family memories The Crain Clan

We had such a memorable Christmas! As I was packing presents, ski gear, food, and clothes I thought maybe we were crazy for taking Christmas on the road. But it was all very worth it. We arrived in Pagosa Springs on a Friday evening and I felt like a kid running around to each room with my mom "ooing" and "ahhing" at how cute and perfect the house was. My brother, the kids, and Jared and I took over the upstairs, which was a loft bedroom and two other bedrooms. The kids' room had two twin beds, which they thought were very cool. The downstairs had the master bedroom, a roomy kitchen, and a cozy living room where we kept a roaring fire going. Then if you went out across a narrow deck there was a game room that was also cozy with games, puzzles, bean bags, and a wii. Landon was also running around to each room and when he got to the game room he kept saying "Yeah! Yeah!" throwing his fists into the air like a crazy kid!

On Saturday, Christmas Eve, we started the day skiing. I really had no idea what to expect since Landon still didn't have much experience with skis and Haley had never been on them. But my brother and dad worked together to make it run perfectly! Ryan set us up with ski passes for me and Jared, and a lesson for Landon. Haley took to skiing right away with us just letting her go and catching her on a small hill and before we knew it the Wolf Pups supervisor was setting her up with a private lesson (gotta love having a snowboard instructor for a brother!). Landon began to love skiing as soon as they got off of that magic carpet and finally rode the chairlift and I was surprised that Haley got to ride the lift that day too. Both kids got done at noon and my dad gathered them up and took them back to the house so Jared and I could ski. I'm still not very good but I held my own that day and Ryan was able to join us for quite a few runs when he was done with his lessons. Both Ryan and Jared were so patient to have me as a ski buddy! That evening we spent a lot of time making ornaments and garland for the tree that my brother had picked and chopped down to be our Christmas tree. It was lots of fun trimming the tree on the night before Christmas. Haley passed out the cookies that she and Mimi had made that afternoon and we prepared a plate for Santa. The kids were exhausted and despite their excitment that Santa was coming, fell asleep almost instantly when we got them up to their room.

Christmas day was magical, especially with 8 (Phoebe had a stocking too!) stockings overflowing with presents. Santa spoiled us! The day was filled with lots of present opening (I just loved how much the kids enjoyed giving their handmade gifts as they did receiving), snacking, and playing new games. Another highlight of the day was an awesome sledding adventure at a hill down the road. Landon was such the daredevil and onlookers couldn't believe how he'd go flying over those jumps! Haley seemed to enjoy it just as much and shouted "Yeah baby!" as she headed down the hill with Jared.

Then on Monday we hit the slopes one more time. The day was much like the first although both kids felt more experienced and had twice as much fun. Landon's class went straight to the lift at the start of class and Landon wasn't using his "edgey wedgey" anymore. I got to do a couple runs with him after his lesson was over and all he wanted to do was race me down the mountain. And Haley had an hour private this time and her instructor was amazed by her "edge control" as she turned back and forth fairly easily. We headed home Tuesday with everyone feeling amazingly well-rested and content. There is just something very special about a mountain Christmas! 

We finally made it to Christmas Break! I feel like I've been in an endless tunnel of parties, school crafts, holiday performances, field trips, shopping and wrapping. Now finally, it is a beautiful, snowy Monday and I'm just spending the day relaxing with the kids. Bliss! The craziness hasn't ended, I still have lots of packing and shopping to do for our upcoming trip to the mountains but I still feel relieved. The pictures above are of two of my December highlights. The first is a picture of Haley with her friends in her "Princess Ballet and Tap" class. They had a little performance on their last day of practice and it was absolutely precious. The second picture is of Landon with his friends, John, Lucas and Kaya on the bus during their Kindergarten field trip to the Denver Puppet Theater. I took the day off to chaperone and really enjoyed wearing my "parent hat" and leaving my teaching one behind. Landon has really nice friends and I had fun watching them all together. When we returned from the trip I even had an hour and a half to go to the mall BY MYSELF and do some nice, low-stress Christmas shopping. :)

The first weekend of December proved to be the perfect Colorado, winter weekend...lots of snow, a bit of sunshine and lots of holiday spirit. Friday night we fully meant to go to the Louisville parade of lights but between visiting Santa and Mrs. Claus (thanks Sharyn!) and having dinner with the Smith's at Old Louisville Inn, we completely missed it! With the temps so low, we weren't too disappointed, and the kids had just as much fun having a snowball fight over by the Winterskate skating rink. Saturday we spent the afternoon sledding at our neighborhood sledding hill and decorating our Christmas tree. And we topped off the weekend with a family shopping trip to the mall. It was quite congested but I loved it anyway!
 
I was hoping that Haley may have gotten a bit past her fear of Santa this year but no such luck. She couldn't barely stand to be near him at the party Friday night and at the mall! She said she might be ready when she's five. She just doesn't like his "bushy beard" and "big belly." I get it, I really do! Looks like Landon will be the "only child" in Santa photos for awhile. 

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving visiting Jared's grandparents in Ponca, Nebraska. Again, we stayed in a beautiful cabin at the state park. We had great company...Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Joel, Aunt Nicole, and "the cousins," Christian, Jaeda, and Jace. Of course, there is nothing like three days and nights hanging out with cousins! I remember those days when I was little. :)  Landon and Jace were attached at the hip playing with Legos, playing pretend games all over the cabin, drawing Star Wars guys, and playing some video games. Jaeda was a fun big cousin for Haley. They played a lot of tickle chase and hide-and-go-seek. Jaeda also helped Haley draw some pictures in her book and make necklaces with beads. All of them enjoyed some exploring outside around the cabin, an exciting day together ice skating in Sioux City, and cuddling up on the couch to watch movies. They all did a fantastic time entertaining each other and us "grown-ups" got to visit and read books. I read two books that I had downloaded on my Kindle..yea! We were very happy that Jared's grandpa got to join us at the cabin all of the days we were there, as he is still recovering at the Ponca nursing home. We truly have so much to be thankful for!  

Happy Halloween! We started the day by going down to Main Street, Louisville to catch my class go walking by in our L.E.S. Halloween parade. Even after five years, I still appreciate being able to head over to Vic's coffee and casually watch the parade rather than be in it. I think I owe Nicole something big for being the one to do that "honor" year after year! At the parade we saw my friend Kay with her daugher, and two grandkids (Lucy and new baby Barrett) as well as Katie Peterson (another teacher friend) so we had great company with which to ooh and awe at all the adorable costumes. That afternoon both the kids had parties at school. We had made cupcakes for Landon's class and cookies for Haley's. Jared was able to attend both parties; a great treat for both the kids! That evening my mom, dad, and grandma came over for dinner and trick-or-treating. Our friends Kimmie, Zach, Tristan, and Will (Zach and Tristan's Papa) joined us as well. We filled up with good food before getting all set for trick-or-treating. The kids were all great sports while we attempted to get them posed for pictures before going out. We were even able to get Tristan to keep his dog ears on long enough for a couple of shots before he was crawling off to his next adventure! While trick-or-treating Haley announced "I want to get lots of candy!" She was much more motivated than last year to make it to lots of houses. Landon, however, was the one to instigate a second round of trick-or-treating before Papa went home. :) The weather throughout the day was absolutely perfect. The temperature was comfortable enough to spend the whole day without needing coats or sweating through costumes. The last week's snowstorm had left some of the trees bare and there was still some snow on the ground so the day still had a "Halloween look." I think everyone really had a good time!  

It was such a beautiful day at the Rock Creek pumpkin patch this year! We had a great excuse to go the weekend of the 15th. Landon had just been chosen as Person of the Week for Kindergarten. He got to take home Piggie, the class stuffed animal, and we were to write about Piggie's adventures with our family. What better adventure than the Pumkin Patch! Piggie helped Landon hunt for the perfect pumpkin. They also jumped in a jumpy castle together, ran on the haystacks, and talked with the farm animals. Piggie spent a lot of time with the Pumpkin Patch pigs, of course. We were sure to get a lot of good pictures and had fun creating Landon's pages. Haley was a very independent pumpkin picker this year. She kept changing her mind about which one was the right one. But the little one with the tall stem just screamed "Haley!" as soon as she and Jared spotted it. She helped cut it off the vine and had fun "riding Daddy's arm" as we took the pumpkins back to the car. It was just one of those great days.  

It's hard to believe but this Fall there has only been one night a week without soccer on the agenda. Jared played in his outdoor league on Sundays and indoor on Thursdays. Landon played his first U7 season with practice on Mon. and Wed. and games on Saturday. And Haley played Tiny-Tyke soccer on Fridays! I, of course, am the family's number one soccer fan who does her best to keep track of the shin guards, water bottles, spectator blankets and chairs, and coloring/activity books for the non-playing sister or brother. We really enjoyed all of the time spent outside and with each other. Jared did a little assistant coaching for Landon's team and I just loved the kids calling him Coach Jared. He was at every practice, which would have never been possible this time last year! Haley has a powerful little soccer kick and especially loved the somersaults she got to do holding the ball between her feet. It's funny to watch the three year-olds because there is always someone having a tantrum, laying down or wandering off. Haley kept her cool but often rested in the grass or wandered away doing her own thing. Then she'd have this look of "oh, I think I'm supposed to be doing something!" She called the certificate she got at her last practice her "note" and was so proud. Landon really enjoyed his team and so did we. They were very young but had great spirit. They lost most of their games but had so much fun. Landon scored a goal in game 2. Grandma was there and he was so proud! We're hoping the team will stay together during these next couple of years. Soccer season is officially over tomorrow and although we're ready for the break, I think we'll all miss it! Until next Spring... :) 

Late September I managed to lose my camera at Landon's soccer game (surprise to those who know me well, right?). I think I had it on our blanket and lost it when I moved spots. After realizing what had happened, I went back that afternoon and searched the fields. No luck. Later that day, Jared searched with me but still no sign of it. I called the Rec center, checked with my school office (that's where the fields are), sent an e-mail out to soccer parents, and even put up a Lost Camera sign (Landon's idea). In the meantime, I didn't care at all about the camera, which is on its last leg but I was pining over the loss of pictures I had taken that month; a trip to the Zoo with my grandma, mom and dad, pictures of Haley at her last gymnastics class, and pictures from a visit with my dear friend Monica and her darling son, Leo. I'm sure the pictures were more amazing in my head but I was missing the memories anyway. But as you can see by the posted pictures, my story has a happy ending. Over 2 weeks after I lost it, the school nurse greeted me with a "Cheryl, go look in your box!" when I walked in to school one morning. I was guessing that maybe Landon had wrote me a note or something of that nature but when I got to my mailbox, there it was! A student had found my camera outside at P.E. and turned it into the office. It survived being outside for two weeks and all of my pictures were in tact. So I'm proud to post some of my "lost camera" pictures. Hooray!

It feels like we have been celebrating Haley's third birthday for a week! We had some family come up on Tuesday afternoon (her birthday eve) to join us for ice cream at Sweet Cow, our favorite ice cream shop in downtown Louisville. They have a wonderful outdoor patio but unfortunately, after we all ordered our ice cream, we were hit with an afternoon thunder shower! It lasted too long for comfort so we headed to Lucky Pie, the pizza place next door, to take cover. We found a nice lounge area to open presents and have drinks and pizza. Haley enjoyed being in the spotlight no matter where we were! On Saturday, sticking with the ice cream theme (Haley's favorite treat), we had some of her little friends over for a party at our house.  It was a hot, August, afternoon so we got out the pools and sprinklers for some water fun. Then we added to the craziness by serving ice cream cone cupcakes and scoops of ice cream. Luckily most of the guests were 3 and under so by the time the party was over it looked like everyone was ready for a nap. I'm not sure I could have done the same party with a group of five year-olds. :)  I think Haley felt very special and loved the whole week through.  

What a week! We had Haley's first day of preschool and Landon's first day of Kindergarten. Both of them had great days. Haley came home with lots of "highs" (we share these at the dinner table but I heard an earful as soon as I picked her up) all week long. She painted, swung on the swings, made a necklace, and made some friends. She got to celebrate her birthday on her second day of school with a healthy snack, sharing three pictures from her three years, and taking a walk around the sun (it's a Montessori thing!). Landon didn't have as much to say about his first couple of days, but it sounds like recess was a highlight with games of chase between the guys and girls (already!) and he liked choice time where "everyone wanted to go in the castle." He has three good friends from his preschool class in his new class, which he was very excited about. Next week he'll have his first Kindergarten Enrichment classes on Tuesday and Thursday. He'll go all day and get to eat lunch in the cafeteria on those days. I'm looking forward to my first day of packing his lunch (I'm aware this excitement will be short lived)! With Haley's birthday and both of the kids having major first days of school, I did a lot of reminiscing of when they were babies and marveling at how much they've grown up in such a short time. I feel so lucky to be their mommy!   

Time really does fly by when you're having fun! We ended the summer with a short but sweet visit with my brother Ryan as he celebrated his 30th birthday, a last hurrah playdate with Erin and Renee (the Smurfs movie, pizza for lunch, and wild fun in the Orchard Shopping center fountains), a trip to the pool with friends Cindy, Noah, Erin and Erik and a memorable trip out to Ponca, Nebraska. Our summer trip to Ponca gave us a chance to spend some much needed time with Grandpa Great who is recovering from a major surgery at the Ponca nursing home. The kids brought him some balloons for his birthday and entertained many of the residents with their smiles and boundless energy. They also participated in the annual frog jumping contest! It was Haley's first time (but no qualms about it!) and Landon's third (third time's the charm!). We also enjoyed time at Ponca State Park highlighted by a successful "catch and release" morning of fishing. Cousins, Christian, Jace, and Jaeda had the magic touch with the fishing pole. I think they all three caught at least two of them each! The kids literally enjoyed every second of the roadtrip. It was a great way to end our summer.

Last week the kids and I were bummed to see that our favorite car wash at the gas station (the one with the rainbow soap) was closed. But our disappointment turned to excitement when I remembered that it was a hot summer day, and we didn't need to go through the automatic wash, we could do it ourselves. How had I forgotten that?! We headed to Walmart for some soap, sponges, and cloths. Then the kids had wonderful time giving "JackJet" a 3-cycle, rinse, wash, dry, carwash. With smiles all around, it was a huge success and they can't wait to do it again. Right now, it's the simple things that are standing out in my life...something to be thankful for. 

Before the summer started I told a friend at work that I didn't really look forward to summers in the same way I used to. Before kids I worked full-time and then did a 180 when summer came...time to myself, relaxation, organization, recharge, etc. Let's just say that going from part-time employee to full-time mom hasn't brought about the same type of change. But I have to say that this summer I was completely wrong. I am loving every single moment of the summer with my kids! I think it has to do with a balance that I've never really had until this year. The kids and I have lots of fun goofing around, going to the pool, playing in the backyard, having playdates with friends, arts in crafts inside, t-ball practice in the evening, etc. But Landon and Haley also love playing together, on their own, which has given me time to read books and work on projects on MY own. In addition, with Jared's new job he's home around 6:00 (sometimes before!) every single night. Tag-teaming the bedtime duties and having time to hang out together in the evenings has been such a gift. I was talking to another wife of an attorney who used to work with Jared at Hogan and now works in-house for a company in Louisville. We both said that we didn't really realize how abnormal we were until now. What? families really get to hang out together on a daily basis? You're kidding! So, hooray for summer and all the fun little moments it brings.

I am very lucky to have two of my aunts, my cousins, and my grandpa live close by. At the beginning of the summer my Aunt Patti and my grandpa took the kids to the zoo on a day where I was on an interview committee at school. They had such a great time that the idea of Friday Family Field Trips was developed! Two weeks ago the family field trip was to the Butterfly Pavilion. I opted to stay home as I desperately needed the time to grocery shop and clean (I know, so exciting, but you know how it is!) but Landon, Haley, Grandpa, Aunt Patti, Aunt Mary, and Kendra had a wonderful time. I heard so many stories and Mary sent me these fun pictures. Haley actually held Rosie the Tarantula, no qualms about it! Aunt Mary also bought the kids souvenir pressed pennies. They were very excited to put them in the pressed penny albums that Mimi and Papa started for them a couple of years ago. Next week we are planning a trip to the movie theater to see Cars 2. Yea!

Friends with older kids tell me this is only the beginning! My sister-in-law, Nicole, is hardly ever home now that her three kids (13, 10, and 7) have a million different places to be all at once. With Landon and Haley I'm just trying to figure out the balance of both kids having something fun to do but not too much to do. These past two months that looked like two days a week of Pee Wee soccer for Landon and then Saturday morning gymastics for Haley. It seemed to work out well and both kids had some fun growing opportunities!
 
Landon's soccer was a 4/5 year-old mix so he was one of the oldest. He seems to be competitive (in a good way so far) and fairly skilled with the ball. However, his biggest challenge seemed to be staying on his feet. He was quick to fall down when others ran into him or fell in front of him. One practice, he got a bloody nose from being stepped on and I decided that maybe we could work on the "falling thing" in kind of a fun way. Landon and I played around in the living room where I tried to get him to fall down and he tried to stay up (honestly, the first time I brushed his shoulder he was on the ground immediately). We talked about putting your hand down to stop you from falling, getting up quickly, the works! The next practice he was one of the star players...scoring lots of goals, defending goals....it just made me laugh. I thought that if soccer turns out to be something he really likes and is good at it, he might just owe me for my awesome soccer coaching. :)

Haley has aboslutely loved gymnastics. This is her second session of Moonbeamers, which is a walking to age 3 parent-tot class; so she's one of the oldest too. She goes to a place called Mountain Kids and I'm just amazed at how many different skills the little toddlers are taught. In the beginning, she could barely hang onto the bars without falling off. Now she's doing these cute "banana hangs" and "spider hangs" from the bars and loves doing tucks and straddles while hanging onto the rings (isn't the ring picture hilarious!). Anyway, she loves practicing all her tricks at home and all on her own decided to master the handstand against the wall thing. Right after she got it she ran right over to the wall at the gym where some bigger girls were doing their handstands and turned right around to join them. She was very proud. It happens to be her new favorite party trick as well. I've caught her watching the older girls a lot and I wonder how much that has to do with her motivation. It's all just cute to watch at her age. Fun, fun, fun!

For Grandma Lu Lu's 84th birthday party she was treated to a surprise motorcycle ride! It was a beautiful bike and a beautiful day. Grandma took the whole experience in with a lot of smiling and giggling (as only Grandma Lu Lu does). The kids really had fun watching her too. Landon echoed his big cousin Randy and said "I've got to see this!" as he headed outside to watch her get on the bike. Landon and Haley got to pose for a few pictures on the motorcycle when Grandma got back. They look like a couple of cool kids! Happy birthday Grandma!

Every year Easter gets more and more exciting for our family. Landon was much more competitive at the Easter Egg hunts this year. It was a good thing at church that he was not in the youngest hunting category (4 and under) anymore so that the little ones could get some eggs in their baskets! The Easter bunny also sent him on a treasure hunt for a Lego Creator on Easter morning. It all started with a golden egg with a clue in it and his excitment couldn't really be contained from that point on! The kids participated in four Easter egg hunts over the weekend (neighborhood, church, Grandma's house, and Mimi's house). For Haley she was just happy to get a few eggs in her baskets. She especially liked some of the ones that had her name on it that Daddy helped her make at Grandma's house and the ones with the money in them that were at Mimi's house. At Grandma's she was content to swing on the horse swing while her brother and cousins were hunting. We were in Greeley all weekend at both parent's houses and the kids were completely spoiled by grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and cousins. We feel so blessed that our children are surrounded by so much love!! 

d

The pictures can pretty much tell the story of all the fun things we got to do in South Carolina; the beach, a carriage ride in Charleston, an animal forest adventure, playing at the Mahlberg's house, the South Carolina Aquarium, etc.. However, it's more the "little things" that I will remember from this family adventure. First of all was plane excitement, such as the Orion constellation Landon spotted in the sky on our late-night second flight and his first experience with gum, which provoked the comment "This is easy. You just have to swallow the taste!" or when I had to buzz the flight attendant to let me run Haley back to the bathrooms early because she just happened to announce  "I have to go poo!" right as the flight attendant finished up with her safety speach. I also won't forget the enormous amount of enthusiasm for the hotel we stayed in on the first night, which had Haley running around wild at 1:30 in the morning saying "this is so fun!" or the same type of craziness that was brought on by the bunk beds at the condo we stayed at. (Haley always called the condo a "cando," sounding like she had some type of cute accent).

Then there's the beach. I must have heard Landon shout "Let's do it again Daddy!" a hundred times as they headed out into the ocean to jump over the waves. Haley told me she wanted to go out into the waves that didn't have the "white parts." Apparently those kind were too big. She spent a lot of time collecting shells, filling buckets with sand, and sporting her new sunglasses and beach hat (Thanks Cindy!) with a catwalk up and down the beach. I also got to see Noah dip his little toes into the ocean for the first time! He was too little the previous summer so on our nice, warm Saturday he got to try it out. He was very serious about it at first but warmed up to it real quick. There's nothing like a pair of baby feet in the sand! Speaking of the Mahlberg family, when we were all together on the beach a crab joined our group. It was fun watching Cindy tease the crab to get it into it's little defense mode. The crab sighting completely made Landon's day. Another cute moment....at the Mahberg's house for dinner I discovered that I could be a cool "Auntie Cheryl" if I sang "Dancin, Dancin, Dancinnnn! Dancing Machine!" to little Noah. We played this game over and over again on the trip just so I could see him smile a million times!  

Believe it or not, these are just a few of the little moments I will remember from the trip. Landon and Haley make each one more exciting than the next (well except for the carriage ride where Landon fell fast asleep and Haley played squiggly worm on Jared's lap). Everything's an adventure nontheless!

Here are some pictures from the Princess Tea at Greeley West! We had a very girlie afternoon with Aunt Nicole and cousin Jaeda. The girls received magic wands before being seated for afternoon tea. An almost ten-year old Jaeda was a good sport to participate in the princess festivities with her little cousin. After some delicious scones, cucumber sandwiches, glass slipper cookies, and tasty apple juice tea, the princesses arrived. Peggy Freemole (my high school dance team coach and theater director) introduced the princesses and told the little girls to raise their hands to have a princess visit their table. Haley's hand shot up in the air before they could even start walking around! The wicked stepmother and stepsisters also made an appearance and Haley wasn't too fond of them. After the tea we saw the performance of Cinderella. Haley really took in it all. At one point she turned around to the people behind has and said "the Prince is throwing a ball!" Of course I enjoyed all the dancing that only Greeley West shows can do (you can always spot those poms :)). It was a treat to bring Haley to my alma mater and spend the day with the girls. What a magical day! 

I can't believe my "baby" is five! We had a fantastic birthday weekend planned with a Sunday party on Landon's actual birthday with immediate family at Grandma Debbie's house and a Monday party at "Bounce Town" with his friends (It's nice that his birthday always falls around President's Day so I have a weekday off to get the weekday birthday party discount). But the perfectly planned weekend wasn't so perfect when Landon woke up on Saturday morning with a heavy cough and some difficulty breathing. He spiked a fever that afternoon so I took him to urgent care. The doc said it was just a virus and we'd just have to wait it out. We were bummed! Landon has been really healthy all year; not a day missed of school for sickness. Lovely timing, right? We decided to go ahead and do the family birthday party anyway. We knew he could take it easy at Grandma's house. After a rough night, he really hung in there at the party. The house was decorated with lots of "High Fives" and there was a spread of special five-year old breakfast dishes.  Landon enjoyed his presents and blowing out the candles on his snowman cake. From the look on her face,  I think great-grandma Lu Lu enjoyed this too! After presents, he got worse so we spent quite a bit of time with the steamy shower in Grandma's bathroom. Poor guy fell asleep on the bathroom floor and any hopes I had for him feeling better for Monday were gone! On our way home from Greeley I called Bounce Town and despite their rescheduling and cancelation policies that didn't look favorable, they let us reschedule the party for Friday. Hooray! The rest of Landon's birthday he was awake only to watch Aladdin and then he was out for the rest of the night. I spent the evening e-mailing his friends about the change of plans. It took him a good three days to get back to his happy self but the Bounce Town party was lots of fun and it was quite the talk of the preschool class the weeks before and after the party. Landon blogged about the party in much detail. One of his friends' mom's told me that Landon's friend had a "great time!" When I relayed the message to Landon he said, "I think I had an even better than great time!"

Landon seems like such a big kid now that he's five. He's into big boy toys such as Transformers and complicated Lego kits that he likes putting together on his own. He's also grown long and skinny. The little chubby arms that were still there in his last year's preschool picture are gone. Landon's also quite the reader and will correct me when I make a reading error. But he's still a mommy's boy. He was extra cuddly when he wasn't feeling well and I enjoyed every minute of getting to be the one who takes care of him. He's still my little man! 

After a very unusual late Fall and early winter with no big snows in our area, we FINALLY had a small snowstorm to end 2010. This has made for some fun outdoor play and sledding! We have a great hill in our neighborhood that we spent the weekend at. I was surprised at how brave the kids were. This was Haley's first time sledding and she went down by herself most times just flying down the hill with her light weight. She even tried some small jumps! Landon went right for the jumps other families had created before us, the bigger the better. Guess we should probably take him skiing soon! We're hoping to get him on the slopes a couple of times this winter. We know he'd make his Uncle Ryan (snowboard extraordinaire) proud.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from Christmas time with family and friends!

On December 17th we celebrated the end of the school week and the closing of Jared's deal (that kept him away from us most of the first part of December) with a ride on the Santa Express! The Royal Gorge train was suited up as the Santa Express with holiday music, cookies, hot cocoa, kids in pajamas, elves and a visit from Santa himself! When we reached the North Pole, Santa boarded the train and gave each kid a bell from his sleigh. Both kids got to share their Christmas wishes. Landon told him and the elf that he wanted a Lego police helicopter. We were so proud that Haley got up the courage to shout "a baby doll!" before Santa headed to the next car (despite her wide-eyes, tight-grip on daddy, and initial hesitation). We definitely think this will become a family tradition for years to come! 

For Thanksgiving week, we stayed in a beautiful cabin in Ponca, NE spending time with Grandma and Grandpa Great. We had a relaxing and cozy time doing crafts, playing Chicken foot, eating good food, and visiting. The kids also enjoyed the closet "hide-out" downstairs and a trip to Sioux City to eat lunch at the famous Milwaukee Weiner shop.

What a weekend! Halloween started for us on Friday with parties at school and Luann's house. In the morning,  the kids and I went to my school's parade to check out all the neat costumes and take pictures of my class as they walked by. It's nice being the afternoon teacher so that I can enjoy the parade from the sidelines! The kids both had their parties in the afternoon. Since Landon's at my school I was able to double up with another class during his party so I could sneak over for some fun in preschool. Haley had so much fun at her party that she ended up with a rip in her Minnie Mouse costume! Luckily we had a monkey costume on hand for Halloween day. Saturday the kids had a couple of fun hours playing in a pile of leaves we raked up. They were crazy and I had fun snapping pictures and watching their delight. Jared had a busy work weekend but was able to get home at 6:00 so we could carve our pumpkins and indulge in a pumpkin pizza from Papa Murphy's. Landon had fun designing his own pumpkin face and Daddy made a kitty pumpkin just for Haley. On Halloween day, the kids helped me get ready for our Halloween party. For the third year in a row both of our families have been able to come over for a fun night of chili, cinnamon rolls and trick-or-treating. Jared was working again and I thought it'd be tough to get everything together but Haley and Landon were amazing helpers! We went to the grocery store in the morning and Landon enjoyed crossing everything off my shopping list. When we got home both kids happily helped me prepare the chili. After nice long baths they also both took nice, long naps for me so I could finish getting everything ready. Our house got busy around 4:00 (grandmas, grandpas, cousins and our friends the Zurlienes all came by) and the kids were eager for it to get dark so they could go trick-or-treating. Landon and Haley's cousins were great helpers in the trick-or-treat department and us grown-ups had fun too because it was such a beautiful night. I really delighted in the kids' excitement throughout the weekend. The next day I found out that one of my best friends from from high school, Steph, delivered a healthy baby girl on Halloween day! Now we have another fun reason to celebrate. We are excited to welcome Quinlan Hope Johnson to the world. :) 

Labor Day weekend we headed to the mountains for a fun day in Estes Park! If we forget about the potty accident in the carseat (mommy and daddy forgot to put a pull-up on Haley for naptime) and Landon's whimpering during lunch because the food hurt a sore he had in his mouth, it was a picture-perfect day! We are realizing that we are just at the brink of truly fun-traveling with the kids, where naps, eating, and playing are all pretty easy. Both kids loved the Go-Karts. Haley kept saying "This is going to be fun!" while we were waiting for our turn to head out on the course. Landon and Jared whizzed through miniature golf, while Haley and I took the more scenic approach to our game (she loved the river we had to cross over!). Landon hit his very first hole-in-one! Yea!