Summer 2015

We had one of the best summers ever!!!  We met so many new neighborhood friends in our new home.  I love the area we have moved into.  It's not far at all from our 1st home but there are so many kids on our new block.  Emmett loves playing with everyone!  Our summer was packed with activities, visits from friends/family, trips, and pool time.

We have a neighborhood pool.  There is a kiddie pool and lap pool.  Emmett loved going almost everyday that we were home.  Usually my friend Lisa and her little boy Paxton would join us too.  It was so relaxing and not that crowded most days.  Emmett got used to the water pretty quickly and I think this coming summer he will want to be in the big pool a lot more!  I loved watching him get more comfortable in the water and trying to swim.  My friend Sarah and her two girls would go night swimming with us.  There was never anyone there at night and it was a nice change up!  Can't wait to get back over there this summer.

Before the hot days of summer, we could take morning walks with Emmett's lawn mower.  We would go down the block to visit our old neighbors by the park.  Somedays we would go around the block with his Strider bike.  Our summer started out pretty mild and even kinda chilly sometimes.  I think by August it was pretty warm though and we had to get outside earlier than usual.  

A lot of weeks when Mike was out of town flying,  Emmett and I would have a morning Starbucks date:)  He knows that's mommas favorite coffee!  It's pretty close to our home and I love sitting out on the patio with my little guy enjoying a cup of coffee.  I think Emmett became a fan of it too:)  Decaf for him of course!

Our first outing with my friend Sarah and her girls was to a local putt putt/go cart place. Emmett loved riding the cars and he even tried a bit of golf.  I'm pretty sure the cars were his favorite though.  I knew Sarah and I would be good friend when I saw her jumping into every activity with her girls.  We have so much fun with them and there is no shortage of activity that we will try out!

4th of July started out with a bbq at our house and of course ice cream for dessert!  We all walked up to the golf course to watch the fireworks.  It was a great show and it was pretty neat seeing it up on the hill of the golf course.  I think the kids enjoyed the ice cream best of all though!

We tried out a swimming class at the local rec center.  Emmett loves the water already and the class was mainly to help kids get used to the water.  We will try it out again this winter when there aren't any outdoor pools for us to go to.  He enjoyed swimming with his Dad though.  Mike even looks pretty relaxed in there;) 

My friend MaryJane came into town in July.  We had so much fun with her and we kept so busy with outings.  We took Emmett to the Science Museum in Denver.  He loved this exhibit with the astronauts.  His favorite was the dinosaurs though and he has gotten into dinosaurs even more since then.  I have never walked through the whole museum before and I enjoyed it too.  It was so kid friendly and I can't wait to go back this summer.

MaryJane and I drove up to Cheyenne the next day for Frontier Days.  We took Emmett to his first rodeo while we were there!  He loved it!  I think it lasted for about 3 hours and he sat through the entire show! We finished up the day with a pony ride which he loved too. 

Our last activity at Frontier Days was the Petting Zoo.  Emmett really loved petting and feeding so many different animals.  It was a great day!  We even went back the next week with Mike, his mom, Sarah, and her girls.  I can't wait to go again this summer.

A lot of Friday and Saturday nights were spent having movie nights with Sarah, Reese, and Skylar.  The basement became a theater room for the night!  We would break out pizza, ice cream, popcorn, the works!  Can you tell from the smiles on all their faces that they were on a sugar high:)

Emmett and I love going to Mike's soccer games in Boulder.  Emmett loves watching Mike play and as you can see he loves going out on the field.  He usually kicks a soccer ball around with some of the other kiddos on the sidelines.  It's pretty fun watching him try to imitate Mike.  I think he's ready to start playing!

Emmett and I cheering Mike along on the sidelines.

Mike and I have been going to Beaver Creek almost every year on our anniversary.  We took Emmett with us last year and lets just say it wasn't exactly relaxing;)  This year Pam and Bill came out and babysat Emmett so we could enjoy a weekend there sans kiddo.  They are the best in-laws!!!  We usually stay at the Hyatt resort which is amazing!  It's pretty crazy up there with a lot of people, weddings, families on vacation, etc.  This year we stayed about a block away at a more private condo resort connected to the Hyatt though.  We loved it!  It was so quiet and we practically had a private hot tub  and pool which was wonderful!  We enjoyed some great dinners around town.  We woke up one morning and did an 8 mile hike up the ski hill and around a lake.  It was so beautiful and nice to get out on a hike.  We used to hike all the time before we had Emmett and I would love to get back into it again.  After our hike, we toasted our anniversary with champagne and appetizers at the bottom of the ski hill.  That night we roasted marshmallows at the huge fire pits set up by the resort and walked around the town.  It was an absolutely wonderful anniversary!

Just a typical summer night with the kiddos enjoying ice cream out on our deck.  I can't wait for Summer 2016!

Emmett had his first trip to the dentist in July!  He was such a champ!  He did great and got through and entire cleaning.  I wasn't sure how it would go but he did better than I expected.  He has his second visit coming up this week.  I hope it goes as well as the last one!

One of our outdoor malls nearby has a train that goes around the area.  We only went once this past summer but I think we need to go a few more times this upcoming summer.  Emmett loved it!

We went on a few trips over the summer that were great!  I posted already about going to Jackson Hole which was amazing!  We rounded out the summer by heading to the lake over Labor Day.  It was beautiful weather and we enjoyed spending time with family, going on boat rides, and of course lots of swimming.  I'd say we had an amazing summer!  Can't wait to see what this summer has in store for us:)

2015!

Where did 2015 go?!  I can't believe I missed out posting photos from the Summer, Fall, and Holidays!!!  I don't even have a good excuse:(  I've been meaning to post photos of our new home and have not gotten around to that either.  I'm going to start with photos from the summer and catch my way up to the New Year!

Wyoming Vacation

We took a road trip to Lander, Wyoming and Jackson Hole, Wyoming at the end of June.  My cousin Lane was having a graduation party and then we joined my family in Jackson.  It was so much fun!  Emmett loved being around all of his family and exploring Wyoming:)  I didn't get any pictures while we were in Lander unfortunately:(  My camera card wasn't working but I did find a card for Jackson.

My Aunt Jane, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Beth, Uncle Dennis, and Grandpa met us in Lander to see my Uncle Clark, Aunt Tammy, Lane, and Will.  We went to the local park where Emmett sat on the swing with his Great Grandpa. We all explored Sink's Canyon and fed the huge Trout at the bottom of the river.  Everyone met up for dinner parties every night in honor of Lane.  It was a great weekend in Lander!

We joined Aunt Beth, Uncle Dennis, and Grandpa in Jackson for a few days.  Aunt Tammy and Uncle Clark came up for a few days too!  Mike and I stayed right in the downtown area so we could explore the shops and restaurants everyday.  It was so relaxing.  We drove up to ski town and took the gondola to the top of the mountain.

Turning Two

Emmett turned two on May 1st!  It has been such a wonderful two years.  I have been thinking over these past two years of my favorite memory with Emmett.  There are so many! We have had such a fun and busy couple of years!  Emmett has been on so many plane rides and adventures, I can't even begin to count.  I think my favorite memory has to be all of the wonderful trips we have been on with this little guy.  We have been to California, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Illinois, Atlanta, Minnesota, and several mountain trips.  Our first vacation was to Salida and then we went to Steamboat Springs.  What a ride it has been!  I loved seeing him experience the ocean for the first time in California.  The first time he pointed at the mountains and said "mountain!" with so much enthusiasm was so sweet.  His first boat ride at Grand Lake in Oklahoma is a memory that is forever engrained in my mind:).  He loved riding in the tractors and combine with my Dad on the farm for the first time.  It was so special to see him experience a part of my upbringing.  These are the memories that I love to look back on and think about.  Emmett is such a sweet blessing.  I am so grateful God has brought him into my life.  He is a wonderful little man and I can't wait to see what the future holds for him!

-Loves anything with wheels!  Trucks, cars, tractors, trains, are his absolute favorite.  He can't get enough of vehicles!
-Has started riding a training bike and is starting to get the hang of it.
-The neighborhood pool with his friend Paxton is a favorite afternoon activity.
-He loves his play lawn mower and is really into imitating his Dada
-Emmett is jumping off of everything and anything
-He loves kicking the soccer ball, shooting the basketball, and pretty much anything that invokes activity

Wild West Extravaganza

Emmett turned two on May 1st.  I can't believe how fast these two years have flown by!  I was looking back at baby pictures the other day and it goes by so fast.  We have gone on so many adventures and had so much fun with this big two year old.  I can't imagine what life was like before him:)

We had a big party again this year for Emmett with friends and family. It was so much fun!  My sister, bro in law, and nephew came from Minneapolis.  My Mom flew in from IL and Mike's parents came in from Tulsa.  There were lots of family and friends that all came to celebrate from the Denver area too.  It was a blast!  I decorated the dining room and kitchen in Wild West theme and had cowboy hats and vests for the kids to wear. The little boys ended up making a fishing hole out of our pond in the backyard, pretty funny;)  I love doing theme parties!  Ever since I was a little girl I enjoyed planning them out.  I think I missed my calling as an event planner!

I found a lot of the ideas on Pinterest on how to decorate for the party.  Between Party City, Dollar Store, and Hobby Lobby I found all the materials

I had this vintage Coca Cola bin from when I was a kid.  I put cowboy hats, vests, and sheriff badges in the bin.  These were the party favors the boys could take home after the party.

The vests were a bit big so we had to duct tape them on:)

I love balloon bouquets!!!! I painted flower pots and added on bows with gift packaging inside.  I just love the cow balloons!  They added some flair!

The kitchen was made into a wild west feeding area!  We had homemade chili, hot dogs, and cornbread.  

I painted jars and had flowers in them throughout the house.

The flowers added a bit more of the West theme to the party

The bucking Bronco area

Everyone had a turn on the Bronco!

My friend's little boy just loved sweet Hannah!

Dada and his boy opening presents!

The boys got in on the gift opening too!

The tool table was a hit.  The little boys started swarming at this point:)

My friend Lisa helping Emmett put on his bicycle helmet

We are so thankful for everyone that came to help us celebrate!  It was also a bit sentimental because it was our last party in this home.  We moved to a new house several weeks after the party.  It was a great last shindig!