

2009-11-02T09:34:00.001-08:00

October Snow Storm

2009-10-31T14:36:00.002-07:00

We had another one of our CRAZY Colorado snowstorms this week . . . except that this one came a little early (PRE-Halloween!). Chase predicted a "hard winter" way back in early September. He said, "I saw birds flying South early, and they were moving FAST!" He told me we'd probably be Trick or Treating in the snow. Well, looks like the Human Barometer was right! The storm that came in Oct. 28 and 29th left us with over 2 feet of snow (the official measurement was 27.7 inches). Just check out the pictures below to see how it looked in our own backyard!

2009-10-31T14:36:00.001-07:00

Our Laura Ingalls Wilder Field Trip

2009-07-10T12:45:00.001-07:00

See below for a slideshow from our very fun trip to De Smet, South Dakota to visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder sites featured in her books from By the Shores of Silver Lake through The First Four Years. This is where most of her stories took place (and the ones closest to us). Since we read the entire series of books this year, we were excited to see where these fun stories took place over 125 years ago. We loved touring the Ingalls homes and old schoolhouses in De Smet, and got to go inside the actual first school they attended and the Surveyor's house they lived in during their first winter in the Dakota territory. Laura thought it was a mansion--but to us, of course, it was tiny! The Ingalls homestead was a fantastic place to visit and was the actual site of Pa's quarter section claim (we even got to see some of the actual trees Pa planted when they lived there). They had great activities for the children and we all had a lot of fun. Enjoy the photos!

2009-07-10T12:44:00.001-07:00

2009-07-02T15:05:00.001-07:00

Coco's 3rd Birthday!

2009-07-02T14:08:00.001-07:00

Courtney had a birthday, shout "Hooray!" I had to post a copy of this invitation to her birthday celebration because I thought it was so cute!

We celebrated our little Princess with a small gathering with a few little friends from her nursery class who came for cake and ice cream. She had gotten a new Cinderella costume as a birthday gift from mom & dad and, of course, had to wear it for the event. Her most favorite gift of the day was her Cinderella and Prince Charming dolls that were from Chase and Avery (and don't think they weren't totally pumped to have made her so happy with their gift!). Her cake request was a Princess Castle. I have a bundt cake pan that is shaped like a sand castle, so to turn it into a Princess Castle I added some towers made of ice cream cones covered in pink sugar. Chase made the flags for the top of the towers out of tooth picks and construction paper (he was so proud of them!). So, the cake was a cinnamon bundt cake with glaze, pink sugar, and some embellishment with frosting to make flowers and vines. It was pretty simple, and she loved it! The whole birthday was very "princess-y", which was appropriate and fun for this super fun age for our little girl!

Chase's Baptism Day

2009-06-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Chase was baptized on Saturday, June 6, 2009. It was a beautiful day and so special for our family! Chase's Nana (Marcia Merrill) came from Salt Lake City for the occasion. The service was very nice. I had to speak about baptism, and Nathan baptized and confirmed Chase a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There were five other children from our stake baptized that same morning. Avery, when asked how he felt about seeing Chase baptized, said that, "I just felt tired (*simulated yawn*), because we were sitting there for sooooooo long!" Oh well! He probably felt the Spirit a lot more when we came home for ice cream sundaes! It was a great day!

2009-06-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

Planting Day!

2009-05-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been to our house, you know that our backyard is about the size of a postage stamp, so our gardening options are a bit limited! We have some lovely flower beds in the backyard, but the boys were very interested in doing a vegetable garden this year. So, we rented a 4 x 8 plot in our community gardens this season specifically for that purpose! The boys chose the vegetables, mapped out the plot, prepared the signs, chose the soil and nutrients, etc., etc. We finally finished our soccer season and got past the frost danger, so we were finally able to plant and put in our drip system this weekend! Our community gardens are about 1/2 mile away, so we will be walking or riding our bikes over there just about every day this summer to water. So, with a little luck and a lot of work, we should be harvesting the fruits of our labor in just a few months!

2009-05-25T15:34:00.001-07:00

Chase is a Cub Scout!

2009-05-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

Let's just say that I can hardly believe this day has come--we are the parents of one very fine Cub Scout! Check him out in his new uniform; he's earned five beads already--woo hoo! He looks so tall and grown up! But don't be fooled. He may look like a big, tough, athletic, rambunctious, muscly youth bursting toward manhood, but he's still a sweet little guy at heart who likes to cuddle with his mom and (don't tell him I said this) sleeps with the same stuffed toy he's had since he was two! Love this guy!!!!!!

2009-05-15T07:14:00.001-07:00

Kids' book Club

2009-05-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

We held our last Kids' Book Club of the school year today. The book we read was Stuart Little by E.B. White, so we had a brief discussion of the book and then some crafts and activities to go with that theme. We made paper boats and did a Stuart Little maze. Then we had some treats--cookies, cheese puffs, and sarsparilla (root beer)--and let the kiddos play outside for a while. They all had a great time!

Chase's Birthday!

2009-05-09T15:21:00.002-07:00

Chase celebrated his 8th birthday on May 3rd! We had a fun family celebration by going out for bowling and pizza. These pictures were taken at home as he opened birthday gifts and later as we had cake and ice cream. Enjoy!

2009-05-09T15:21:00.001-07:00

Canyonlands 1/2 Marathon

2009-03-31T13:17:00.001-07:00

A few months ago my sister, Hanna, called me and suggested I sign up to run the Canyonlands Half Marathon in Moab, UT with her in March. I never thought I'd actually get through the lottery process, so I said "Sure!" To my surprise, my registration was accepted, so I spent the next few months training faithfully! It has been 10 years since the last time I did it, and since then I've gotten married, borne 3 babies, and (oh, yeah) gotten 10 years older. But I did it! I actually had a really good run and felt great for about 11 miles, but sometime in the 12th mile I hit the wall and swore a solemn oath to strangle my sister for talking me into it! I kept going, however, and finished respectably. And once I had fully recovered, I decided I couldn't wait to do it again! But don't be too impressed with me. Hanna, who is a diabetic, learned after she had committed to do the race that she is pregnant with her second baby. And somehow she kept up her training and completed the half marathon at 14 weeks along, maintaining her blood sugar at a healthy level! I am definitely more impressed with her than I am with myself!

The picture above was taken after the race, when I could finally see my kiddos and smile again!

Avery's 6th Birthday

2009-03-31T13:05:00.000-07:00

Avery had his 6th birthday on March 18! We had a family celebration including a trip to Jungle Quest (a place for kids to play on zip lines, rope bridges, and rock walls), and a cool dinosaur cake and decor. He had a great day and lots of well-wishers! He especially liked his new game Mouse Trap (sooooo his thing to put together a crazy contraption!). Of course, Nate and I were just grateful to have this reason to celebrate our little guy and remind him how happy we are that he came to our family!

The Fairy Land Gazette

2009-02-07T22:03:00.000-08:00

We recently completed a very fun project for school! Chase and Avery wrote a newspaper called The Fairy Land Gazette. We read original fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and the colored "Fairy" books edited by Andrew Lang. We also read a book of Mother Goose Rhymes. Then, the boys wrote newspaper articles about some of the fairy tales we read.

I asked them to include the "Who, What, When,Where, Why, and How" of every story in our report. I also requested that they identify a "moral" to each story. They wrote an outline first, then wrote the article for the newspaper. Next, we checked for the correct spelling and punctuation, and to make sure the story made sense. Once they made all the corrections, we put the story in the newspaper.

They also drew all of the pictures for the newspaper. You'll notice that some of the details of the stories are different from what you might remember, since the fairy tales we read were not the more commonly known "Disney" versions. They had a lot of fun with this project. One thing I want to point out is that during our final edits, I instructed the boys in the use of a Thesaurus. They really enjoyed looking for "big words" to include in the newspaper articles. You'll probably notice one or two of those!

With that, we proudly present the inaugural edition of the

The Fairy Land Gazette:

3News of Fairy Land

2009-02-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

The video here is the "news broadcast" that we created to accompany the newspaper we wrote in school called The Fairy Land Gazette. This was just a fun way to wrap up our newspaper project and do a little bit more with our fairy tales. It is pretty funny! Warning: it is a long video; but stayed tuned for the bloopers at the end . . . it's worth it!

Stars Were Gleaming

2008-12-30T12:22:00.001-08:00

Now that we have the blog set up, it's time to post something fun! So, here is our first video post of our cute, cute children singing at our ward Christmas party on December 13, 2008 (precisely at the moment when our new cousin Penelope was entering the world!).

They were asked to perform a Christmas song by the Activities Committee, and they were accompanied by our friend from the ward, Melonie Hines. Notice how the boys were so diligent in heeding my admonition, "No matter what happens, just ignore Courtney and keep singing. You never know what you'll get when you put a 2-year-old on stage!" The result was an outstanding performance that is both touching and hilarious. We couldn't have been more pleased!

Enjoy!