My New Obsession

A few months ago I decided it was time for me to find a new hobby. I still enjoy stamping, but I really don't have the time or energy to devote to it right now. On top of that, it's a lot of "equipment" to haul out and put away before the kids get into it. I was looking for something basic and easy to pull out while I watched tv and relaxed. I was inspired by a few posts from my friend, Betsy, to try crocheting.

I bought myself a book, some hooks and some yarn. I tried my best to use the book, but it was pretty confusing. An "ah ha" moment hit me and I turned to YouTube to get me started. It worked like a charm and I was on my way. Only one hitch - my stitches were crazy tight! It was so physically hard to make my stitches, but I somehow managed to work through a hat pattern.

On our vacation a couple of weeks ago we were fortunate enough to stay with Betsy and her family. She looked over my work and gave me a few pointers so I kept at it. I tried to make a clutch purse, but it was just too frustrating after a while. After a little break, I tried the slipper pattern in my book and it came out much better. I decided to try some baby booties for a friend and they came out great! I was able to keep my stitches loose and since they were small, I didn't get overwhelmed. I also noticed that I did better with stitches like the double and half double crochet. The single crochet was my enemy! Another "ah ha" moment hit me, I turned to YouTube again and looked up the single crochet. I had been doing a slip stitch for a single crochet - no wonder it was so tight!

Now I feel I'm on my way and I'm trully manic about crocheting. I keep my hooks and yarn on the table next to my spot in the living room and I literally pick it up any chance I get. I've been working baby gifts and have some other things planned. Here's what I've done so far :)

Party Time – Take 2 & Road Trip Wrap-Up

Now that we’ve been home for almost 2 weeks I suppose I should wrap-up these vacation posts.  We certainly fit a lot into 11 days!

Once we arrived at Keenan’s parent’s house, we settled the kids into bed and chatted while enjoying a glass or two of wine.  We probably stayed up later than we should have since we had originally planned to drive home the next day.  Oh well!

Sunday morning we all prepared for another party for Keira’s birthday.  Her Auntie Kelsey had already made a beautiful cake and Yia Yia had prepped most of the food so all that was left was a little decorating and grilling up some steaks.  Brent’s parents, sister and brother-in-law were also in town so they joined us for the festivities.  We had planned to hit the pool, but no one was really in the mood so we just hung out and let the kids run around and play.  Keira went down for a nap just before lunch so we saved her some broccoli rice casserole and macaroni and cheese which she gobbled up.  After a yummy lunch we cut into the cake and opened presents.  When it came time for us to load up and hit the road, we were just exhausted.  We weighed our options and decided to stay one more night to get some rest and give the kids a break from the car.  It all worked out for the best.

 

So all-in-all it was a great trip despite the sleepless nights.  We loved seeing all our family and friends, but we’re also happy to be home.  Here are a few more pictures I couldn’t quite categorize.

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A Little Time in the Little Apple

After almost a week in Denver we headed East for a quick visit to Manhattan.  We all enjoyed the hospitality of our friends there -  good company and good food!  Ari and Keira played with Phinn and Gigi, Keenan enjoyed a round of disc golf with the guys and the Sara(h)s enjoyed a lazy morning.

 

Saturday afternoon we dressed up and were off again to my college friend’s wedding.  It was a beautiful ceremony and reception and we were able to meet up with some old friends and their new families.  The kids did great through the ceremony and even waiting for the bride and groom to arrive at the reception so we could eat.  They found a battery-powered light on the floor that kept their attention for quite a while.  Ari also took advantage of an empty dance floor before we ate to burn off all the sugar he had thanks to a lollipop during the ceremony and chocolate mints on the table while we waited for dinner.

Congrats Blythe and Josh! :)

From the reception we changed the kids into their pj’s and headed South to Wichita for a night (or two as it turned out) with Keenan’s family and another birthday party for Keira.  I’ll save that for the next post, though :)

Ari at REI (Say that 10 times fast!)

One morning my parents offered to stay home with Keira so Keenan and I could have some fun time with Ari by himself.  We set off for the REI super-store outside downtown Denver.  Keenan had been wanting to climb the rock wall there and Ari can find fun wherever we go.

We arrived about 10 minutes before they opened, but luckily there was plenty to do outside the store.  They had trails with large rocks Ari wanted to climb and the store is set just off the Platte River.  We found an over-look and watched the rushing water for a while (it had been a rainy spring/summer for a change).  Ari of course asked to go in the water so we found a path down to the water and let him dip his toes in.  The view was spectacular (for me at least) – Mile High Stadium and Elitches just beyond a beautiful bridge over the river.

We found our way back to the store and started our adventure there.  We quickly found the kids area complete with tree and boat slides, stairs and a cave.  Ari thoroughly enjoyed it there, but it didn’t take much convincing to move on to the rest of the store.  His favorite part were the bikes where he tested out a couple of tricycles and his first two-wheeler - with training wheels of course!  He’s been starting to use the pedals on his trike at home, but on the bike he was frustrated when he tried to go backwards and kept hitting the brakes.

After all that we ran out of time for Keenan to try the rock wall, but we still had fun.  It was a little weird with only Ari, but at the same time it was almost relaxing.  Funny how your perspective changes so much with 2! :)

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They Call Me Mellow Yellow

My dad found an old Power Wheels Jeep in the trash, brought it home and fixed it up for Ari to play with when we came to visit.  Having a “Corvette Yellow” Pontiac Solstice himself, my dad thought the Jeep would look best in this color as well.  He added some chrome accents and my aunt painted flames on the hood.  Ari did like it quite a bit, but driving it was a bit too overwhelming for him at this point.  Maybe on our next visit.

Do you copy, good Buddy?

Look what’s in here…

   

…it’s the engine!

  

Speaking of the Solstice, my dad offered to take Ari out for a drive one morning while the rest of us hit the mall.  They went to a train museum then to “Old McDondald’s” (as Ari calls it) for lunch.  At the counter my dad ordered Ari a Happy Meal and turned to ask what he’d like to drink.  Ari just stared back so my dad asked “Would you like a Coke?”  Ari of course answered “Yes!”  They ate their lunch and my dad asked Ari if he’d like another Coke and Ari once again answered “Yes!”  Then they went to KMart and perused the toy aisle for an hour and a half!  Amazingly they came out empty-handed.  On the way home they had this conversation:

Ari:  Grandpa, you go fast?

G-pa:  Ok, we’ll go fast.

Ari:  Grandpa, you go super-fast?

G-pa:  Super-fast?!

Ari:  Super-fast!!!

Thanks Grandpa for making this little boy’s day! :)  (Oh…and in case you were wondering, Ari took a 3 hour nap that day despite the 2 Cokes!)

        

Just Add Water

Time to get caught up on vacation posts!

Two of the days we were in Denver we met up with friends to let the kids play and catch up.  Our first outing we had planned to eat pizza then let the kids play in the fountains (the kind that come out of the sidewalk) at the Westminster Promenade.  Upon arriving we discovered the fountains were closed for repairs so we ate our pizza and tried to think of somewhere else to go.  While we were discussing options, the boys (Ari and our friend’s son who’s the same age) started playing in the trough of water around the gazebo.  Pretty soon they were splashing and turning their shoes into boats.  We all went with it, pulled out the water toys, swim trunks and sunscreen and let them have at it.  Before we knew it they were waist-deep wading through the water and having a grand time.  Keira played in the water for a while, but was much more content emptying the diaper bag and eating snacks.  Unfortunately the battery in my camera died after only a few pictures.  So sad.

For our second outing we met more friends at a park neither of us had been to before.  It included a smaller playground for little kids that was shaded, a bigger playground and fountains that came out of the sidewalk!  The kids played on the playgrounds and swings for a while, but Ari of course asked to go in the water when it was about time to leave.  We didn’t have his trunks this time around, so Keenan stripped Ari down to his diaper and let him run wild.  Well, wild for Ari - I think at some point he finally put one hand in the water.  Silly boy.

Ok…enough yappin’, here’s the pic’s! :)

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Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Our sweet baby girl turned 1 today! She had 2 parties while we were on vacation so I almost forgot that today was the actual day. Poor second children :(

We started off the day with her 12 month check-up. She's still a smart and healthy girl weighing in at 18lb 9oz and almost 29 inches tall. She's slipped a little on the weight, but she is quite active now and is starting the toddler diet of living on air at times. She continues to love table food, however, and will try anything we're eating. Keira is also very proficient at scooting and can get anywhere she pleases. She's started pulling up to her knees a bit, but otherwise doesn't show much interest in standing or walking. The doctor's non-medical term today was "floppy." Basically she's lacking a little muscle tone, but nothing to be worried about. She's happy scooting and she'll walk at some point.

Keira has added "bye" and "hi" to her vocabulary and now points to things she wants. She loves to mimic Ari and follow him around. He's not quite as excited about that, but they are getting along better these days. It just makes her day when he plays with her.

We ended the day with chocolate cake at home group. Pretty low-key compared to the other 2 parties. Now she's sleeping sweetly gearing up for another day on the run.

It's been a challenging year adding Keira to our family, but I wouldn't change it for the world. She's a sweet, funny and beautiful girl and we lover her so much. I can't wait to see what this next year has in store for her! :)

Home Again, Home Again Jiggity Jig

After rolling close to 2000 miles on our car over 11 days, we made it home Monday!  We ended up extending our trip by one day for some much needed rest and to give the kids a break from being in the car. 

Unfortunately, when we got home our internet was down and they couldn’t come out until Tuesday afternoon to fix it.  Then the guy said he’d have to send IT out to look at it Wednesday – grrrr!  It was down before we left and Keenan had called to report it in hopes of avoiding this situation.   Apparently we’re the only ones affected by this or it would have been fixed sooner.  At least we’re up and running again now.

So now I’m really behind with my vacation posts.  Luckily I have my pictures all uploaded to the computer and organized in hopes of catching up quickly.  I still need to do a special post for our birthday girl (today!) then I should have some fun recaps from our trip.  I still can’t believe how much we packed into one vacation!  No wonder we’re so tired.

Time for me to get back to unpacking and laundry.  The fun just never ends :)

Party Time!

Upon arriving in Denver we went straight to my sister's house for a 4th of July party. We ate some yummy food then took the kids to play on the nearby playground for a while. Both of them enjoyed being out of the car and free to wiggle for a while. At bedtime we took the kids to my parent's house were we'd be staying and got them settled for the night. Keenan opted to stay with them and go to bed himself and I chose to go back and watch fireworks. It's been years since I've been able to watch a show and it was great. I even had to use a thick blanket to keep warm - bliss! :)

The next morning we had a 1st birthday party for Keira since she's only a week away from turning 1 (whoa - really?!). There were aunts, uncles and cousins, lots of good food and of course, cake. Keira was into all of it - eating a good lunch, tearing into presents and playing with them and devouring cake getting pink frosting on her mouth and nose. So cute!



I was hoping to keep on top of things while we were gone, but we've just been too busy or tired. Tomorrow we're off to Manhappiness then Wichita on Saturday and home Sunday. Hopefully I'll get caught up soon after that. Until then! :)

On the Road and Fun on the Farm

We are officially on our summer vacation! Friday we hit the road a little after 6:30am with our first destination of the Lobmeyer Seed Farm just south of Garden City, KS. We arrived towards the end of their wheat harvest so Ari was able to see some farm equipment in action. He and Keenan first got aboard the combine and helped harvest some wheat. They got to watch as the wheat was then dumped into a trailer pulled by the tractor. It was then transfered to a semi-truck that took it to be weighed. Finally, it was deposited in a grain bin. They were able to ride along for the semi-truck parts of the process.

Ari and Keira also had fun playing with their new friend, Anna, while Keenan and I caught up with Betsy (Matt was out harvesting until 11pm!). After a rough night with Keira not sleeping much, we were able to have a lazy morning and catch up with Matt. A light rain and a cooler morning left a heavy dew on the wheat and they couldn't get back to harvesting until it was dry. Keenan and Ari did help move the equipment to the next field and rode on the tractor this day. We were on the road again just before noon and headed to Denver to visit with my family and a few friends.

The first set of pictures are on the road both Friday and Saturday. We went ahead and turned Keira around so she could be entertained easier and I could be slightly more comforatble up front. We were in the car for almost 9 hours on Friday and they each took ok naps. We were in the car just less than 6 hours on Saturday. Ari slept for the last 3 hours and Keira for the last 2 - it was wonderful!



The second set of pictures are from the farm. Be sure to click here for more pictures and a video of Ari's recap of his trip on the combine!

Wild Wedding Weekend – The Reception (Part 4 of 4)

Click here for Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3.

We arrived at the reception around 6:30pm.  Keenan was called off for more pictures and Ari quickly found the candy left on the table.  With some help from friends, I was able to get plates of food for the kids and me.  Ari wouldn’t eat until Keenan returned then he finally munched on a rib or two.

The wedding party was then called to the front to be introduced.  They lined up next to a table covered in candy.  It was about 15 minutes before the introductions actually took place and Ari took advantage of that.  When his name was called Ari ran as fast as he could across the dance floor then back again and even back out when the bride and groom were announced.

The bride’s dad is in a band and they were the entertainment.  They had 4 extra mic’s on stage and called up different groups of people at different times (i.e. the groomsmen, the bridesmaids, etc.).  The flower girl and Ari were called up first and were handed maracas and tambourines.  Ari was right at home and didn’t leave the stage for the next hour and a half!  Every time one of us would try to get him to come down he would say “But Daddy, I’m a rock star!” or “But Daddy, I’m rockin’ out!”

 

Keenan had been asked ahead of time to perform as well.  He ended up performing 3 acoustic songs during an intermission.  Since Daddy was on stage Ari jumped at the chance to be back up there.  Since he was now more comfortable, he started playing on the keyboard (luckily it was off) and pressing all the pedals he found.  Suddenly Keenan’s voice and guitar had strange effects!  I was holding a sleeping Keira so one of the band members came up and got things back in order.

We ended up staying until just past 10pm.  Ari was still wide awake and hyped up on sugar from all the candy and cake.  Keira had actually slept at least an hour or so in my arms.  It took us until 11 to get everyone settled this night and we all took naps when we got home the next day.

Ari’s on stage behind us

It was a fun, but very exhausting weekend.  Congratulations to Luke and Carly!