Chicago

A couple weeks back, we (myself, Kaycey, Maddie, and my mom) took the train and spent a day down in Chicago. We went to the American Girl doll store (Maddie's first time!), walked around a bit, and also went to the top of the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears tower). It was on the hot side that day, so we even took a taxi to get around! We had a really great time!

My mom and the girls waiting to get on the train:



Lainie (Maddie's doll) even got her hair done at the salon at the doll store. Trust me, it was worth the $20. Lainie comes with curly hair, and it was a rat's nest!! Turned out so cute.

So the girls got to pick out some things for Christmas from Grandma. Here's the girls with their goodies (but Kaycey was a wee bit bummed she decided to leave her doll at home).

at the Lego store. I really need to put Maddie into some acting classes.

at the top of the tower.

Um, the girls on the all glass overlook. Uh, no way was I or my mom stepping out on there. Maddie tried to make me and I screamed. I am surprised I was able to get that close, but I was looking through my camera, so it didn't seem so scary.

I actually was lying on the ground for this shot. But I think I will have to play with the color a bit to brighten the girls' faces. It seems a little blurry, too, but oh well.

best memories of summer so far---long post!!

Our summer has been ridiculously busy! Seriously, it is rare that I even go on the computer (thanks to one of those fancy phones that goes on the internet, I really haven't been without--other than not updating the blog often enough!! Okay, time to say something about the kids!!

So glad this guy decided it was time for a haircut! : ) After months of wishing for Tom Brady's hair (blech!!!) he decided to get it buzzed. Good choice, I think!!! He spent his summer playing lots of baseball. Most of our nights are spent watching it. Which is okay by me!! He's learned alot this year, and I know he really enjoyed playing it.

This gal got a box of new hats from a new friend in Boston. Our new friend is a 3yr old gal who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma. (She is doing great now, by the way, recently read news of clear scans for her!! yay!!) Anyhow, these hats are adorable. Just Kaycey's style. She wears them alot. Except when we went to Chicago. Why you ask?? Because she had to wear a Brewers hat to show those Sox and Cub fans who the real team is.



Poor Maddie. Broke her wrist a day before the last day of school. But no worries, it didn't stop her from having a blast this summer. They put on a fully waterproof cast (I didn't even know such a thing existed). And she got to pick the color (twice!!). Just in time for the dance recital--perfect match!! She even played t-ball with her cast!!

And this lil stinker. She is so funny. The kids call her "Abe", short for "Babe", we suppose. They've made songs, rhymes, chants, etc. involoving the word "Abe". She doesn't say a whole lot (hi, bye, Mama, Dada, Grampa, Papa, Emma, uh-oh, and backpack. She has said alot of other things once, but I haven't heard them again, yet!) She points and says, "Hmm?" to whatever it is she wants. She is as cute as can be, and has the curliest of curls ever. She loves to dance, she claps after every song, and she sings along to that "Tonight, tonight" song (la, la, la....la,la, la). She loves to be outside, she loves to swing, she goes down the slide by herself, and she makes everyone smile.

first pigtail attempt

Happy summer, all!!

Before and after: school papers organization

I have a bookshelf on the end of the kitchen island which spent most of the school year overflowing with school papers (in this photo, the papers aren't so overflowing!)

We also have a lovely giant drawer in the island that would be great for lots of things--pots, pans, etc. I choose to fill it with papers. Yeah, not so organized.

BUT...school papers: meet three-ring-binder (or perhaps the garbage...) and VOILA--I have a three ring binder for each child just for "school" themed stuff. I incorporate the school things with any 12x12 school layouts I've done and put it all in order. Using different sized page protectors (many 8 1/2x11), and I put it all together. Here are some pages from Maddie's book.

It's nothing fancy really, just a place to tuck things in. I haven't saved a whole lot this and last year; and of course, the older they get, the less there is to save.

I wish I could say I did this all along, but I didn't. I have this year and last year up to date with all 3 kids (though I do have more layouts to do) so to say. Sigh. There's alot of years before that to get workin' on!!

There's no place like home?~part 2

Okay, I just can't get the spacing right. So there's a lot of blank space. you'll just have to scroll alot.

Part two of my vacation.....

At Mile High Stadium, home of the Denver Broncos

at Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies

At Tony's, the Packer bar in downtown Colorado Springs.

Saying goodbye to Sarah

With Helene, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Coors Brewery Tour with Helene

Helene and I also took a trip downtown Denver before heading to the airport. We saw the Governor's Mansion, the Capitol, and the Art Museum.

This is the Denver Airport. It's supposed to look like mountains, I guess. My friends and I like to think of them as circus tents.

I can't believe how much we saw in such a short amount of time. It was so awesome. I could absolutely live there. I have a list of things that we didn't get to do because we simply ran out fo time. I CANNOT wait to go back to Colorado!! : )

There's no place like home?? ~part 1

Initially my trip was to include a side trip to Salt Lake City. I was bummed when plans changed, due to my friend's ever-changing schedule (she is a pilot with the Air Force and just got a job as a pilot for the airlines), but that means we got to see more of Colorado, which is awesome. Next time, we vow to take a longer road trip (Grand Canyon perhaps!), even though we did put on 400 miles in one day! We saw SO much. I am so grateful to both of my friends for taking time to take me all over to see as much as possible in such little time. We had a GREAT time, and I can't wait to go back! I texted Mike while I was there that I would be sending a moving truck to collect them and all of our stuff...I love it that much. At least Maddie said she'd move out there with me.

(This isn't quite the order I did things...but nevermind that!)

Standing in front of my future home (I wish)





my friend, Sarah, being silly!

The Chapel at the Air Force Academy (last time I was out here, 12 years ago, my photo of the Chapel is awful because there was dense fog...couldn't even see the top half of the chapel! This time, the weather was PEREFCT every day!

I love this next picture, one of my favorites from the trip. We were 1000ft from the summit of Pike's Peak...but we couldn't go further due to 80mph winds! So we drove up 13 miles (out of 19). Next time we'll make it to the summit!!

That's Pike's Peak at dusk. Oh, and I'm looking out my friend's back door!!










We drove through Garden of the Gods. We thought we'd walk it the next day, but ended up doing some other things instead. So that is on the list of things to do next time I go!



Instead we made the hour+ trip to the Royal Gorge Bridge in Canyon City. It is referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Arkansas River. Not the greatest photo, I couldn't get the camera to work just right for whatever reason. The gorge is 1000 ft deep, and at the bottom is the Arkansas River, where we could see rafts flying down the river (uh, you would never find me there. It's amazing enough I didn't pass out on the bridge. I am not so good with heights out in the open air like that. And it was super windy so the bridge was swaying. Yikes! Anyhow, it was very cool to see. And the fact I walked across is super amazing.)







so my friend flies planes and has mad photo taking skills!



Part 2...coming soon!!