Sunday, December 07, 2008

Birthdays and Snowdays

Look who turned 7! This little girl spent her 7th birthday at It'z with the family and will have a birthday gathering later in the week with some friend from school.

Here are the girls enjoying the first substantial snowfall of the season. I don't know how they got so cute.

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Monday, October 06, 2008

Sorry for the delay...

School has started and we left the gate running!

Emily was immediately busy with Cross Country and has been taking 5 hours of dance per week. She also maintains a busy social calendar, keeps up her grades and talks on the phone all the time.



Reese is enjoying the 4th grade and has gone back to gymnastics. She also managed to talk her parents into letting her have a kitten. Her new cat's name is Willow and he is causing Scat Cat a whole lotta grief. Reese joined the running club through her school and did very well at each of the three races for this season.



Noelle started First Grade this year and did not cry once! She also started gymnastics and joined Running Club. She wasn't impressed at first, but now cannot wait until Spring when they do the track series. She has also lost her two front teeth and sounds really cute with her lisp.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

We're Still Here...

No, we didn't go into hiding or drop off the face of the Earth. In fact, it feels as if we have been driving all over the face of the Earth.

After the pool party, we spent a couple of weeks just hanging out by the pool and having a good time. Usually, I curtail the girls' activities, but Emily is hoping to make pointe shoes soon, so she took a two week intensive with Nikoloz Makhateli and then continued with twice-weekly classes.

We went camping for the 4th of July near Breckinridge, so that Jeff and his friends could compete in the Firecracker 50. Jeff did finish the race this year, but he did so injured. Coming around a tight corner, he endo-ed and hurt his shoulder, bruised his ribs and suffered some cuts and scrapes. I wish I had pictures to document the trip, but I managed to leave the camera safe and sound at home.

On July 12th, I packed the girls and Aunt Judy into the car for a trip to Florida. We were met in Kansas City by my brother-in-law, Steve, and his daughter, Hannah. Hannah continued on to Florida with us for some cousin bonding. Luckily, she has many siblings, so she was used to the elevated noise level. Jeff met us in Florida and was able to visit with his family and go snorkeling on Shell Island with us. We were extremely fortunate to meet up with our former neighbors at Shell Island. They moved last summer and we have missed them tremendously. Aunt Judy and Jeff traded modes of transportation, so he and I were able to take turns driving on the 24 hour ride home.

While in Colorado, I took the girls up Pikes Peak. Sometimes, it's nice to play tourist in your own backyard. I was thrown to the wolves when it came to mountain driving, as Jeff was not able to join us for the jaunt. That whole work thing got in the way.

We stayed in Colorado for only 5 days when it was time to pack up the truck again and head to Minnesota. Hannah needed to get home and I had some parents and a brother to visit. Hannah was hoping for a new baby sister for her birthday, but Josie Ann wanted her own birthday.

While in Minnesota, we went fishing and just hung out. We were able to see my brother and meet his girlfriend and her two adorable children. The weather was actually comfortable while were there and nothing like the 90-100 degree days that the Colorado Springs and Denver areas were experiencing. On our way back home, we stopped at Trader Joe's and the Mall of America. While the girls and I were in Minnesota, Jeff did another race-the Laramie Enduro. He suffered some road rash with this race, also. It may not seem like it, but he really can ride his bike.

On our way back home, we stopped in Cheyenne and had a lovely visit with the Ramsays.

But, the kids and I missed Jeff and our own beds. So, I shoe horned the kids into the truck one last time (when you only get to go to Trader Joe's a few times a year, you make sure to buy the place out) and we arrived home late Sunday night.

I am now in the process of trying to sort through my house and get ready for back-to-school activites. It's amazing how summer feels like it will never get here, and then in the blink of an eye, it's gone.

Enjoy these pictures from our summer of fun.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Belated Birthday Party

Yesterday, we held a belated birthday party for Emily and Reese. Emily didn't get a birthday party because we were in the midst of finishing the basement and then she went to Florida with Judy. Reese didn't get a party because we went camping and it didn't seem fair that she would get to have a party when we hadn't done one for Emily. So, we decided to wait until summer and have a pool party, which they readily agreed was a good idea. The cakes are my own creation and the girls loved them. Although stressful, it was well worth it.


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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Jeff's Father's Day Gift

One of Jeff's friends suggested that as their Father's Day gift, they go on an "epic" mountain bike ride. Now, in order to understand just what epic means, you need to know this friend who suggested it. He is in top physical shape, rides every chance he can get, goes to spin class at least twice a week, and LOVES to climb. He is also the nicest man you will ever meet and never makes you feel like you are holding him back. Case in point-the first time we had any interaction with him was on a camping trip where I was 6 months pregnant and our group decided to go on a hike. We were high in the mountains of Pagosa Springs during thunderstorm season and our group of 6 families (with 13 children aged 6 and under) didn't leave until after lunch. Now, I found this hike in a guide book and didn't really calculate the miles or terrain. This trail was to follow a gurgling creek and lead us to a waterfall. Well, most of us made it to the waterfall-4 miles later. Yes, that meant 8 miles of hiking with small children and we were ill equipped. No rain gear and improper foot wear. The children were not happy. I was also getting annoyed when it seemed that everyone who saw me asked if I was ok, but after seeing pictures of myself from that trip, they had probably thought I lost my mind. I was HUGE and hiking on a kind of dangerous trail. Anyway, I digress-Stu was a lot faster than most of us and therefore he made it back to the trail head with his family long before the rest of us. He was concerned and walked down the trail to check on our progress. He then did something that we still talk about to this day. Stu would grab a kid, sit them on his shoulders and then run them back up to the trail head. As if this were not amazing enough, he would come back and do it again and again until we all made it back. Amazing. So, there is a little background on Stu and how the connotation of the word "epic" applies to a bike ride.

So, knowing that Jeff would be on a bike ride, one of his Father's Day gifts was a new jersey. I wanted to make sure I got a picture of it before it became a torn mess. I also needed a picture in the event Jeff fell off the mountain side and I needed to put up posters.


I waved him off as he rode away in the early morning sun. He was a little nervous but he looked good in his new jersey. I turned around with coffee cup in hand thinking that I needed to charge my cell phone, just in case I had an emergency room call later that afternoon.
This is where my part of the story ends. I took the kids to the pool and spent the rest of the day fighting off damaging UV rays. I read a book, got up and stretched, contemplated making a Starbucks run, thought against it and mediated a few arguments. Jeff text-ed me later to say that he made it back and I told him to come down to the pool and hang out with us. When he showed up, he proudly explained to me how he had donated blood to the trail gods, but that he was in otherwise good shape. He did have one harrowing story of how he came around a corner, misjudged the edge of the trail and took a tumble. He managed to jump off his bike, which was good, because his bike kept going. Stu, being the friend that he is, came back to look for Jeff and they then had to form a human ladder to retrieve Jeff's bike. Why they don't think to take pictures of things like that, I will never know.
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Saturday, May 31, 2008

Memorial Weekend

We spent Memorial Day weekend camping with some friends. The weekend was very eventful and had we not been seasoned campers, it probably would have cured us of any future camping bug urges.

We were only camped about 45 minutes away from home, which worked out well, because Jeff had an appointment on Friday night. He set us up, kissed up good night and promised to be back in the morning with Starbucks in hand.

That night was bitterly cold as we settled into our sleeping bags. Noelle's body temperature rises dramatically during the night, so I chose to let her sleep with me to take advantage of that furnace effect. At about 2 a.m., said child woke up crying and delirious. She then proceeded to vomit all over our main source of warmth and comfort against the bitter chill of the night. After cleaning her up and salvaging some comforters and pillows, I converted the dinette into a bed so that we could try to get a little more rest. Noelle would wake up periodically to cry and throw up. As seasoned pukers know, after a while, there is nothing more to throw up and then it becomes the dreaded "dry heaves". As we do not have adequate toilet facilities in our camper, and in order to allow other people to sleep, I had to take her outside while her body tried to wretch up its stomach.

Finally, at about 4:30 a.m., I realized that the fan to the heater was blowing, but there was no heat coming out. I could hear the furnace trying to ignite, but it was to no avail. The propane tank had run out. Jeff did tell me that he thought it was running low, but that we should be ok for the night. If my early morning hours were any indication of my luck...

Now, I was told how to change the propane tank, and having changed a few on the grill, I knew I could handle it. The only problem was, the full tank did not get taken out of the storage area while unpacking and that storage area was directly under my other two sleeping angels and a guest from another family. Since they were completely oblivious to the camper door opening and closing and all of the other ruckus I had made trying to get Noelle and myself resettled during the night, I chose to let them sleep and figured that we would cuddle under the blankets and ride it out. But that fan kept blowing and making so much noise that I could not handle it, knowing that warmth was not near. The thought came to mind that I could just turn the furnace off because no air blowing was better than cold air blowing. Now, when Jeff was explaining the complexities of the furnace to me, he mentioned that the little on/off switch on the thermostat required a lot of force to move and he would not be surprised if it broke one day. Do you see where this story is headed?

Now, what do I do? I can't turn it off and I am freezing! So I pulled and scraped and cussed to get the new tank out of the storage area. After completing that task and making sure that Noelle was not on the edge of trying to puke her intestines up, I then proceeded to try to take the cover off the empty propane tank. Realizing that this would require a screwdriver, I located the toolbox and opened it. However, Jeff did not warn me that it was booby trapped and I opened it on the wrong side. Half of the tools spilled out onto the ground and was followed by the most un-ladylike words orated by myself. I managed to take off the cover in what seemed like 30 minutes and changed out the tank. I haphazardly put the toolbox together, with the intention of doing it correctly after I had had some sleep and did not feel like screaming like a banshee.

I stepped into the camper waiting to hear the glorious sound of the furnace igniting and ready to feel the warm blast of bliss. But, alas, I was to be denied any comforts. The fan was still running and there was no warmth. Why? Why? By this time, I realized that the outside air was warmer than the air in the camper, but I had small children still sleeping and I could not let them suffer. I sent a curt text message to Jeff asking him to call me as soon as possible.
My wonderful husband called me and listened patiently while I moaned and complained about my horrendous night. He explained how to disconnect the battery so that the fan would shut off and then he showed up two hours later with hot coffee and a new thermostat. He hypothesized that the battery power was low and did not have enough oomph to light the furnace. Ugh. Good thing he has a charger and we would not be without heat for the subsequent nights.
I promptly went on a run and when I returned, my dear sweet husband had removed the offending bedding, cleaned up my mishap with the toolbox and was scrubbing the mattress clean of regurgitated matter.
We had a relaxing day and Jeff enjoyed a long mountain bike ride with his friends. After dinner, I was going to bed early and Jeff was going to fix the thermostat. While I was reading in bed, Jeff was on the floor of the camper, trying to remove the old thermostat. I heard an expletive and Jeff immediately went outside and very calmly called for a friend of ours, who happens to be a doctor, to help him. I could hear them talking and Jeff remarked that he was feeling a little dizzy. I got up to check on him and found Jeff with his hand above his head and wrapped in a bandage. That is when they explained that the screwdriver Jeff was using slipped and he managed to stab himself in the meaty part of his hand near his thumb. It did not go all the way through, but it was painful and immediately started to swell. Now, this doctor friend of ours is an OB/GYN and since Jeff's problem could not be solved with a pap smear, he recommended that Jeff head to the ER to get a tetanus shot (for which he was long overdue) and some antibiotics.
The next day, Jeff's hand was still swollen, but he managed to put it in a cycling glove and ride with his friends. We wondered what else could go wrong, but felt that we could handle anything. Noelle wasn't feeling well again, and she was up most of the night with gastrointestinal pains. By this time we had had hardly any sleep the whole weekend and when morning came, we just wanted to go home. We packed up and drove home to hot showers and Jeff promptly took a nap on the sofa. I took the kids to see the new Indiana Jones movie and when we returned, it was to find out that Jeff was battling the same internal turmoil that plagued Noelle two nights prior.
It was certainly a Memorial Day to remember.

Reese was not in a picture taking mood. Good thing I like ALL of her facial expressions.

Contemplating the meaning of life...or just what was in the water.
Emily at the campfire.

Noelle-smiling even after she no longer had any stomach bile.
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Sunday, May 11, 2008

Sand Dunes Camping 2008

Happy Mother's Day to everyone who is a mother or a mother figure in our lives!
We just got back from our yearly Sand Dunes camping trip. Although the weather was better than the last time we were there, we still did encounter wind and some cold temperatures. I do have more pictures coming, as I did not get any pictures while we were on the dunes, but a friend did and she will be sending them soon.


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Tuesday, April 08, 2008

MN trip-March 2008


For Spring Break, instead of basking in the sun on a sandy white beach, we bundled up and headed to the Great White North to see Joanne and Michael who were on leave from Iraq and the clan of the Minnesota Mulders.

We arrived in the late evening before Easter and then feasted the next day on Korean delights and a more traditional ham dinner. All of Jeff's siblings were able to be there, so it was quite a full house. The kids rarely get to see each other in that kind of setting, so it was a huge event.

Later in the week, we drove down to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area to stay and play at the Waterpark of America and visit Trader Joe's. (Paul, I have goodies for you!) Josh, Ben and Hannah were able to join us, so I made sure to take pictures as all of the grandkids together is an extra special treat!

Here is a link to some pictures of the good time we had. Enjoy!
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Monday, March 17, 2008

Updates

So, not only did our basement get structurally finished, but Emily celebrated a birthday! The little punk turned 13!

She had the extreme pleasure of flying to Florida with Aunt Judy to commemorate Emily and Grandma Mulder's shared birthday. She had so much fun visiting and playing with the cousins. Grandpa Mulder even had Emily working by collecting eggs and baking bread.

And, when I think about it, I will post a picture of the most awesome rolling pin that Grandma and Grandpa gave her for her birthday. It is a beautiful, full-sized maple rolling pin that I have been forbidden to touch. I will be expecting some pies soon with treatment like that.

More to come...

Did You Think I Forgot?

No, our basement project did not get stalled, but life got in the way. I have been so busy with school stuff and dealing with the contractors, that I did not have time to post any pictures. We are not finished by any means. We still need to put furniture in the guest room and Jeff's office needs to be put together so that he can comfortably work from home.
Photobucket Here is Noelle enjoying electronic entertainment.

Photobucket The exercise area.

Photobucket Long view of the room.

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Down the hallway.

Photobucket The bathroom. I am still looking for a mirror.

Photobucket Another view of the bathroom.

Photobucket Jeff's soon-to-be office.

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The ample sized closet in Jeff's office.

Photobucket Bar area.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Basement Finish-Days 17 and 18

We have color on the walls! I really love the wall color, but am not really hot on the trim. I think that it might have more to do with the semi-gloss finish, but somehow, it just doesn't seem like the sample. Perhaps when the floor is done it will take on a different hue.

On Monday, concrete staining begins!

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Wednesday, February 20, 2008

We knew it was coming...

Considering that Jeff and I are both blind without our spectacles and Emily is already in contacts, we knew that it was only a matter of time before Reese and Noelle would follow suit. Well, within about 2 weeks of each other, they BOTH needed glasses.

Noelle needs her glasses all the time because the poor kid was testing at 20/100! How she managed all this time, I don't know.
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Reese has reading glasses, so she chose a pair that was a little more funkier.
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Basement Finish-Days 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16

I apologize for not keeping up with the pictures. We have been crazy busy and I missed a few days. After the drywall went up, the surfaces were taped, mudded and textured. The doors are up and trimmed out. Tomorrow, the painters will be here and that process will take a couple of days. As it stands, the floor staining will start on Monday. Yippee!

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Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Basement Finish-Day 11

The drywallers were here today and managed to get all of the sheetrock up. I assume that they will be here tomorrow to start the taping and mudding. We're getting there!
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This is the kitchenette area and the doorway to the spare room.

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Looking from the TV area to the other side of the room.

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Looking from the spare room to the TV area.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Basement Finish-Day 10

Not much happened last week. One day was spent having various inspectors come through to sign off on the framing, electrical and plumbing. After that, insulation went in. Today, they dropped off the drywall and will start work tomorrow. Yippee!!

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