First Thank You Note

 Can you read that above? It says THANK YOU (the U is the hardest to read, it is sideways). I wrote it for Macklin on another sheet of paper. Then, with NO help from me at all, he was able to copy it down like this! I was so proud of him. Normally I tell him to put the letters next to each other, but I had to load up the car and just let him go. I thought he did a nice job! To add to my excitement, he drew a monster on the back. Seriously, I thought he did such a nice job!

Fire Safety Week

Last week was fire safety week at Story Time. The firemen came in and gave their whole presentation to the group. It was by far the most attended story time I have ever been to. Last year, we tried it with Macklin and he ran out of the room when the fireman put his gear on. This year, he just watched in awe. He didn't want to go give him a high five, but he stayed in the room! Of course, out of all of the moms in the room, I was the only one that wanted to volunteer for the Stop-Drop-Roll demo. :) 

Now we just have to make a fire emergency plan with the family! 

Halloween Cookie Party

We hosted a Halloween Cookie Party with our little playgroup last week. We used the famous Sprague Sugar Cookie recipe to cut out bats, ghosts, pumpkins, and moons for our friends. I am glad one of the moms recommended that we bring the kid table outside in the yard instead of in my house. Very good idea on this nice fall day! All of the kids did a great job...until Macy dumped an entire can of sprinkles out on her cookie! 

Can you see Macy's shirt....it says "Forget the Ghost, Beware of Me!" Funny hand-me-downs!

Sept/Oct Happenings

Macklin Being Helpful

Hanging Our Around Gypsum

Story time - Playdates at the park

 

Getting Fun Halloween Things from Grandma

Supporting our Teams

 

School Time

Macklin is getting so good at copying letter! We took this note to Daddy at school on our way to the park last week. He really liked it! 

Making Goodies with Mommy

Playing with Trevan 

Getting Ready with a Friend

Moab - Fall 2013 Trip - Updated

We are back from another run Moab trip. We have been trying to get to Moab twice a year, once in the fall and once in the spring. Mission accomplished for 2013 (spring trip here). We planned the trip with our dear friends the Bangtsons and ended up with a great group. We got in late Friday night (actually early for us...like 9ish). Kari and Hailee had been there early with their church group and had set up three tents in our favorite Moon Flower Campsite. Too bad they had set up and paid before meeting the ranger that told them to leave due to the government shutdown...seriously? What a bummer. We relocated to a field campsite down the road and got to help them unload when we showed up. 

Saturday the crew headed out on a day ride at the famous Slickrock Trail. I loaded the kids up and we hiked out to watch them take off. Macklin rode his Strider for a while before I decided it was just too dangerous to have him out and about with my ability to catch him (because I had Macy on my back). 

Happy Hiker

Twinsies!  ---  The Girls

Mountain Biking Boys

This is the first hill on the climb. 

Here is my group shot of the day...this is as far as I was able to go. 

Here is Hailee's shot of the day...I choose hers! 

 

Macklin, Macy and I explored a bit. Macklin could have stayed all day! 

Macy had fun walking around too! Such a big girl. I think her legs look so long in these pictures! 

My attempt at a shot of both of them...never works. :)

My favorite picture on the weekend! 

We had lunch and then took off for a fun new adventure with the kids. Directly across the highway from Arches National Park is a huge sand pit. We parked the car, let Macy sleep, and played for 1.5 hours! We made castles and buried three new friends in the sand! 

After a brief round of slack lining at the local park, I headed back out with the girls and Andrew for the second ride of the day. I like going on the second ride because everyone is already tired :) We hit up Bar M trails and road North 40 (a blue black trail...oh yay!) and Lazy EZ (rated as it sounds). I realized that even though I only mountain bike twice a year (in Moab), I actually am starting to like it when I find trails that I like. I hung in there for the North 40. I am just nervous and my hands hurt afterwards! 

 

Our RMR guide and new Vail Valley resident, Andrew 

We grabbed some food and headed back to the campsite for hot dogs and s'mores. 

While the crew headed out for a big ride, two WL leaders (Candace and Kim) and I packed up camp and headed to Arches. This is a favorite place for me to take the kids. I always forget how long it takes to get there, but they love the Sand Dunes Arch. 

The crew had an incredible ride on Porcupine Rim. Justin was beyond excited about his rides this weekend and his knee didn't even seem to bother him! 

Friendships

Over the past month or so, I have had a great opportunity to hang out more consistently with some incredible ladies. I have been evaluating friendships in my life lately. I have come to realize that I have a variety of women who I would call friends. Many of which would do anything for me if I asked. 

I have old high school friends that I could still call up and have lunch with any time I was around. 

I have amazing college girlfriends that I still consider close with even though we talk rarely amongst growing families and living in various time zones (what, it is really 11pm where you live even though I just put my kids to bed?). It doesn't matter that I haven't seen some of them in 5 years, I still love them dearly and long to laugh in person with them at any chance possible! 

I have teaching friends, coaching friends, MOPS friends, church friends, YL friends, high school friends, upvalley friends, and....I am sure I am forgetting something too. 

All of that to say that the Lord has blessed us with awesome people in our lives. But, with all of that said, I started to think about who are the people in my life that really know me. Who knows when I have had a hard day or a great day? Who laughs with me when Macy makes silly faces or when Macklin poops in the bathtub again? Who understands when I stay up until 1am planning practices? Who invites me to hang out as much as I invite them to hang out? All of these things I have been wondering lately. Aside from my amazing husband, awesome roomie Daniel, and my best friend of a mom (why can't we live closer???), I started wondering. 

My conclusion - friendships take work. I have to work and friends have to work to make things happen! Sometimes I get lazy and decide a day inside with my kids is all I am able to muster (which is ok sometimes of course). But after a playdate with some special mommies, I realize that God created us to do life together, in community with each other. No matter how long it takes to drive upvalley to see friends, it is worth it (Kari, Cara, and Jen)! But, unfortunately. this doesn't happen as often as I would like. I desired everyday, closely, drop my kids off when I run an errand friends. 

I have felt this at times with families in the valley, and then people relocate (dynamics of our valley). This year I have decided to make a commitment to pursue friendships of people that live around me and  are available to hang out more often, and not always planned. Mommihood can be lonely, but some sweet friends can spice that up very quickly! 

I have been enjoying doing playgroups with two groups of ladies this fall. One includes Becky, Susie, and Karley. Another includes Alana and Lisa. I am enjoying my time with these friends as we learn how to do life together and get to know each other more deeply. 

Thank you God for friends and thank you for challenging me to pursue friendships, and not just expect them to happen. 

Here are some fun things that have been happening with friends. 

Celebrating Abbie's Golden Birthday at the Back Bowl 

(Abbie is not a momma yet, but I enjoy her a lot nonetheless!) 

 

Girls Night at Susie's House 

(Becky, me, Susie, Mel, and Abbie) 

Playdate at Becky's House

Mack, Macy and Jaxson

Macy - 18 Month Update

Since I haven't done an update in a while, I decided I better share with the grandparents (and other readers) how Macy is doing! With this face, you just can't resist talking about her! 

Height - 31inches (25%tile)

Weight - 20lb 10oz (20-25%tile)

Eating - Pretty good eater, unless she chugs her milk cup before dinner. She is adventurous in her eating and will try most things at least once. She loves anything her brother is eating or drinking. 

Sleeping - Our precious girl is still taking two solid naps a day. She normally sleeps from 8:30-10:30ish and from 1:30-3:30pm. Just when I think she is going to drop the morning nap, she takes a 3hr nap! She also sleeps from 7:30pm-7am-ish. This girl enjoys her ZZZs. 

Walking - Or should I say running! She is a pro these days. She has been walking for about 9 months now and tries to keep up with Macklin as much as possible. She is a climber - watch out! She climbs up our back ladder on the swing set. She hasn't slipped in a while, but I still follow her tiny body everywhere. She is good to go down steps when reminded to go on her tummy. She is a pro at going up on her own. 

Talking - Macy's vocab is growing each day! She knows a ton of words and they are sounding better all of the time. Some of her favorites include: Taggie (her blankie), mine, dog, duck, no (of which she responds when she really means yes), mommy, daddy, book, milk. 

Clothes - She is wearing 18mo. clothes now but is growing like a weed! (FYI - Xmas goods should come in 24mo or 2T sizes :) Her feet are still tiny. She wears 4s and 5s now but some 3s still fit her without socks on. 

Concerns - At our doctor's appointment, I only had two concerns. 1. Biting - She has learned how to defend herself from big brother. We have been addressing it, but she has bite Mack a few times and he is pretty scared of her biting again. Friday was rough because she actually bit a child at MOPS. I felt awful. So, we are working on this. 2. Car Sickness - Three times in the last two months she has thrown up on morning car rides while going through winding roads. The doctor recommended that we make her face forward and limit milk in take before car rides. Hopefully that will help because it is a mess. 

Favorites - Good Night Moon book, her baby dolls, following Macklin, dumping out bins/buckets/baskets, playing at the park, the sandbox, and playing chase. 

Fall Colors

Even though our morning in Aspen started like this at my cross country meet....

We ended up enjoying the afternoon together as a family after the meet. Good thing the weather warmed up! I really wanted to see the changing leaves and take a walk. We found a little path to explore before driving home over Cottonwood Pass. It was beautiful! 

 

 Cottonwood Pass Rd with a view of Sopris