Countdown to 2009!

Busy, busy, busy. What else is there to say? It is always a busy time of year - no matter how hard you try to keep it simple. Having 99% of my shopping done by Thanksgiving was a huge help in allowing me to sit back and enjoy. I finally found motivation to wrap my gifts. The tree (and shipping deadlines) helped - a Christmas tree just looks better with gifts underneath it!

On the 20th, I invited Kate over to decorate cookies. I made cookies for Ian's daycare provider, Kristin. She is an important person to us and we wanted to thank her appropriately. I can think of nothing better than delicious Queenie cookies to brighten one's holiday! One batch makes so many cookies that I had to find someone to share them with. Kate was in. Ian went down for a nap so he missed out on the decorating fun, but Ella joined in. They were so yummy - we all had to test a couple to make sure. Quality control was our main concern;)

The next day we took Ian to meet Santa. I was hoping to find a local Santa where we could take our own photo, but no such luck. I wanted to avoid the mall experience but I think we waited to close to Christmas for that. Note to self for next year! We packed up and headed to the mall on Sunday - hoping to beat the church rush. I think we made it just in time. After I got over the sticker shock (ouch!), I was eager to get a snapshot of our little man with Santa. I wasn't sure how he would react, but assumed he would stare at Santa in wonder and try to eat his beard. Bingo! He stopped pulling on Santa's beard long enough to get a cute picture.

Grandpa Conkright arrived on the 23rd. He dropped off the remainder of his gifts and headed over to Jon's for dinner. We were hosting a Christmas Eve dinner so Dad hinted that we should open the larger boxes he dropped off. We were glad we did - we now have seating for 8. A wonderful Christmas already (thanks Dad, Gina, Mom & Bob)! We hit the ground running as soon as we got up Christmas Eve, as we had so much to do before our guests arrived.

Casey started dinner prep right away and Ian really wanted to help.

Dinner was prepped. Ian was napping. Casey and I cranked out the chairs. I love them!

Casey did a fabulous job with dinner. It was delish! Prime rib, sweet potato gratin, mashed potatoes with parsnips, bread, brussel sprouts, grilled broccoli, and for dessert...the ever famous mayonnaise cake. Thanks again, Dad! We had great food and great company. We took a break after dinner so Ian could open a couple of presents. He got a tool kit, truck, some books and an awesome wagon from Uncle Jon and Aunt Heather. We can't wait for strolls to the park in the springtime! And there is room for two...

Ian was wiped out after opening his gifts and ready for bed, eager for visions of sugar-plums to dance in his head! We enjoyed dessert and then opened the rest of our gifts. We exchanged gifts with Dad, Heather and Jon. We got some pretty cool stuff. H&J got us an awesome Sturgeon Bay print! I also got a fabulous apron and utensil holder. I am thinking it should be the focus of our kitchen remodel - I see a red & turquoise theme coming on! We hope everyone else enjoyed their gifts as much as we did.

Christmas Day was so relaxing. Ian woke up around 7ish and we wandered downstairs to open gifts. Ian took a peek out the window, looking for traces of Santa. We opened gifts from Santa and each other. Ian was more into it this morning and found himself surrounded by gifts. He got more books, some clothes, an alphabet train set, blocks, a robot toothbrush holder, a See 'n Say, and money for his college fund. Sweet. He also got a super cool backpack with his name on it from Kristin! After exchanging our family gifts, we called my parents via webcam. It would have been nice to be together, but it was cool that we could still see each other open gifts so many miles apart. Again, we got so many great gifts. It was a good year for the Andrews family. Thanks to everyone for the lovely gifts and cards. We spent the rest of the day picking up the house, relaxing, putting Ian's truck together and taking naps. We went to the Nelson's for dinner and met up with Dad there. He stayed with us Thursday and Friday night before heading home on Saturday AM.

The rest of our weekend has been spent lounging, playing with our new toys, running some errands, eating, napping, watching Ian be cute, etc. It will be a short work week and then we will be back to entertaining. We are planning a New Year's Day dinner with cocktails and an Indian feast. I can't believe it is going to be 2009, where did the year go? Time for some reflection and goals for the new year. Stay tuned...

'Tis The Season

I enjoyed my time on Friday. I got stocking stuffers for Casey, paid a couple of bills, hung out with Maggie and picked up my consignment check. An extra $35 in the pocket this time of year isn't bad! My dad arrived safely on Friday and was able to catch some zzz's before coming to our place for dinner. Ian was excited to see Grandpa, but thrown for a loop at first. It only took him a couple of seconds to warm up to him though.

Saturday morning everyone came over for breakfast. It was a good start to the day. Ian took a nap and when he woke up we headed to the cookie party at Maggie's house. Yum! There were so many cookies to snack on and everyone got to take a box home with them. Trouble for me:) The best surprise of the day were gifts from Amy & Courtney! Courtney is one crafty gal and she made each girl at the party an apron. I love mine and it is exactly what I need to pull off being a fabulous hostess on Christmas Eve. Check it out!

Saturday night we all headed downtown for Longmont Lights. Ian's first parade! It was rather chilly so we only stayed for an hour, but I am glad we did. It reminded me of the hometown parades I enjoyed (and sometimes starred in) as a kid. I think Ian was pretty unphased by most of it, but he did like watching all the lights as they strolled by. We can't wait for next year when Ian can be our candy catcher! We retreated back to our place to warm up and enjoy dinner. We played Battle of the Sexes after dinner. A good time had by all!

We woke up Sunday to a few inches of snow on the ground. It was very cold too - yesterday it was almost 60 degrees and today it barely broke 5! Yikes! Dad hit the road early so we didn't see him before he left. He was hoping to beat the weather. Casey and I ran our errands separately because we didn't want to take Ian out in the cold again. Brr.... It was nice to be at home and relax, gearing up for the work week ahead. I finally found the motivation to wrap gifts. Our tree is out of control and Ian is starting to show more interest in the lights, ornaments and gifts! We told him he could play with the tree, but only if he got in the holiday spirit. He obliged, kinda.

Lastly, today is the Worldwide Candle Lighting for Compassionate Friends. This is a support network for families that have lost children. Every year we light a candle in honor of Casey's best friend, Anton. It has been 15 years since he passed away - we think of him and the Moellenberndt family often. This candle is for you Anton...

20 days left...

Wow! Only 20 days left in the year? Really? I just can't believe it. I have been quite busy - making holiday cards, getting a tree, addressing the cards, trimming the tree, attending holiday parties, etc. This time of year always seems stressful. I am trying to not focus on that piece of it though. I have all my gifts bought, unfortunately the motivation to wrap them and get them shipped is not as easy as the swipe of a credit card! I decided to take tomorrow off from work so I could have a day to myself. I really need that right now. I am considering it a gift to myself:) Perhaps I will find motivation tomorrow...

December 4th was my holiday party at work. Maggie was my partner in crime for planning it. It was great and we got several compliments. We are pretty sure this is the best one yet! Our co-worker, Dan, has a band named Flashback. They performed at the party and did a fabulous job. They are a classic rock band, but did play "Material Girl"...which got me on the dance floor. We held the party at Rembrandt Yard in downtown Boulder (http://www.rembrandtyard.com/) - it is a fabulous venue. Savory Cuisines catered (http://www.savorycuisinescatering.com/) the party and as usual, the food was delish. If you ever need catering in the Boulder area - I highly recommend them!

Ian is doing great. He is getting 2 more top teeth. We noticed it last Saturday - which explained his general fussiness. The return of his cough and runny nose didn't help either. He was a trooper for the most part, except when it was time to nap. Ha! He is moving all about these days. I am amazed by his speed! I am thankful he can crawl - Apesen, not so much. I am finally able to get more things accomplished around the house because he can just follow me. Apesen has been freaking out, however. She does her fair share of taunting him, especially at dinner time. We used to be able to run upstairs to brush our teeth or change an outfit quickly, but he has since mastered the stairs and in a matter of seconds can be at the bathroom door checking out the upstairs scene. We can't believe that we will soon be celebrating his first birthday. The photo session with Moses went well last weekend. Mostly because Moses & Amanda did a great job getting him to smile. We can't wait to see what great shots Moses was able to get. Casey takes most of the pictures in our house, but I was able to capture a cute picture of Ian with Daddy last weekend!

Last Saturday, we got our tree. I think we are finally getting over the sticker shock of Christmas trees in Colorado. It helps that we found a local place that is affordable. If you can consider $50 for a tree affordable. I will always long for the days of cutting down your own. We will have to take Ian to Wisconsin for at least one Christmas in his life so he can have that same experience. We bought our tree at The Flower Bin - one of my favorite places in Longmont (http://www.theflowerbin.net/). I am pretty sure I have mentioned them in a previous post. They are wonderful year-round! We got our tree there last year and were pleased, so knew we had to check them out again. We got another great tree this year! What do you think?

This weekend we have a cookie party at Le Casa de Awesome and learned this morning that Grandpa Conkright will be here for a brief visit. He is on his way to Wyoming now and will stop by to say "hi" on his way back. Rumor has it he has some Christmas gifts to drop off. Maybe that will motivate me to wrap my gifts? Probably not.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are so thankful and blessed this year. Most importantly, I am thankful for this time with my family. We have enjoyed this long holiday weekend celebrating Ian's first Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Casey had to be at work at 5 AM on Thursday to get the pre-game meal out for the football players before their departure for Nebraska ( they lost! loss=no bowl game=Casey home more!) Ian and I watched the Macy's Day parade. I made cranberry salad and egg noodles while he was sleeping. When Casey got home, we headed to the Nelson's for good food and company. In honor of Ian's first Thanksgiving, we figured we should introduce him to the world of meat...his first meat, why Turkey of course! Ian couldn't get enough while Uncle Jon was feeding him. FYI - still a hater on the mashed potatoes. Ian had fun exploring a new place and hangin' with his Uncle Jon. I am thankful to have my brother near me because we still have each other even if we cannot be with our parents. It was a great time, but we had to call it an early night. We were all exhausted!

The only thing getting us up at 3 AM on Black Friday was Ian. Fortunately, he was back in bed a few ounces later and so were we. We had a laid back morning at home. I met my friend, Kate, for a pedicure in the afternoon. We had plans to get a pedicure back in July, but she had to take a rain check since she went into labor. We were finally able to make up for it! It was so nice to hang out with a girlfriend and get pampered.

That night I prepped the hallways and started painting. I have been wanting to add just a dash of color to our hallways for awhile and I finally had the time. It is subtle, but good. I have spent time catching up on a lot of home decor projects this weekend. We are going to update the dining room with new art and such tomorrow. I am excited about the new design. Once we have new dining room chairs, it will look fabulous! There is a lot of decorating that I want to do, but it often drops to the bottom of the priority list so I have enjoyed these past few days to catch up.

We woke up Saturday to snow! Technically, it is not our first snow of the season. But it is the first snow that has lasted past Noon. It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I cannot wait to get our tree next weekend. I really miss living in WI this time of year. I always loved going to chop down our tree and we don't have that tradition here. However, we have found a local family owned business that we like to frequent. The Flower Bin. I love them year round!

Despite the wintry weather, we bundled up and hit Boulder for some last minute Christmas gifts. I am officially done with all of my holiday shopping! I think this is the earliest I have ever been done. Impressive. It helps when you have to ship about half of your gifts across the country - anything to avoid the super long USPS lines!

Tomorrow our friends, Moses & Amanda, are coming over. They have a 6 month old daughter, Emily. Moses is going to be taking some shots of Ian. We are hoping it goes well. We have never been in a photo "shoot" type of situation so it should be interesting. In the meantime, take a peek at our slideshow for some amatuer shots of our peanut!

Life's Little Favorites

Life is crazy. Work is intense. I am knee deep in a payroll conversion - it is consuming my every moment at work - nothing like the financial livelihood of 100 people looming over you. I haven't had time during the day to answer emails and such, so that leads to putting in a few hours each night. Home is intense too. Ian has been out of sorts these last few days. We are taking him to the doctor tomorrow to make sure our unit's systems are functioning correctly. Maybe an ear infection? Not sure. We are hoping not, but I would rather know for sure. He is also teething, so it is hard to know what the real issue is. Poor little man.

Despite life being crazy, I had a precious moment last night. I was getting Ian ready for bed. I grabbed his (i.e. mine) favorite PJ's and struggled to squeeze Ian into them. realized this was going to be the last night he would be able to wear them. Bummer. I could have tossed them into the box of other clothes he has grown out of, but I didn't. I was determined to have him wear my favorite PJ's one more night. Fortunately, he didn't seem phased by his second skin and moved about his room with delight. He also wasn't phased by his Mom getting all sappy over a pair of PJ's. Really? True.


I went to a yard sale a few weeks after I found out I was pregnant. I was drawn there by the magic words "Large selection of baby clothes - like new." I did the typical drive by to see if the sale was worthy (fact: Colorado yard sales could learn a thing or two from Wisconsin yard sales). There were 3 young women selling their baby clothes. Jackpot! I saw these PJ's and instantly fell in love. Before I knew I had an entire box full of baby clothes. Grand total $6.

It was a sweet memory to drift off to for a couple of seconds. It got me thinking though - what makes something a favorite? I have plenty of favorites - mashed potatoes, green, Madonna, shoes, water, fall, carrot cake, rings...I could go on and on. Yet, I rarely stop to think about them. 50 cents is all it took to make me think about my favorites. Take a minute for yourself and think about your favorites. It will bring a smile to your face - just like the picture below!

Introducing...Sofia Aviva!

The newest member of the Berghoff Family

Sofia with her big sister, Elana

Goodbye swollen ankles, Hello sleepless nights...

My dear friend, Michelle, gave birth to a baby girl this morning! I don't have pictures yet, but will post them as soon as I do. In the meantime, dig on the stats below. Congrats to the Berghoff family. We love you and your new bundle of joy!

Sofia Aviva Berghoff

11/6/08

1:00 AM

6 lbs. 7 oz.

19 inches long

Mr. President Elect

As I sit here listening to President Obama's speech, I have goose bumps. I remember saying months ago, "I don't know if our country is ready for an African-American President." Today I have come full circle. The first moment I heard Barack Obama speak, I got goose bumps. I believed him. He gave me hope. He was the change I wanted to believe in. I also wanted to believe in the American people. I wanted to believe that the American people were able to look past the color of one's skin and realize that it doesn't define you - your integrity and character define you. I had heard one too many people utter the words I couldn't believe I was hearing in 2008 and I started having doubts. It surprised me and made me stop to think for a second. Race was never a factor for me and I knew there were others that agreed with me, but were there enough of them? I am proud to be an American in this moment. I am proud that my son will be raised in a world where an African-American will be the President of the United States of America. I am so happy that the American people denounced my thoughts and have restored my faith in them. It is a great feeling. Excitement comes to mind. Excitement for Obama and the adventure that lies ahead of him. Excitement for this country and the change that he will bring to us - good or bad. It is about time for some change. I think that we can all agree on. The challenge that lies ahead is to have faith in his leadership and believe that we, as a people, have the power to make all the difference in this world.

You know what to do...

VOTE!

Today is the day. After days, weeks and months of... surveyors at the grocery store, ads on TV, ads on the radio, stalker messages on our cell phones, e-mails about who is right and why, rallies, more ads on TV, random people knocking on my door to see who I am going to vote for, calls to make sure I got my mail-in ballot, researching amendments, spirited debates, hounding friends to register, SNL, completing mail-in ballot and dropping off the ballot. It will all come to a close today. Now what will I spend my time doing? I guess it depends on who wins!

Happy Halloween!

Grandpa Andrews arrived safe and sound on Wednesday night, but his luggage - not so much. Grandpa was waiting for us (and his luggage) when we arrived home that night. His luggage showed up later. Always a bonus! Grandpa has been enjoying the beautiful Colorado weather and we have enjoyed hanging out with him. He was able to get a couple of golf games in - which he loved. Casey was able to get time off from work and joined him for one of them. Most importantly, Ian is loving his time with Grandpa Andrews.

Friday was Ian's first Halloween! He wore a Halloween outift to daycare - it reads Mummy Loves Me. Maggie gave him the orange/white striped socks. They completed the outfit and he enjoyed "snacking" on them on his drive to daycare. It is the funniest thing...he always has his left sock off in a matter of minutes. That night my brother had a party. We stopped over before the guests showed up so Ian could hang with Uncle Jon and show off his costume. Of course, Uncle Jon was a big fan of our little skeleton. We didn't stay long - just long enough to see a couple trick or treaters and for Ian to use his arm extension to attack the candy bowl (confession: I was way more into than he was). Good thing he isn't able to figure out the wrapper just yet. Ha!

Saturday we headed to Pearl Street. It was an absolutely gorgeous weekend - high 70's and sunny. We had a nice stroll. I was just geeked to be wearing my flip flops in November. Life is good:) We stopped off at Buddha Cafe for lunch and then came home to get ready for another Halloween party. Maggie and her roommates had a party on Saturday night. Ian joined me for an hour or so, then Casey picked him up so I could stay at the party longer. We had a nice time. There were 2 other babies at the party - the boy was a monkey and the little girl was a peacock. Too cute! Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos from the party. I hope to get my hands on a couple this week and I will post them if I do.

Sunday was a lazy day, of sorts. Ian slept until 7:30, but since daylight savings ended it was really 6:30 AM. Silly if you ask me, but that is another post in itself. We all were well rested though and enjoyed a quiet morning together. I ran some errands in the morning while Casey and Doug spent most of the day working on the house. Casey and I are blessed with the skill set of our family members. Someone always leaves having helped us knock at least one thing off our new homeowner check list. Thanks to all! Ian also wants to thank his Grandma Andrews for this super cool ball she made for him.

Arrr Matey!

Ian's Pirate Pumpkin

Melissa's Ghoulish Glitter Pumpkin

Unfortunately, Casey didn't get the chance to carve his pumpkin this year. I still plan on "carving" it at some point so we can make yummy pumpkin seeds:) Ian and I got the chance to decorate our pumpkins, just in time for Grandpa Andrews' visit!

I figured carving Ian's pumpkin was not only unsafe, but next to impossible - with him at least. I saw this cute Mr. Potato Head idea when my Mom was visiting a few weeks ago. When I went back to Target this week I could not find them. I was so bummed! I had really wanted to make a pirate pumpkin for him. I went to Hobby Lobby to get the glitter, glue and wire for my pumpkin and what do I see...ONE Mr. Pirate Potato Head. I was so excited and it was 40% off. It was a done deal at that point. I came home and Ian "helped" me put the Pirate together. He isn't sure what to think about it though.

We're in trouble now!

Saturday we headed to Morrison, CO with Maggie & John. We were intending to check out the Red Bull Soapbox Derby. Unfortunately, we got turned away. We weren't the only ones though. The news reported 25,00o people showed up at Red Rocks for this event and they had to turn away another 25,00o people. We were fortunate to get the word from a local police officer before we parked and headed up the hill. We decided to park and check out downtown Morrison since we were there. We headed to the Morrison Inn for some mexican food and margaritas. Yum!

Once we got home we thought for sure Ian would be ready for a nap since he had only had mini naps all morning. We got home around 3 PM and laid him down in his crib, hoping to sneak in a couple of zzz's ourselves. We heard noises, but nothing unusual. Although when the noises got a little louder and more jovial, we decided to take a peek and this is what we discovered. Oh my! We couldn't believe our eyes.

Happy 9 months, Ian!

It is hard to believe our little man is 9 months old today. It is even harder to believe that he will be a year old in only 3 more months! Where has the time gone? From sleepless nights to getting a full 8 hours. From rolling over onto his back to crawling at light speed across the living room. From a sleeper to little jeans and a sweatshirt. From breastmilk to bananas, green beans, apples...you name it! From Baby Awesome to Mr. Awesome. Everyday is an adventure and we are loving the ride. Here's to you Mr. Awesome - thanks for being the best thing since sliced bread. We love you!

Pumpkins & Packers

Last weekend it was dreery and cold, but this weekend was anything but! It was sunny and in the high 70's. Casey had Sunday off - a rare treat these days. We wanted to take advantage of the great weather so we asked our friends, Kate & Colin, to join us at a local pumpkin patch. I had no idea what we were getting into - there were rides, a petting zoo, bouncers, a corn maze, a train that drove you around the pumpkin patch, and a produce market. It was outrageous! There were photo ops at every corner and young parents doing just that (ourselves included).

We picked out our faves for the year. I was obsessed with getting a white pumpkin this year. I found a cute idea in a magazine and I hope I can pull it off. Stay tuned for the finished product - pumpkin carving is on our list for next weekend! Ian had so much fun taking it all in. There was so much to see & do. I can only imagine how he will react next year. It is hard to believe that Ella & Ian will both be walking next year. Kate & I decided we should make this an annual thing. I am already looking forward to next year!

After the pumpkin patch, we headed to Uncle Jon's for THE football game. The Colts were at Lambeau Field. Ian was a conflicted fan - sporting a GB onesie and Colts pants. Too cute! I swear he said "Go Pack Go" on the way there though. Ha! We had great food and enjoyed a relaxing Sunday afternoon. The Packers won, so it was a good day. Not so much for Uncle Jon though. Ian was so spent by the end of the third quarter and he dozed off on my chest. He makes the cutest noises when he is falling asleep - it sounds something like "doi oi oi, doi doi doi." I think it might be my favorite sound in the world at the moment. Ian got a power nap in, then we headed home to settle in and get ready for the week ahead. Ian had dinner and enjoyed a book before heading to bed. Daddy read him "The Legend of Spookly the Square Pumpkin" - a Halloween gift from his g'rents Conkright. It is a cute story and he really enjoys it. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any Spookly look alikes at the pumpkin patch. I am pretty sure he was on the look out though.

Below are some pics from our weekend - enjoy!

Rocky Mountain Pumpkin Patch

My Handyman

Ian is on the go! He can make progress in a few short minutes, it seems like we are always on alert. I figured it was only a matter of time before he took interest in my plants. He was also intrigued by the glass table they were on. This past weekend we decided action needed to be taken. I love my plants, but I love my little man more:) The time has come to make our living room a bit more kid-friendly. Outlet covers, check. Plants out of reach, check. Let the fun begin!

Casey had Monday off from work, so he built this shelf for my plants in our living room. It is a fabulous alternative! I love being able to enjoy my plants, but not having to say "no" and redirect Ian every few seconds is nice too. The living room is more open now and he is busy exploring every square inch.

Chillin' with the G'rents

Ian's day care provider took her family on vacation to California the beginning of October. Once she told us about it, I rallied the troops. I didn't have to try to hard though - who could resist a day with this little man?

Casey was able to stay at home on Monday. Heather offered to watch him on Tuesday and Wednesday. I worked from home with him on Thursday. It was a treat, but I have to confess it can be challenging. I am more productive in the confines of my office, unfortunately. Thursday night Grandma Jane and Grandpa Bob arrived. Ian wasn't quite sure what was going on when he woke up on Friday, but he got to enjoy a fun-filled day with Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa. That night we had dinner at Uncle Jon's house with Heather's family.

The weekend was pretty low key. Bob's daughter, Ann, and her husband, Tim, stopped by Saturday afternoon for a visit. They live in Breckenridge, but they were on their way to Denver to see a Broncos game on Sunday. It was really nice to see them. Ian spent most of his time entertaining us. He is such a joy! His newest trick is crawling out of his pants...

Sunday night we ate dinner at Pinocchio's in downtown Longmont. Heather & Jon joined us and Casey was able to leave work early to join us as well. It was so nice to have a family dinner. Ian went to day care on Monday while Casey & I went to work. Kristin surprised Ian with a Mickey Mouse souvenir from Disneyland - he loves to chew on his ears and tail. Then, Mom & Bob surprised us by cleaning our house - it was glorious to come home to folded laundry, vaccuumed floors and dinner in the oven! I declared it "best day ever." Mom made my favorite comfort dinner - chicken casserole and mashed potatoes - yummy! Ian tried mashed potatoes for the first time. He was not having it. The only food he has ever spit out. You can observe his dislike below.

Mom & Bob joined me in Boulder for lunch on Tuesday before heading to the airport. We had a great visit and look forward to the next one!

Why I Love College Towns

Casey and I had many conversations before, during and after making the decision to move to Colorado. We talked about other places we could move to - Bloomington, IN and Eugene, OR were strong contenders. The common denominator was a major university. We have even talked about where we might go if we ever leave Colorado and Madison, WI is our top pick. Again with the college town. I have a thing for them - I grew up in one and have always loved the aura of a college town. The energy is amazing and today was just another example.

I am all about this election. I am excited about the history being made, I am interested in the platforms and I am geeked about Obama. Today I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Michelle Obama rally at CU. Awesome! Casey used to work at Farrand Hall and the rally was held at Farrand Field. He was able to stop by and say hello on his way to work while I was waiting in the long lines. That was a nice treat! It was great to see all the young kids there - although I am not sure whether the motivation was the rally or the chance to skip class. I am telling myself the former. Good for them. Whatever their motivation, it is great to see everyone out to support what they believe in.

Score!

I have been on a mission lately. I want a table for our upstairs hallway. Just something simple that can hold a flower arrangment or a plant, a photo or a lamp. Not really sure actually. I needed to get the table before going any further. I was feelin' lucky and there are a couple of flea markets that I drive past on my way home, so we decided to check them out on Saturday. It was like heaven! It brought back fond memories of all the antique shops I had access to when I lived in Wisconsin.

We browsed the flea market looking for little treasures, but mostly a table. It didn't take long before I found just what I was looking for. It was a small table tucked in the corner of a booth and it just caught my eye. I inspected further and realized it was a sewing machine table - complete with foot pedal and instruction booklet. There was a small note saying the sewing machine did work. The best part though - it is only $12. I couldn't believe it. Oh happy day!
Mind you - I don't sew, but I was instantly captivated by this sewing table and had visions of halloween costumes for Ian and window treatments for our home. The truth is I made a pillow in 7th grade and a sweatshirt in 8th grade for my Home Ec class. With the assistance of my aunt, I made a veil for Aris when she got married. That's it. Window treatments are more realistic than halloween costumes, but we'll see. My Mom has made me many wonderful things with her sewing expertise, but I never really picked up on it. I know the concepts of sewing and think I could figure it out, if I only knew how to operate the sewing machine. Ha! My Mom will be here on Thursday and I am hoping she can give me a crash course. Once I figure out how to work it, I want to make covers for our sofa throw pillows. The sofa needs a boost!
We had a fun afternoon at the flea markets. There were so many things I could have splurged on, but I stayed focused on the task at hand. I will save the other goodies for another day. We found an old school desk that I really wanted to get for Ian. I had to pass it up because it was $45, but it was ever so cute. I settled for a picture...
After a fun day of antique shopping, we headed home to get ready for visitors. We invited our friends over who have a 2.5 year old daughter and 6 month old twin boys. Whoa! We had a nice time, but I was exhausted by the time they left. I have no idea what I am in for. I did get some good ideas on childproofing though. I can't imagine having 3 kids under the age of 3. I am sure you just take it in stride or go crazy. We enjoyed hanging out with them though and look forward to getting together every now and then. Once they headed home, it was time to get Ian ready for bed. He is all about the routine - dinner, bath, put on the pj's and a night cap. He moved into his big boy tub this week. He isn't sure how he feels about it yet, but we love it!

Gimme a C!

Ian is SO close to crawling at the moment. We can't believe it. We thought he might crawl last weekend, but he is making us work for this one. Ha! He was up on all fours and grabbing everything in sight. Every time he moved we stared in awe, but alas...nothing. Yesterday was exciting though - he is now in army crawl mode. We are moments away from full blown mobility - which I have to confess has me creeped out just a bit. I am excited for Ian and can't wait for him to be able to explore even more of the world around him, but nervous for us. Every time we go to the doctor he asks if we have gotten down on the ground to crawl around and see what trouble we can get into. "Uhhhh, no." was my exact response I think. Mainly because I have no idea where to start - I feel that I am somewhere in the middle. So, I did some research and stumbled upon a checklist from www.babycenter.com. OK - my first thought was how did I ever make it to 32!! I am 99% sure my parents didn't pay that much attention (no worries 'rents - cool by me). But then I started thinking about it and the guilt sneakily crept in...all of the sudden I was like, "OMG - whatever made me think I was competent enough to be a parent. I am either not doing these things (using the safety strap on the changing table - Ian doesn't even have this option [gasp]) or didn't know they could happen (drowning in the toilet - who knew?). " I calmed myself down and decided to focus. Overall, it is probably a general guideline for those clueless when it comes to childproofing (i.e. Me) but really they could have saved a lot of time if they just would have put "Don't ever leave your child unsupervised. Ever. Period. No questions." So, as I sit here and write this I think to myself - "what needs to be removed from my living room?" I decide to go make dinner and think about it tomorrow. I have one more day, right? I need to let the list sink in:) In the meantime, enjoy my little video below. I took it yesterday evening when we got home. It is pretty cool. If you don't want to hear my silly comments (recommended viewing mode), you can mute your computer.

Hurricane Ike Evacuees

My Dad and stepmom live in Houston, TX - needless to say their lives have been uprooted a bit. My Dad had surgery on 9/11 and was quickly discharged the following day due to the hurricane activities. Fortunately, their home was considered a "safe zone" so they did not have to evacuate. They chose to stay and didn't face much damage. A tree down in the front yard (that they actually wanted to get rid of anyway) and no power was the consequence. Lucky for them...
My Dad got the opportunity for a run to Parachute, CO and he gladly accepted since it would get them out for a couple of days. Dad called last Monday to say they were on their way to Longmont via a stop off in Parachute. They arrived at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, just in time to wish Ian sweet dreams. Jon & Heather stopped by to say hello. It was a short visit because they needed to get some rest. They took in some beautiful mountain drives and a trail with Jon & Heather during the days - Ian and I were able to visit with them at night. On Friday, Casey invited them to Dal Ward for a tour of the kitchen with a complimentary view of Folsom Field and we met up with Heather's parents on Friday evening for a family dinner. They got the news that their power was back, so they headed home on Saturday. Unfortunate circumstances brought them here, but we were thankful for the time.

Below are a couple of pictures of them with Ian. They brought him a Colts Football to practice with and he loves it. Ian showed off his newest trick...being on all fours. Crawling is next on his list! I threw in a couple other favorites I have from this month. Hope you enjoy!

A minute in the mountains...

Casey had this past Friday and Saturday off. I was able to navigate taking Friday off, so we took advantage of the time off together and got a room in Vail. I packed everything Thursday night, so all we had to do was wake up and hit the road on Friday. It was raining and cloudy - ugh! I was initally worried about the roads, since I-70 is notorious for horrible traffic, but despite the snow/rain mixture we made good time.

We stopped off in Georgetown for breakfast. We hit a small cafe on the side of the road - breakfast was mediocre and overpriced, but the people were friendly. The owner had on her Packer sweatshirt and shorts, so we knew we were in good company!

A young couple was there on their way to a wedding. The girl had a Polaroid camera and wanted to test it out, so she asked to take a few pictures of Ian. He was all about it and gave her a lot to work with. Ha! We got a couple of cute Polaroids, which made me happy and reminded me that I need to purchase more Polaroid film before they stop making it at the end of this year. Kinda sad if you think about it.

We hit the road with a full belly and a full tank of gas - taking in all of the beautiful scenery.

We arrived in Vail around Noon. We checked into our room at the Lodge at Vail. It was in the heart of Vail Village. We set up the pack n' play so Ian could take a nap and we rested ourselves. Ian awoke from his nap and the weather cleared enough for us to take a little stroll around the area. There was a sculpture dedicated to all those who had represented Vail in the Olympics, the ski lift that runs year round and a pretty cool playground that Ian would have loved - maybe next year:)

After lunch we headed back to the room to relax. The clouds rolled in and it started to rain a bit again. For a minute, I was concerned that the Oktoberfest was going to get rained out. But in true Colorado fashion, the clouds soon parted and the sun broke out. It was gorgeous once again. We fed Ian and got him bundled up for the chillier weather. He looked so cute in his first pair of shoes and fleece jacket. We browsed the festival - enjoying a couple of beers and sampling some tasty food.
Ian was a trooper and seemed to enjoy himself. It got pretty chilly once the sun went down and it started to rain again, so we headed back to the room. Partying with a baby just isn't the same. Ha! We hung with Ian for a bit, then fed him and got him ready for bed. He was wiped out and went down without a peep. Casey and I weren't far behind. It had been an eventful day for everyone!

Ian slept until 7 AM. We all got up and started our day. We ventured to the town of Edwards. We checked out their farmer's market and enjoyed a lunch at Moe's. I am a sucker for their sweet tea and tomatillo salsa! The farmer's market was nice - we bought some fresh peaches. Yum! We also found a great spice company. They are fresh and organic. I tasted the best cinnamon of my life at their booth. Check them out at http://www.smithandtruslow.com/.

The drive home was fabulous. The sky was clear and bright blue. The mountains looked gorgeous with their snow caps. We had a blast and couldn't believe how well Ian handled the road trip. We love to travel, so we are happy he seems to love it too:) Although it is exhausting - evidenced by this picture of Ian.