Camping

This summer we went camping as a family. It was somewhat last minute but the kids have been talking about going back since we left. It's amazing what you can do with sticks and rocks. It was very relaxing and we are definitely going back! Who knew the West was still untamed?

I'm having this much fun!

Sheriff Daniel's in town.

Boots and hats and these three are ready for the West.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Ok, so I wouldn't have considered myself a true girly-girl until my 20's, but I have always enjoyed dressing up! Ellie has truly inherited that gene from me. In a span of two hours she can change five times and when it's time to pick up Daniel from school she's onto her sixth outfit! Her favorites are skirts and tights with fancy red sparkley shoes. Anything with those red shoes! She doesn't care if they match, all she cares about is that they can reflect sunlight in the car because they're so sparkley! She equally loves her purses and bags like the one Aunt Katie sent below.
I happened to be at my parents with camera in hand and when I took this picture and it reminded me of myself, so I had to pull out mine. The color is much different and scanned it's hard to see details, but there's some serious cheek resemblance! I love seeing other's then and I hope you enjoy!

What are we doing now?

Around our house you never know what's going to happen! Seriously, when it was just Eric and me, I never knew what project or fun thing Eric was thinking of doing next. One day I would be trying to fill a bath with water and the next Eric is re-plumbing the entire house. Or when I was eight months pregnant with Daniel, Eric thought we needed an addition to our three bedroom house, so we talked to the local realtor about the value difference and almost the next night we had the house sold. Or another was adding an addition (to the next house) and less than a year later tranferring, thus moving out of our made-for-us house. All of that to say that I never truly know when Eric says, "Nina, come out here...." what it's going to mean. He could be showing me a new flower or he could be about to demolish the house, one just never knows. So when he called me outside last weekend, this is what I found...

My little boy is about to burst those cheeks with a smile this big because Daddy let him help dig a hole! We're not doing anything drastic to the house, but we did make a major decision as far as our tree! It now makes a pretty good backstop, or so I'm told.

Now here's my wonderful smiling hubby planting (in the rain!) our christmas present. (His grin is almost as big and I LOVE it!)

I would not have my life any other way! Life is too short to waste a moment. Thanks for the adventures, Eric!

Here by popular demand is a picture of Daniel and Luke in the snowcave. It was pretty big in there despite the angle of the picture.

Are we going in the Limosine?

Daniel asked that question the day after we got our new car. Yes, I've done it. I'm a.....Minivan Mom!!! The same friend who tagged me the other day said I would become one and I certainly did! I'm excited to say it's made my life easier and I love the look of this one! It will always be a minivan, and yet that's the beauty of it. It's amazing what we women do for fashion....wear the worst feeling underwear imagineable just to avoid the dreaded "lines." We pull and pluck and rub and scrub our face to death just to try and avoid "age." And we drive around in humongous vehiles that guzzle gas and have gargantuan doors that bang into everyone else's car door just so we can avoid the dreaded soccer mom Minivan. Well, no more, ok...at least as far as those gargantuan doors go. While I'll probably always have that twinge of "am I really old enough," I realize that yes, it's time. Just today, I had to stop somewhere and the kids got out of their seats and sprawled, and I mean sprawled out on the floor to read their books! The kids have been very supportive and excited in my transition from young mom to full-fledged momishness.
Being a mom has been the highlight of my 'career' and I'm learning new things everyday. I never have nor never will have all the answers and most of the time I feel I'm flying....by the seat of my pants. Thankfully, I've had wonderful examples in my life. My mom is the sweetest, most loving, compassionate women I know and there's nothing she wouldn't do for you ~ and that goes for anyone not just her family! She did it all with a Ford Bronco and I assured her growing up that we did NOT need a minivan with only the three of us! So my mom had an extra two or three seats to carpool with still. All that to say I avoided the minivan even then. Eric's mom who is just as wonderful is a great example of raising three remarkable children and can organize like nobodies business. She on the other hand did it in a Minivan and had like my mom two to three seats to work with. Since after Daniel came two more blessings for us, my Ford could no longer do what our moms had done for us and so.....it was time. It's with a little sadness that I let go of some of my youth and embrace the life I've been exceedingly blessed with. It's fun and I'm excited to see what a trip to Disneyland will hold!
Here's a few more quotes from my sweet children over the last few days....Luke ~ "Mom, this is a really cute car." Daniel ~ "I'm excited for you to have a new car. It's really nice." Ellie (when told we are going in the new car, her response is always a yelled, "YEAH!" Thanks guys!

Tagged

Ok, a friend of mine Alicia "tagged" me which I'm not sure I know exactly what it means, but I think it might be fun assuming I have it correct. Essentially it's a way to show random pictures so here it goes... This was taken June of 2008 just when Uncle Jeff and Aunt Kitty sent Luke a Birthday present. It was by far the largest! This shuttle could be a life raft! All the kids loved it and couldn't get enough of it! So, there it is, my "tagged" picture. Now, I'm supposed to pass it on so hopefully we can see more fun random pictures. Annmarie, Katie, Jeff, Larry, and Joyce can open their picture file, select the fifth folder and then the fifth picture and then post it. Hopefully there will be some fun stories to share! Thanks U.J and A.K for providing ours!

It Snows Here!

Can you imagine people in CO just stopping next to the highway to play in snow???? No. Driving to play in snow on the side of road? No. You don't have to, it's in your front yard! Sometimes I can't get the "snow" bug out of my system, but thankfully it snows here too. The funny thing is, it's popular to just stop at an exit and get out and play in the snow on the side of the road. So, within an hour I can have the benefit of snow during winter when I want it and I don't have to shovel it....ever. There's also this little but funny difference. In CO when you want to to play in snow i.e. snowboard, sled, etc, you say you're "going to the mountains." Here you say you're "going to the snow." You're still going into the mountains here, but I guess since you can stop on the side of a freeway just before the mountains you can accurately call it "going to the snow. "

Needless to say went "to the snow" on New Year's Day. Like I said, I love that I can get that out of my system. (Although, I think it's born in me and won't go away ever!) It can get cold and wet but that day it was just plain beautiful! We went sledding, made snow caves, and drank our hot chocolate. I think just maybe it was my favorite New Year's Day yet!

Eric digging out our snow cave and boy was it big!

Luke smiled so much that day that I have a tons of pictures of just him!

Daddy is showing her the snow cave. She was bundled up with cute *little* pink snow gloves.
I'm staying warm drinking my hot chocolate in a superhero mug. Can you tell I have boys?

Luke in the one time he wasn't smiling because he was hard at work pulling his sister up the hill.

Daniel about to throw a huge snowball out of the snow cave. This was before Eric dug it out to fit all the kids.

Ellie and Mommy just finishing our last sledding run of the day. Happy New Year!

Christmas

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. Here are a few of our December 2008 pictures.
Luke is reading who this thing is to.
Ready....Go!

Notice Ellie had to have her doll even while pushing Daniel.
Ellie loved her hamper and blanket. The boys now say their blankets are their favorite! Grandmas got rocks this year....with little handprints on them. :-)Just what they wanted. :-) Grandpa and Ellie.
Uncle Allan was able to join us for Christmas and this little game provided a fun activity as did trying to get all sides of a rubix cube done. Daniel playing tennis against another victim. He beats everyone at it! Grandma and Grandpa L celebrated with us before Christmas. Larry's S.P.A.M. Look for more to come!

Happy New Year

This year has been an exciting year with T-Ball, camping, school starting and seeing family, we've loved it and can't wait to see what happens in 2009! We leave 2008 with a few pictures and hopefully more posts to come. Happy New Year!
As you can see he didn't quite make it to midnight awake. :-)

We watched St-r W-rs: The Cl-ne W-rs and the boys were so excited. Daniel then said just before it started that, "I want to sit next to my buddy."

Ellie kept saying "Party!" At midnight she was the only one still up and smiling!