Kai James

This guy is FIVE today!

Probably no different than every other mom whose first child turns 5, but I gotta say it:  

Man, time really flies. How did he get SO big?

This last year has been lots of changes for this growing boy;

He rides a pedal bike alone without training wheels,

He goes to preschool,

He digs "man time" with Dad,

He enjoys artwork especially when it includes glue or scissors, 

He sleeps on the top bunk,

He's growing as a helper and role model with his lil bro and lil sis,

He still loves weapons and imaginary play,

And he is constantly applying life's lessons!

Happy Birthday to our KAI-MAN! A BLESSING that started out in such a small package and just keeps growing bigger and better in every way!

Happy Apple Farm

Happy Fall!

We ventured south to Penrose, CO with friends on Friday to enjoy Fall and pick apples at the 

HAPPY APPLE FARM.

Great thing is.....they had apples, berries, AND pumpkins!

Campbell, Kai, Eli, Addie, and Reese waiting for the hayride back to the car.

It's a very cute orchard, dazzled everywhere with Fall decor.  I loved the colors, corn husk bundles, pumpkins, hay bales, scarecrows, etc! We picked raspberries, apples, and 1 small pumpkin. Something for each to hold. We took a hayride out into the fields (Eli's favorite part), sampled berries to our heart's delight (Addie's favorite part), and reached for the most plump, worm-free apples with the apple picker tools (Kai's favorite part). A beautiful day and great time enjoyed with good friends (my favorite part).

Kai and Addie climbing an apple tree.

Campbell and Kai .....buds.

Hayride groupies. 

The berry pickers!

This girl LOVES her raspberries!

The "girls" LOved their berries I should say....Reese sampling a fist full.

Kai going for the good ones.....using the apple picker.

Eli was Mommy's helper holding the bag and sampling multiple apples in the process.

Now, what to do with 10 lbs. of tiny apples? Shall I attempt apple pie, taking a stab at homemade crust? A peeling nightmare FOR SURE.  We will see how the week pans out.....not feeling the cooking vibe amidst a busy week thus far. However, late night sweet treats are my weak spot. :) Enjoy Fall as the long sunny days slip away from us. 

A quick 5

It's finally below 70 degrees today and raining for the 1st time in MONTHS it seems. The coolness is a welcome treat for mid-Sept. I'm cozy in tights and fury boots....ah, I'm digging it. I might be scrounging to even come up with 5 things here for the quick 5, but really making an effort to keep this blog rolling!

1.  Welcome fall, not so welcome flu. 'Tis the season. Poor Addie girl is plugging through the yuckiness today. I guess we added another bonus to having wood floors with kids instead of carpet! Just easier to clean.

2. Kai is in Preschool! He is loving it. He's verbal and social and it's the perfect spot for him. During drop off I felt my eyes gaining moisture as we were ready to part and THEN Eli started sadly questioning "leave Kai?" leave Kai?" Thrown off completely the moisture disappeared and I tried to explain that we would pick Kai up in a couple hours....."leave Kai?" Eli's tears began. So precious. He didn't want to leave his big bro even for a minute! He cried for him all the way home. On day 2 for drop off he held back his tears but he sadly questioned  "leave Kai?" again. Kai resisted going on 2nd day (although quite tickled his brother would actually miss him), but came out with GLOWING reviews of his time! He was super pumped to come home with the "show n tell bag" to highlight one of the many treasures hidden in his MESSY room! Yes, thank goodness the teacher clarifies ONE item and it MUST fit in the bag! We are still contemplating WHICH item to take! Decisions, decisions.

Kai decorated his own sign "First Day of Preschool"

The blue star in the background is Kai's backpack hook.

3. I came home from work last Friday to hear from Kai that Daddy taught him to make his hands peel with glue when they were bored in the afternoon. It took me a minute to digest that and I wasn't really sure how to react to that. Thanks daddy for the critical life lesson in "the many uses of glue." No need for more lessons in this area please :)

4. Just admit me to the psych ward! I'm 30 and loosing it! I have no good excuses. Stress, well yes. Busy schedule, most certainly. Menopause, don't think so. Pregnancy, not. I just seem to be racking up the examples of brain obliteration.
    1. Made puppy chow to take to party 15 mins before we left. Had it in hand.....got OVER half way there (20 mins from home) and realized I set it on steps and left without it. Seriously?
    2. Wonderful Sunday morning walk in the park with a great friend. Chit chatting over coffee. Ready to leave and pick up family for church and realized 20 ft from the car I didn't have my keys. Yep, locked in the car. Derrick drives all kids in the truck WITHOUT carseats to the park 10 mins from our house to bring me the spare key.
    3. There's more, really. I just can't remember. Just part of this syndrome I've contracted........

5. Eli has a new phrase, "awe." Yah I know, not much to it but it's hilarious when he sticks it in context. He says it usually to indicate he's bummed about something, instead of saying "bummer." And of course the phrase comes complete with an Eli facial expression. That's why we call him our funny man!
 

3rd Annual Balloon Launch

What would Labor Day be without the Colorado Springs Hot Air Balloon Launch?!

We started taking the kids when we moved into the Springs and Eli was just a baby. Pictured it.....double stroller, crying baby, donuts, coffee spilling, walking 5 blocks to get there......seemed fun then (see 1st pic). Last year we started a tradition with our greatest neighbors, the Gaw's (see 2nd pic)........donuts, juice, coffee and a blanket! It's so simple and the kids rave about it all year! Well, we did it again this year, even got our Aunt Mimi to join us!

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

THIRD YEAR 

The second the blanket hits the grass the kids are all itching for donuts!!

Eli with his sprinkle donut!

Campbell and Kai. Chocolate and sprinkles are very important.

Rev and Derrick, the Dutch Bros coffee homies.

Reese and Eli watching for the helicopter that was circling with riders before the balloons launched.

My Addie-girl was soooo excited. She was dancing around after her donut watching the balloons expand before take-off.

Feel the excitement?

Aunt Mimi joined us for this early adventure! What a trooper.

One of my favorite things about the balloons is the vibrant color displays.

Aunt Mimi and the munchkins

Kai's favorite balloon....Smokey the Bear.



Unfortunately, we didn't get to stay to watch ALL the balloons go up this year, but we did catch the whole first wave of 20 or so. It is such a unique site.......50+ balloons sailing away from the mountains. Makes me want to ride in one again every year..........as Derrick and I did for our 1st anniversary across the Virginia countryside. Some day we will. 

Our 1st Anniversary in VA for a December balloon ride!

The greatest thing about vacation

After paging through all our pics from vacation to SD, I concluded the very best part of the 9 days was the PEOPLE. We spent time laughing and making memories with MANY different people we don't normally see while there. 

1. My grandma's brother and his wife from California, Dick and Joyce, stayed with us several days at my parents. It was such a blessing to hear old stories about my grandma, whom I have only vague memories of in the nursing home because she died when I was young of Multiple Sclerosis. So many things unquestioned that I had imagined a much different life and personality for my grandma than others recall of her. Funny how our brains fill in the unknown reality but not with truth. Definitely causes me to value truth and provides a lesson to me that I must seek out Truth.

2.We also got to welcome Fletcher Hansen, my cousin Eric and his wife Karin's 1st baby! Derrick and I visited and held him in the hospital! What a treat! It was bittersweet reminscing with Derrick about our  first days/months as parents after meeting little Fletcher. It brought tears to my eyes thinking back to all the "firsts." Like the car ride home from the hospital, the nights checking for breathing, etc. It makes me excited for Eric and Karin and other new parents. For us, it has been an amazing adventure since those first days of learning and growing together. It hasn't been until recently that we can see how far the Lord has brought us in our understanding and wisdom as parents that we can really appreciate those "firsts." There's so many times I've felt inadequate and unequipped to do this "MOM" job but that's part of the PROCESS.  It's all in the journey. God prepared Derrick and I specifically for our little guys.  He will equip us too. They are His blessings to us. I say this with a humble heart. It has taken me almost 5 years to articulate difficult challenges, tears, failure and heartbreak to this simple lesson. And I still don't have it figured out.....lots more growing to occur. But I appreciate the times I am able to remember the then and now and am encouraged through it.

3. My brother's both have new houses in Rapid City. Which is exciting. It is the place I'd like to be in a month or two, painting and settling into something we can call our own. The house hunting up to this point has been mostly disappointing and discouraging if you want my brutal honesty. However, I'm constantly reminding myself of Christ's Church. It is the people who believe who make the CHURCH, not the building we hold a service in. Just the same, our HOME is not just the building......and we plug on with faith God provides all things in his timing and as part of His plan. 

Kai wading in the creek in Silver City, where my Grandpa has a cabin.

Addie and Eli painting themselves with mud and LOVING every second of it. They didn't enjoy the forced dunk in the cold creek quite as much :(

Addie's paintbrush rock.

The momma and dadda cooling off.

Eli getting a ride from Frankie (my cousin's little guy) on the ATV. Yikes!

Kai and Henry (Frankie's big bro) very busy playing in the stick fort!

Driving trucks up the rock together while we watched rock climbing!

Kai's first stab at rock climbing behind Mt. Rushmore!

My Uncle Pete and Henry playing Transformers.

Addie busy with her sticks.

Kai found Uncle Reid's old Lego Connect set. We eventually figured it out. Spaceship? Not sure he really knew what he was making.

The boys building a damn on the shore at Pactola Lake with the help of my cousin, Erica.

My cousin, Julia and Addie burying their feet in the cool muddy sand.

E-man finding the perfect rocks to throw.

My little munchkins....loved digging in the sand and throwing rocks at Pactola.

Daddy and Eli bonding on the banks of Pactola :)

One happy traveler! Fudge popsicles at Great Grandpa ED's in Longmont on our way home (AKA Grandpa Louie)

Apple picking with GG Louie.

Apple pickers! Green apples straight from the tree! Yummy!

Derrick, Grandpa Ed and the kiddos after filling 2 bags of apples!

Until next summer SD......

Reid & Kelly's wedding

We had about 3 days of wedding whirl wind, a week of out-of-town family, and still time to unwind and include our normal SD summer adventures in the past week! We kicked off the trip with a wedding extravaganza at the Nemo Guest Ranch, SD.  My sister-in-law planned an amazing time to celebrate their commitment to each other! To my great dismay, I didn't have a single pic of the bride & groom in wedding attire on my camera (really? how does that happen?). However, at this photo site are AMAZINGLY stunning pics of our Uncle Reido and his bride, AUNT Kelly! 

Not getting wet in the creek during the wedding rehearsal :)

My bro Kyle and I were both in the wedding party. We look more alike than I thought.....

The proud mothers....and probably slightly stressed at this point, but definitely not showing it.

Kai buttoning up his suit. What a charmer. However, he already refuses to wear it again LOL.

Addie getting all dolled up with the stylist. She was diggin' it!

Watch out ladies, these 2 may be double trouble in about 15 years! 

 Derrick did his own little photo shoot against one of the barns while we were waiting for family pics.  It was such a cool background and perfect lighting! These kids crack me up!

Mom and Addie ready for the ceremony.

My boyz.

Snapped quick after posing & smiling for a long time....quite impressive really.

Post ceremony joyride! Eli and 2nd cousin Frankie driving, oh gezz!!!

Dance partners.

Reception entertainment. Dolly ride.

 Kai and Eli borrowed some wild hair to get the party started! My kids talked for days about dancing at the wedding.....and boy did we dance! We kicked it off with the band's 1st song and they didn't stop grooving until 9pm (about 2 hrs of kicking up their heels between speeches, etc)!

Props to my sister-in-law on a creative and unique wedding! I enjoyed the little details the most. The program and agenda was written on chalkboard-painted old doors and windows, which I loved with the setting of the guest ranch! They had yard games to enjoy at the reception (like bean bag toss, washer toss, and huge Jenga blocks) and other kid entertainment (like fun straws in their canning jar cups, glow sticks after dark and dolly rides). It was incredible planning and such a fun atmosphere to enjoy!

We are ALL psyched to have Kelly in the family and keep our Uncle Reid in line :)! The kids all LOVE her. Eli has taken a special liking to her since the beginning, always talking about his "aunt T-elly"). Congrats guys!