Family Date Night

We do these often, maybe three times per month.  Strike out on the town with the kids and sometimes a plan.

I think this was on Saturday, the day before Eldorado Canyon but I could be wrong. 

We went downtown, walked the 16th Street Mall, took a "Storm Trooper Bus" :) and ended up eating at the place Bryan and I went on our first date... this time with a few extra men and a few less Margaritas!

{I had to order a mini Margarita from The Rio, so cute!}

It is kinda crazy to think that since we got married at the ripe old age of 23, all that has come to pass. So many houses and kids and trips and ups and downs. There was an unspoken toast with our "mama and daddy" drinks at the location of our very first date that night. Cheers to many more Family Date Nights!

After dinner it was raining very lightly, but that didn't stop us from dropping in to a cool downtown park we have always seen and wondered about.

{Too cool!}

Yesterday, I was a little sick feeling truth be told. It was weird, felt like maybe the flu but it would completely go away for several hours and then come back (I am NOT pregnant). So, point being the most ambitious thing I did yesterday was to remove all the temporary tattoos the boys plastered all over themselves.

It was a chore...

Anyhow, I am back to 100% today, heading to the rec center to go swimming in just a few minutes.

Thinking I need to start running again... maybe starting this evening.

Just some pictures.

A book that stands the test of time, that even I might need to reread every now and then.  Oh yes, I am so very far from perfect!  I swear whenever we read this with the kids though they are extra good for a couple days and we can refer back to its simple yet resounding messages.

More and more these two are bonded and it is not unusual for me to see them holding hands sharing a piece of fruit in the gazebo in front of our house.  They both love fruit so much!

Maybe this is why childproofing never really worked for us???

No matter the Wii, iPod, iPad, computer, TV... the kids all LOVE the etchasketch and take turns making "masterpieces."

Bryan is using raw local honey (these from Lyons) to manage his mild seasonal allergies.  I always feel a little silly when I mention any health tips or anything like that, not being the least bit qualified outside of myself being a very healthy person (can't even recall last time I had so much as a cold and I am fit as a fiddle and even have LOW cholesterol), but a few things that we do around here that stand out are:

1. We use spinach on everything in place of any other lettuce, like tacos, sandwiches, etc.
2. We don't drink or even buy juice, opting out of those extra calories and sugar.
3. We love Ezekiel bread and all things whole grain and I am even experimenting with new seeds (outside of my usual flax seeds) and bought some Hemp and Chia (yup, like the Chia pet!).  They offer tons of antioxidants and Omega-3 and fiber.
4. We take a daily vitamin (even though I understand it's most likely not necessary) and I love to take one other supplement, right now Mega D3 with vitamin D, resveratrol and red wine extract.
5. We are active!  Kids are outside more than inside.  I clean my own house pretty much non stop all day activity there! 

They are working so hard this Summer!  And playing hard too and being plenty ornery and obnoxious at times.  But they are learning new things nonetheless!

Jumpin' Jordy's Bounce house is so close to our house and is a favorite desperate to get out and burn some little boy energy destination.  They throw themselves against the walls of the jumping castle, pretending a bomb has gone off.  Cracks me up every time. Boys... they are SO odd! :)

Ha!  Another "health tip": sleep.  And lots of it.  The boys go to bed early, even in the Summer, I know I am so mean.  But they need and benefit from the nearly 12 hours per night and I know I certainly benefit from some down time without kids.  Amen.

I may have created a monster :)  Bryan loves thrifting now too and recently found this Polycom projector for under $10, planning to sell it on ebay for a handsome profit!

This milestone really should have its own post, but I am all kinds of helter-skelter these days... so drum roll please... WARREN CAN SWIM!!  So proud as usual of the way he knocks these kinds of milestones out of the park.

Surely, Nolan loves his birthday present from Mama and Daddy.

Surely....

And one last one, just because I can't get enough of this scene, I should have been a teacher.

These are all just cell phone pics, since I have yet to figure out how to capture the candid in-the-moment life type images with my DSLR.  Everyone starts posing when I break that out.  Oh well...

We went to Eldorado Canyon today and hiked the Fowler trail there.  It was perfect.  Perfect weather, not a bug in sight, lots of rock climbers to gawk at, and a happy family of five trudging along enjoying this awesome State that we get to call home.  I have pictures to share from that too... and yes they are just more cell phone pics :)

Super Spry on the Fly for the 4th of July!

Yesterday at about 11am we decided to pack up and head to Boyd Lake State Park for the day. Brace yourself for picture overload of us at the swim beach. I was in absolute nostalgic heaven at a lake like my childhood Summers in Anchorage spent hanging out at Jewell and Sand Lakes.

The boys LOVED it!

[Would you could you eat them at the beach?  Oh yes, Jack loves pickles here and there and everywhere!]

[Nolan was so focused and entranced with his tractor in the sand for HOURS.]

[Warren found a huge piece of driftwood that quickly became a machine gun.]

[Saying "whooosh" for his tractor.]

[Making a sand castle.]

[Mama even handed off the camera to help.]

[Of course we needed a huge mote too!]

[And that mote had to be filled and refilled and refilled throughout the day.]

[What a fun scene etched into my memory bank of my babies' childhoods!]

[And I'm so glad that I occasionally step out from behind the camera to just play...]

[...And watch all the silliness that goes on with these three.]

[Because there is certainly no lack of silliness, right?]

[Oh my I wish I could accurately convey how much fun Nolan had.  It was truly priceless and contageous.]

[Mini Mr. Muscles lugging "three waves of water" to the mote.]

[The original Mr. Muscles, pushing Nolan in the dump truck.]

[And flexing his brawn carrying the bucket.]

[Mama and her sandy, sun-kissed, tired, happy boys!]

We left the house at 11:30am for this last minute impromptu adventure, and I even fed my family a big healthy lunch before heading out so that dinner would be the only meal we ate out.... speaking of which, there is much more to this outing coming in a second post, since this one just about takes the cake for picture overload!

Father's Day Weekend 2011--Part I

We went somewhere really fun yesterday to kick off our Father's Day weekend.

We loaded up in the car with lots of provisions to stay out late.

We had dinner under this fantastic big tree...

...at a quaint restaurant across the street from a house I couldn't help but covet and take pictures of.

Before heading to "the track" and waiting in line for tickets to...

...a place I will share in the next post just as soon as I can.

Gotta do some housework now so we can go swimming at a great outdoor pool we stumbled upon yesterday!

Stay tuned...

He's Back!!!

Big Brother is back in the house!

And our family once again complete!

Or is it? It caught me off guard that one of the first things Warren said once we all got loaded back in the car at the airport was "Mommy, when we get our new baby, Nolan can move into the bedroom with me and Jack, okay?"

Well, I am not pregnant. Another unsuccessful month on that front.

But seriously Roman Lucas or Violet June... whenever you're ready for us, apparently your whole big crazy family is already ready for you!

Warren also got all teary and choked up on the way home just because of being overwhelmed and happy to be home. I on the other hand bawled like a baby when I finally saw him walking off the plane, the last one of course just to build up the suspense and make a basket case out of me. I swear he grew 4 inches in the two weeks he was gone. I already unpacked his luggage and we all are enjoying the gifts he got each one of us. And he is already talking about his next trip to Alaska! He brought back so many new legos that suddenly maybe Jack is up for a similar trip :)

Can't wait to see what the future holds for us on so many fronts!

What we've been up to:

I have been so good about bringing my camera everywhere we go... but unfortunately not so good with actually using it. Alas, they are all cell phone pictures... but here is what we have been doing the last few days...

[installing new screen door on patio door- no more flies coming in while the kids are out playing!]

[bowling with neighbor buddies]

[thrift store shopping for all the school clothes... oh yes, I DO ROCK!]

[also picked up one of my favorite thrift store finds of all times. These desks are so much more spectacular in person. Gonna set up a homework zone in the loft. It is gonna be sweet!]

[oh yes, I already have their outfits for the first day of school. Cute!]

[drove to Estes Park this morning to hang out and also check out the YMCA there for our trip later this Summer. Hoping to rent one of their little cabins for a few nights.]

[Also got this fantastic high chair at my thrift store, which I'll be refinishing and gifting to my good friend for her little daughter.]

[oh and here is what Warren has been up to most recently, in addition to hitting an indoor water park, going on bike rides, and visiting the Alaska Club with Grandma.]

Well, now I'm all caught up here! Jack is going down to Grandma Caryl's house for a few days starting tomorrow so I will only have ONE child. That almost never happens. Doing Supper Solutions this week, mailing and delivering Nolan's birthday invites, and a couple other projects before Warren comes back home on Saturday morning.