Adventures with Jackson and Aspen

Birthday weekend!

2012-01-08T20:25:00.003-07:00

I've had a good birthday. Jack decided to get up at about 4am this morning, but my lovely husband got up with him so that I could stay in bed...what a great birthday present! He and Jack also got me some lovely paintings for the walls in the basement. Plus, yesterday he took Jack with him on errands so that I could have some time to myself. I got cleaned the whole house (it seemed so easy with no baby in tow!) and then spent some time in my new craft room, which I totally love. Here are some pictures:

Of course, I love the rest of the house too. I'd say we are about 90% unpacked. Mike's still working on the office, and we have a few more odds and ends, plus curtains and things like that to take care of. I will post pictures of the other rooms on here tomorrow or the next day.

One funny story from today. On the way home from grocery shopping, I treated myself to an ice cream cone (Oregon Blackberry, yum!). So we get home, and I am trying to bring Jackson and several bags into the house, plus I still have the ice cream cone. I had Jackson on my hip, the cone in one hand, and three or four bags in the other hand, trying to get all these things into the house. I was struggling to get the door open to go in, when I looked up only to realize Jack had discovered and was helping himself to the ice cream cone. He was leaning over in my arms to get at it and had half the cone shoved into his mouth, with ice cream dripping down his face. I hadn't given it to him at all--he go it all by himself! Daddy just stood there and laughed at us! So, Jack got to eat the rest of the ice cream cone. It might be his new favorite food!

Scenes from Christmas

2011-12-27T19:53:00.007-07:00

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T08:50:00.003-07:00

We haven't opened all our presents yet, but Jack decided to open the first present--it wasn't addressed to him, but he didn't mind. Then, we let the girls and Jack open their surprise balls from Grandma. Now, we are waiting for Jack to get up from a nap so we can continue with Christmas.

Pictures with Santa

2011-12-23T09:56:00.003-07:00

We took Jack and the girls for a visit with Santa on Wednesday. Everyone was sure that Jack would cry, but he surprised us all by taking it all in stride. I think his Aunt Kami was a little upset that he cried the first time she held him, but the big guy in the red velvet suit didn't warrant a cry. Here are some pictures:

Overnight, it snowed almost 6 inches, so the girls were very excited to go play in the snow. Jack, on the other hand, didn't like it one bit. And unfortunately, it didn't end well since Jason has a broken ankle now. More on that later, but here are a couple pictures to get started. I have to get other people's cameras to get the rest:

The Stockings are Hung...

2011-12-21T10:19:00.005-07:00

The Stockings are Hung by the Chimney with Care...and quite a few more of them than most years! We are finally starting to get ready for Christmas and Mike's sister and her family are here to help Celebrate. The girls helped put out the decorations and we made Christmas cookies yesterday, so it finally feels like the holidays. I still haven't wrapped any presents, so that's next on the agenda for Christmas preparation.

The unpacking continues...we still have quite a bit of work undone, but we're making slow progress in between the fun holiday activities. Jason has been a great help painting the bedroom, so we should be able to unpack in there soon too.

On Monday when I picked up the Mandell family, we took a side trip to the American Girls store in Denver for Katelyn and Alyssa. Their dolls were able to get their ears pierced and their hair done at the doll salon, which was very exciting. Then, we went next door and had lunch with the dolls as well. They even had high chairs so the dolls could sit at the table too.

The only thing potentially more exciting than this was the fact that it started snowing! Not enough to cover the ground, but our Southern California girls were very excited to catch snowflakes on their tongues. They also had to go out and run in the snow and play as soon as we arrived home even though it was 2 week old crusty snow. We are hoping for some fresh snow tomorrow so they can go sledding! And, we are also planning to take them iceskating at a real outdoor rink this week too.

More pictures to come as the week progresses...

Thanksgiving Trip

2011-11-29T21:17:00.005-07:00

We had a good time in Washington for Thanksgiving. Jack and I got to meet Great Grandma Ellie, Aunt Susan and Uncle Marty, and lots of cousins! Then, we went to see Lesa and Colin and some more cousins!

Cousin Sam with his Mickey Mouse.

Cousin Claira was great with Jack and spent the evening entertaining him.

Everyone was tired after such a big dinner.
Jack liked Claira's toys.
Cousin Audrey playing with her blocks.
Cousin Ari liked to take Jack's toys and run off.

Nikki and Alan played cribbage after dinner.
Jack didn't want to take a nap, but his Aunt Susan finally got him down.
Jack liked his Great-Grandma's stuffed Snoopy.
Jack with his Great Grandma Ellie and Papa Jefe.

Sam is quite the busy body these days. He moves constantly, and he can get across the floor very quickly, as you will see in the video clips. Jack wasn't sure what to make of this baby who kept crawling up to him and grabbing at him or trying to take his pacifier.

Playtime

2011-11-12T19:33:00.002-07:00

Who needs toys...just give Jackson a newspaper. But, as you'll see, you'd better be done reading it before he gets his hands on it. This provided nearly 30 minutes of entertainment for the boy. He's so busy these days and getting busier all the time.

My Child the Technology Expert

2011-11-11T09:11:00.002-07:00

Jackson has already learned about the iPad. I often let him play with an app called "Baby Rattle 123" while I get dressed, or this morning I was trying to fix myself a bowl of cereal and he just wasn't happy in his Exersaucer, but the iPad fixed everything. Smiles! He will be the same tech guys that his dad is some day.

Halloween

2011-10-31T20:19:00.003-06:00

Jack has enjoyed his two costumes for his first Halloween. We went to the Halloween Family Festival downtown on Saturday for a few minutes and Jack slept through the whole thing, but he also got to wear one of his costumes to daycare today, and then he trick-or-treated tonight. We only went to 5 houses--just our immediate neighbors--but Jack got to show off his good looks.

Final tally for today...

2011-10-26T19:35:00.004-06:00

If I didn't lose track of the numbers, we are up to 9! Branches number 7, 8, and 9 came down in the late afternoon, with some help from Mike. He had to pull some of them down because they were propped up in the tree and posing a major safety hazard to the sidewalk. He started sawing up the pile in the driveway after work, but it's going to take some time to get all of them cut and loaded up to get rid of them. Plus, there are several broken branches still attached to the trees that will eventually need some attention. Good grief!

Update #2

2011-10-26T12:19:00.004-06:00

Branch #6 is a doozy. Heard it all the way upstairs. Thank goodness it missed the house! This is the willow in the backyard.

If this keeps up, I'll need a bigger ruler...

2011-10-26T11:58:00.002-06:00

Update: At 11:30, we are up to 10 inches, and it's still snowing.

Branches #4 and #5 came crashing down at around 11:00. They landed right in the middle of the street, blocking half of the road. I had to call a neighbor and it took the two of us together to drag them out of the street to the edge of the driveway. Not sure where Mike is going to park. We will have some work to do before he can get into the garage when he gets home tonight.

Our First Snow of the Season

2011-10-26T09:05:00.008-06:00

This first picture was taken around 6:30 and we had about 7 inches. By 8:30, when I went outside to measure with the ruler, we were up closer to 8.5 inches, and it's supposed to keep snowing off and on throughout the day. In Greeley, where I work, they are reporting a foot of snow in places, so school is closed for the day. Down near Denver where Mike works, they only have about 4 inches. Either way, it doesn't look much like October, does it?

The snow is really heavy and wet too. We have no fewer than 3 big branches down in our yard.Two were blocking streets or sidewalks and one was threatening to take out the lilac tree and the fence, so I dragged them all into a big pile at the side of the driveway while Jack was catnapping this morning. Not sure what to do with them now. :) Guess I let Mike help deal with these when he gets home. During Jack's afternoon nap, I'll have to go out and work on the sidewalks and driveway. Sigh...

Jack's not sure what to make of the snow. We went out and looked at it together for a few minutes, and I let him touch some, but he didn't react much to the cold touch. He did look around quite a bit. Plus, don't you love the big scratch he gave himself in the middle of the night?

Aspen went to daycare today so that she could get some playtime since I knew I wouldn't be able to take her out much with the weather so wet and cold. I've got ham hocks and navy beans in the Crockpot for soup tonight, and Jack and I are enjoying a quiet day inside!

Halloween Crafts

2011-10-23T19:03:00.002-06:00

I've been slowly making these little Halloween items over the last few weeks as I've had time. Just a little something fun.

Jackson Says Hi

2011-10-16T20:07:00.002-06:00

Just for fun, here's another video just so you can see what Jack is getting up to these days...

The rivalry begins

2011-10-16T20:01:00.002-06:00

The color on this video turned out terrible, but I'm posting it anyway because it's so fun. Jack started out on the blanket you can see in the background, but after he rolled his way over into Aspen's nap space, the fun began. He's definitely getting more interested in the dog all the time.

6 months old!

2011-10-11T19:56:00.004-06:00

Jackson is 6 months old today! Already! Yesterday, he also learned a new skill. He can now roll over from back to front as well as front to back! It's only a matter of time now until he's crawling around and getting into everything. He finally seems to be at a point where he can enjoy some independent play time.

He also had a new food yesterday. Pureed Zucchini...It looked like grass, and mommy didn't think it tasted much better, but he liked it.

Over the weekend, he had a football rivalry going with his daddy. He laid on the floor and cheered for the Chargers. He does seem to watch TV when football is on, and his team won, much to the chagrin of Daddy.

Pumpkin Patch at Osborn Farms

2011-10-01T19:06:00.003-06:00

We visited the Fall Market Days at Osborn Farms today to get a pumpkin. Jackson liked the bright colors, and of course, he wanted to put them in his mouth too. We wandered around looking at the different pumpkins and gourds and the craft booths for a few minutes. We'll have to get a big pumpkin and do the jack-o-lantern bit closer to Halloween, but we like the fall weather and getting out and about. We had a good day.

Jackson and the Water Glass

2011-09-26T19:18:00.002-06:00

Jackson decided yesterday that he liked mommy's ice water glass. He played at drinking for about 20 minutes! Much more exciting than his toys, I guess.

We had a rough weekend because of trying to get Jack through his "sleep learning" training. It's been tough, but already on Night 3, we are seeing improvements, so it's hopefully worth it in the long run. The first night, he cried for 1 hr, 26 minutes before going to sleep--it about killed me! It's heartbreaking to hear him crying and do nothing. But, on night number 3, he's down to 15 minutes of crying before going to sleep. And, he improved from 7 hours, 32 minutes of total sleep with 4-5 wakeups to 9 hrs, 38 minutes last night with 3 wakeups, so it does seem to be working. Our goal is 11 hours of sleep at night.

It's Football Season!

2011-09-22T08:17:00.001-06:00

Go Broncos!

Family Pictures at Red Rock

2011-09-12T20:00:00.003-06:00

Mike will get high quality, edited photos up on his site eventually, but since he's at least a month behind in posting his photos, here's a preview. We took these today at Red Rocks. We might have taken more, but as you can see in the last picture, Jackson fell asleep on the job. Enjoy.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-05T19:15:00.004-06:00

We had a great time Saturday attending a matinee of Les Miserables in Denver. Jack did good at home with the babysitter. It was finally a fall day, with a high around 70, so Jack was looking good in his sport suit and shoes.

Sunday, we spent running errands and working around the house. Then, today we went to Miller Farms to pick vegetables. And, yes, I carried Jack the entire way. He helped dig potatoes and carrots, pick tomatoes, etc...Boy were my legs tired by the end of the trip.

Mike took a turn holding him on the road back to the car, trying to keep him out of the sun. We came home with carrots, potatoes, red and yellow onions, corn, turnips, pie pumpkins, purple and green cabbage, tomatoes, assorted peppers, celery, and leeks. All of which had to be washed, and the tomatoes pureed and cooked down into sauce, the pumpkins roasted and pureed for pies, and the rest of the veggies bagged up to be worked on later in the week. We'll be freezing and canning most of the week.

At the end of the day, the only one still with energy was Jack. I wish he'd go to sleep, so that we can! He needs to because he hardly napped at all today, but he's struggling to stay awake, as usual.

Daddy's Funny

2011-08-28T07:59:00.001-06:00

Here's a fun video of Jackson laughing

A Relaxing Sunday

2011-08-21T17:16:00.005-06:00

We started our day with breakfast and then a visit to the park. Jack rode around in his stroller, Aspen played at the dog park and waded in the river, and we bought some great produce at the Farmer's market. After we came home and had a nap, Jack decided he was hungry again, so we stuck him in his Bumbo seat.

He lounged and played with his keys for a little while,

he ate some yummy sweet potato puree mixed with rice cereal,

and he even helped clean his own face, after a fashion.

He also played for awhile with mom and daddy. He likes flying in the air and being tipped over by daddy. But watch out...he sends down drool bombs when he's flying over your head!

Jackson at 4 months

2011-08-12T18:45:00.002-06:00

Jackson turned 4 months old yesterday. We went to the doctor and found out he's 14 lbs, 2 ounces and 25 inches long! He's no longer a small baby! The PA thinks he has acid reflux since he has trouble with feeding and spit up, but she didn't want to prescribe medicine, so we are going to wait and see if he improves with solid foods. He's also behind since he doesn't roll over yet, so she wants to watch that, but otherwise, he's doing really well.
Today, we gave him his first feeding of rice cereal. He seemed to really like it, although he wanted to "help" hold the bowl, so it was quite challenging to feed him. Those hands were everywhere! And, of course, a lot of it ended up on his face. Smiles...

Jackson Helping...

2011-08-08T19:12:00.002-06:00

We had a great weekend...did some errands and house chores, then went to a BBQ at a friend's house. On Sunday, Jack "helped" me read the newspaper. He had a great time, but I had a hard time reading that section afterward!
Now, it's back to getting ready for school to start again. I'm back to work next week already!

Winnemucca

2011-07-28T15:55:00.003-06:00

We spent Friday through Monday in Winnemucca. We had a great time eating, bowling, playing cards, playing Wii, and taking the ATVs up the canyon. Even Jack went for a ride. Jack was a little hesitant about grandma and grandpa Anderson at first and cried the first few times, but he warmed up quickly. Boy could grandpa get him smiling and laughing (yes, he's laughing a lot now, for about a week. It's his new thing).
We took Jack for a ride in the Rhino. We made him wear a big hat to stay out of the sun! He didn't mind it too much and even fell asleep toward the end of one ride. While he was on his ride, Grandma and Great-grandma lounged in the shade, but then after that we all loaded up on the ATVs, even great-grandma, and rode farther up the canyon where we picked some currants. Mom later made a batch of jelly out of them--yum!

Sam and Jack

2011-07-28T11:56:00.005-06:00

We arrived in Reno on Wednesday evening last week. We had a great visit with Lesa, Colin, Dylan, and Patrick, and we got to meet Sam, who is adorable. He's 16.5 pounds and over 26 inches long already, so he's a big boy! Lesa said he's in the 95th percentile for height, so apparently he's going to be tall. He's a pretty good natured little guy. He's also at the stage where he grabs everything and chews on many things, so Jack wasn't too sure of him, often being on he receiving end of the grabbing. It was a challenge getting them both still and not crying, but we got some great pictures of the two of them.

The Allens and the Alabama Hills

2011-07-19T21:24:00.010-06:00

Tuesday, we headed out toward Nevada. We stopped in Victorville to see Rolayne and Steve and their adorable kids first. It was great to meet McKenzie--she's such a sweetheart. Austin is getting so tall, too!

Then, we headed up 395. We stopped for the night in Lone Pine, CA. We had time to take a little drive through the Alabama Hills, famous as the set for most of the well-known Western movies and for Tremors. We stopped to explore some rock formations right at the road, but couldn't go too far because Jack was asleep in the backseat of the car. Our hotel was amusing because at last count there were 16 rabbits and a covey of quail visible from our room's window, which faces the back lawn. They must have just reseeded the lawn or something because it was a bunny buffet out there.

Katelyn's birthday

2011-07-19T17:12:00.004-06:00

Sunday, Katelyn turned 8 years old. We had a great party full of swimming, a yummy dinner, presents, and ice cream cake. Katelyn enjoyed her birthday presents, especially her new camera and the geodes that she got to break open at the party.

And, here's the video from her party:

Pool Party

2011-07-17T11:56:00.007-06:00

We arrived in Bonsall on Friday. We had a pretty low-key day Friday because Mike wasn't feeling well and Jackson was very cranky from our travels. After some rest, we had a fun Saturday. Grandma and Papa babysat the grandkids so that the adults could go see the last Harry Potter movie. It was the first time that Mike and I got to go out without baby since he was born. Then, after we came home, we spent the afternoon in the pool. Jackson went swimming for the first time. Both Mike and I thought he would cry when we took him in the pool because he cries for baths, but he surprised us both and seemed to really enjoy it. The girls are regular fish and spent hours in the pool. They had fun spitting water through the water noodles and playing games with Uncle Michael too.

The girls are very attentive to Jackson. Here's a little clip of them playing with him, which made us all laugh. You can never have too many toys, apparently...

Phoenix

2011-07-17T10:01:00.007-06:00

We began the day driving Thursday, and stopped for a quick walk through the exhibit at Montezuma's castle.

Then, we had a great visit with Parker and Carlie later in the morning. Parker is so cute...he's four weeks old now, but he and Jackson and pretty much the same size.

After that, we went to see Janet, Blue, Anne, and Bob and Susan. Anne is an amazingly good natured and calm baby...She and Jackson were fascinated with each other. It was great to meet Janet and the kids and to see Bob and Susan again.

Traveling in Arizona

2011-07-13T20:33:00.003-06:00

One of our pitstops today was the visitor's center at the Petrified Forest. We didn't actually have time to drive through the park, but Jack was so happy to get out of the car and walk around a little bit, although the Arizona sun was a little too bright for him.

He's doing really well in the car. We have to stop every couple

of hours, and I have to sit in the back and entertain him. We have to try to get where we are going by about 5pm, which is when he melts down and can no longer be soothed. Once he got out of the car and into his pajamas, then he was happy again for a bit.

One more picture...

2011-07-05T10:00:00.000-06:00

Just because it's so cute, here's one more:

Patriotic Baby

2011-07-05T09:54:00.003-06:00

Here are some pictures from the 4th of July. Jack couldn't decide whether to wave his flag or eat it, but he had fun playing with it:

Papa Jefe decorated his stroller so he could go for a walk in style:

Keeping Jack Happy

2011-07-05T09:45:00.004-06:00

Jack has decided that he loves to be walked around so he can see things. He isn't happy unless someone's showing him the sights. Grandpa and Jack walked around at the Chinese Restaurant here, looking at the fish which Jackson really liked, so that everyone else could finish their dinner:Jackson has his "security blanket"--a burp cloth made by Grandma Sue--and his "Mute button," sent to him by his Papa to keep him happy:
After a big lunch in Estes Park, we all decided to go for a little walk around the lake:

And the Race is on...

2011-06-26T17:47:00.007-06:00

We decided to take some new pictures of Jackson thisweekend and set up the Photography Grand Prix, but our main star needed a pit stop before we got out of the gate...He fell asleep while Daddy was setting up the camera, but it turned out to be a great picture:

After a 25 minute sleep delay, the star woke up and the race was on. Don't you just love his summertime look? We took about 50 pictures but here are some of the favorites. The championship was supposed to go to a photo of Jack actually smiling, but he takes his racing seriously and in a 50 laps, this is as close as we could get. Still a great picture:

He stares and stares at the big camera and its flash but doesn't want to smile. Instead, he practices his thoughtful look for when he gets a television interview:

At one point, a race competitor snuck up behind Jackson, vying for attention herself, but Jackson remained in the 1st place position:

Jackson stayed cool under pressure, lounging casually:

After the race, Jackson posed for a victory shot with his Mommy:

Then, Jackson decided to dress up to celebrate his win. He chose a great summery outfit, full of style:

He even called in the 2nd place racer for some publicity shots:

Jackson Marlow Pierce, our champion:

Star gazing...

2011-06-04T20:09:00.004-06:00

Jackson is starting to focus on things around him and likes to watch moving things now...He especially likes the wild animal mobile in his crib and the teddy bear mobile his great-grandma made him.

Jackson Watching...

2011-06-04T19:29:00.004-06:00

Grandma and Grandpa Harper came for a visit last week to meet Jackson. We had lots of fun and went on many outings, but there was lots of time spent Jackson watching too...We all catch ourselves staring these days.

We had a great visit to Boyd Lake, where we saw a snake and crowds of spawning fish near shore (carp, we think). We went up to Estes Park, did some shopping, and had lunch at Mary's Lake Lodge, Mike's favorite restaurant.

Then, we spent lots of time at home too...Again, Jackson watching was the main activity.

Playtime with Dad

2011-05-16T12:31:00.001-06:00

Jackson Update

2011-05-16T11:24:00.004-06:00

Our little man is growing every day! He's up to 8lbs as of last Wednesday. He's still having some trouble with feeding and sleeping, but we love having him. He's so much fun, and we are working on the food and sleep problems. Here are a couple fun pictures from his playtime with daddy. It's a little big, but I'm guessing he'll be a hat-wearer when he gets older, just like daddy.

Our New Little One

2011-04-19T20:13:00.003-06:00

We are definitely enjoying our new baby boy! Here are a few pictures of our adorable Jackson. We are all adjusting well. We are a tired family around here, but we are enjoying every moment. We are starting to get a system down. I go to bed early and Mike takes the first shift watching the baby. Then, around 1 am I take over. After 5 am, we both try to work with the baby. We definitely take longer getting going in the mornings these days. I'm not looking forward to next week when Mike has to go back to work.

Jack is growing already! He's up to 5lbs, 7 ozs. Some day soon, he might even fit into his newborn clothes, which are all too big at the moment. Right now, he and his daddy are cuddling on the couch and daddy is clapping his hands for him and singing songs to him. I wish I had the video camera!

Tea Bag Folding Card Class

2011-04-10T19:25:00.005-06:00

I went to a fun craft class today to learn some intricate folding techniques for "tea bag" flowers. The first one was really easy, but then they started getting complicated very quickly.

This was the second one I learned to do. Sorry the pictures aren't great! It was such a dark card that the details are a little lost.

Then, this is the third pattern I learned, which was the hard one! I had a lot of trouble until the teacher finally noticed I was left-handed and said, "Oh, then try it this way" and had me start folding it the opposite of everyone else, and that solved the problem. The red one is the first one I made, and it's a little uneven, but by time I made the pink one I had the method down. The pictures are a little dark and blurry--they didn't come out great--but these flowers are really neat and elegant.

Jackson's Room

2011-03-17T18:54:00.014-06:00

I've been crafting and made this name art to hang on the wall in the nursery. Once we get this hung up above the crib/rocker, we'll be done with Jack's room and ready for the baby. I have, of course, spent way too much time getting this room all perfect, but I love it. And of course he won't even sleep in there in the beginning, so the bassinet will be moving to our room. I posted a couple pictures of the room too so you can see what it looks like. Then, I think the only other thing we have to do to get ready is install the car seat when it gets closer.

I've also posted a picture to update the belly. At my last doctor's appointment, I'd lost a little weight, even though I feel like I'm getting big and eating a lot! The doctor doesn't seem worried, so I guess I won't be, but my weight gain is definitely all baby. I have another appointment for an ultrasound on March 25. Hopefully, at this appointment we will find out if my Placenta Previa has cleared up or not, so that I know whether I'll be having a C-section or can try natural childbirth. If I do need the C-section, I'll likely have one early, so I'd only have about 4 weeks left. If not, my due date is still 6 weeks away.

Welcome to my new nephew!

2011-03-13T19:21:00.005-06:00

Welcome to Samuel Ethan Beck! He finally decided to arrive today, and then he was in a very big hurry and arrived very quickly. He weighed in at 8 lbs, 1.5 oz. Congratulations to Colin, Lesa, and their cute little (big) guy!

I've had a busy day...I've been trying to keep busy to avoid thinking about my little kitty. It was easy to

avoid thinking about it while we were out of town Friday/Saturday, but at home it's harder because she's everywhere. I do miss her. I started the day by making cinnamon rolls and banana bread, went grocery shopping, then worked outside to clean my garden boxes out after the winter, worked on some crafts, and made yummy roast chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner.

In my craft room, I'm busy making some very cute wall art for Jackson's room. I'll have to take pictures when it's finished, but unfortunately I broke the glass on the frame for it, so I have to go shopping and replace that before I can finish. Tomorrow, I'm planning to head back to work and start writing lesson plans for my maternity leave. I'll post more pictures soon! My goal this week, besides working on lesson plans and my classroom, is to finish Jack's room and then I'll get some pictures taken. We are also taking an infant care class this week, and I am taking a breastfeeding class too. It's going to be a busy spring break.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T19:50:00.003-07:00

Hope everyone has a great day for Valentine's. I know I am behind in getting updates posted. I will get new pictures and information up soon, promise. I need to take some pictures of the new nursery and show them off at the very least. I've been busy at school with the holiday today and trying to get plans started for maternity leave. Plus, we've been fighting cold and flu season at our house, but I will get caught up soon! Happy Valentine's Day!

All the News...

2011-01-25T19:00:00.007-07:00

First of all, notice anything different? That's right, I got my braces off today! Then, I went straight to the regular dentist and got a good cleaning, so my teeth are feeling great. I'm very excited to be approaching the end of this journey. It was March 31, 2008 until January 25, 2011 so almost 3 years of braces. Mike used some computer website to figure out that I actually had them for 2 years, 9 months, 24 days, 23 hours, and 30 minutes. Not that we were counting! Of course, I will have to wear a retainer for awhile yet. I have to go back next week and pick it up, but still a major improvement.

It's been a busy few weeks, which is why I haven't posted much lately. I was in Reno two weekends ago to attend Lesa's baby shower, which was really fun. I didn't take many pictures, but we had a good time. I also got to spend some more time with my mom, grandma, and Aunt Shirlee, which is always fun!

I did take a couple of pictures of the nursery Lesa and Colin have created for their little Samuel Ethan, and I also got to see my handiwork up on the wall, which was cool...I think they turned out great and match the room really well. It's a very bright and cheerful room that I'm sure Samuel will love. We are all hoping Samuel will be well and healthy soon too!

In other news, baby Jackson is doing well. I've started to really round out and gain weight quickly. It was funny today because Jackson apparently didn't like the sound of the high speed polisher they used to get the cement off my teeth after removing my braces. He started kicking as soon as they turned it on and kicked more and harder than he ever has until they turned it off. It was high pitched, but not exceptionally loud. We spent Saturday finally putting away all the things we got at our shower and getting Jack's room a little more organized. There's still a lot to do, but it feels good to have gotten started at least. Of course, all the random castoffs that were stored in the closet in that room are now piled on my desk in the basement, so now I have to clean the basement next weekend. Sigh...It never ends, does it. Still, everything is going really well.

Baby Shower

2011-01-09T17:44:00.005-07:00

We had a great time yesterday at the baby shower. Rolayne did such a great job of planning and organizing the shower, and then everyone helped out with the setup. I had so much fun visiting with everyone and playing games (even though everyone thought my stomach was much bigger than it is!). And, it was really special that my mom, grandma, sister, and Great Aunt Shirleecould come for the weekend too! We got fabulous gifts to help with the baby too. Everyone loved the baby's room, even though it's only half finished, and all the items we got will help finish it more. Plus, this baby will be very well dressed too! I truly have amazing friends and family.

Christmas Pics

2011-01-04T19:52:00.002-07:00

We had a lovely time visiting Mike's family for Christmas. Everyone got spoiled, including Aspen and Jackson! It was so great to see everyone. Here are the family group pictures.

Aspen Visits Santa

2010-12-12T20:08:00.002-07:00

We had some practice to prepare us for a future toddler who is afraid of Santa yesterday when we tried to get Aspen to visit with Santa for a picture. Our local feed store was offering free pet pictures with Santa, but Aspen didn't like it at all. If she was a toddler, she would have been crying but she settled for cowering. Even a treat wouldn't make her perk up. Not sure that photo will turn out :).

It's a Boy!

2010-12-02T18:38:00.007-07:00

Our doctor's appointment went very well today, and we found out we are having a boy! Baby Boy Pierce currently weighs only 12 ounces, but he's healthy and growing well. We are planning to name him Jackson Marlow Pierce after our grandfathers. We'll call him Jack for short, but Mike called him Jack-in-the-box earlier today, and I don't like that nickname at all, so its been banned. Here's a video of the ultrasound:

So that means both Lesa and I are expecting boys. I think mom was disappointed. She really wanted a granddaughter. Mike's parents, on the other hand, are happy because they have only granddaughters so far. We are all excited nonetheless and glad the baby is doing okay.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T19:02:00.002-07:00

I hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving and enjoys lots of good food. I spent the day making fresh bread, pumpkin and chocolate cream pies, appetizers, and a brine for the turkey in preparation for our day tomorrow. I'm looking forward to my sister and Colin arriving tomorrow. It should be a fun weekend. Happy Thanksgiving!

Baby news

2010-11-07T19:03:00.005-07:00

I had a doctor's appointment Friday and everything is looking good. Baby's heartbeat is 150, which is good. I've only gained 2 points so far, but my tummy is beginning to round out quite a bit. I've had to start wearing maternity clothes recently. Baby is apparently resting on my right side because I'm all out of alignment. I generally feel like I have a pulled muscle from hip to knee and lower back pain on that side too. I find that I favor that side when I walk now, which is adding to the problem, so I've been consciously trying to shift to my left side. The doctor recommended I start seeing a chiropractor. At my next appointment in 4 weeks (first week of December), we will finally get to find out the gender through an ultrasound! We are very excited about that.

I've made it 1/3 of the way through the school year too and since we are on trimesters, report cards are due Tuesday and then the second trimester starts this week. I'm counting down the days to Thanksgiving as I really need a break right about now. Two more weeks!

At home, things are as hectic as every, but going well. We spent two hours vacuuming leaves yesterday, and then today the wind kicked up and it looks like we never cleaned leaves at all...sigh...Maybe again next weekend. I'm starting to think about the holidays and gifts for everyone too, but not much time for homemade gifts this year.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T15:25:00.001-06:00

Mike and I had to come up with some last minute costumes for a party our neighbors threw...

A Little Craftiness

2010-10-26T19:25:00.002-06:00

I made this cute sign with my Cricut as a fun and quick project. It took me about 40 minutes and is the only decorative concession I've made to Halloween. It's all I've had time for! We did get our candy purchased over the weekend, so we are ready to go!

Update

2010-10-11T18:24:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the long silence. I'm finding it hard to keep up with everything these days. Let's see...everything is going well with BABY. I've officially graduated from the specialist in Denver, and now I get to visit a regular OB in Loveland. On the one hand, it's nice to have graduated into the "low-risk" category. And of course, our major goal is to have the baby be healthy. However, the one benefit of the "high-risk specialist" was that I got to see the baby on Ultrasound every visit, and I was there every two weeks to ask questions and get extra attention. Now, I don't get all those high tech views. I won't have another ultrasound now until Week 20, which is when we can find out whether it's a girl or boy too. Also, I now only have to go to the doctor every 4 weeks for the time being. Health-wise, I am still using medication to control my all day "morning sickness," and I'm feeling very, very tired. Still, I'm doing pretty well.

People often ask me, "What has baby taught me so far?" Let's see...Lesson #1 is never take the freeway to work in the morning when you are pregnant. You never know when you will need to quickly pull over, and the back roads are much more convenient for this purpose :). Lesson #2--the scale may say you haven't gained weight and in fact have lost weight, but your clothes still won't fit right. Lesson #3--once you tell your students you are pregnant, they get very opinionated. I finally told them last week, and I now have lists of names they like for baby, very firm opinions on whether I should have a boy or girl, and several kids running campaigns to convince me that I should name my baby after them :). As one very cute kid told me, if I name my baby after him, "there will be another person in the whole world who has my name!" He does have an unusual name, but still it's a little dramatic!

I'm looking forward to our 3-year anniversary on Wednesday. We won't do much since it's on a weekday, but we are planning to go out for dinner at least. And we have a 3-day weekend this week because it's fall break, so that's exciting! We are hoping for a good weather day so we can get out and about and enjoy our day off. I'm also gearing up for Halloween at school. I'm not sure whether to be excited or to dread having to do the costume and treats thing. Oh well! It will all be over in two weeks! And, we don't do much at home for Halloween, but I'm starting to think about plans for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

Update

2010-09-24T20:09:00.002-06:00

It's been a rough week, with Mike's car getting rear ended and me throwing up all the time and working extra. I'm glad it's the weekend! We have to do some yard work tomorrow, and the usual chores of laundry and groceries, but there should be some time to relax too. We have to take out our garden, and we also have to cut up and haul away the giant branch that fell from our willow tree during a wind storm last Monday.

I have my next doctor's appointment on Monday. I think I'm doing pretty good, but struggling with some of the symptoms. I'm having a hard time working with 24/7 nausea, throwing up 2-6 times a day, and also headaches. But, we are hanging in there, and I'm hoping this phase will be over in a few weeks!

Baby has a heartbeat!

2010-09-07T19:28:00.001-06:00

Here's the 115 beats per minute of him or her, and everything's healthy so far! I was disappointed for about a second that we didn't get multiples, but it was so exciting to see our baby and hear his or her heartbeat, that the disappointment didn't last at all!

Our Fun Weekend!

2010-08-30T17:41:00.004-06:00

My New Workspace

2010-08-23T20:40:00.002-06:00

I won't write much because I'm exhausted, but I've been trying to get something here for days, so I'll settle for some pictures to show you where I'm spending time these days. This is my new classroom space, which is much different from my old one! The first few days of school have gone pretty well. I'm generally completely worn out by the end of the day, and I often feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, but then I also have moments where I'm really enjoying it too, so I'm not regretting it yet. The kids are cute for the most part, though a few are certainly challenging, and it's also refreshing to be doing something new. I am also enjoying getting to teach all the different subjects though they, too, present a challenge since I don't have any materials built up yet (can't use many of my old teaching materials these days :)). On a personal note, our next Dr. Appt is Sept 7, so we should have some updates after that.

Visit from California

2010-08-04T11:58:00.014-06:00

We had a lovely visit this past weekend from Mike's parents. We enjoyed a brief trip to Estes Park Friday, and then went on an overnight trip to Colorado Springs Saturday/Sunday. We enjoyed wandering around old town, had a fun dinner at the Flying W Chuckwagon Dinner and Show, and then a fun ride on the Cog Railway to Pike's Peak on Sunday. The trip up was great and had some wonderful views, but then a storm rolled in just as we reached the top, so we didn't see much up there. It reminded me a lot of our visit to Alaska. Still, it was worth the experience. Then, Monday, we poked around in Loveland and Fort Collins and Marie and I spent an hour poking through my favorite scrapbook store. Unfortunately, our visit was cut short Monday when the doctor's office called and told me I needed to immediately return to Denver for a new medication because my Estradiol levels had skyrocketed. We were supposed to have dinner and play some games, and I was about half finished preparing dinner, when the phone rang, so we had to dash off...Still, the visit was fun overall. Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

And the winner is....

2010-08-03T19:22:00.004-06:00

Highest Salt Content in Chips:

Boulder Canyon Malt Vinegar and Salt Chips at 490mg salt for a 1 oz serving.

2nd place in chips, Cheetos at 290mg of salt in a 1 oz serving.

What has even more salt than chips? Beef Jerky has 590mg per 1 oz, and the overall winner...cup of Noodles at nearly 700mg for a 1 oz serving.

Why do I know this? I was literally walking through the grocery store looking for foods with high salt yesterday. My doctor wants me to eat a high sodium diet right now. I feel gross eating these types of foods, which I don't normally buy, but there's some absurd humor is salt shopping. It helped me to laugh instead of crying as I walked down the aisle reading the backs of the chip bags.

I have to eat salt because my Estradiol levels are extremely high! They went from 900 to 2000 from Saturday to Sunday, then shot up to 5427 by Monday morning, putting the whole deal in jeopardy. I had to stop all my meds and start taking another medication called Certrotide last night to stop a danger of ovulating early through my meds. I have to get my Estradiol levels under control or they won't complete the transfer, and sodium is all I can really do myself, so I've been eating salt. I must have eaten 300% of the usual salt intake yesterday and today, but it seems to be helping because today my levels were back down to 2500! I feel really ill and unhealthy with all the salt, but I've also been drinking gatorade, Pedialyte, and lots of water to counter balance as best I can. In addition, I have aches and pains all over, but it's coming time...

I've been directed to do my trigger shot at 2am tomorrow morning, which means my retrieval surgery will be at 1:00pm on Thursday! Hopefully, my Estradiol will be back to normal by then too so that we can continue with the day 5 transfer. After yesterday's scare, things seem to be going much better today.

Craftiness

2010-07-23T19:37:00.005-06:00

I've been working on figuring out how to do a pop-up card today. I made this one for my dad. This is the front of the card:

And, here's the inside of the card:

It was a fun card to make. And, I'm sure my dad will get over the 5" tall announcement of his 50th birthday!

It's hot out here!

2010-07-23T19:24:00.001-06:00

Aspen takes some time to cool off in her swimming pool, which she's decided she likes.

Update

2010-07-21T19:31:00.003-06:00

It's been a hectic week. I've been working to get ready for school to start by designing math lessons and getting my classroom all set up. I'm starting to feel like the summer is winding down and school time will be here before you know it.

In addition, I've been doing my acupuncture twice a week in Fort Collins. The sessions aren't bad really. The only needles that hurt are the ones they put into my feet. The rest I don't really feel. However, I'm not sure I feel much different afterward either. I'm having more trouble with the injections, which are producing a whole list of side effects, including muscle aches and pains, headaches, itching feet, and an inability to sleep through the night. And, my sessions with the doctor are starting to pick up pace. I have one Friday, and then next week it will be Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon...and on daily until it's over. Of course, don't really know an exact date yet.

It hasn't been all work and medicine of course. I've been doing some scrapbooking and lots of cooking too. I'm looking forward to a visit from Mike's parents next week as well.

Cherries!

2010-07-15T13:42:00.007-06:00

I spent the morning making jam out of the sour cherries in my backyard. It takes forever because the cherries are smaller than grapes and have to be pitted one by one. It only took 15 minutes to pick, but it took 2 hours to pit them. And, that's just to make one batch of 7 seven jars! I made a batch over the weekend and a

nother today, so I have a good stock of jam, but I haven't used even half of the ripe cherries out there. Some of them are hard to get to because they are in the area of our yard that we refer to as "the jungle," but maybe I can make another batch next week or get a friend to come take some.

On a less exciting note, I've got the means to open my own pharmacy now. I wanted to sit down and cry when these two big boxes of drugs arrived today. Can you believe that all of this is for the next 3 weeks! It's overwhelming to see it all at once. I didn't give in to the urge to cry, but I did ignore the box for about an hour before I got the courage to open it and explore what all was in there. My first injection starts tonight. I keep having to remind myself that it will be worth it if it works!

A Visit with My Parents

2010-07-09T18:23:00.006-06:00

Despite almost constant rain, we had a nice visit with my parents and grandma this week. We tried to go to a band concert and 4th of July fireworks, but both were canceled due to heavy rain. Then, we spent 2 days camping at Dowdy lake up near Red Feather. It was beautiful the first day, and we really enjoyed it. We even got Aspen to go for a ride in the canoe! It started raining again the 2nd day, so we were all a little cold and wet and ready to go home by Wednesday morning. Then, we did a tour of the Budweiser plant, some shopping, and went out for dinner, all while it continued raining. Thursday, Mike and I had to go to a doctor's appointment, so the family had to entertain themselves in the morning and then we spent the afternoon just relaxing and visiting at the house. Here are a few pictures from the non-raining day:

ISTE 2010

2010-06-30T18:52:00.003-06:00

I spent the last four days attending the ISTE Conference in Denver (International Society for Technology in Education)! It's a huge event about all things tech and how to use them in education. It's been a fun time, but I'm also very tired. I have a new appreciation for those people who commute to the city every day for work. I wouldn't last a week!

I learned some great ideas for my classroom and saw some amazing technology. I also got the chance to do some more training with SMART and met some other SMART Exemplary Educators (SEEs), which is a program I spent last year working toward and am now a member of.

These pictures are of the Blue Bear, a famous statue called "I Can See You," which is outside the convention center peering in the windows. It's such a fun, whimsical art piece.

Camping at Big Creek Lakes

2010-06-20T13:17:00.015-06:00

We headed up to Big Creek Lake (lower) on Thursday afternoon. We saw some great scenery on the way, and stopped to view a gorgeous valley where even Aspen liked the view.

After a detour caused by a GPS that directed us to a dead end in a cow pasture, we found a better route and arrived at our campsite. Big Creek Lake is very isolated. It's about 30 minutes outside the tiny town of Cowdery, CO and not far from the Wyoming border.

The lake is very pretty, but the area has been hit hard by the Pine Beetle so there are dead trees everywhere, and the forest service is currently cutting them all down because they pose a threat. There are signs everywhere warning of the dangers of falling trees. Thursday night, we had just enough time to set up camp, have dinner, and take Aspen for a walk.

Friday morning, we started out fishing and canoeing. Mike caught one fish (a small one about 7 inches) before breaking his pole accidentally, and since we didn't have an extra, that was the end of that.

Then, around 10:30 we heading out to hike the trail to get to Big Creek Lake (upper), which can't be reached by car. We hiked for about an hour to get to this lake. From there, we saw a sign to Big Creek Falls, so we kept going and hiked up into the mountain canyon to see the falls.

We hadn't seen any other people for a couple of hours, so we let Aspen off her leash and she enjoyed running around. She also had to walk through every creek and patch of water that we came across and there was no shortage of water.
We didn't see much in the way of wildlife, but we did see some moose tracks crossing our hiking trail. We finally made it to the waterfall, which was pretty neat. We paused for Mike and Aspen to wade in the water and for some pictures, and then we had to hike all the way back.
In total, our trip ended up taking 5 hours, so we were all tired when we got back! Mike and I spent our afternoon in lawn chairs, and Aspen was so tired she decided a rock would make a good pillow and went straight to sleep.

We had a good time, but the nights were very cold (near freezing) so it wasn't very pleasant in the tent. And, the day after our hike Mike's back was hurting, so we ended up coming home Saturday evening instead of Sunday. Still, it was a good escape and a way to relax after the news of our latest doctor appointment, which we had Thursday morning before we left.

Raccoon Update!

2010-06-01T14:17:00.002-06:00

Either there are two of them or he/she snuck back in! I went to leave for work at 8:00am, opened the door between the house and the garage and was startled to be staring at a raccoon. I'm sure he was as startled by me! I slammed the door shut and then went around and outside through the front door and then opened the garage with my remote. However, the raccoon did not want to leave! I don't know how to get him out, so he's still in there, sleeping behind the shelves. I'm hoping if I open the door this evening, he will leave on his own because otherwise I'm not sure what to do!

A Busy Weekend!

2010-06-01T07:03:00.005-06:00

We had a yard work marathon this weekend. We started with hedge trimming, raking, weed pulling, and mowing the lawns. Then, we moved on to the backyard where we did some cleaning out in the jungle and several other projects. There were several old flower beds near the back walls of our house that had been overgrown with grass and vines and had these old, rusty metal borders. So, we dug out all the grass and vines and removed the borders and added brick borders instead, and then I planted flowers and herbs in them. I also planted the rest of my front flowerbeds and vegetable garden too. They took more work than they look like. The dirt hadn't been worked in a while and was rather hard to break up, plus digging out the metal and then putting in the new trench for the bricks took more time than I hoped. Still, I think they turned out pretty well.

Then, we also stained the deck yesterday, which is never a fun task, but it looks so much better afterward. All this, and we also made time to do a little nature hike in the foothills with Aspen yesterday. She enjoyed it, but Mike had sore muscles so I'm not sure he did. We ran into 3 deer both on the way up and on the way back, and it was a struggle to hang on to Aspen, who desperately wanted to go "play" with them.

Then last night, we were again visited by our friendly neighborhood raccoon. Somehow or other, he got into the open garage in the afternoon. I was talking on the phone with my sister about 6:30pm and all of a sudden there was a terrible racket in the garage. Apparently, Mr. Raccoon had just discovered he was locked in and didn't like that one bit! For lack of anything better, we just opened the garage door for an hour or so until he decided to wander out on his own. Then, about 9:3opm, we again heard noise outside and the little monster was in or garbage. We opened the window and yelled down at him, but the little bugger just ignored us and continued to scavenge his dinner from our trashcans. I guess we are going to have to move our trash cans into the garage for the time being. Mike snapped this picture of his from the upstairs window. I never had to deal with this when I lived in Nevada!

Less than a Week!

2010-05-24T19:57:00.002-06:00

4 more days, 4 more days 4 more days, 4 more days!!!!!! And, only one more day with students! That's all I have time to say right now, but I really can't wait until next week!

Crazy Days of May

2010-05-14T19:34:00.002-06:00

These last few weeks are tough on teachers. I've been at school late into the evening almost every day this week. This evening, we had our Senior send off BBQ, but it's been raining in buckets, so I ended up cooking about 50 hamburgers and hotdogs in a frying pan on the stove in the home ec room, 4 at a time! Last night, we did the National Honor Society induction and Wednesday we had practice for that. Then, I'm trying to grade papers and plan final projects and pack up my classroom so it's been crazy. I also had to take some time off Wednesday for the next round of doctor's appointments. I'm exhausted and very glad it's Friday.

I have to spend this weekend grading research papers, but the good news is that I only have 7 days left with students and two weeks before I'm officially on summer vacation!

A New Job!

2010-05-06T19:42:00.002-06:00

It's official. I will have a new job next year as a 3/4th grade teacher. It's at the same school I currently teach in, so I'm just moving from upstairs to downstairs, but it's still a big change! The rest of the teachers are split pretty evenly between thinking I'm crazy for making this change and congratulating me on my luck. I'm going to have to spend some time over the summer creating curriculum and getting ready!

Lesa and Colin's Wedding Festivities

2010-05-05T17:58:00.007-06:00

Headlines

2010-04-29T17:55:00.002-06:00

I'm sorry I haven't been posting very often...April and May are crazy months in teaching. Let's see...A few quick updates:

My sister and Colin are getting married on Sunday! We are heading to Reno tomorrow morning...It should be a fun time for all!

I have applied for an Elementary teaching position (3/4 grade mixed class), so I'm interviewing for that on Tuesday! It's at the school I currently teach at, but would still be a big change!

We had some test results that weren't good from the doctor, so now we have an appointment with a Fertility Specialist, but not until June 2. We'll see where that carries us.

That's the big headlines. I'll post some pictures when we get home.

Rough Day

2010-04-21T18:38:00.000-06:00

We all had a rough day at school today. We arrived this morning to find out that one of our students committed suicide over night, so we had to bring in grief counselors and everywhere you turned there were kids crying and upset. It's not a setting that I've been in before in my professional life, and one that I don't hope to repeat soon. The next few weeks are going to be a challenge. How does a 15 year old girl face so much that she decides to end her life? It's truly a heartbreaking thought.

Ship Ahoy!

2010-04-17T16:15:00.002-06:00

No, this is not Aspen's new life jacket, though it might work for that too...It's an inflatable version of the "cone" so that she can't rip the bandages off and tear out the stitches in her leg...She does NOT like it. And, none of use got much sleep last night since she doesn't, so WE don't like it either. But, she's doing pretty well.

Catching Up on the News

2010-04-13T18:52:00.006-06:00

We spent Saturday running errands, and we also took Aspen for a long walk at Arapahoe Bend. Though it still looks like winter, with most of the plant life still brown and leafless, Mike enjoyed playing with his new camera and learning how it works, and we all enjoyed the fresh air. Aspen enjoyed running around and pouncing on field mice and other critters she would hear rustling in the grass. I came home with a sore knee after several sprints with Aspen, but the exercise was good for us both.

Then, Saturday night, we went to see My Fair Lady at the Candlelight Dinner Theater, which was a great play. We really enjoyed it.

In other news, school has been keeping me very busy. I've been missing school frequently lately for doctor's appointments, so it seems like I'm always playing catchup. The good news is that I don't have any more appointments for a couple weeks. In addition, this is "College Week" at my school. My National Honor Society students and I are hosting events all week to encourage students to go to college, so that's extra work on top of my usual load. Plus, spring is always a little crazy because the kids start to lose focus rapidly. But, I am pleased to note that we only have 5 1/2 weeks left before summer vacation!

Starting tomorrow, Mike and I will be attending photography classes at the local rec center, so that should be fun. Mike is hoping to learn more about his new camera, and I will hopefully learn some tips for my yearbook class.

Lesa's wedding is only two weeks away, so that's our big event coming up! Can't wait to see everyone.

Santa Fe #2

2010-03-30T19:40:00.003-06:00

Black or Blue?

2010-03-28T11:40:00.004-06:00

I've been helping my mom design Tyler's graduation announcements. I have two proto-types. Trying to decide if they should be black or blue??

I created a basic envelope and then the actual invitations pulls out from the envelope.

New Mexico #1

2010-03-26T18:58:00.004-06:00

Here are a few pictures from our weekend in Santa Fe. I have more pictures on the camera I took to work, but I forgot to bring it home today, so I'll have to post more later.

We're going to spend the weekend planting seeds (indoor starters) in anticipation of the garden, grocery shopping, and running errands.

Aspen Plays Statue

2010-03-17T17:21:00.003-06:00

In the summer, I always keep a pot of flowers in the corner where the deck benches meet, but Aspen has taken to "playing statue" this winter and spring while the pot isn't there. She loves to sit up there and look out at what's going on in the yard--until she sees a squirrel that is and then she tears after it. Luckily, she can't actually catch one, but they do come down onto the deck and incite her. I swear they taunt her on purpose into chasing them and then they go up the tree and chatter at her, teasing because she's too slow.

I've spent most of the week working on school work inside while she plays in the yard, but I did take her on a hike Mountain to Round Mountain on Monday and then this afternoon a neighbor and I took her and Sienna (the neighbor's dog) to Rabbit Mountain Open Space for a long hike, so she's enjoying my Spring Break too. We had a high of 69 degrees today, so it was just beautiful outdoor weather. Of course, it's supposed to be snowing and 30 degrees again by Friday, but for a day or two its felt like spring!

Besides school work, I've also been busy catching up on doctor and dentist appointments, and I took the GRE this morning. In addition, they came Monday and Tuesday and installed our new windows, so that's exciting! They do look much nicer than the old ones and are much more insulated too. We are leaving tomorrow for our impromptu road trip down to Santa Fe, so I will post more pictures from that when we get home.

Spring Break Here I Come...

2010-03-11T17:28:00.002-07:00

I'm so looking forward to a slower pace for the next week. It would be even better if I was off to the beach or some other fabulous trip, but at least I can sleep in until 6am (gasp!) and maybe sit down to a leisurely lunch on a couple of the days. Yes, I know these are not major achievements in the real world, but work comes early for me, and it's hard to make time for lunch when you are never alone and have more classes looming on the horizon all the time, so it will be a novelty for me.

I'm planning to spend a good portion of the week doing some advance lesson planning to ease the workload after break, and I've also carted home quite a stack of papers to grade, but at least I can do these at home in a pair of jeans, and take some breaks in between. Plus, Aspen's excited (she just doesn't know it yet) because she will be able to hang out with mom and won't have to be in her crate during the day!

A Little Craft Project

2010-02-28T13:42:00.004-07:00

I've had a nice, relaxing weekend, with not too much schoolwork to do. That's one of the benefits of a new school term because I don't have essays to grade yet. It takes a couple weeks before we get done writing one and the grading frenzy begins. So, I spent most of yesterday afternoon working on a craft project, creating an organizer to holder papers and pens on my desk downstairs. I purchased this plain white organizer from a scrapbook store in Fort Collins...

And then covered the whole thing in paper and embellishments and added some photos to get this final product...

I've also been busy baking this weekend. I used some leftover bread that I didn't want to go to waste to make a batch of bread crumbs and then still had bread so I made an apple bread pudding. Then, I made homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting yesterday. Mike has made a big pot of ham and bean stew and a fresh loaf of bread for dinner today too, so we are eating well.

I spent 1.5 hours at the dog park this morning with Aspen too. The bad news is that it was very muddy. The good news is that the city is putting down mulch to deal with the mud. While we were there, the Sheriff's Work Crew arrived with wheelbarrows, rakes, and a truckload of mulch and started hauling it in and spreading it around. Most of the other dogs were content to play elswhere and ignore the workers, but Aspen was fascinated and kept trying to sneak out the gate when they opened it for the wheelbarrows. As a result, they had to assign one man from the workcrew just to stand and guard the gate to sheperd Aspen away and let the wheelbarrows through...They were all laughing and making jokes about my dog and her attempts to "break out," which is ironic given that the workers weren't exactly voluntary themselves.

Anyway, looking forward to a couple more lazy hours this afternoon and then I will have to turn my attention toward preparing for the week...Have a good week everyone.

Update

2010-02-25T19:34:00.002-07:00

Well, the second trimester is over! I'm 2/3 done with another school year, and only 1 more term to go! I've been grading papers like crazy, but now for a couple of days I don't have anything to grade...if only that would last!

It's been snowing off and on again here, but the good news is that it's starting to warm up slightly during the days. Enough to form icicles on the gutters during the day, which come crashing down outside the back patio door at least once a day.

I've been fighting a cold this week in addition, so it's been a challenge, but I'm starting to feel better finally. And, it's only two weeks until spring break!

Happy Valentine!

2010-02-14T10:45:00.002-07:00

Happy Valentine's day everyone....It's a cold, clear day in Colorado, but everyone is going to have a good day hopefully. The city of Loveland was featured during CBS's Sunday Morning show this week to discuss our Valentine's hearts displays and remailing programs, so that was cool.

Mike and I actually celebrated yesterday with a lovely seafood feast at Pappadeaux's in Westminster and some window shopping. Lobster, calamari, crawfish foundeaux, all sorts of good foods, and we have enough left over for dinner tonight too! Today, it's back to work for me grading papers and Mike has a concert today. Hope you all enjoy your day!

This, that, and wedding invitations

2010-01-30T17:56:00.006-07:00

I know I've been neglecting my blog lately, but it's been a busy couple of weeks. And, let's face it, my life is just not that interesting. I've been a work-a-holic these last two weeks, spending many late nights at school because of conferences (10 extra hours of talking to parents this month!), yearbook deadlines, and trying to learn some new technology I got through a grant. Then, I've been spending my time at home making wedding invitations for Lesa. I've never made so many of the same design before.

In addition, it was with sadness that we learned this week of the passing of my Uncle Bill and Owen Richieleiu, a dear friend of Mike's parents, so I've made some sympathy cards this week as well. We certainly have these families in our thoughts.

Then, Mike's truck broke down on the way home from work Wednesday night, so that certainly complicated our lives--and took a hit on our pocketbook--for a few days. But, he has his truck back now, complete with a new fuel pump and battery. Then today, we spent what money we had left ordering new windows for the house, since our house is so drafty and non-energy efficient. I know we need them and that it will help our heating bills tremendously, but I have to say I just can't get excited about this purchase. Yes, they will be nice to have, but they just aren't fun to shop for. I was struck by how much shopping for windows is similar to shopping for a new car, complete with very attentive salemen, viewing of models, and paperwork sessions.

I am enjoying the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven right now! Mike has been on a kick lately, with bread making every weekend. Which, I certainly appreciate. Imagine a husband who bakes! Last week's bread had good flavor but was a little too dense. It certainly appears that Mike has overcome that problem successfully this week. Take a look at this beauty...I can't wait to try it!

Weekend Comings and Goings

2010-01-18T20:14:00.003-07:00

Spent Saturday running errands, grocery shopping, and trying on dresses at David's bridal and sending pictures to Lesa by cellphone so that she could pick the one she liked. Here's the one I ended up purchasing, but not in this color. Lesa and Colin have chosen a clover green. Then, I ran around buying materials to make wedding invitations for Lesa nad Colin. Didn't actually get any invitations made...that has to happen too.

Today, I've been grading papers, making lesson plans, and I visited two different dentists for a cleaning and adjustment to my braces. All in all, not a very exciting weekend, although a very busy one.

I was trying to think of a more interesting topic for my blog, but I couldn't come up with one, and wanted to write something...I always feel guilty when I don't post for more than a week. I have become endebted to my blog for time now, and hear it calling my name. As if I didn't have enough to do without inventing new responsibilities for myself, but of course, I also enjoy writing here. My Wii Fit is the same way. I like it, but when I miss a day, it chides me. The thing talks and reminds me that I'm not going to meet my goal if I don't do it every day. I'm now getting a guilt trip from my technology! This picture is somehow flawed. Makes me avoid my exercise routine even more because I can't handle the pressure :).

Birthday Weekend Photos!

2010-01-10T14:55:00.004-07:00

Here are some pictures from our day in Estes Park. We had fun snowshoeing with Aspen and then had an amazing dinner at the Chalet Room at Mary's Lake Lodge...oyster rockerfeller, lobster bisque, and ciopinno. Yum!-I do love seafood.

The half-way mark has been reached!

2010-01-07T20:42:00.002-07:00

We are officially over with the first half of the school year now, and I think it is going by extremely fast. The kids, sadly, do not agree. They profess to be very upset to return to school, but I think many of them are secretly happy to be back. We've been back to school all week, and we are getting back into the routine of things slowly.

Plus, it's been really cold here (-12 for a low and +12 for a high), and we have snow that's just not melting and then more added to it yesterday, so it's hard to want to be outside.

I don't have too much to report right now. Tomorrow is my 30th birthday, so I guess that should be a big deal, but I'm still going to work. We are going to go up to Estes Park Saturday to celebrate a little bit, so that will be nice. I will have to post pictures after the weekend.

Merry Christmas Everyone

2009-12-28T16:39:00.002-07:00

We made it home from Nevada this afternoon after a good Christmas. We've been away for more than a week, but it sure went by fast. We all enjoyed lots of good food, playing the Wii, and everyone spoiled Aspen as well. Right after we arrived, she got hurt. We don't know for sure, but the working hypothesis is that she was kicked by a cow (She had an inordinate interest in the cows and headed toward their pens the minute she was let outside every time!). She limped around for the evening and had a stiff leg the next day, but it could have been much worse and she recovered quickly. In the meantime, she had everyone sneaking her treats and she also chased after the four-wheelers which she loves, and she had her own Christmas stocking to open, so she made out pretty good in the end. She enjoyed the bone her Grandma Harper gave her. I didn't let her keep it on Christmas because their were other dogs around, but I gave it back to her when we got home and she promptly "buried" it in the sofa and put a pillow on top of it. We won't find it there! She also liked the ball her Grandma Anderson gave her, though she's already got the stuffing coming out of it.

We all had a good Christmas and ate way too many treats, so Mike and I will have to make a resolution to eat better (more vegetables and less desserts) now that we are home again. It was great watching everyone play "Active Life" games on the Wii, jumping around and stomping. We even got Grandma to play once. Lesa took the pictures of that, so I will have to have her email me some to post. Now, it's back to work and cleaning up the house.

Chocolate overload!

2009-12-19T16:05:00.003-07:00

I've been busy making cookies all morning and freezing them to take with me (to give the family a stomache ache from too many sweets judging from the richness of these cookies). Now, I have to figure out how I am going to fit two carloads of clothes, presents, and dog into one car. And, we are also nervously watching the weather. It's supposed to snow in Wyoming on Tuesday! But, we will work it out.

There's always so much to do to get ready for a trip, especially a car trip. Laundry, packing, repacking, getting frustrated and trying again, and you need coolers for food and snacks, hotel rooms that accept dogs, and of course we can't leave home without an entourage of dog toys, snacks, and portable crates. Plus, we have to check in the with the neighbors about feeding the cat and watching the house, bringing in mail, cancelling newspaper subscriptions, etc...

Lots to do before Tuesday! But, I'm looking forward to seeing my friend Megan and her husband and two adorable children on Tuesday night in Salt Lake as we pass through. And, then of course arriving at my family's house for Christmas.

Busiest Time of the Year

2009-12-14T21:26:00.002-07:00

I've been busy creating all sorts of crafty projects lately, but I can't post pictures of them because they are all gifts for people who read my blog. Maybe after Christmas. My craft room is looking like a cyclone hit, so come January I'm going to have to go into clean up mode too.

I am excited that we only have 4 more days of school before break begins, and then two whole weeks off! I'm really ready for a break. This time of year is so busy with all the extra activities and events at school. I spent all day at school on Saturday helping to host a breakfast with Santa for 200 elementary students. I was the official Santa photographer so I saw lots of happy, cute kids and quite a few crying babies too. It's so funny to me how they can be so scared of santa one year, and so enthralled the next! Then, I graded papers yesterday, so it really doesn't feel like I had a weekend at all. But, the end is in sight...

We are looking forward to seeing my family next week. We wish we could see Mike's family too, but we will see them soon. Packages have been sent!

Brr....it's cold outside!

2009-12-09T20:38:00.002-07:00

It's been so cold here that I'm really excited by tomorrow's forecast. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I'm celebrating because it's going to warm up tomorrow to 25F for a high! Given we haven't been out of the single digits and have spent most of our time lately below zero, that seems much better. It's currently -8F. I'm sitting in front of a space heater because it's cold inside even. You can't go outside without feeling like your insides are being seared and your nose frozen with every breath.

It's a great day to stay inside. Even Aspen doesn't want to go outside because all the snow on the ground has become icy and gets stuck in her paws. She starts limping after a few feet and whines, holding her paw up for you to clean out.

So, we will hope for better weather tomorrow!

Snow Day!

2009-12-06T10:30:00.005-07:00

We woke up to about 5-6 inches of snow this morning (and it's still snowing), so Aspen was very excited. She guilt tripped me into taking her out by following me around staring with those sad, sad eyes, so I pull on the snow pants, snow boots, hats, scarves, ear muffs, coats, gloves, and extra socks and we headed out. She gets so excited by the snow that she wants to run, not walk, so here I am jogging through 6 inches of powder with my dog pulling me along like I'm a sled. I'm sure you can already picture the comic value in this, knowing me, but it gets better. The trouble is, with all the snow, it is hard to tell where the sidewalk ends and the curb begins so we are jogging along and I miss the edge of the sidewalk and my feet find nothing and I go down. So, I'm laying flat out on the sidewalk, and Aspen decides to come back to me and lick my face. Of course, this couldn't be private. Just as it happens there's a car going down the street, so he stops and rolls down the window to see if I'm okay, and he's laughing hysterically at me the whole time!

We get up and jog on and run through the park and all its pristine snow, come home, go around the block and she still has energy so we head into the backyard to play. Then, I'm trying to get down the steps off the deck in my snow boots, big pants, and all the stairs covered in snow and I slip and go down again. What does Aspen do? She runs back to me while I'm lying on the ground, grabs ahold of the end of my scarf, and runs off with it to start a game of keep away. Too bad I didn't have the camera with me!

We played in the backyard for nearly an hour. She still wants to go out and play more, but I'm exhausted already! It's a good day to stay in the house, bake cookies, work on my Christmas cards and gift wrapping, and of course, somewhere in there, I will have to do some school work! Happy December!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-26T19:23:00.005-07:00

Mike and I had a lovely Thanksgiving for two and so far an enjoyable week off work. I hope everyone has a great holiday. I am thankful for my wonderful husband, my adorable dog Aspen (who's currently asleep on my couch and so cute that I don't have it in me to yell at her), our great home and life, and, of course, all our families. Hope everyone had a great day. With love...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Odds and Ends

2009-11-23T18:40:00.006-07:00

It's official. I've finally started working on my Christmas cards. These are my first two designs. I love the pine tree one because I have this material called "flower soft" which attachs to the tree to give it a fuzzy texture. Now, I only have about 20 more to make!

It's my goal to finish most of these during this week since I have it off. We are also planning to get our Christmas lights put up outside and maybe even get the inside decorations up. It's a little earlier than I usually decorate, but I figure I'd better get it in while I have time. Plus, I want to work on some Christmas shopping next weekend too.

I'm planning to cook my turkey tomorrow! I know that's unconventional, but with just the two of us we have to spread things out more. This way, we can have turkey for the rest of the week. In addition, we have to spread out the sides. We'll have stuffing with turkey tomorrow, cranberry sauce with turkey paninis on Wednesdsay, and so on...By the end of the week, we should have experienced all the Thanksgiving flavors we want.

Aspen has had a fun weekend because our next door neighbors finally got a puppy. Her name is Sienna, and she's very cute, very hyper, and very bitey...but she and Aspen are getting along wonderfully.

Last, but not least, Congratulations to Lesa and Colin who are now officially engaged!

Welcome to winter

2009-11-17T18:12:00.002-07:00

I haven't had much to report in the last few days, but here's my news. I have next week off, which I'm very excited about! We have no plans for Thanksgiving, so I am debating with myself whether the turkey dinner is worth it.

It snowed another 7-8 inches on Saturday, so it's been cold, and I'm fighting off the cold that Mike has had, and losing...

In other news, I finally found my old glasses over the weekend. They fell off the bathroom counter, went under the shelf on the bottom of the vanity, and landed inside the paper tube to a roll of toilet paper that was stored there. I definitely didn't look there.

More to come when I have anything good to report.

Aspen and her Daddy

2009-11-11T19:35:00.003-07:00

Dad's been home sick for two days and what does Aspen learn? To get on the couch and sleep next to daddy. Yes, that's right. Mike caved and let Aspen on the furniture! I'm sitting on the couch last night and suddenly up she comes. Turns out that she's been sharing that spot with dad. After all that lecturing Mike gave me about being tough, he let her on the furniture first! Then, we've been letting her up on the bed for a few minutes to visit, though she doesn't get to sleep there. So, now we are both indulgent parents! I hope we are better at enforcing the rules when we have kids!

Today she stayed in her kennel all day! I probably shouldn't be celebrating after only one day, but it's a good sign. Maybe we've finally got it worked out so that she can't get out. Time will tell...