Visit with Grandma and Grandpa

We were thrilled to have a surprise visit from Grandma and Grandpa last weekend!  We didn't tell the kids that they were coming, so they were mighty surprised and excited when the doorbell rang!  Friday night, we had dinner and the kids showcased their improving reading skills.


We had planned to drive up into Rocky Mountain National Park on Saturday, so we were a little nervous when we woke up to dense fog.  Normally you'd see a bank of houses in this photo, and it made me a little excited for how  beautiful it will be here when the snow falls!


Luckily, the weather cleared up nicely by the time we were ready to go, so we loaded up the van and started our drive into Estes Park, a beautiful mountain town just before the park.  We saw some long-horned sheep on the way!




Dropping into Estes Park is always beautiful, but even more so with the fall foliage!


Estes Park is nearly always busy, but there was a festival in town and it was the last really warm, beautiful weekend to get up and see the leaves, so traffic was CRAZY.


We had a picnic lunch, then went on a little hike to an old stone lookout, from which you can see the whole town.










I am seriously not okay with how old my baby girl is looking.


Pretty view of Lake Estes!




For this color junkie, it doesn't get much  better than October!




On Sunday, we holed up inside to escape the wind and rain, but did venture out to go snooping in the row of nearly-completed homes.  They're beautiful, but their views of solid houses don't hold a candle to the open space behind us!  Grandma baked cookies with the kids, which they loved!


We think Alaina confused the cookie dough with playdough.  Nothing flattens it out better than being pounded with an elbow!


Before hitting the road on Monday morning, Grandma and Grandpa walked the kids to the bus stop.


 Our visit was wonderful!  Thanks for spending the time, money, and energy to come, Mom and Dad!  The time for you to go home always comes too quickly!

Catching up!

Here's what's been going on in our neck of the woods...

After literally months of her asking us to pull out her top tooth (this girl is all about the cash!), Daddy finally plucked it out!


She left this note for the tooth fairy, but Anthony and I explained that the whole reason the tooth fairy comes is to take teeth with her when she goes.  We explained that she might be upset if she had to make the trip AND leave money and still get no tooth!


When Anthony went into her room that night, he found this follow up note...


...as well as an offering gift of a "nice caterpillar".  You can't turn that down!  She was pretty excited to wake up to money AND a tooth!


Just in case any of you think that years of lightsaber fighting might get it out of one's system, here is proof that it is and has been here to stay!


Harrison woke up with the best bed head the other day!  I know that we're closing in on his first haircut, but cutting off his mullet is just too much for me to handle.


We celebrated Ryan's birthday.  Who's to say that cake smashes are only for one year olds?


Harrison was appalled by Uncle Ryan's table manners.


Once he realized that everyone was laughing, he thought it was pretty funny, too.


The girls eat it up!


As we were bringing the dishes in, a round-tipped butter knife fell off of a plate.  I guess that knife wanted to show everyone who's boss and make quite the statement.


Alaina still loves to squeeze herself into tiny containers, but it's getting harder and harder as the months pass!


I love that I get to drive past this lake almost every day (school, grocery store, inlaws, center of town).  Some days it is just too pretty to not pull over and snap a pic!

Harrison is 1!

Last Saturday we celebrated Harrison's first birthday!  What a blend of emotions with this significant milestone!  It is so much fun to see him becoming a little boy instead of just a squishy baby, and all of us love how he's beginning to feel like one of the gang!  We had family and a few close friends over to help us celebrate!


"It's my birthday!"  (Thanks for the cute shirt, Aunt Mary Ann!)


I tried to think of a "theme" that was fun for a one year old, so we went with bubbles.  He thinks they're pretty silly!


The older kids had fun playing with a Beeboo, the toy that holds the world record for biggest bubble.  It made sweet  bubbles, but broke after about an hour of light use, so that was a bummer!


We had a bubble machine going the whole time, and it was especially popular with the younger crowd. (Side note:  we tried Gazillion Bubbles solution, and I won't buy any other brand now!  The best, even better than the homemade solution I tried with glycerin, dish soap, and sugar!)


The older kids got pipe cleaners to make their own bubble wands, but as with anything that resembles a stick, they quickly became weapons.


Worst picture of me ever, but Harrison looks cute!


When I put his cake down in front of him, of course it had to first be explored with that middle finger!


Instead of the instant smush that we expected, he ate a few handfuls like a civilized young man.








You could almost see the sugar at work.  His mood perked up, and as the seconds passed, he became more and more ready to get the party started!


There's the cake mayhem we were looking for (I can just hear his squeal in this picture)!




"Karate...


CHOP!"


"What IS this glorious stuff?!"


Bath #2 of many that day!




This picture melts me!


We got him a Rockin' Rider Pony for his birthday.  He's warming up to it. :)


Nana and Papa gave him this reindeer bouncer, and he loves it, especially for using it as a stool to get up onto the sofa!


He didn't quite know what to make of all the attention from the big kids during present time.  (Look!  The Dollar Tree bag with the three P's is making the rounds!)


I used to wonder where Harrison got those expressive eyebrows.  This picture puts two and two together!


Even though the cake was fun, our little eater was in an especially good mood once he got some real food!






Gotta tickle those little piggies under the high chair!  Those two top teeth kill me!


After another bath, it was back to playing with his presents!  We all had such a fun and memorable day together.  Happy first birthday, Harrison!  We love you!