Christmas 2015

 Always living away from family I think makes me appreciate Holiday's that much more. My parents help with the kids, the food, the clean up and house projects. Why don't they move in to our basement already??
In some ways I really glad that my cell phone has been no where in sight for 5 days but the disadvantage is I didn't take any Christmas day pictures. Grabbed the "fancy camera" today our last day and snapped a few gems.

 New Christmas books. If you have little ones and some how don't know about Author Mo Willems you really are missing out.

Hope your Xmas ''15 was merry and bright! ~Love, us.

Growth

These two use to be with in an inch of each other and with in 3 lbs. Connor now weighs 10 lbs more and I can no longer carry him. 

Connor's First Time Skiing

How cool is it that we can just "go skiing"? Ray took the day off to get Connor out on the slopes for the first time on a "warm" day when hopefully not the whole world would be there. Arapahoe Basin was go down on this blog for memory sakes of Connor's first ever ski mountain. He was in ski School 9-1. They are headed home now so I haven't gotten the details but Ray did say Connor said his throat hurts...let's hope the boy with a tonsillectomy doesn't have strep just in time for Christmas.

Updates

Wow that quite possibly was the longest we've ever gone between blog posts- are you still checking this out or have you now lost faith that we will ever update again?

This weekend was a busy one. Ray somehow convinced me that we needed to spend some Capital One rewards points and jet set to Scottsdale. I think he sold it to me as a 80 degrees with a  hot tub. It was 71 and overcast and no hot tub. It was a fun work holiday party though, everyone was glowing about Ray and the work he does. I wish blogspot.com would let me post videos because I can't really describe the "entertainment" they had. It was circus o lay style acrobats up on the ceiling on these hula hoops. Their also was an ice luge to take shots off of. Did I mention that Snoop Dog was at our hotel?

We got home around 1, unpacked just in time to go pick up the kiddo's from their 24 hour adventures at Casey & Mike's house. They were in their church's nativity/holiday event and spend the next day at  the Colorado Springs version of the North Pole. As Connor said, "Santa was on break" aka probably smoking a joint as CS is a hippy type of town.

Tonight we had the Denver holiday party downtown. It was hard to navigate our way down their as the party was congruent to the holiday 2 mile parade.

Seeing this picture gives me two perspectives; we are starting to look our age and are not mistaken as a older sister or babysitter when out with our children.  Also not getting carded very often. The downside is I am starting to spend time in the Target "beauty aisle" and my ears perk up if I hear someone talking about Botox. Not their yet, but ask me again tomorrow. PS i'm growing my hair out for my cousins wedding so its going to be getting real here so just accept the ponytails and hats I'll be modeling the next 9 months.

Half marathon

Yay Raymond, congrats on your first half marathon!!! Hope the next run we can do together. It was called "the back wilderness trail". 

Skills to pay the bills

I saw this Colorado flag art piece on etsy and wanted it, but not for $245.

So I used basement project left over wood.

Attached the pieces together with three pieces. 

Then stained it....if I make again I wouldn't stain the middle3 boards.

Let it dry- fast in the Colorado sun!

Used paint from the basement ceiling, watered down.

Walked to the paint store for some "Colorado red"

Finished Basement

I actually didn't think this day was ever going to come. We paid the basement guy June 1st and he started the last week of June. Fast forward 16 weeks and we are FINALLY done. Many texts, voicemails and conversations with Doug to light the fire under him but now I can forget his name and his number and enjoy the space with my family.

 I stained the hand rail- love the dark "ebony" color I chose.

 The little shelf above the toilet Raymond made using left over wood from the base of the railing. Cute place to keep extra toilet paper, cotton balls and Q-tips for when guests are in town.

 Curtain and rings bought at Target

 Shower head is by Moen (Aunt Jeanie will be proud) it is the Ashville collection. Accent tile is "excalibur", color winter fjord.

Love the floor. It is porcelain tile that looks like wood tiles, we got 3x36 inch Rainforest Dew. White cabinet was a splurge with soft close drawers and real wood through out. Countertop was a pain. I didn't know prices could very so much for a remnant.  The top is made by HanStone. I wanted "Aurora Snow" but after searching around I found this similar hanstone I think its "swan cotton" for $149 including the sink and fabrication.

The only part of the basement that has furniture for the moment.

Fall Break

The boys have been on fall break sense Thursday. Conferences went well and the only surprising news I heard from a teacher was that Ryan is chatty, I suppose if you don't get a word in at home you express your inner thoughts at Preschool.

Yesterday I took the boys to Colorado Pumpkin Patch in Larsburg.  Cute, bouncy pillow, hay bails, very Harvest/October Fest.

Connor is 6!

The day was wrapped up with 22 kindergarteners at our rec center celebrating Connor.

Connor and most of Ms. Lee's Class

1st Field Trip

Connor is out on his last of many "firsts", his first field trip and first time on the big yellow school bus. A stay at home dad sent me this pictures, looks like he is surviving just barely away from Mom on his own in this big world.

Miller Farms, next generation of farmers

Fall

We did it. Planted June 1st and although it probably shouldn't have been picked for 10ish more days, they (meaning me) couldn't wait one more second for it to be picked from the veggie garden. 

Connor is Artistic

More than the other 3 family members he lives with at least. When he grows up he wants to be a song writer. He took this picture a few weeks back at a breakfast. 

Labor Day Weekend

Grandma Pat flew in Friday morning (and Natalie & Neil). N&N got to see the house and a quick lunch before D&V picked them up and up to Golden CO for a wedding. Glad we got to all meet Neil and see the ring in person before next September's wedding!

We did a LOT while Pat was in town, Friday night football game, Saturday night Rookies Baseball game and Sunday night we took her to Daniel's park to watch a spectacular sunset.

Ryan 4 Years Old Update

Incase I did not post:
Ryan at his 4 year doctor appointment was 39.1 Inches Tall (25%) and 33 1/2 Lbs (30%).

Grandma Barbara & Basement update

Summer is rapidly ending. Last weekend when we were by the bonfire with the Clarke's Ray was telling of his camping trips growing up with his Grandma and Grandpa and how those were his best childhood memories. We found out late Sunday night that Grandma Barbara had had a heart attack and died. Ray and I were so happy that just 48 hours prior we were talking about her! Ray flew home to Cleveland this weekend to be surrounded by family and to honor her. Wish I could have gone to see family and friends too.

Basement update: 9 weeks in and supposedly 3 more to go (I like how originally he said 6-8 weeks).

This will be the "family room" area with tv and couches

New windows are in. This is a shot of the wall of closet space.  This week baseboards, paint and tile are suppose to begin. This guy promises three things and delivers one so I'm guessing baseboards this week. Supposedly under the window on the right their will be a bay window.

1st day of Preschool

Ryan killed it. He is our timid one so we were totally assuming he would be buried in Mommy's leg and clawing Daddy's arms not allowing us to go. I was in the hall waiting in line to check him into the computer and Ray walked up to me and say, "well I guess we can go, Ryan is playing in his classroom". Um what, my baby doesn't need me? So although I was super proud of him for being a big boy and totally not needing us, I was really sad that my baby is actually 4 and is more ready for Preschool than I am.
Rock on Ryan, love you!

Colorado Nights

This weekend we went with the Clarke's to Daniel's Park in Castle Pines. So fun; bonfire, smores, head lamps, sparklers, cliffs, sunsets (blocked from Washington State fires). Ray and I both said we wish we could do this every night. Think a camper might be in our future.

Kindergarten updates

Day one: Mom why didn't you pack me snack? Me: Connor I did pack you a morning and afternoon snack. I looked in his backpack and their were the snacks.

Day two: Mom today we didn't do anything fun just work work work. Me: why do you have paint on your shirt? Con: oh yea, we had art today it was fun!

Both days he has talked about "the twins" one is in his class and one isn't. The one in his class is Lincoln. 

Closet doors

One less piece of birch in the house! 

Happy 4th Birthday Ryan John!

How is it that my baby is 4? Ryan you are so loving. You share anything and everything if you are asked to.  You are timid and shy when entering a new situation (like Connor's class room on the first day of school). You love bounce houses, dress up, digging for bugs, fishing, your lovie from Stef, and my favorite, rocking on the rocking chair before bed with Mommy. The first picture is the last picture of Ryan as a 3 year old. This morning when he woke up he came in my room to snuggle in bed. I said Ryan now that you are 4 what do you want? His reply; A baby sister. Come on Ray- get on the baby train!

30 friends (14 kids) helped Ryan celebrate this past weekend. The pinata was probably the highlight.

Basement

Pickes out the tile- 

Paying a team to finish the basement. Most days they don't show up so that's been fun. They said 8 weeks and we are two weeks in. 

Hope it's done for Grandma Pats visit!

4th of July

This year was so cool because Ryan got to experience FIREWORKS! He sat in silence and took it all in. I hope I can keep that image in my head for years.
Our town continues to amaze us. Our cute little 21,000 pop. town hosted bounce houses, face painting, funnel cakes etc. a band and the great fireworks show. That morning our neighborhood had a parade that the kids are in then we spent most of the day at the pool.