Thanksgiving 2009 Photos

Our whole family went to Texas for Thanksgiving and then Georgia for almost 2 more weeks for a little vacation. We loved seeing all our friends and family!!!
My sweet friend Casey (from WAY back in the day...we met when were were 14!) hung out with us in Ft. Worth one day and brought her camera along. She captured some AWESOME shots of the kids and I! So sad Josiah couldn't be there...he was tiling the bathroom for my grandparents. Such a great guy :)

Birthday!!!

On the 5th we celebrated Josiah's 32nd birthday! I made a special dinner and we had cheesecake and gifts with the fam. I actually put 32 candles on his cake, which was a minor mistake. Sorry honey!!!

The next night I planned a surprise "guys night" for him and his men. Yes. I AM the best wife ever! :)



Happy birthday!!!






Those darn trick candles kept lighting back up again and again! In fact, the fire alarm went off THREE TIMES!





Cheesecake with strawberry topping. YUMMMMMM






I did have to scrape off the top layer because of all the wax, charcoal and....ummm, spit. :)







He needs some "help" opening his gifts :)






Kell closed out the evening by serenading us! He played AND sang the "Revelation Song" ....and did a great job! The guitar is as big as he is :)







Mama and Laz

Snow day!!!

It began snowing Tuesday night. It is now Thursday evening and it is STILL. SNOWING. Usually, here in Paradise, we get a good snow for a day and then it melts the next.

The boys have had a BLAST playing in all the powder. Sledding, sledding, sledding all the days long. Insert some rounds of shoveling as well, of course.

The first day we got about 8 inches of snow. Then overnight and day 2 we got another 17ish inches! WOW! We have only seen this much snow twice since we moved out here!



All boys on day 1.







His first real snowfall.









Laz LOVED eating the snow!!!









Shoveling on day 2. Hard workout!





The infamous basketball goal!






My Presley! He was barely tall enough to walk through the snow! I did not even allow Laz outside on day 2. He is not tall enough!

Check it!!!!!!

Check out my other blog for a beautiful birth story from last week! Click HERE.


This is Megan with her brand new daughter, Stella Claire.....born technically 18 days over her "due date" safely at home. :)

October...so far!

I LOVE the fall in Colorado. It can be 80 degrees one day and snowing the next. As a fickle female I adore that kind of change in the weather.

October has been a very fun month so far! We are well into our school year and things are going well on that front (other than having an almost 2 year old climbing me during every lesson!).
I attended the birth of Beckett Daniel on September 19th...the 4th child of my sweet friend Christy! I have officially confiscated him and hold him whenever humanly possible!!!
On October 14th I was blessed to attend another birth...Stella Claire was born at officially 18 days post-dates! At home! In the water! I will be posting some beautiful pictures from these births soon.

So let's delve into October in Paradise.....




Presley






Presley. I have a LOT of photos of this little man! He loves to ham it up for the camera :) I have NO idea where he gets it.
He looks just like my Uncle Noy here!!! :)






I got the BEST deal at the store the other day!!!








The Boyz and I went to a super cool reinactment of the 1770's called "Living History Day" put on by Visions Heirs.
We had such a good time!!!
Not only is it twice a year; but it is FREE! And the Boyz got to participate in all kinda of period activities.


The Redcoats are being challenged by the ragtag United States Army. My young sons are in the line on the right, about to attack the Redcoats!!! AH!




Presley putting all his strength into carving a piece of wood for his house!!!





Tarin and Kellen using a REAL saw to cut wood chunks. HARD WORK. I now remind them of this chore every time they complain about their chores around here!





Laz. Just enjoying the food :)



This past weekend our sweet friends took us to the Ritz Carlton again!!!! It was their "thank you" for me being a part of their birth. The birth was a blessing to attend but I do feel quite honored to receive such a thank you!
I did not take a ton of pictures this time simply because I was so busy RELAXING :)
We only brought up the two oldest Boyz and basically that was like being kid-less for the weekend! We walked around Beaver Creek village, we ate at a lovely resturant and the men took the kids hiking.....but for the most part, Christy and I relaxed by the pool and at the spa. For hours on end. It was truly exotic.



Christy and Beckett Daniel





The kidlets at the Ritz.






Ethan and Maddie





Christy introduced me and the kids to Gelato. WOW. Now they are circling like ravenous wolves for even a small bite!!!






Ethan reading to a friend in Beaver Creek Village.




SWIMMING! In October! In the mountains! At the Ritz Carlton! Life is good. REAL gooood :)





John and Josiah took ALL the kids for a hike while the mamas went to the Spa. NICE. Here John has Beckett in the "Sleepy Wrap" sling...great for hiking with Daddy! Ummmm, I'm thinking he gets Dad of the year after this trip!


We got home on Sunday evening from the mountains...and early Monday morning I took Laz to the doctor because he BROKE his clavicle!!! (collar bone) Poor little guy! They gave him a "vest" to wear for a few weeks, which he thinks is SO cool...since the Boyz told him it was. :) It has taken 12 years and 5 boys to get to our first broken bone...kinda sad there is no cast to write on!!!
The following pictures are from Wednesday morning....we awoke to SNOW! It is simply beautiful outside right now.




Boyzzzzz





SNOW!!! The first real snow of the season!!!




More Boyzzzz....




...and yet, MORE Boyz :)