It's a Wonderful Life

Snow Day and Other Stuff

2012-02-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

I have been lax at blogging lately. The same old same old routine stuff has been going on. Nothing exciting to report. Time is flying by... to fast for my liking.

We did have some excitement around here last weekend. On Friday we got a huge snow storm. By the time the storm was over, we got about 20 inches of snow. Ava and Molly loved playing in it. Rachel, not so much. It was up to her waist and way to much work to even walk in it. She wouldn't keep her mittens on so she was cold as well. In true princess fashion, they wore the princess dresses on top of their snow pants. A pain in the neck getting them dressed and undressed but they did look cute!!

Mike and I were somewhat bummed at the timing at the timing of the storm. Over a year ago, we were asked to be table leaders at an Engaged Couple Retreat at our church. If you get married in the catholic church, you are required to attended this retreat which is offered several times a year.This weekend was the biggest retreat ever! 36 couples attended! Fortunately, only the Friday evening portion got canceled. We started bright and early on Saturday morning. Mike and I have definitely found our ministry. We are so excited to give back to our wonderful church. It is so much fun to be mentors for these newly engaged couples. So exciting to watch them take this huge step of marriage. Mike and I got a lot out of the weekend and realized just how far we have come in our relationship. Such a rewarding experience. The next step is meeting with each of our couples individually.

My wonderful hubby had a birthday on Monday. With our crazy schedules, we were able to celebrate with Sushi. The first time we attempted taking the girls with us. Although it was nice to have the entire family with us to celebrate, the sushi did NOT taste the same. Next time, NO KIDS allowed! I got Mike tickets to see Lady Antebellum in concert next week. So, we get to have a kid free birthday celebration and a date night! So excited!

Happy Weekend Blogger Friends!!

School

2012-01-12T07:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Rachel had her first day of preschool. She was more than ready. I like to believe it was the good preparation I did. We did the countdown and I explained several times that I was going to drop her off. I wasn't she she understood. I began to get worried when she walked into Molly's classroom, took her coat off and hung it in a cubby! :)Maybe it was because she feels so comfortable there. She has dropping her sisters in that classroom since she was 3 months old! We grabbed her coat and backpack and went upstairs to her classroom. The teacher gave me a quick hug, grabbed Rachel and took her right into the classroom. She immediately got her working on a art project. I didn't even get a chance to kiss her goodbye! I stayed for a couple of minutes by the door. I was able to blow her a kiss and she blew one back to me. I expected a few tears..and I must admit I am a little sad. Aren't you going to miss me? Even a little? Even though it's one day a week for 3 hours, I can't believe how fast she is growing up!

Christmas at a glance

2011-12-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

Once again, we were all spoiled this Christmas. Santa was VERY good to the 5 of us! So very blessed!

We had such a great time with family and our cousins Bryn, Avery and Emily were here!

Neighborhood Holiday Party

2011-12-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

We love going to the clubhouse to celebrate the holidays with our friends and neighbors!
The highlight is always the horse and carriage ride through the neighborhood! Rachel loved every second of it! Even the stinky horses!

After the horse ride we went inside for yummy food and hot chocolate! And of course to see Santa. Rachel was scared to death of him! She would NOT let go of me. We decided not to push it this year to get a picture. But Molly and Ava were more than happy to pose with Mr. Claus.

Ava's Christmas Program

2011-12-18T08:20:00.000-08:00

On Monday night, Ava had her performance. She was an angel and had a speaking part! We were very proud when she spoke clear and loudly into the microphone!

Molly's Christmas Program

2011-12-16T08:16:00.000-08:00

Holy Moley! Tis the season to be behind in blogging! So much going on!
Last week Molly had her last Christmas program as a preschooler! Makes me a bit sad. The girls' preschool always does such a great job celebrating and teaching the true meaning of Christmas. Molly was a bell ringer. We had a crazy busy night that night. Molly and Ava both had gymnastics. So, we had an half our to change clothes and eat dinner before Molly performance. The pictures showed just how exhausted Molly was. I did get some good shots after the show though!

Light Parade

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Our whole family had quite the treat on Saturday night! My parents braved the freezing cold temps and took all 3 girls downtown Denver to the parade. My dad has taken Ava before but this way the first year for Molly and Rachel. Aside from the cold temps, they had a GREAT time!

And Mike and I got a much needed date night! We did a LOT of talking, had Sushi and got some shopping done! GREAT night!

Stolen camera

2011-12-05T13:48:00.001-08:00

Not sure when but the girls took over my camera. I didn't realize it until I downloaded them onto my computer! Here is some of what I found. Mighty creative!

A day of fun with my girls

2011-12-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

Lately, I have been feeling that time is going by way to quickly! We have been so busy. I have decided to take advantage of having Molly home two days a week. Next year with her being in Kindergarten, I will not be able to do activities during the week anymore. This makes me very sad. I have grieved when this happened with Ava so it will be easier but my babies are growing up way too fast for my liking! Next year it will be just Rachel and me! I realized that Rachel has never been to the Children's Museum. I think I took Ava and Molly there once a week when they were her age. So sad! We had fun and it's so much easier with two instead of three!

Gymnastics

2011-11-29T15:37:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Molly and Ava were in a gymnastic show. We weren't sure what to expect because this was our first of it's kind. We were expecting a "show" of some kind. Although it had a disney theme, it was more of a mock meet. We followed both Molly and Ava through all the events. The floor, the beam, the bars and the vault.

Molly is advancing rapidly! She was asked to be in an "invite" only class back in March. She goes for two days a week for an hour a class. The week before Thanksgiving she was moved up to the next level. She will now go two days a week for 90 minutes a class. She LOVES it! Selfishly I am not sure how I feel spending so much time at the gym! She is on the fast track for sure. The next level, meets 3 days a week for two hours a class! Such a commitment! And with three kids? Life is going to get even more crazy than it already is!!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T15:08:00.001-08:00

We just returned from yet another wonderful trip to AZ! Traveling is getting so hassle free. No more strollers, and only one car seat and two boosters! And Ava and Molly can carry them. Makes such a huge difference. The weather was beautiful. Close to 80. We are so blessed to have such wonderful family we always welcome us with open arms. The girls have such a GREAT time with their cousins! Wish we lived closer. Here are some highlights from our trip.....

To celebrate Uncle Kevin's and Emily's birthday, we went to a bbq place called Buffalo Chips. We all loaded into two suburbans and were taken by drivers. We were in the red car equipped with red bandannas. The other car was the blue car and we were challenged with trivia. So much fun! The girls had a great time and Aunt Nancy thought of everything!

One morning we visited the train museum park. This is one of my favorite places to visit in Scottsdale. Such a great park with a train and a carousel. We had a picnic lunch there too!

One night we went to Rainforest Cafe for dinner. Mike and I had eaten there before but the girls hadn't. Rachel LOVED every moment of it! It was so much fun to watch her reaction to all the animals! The food wasn't that great and was very overpriced but the experience was worth it for sure!

And of course Thanksgiving day! Aunt Nancy brought gingerbread houses to occupy the girls while dinner was prepared. Such a great idea! The girls loved it! One of their favorite holiday activities! I just wish we could have brought them home with us!!

The Best Halloween EVER!!

2011-10-31T20:10:00.000-07:00

I love the fact that my kids are getting older and really enjoy Trick or Treating. Mike and I anticipated our evening being the same as it was last year. We go to the houses on our cul-de-sac and then the girls are ready to come home and give out candy. Not this year! The girls were unstoppable! Miss Social Ava had a lot of houses throughout the neighborhood that she had to go to! Not sure why since all her friends were out trick or treating! Rachel enjoyed every piece of candy. And didn't understand that she was lagging behind. The older girls were so patient and waited with their fingers on the doorbell until Rachel made it to the porch. We stayed out until 8:30 this year. The latest ever! The girls got so much candy! And we weren't home to give out any of our candy so we will be eating candy for quite a while I am afraid. I got a couple of pictures but forgot my camera because again, I didn't expect the night to go as it did!

Halloween Weekend

2011-10-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy weekend. On Friday night, Molly's school had the annual Fall Fundraiser. We always have fun there. I didn't bring take any pictures because I helped serve the food. The kids played carnival games, did cake walks, and we ate a yummy taco dinner. The highlight of the evening was when our name was drawn for a raffle. We won two nights and three days at a condo in Steamboat! We can't wait to go there. Now we have to decide if we go in the winter to ski or the summer to the hot springs.

It was so nice not to have soccer on Saturday. We were able to sleep in a little and lounge around for a while. Then we carved our pumpkins. In our pjs. So much fun. The girls actually did a lot of the work themselves! It gets better every year.

Today we went to Mile High Farms. I have been looking for a inexpensive pumpkin patch to attend for a few years now. We had to drive to Eastern Colorado but we found one. So much fun and the weather was BEAUTIFUL! Hard to believe we got a bunch of snow 3 days ago! We did it all at the patch.

Happy Halloween! I will post more pictures of my little trick or treaters tomorrow night!!

Fun in the Leaves

2011-10-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

The girls favorite fall chore is raking leaves. They don't seem to mind raking big piles as long as they can jump into them. I love raking leaves too as long as it's warm! This year the weather cooperated so we decided to get a "head start" on our leaves. We still have two big trees in our yard that haven't started shedding their leaves yet but our backyard was covered so I am sure that we will have several more raking sessions!!

Soccer

2011-10-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

At the last minute, Ava decided to play soccer this season. It was truly a social thing. It was appealing to her only because her friends were playing. The practices consisted of picking flowers, and giving piggy back rides to all the players. At least she was having fun right? Well, she surprised us during the last game. A new side of Ava appeared. She ran as fast as I have ever seen her run before and she almost scored! We were very proud of her! The season ended just in time for the cold weather to begin!! We are looking forward to Spring soccer.

Hiking with Daddy

2011-10-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Mike decided to spend some quality time with the girls and take them on a hike. There are so many gorgeous places to go around here. They drove into the valley only about 15 minutes from here. Beautiful!

Raccoon Run

2011-10-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Ava's school had their annual fundraiser for the PE department. The kids raise money and get donations on how many laps they run around the track. Ava was quite the trooper and continued to run after she tripped and scrapped her elbow. Molly and Rachel had a great time and loved the popsicles at the end!

East Coast Trip

2011-10-04T14:36:00.000-07:00

I have been putting of writing this blog... Somehow writing it will make it seem like a distant memory. Mike and I had an amazing time on our trip. I was NOT ready to come home! Mike was. I did miss the girls but if I could have just seen them for 10 minutes, I would be good. Nothing like coming home and jumping right back into it all! No slowly getting back into the swing of things.

We didn't take many pictures. Boston is an amazing city and I can proudly say we walked the entire city almost everyday! Good thing because we also ate our way through the city! Oh my gosh... the food! The seafood. I think we had 3 or 4 lobster rolls! And we didn't gain much weight so the walking helped! We did they touristy things.. went on the Freedom Trail, a duck tour, and ate at all the touristy restaurants. We had a pint at the first bar in America. I must say the North End's Italian food rivals Little Italy in New York City. The cannoli's were AMAZING! I may just do a mail order! The older I get realize how important and interesting history is! At one point on our duck tour we were heading down the same street that Paul Revere rode up!

After 3 glorious days in Boston, we headed to Connecticut. We took the scenic route and saw some amazing beaches and trees. We were about a week early to see the major leaf colors. We stayed at a gorgeous resort right on the water in Westbrook Connecticut.

The highlight of the trip was seeing my college roommate Amanda! She got married and was the most beautiful bride! It was so great to see her on her special day! I wish we had more time together!
After the wedding brunch we headed to Newport. I couldn't get enough of this city. There was the shipyard, the church were the Kennedy's got married, and my favorite part was the mansions! WOW! We didn't have much time so we choose one house to see the Breakers. Built by the Vanderbilt's. This mansion was over 100,000 sq. feet! Right on the cliffs of the ocean. Amazingly beautiful! This picture doesn't do it justice!

An amazing trip with my amazing husband! What a wonderful reconnection. It so nice to have uninterrupted talk time! I can't wait to do it again!

Thanks to my wonderful parents for taking care of the girls! I know it had to be exhausting all the running they had to do!!

Celebrating Molly

2011-09-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

Turning 5 must be a huge milestone in a little girl's life. Or at least it is in our family! Molly sure was spoiled! The day before her actual birthday, we celebrated at an indoor pool with some of her girlfriends. I think that all had fun. It was great to hear all the squeals and screaming in the pool!

On her actual birthday, she decided to have Grandma come with her to her classroom. Her class celebrated with birthday cake cones. Then later that evening we celebrated with a small family party. There were tons of wows from both Molly and her sisters! It was defininetely a Barbie birthday. We better be "into" Barbies for a long time!

Five Years

2011-09-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our wonderfully spunky and ever challenging Molly Claire! You came into our lives 5 years ago and have kept us on our toes ever since! What a wonderful little girl you are becoming! We enjoy watching you grow and change! We love you so much!!

White Fence Farm

2011-09-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we had the pleasure of catching up with our friends. We met Kevin, Marie and gang at the White Fence Farm for some good old fried chicken and fun!

The last time we were here was for Ava's 2nd Birthday! I had forgotten just how fun it was! We had tons of fun petting the animals and playing outside!

But, the highlight of the evening was the Honky Tonk Band and watching the girls dance!

Winter Park

2011-09-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had the pleasure of a now yearly getaway to the mountains! We are so lucky! We LOVE Winter Park and hope to have our own place there sometime soon! The weather was amazing and we ran into a few families from our neighborhood in Littleton!
We love hanging out at the base of the ski slopes. There are so many kid activites and it just gets more fun every year! This year Rachel was able to go down the alpine slide and she loves it! That kid has no fear except getting her face painted! But Ava and Molly throughly enjoyed getting their faces done!

Here are some more pictures of various activities we did.

We are blessed to live in such a beautiful state!

Pool Days

2011-08-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

We spent last Thursday at the pool. Probably one of it not the last pool day of the year! Makes me a bit sad. A lot of time was spent there! We went at least twice a week if not more. I am looking forward to next summer when Rachel is an even more independent swimmer!

The turtles

2011-08-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Way back in June,in Texas, my dad watched a mother turtle lay and bury her eggs in the sand. He decided to collect the eggs and bring them home to Colorado for a Science project for the girls. Since most of the eggs don't survive due to raccoons, we thought we could save some turtle lives! So he brought home 27 eggs! We have been anxiously watching and waiting for weeks! The eggs are incubating in an aquarium in our garage. The temp must be a consistent 80 degrees! They are buried in sand and lake water must be poured on top of the sand every day to keep it moist so the turtles are able to dig out!

Well, we received a call on our way home from Minnesota that one turtle hatched! The girls were beside themselves and we couldn't get home fast enough! Indeed we have a new family member! We can't decide on a name...It was crush for a couple of days but as of now it's Startburst!

We are hoping for more to hatch... we shall see!

UPDATE!!!!
We now have quite the turtle factory here! There are a total of 10 turtles as of right now! It's so much fun waking up in the morning to see what has hatched! The girls are loving it! Thank goodness we already have homes for 5 of the turtles so far!

Back to School!

2011-08-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

I am really finding it hard to believe that I have a First Grader! As I helped Ava unload her supplies as her desk, he life flashed before my eyes! Where has the time gone? She is more than ready for 1st Grade. I am the one having the hard time with it! I can't believe that I won't get to have lunch with her everyday. Momma bear has to let go of her little cub I know! It's just that time went by too fast! I am so blessed to have been able to stay home with her for the past 7 years to watch her grow and mature! Her teachers seems great! I am more than confident she is going to have a wonderful year!!

Molly started her last year of preschool! I can't say enough about how wonderful her school is! She has Ava's former teacher whom I love! She was a bit quiet this morning and didn't act to excited to start. I am sure that it was just her nerves! I am so happy that I get to have Molly home with me one more year before Kindergarten. She is going to have a great year!!

Minnesota

2011-08-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Last week we enjoyed a wonderful road trip to Minnesota! We decided to cut the trip in half. The first day we drove to Lincoln, Nebraska. The girls LOVE staying in a hotel. We ordered a crib for Rachel. As soon as she saw it, she started crying. So we made it a fun "sleepover" for the girls! All three of them slept in one bed! The first time Rachel was in a big girl bed. It took a while to fall asleep but they all slept like logs!

The girls had tons of fun with their cousins! Lots and lots of girl time! I think that they had their nails painted everyday and I loved the new hairdos! We spent a lot of time in the pool and on the boat!

And even met some new friends!

And we celebrated Papa's 80th Birthday!!

Thanks Anne and Perry for a wonderful time!

Belmont Talent Show Year 3

2011-07-29T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we had our 3rd Annual Belmont Ave Talent Show. It's hard to believe we have been in this house two years already! The girls look forward to the show every year! So much fun!!

Ava played the recorder and did a hula hoop. Molly did gymnastics and the batton. Rachel is dying to participate next year!!

Cornerstone Park

2011-07-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Last week my parents and I came upon a gem of a place. I have lived here for 14 years and have never been to Belleview Park. What a great place! Wow! We spent the morning going to the petting zoo, riding the train, having a picnic, and playing in the river! We will be going back here soon!!

All about Ava

2011-07-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

So we celebrated Ava's birthday on Tuesday. She got to choose what we did. So, off to the American Girl store we went. Both of her girl dolls got a royal treatment and a new outfit. Then Mike and I took her out for lunch. It was really fun celebrating with her by ourselves. She is becoming quite the big girl!!

Later that evening, we had a little party at home for her. She picked Mike's ribs, baked beans, rolls and an dairy queen ice cream cake.

We hope her birthday was as special as she is!

7 Years!!

2011-07-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Seven years ago today my life changed forever! Thanks Ava for making me a Mom!!

Happy 7th Birthday to my Sweet Girl! I can't believe how much you have grown! You are a wonderful daughter and sister! I hope you have the best birthday ever!!

Birthday Candles

2011-07-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

I am not all that into my birthdays anymore. I try to forget how old I am and just keep telling myself..it's another day! This year was a different story! I had a very memorable birthday "WEEK" thanks to my wonderful hubby! I got the entire week off from cooking. That in and off itself is enough! But Mike went above and beyond that! I had 2 nights off last week. He took the girls out for a walk/bike ride or shopping! And I had a quiet house all to myself! He completely surprised me with the best gift every! My very own iPad! I am beyond thrilled with this new toy! WOW! So much fun! And from my parents I got a coffee toddy to make my own iced coffee! It makes yummy coffee! I will be saving so much money not having to go to Starbucks!
We celebrated on my birthday night by going out for dinner with my family! I picked a kid friendly bar so we could sit outside and the kids could run around! It was great!! Here are some pictures taken with my new toy!

Now back to reality! So hard... birthdays like this can come around a couple times a year!

9 Years and counting...

2011-07-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, Mike and I celebrated our anniversary! I can't believe it's been 9 years! Where has the time gone? We celebrated with my two favorite things... eating and shopping! And the girls had a sleepover! An absolutely perfect anniversary!!

I am amazed at all the wonderful things that have happened in the past 9 years! And most importantly, I can't wait for what's to come!

4th of July Parade

2011-07-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Were is the summer going? I can't believe that the 4th is over! I always feel like summer is on it's way out after celebrating Independence Day. It seems to fly by after that! We are setting up some fun family traditions. We have to do our neighborhood bike parade every year. Unfortuantley, we had a very sick 4 year old this year. Molly had to miss out on the parade. She was so sick she didn't even mind. We did get to sit on the sidewalk and watch though.

After the parade Mike took Rachel and Ava to the pool for the 4th celebration. It was a huge party! The filled the pool with pop and money and the kids got to dive for them. Ava came home with $.47 and a couple of pops. Molly and I can't wait to join them next year!!

Happy Fourth

2011-07-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

Swimming Lessons Week 1

2011-07-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

We spent the entire week at the pool. Ava and Molly had swimming lesson everyday and we just stayed after. The girls made tremendous progress this year. They both passed their class and are moving up to the next level. Both of them are like little fishes. Ava is now doing dives off the board and beginning to do the backstroke and crawl stroke. Molly is floating on her stomach and back and beginning to do glides from the side. So proud of my girls! Can't wait for Rachel to take lessons next year!

VBS

2011-06-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

Last week Ava and Molly attended vacation bible school at a friend's church. It was so great! Great lessons and a great break from Mom. Molly asks everyday when she is going back. On Friday they had a little performance where they sang and did a few skits. Rachel loves it and is looking forward to going next year!

Father's Day

2011-06-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!! We celebrated the entire weekend! Mike had his choice of food both Saturday night and Sunday. His present was accessoires for his beer making kit. Can't wait to try out his masterpieces!!

Rachie's Stats

2011-06-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I took my baby girl for her two year check up yesterday. Time needs to slow down! The best part was no shots! The worst part was learning that our peditrician is moving to another office. I choose a woman for our new doctor which I think will be good for the girls. She is in the 60% for weight and the 95% for height! The doctor said that she is right where she is should be in development and a little advanced for her language! Go Rachie! Here is a video I stumbled upon from this winter.

Birthday Girl

2011-06-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Okay.. sorry Rachel. Yes, you are the third child so please forgive me for taking a week to post your birthday festivites! We celebrated with Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Ryan. Rachel got a lot of fun pool toys and clothes! Ah.. the joys of having your birthday on Memorial Day weekend!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-03T11:23:00.000-07:00

We had quite and eventful weekend. We stayed very busy which I love! Mike spent a lot of time working on the house. He painted all the trim and all the windows! I appreciate all of his hard work!! Sunday we celebrated Rachel's birthday at Fun City. This place is the girls' favorite! They have a fun foam factory and a little city to drive around on trikes and dress up. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of batteries so I didn't get many pictures. I did get some of the birthday girl though!

On Memorial Day we went to see Kung Fu Panda 2. Rachel's first movie!! We were hoping that with enough popcorn and pop that Rachel would sit still. No such luck! I ended up seeing maybe 20 minutes of the movie. Mike and the girls enjoyed it!

After the movie we continued our tradition of visiting a cemetery to honor the vets. We did this for the first time last year. The girls each get a flower to place on a veteran's grave stone. Very powerful! I was shocked at how busy the cemetery was. It took us 20 minutes to get out because of the traffic!

Last day...

2011-06-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

School's out!! Yesterday was Ava's last day! Bring on the pool and warm weather! I now have a 1st grader!

She's Two

2011-05-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our Sweet Baby girl! You are our pride and joy and make us laugh until our cheeks hurt! We love you Rachie!!

Poetry and Field Day

2011-05-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

There seems to be so much going on this time of year! Crazy! So, I am going to take two activities and make one post! And it's all about Ava!

Last week Ava had her first Field Day! So much fun. The weather could have been a bit warmer... but the kids didn't mind! Quite the athlete.. she come home with 2 ribbons!

We finished the week with Poetry day in Ava's class. The student's did a fun unit on poetry. They learned about all kinds of different poems. They had to get up in front of the class and parents and read one of their poems. Such talented writers!!

Continuation

2011-05-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

Molly is moving on to a Pre-K classroom at the same school next year. She will be having the same teacher Ava had last year. The teachers have said that she could do Kindergarten next year but we decided to wait one more year just like we did with Ava. We would prefer her being the oldest in the class and not the youngest. From my teaching experience, it was always obvious to be who the young ones of the class were! And besides all that, we LOVE the preschool!
Thursday was her last day of school. The teachers put on a little ceremony where they got to read a little story about what they wanted to be when they grew up. It was the cutest thing ever!! Each kid was called up in front of all the parents while the teacher's read. Then they sang some end of the year songs! After that in there was more celebrating in the classroom with cake and punch. That was Rachel's favorite part.

Mother's Day Weekend

2011-05-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ok... so I am a week late on this posting.. my apologies. The end of the school year stuff is taking all my time!

I truly had a GREAT Mother's Day. I am so blessed with all of my girls and a wonderful husband! It gets better and better every year! I got some books, chocolate, and a new necklace! My family knows exactly what my favorites are! We had a very low key day. I didn't have to cook one meal! I chose to wear my children out on Mother's Day! We went out to breakfast at Panera which is in the mall, and then we played at the play area. It was such a beautful day that we got out bikes out and went for a family bike ride! A great ride until
Ava fell off her bike and did a face-plant on the sidewalk. I felt awful. One of those slow motion moves where I couldn't get to her fast enough! We were in the middle of a trail at least 2 miles from home so she had no choice but to get right back on her bike and ride home! She still has scabs on her nose and lips. Poor thing! We ended the day with sushi for dinner! YUMMY!

Writer Molly

2011-05-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

Molly's preschool class makes these really cute books written and illustrated by the preschoolers. Adorable. This one happened to be about pets. I hope you can read this because it's so funny what she wrote about Phoebe our cat! Funny but so true!

Here is a close up of what is says...

I have a kitty named Phoebe Rose. My Mom named her that. She is black and white and brown. She hugs me sometimes. She likes to go under the refrigerator. We bought her some new mice. She plays with them. She sleeps downstairs and runs around at night for a little while. Then she goes to sleep. My Mom takes care of the cat. My dad doesn't like the cat very much. Sometimes he wants a dog to eat her and my mom says NO! The cat eats downstairs in the basement. She likes to hunt for food and bones. Sometimes she begs for mommy to hold her for a while.

Haircut times 3

2011-05-03T12:18:00.000-07:00

I spent 2 1/2 hours at the hair salon getting haircuts for all my girls. Not sure what took so long but they were great! They each got really cute short summer cuts! Now bring on summer...

Flash back Friday

2011-04-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

We went for our first bike ride of the season this past weekend. I couldn't help but thinking back to when it was Ava and Molly in the trailer. Wow! Time flies! If only Rachel would keep her eyes open!!

Zoo

2011-04-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

Ava was off school on Monday and the weather was beautiful so we made a trip to the school. The girls were wonderful and we had a great time! I can honestly say that life is getting easier with an almost 2 year old, a 4 year old and a six year old. We really had fun and enjoyed all the animals. It was fun to watch Rachel's reaction to the animals. Her favorites were the monkeys. I tried all day long to get some cute pictures of her but she seems to think that she needs to close her eyes whenever her picture is being taken! So frustrating!!

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

We had a very Blessed Easter. On Saturday, we went to our friends for a neighborhood Easter Party and Egg hunt! So much fun! Rachel even got a few eggs!

On Sunday, the weather could have cooperated a little more but at least it didn't rain like it was predicted. We didn't see the sun all day. As usual it didn't seem to bother the girls one bit! Rachel took her sweater off the second we arrived at Church and didn't seem cold we I had to take her outside during mass. The girls enjoyed running around with their bubbles from the Easter bunny in our backyard. We enjoyed a wonderful meal with my family! Happy belated Easter Everyone!!

Eggs

2011-04-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last night we colored our Easter eggs. I get more and more fun every year. The girls really got into it and I had to keep hard boiling more eggs. Ava and Molly couldn't get enough. Rachel just played with one egg in the dye the entire time. She kept lifting it out with the spoon and clapping for herself. We made some beautiful eggs. The Easter Bunny will be proud!

Children's Museum

2011-04-15T15:51:00.000-07:00

Last week I volunteered to be a chaperone for Ava's class. The student's got to take the bus downtown to the children's museum. What a great time! We got build with real tools, play with bubbles and build a house! It was a long day for the half day Kinders since the usually get out of school at 11! Ava's favorite part was having lunch with all her friends. She can't wait until next year when she gets to do it everyday!

Knights and Princesses

2011-04-10T11:18:00.000-07:00

Ava and Mike went to a daddy/daughter dance on Friday night. I hope she felt like a princess becuase she looked like one! Wearing her favorite dress, shoes and even makeup made her feel very special. Mike LOVED being her Knight. She had so much fun dancing! What a special night!!

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last week we went on a long over due trip to Texas. My parents have had a house there for over two years and this is the first time the girls and I have seen it! The weather didn't cooperate very well. It was cold, and cloudy. It was warmer in CO! It didn't seem to bother the girls at all. We did have two days of GREAT weather. We played in the water, fished, went for boat rides and caught lizards and turtles.

The highlight for Mike and I was a night in Dallas. We got a room in downtown Dallas and viewed the sights! It was great to get away!

Idle Hands

2011-04-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

No words needed for this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O6QqDNPv1o

Our New Toy

2011-03-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

I feel like I need to introduce you to the newest member of our family. My husband purchased a smoker. He is in heaven. I am in love with the thing because Mike does a lot of the cooking. So far we have had a pork shoulder, beef and pork ribs and chicken. Yummy! This summer will be all about BBQing!

It's gotta be pink of course!

2011-03-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

Can we say poor Molly again? Poor Molly my daredevil. Last Friday, she was playing in Rachel's crib(like she always does) and fell jumping out. The cry had a very different pitch to it! I comforted her and she continued on with the play date we were having. She complained not that it hurt but that she couldn't get dressed, and couldn't put on her shoes all weekend. She was able to play soccer on Saturday night at a birthday party and jump on the neighbors trampoline so we didn't think too much about it. We even MADE her take a bike ride on Sunday. After watching the arm just hang to her side we decided to take a closer look. We noticed how swollen it was. There was NO swelling on Friday. Feeling guilty I decided to take her to the doctor on Monday. As the doctor was examining her arm, twisting and turning it, I thought to myself... Did I just waste $30 on a copay? She said that it didn't hurt at all. Anywhere he touched it! The doctor ordered an X-ray just to rule out any ligament damage. Well, weren't we ALL surprised... Two buckle fractures! And the poor girl was in no pain! The pediatrician put a temporary cast on and referred us to the Ortho department. Molly was in tears leaving the doctor's office. Not because she was in pain, but because she the hospital gown they made her wear wasn't up to her fashion standards!

So today she got her permanent cast. What a long morning! It was so boring to be stuck in the little room. Molly and Rachel made the best of it!!

What color cast did she choose? PINK of course. Its a very pretty bright pink. Just in time for our trip to Texas tomorrow. No swimming or playing in the lake for Ms. Molly! Enjoy the photo opp!

Student of the Month

2011-03-24T13:11:00.001-07:00

Ava was awarded the student of the month for Feburary. Here is what her teacher wrote about her..."Ava is respectful of others in the classroom and is willing to help with any task given to her. Great job working together Ava!"

We are very proud of her!

Grandma's B-Day

2011-03-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

I was looking at pictures on my camera and realized how far behind I was on posting! Here is our birthday celebration for my Mom before she left for Texas. We had a wonderful time with Uncle Ryan too!

Piggies

2011-03-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

We reached a milestone in the Cummings' household! PIGGIES! Her hair has probably been long enough for a while now but I finally took the time to put them up today! She wasn't very happy while I was doing it. But, as soon as she saw herself in the mirror, she was hooked! I was able to take one picture with her eyes open and then she decided she was going to be a little ham and close her eyes for every picture!!

Mike's B-Day

2011-02-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

I know that I am a couple of weeks behind but wanted to share my husbands wonderful birthday party. It was a really low key Super Bowl Party with just our family. He had all his favorite foods and his favorite butterstoch dessert. Happy Birthday Hon!

We Heart Valentine's Day

2011-02-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

My girls LOVE Valentines Day! I guess its all the pink, hearts and candy. We really get into it around here. For some reason, Ava's school decided they we not going to do a party this year. This upset Ava. I can kind of see their point. Parties at her school are very chaotic and every parent has to show up a the school. It does prohibit any academics from happening! So we decided to have a little get together here. After planning our little "party" I found out the both girls were still having out Valentines and having a special snack. They just weren't calling it a party! Oh well. It was still fun to have some kiddos over!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T11:44:00.000-08:00

Cold Days

2011-02-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

We have had record cold temperatures this week. That's why we were off school. -30 with the wind chill. I guess the buses wouldn't run so all of the Denver area schools were closed. One day is fun but two? Going a little crazy! When do I get my snow day? I am realizing that it is easier to have them in school. All the running gets me out of the house at least! And now I realize that the school district didn't account of snow days in the planning so we have to make up these days! We are now going to be in school until June! Now that I write this, I realized that I was just complaining about having two days off, why am I complaining about having school two more days into the summer. How am I going to survive the summer? So we really haven't done much these past two days... stayed in our jammies, watched a LOT of movies, and had hot chocolate. The girls did do some Valentine crafts today and so I got out my camera. Can't wait for school tomorrow!

Cowgirl

2011-01-23T17:34:00.000-08:00

Since the Stock Show has been in town, Molly's preschool class has been learning all about it and about all the animals. On Tuesday, they got to meet, and pet an real horse named Sundance. On Thursday, they had a Chuckwagon breakfast. They got to make pancakes and have sausage at school. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful preschool for our girls. They have the best teachers and find creative ways to teach fun things!

The Pool

2011-01-12T07:24:00.000-08:00

So, I have been wanting to take the girls swimming for a while now. They did so well over the summer that I don't want them to forget how to swim. I didn't know how it would go. Especially with Rachel. With an indoor pool. Would she get cold? Would she have enough to do? So, I ventured to the pool last week. And I was so pleasantly surprised! The girls did GREAT! Rachel loved the water! Molly remembered all her techniques and was even diving underwater! Ava met a friend and took the test to go down the BIG slide! She took off with and played with her most of the morning! I got a glimpse of what my life will be like in a few years when my kids are grown and go off by themselves! Can't complain about that!
My kids ALWAYS prove me wrong. I have learned to NEVER have high expectations because you never know what you will get! I just wish I didn't wait until the LAST day of break to go! We will be spending a lot of time there this winter!

Sledding

2011-01-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, we took Rachel sledding for the first time. She loved the snow when she didn't have to walk very far. She would rather have crawled everywhere!! The older girls loved using their sleds. It was the perfect sunny day. I think we may over dressed.. we got hot and ended up taking off our hats and gloves. Rachel preferred resting/sleeping on the swings!!

2011

2011-01-02T18:20:00.000-08:00

We rang in the new year with a family party. So much fun ringing in the new year with great friends!! It was chaos when the 10 kids were given noise makers! So we pushed up the countdown to 8:15ish. The adults had champagne and the kids had sparkling cider. The girls had so much fun and Rachel is still going around saying Happy New Year! We wish you health, love and happiness in 2011!!

Casa Bonita

2010-12-31T15:00:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night we met up with the Hulquests for dinner. It had been way to long since we have gotten together. We always have a great time! The caves and the divers were the entertainment for the evening!

First Snow

2010-12-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

It's about time we got some snow! The girls have been dying to play in the snow. We hope to use the new sleds later.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-26T18:35:00.000-08:00

We are truly blessed with wonderful family and friends. We were again spoiled rotten! Here are some of the highlights...some from from my NEW camera that I am still learning how to use!!

Neighborhood Holiday Party

2010-12-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

This is are second year attending the GRE holiday party. We always have a great time. It seems like everyone hibernates during the winter so it was fun to see all of our neighbors.

We rode on the horse drawn carriage around the neighborhood....

And then we had yummy food and had a visit with Santa...

A good time was had by all!!

For the love of Candy

2010-12-21T09:02:00.000-08:00

My middle and youngest have had an obsession with candy lately. Molly has been hiding anything sweet she can find. We have found it behind the couch, in the family room, in her room and in her bed! Chocolate chips seem to be her favorite thing to sneak. Her sheets and blanket now have chocolate stains. We are convinced that this is an attention seeking behavior so we are working on it! I don't think that I deprive my children of sweets but we do have it in moderation!

Rachel, is just learning the meaning of sweets and candy. She knows exactly where the candy is hidden and has just learned the word sucker. Obsessed with suckers! And sometimes suckers are my lifesavers! The other night, she got into her Halloween Candy and got into the candy "sticks". What were formally called candy cigarettes. Hilarious. She seems to know exactly what to do with them. I probably shouldn't be posting this picture... it looks bad. Don't call CPS on me please! It's just candy!!

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we did our annual Christmas cookie baking. This year Rachel joined in on the fun. The girls did not tire out and would have decorated hundreds more cookies. Rachel enjoyed all the sugar!!

Our little Angel

2010-12-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, Molly had her Christmas program. A very cute performance. All 9 of the kids knew the songs and sang their best. Molly was the angel. Adorable!!

Rachel's 18 month stats

2010-12-07T10:43:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, I took Rachel in for her 18 month physical. She loved the office, loved playing in the little house, reading the books and coloring. As soon as the nurse touched her, it was all over! She wouldn't let her take her oxygen levels, listen to her heart, or anything! She seemed a little better when the doctor came into the room but was not 100 percent sure about him. To make matters worse, she had to get 3 shots. Poor baby. Thank goodness she is done with shots until kindergarten! She is in the 52% for weight (24.8 lbs), the 79% for height (32.75 inches) and her head is 47cm (63%). Believe it or not, she has the smallest head of any of our girls! I was kind of surprised by that!

Pa Pa's Birthday

2010-12-01T07:50:00.001-08:00

After Ava's performance last week, we celebrated Pa Pa's birthday at Red Robin. The girls love this place. We love it because we aren't the only loud ones in the restaurant!!

Gobble Gobble

2010-12-01T07:29:00.000-08:00

We had a short but sweet 4 days in Az for Thanksgiving. Time went by way too fast but we managed to fit a lot in! The girls and their cousins went to see Tangled, I had my FIRST black friday shopping experience, a wonderfully yummy Thanksgiving dinner, and a yummy dinner out with the adults!

The best dinner ever at the Ocean Club!!

Ava's Performance

2010-11-30T16:18:00.000-08:00

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Ava's class put on a little show. The theme was Music All Over Me. It was a great performance by both Kindergarten classes. Ava participated wonderfully but she seemed to get tired toward the end!

My Ballerinas

2010-11-11T19:40:00.001-08:00

In August we started taking classes at a new dance studio. I felt that Molly needed more experience in performing. The rec center classes did not have any recitals. So far so good. We love it! It is a very intense program and the girls are really learning a lot about ballet. And the best part for me, is that the girls' classes are back to back. Nice for not having to drive across town but I didn't take into account my 16 month old. Sometimes it gets hard keeping Rachel occupied for two hours!!

Leaf Raking Round 1

2010-11-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

My favorite time of year for taking outside photos. The girls were "helping" with the leave raking. This was the first round of raking. I am sure we have at least two more rounds once ALL the trees lose their leaves!

Trick or Treat

2010-10-31T19:00:00.001-07:00

What a great night for trick or treating! The weather was so warm. The warmest I remember. Last year there was so on the ground! My Cheerleader, Princess, and Pumpkin had so much fun and got so much candy. This was Rachel's first time trick or treating and she got the hang of it very fast!! And she couldn't stop eating the candy. As usual, the best part was giving out candy at home. They all screamed and ran to the door every time the doorbell rang.

Halloween Parties

2010-10-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Halloween weekend is a very busy one! Today we had 3 parties to attend. Ava's school party was first and the only one I took pictures of! It was very exciting because the school let the morning kindergarten go to school in the afternoon so that they could be a part of the school wide parade. It was fun to see the entire school in their costumes. It is also the warmest Halloween that I remember. So HOT standing outside watching the parade. I ran the bingo game during the party. So much fun hanging out with those kiddos!!

After school and a little "rest" to combat the sugar rush, we went to our neighbors for a little party. So much fun and great food. We had to leave way to early to attend Molly's school fundraiser. This is always a great time and a great way to show school support! We didn't fare as well this year as last but we did manage to win a 4 our date night with "free" babysitting! So, tomorrow we have two more parties to attend and of course Trick or Treating on Sunday!
Ah.. EXHAUSTING!!HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Pumpkins

2010-10-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night we carved our pumpkins. It seems to get more and more fun each year. The carving kits seem to get more kid friendly ever year. The girls are really starting to get into it. Rachel was grossed out by the "guts" of the pumpkin.

The Circus

2010-10-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, my Mom and I took the girls to the "GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH". My parents take the girls every year. I haven't been in years to a circus and had a great time! I was amazed at all the talent. The girls loved all the animal acts. Especially Kelly Ann the elephant painting!!

Molly Update

2010-10-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Mike took Molly for her 4 year check-up last Monday. She weighed in at 33lbs. (35 percentile) and is 3'3.4" (42 percentile). We were hoping that she was closer to 40 lbs. so we can transfer her to a booster seat. No such luck! We will be waiting a while for that move! The poor thing got 5 shots!! The 4 pink band aids seemed to help that pain! She will not take a bath, showers only, because she wants them to stay on! And who can blame her? She thrives on all the attention she is getting!!
Molly is loving school this year! She is becoming quite the artist. Rainbows seem to be her favorite thing to create. And she loves to write her letters. She has taken a sudden and huge interest in reading and she is trying to sound out words! She takes her role as a big sister very seriously and is constantly playing with and mothering Rachel. Our little Sweet Pea. We are so proud of her!!

Happy Birthday Molly Claire

2010-09-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

Molly's official birthday was on Sunday. However, we have been celebrating it all month. If you know Molly, it's hard to believe how laid back she is when it comes to parties. She didn't want a party. Only family, pizza, and brownies. So, we honored her wishes! I feel horrible after comparing her little party to Ava's big party in July. The highlight of her day was going to the American girl store with her godparents. We have a new member of our family now.

On Tuesday, she celebrated her birthday at school. And she chose Mike to be the parent helper for the day!! I must admit that my feelings were a little hurt that she picked him or me. :( That girl has a mind of her own that's for sure!!

Bye Bye Baby Tooth

2010-09-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Mike pulled Ava's first tooth! I am not sure who was more excited, Mike or Ava! Our baby girl is growing up!!

Winter Park

2010-09-05T15:47:00.000-07:00

Okay... so I am really behind in my posts. Here are some pictures from our wonderful family getaway to Winter Park. We had an amazing time!! The weather was beautiful and we kept very busy! Here are a few pictures of our favorite activities:

The girls' first time putt-putting

Jumping on the trampoline

And our absolute favorite... the Alpine slide

Water World

2010-08-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, to celebrate the end of summer, Mike and I took the older girls to Water World. We had been wanting to go all summer and we just ran out of time. We picked a very HOT day. It was 97! We had such a blast! The girls are at a perfect age to do this. There were so many rides that the four of us could do together! I wasn't able to get any pictures of us actually riding the rides but we did get some of the girls' on their favorite slides!!

Warrior Dash

2010-08-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, Mike ran his first 5K since I have known him. However, it was a different sort of race. It was your typical 5k up a mountain with an obstacle course! Crazy! The racers really got into the whole Warrior Theme. There were a lot of outrageous costumes. We tried to watch Mike at various parts of the race. My favorite part was the mud pit. He had to climb under barbed wire fencing which was covered in mud. Needless to say he was covered at the finish line! He had a great time and he finished with a great time too!

Mike getting ready to run

Mike running and walking up a mountain

The girls in warrior mode

Finishing with a smile!

Belmont Talent Show

2010-08-23T13:15:00.002-07:00

A couple of Saturday's ago, we attended our street talent show. The kids had so much fun! Our girls did ballet of course. It was great to see all the talents!

Molly's First Day

2010-08-23T13:14:00.000-07:00

Molly started school today! She was a pro because she is at the same school as last year. It was kind of anticlimatic acutally. She walked into the room, hung up her backpack and started playing with play dough. We had to beg for a picture with her.

KINDERGARDEN

2010-08-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

What a milestone today was. My baby started Kindergarden. Her whole life has been flashing before my eyes the last couple of weeks. I did better at drop off then I thought I would. Only shed a couple of tears. The day is not any longer than the preschool day but she's in a school with big kids! She of course did GREAT! My baby is growing up!!

Clay and Haircuts

2010-08-10T15:56:00.001-07:00

This past Tuesday we had a very busy day! The girls had their last day of Clay Class. They have been taking this class for about six weeks now with Nathan and Brooke. It was a wonderfully taught class and they came home with a lot of cool clay projects.

After lunch we headed to Cool Cuts. Our favorite place to get a haircut. Who wouldn't love getting their haircut while watching a movie? I decided to get Rachel her first haircut as well. She just got a little bit trimmed off the ends. Hated every minute of it. I had to hold her on my lap. She was best friends with the stylist AFTER her cut was over and she got a sucker!

My big pretty girls after their back to school do's!!

Weekend in the Springs

2010-08-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Colorado Springs with the Hulquests. We stayed in a great hotel with a awesome suite and a pool. And had a lot of fun!!
On Saturday we went to the Zoo. The highlight of the zoo was getting to feed the geraffs. I think that I enjoyed it more than the girls did. They were a little scared of their LONG tongues.

Saturday night we went on a hike at the Garden of the Gods. Great weather and gorgeous views!

Sunday, we spent the entire day at Santa's Workshop in the North Pole. They kids enjoyed riding all the rides!! We even got to give Santa a few ideas for under the tree!!

And Molly too!!

2010-08-05T07:43:00.001-07:00

Molly could not be out done by her sisters! She decided to try and ride Ava's old bike with training wheels! So proud of her!!

Cousins

2010-08-02T11:02:00.001-07:00

Our wonderful cousins Bryn and Avery left on Thursday. It was so great to spend time with them! We miss you already girls.

She's Walking!! And She's Riding!!

2010-07-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Her brand new bike!!

So very proud of my girls!!

And the celebration continues...

2010-07-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

The never ending celebration for Ava's 6th birthday continues. On Monday night (her actual birthday) we went to Chuck E Cheese. We had tons of fun!!