mine...they are MINE...how cool is that?

Had a great weekend with the fam.  Jeff had to work Saturday, so the kids and I got our act together and made it to a bday party at 11am.  Always up for a celebration!

Griff's newest thing is to say, mom take a picture of me like this...then he'll make a funny face with his tongue sticking out or something.  Every once in a while, I'll get a shot like this :-)

Saturday afternoon was GORGEOUS!  I can tell you this, the sidewalk missed us.  It's been a long, cold few months of no bare feet activity.  So...we followed the sun to just outside our front door.  Look at those feet, those are some happy feet if you ask me.  We realized in the long cold months...HE GREW!!  As soon as Daddy got home, they did operation seat lift!! 

Even Ailee got out.  It was exactly a porch swing, but we did bring her baby swing outside.  She loved kicking those piggies in the sun :-)

OKAY, stop the MADNESS!!  Are you dyin' over this suit?  I never thought I had it in me to put my baby girl in such a ridiculous looking bathing suit.  I say, just have one and you do things you never thought possible.  I think the suit is perfect for a new "first."  Sunday...off the live up the last of the sun for a few days.  We love OURAY!  and now so does our little Soul Sister.

Don't you just love what chlorine does to those eyes...okay maybe it's just the blue behind her...

Griffin has turned into a little fish...well at least the jumping kind.  Swimming lessons to come, I'm hoping in the next few months.

Just bustin' a few moves while the sun dips behind the mountains for the day...

Just wait one day and this is what you get.  We love it all, sun and snow! 

Experiment 52, #4

Oh my word, I can't get enought of these LEGS!!!  Baby leg warmers :-) my heart is melting.  These grey leggings/tights...have you ever seen such a site in your life?  Soul Sister, you wear them so well!!  More to come, of that I'm sure...ahhh life is good.

3 years and 20 days...

Griffin,

After picking you up tonight from Grace Kids, Mr. Miles looked at me with the most honest look and said, "what a great kids that is, and he's so smart."  I'm pretty sure my eyes opened wider and my heart suddenly grew a smidge.  You really are!  You are learning by the day, by the hour...I love when you tell me what letter a word starts with, what their sound is and how you can play with your motorcycles for hours on end without tiring...now only if Mama could follow suite. 

I woke up and you turned 3, how is that possible?  Over the past few days we've been watching videos of you around 18 months, which you love, and it's hard for me to even remember you at that age.  You take my heart and make me into something else.  Did you know, all I ever wanted to be was a Mama?  You made that possible.  BTW, you are far beyond what I ever imagined.  You have your Daddy and I constantly laughing and looking at each other with a look of, did you teach him that?  You know the thing I most admire about you?  Your love for Ailee.  It touches my heart in ways you'll never know.  From the moment you saw her you have been giving her kisses and lovin' on her.  Oh, Lord, may that never end.  Your Mama is ever so proud of you.

Making dinner together in most definitely, at the moment, one of my favorite times with you.  You pretend to read the recipe and tell how much of a certain ingredient we need.  You are always up for any cooking.  I love how you get things out of the fridge for us, checking them off our list.  

Here's to documenting my kiddos lives in 2011.  Bring it :-)



He wants to do it again...

...and that's all that matters when you are 3! 

First day of skiing, Telluride!

 To be honest, the morning was a bit of  a mess...more melt-downs then I want to discuss, a need to pee after we start, and a desire to snack more then ski...BUT...

TGI(L)UNCH.

Once we got back at it after lunch, oh wait while there we did have a WHOLE hot chocolate spill on a guys coat that we don't know, things turned a corner.  There was laughing, and jumping and asking to go more and stay longer.  He even did a TP7 (travis p's trick off a jump on the bunny slope ;-)

He attempted to turn around cones and love the magic carpet.  All in all = great day!

What a joy to share something I love with him.  Looking forward to many more days together on the mountain.

Griff, Madal, & Hannah

High 5 with mittens

Big guy!

taking one of many breaks.  As you know, Griffin loves to take DIGGERS.  He loved to fall, I'm just hoping Madal doesn't pick up on that love.  I don't think her mom would be very happy.  Sorry Christine :-)

Last run of the day.  Great job, buddy

EXHAUSTED...he managed to smile here, but was out in seconds.  Most tired I've even seen him.  Slept the whole way home with his mouth open. 

Experiement 52...#3

Sister Sass, as we lovingly call the little lady, is working on sitting up.  She's doing great, but if you happen to enter our house and see pillows strategically places ALL over the floor you will know why.  Oh, and FYI, this is the first time in her tutu!  It melts my heart.  May she always feel secure in who she is.  Our most recent prayer is that she "will know the Truth and the Truth will set {HER} free."  Can I get an AMEN??

Experiment 52 #2

why did I not know this...

Okay, I had an epiphany...it's small, but it has changed my life.  Over the holidays, I visited a few (specifically 2 houses) friends and their houses were ridiculously organized.  I honestly felt like a hoarder after leaving their homes.  Upon arriving home, I thought to myself why can't I keep my house like theirs?  It was really getting to me.  So as usually I started my A.D.D. picking up...you know the kind: I was putting away the dishes and Ailee's pacifiers needed to go to her room, so off i went to put them away.  BUT while in there I saw she had clothes on her floor, so what did I do, I took them to the laundry room.  Then without thinking, I started a load of laundry, checked Griff's room for any clothes and realized we hadn't made his bed, so I did that...you get the picture.  With this method, no piles get addressed, and if you know me, you know I have PILES!  A serious downfall.  My conclusion: my method isn't working- try something new.  So I did.  I forced, and I mean FORCED myself to stay in one room at a time.  I honestly caught myself like 3 times that first day and had to literally put down what I was doing and go back to the original location.  I say, if you were like me, just give it a try for TWO days and see how it goes.  My piles are being addressed, those few things sitting on the counter for 2 months, okay more like 5 months, are now gone and put away.  My spaces are now actually getting cleaned, you know with cleaning products, not just being picked up.  Here's to an orderly, cleaned, peaceful 2011 home!

Yep, he's 3!

 Before I get into the craziness that was his birthday, I had to look back on a few birthdays from the past :-)

12 days old...(close to birth)

1st Bday

2nd Bday

and TA DA...the big 3!

This year Griff insisted that he have a motorcycle party with a motorcycle birthday cake...so Jenn pulled through for us big on this one.  He had a great time and LOVED having his friends over.  And, come on, he was SUPER excited about all those presents.  This was a big deal cause last year we only had a family party.  Enjoy the craziness that was the motorcycle party...

Experiment 52...#1

Christmas...