1 to 1 to Ice Cream, Hospital Corners, and Velveeta (also known as family ties)

This weekend we hosted a couple of my cousins for the Nebraska/Virginia Tech game. Although the Huskers did not come away victorious, we had a nice time chatting and catching up. It's so funny to have family around that have experienced many of the same (and different) things that I experienced growing up. During the evening we covered topics from how to make the perfect pink squirrel (I piped in with "1 to 1 to ice cream") and it pretty much worked. For those interested, it is 1 ounce of Creme de Noyaux, 1 ounce of white creme de cacao and about 3-4 ounces of ice cream. Yum!  This was the first time I have had a pink squirrel outside of the bar in Dodge, Nebraska. I think we all agreed these were pretty darn tasty (and that the bar has been skimping on the alcohol all these years). 

While digging through my cupboard to find food coloring for the kids' version of our pink squirrel, my cousin noticed that I organized my cupboards with Velveeta cheese boxes. And as expected, I had various powdered mixes for sauces in them. Oh, how disappointed we were when we learned my other cousin had actually purchased wicker storage baskets for her cupboards. Apparently, this is what happens when one moves to the suburbs. :) I proudly still use the boxes to organize various items in my cupboard. 

I also got a lesson in how to make the bed. Apparently, I was never taught correctly - although I did participate in 4H demo on the topic (which ended up with my laughing so hard I had to get a tissue from the judge to wipe my nose). Anyway, Chele and Christine taught me the correct way to make a bed with hospital corners. Of course, I am not sure it matters as Marshall doesn't like his sheet tucked in on his end of the bed and I have now relegated changing sheets to the cleaning lady - one less thing to worry about!  

Although the visit was short, it was a great, quick trip down memory lane. Cousins hold similar, but different memories than direct siblings and it is always funny to hear how each remember one past experience or another. We all come from the same family tree and yet, each branch is very distinct and different. I guess that is what makes families such interesting groups of people. Shared experiences and yet, completely different lives - each wonderful in their own way. 

Jay and Julie's wedding

Here are pictures from our weekend at King Mountain Ranch outside of Granby, Colorado. What a beautiful wedding and a wonderful weekend with friends.

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Rockies Photos

Here are the pictures from our night out at the Rockies Game.

Wonderful (busy) weekend

How nice it is to sit and watch some football, fold some laundry, and relax tonight. Friday night we took the boys to their first Rockies game. It was a beautiful night for baseball, beer, and junk food. Tanner and I took off early, but Marshall and Drake stayed for the fireworks. They were both so well behaved (Tanner got a bit ansy), but it makes it so easy to take them places when they listen and behave so well.

Saturday morning brought a trip to the mountains for us and Nadja and Ryan babysitting for the boys. According to Nadja and Ryan, the boys behaved and I will believe them so I can feel good about our night out. We feel so fortunate that we have such good friends that were willing to watch our kids so we could have a wonderful night out.

We headed up to King Mountain Ranch near Granby and arrived around noon. We were able to check out the ranch, have some lunch on the porch and get ready for the 3:00 wedding. The weather cooperated perfectly for the outdoor wedding, cocktails in the courtyard, and then thankfully, there was a tent for the reception as the rain moved in. We had a great time eating, drinking, and dancing. We then moved back to the ranch and had more drinks, and did a little bowling (in the oldest automatic bowling alley in Colorado). Yes, I won. :)



Sunday morning we had some breakfast and headed back down to Denver. Both Marshall and I really thought the aspen has turned more specular in the 24 hours we had been up there. And then, Marshall got a last minute call to go to the Bronco game so he was able to enjoy a beautiful day for football and an exciting Bronco win. A wonderful, crazy weekend.

Thomas the Train

A few pics of the our visit with Thomas the Train. The boys were REALLY great.

Michigan Pictures

Here are more pictures from our trip to Michigan. What a great time!

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Weekly Update

The last week has been a pretty nice week. Last weekend, the 4 of our were home alone for the weekend for the first time since the beginning of July. A busy couple of months for us. Last Saturday, we took the boys to Elich Gardens. We took the light rail the boys really enjoyed all the activities - the ferris wheel, the carousel, the kiddie rides, and Drake just taking it all in - was very special to see his eyes just light up looking at all the "big rides".




Last Sunday, Uncle Matt spent the day with us before he took off for Brussels. We enjoyed having him here to spend the afternoon, take in a bike ride, and enjoy some food and drink.

Monday and Tuesday were spent with Drake home sick with a fever and stomach flu. Marshall stayed home on Tuesday to help with Drake which was really nice. It was reminiscent of paternity leave last summer. Thursday night we went out for Chipotle and then swimming. Tanner REALLY enjoyed the big slide - he could not get enough of it. Drake is really getting comfortable in the water which is so fun to watch. A good week.

Photos of our Michigan weekend

A few pictures of our weekend in Ann Arbor thanks to my cousin Ann.

Labor Day Weekend 2008

Go Blue!

What a wonderful, wonderful vacation we had in Michigan over Labor Day weekend. Jacki and Sean were wonderful hosts and it was great to have the sisters all together without kiddos running around. We even had the bonus of my cousin and her hubby joining us for part of the weekend. To able to take in downtown Ann Arbor, the campus, the bars (beer pong anyone?) and a college football game in an extended weekend was just great. It has been quite some time since I have taken in that much alcohol over a continuous period of time. What fun!

And do they know how to tailgate in Michigan - on the golf course fairway! It was pretty amazing to see so many cars and the golf course just packed with professional tailgaters - yard games, BBQ's that hook on your hitch, tents, individual port-a-potties in camoflage tents - it was all there and more. I guess that is what happens when you get 108,000 of your closest friends together on a Saturday. Jacki and Sean had us taken care of with our tailgating as well - I was quite impressed.

Of course, the time went way to quickly as it always does when you are with family (ok, it doesn't always fly, sometimes it creaps along with family), but in this case, we had a fun-filled weekend that provided many great memories. And time away from the kiddos always keeps us in check as well. Was great to have some "us" time - we took full advantage of it for sure.

San Fran Comes to Denver

What a wonderful weekend we had with our out of town visitors from San Francisco. It was great to catch up with my girlfriend from work and meet her sweet little girl, Ella. Krishna and Ella were wonderful guests and we hope they enjoyed their brief stay in Denver. We were able to take them up to see Red Rocks (and Krishna and I got in an aerobic workout while Ella napped). And we enjoyed a nice Saturday evening BBQ and taking in some curling on Sunday morning.

The boys were well behaved (Marshall included!) and Drake was especially sweet with Ella while she was here. She definitely thought he was a ham (and Drake loved having her full attention). There are definitely benefits to working remotely - so numerous I can't list them. Of course, not having friends and co-workers around from one's place of employment can be a bummer. No running to get drinks and dinner with Krishna on a regular basis.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get to California soon for work and I WILL stay in the city and take it all in. Krishna can show me her life as I have now shown her mine. It's funny how we can have tons in common and yet the lives we lead in Denver vs. San Francisco are so different (can you say "car is a necessity in Denver?"). And yes, the minivan once again came in handy for tooling around the city with the entire family and our guests. As Krishna put it, it's a little apartment on wheels. hehe

A Kid Friendly Day

Today was all about the kids. I made waffles for breakfast and then the boys and I went swimming at the indoor pool at the rec center. Drake's swimming has been so much better since his lessons and he just takes off with his goggles and any diving toy he can find. Tanner enjoyed a few of the water toys and just getting in the water. The pool is very kid friendly and Tanner was happy to tool around in the shallow end and climb up and down the ladder for the slide (but hardly going down the slide).

Marshall got home much earlier than expected and we were able to go to Casa Bonita in Denver to see the cliff divers and celebrate the passing of his "blending". Drake really enjoyed the show and the haunted maze. He also go in on some pinata action and just took everything in. Of course, he loved the sopapillas that came with the meal and the shirley temple really topped off the evening.

Tomorrow Denver Public Schools starts and after all the hassle and headache, we have decided to keep him in his current school. The school we originally wanted didn't have a full day spot and the school they did have room in, was not something we were completely thrilled about. So, after weighing all the pros and cons, we opted to stay where we are. I continue to hope that things settle down there and we have a good year. Drake did tell me this weekend that he likes school so that makes me feel better about the decision too.

Just an Update

Marshall's off again this weekend so just me and the boys hanging out. I'm watching the Olympics again - what an amazing race Michael Phelps just had. WOW! Drake and I did a Spiderman puzzle tonight and he kept saying "Where in the heck of the world?" when he didn't know where a piece went - so cute.

Tanner is picking up more and more words. Today, we had to put on jackets because it was so cold and Tanner started saying jacket for his jacket. Something else we do when we say good buy is the "I love you" in sign language, but we do the sign and say "signs". Tanner has now started to put on his hand out and say "signs". So precious.

Blending - Passed!

Today was a very special day for Drake - he passed his final blending at school which means that he is now on "books" at school. He is obviously very proud as are we. We promised him we could go out to dinner once he passed his blending - Chuck E. Cheese, bowling, Benihana's, whatever he wants. So, although we have been battling with school choices (nightmares), Drake is doing well at school and really seems to enjoy it. We finally had our parent/teacher conference and Drake is doing well at school and everything is going well - except for the occasional timeouts of course.

There was also mention of only have 30 children in the classroom this year which would be a nice thing. There has been so much turn over of both children and teachers, I'm really hoping that things settle down and we have some consistency soon. How many more years of this do we have?!? Sigh.....

The Olympics Begin

Marshall and I usually enjoy watching the Olympics together, but since he was off hiking, Drake took his place as my Olympic companion. Drake got out his United States flag and also, realized that one of the soccer balls he owns has the Olympic rings on it. Drake has enjoyed the gymnastics and the swimming - he is now practicing the four main strokes quite a bit. We even ventured to the pool on Sunday afternoon to test out his new skills. He even showed me his backfloat - I was very impressed! Tanner enjoyed sitting on the edge of the pool (except when he fell in). Drake is very excited to watch diving which I have recorded from last night. It made me very happy when he said "I like the Olympics." I feel the same way.

Tanner is so fun these days. He has put together a couple words recently - Dada shoes and one I can't remember of course. He has also started to tell us when he is "poo poo". He is definitely communicating more and more. He is also figuring out how to play (and tease) Drake. It starts out as fun, but then we always seem to end in screaming. Ah, the brotherly love. The boys and I had a nice weekend. We had happy hour on Friday evening and survived 3 1/2 inches of rain in 1 1/2 hours and a small flood in the basement. It was definitely more fun to be hanging out with friends and drinking during the hail, wind, and rain.

Work from Home Benefits (aka Our Pender Trip)

Last week was a wonderful week spent in Pender with Nana and Pop and the Geisert family. We were also lucky to spend a few days with Aunt Jacki as well. I enjoyed time with my sisters and parents - good food, drinking, time on the porch, Indian Trails, and golfing were highlights. The boys really enjoyed the time with Nana and Pop and all the different activities - fishing, swimming, trips to the country, out for coffee, time with cousins, and golfing (for Drake).

Drake and I were able to enjoy 9 holes together on Friday afternoon. I shot a 47 which I was very happy about and Drake really enjoyed being out on the course. He was a great listener and even got to play all of hole 8 (we caught up with the 5-some in front of us). It was really special for me to have that time with Drake.




It was a crazy week for all of us, but I feel so lucky I was able to have this time with my parents and sisters and be able to work remotely. The drive home was less than stellar as Drake had the stomach flu. I felt so badly for both the boys during the drive, but we made it. Already looking forward to next year!

Freedom and a Towel Ring

It is Wednesday and we are surviving our trip to Pender. Of course, I'm not sure mom and dad are surviving as well, but I do know they enjoy the time with the kids. The one thing that has been great for the kids is the freedom that they have in Pender. Drake was able to cross the street by himself and go over to Alyssa's and ask her to come play. The ability to just walk right over to the water tower or play in the backyard on their own. With new found freedom also comes excitement. He was in the bathroom washing his hands and there was no towel on the towel ring and I guess Drake decided that it would be more fun to hang from the ring. And yup - you guessed it, the towel ring is no longer in the wall. So, the bad news was he broke it, but the good news was that he felt terribly and told me right away that it happened.

The boys have both been great and I really think they are enjoying themselves. The trip to the pool was fun today - Drake's swimming lessons are really paying off! And Tanner loves the pool or lake, but man, still hates his baths. We'll get there.

And We're Off Again

Well, it seems that I really didn't want to be in Denver too much this summer. The boys and I take off for Nebraska to test the road worthiness of the Honda Odyssey. I'm really hopeful the built in DVD player was worth the money. I'm looking forward to time with both my sister and parents. The boys will also get to spend some quality time with Nana and Pop and also spend time with the cousins while I am working from Nebraska for the week. Here's hoping I make it to Pender with all my hair.



We enjoyed a nice, relaxing weekend up at Nadja and Ryan's cabin. A little time at the lake splashing around, fishing, enjoying lunch, and just hanging out. This was our first trip to their cabin with kids (we haven't been for quite some time obviously) and we were so happy to be back. Besides the nearly 20 slivers in Tanner's feet from the deck, it was a wonderful weekend. Thanks to Nadja and Ryan for putting up with us and the kids (we're hopeful that the kids were well behaved enough to get invited back).

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The Little Things

You know, it really is the little things that keep you going day to day. Simple things from Drake saying "my tortilla looks like the United States" or "I'm happy to be home" to Tanner just full of life and wanting to be into everything and doing everything with all his energy. This toddler age (19 months) is just truly fascinating to watch - repeating all your words, copying your activities (I blow my nose and Tanner makes the sound), screaming for "mama and dada" constantly, and the amount of things Tanner can actually understand. It really is amazing. He's still my baby, but man, these days are getting shorter and shorter.

I often need to take a step back and realize how wonderful my life is and how the little things really do make it special.

Lake Couer d'Alene Trip

What a wonderful vacation we had at the lake. Here's a brief recap.

Friday July 4th
We arrived around noon and both the boys took afternoon naps. We messed around down at the lake and enjoyed hamburgers for dinner. D-man, Claudia, and I took a nice evening boat ride and then we all went out again later with Marshall to watch the Harrison fireworks over the lake.

Saturday July 5th
We all took a morning boat ride and the PV boys got the slide ready for the water. The boys each took monster naps - over 3 hours each. WOW!! We enjoyed our late afternoon time at the lake and both boys loved the water and the slide. D-man was able to enjoy a nice canoe ride.

Sunday July 6th
We enjoyed what became our traditional morning boat ride. The boys enjoyed doing some gardening with Gramma. After rest, we once again spent some fun time down in the water - going down the slide, riding in the tube, floating around, etc. A special treat when Marshall's sister Michelle joined us for dinner.

Monday July 7th
In the morning, we took the boat over to Harrison to check out the playground, pick up a newspaper, and get ice cream! We enjoyed our afternoon time in the water and D-man floated in the water with his life jacket. He got more and more comfortable in the water every day. Of course, you need many adults to handle a toddler and a preschooler down by the lake. It is exhausting! Marshall and D-man even got in a little fishing in after dinner. Drake got a fish, but it got away right before they got him to the dock. Of course, D-man was so thrilled to reel one in!

Tuesday July 8th
We finally got out on the water with the inner tube and skis. Marshall looked great on one ski and I got up right away. yeah! D-man really enjoyed riding on the tube with me. Fun fun fun. Michelle came back up from Pullman and enjoyed dinner and spent the night. Was so great to get to spend more time with her and have her see the boys a bit more.

Wednesday July 9th
We made a trip to Harrison to check out story time at the library. The boys had a great time - probably more due to the M&M's from the librarian than the stories. :) We of course, had to stop at the store for a paper and check out the park again. Always great to take the boat out to run your errands. Claudia and Bob were nice enough to watch the boys so we were able to go out to dinner and even came away $24 richer.

Thursday July 10th
Luckily, we took out morning ride as the water started out a little rought and it only got worse as the day progressed. It was a very windy day and we even rescued a couple boats from floating away. D-man enjoyed some time in the hot tub with Gramma and doing some swimming for her - he just couldn't get enough of the water no matter where it was! T-man loved the water, but also really enjoyed racing trucks on the deck back and forth and back and forth. He could be heard saying "truu" "truu" all day every day.

Friday July 11th
What a great way to wrap up our trip. We took our morning boat ride to Harrison and enjoyed ice cream again. Yummy. We once again enjoyed our daily lake time and also got the boat on the water for more skiing and tubing. Marshall and D-man really bounced along on the tube this time. Michelle came back from Pullman again and we enjoyed as much time down at the lake as possible and had a late dinner. Michelle, Marshall, D-man, and I took the boat out for a nice evening boat ride and then all enjoyed a fire and S'mores with Bob and Claudia. What a great end to a great trip. Saturday brought packing, breakfast and off to the airport. It was evident that none of us were ready to leave. What a wonderful, wonderful trip.

Couple New Videos

A couple cute videos of us just doing what we do at home - hanging.

Getting Dizzy Dancin'

T-man Giggling