Enjoying the Outdoors…

The title pretty much describes our past two days. The weather has been nice, around 48 for the high and sunny. We have been feeling a bit claustrophobic being stuck indoors so we decided to bundle up and get out to enjoy the great outdoors. Something about the outdoors just makes us all smile a little bigger, not to mention there is a lot less fighting because there is tons of space for everyone. Yay!

Yesterday we enjoyed an afternoon at the park. We were joined by a couple friends which made the time that much more enjoyable. It was a bit cold due to some wind but overall well worth it!

We have not been to the park in a couple months so the kids LOVED it and immediately started running the second they got unbuckled from their car seats.

They are both growing up so fast. Autumn is now completely independent at the park and needs no assistance going down the slides and Owen is pretty good at swinging on his own.

I tell you, this child has no fear. Autumn was going down the big slides all by herself and all different ways. Sideways, on her bottom, on her belly, head first, she didn’t care and wasn’t scared one bit. A little fear or even caution in the child would make me feel a little better. She is CRAZY!!!!

 

This morning we met up with our very good friends, The Beistlines (Jessica, Abby & Isaac) at the zoo. We have not been to the zoo since Owen’s school field trip back in September so it was a long over due trip. The weather was great jackets at first and then we started shedding off the layers towards the end. We basically had the entire zoo to ourselves so needless to say we all had a blast! The kids were all over the place and all got along super well. So thankful for great friends and a beautiful sunny day!

Are they not adorable?!?! Love these two.

Checking out the Zebra’s.

Owen said these are called Reindeers. Haha. I guess he still has Christmas fresh in his mind.

Having some fun on the wiggly bridge.

Acting like monkeys while looking at monkeys. Appropriate, I guess.

Have I mentioned that my kids are wild?

Playing chase around the tree.

After we finished walking around and checking out all the animals, we made our way to the grass to have a nice picnic lunch. The kids had a blast trading and sharing their lunches with each other.

And then it was off for more running around in the grass. These kids burned off a ton of energy this morning!

A little rolling around in the grass.

And attempting to climb this big tree!

Such an awesome morning!

O yeah, I also wanted to show off a couple more pictures of my adorable new little niece Bailey Rose…

Sorry, I am 1 proud Auntie! Isn’t she just precious. And look how amazing my sister-in-law looks after everything she has been through. You can tell she is one happy Mama! Love you guys and miss you lots!!!!

Miscellaneous Pictures…

So this post really has no title and kind of no point, but I have some pictures from the past couple days that I thought I’d share. Okay here we go…

The week started off with the kids and I watching the Broncos play their first Playoff game against the Pittsburg Steelers. As you can see from my face, it was a very intense game, luckily the Broncos pulled out the win in overtime. Yes, that would be their 4th win in overtime this season. Yay!!!!! Go Tebow!!!!!

Yesterday we met up with some friends at the mall play area. The kid had a great time playing with their friends. Autumn just followed the older kiddos around and did whatever they did. She is so determined to act like a 3 year old even though she is still only 1. She is such a little fireball!

Yesterday was one of those very very very challenging days of parenting. Why? Well because my kids were acting TERRIBLE and fighting over EVERYTHING. I was quickly losing my patience as well as my mind! All you fellow parents out there know exactly what I am talking about. Anyway, Owen and Autumn have been fighting non stop lately and it is driving Brandon and I nuts. Not sure what it is but they have hundred of toys in their play room and always seem to fight over the same stinkin things. Always. So we have enforced a new rule to hopefully puts an end to all this silly fighting nonsense….

This is the new Toy Jail.

Every time the kids fight over a toy (no matter who starts it) the toy gets taken away and put into the Toy Jail. The toy remains there for the rest of the day and will be given back the next morning. Also after the toy gets put into Jail each kid must go to the “calm down corner” for 1 minute. I have had it and something needed to be done! They have so many toys I don’t think some being off limits for 1 day is really a big deal. Anyway, I am trying to get them to stop fighting and learn to love having each other to play with. Sometimes I feel like a failure parents because of my kids attitudes and behavior issues, but I know deep down they are just at challenging ages. We are trying. We are trying. And we are praying a lot for God’s guidance in this disciplining stuff.

 

Yesterday afternoon we got a visit from Cousin Abigail and Auntie Kiki. Autumn was down for a nap when they came so Owen and Abi had fun just the two of them. Here they are enjoying a snack together. Owen has a weird face in this pic, I think it was because he was in the middle of chewing. O well, they are still adorable!

Auntie Kiki had invited us over for dinner later that evening, so after Brandon got home from work we headed over to their house. We didn’t get there until 6:45pm so Abigail was already in bed, but my kids still had a blast playing with all her toys. Here is Auntie Kiki showing Owen how to play the guitar. Haha

Auntie kiki has a huge square ottoman in her living room where she stores all of Abi’s toys, the kids thought it was so funny to lay in the ottoman on top of the toys and have us close the lid on them. We did this over and over and over.

 

And this morning was school day for Owen so Autumn and I went to run some errands together after we dropped him off….

I think Autumn got Mommy’s shopping genes. Look how happy she is! Lol

We like to do “girly” things when its just the two of us, so after shopping we played Baby Dolls. Here she is rocking her baby in the time out chair. No she was not in time out, that was just the chair she chose.

She also enjoys playing with all of brothers “special” toys while he is at school because she knows she can get away with it. She is quite the opportunist! 

Our New Niece…

Bailey Rose Henken

January 9, 2012 @ 1:27pm

7 lbs. 2 oz.

Brandon and I are so excited to welcome our second niece into the world! My poor Sister-In-Law had a rough labor and ended up having to have a C-Section after 24+hours. Thankfully mommy and baby are both happy and healthy, just a bit exhausted. We could not be more excited and can not wait until we can make it up to Denver to get our hands on this little sweetie pie. She is so beautiful. Welcome sweet baby Bailey Uncle Bo, Auntie Ness, Cousins Owen & Autumn LOVE you so much!!!!!

Wedding Dress Shopping….

Okay, we obviously all know I don’t mean for my self. Who then? I am happy to announce that my Best Friend of 13 years is getting married!!!!! I can not be more excited for her. My Best Friend, Candie, will be marrying the man of her dreams, Toby, in August. I am so honored I get to be a part of their wedding. A little history; Candie and I met our Freshman Year of High School, yes a long time ago I know. Anyway we met on our very first day of High School and have been Best Friends from that very day on. Unfortunately she moved away about 4 years ago so we only get to see each other every once in awhile. Luckily she is the type of friend that I can see once a year and we instantly pick up where we left off and it seems like no time has passed. I absolutely love her! She is currently living in Las Vegas, NV and seems very happy with the life and friends she has made out there, especially the soon to be husband she met while living there. She will be getting married at the Emerald and Queens Ridge in Las Vegas, NV on August 11, 2012. She came into town yesterday to go shopping for her wedding dress and I was honored she asked me to come along for my opinion and help. My awesome parents agreed to watch my kiddos for the day so I could accompany my BFF. I dropped off the kiddos about noon and did not get home until 9:30pm (Brandon picked up the kiddos from my parents after work). It was such a fun day and an absolute treat to be able to spend the entre day with Candie. We met at the first Dress Salon at 1pm to start trying on dresses. Candie had her Mom, Aunt, Sister (who is her Maid-Of-Honor) and Myself there giving her our support as well as our opinions. After the first appointment we went to Sadie's for a late lunch and then headed onto another dress appointment. We were at the second Dress Salon for about 2+ hours and that is the place where she found her Wedding Dress. She looked stunning in it and we all LOVED it!!!! It was so fun helping her get into the dresses and share such a special day with her and her family, truly an honor to be a part of it as she was there for me 5 1/2 years ago helping me pick out my dress. After we found her dress, her sister and I were able to try on dresses that she selected for us. We narrowed it down between two dresses but did not decided which one we would be wearing the day of, we still have time. After all the dress fun I took Candie to Nob Hill Bar & Grill for dinner and a drink to Celebrate. It was such a fun and memorable day. I am so blessed to have such an amazing friend like Candie in my life. I can not wait for the next 8 months as I go along this journey with her leading up to her and Toby’s special day! I have some pictures from the day to share but please note I am not putting up any pictures of the dress she selected, these are all just the runner-up’s. It was so hard choosing “the” dress because she looked amazing in everything she put on, but in the end we all just “knew” when she had on “the” dress. Enjoy the pictures from my day….

I did feel really bad that I had to leave the kids all day but please know I don’t think they even noticed I left. When I left them at my parents, they were busy eating the French Toast Nana had made them for lunch. They get so spoiled at Nana & Pampo’s house. As it should be…I guess. So thankful for my amazing parents who love my kids almost as much as I do.

Here is my Beautiful BFF. She honestly looked great in every dress she put on!

Gorgeous, but still not the winner. You will have to check back in August to see the Winner, sorry!

Okay. So this picture didn’t come out very well. Anyway, her colors are Navy Blue and Yellow, so imagine these dresses in Navy Blue and us holding big yellow sunflowers. O yeah, and I wouldn’t be wearing red heels either. Anyway, you get the point.

Or she is thinking of the same dresses but short for the bridesmaids and long for the maid-of-honor. So the dress only comes long so they would have to cut them for the bridesmaids, hints why I’m holding it up so you can see what it looks like knee length. And again, Navy Blue dress and no red heels. Haha.

Did I mention she asked Owen and Autumn to be the Ring Bearer and Flower Girl? So fun I know. We are just trying to work out the logistics of bringing them too, so nothing is final. Here is the dress that we picked for Autumn. So so adorable. Awe!

After all the dress fun, we went to Nob Hill Bar & Grill for some dinner and drinks. Candie got an amazing Green Chili Stew (she misses the New Mexico Chili) and I got…

a delicious Cobb Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing.

Lots of Love and a Huge Congrats Candie!!!!!!