The Stevenson Crew

Is this really for me?

2011-03-17T20:27:00.002-06:00

I am beginning to think, maybe blogging is not my forte. That being said, I will keep pluggin' along as best I can. I always have it on the back of my mind..."oh, i need to update the blog" but obviously, you can see how often that actually happens. Here it is, everybody, I CAN'T DO IT ALL. There, I said it. Guilty as charged. I try my best to pack as much possible into each and every day, I even sacrifice sleep (average about 4 hrs/night) to fit it all in, but even with that, I am a huge slacker when it comes to typing out our life. Don't know why, always fun things and funny stories going on around here. Time to re-prioritize perhaps? Anyway...latest and greatest pics over that last 2 months. My baby girl turned 3 last friday...ouch...that hurt. She, and Tommy both, are growing up TOO FAST! (that's always the case, isn't it?) The most miraculous thing is, however, I haven't aged one bit. hehehe...

stock show/rodeo

Winter Park w/ Aunt Conny

Kate's Birthday

Me & My Sis

Me & My Girl

can you say 'pictures'?!?! (part deux)

2011-01-21T21:31:00.007-07:00

T's classroom Halloween party cake,

made by me!

my lil' pumpkins

peacock princess

our fav neighbor, Miss Loni

coolest neighbor, ever!

"Grrr...I'm a tough girl-don't mess with me"

family halloween visit

the peacock girls

Kate & her buddy Kinley

T 'bullriding'

mmmm, cotton candy!

yummy!!

T and his buddy, Kya

New Orleans Zoo with Aunt Jeanne

swamp monster-K was very concerned!

white alligator

my favorite buddy!! (and twin)

LSU campus & Mike the Tiger

can't visit the campus without riding the tiger

warming up after a day of swimming

LSU bound??

Pretty cool when a stealth bomber flies

RIGHT OVER YOUR HOUSE!!!

can you say 'pictures'?!?!

2011-01-21T20:34:00.007-07:00

she was right outside our office window!

T's classroom 'holiday' party cake

made by yours truly

T's awesome kinder teacher

Jake's Christmas party

kiddos set up a campout in our room!

baby Aubrey's 1st concert...9 days old!

GNO-we had a BLAST!

Christmas Eve

K & her Santa Barbie (aka Rockette)

T's 'giant' red spider that he had asked

Santa for since October!

scooter fun

Mister Cool

T's 1st time skiing

Denver Rock n Roll Marathon

me at the finish...boy was I happy!

Amy & I post race

Snow Day Fun

T threw a snowball at me! Stinker...

Mikey Mike catching a snowball

Love this motto!!! Ha!!

my drive home from work one morning.

Brrr.

prima ballerina

future principal dancer?

at our deer feeder outside our kitchen

window. Awesome!

Happy New Year!

Happy....Uh....

2011-01-16T16:23:00.002-07:00

No promises...as thought who follow me would probably roll their eyes at another attempted promise from me. My resolution...at least one post a month. Fair? I think so...

So...since November...(or my last post)...I ran a marathon-the Denver Rock n Roll. Ok, that was in October. Busted. BUT, I never blogged about it, so I'm saying it now. It was great fun...ran it with my sister. Had a blast. :)

November was uneventful as I remember it. December was mostly awful. Kate was diagnosed with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. A very fancy way to say "low platelets." Very low. Normal is 150K-400K. When she was diagnosed, her platelets were 13K. The month was a mess filled with trips to children's hospital, pediatric hemotologist/oncologist, and countless CBC's. Thankfully we're stable now, and hope to always stay that way.

At this very moment, I am sitting on the couch with Baby Kate as she works her way through a nasty fever. Unknown source, but lots of tylenol, rest, cuddles. Tommy is great (as always!). That kid just rocks, and he has been so attentive to his sister!

Amy, Ashley, and I have resumed our running. This year is packed with fun races and events! Looking forward to each of them! The first was yesterday...a simple 5mile run. We had a great time with it. Next is 10miles next month on the same course...along the platte in Littleton.

Off to care for my sick baby...see ya' in a month. ;)

Maybe sooner.

Kink

2010-11-01T12:27:00.002-06:00

Always a kink. Going to learn how to fix it tomorrow. My laptop hold so much precious information that it has run out of room! Sooo...I can't upload my pictures right now because there is no space to hold them. Ahhh, love the technology life. So...as soon as I get this kink worked out, blog posts galore! ;o)

Finally. Yes, I am serious this time.

2010-10-17T17:07:00.008-06:00

First and foremost, WHAT THE HECK HAS HAPPENED TO THE LAST 2 MONTHS OF MY LIFE?? I wish I could tell you. It has been SOOOOOOO (almost painfully) busy, it's all I can do to breathe. Anyhow, here I am now. I realize, if I was to follow true to format with my project 365, I would be posting over 50 photos! Yeah, so I am not going to do that. Instead, we'll go thru the highlight wheel. August ended with work, helping in Tommy's classroom, trying to get into a routine of ballet and gymnastics for Kate, training for "the marathon" (more to come on that...) supervising the garage addition we did, and Jake selling his 1950 merc and buying a 1966 cheville. Goodie, another car. Oh yeah, and running this household-not a simple task.

the new car

"character day" at Kate's ballet class

my gorgeous girl

September...I am sorry, did we have a September? It's all a blur to me! School (for both kids), swim lessons for tommy, awana, and conferences. PDO for kate, ballet, gymnastics, playdates, and mom's tag-a-long. More training runs, a trip to Winter Park for base activities before they started to prepare for ski season, and birthday parties! Busy, busy, busy.

Kate's 1st day of preschool(-parents day out)

so much to explore

cheese!

Winter Park mini golf

"mom, please, no more pictures!"

sass-a-frass

my jumping bean

father-daughter time

"WHEEEEE!!!"

Mama Great. She's so cool!

Aunt Conny & Kate

Speedster

the Winter Park Crew

always stop to smell the flowers!

master climber! he almost made it to the top!

m&j and our cool cars

charley the bat came back this fall!

cheese-ball!

super cheese-ball!!

princess snow-white

camo boys

And finally, into fabulous October! Working in Tommy's school, working on his classroom fundraiser (pictures to come...sooo cute!), running miss Kate around to her activities-and master Tommy to all of his, training for my marathon (next post), and my friend Ashley, and I starting a new business adventure! (info on that in separate post). Only 1/2 way thru the month, and whoa, it has been crazy fun!

pumpkin time

pumpkin princess

tommy, casey, and kate at the marathon expo

Patience is a Virtue

2010-10-05T15:55:00.001-06:00

So they say. I promise...I have so many pictures, and lots of great news to share...it's going to happen...SOON!

xoxo to all my wonderful visitors! Can't wait to catch up and fill you in on the "happenings"!

365-weeks 9, 10, and oh yes, 11 too!

2010-08-21T22:03:00.006-06:00

where has the time gone??!! almost done with august? ugh.

Kate, there's a cannery in you hair...

Spontaneous trip to Vail

Family Day, bowling

date with hubby-he's so cute *hearts*

mommy & tommy day

the precious girl

GIRLS NIGHT OUT, YAHOO!

I promise, she dressed herself!

1st day of school

2nd day of school

I kid you not, she dressed herself!!

my lil sweetheart

preparation for the next day

Georgetown to Idaho Springs 1/2 Marathon

also, our 13 mile training run for Oct.

celebrating Am's bday

dedicated to work, since I worked this night,

and I kinda dig the pic in a tree-hugging sort of way

"mmmm, cheesy"

just another day after ballet cruising the mall

and getting "oooh's" and "awe's"

dedicated to my AWESOME dentist, dr jodie,

since I visited her today

just another day of certification renewals.

I suppose, as your nurse, you'd want me to know

how to save your life (beyond cpr)

Kindergarten-A New Chapter in Our Lives

2010-08-13T18:38:00.003-06:00

We officially did it, we ~~got thru~~ ~~managed~~ survived 1 whole week of kindergarten. I will admit, it was tough. Plenty of tears from mom the first day, but Tommy, the trooper that he is, was so excited to go, he nearly forgot to hug me goodbye before getting onto the school bus! It wouldn't be such a big deal, but he JUST turned 5, is going FULL DAYS and riding a school bus! Oh how my heart aches. I remember bringing him home from the hospital all tiny and new. I was so smitten with him, and he still makes me giddy and the proudest mom around!

365...weeks7,8

2010-08-13T18:10:00.004-06:00

Jumping Boy

Kate & Maille

Ooops...stock photo. Gotta Love It

Hummingbird (outside our kitchen)

Eyes (scared yet??)

new tutu from Miss Brooke, Kya, & Kinley

bubble boy

Crazy Bug, outside our front door

PeterPan snack

baby blue eyes

TBall Trophey

Gleaming Beauty

Sibling Love

Couldn't Have Said it Better

Date Day

2010-08-05T23:46:00.003-06:00

My beautiful baby boy and I had a date today. So sweet, but sad to think that this marks the end of his summer (and the start of school next week!). I am having a hard time wanting to let go, and I still have 3 days before he starts kindergarten! Well, this was my day with him, and a FABULOUS day it was!!!

...we went to see Toy Story 3 (in 3D-very cool!). It was good, but what made it great was Tommy reaching out to hold my hand at the start of the movie, and held onto it until the very end! Since we were late getting to the movie, we stopped afterwards for popcorn and slushies and took them to a park. After chatting for awhile we went to a special candy store and picked out treats, and then headed to Yogurtland (yum) for a icy cool treat before heading off for a haircut. Finally, went to school to drop off supplies and see the classroom and see Tommy's teacher again. Ended the day with swim lessons, and shower, and playtime before bed. Busy, but fabulous!

Did You Know...?

2010-08-05T23:38:00.003-06:00

Last week Tommy and Kate were in Vacation Bible School with friends at a local church. After the 1st day, the kids came home with a snack that they had made. During the car ride home, Tommy explained the snack to me...and did you know, Peter Pan was in the bible??!! News to me...

So, according to Tommy, the cheerios represent the handcuffs placed on Peter Pan when he was taken to jail. The pretzel sticks represent the hard surface he laid down on. There were white tiny marshmallows that represent the purity of the angel Peter (Pan) saw in jail, and the M&M's represent God's sweet love.

*Charming*

For My Children

2010-07-24T21:11:00.004-06:00

~brooke, thank you for letting me use this. it is powerful, true, and wonderful. you are an amazing influence to me as a friend and a mother!~

THINGS I PRAY FOR MY CHILDREN
1~that my children would be my delight
2~that I consider them my priority
3~their salvation and evidence of it (hebrews 2:3, 2 peter 1:30)
4~their future mate (proverbs 31-10-31)
5~that they would fall in love with God's word (psalm 119:97-165)
6~that God would keep them from the evil one (john 17:15)
7~that they would have a conscience void of offense before God and man (1tim 1:5-9)
8~that they would be able to discern Gods voice (john 10:27)
9~that their character would be more valuable to them then their credentials (2peter 1:3-11)
10~that they would stand up for what is right even if it means standing alone (daniel 3 :16 6:10)
11~that they would be kept from the love of money (1 tim 6:12)
12~the they would be kept morally pure (1 thessalonians 4 :3-8)
13~that the would have the heart of a servant (john 13:2-15)
14~that God would reveal and develop their spiritual gifts (1 corithians 12:1 14:1)
15~that eternity would burn in their hearts (1 timothy 6 :12_
16~that sin would always be distasteful to them and that htey would be broken easily over their sin (hebrews 11:25)
17~that they would love each other (1 john 3:11 4:11)
18~that they would trust God with their parents and not allow rebellion to set in (proverbs 3:5)
19~that regardless of hardship, that they would never become bitter against God (job 1:12)
20~that they will have good friends (1 corinthians 15:33
21~contentment (1 timothy 6:6)
22~that they will learn to worship God (revelation 4:11)

To All The Girls

2010-07-21T15:58:00.005-06:00

Babushka's Beauty Secrets. A ~~great~~ MUST read for all the girls in my life. Tips, tricks, and all the goodies for self-pampering right from your pantry and frigerator. If I know there is a enough interest from my local girls, I'd love to host a pampering party with some of the potions and lotions from this fun book!

365-week6!!

2010-07-20T22:23:00.003-06:00

here we go, week in review! you might notice I have 6, not 7 pictures. ooops-missed a day. i suppose it was bound to happen. ;)

precious mikey-mike sitting for the camera

baby girl on her new scooter

kissy-face in the mirror

can you say "courtesy"?

thanks to mom, here's kate's new shirt. :o)

best buddies

365, weeks 4-5

2010-07-14T19:46:00.006-06:00

Playing Catch-Up-15 days worth...

"Somewhere...over the rainbow..."

Close to home. Seriously.

-a little wild-

they totally love each other!

Sunshine with a Great Friend

Birthday Boy (July 1st)

lovin' his scooter

*party-time*

soakin' wet

-she dressed herself-

everybody needs a little spidy

1st ballet class (she's a star!)

my babies

one of our many nightly visitors

"the gathering"

Happy Birthday Tommy, The 1st Five Years

2010-07-14T19:15:00.002-06:00

Tommy, 1 day old

Tommy, 1 year old

Tommy, 2 years old

Tommy, 3 years old

Tommy, 4 years old

Tommy, 5 years old

I am in a ~~complete~~ ~~semi-complete~~ unfathomably speechless state of shock that my BABY boy, my sweet sweet Tommy is now FIVE YEARS OLD! How on earth has so much time gone by? In so many ways it seems like he just joined our family not so long ago, and yet, Tomato is such a part of us, I can't even remember life without him! (Not that I'd want to). Happy Birthday to my precious little ~~boy~~ ~~man~~ ~~guy~~ dude.

365-week 3

2010-06-26T23:20:00.004-06:00

yay, I am actually getting this done on time!

our little indoor garden

the girl cousins on father's day

piggy tails and silky bunny

"Cindarellie"

lovin' legos

swimmin' time fun

dog vs frog...or toad as it were (dog won)

As Promised, first 19 Days

2010-06-19T22:50:00.005-06:00

Yeah, ok...18, not 19, but here we go!

Bat-Earred Puppy Dog

Precious Babies

Lil' Fire Chief's

Glamour Girl

God's Glorious Sunset

One Cool Dude

Giving Mom Some Sass-i-tude

Driveway Rose

Forecast-Sunshine with Rain (look closely)

Tommy's Best Girl, Kya

Cone of Shame

Diaper Cake...Made for a Friend

WinterPark Day with Aunt Conny

TBall Kid

Swimming Playdate

(indoor home pool-sweet!)

Mom's Rosebush-So Special!

1st Peony This Year. My Fav Flower!

Home Away From Home-aka "work"

PROJECT 365

2010-06-17T21:13:00.002-06:00

Starting a project. Project 365 to be exact. You take a picture everyday and at the end of the year you have a nice collection of events, things that happened, people you met, how things changed over the course of, you guessed it, 365 days.

You might venture to say I'm a little slow on the uptake, I mean, HELLO!!! It's the middle of JUNE already! Half-way thru the year!! Well, put your mind at ease...I started my project 365 on June 1st...it will continue until May 31, 2011. My hope is to get myself to be a tad more accountable with blogging more frequently, and getting some amazing pictures posted along with it. So, to play catch-up, Saturday night I will post my first 19 days of pictures, and try to get myself on a schedule to post every Sunday or Monday about the previous week. Here's to yet another promise! ;)

The Giant Boy & The Petite Princess

2010-05-28T22:04:00.003-06:00

OH BOY!

From the parenting center website, I did a growth estimator for my kids. We all knew Tommy is a TALL kid-being 4 yrs, 10 months old and wearing a size 6-7years, and then being skinny to boot...he is estimated to top in at 6 feet 5 inches! WHOA! Now, we also know that miss priss is a tiny little thing, and pretty much always has been. Her calculation for adult height was a whopping 5 feet 3 inches! It will be fun to see how these kids grow, and if there is/was any truth to this survey!

Start of Summer 2010

2010-05-25T21:57:00.002-06:00

Tommy graduated preschool last Wednesday with his final day on Friday. Kate finished school on Friday as well. We are into our summer and it's the calm before the storm! Kate is taking a trial dance class tomorrow with a start date in July. Tommy starts tball June 7th, swim lessons continue, and the kids both start a summer "camp" next week-Monday's and Wednesday's for 6 weeks! BRING IT ON! (pictures to come)

beautiful family

2010-05-11T22:15:00.002-06:00

simply stated, this is my beautiful family.

Soccer

2010-05-11T22:07:00.002-06:00

this ~~spring~~ winter (only because it rains/snows every other day this spring season...) tommy started playing soccer. it's great fun to watch a group of 4 & 5 yr olds kick around a soccer ball. only 1 week left...hope we can get in the rest of the games...weather permitting, of course.

the Guikema's

2010-05-11T21:56:00.002-06:00

Another fun playdate with the Guikema girls. We had a blast at Monkey Bizness...of course, because I am playing catch-up, this playdate was nearly 6 weeks ago! Time to get together again...

happy kinley
happy kate
best buds
jovial tommy

Meet Carroll

2010-05-11T19:52:00.002-06:00

Going to have a ton of blog posts tonight. Time to play catch-up. Sooo...meet Carroll. Those who follow me on facebook have already seen her, but I thought she was deserving of a dedicated post on here...the first picture is of my dad and his Shelby Mustang in 1966. Carroll is my "replacement" of dad's Shelby after my mom sold it in 1994. There will be some upgrades on my car to make her as identical to dad's car as possible. Not the same, but close! :o)

Can't Be Happier Tonight...

2010-04-24T18:12:00.002-06:00

B-e-a-utiful! This night is bliss. Only thing to make it better would be if hubby was home. Michael Buble playing, glass of wine, fantastic dinner for kids-grilled fish, homemade bread, steamed veggies, and french carrots. Mmmmm. I was in a baking mood today-brownies, bread, and cupcakes. Snowy this morning, sunny and wonderful this afternoon. Meeting Carroll tomorrow for the first time. (details of Carroll to come). I'm in 7th heaven!

Once Upon a Time

2010-04-22T22:21:00.005-06:00

Long ago and far away in a much more perfect world. Sigh, oh the days!

Girlfriend Date Night

2010-04-19T12:50:00.002-06:00

Ashley and I had the most amazing time at the end of March-we ditched the kids and husbands, got mani's and pedi's, shared appitizers and 2 bottles of wine, and saw Michael Buble in concert. What a great mini escape from our daily mommy lives!

Crazy Colorado

2010-03-28T14:59:00.002-06:00

Colorado in March: In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb. NO JOKE! In the past week, we had a crazy sudden onset snowstorm followed by a couple of sunny and nice days, followed by another crazy snowstorm, followed by a couple of sunny and nice days, a cloudy, kinda-sorta snowy day, followed by...Yup, you guessed it, a sunny and nice day! We enjoyed the wicked weather pattern, and our yard is thanking us for the saturation of moisture, and the kids + dog + husband and I sure had a blast playing, sledding, making snow angels, tiny snowmen, and a snow fort! And for the next few days, as prediction goes, sunny and nice. Mmmmm, love Colorado!

A Party Fit For a Princess!

2010-03-20T10:16:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Kate's birthday with the family last Saturday. We had a princess themed party which suited her perfectly. I made her Cinderella cake, and when she dressed up in her Cinderella gown, they seemed to make a perfect match!

ahhh, life as a princess is grand
the party girl
gift time
"love all my new clothes!"
Cinderella Twins
the cake
we needed tommy's help to blow out the candles

some dresses just don't fit in a highchair

mmmm, cake!
my 2 monkeys
our beauty
happy birthday, kate!
my kind of girl...tools in hand and a princess skirt!

And She's TWO!

2010-03-11T18:06:00.002-07:00

Our Baby Girl, Just Born

A Mother's Love

You Had Dad Wrapped Around Your Finger After This Moment

Birthday Girl, Cake Face!

Happy Birthday to Our Special Princess

I am sitting here at the table watching my two ~~monkey's~~ precious angels eat their dinner. I can't believe it was two years ago that baby Kate joined our family. I remember the exact moment she was born so vividly, and for that it seems like she has been part of our family for mere nanoseconds. On the other hand, I can't picture what life was like in our family before her. Nor would I want to.

Kate Holland, I love you.

I love you for the sweet angel you are
I love you for the spirited angel you are
I love your petite size, and yet you never let that stop you from doing ANYTHING
I love you for the chatterbox you have turned in to
I love you for the joy you bring to me as your mommy
I love you for the joy you bring to the boys in our house...all of them-daddy, tommy, and mikey
I love you for the singing you do in the car and the dancing you do at home with me
I love you for being my little shopping buddy
and I love you for YOU and who you are, what you mean to US!

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Baby Kate!

Our 3rd Child

2010-02-25T20:28:00.003-07:00

Oh boy...as if there wasn't enough going on, once we got back from our trip, Jake and I dropped the kids off with Grandma and Grandpa, and we drove to Missouri to pick up the last addition to our family. This is how it went...flew home Saturday 2/6. Had Sunday 2/7 at home to relax, get ready for the road trip & week, and unpack/pack. Monday 2/8 took Tommy to school, took Kate to G'ma & G'pa's, then we were off...truck ride and 12 hours later we checked into our hotel for the night. The next morning we picked up our addition and 12 hours (and 5 states total) later, we were home. Whew. Busy. Anyhoodle (thanks Kari-stole that from you...LOVE it!), we are now settled in after 2 weeks with our new addition, Mike. Our puppy. Technically, he's "Pistol Shot Mike the 5th Stevenson"..."Mike" for short. Kate calls him Mikey, and I find myself often doing the same. He's an Australian Cattle Dog, aka, Blue Heeler. Very smart, very busy, and very fantastic! The kids love him, we love him, he's a good fit for us. Look for more stories on Mike...I'm sure they'll be plenty!

DISNEY CRUISE!!!!!

2010-02-25T20:11:00.002-07:00

What a way to end our January! Granted, I realize this post is nearly 3 weeks overdue...playing catch-up in our house has seemed near impossible. I am going to add the link to the pictures of our trip here instead of posting all 248 of them! Needless to say, a great time was had by everyone. Disney does not cut corners, we have nothing but the best things to say about our experience with Disney and their cruise line! I'm ready for another!!! The one downer of the trip was that Tommy had been sick while Kate was in the hospital. He had a double ear infection and a sinus infection. We put him on amoxicillin like we have done before, but this time, while on the 1st day of our trip, he had a head to toe (and throat) rash/allergic reaction! Thank goodness it was just a pesky rash and cleared within a few days!

http://gallery.me.com/runninmama#100265

Glad January is Over

2010-02-18T20:59:00.002-07:00

Whoa. What a crazy month January turned out to be. I went 3 weeks with very little to no voice, and that go to be a real drag! Although some (eh hmm, Jake) liked the silence provided by this time. Tommy got a double ear infection and sinus infection. That lead to antibiotics that we later learned Tommy had an allergic reaction to. Head to toe rash. We called them polka dots, that made him feel better about them. -insert smile- Jake got sick and required antibiotics, as did I, and the real kicker of the month, Baby Kate got a ~~nice~~ yucky dose of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). That landed her in the hospital for 5 days, 6 IV sticks that resulted in 3 running IV's, and oxygen for 1 week. Thank God kids rebound quickly because that was one of the worst weeks of my life...she was so sick. The short of it now is, everyone is healthy! Praise God!

Waiting in the ER for a bed in the peds unit

Just hanging out

Starting to feel a tad better

We learned that there was light at the end of the tunnel...JOY!

Status Update

2010-02-15T11:45:00.002-07:00

Sooooooo.....yes, I know it has been over a month since I last blogged. Oh how I feel so bad about that! So much has happened, and I promise before the end of the week I'll get it all updated on here. My excuse...besides all the things that have happened, Jake is on vacation, and has been for the last 3 weeks. Still has one more week off, then we'll be getting back into our normal routine. I LOVE LOVE LOVE having him home, but it messes everything up! So, in the regard, it'll be nice for him to go back to work. Be back soon...

10 Days Into 2010

2010-01-10T18:26:00.003-07:00

10 days in, and it has been interesting! So far I have resumed a rigorous workout routine in order to be in great shape for all the races this year. I have been sick off and on for 1 full week now, and I am OVER it! Jake and I had the BEST, most romantic date night at the Palace Arms restaurant in Denver (YUM), Tommy resumed school (preschool), Kate started school (parent's day out), Jake and I have BOTH been to the dentist for routine cleanings, and we're adding to the family in February. Timing of that should be clue enough that it's not a baby. At least not human. ;o) Whew...busy.

Resolutions

2010-01-01T10:21:00.005-07:00

2010 promise to be a year full of activities/races. Amy, Ashley, and I have ~~vowed~~, ~~committed~~, challenged each other to a variety of events. Some that include...a 5 mile run race in Feb, a 7K run race in March, a 1/2 marathon in April, a triathlon in June, a triathlon in July, 1/2 marathon in August, and a full marathon in October! Whew...it's going to be a fun, fit, busy year, and I can't wait! Training starts TODAY!

Oh yeah, and like I have promised many times before, I vow to TRY and be better about posting a little more often. ;)

Noon Years Eve-Denver Children's Museum

2010-01-01T10:00:00.002-07:00

I give a lot of credit to Denver and the various activities they provide. Yesterday the Children's Museum of Denver had a 9a-3p event that allowed little ones to celebrate New Years Eve at noon, and offered lots of crafts and activities for the kids to indulge in. Included was a ball drop with countdown to the New Year and "fireworks" which was a ginormous ~~piece~~ mat of bubble wrap that the kids got to stomp on. The only downside to this event was that they entire Denver Metro area had the same idea to take their kids there, and it was ~~a zoo~~ CROWDED. Nonetheless, the kids had a blast, and that's all that matters. Amy-thanks for the idea and inviting us...it really was fun ~~for the 1st 20 minutes~~.

Happy New Year!! Here We Come, 2010.

2010-01-01T09:25:00.003-07:00

From our family to yours, we're wishing you a very blessed and happy new year for 2010.

Ours was kicked off by spending time with the Newsom family, then coming home, putting Kate to bed, and Tommy and I watching Up and pigging out on popcorn. All while Jake was working. Good times. Tommy went to bed and I stayed up and watched several episodes of Dexter, my new -founded ~~obession~~ ~~hobby~~ passtime. Not that I didn't have a million other things I could be doing...laundry, picking up toys, tiding up the house, sleep. Oh well. There are far worse things I could wasting my time on. We had a fabulous end of the year-a very busy Christmas break for Tommy visiting friends, last minute shopping, gift exchanges, etc. Christmas was delightfully blissful and a great time spent reflecting on how blessed we are with our family and friends. I was fortuent enough to be able to stay home from work and spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the family. It was awesome. Hope yours was as awesome. :)

Kate checking out the tree
Dear Santa, YES IT WAS!
Jake's Christmas Party
Here's Trouble!
Mommy/Tommy date day
Annual Christmas Dinner with my Godparents
Cross between fragle rock and muppets
Christmas Pics (1)

Christmas Pics (2)
Christmas Pics (3)-my fav
Christmas Eve and 2 very excited kids!
Christmas morning, matching jammies

Ingore this Post

2009-12-26T23:11:00.002-07:00

this is a test with a new program...trying to see what the advantages and ~~limitations~~ are.

Styrofoam or Snow??

2009-12-14T18:06:00.002-07:00

You just have to LOVE this time of year when fun boxes are delivered with all kinds of excitement inside that you have to be patient enough to wait until Christmas morning to open up the mysteries and experience the wonder. Well, along with that comes the big brown boxes and that fun packing material...styrofoam. My two blessings, also known as my children, who now have enough common interests to play with each other, decided it would be great fun to play in the empty boxes and that glorious styrofoam. Now...it only took 10 minutes or so, but between the two of them, they managed to take every "brick" as it were of styrofoam and smash it and break it up into the ittyiest bittiest pieces of "snow" that covered a good portion of our living room. The unfortuent part was I didn't get my camera out before the clean-up phase began. Well, if nothing else, they sure had fun! :)

December, Already?!?!

2009-12-05T14:34:00.003-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how fast this year has gone by...and I can't believe we're already at the 5th of Dec!! My little camera broke on halloween, so I don't have many pictures right now-I will have to get them uploaded from my big camera later tonight, or at least, before the weekend ends. It's been mellow around here...same day to day busyness, but overall, mellow. Christmas shopping is DONE and I am glad to have these next few weeks to focus on spending time with the kids and making fun memories. It sure beats dealing with crowds in busy malls! Oh, and a "shout out" to my amazing hubby...we're celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary, and 15 years of being together on Monday! Love you babe!! Pictures to follow...as soon as I remember to get them uploaded!

Busy Days (nothing unusual for us) #2

2009-11-10T20:39:00.004-07:00

baby bumblebee
our snowy October blizzard
who is this guy?
whoa! who's this lady?
life is more fun with kids!
my super awesome buddy, Brooke
such cuties
my sister (in-law), Kristy
I would love to see this 20 years from now! ;)

We are notorious for being busy and always being on the go. These last few weeks have fallen right in place with that! If you were to ask me for specifics, I am not sure I could give them to you, but all I know is in 2 weeks we have Thanksgiving, and in 6 weeks it'll be Christmas! I really feel like 2009 just began, and yet we are closing it out before too long. Well, to focus on the positive-we're all happy, we're all well, and we're all just truckin' along in the day to day grind.

Scream Scram '09

2009-10-23T23:17:00.004-06:00

Tonight was the annual Scream Scram 5K race in Wash Park. It was so much fun! Huge crowd, amazing costumes, great run. My HotRod Tommy was a construction worker. Sweet Baby Kate (aka Monkey) was "mini" Minnie Mouse (& along came her constant companion, matching mini mouse). And I, keeping in dress-up spirit, was "big" Minnie Mouse. So fun-but not the most comfortable running outfit. Ashley and her girls joined us this year. Ashley was Wonder Woman (and that is not a far stretch from the truth!) and her sweet girls were matching ladybugs. To die for! Prior to the start of our race was the kids 100 meter 'Monster Dash.' Tommy and Addie ran it and did quite well! The highlight for me was after the race when they held a raffle. Both Ashley and I won stuff. Got to LOVE winning things! I scored a long-sleeve t-shirt, and a pair of optic nerve sunglasses! Sa-Weet!

Denver Marathon

2009-10-23T23:12:00.003-06:00

10.18.09

We came, We raced, We conquered the finish line!

It was a great day, a great course, a great race! Looking forward to next years, already!

The Deer-Feeder...It Works!

2009-10-23T23:01:00.002-06:00

Awhile back Tommy and Jake had a project...build a deer-feeder to accommodate the many deer that cross our property daily. For several weeks we thought it was a total bust, but lo and behold, and I was able to catch it on "film", we have PROOF the deer-feeder works!

October=Pumpkins!

2009-10-23T22:53:00.002-06:00

this year we went to historical 4-mile house in denver for a fun day of history and picking out pumpkins. staying true to tradition, tommy picked out the biggest pumpkin he could find, and for baby kate, well, we found the perfect "baby kate size" pumpkin for her.

Race for the Cure

2009-10-05T21:50:00.004-06:00

10-4-09

My 11th year of running this race, and every year it gets better and better! Ashley and her daughters-Addie and Annie, and Amy, sans children, joined us for the 5K run. Although overly crowded (which makes running with a double jogger interesting), it was fun!

pre-race
post-race
the Runnin Mama's

Step Up Walk for Down's Syndrome

2009-10-05T21:42:00.002-06:00

Great morning on 9-27-09 with the Van Heusen's and precious Mila who we honored with our walk.

baby Mila
Baby Kate
Tommy

The End of September

2009-10-01T23:00:00.004-06:00

We found a new froggie when we got home from AWANA. Tommy so wanted to keep him-but I have to tell him that froggie needs to live outdoors. Then we spent a fantastic day in Winter Park with Aunt Conny at the base doing all the fun summer activities. Alpine slide, climbing wall, giant trampoline, and putt putt golf were just some of the fun things we did that day. Then we did the Step Up for Down's Syndrome walk in support of our friends, the Van Heusen's, and their daughter, Mila. Combine this with school, AWANA, playdates, and training runs (for the upcoming 1/2 marathon), you can see it's been busy! Pictures from the walk to come...in the meantime, enjoy the others.

2 weeks in review...on their way...tomorrow.

2009-09-30T22:43:00.003-06:00

I've tried to muster up the energy to get something posted...especially before the 1st of October. Oh well. The last 2 weeks in review to come. Hopefully tomorrow. :)

Racing Season Begins

2009-09-12T19:57:00.002-06:00

Although we completed a triathlon in August, my racing season has now begun. Today was the Fitness Festival in the Denver Tech Center. It was a great race-lots of people, great after party, and I really enjoyed the course. Ashley and her kiddos joined Baby Kate, Tommy, and me for the 5K run (3.1 miles). We have 3 runs in October, 1 in November, and at least 1 in December. Looking forward to having Amy join us in the next race.

She's Not a Baby, Anymore

2009-09-11T16:13:00.003-06:00

"CRACK"

Can you hear that? That is the sound of my heart breaking. A revelation hit me on Wednesday...Kate is not a baby, anymore. Well, I guess she'll ALWAYS be my "baby kate" but in one glance I saw her transform from a baby to a toddler. Ugh. I hated that feeling. No more baby stuff for me. Not that I want another baby...let's be very clear on that...our family is complete-unless God wants to play a mean joke on us. I just thought I would keep thinking of her as a baby, but it's not fair to her, for she is growing up! And such a big girl she is becoming!!! She finally hit 21 lbs at her 18 month checkup, and grew a whole 3 inches from her 1 year checkup!! For the first time, she has surpassed the 10th percentile in weight! She is very smart, and extremely opinionated-but that's what makes her my sweet baby kate. Every single moment that passes I love her more and more, which I didn't think could be possible since I loved her so completely when we first met at birth. Baby Kate, happy 18 months to you! You complete us as a family, and I couldn't imagine a life without you! Hugs and Kisses, baby girl. You are my sunshine.

New School Year

2009-09-11T16:02:00.003-06:00

OMGosh, can it really be one whole month since I last posted?? UGH! What have I been doing!?!? Well, I'll tell you what I have been doing...playdates, playdates, playdates, working, driving Tommy everywhere, running (a whole lot!), camping, oh, and did I mention playdates? The last 1/2 of August was very busy, and now that pre-k has started for Tommy (and AWANA next week) I imagine life is going to be crazier for awhile. But hey, that's how I like it. So Mr. Tommy started school on Wednesday, and today he had his first full day (4 hours). We love his teacher, and I feel he is going to learn so much and grow so much this year!

The Triathlon

2009-08-13T22:31:00.005-06:00

Only one and 1/2 weeks late in posting, but better last than never...right? At least that's my motto for now. This summer was spent in preparation (honestly, mostly mental) for the toughest athletic physical challenge of my life to this point. Even though I have completed 2 marathons and at least a half dozen 1/2 marathons, this was going to be my first triathlon, and for some reason, having 3 activities instead of just one was a huge mental challenge for me to accept. Running is running, but swimming, then biking, the running, and the transitions to take place...whoa, it was almost too much to take in. Well, August 2nd was race day, and what a fantastic day it was! I was so proud of myself for not being nervous...I just had the racing spirit in me, and I was just so excited to get it underway! There were so many wonderful things about this race...it was a women's only tri, it supports the Susan B Komen breast cancer foundation, and I was completing it with my best girl Amy, and our awesome friend, Ashley. It was a fun race, great course, and I finished! My swim was awesome, and I was so proud of my finish in the swim...368 out of 3000. My bike, well, it was fun, but I got too lax. Next time (yes, there will be a next time!!) I will know to step it up a little to shave some time off. And finally, the run. What I thought was going to be my strongest part of the race was by far the worst! It was hot, and I was just getting over a nasty cold. I started out relatively strong, but ended up having to walk part of the run (ugh) because (...yuck...) I was throwing up all the snot that was draining down the back of my throat. Sorry, gross I know, but it killed my run. Nonetheless, I finished the race, and felt great about that, and can't wait for next summer to do it again! :)

Sweet Little Voice

2009-07-25T22:07:00.003-06:00

Baby Giraffe Wobble Legs

2009-07-22T23:04:00.002-06:00

Tonight was Tommy's first ice skate lesson, and what a hoot! He really looked like a baby giraffe trying to walk for the first time. After a few minutes he started to get the hang of it, and low and behold, he had a blast on the ice. Of course it helped that I wrote down the wrong time and we showed up 1/2 hour late so Tommy was graciously placed in the next class. No one from that class showed up, so Tommy got a private lesson! It was great. He is great.

Always makes me laugh for so many reasons...such a cute comic, and if he knew what I was writing I promise you his response would be, "awww, shucks." (thanks for that one, Grandpa). I love this kid for his eagerness to try anything (tumbling class, spanish class, swimming, ice skating, etc), his sweet and tender heart, his quick wit and smarts. It could just go on and on. I'm sure you get the picture...I'm crazy for this kid.

Glimpse into our Future

2009-07-22T22:56:00.002-06:00

We could only be so lucky to have such a beautiful daughter-in-law AND her family...give it +/- 20 years...only time will tell. ;)

Big Shoes to Fill

2009-07-22T22:35:00.002-06:00

The baby love of my life. Sweet baby Kate, she fills me with such joy! She has this thing for wearing my shoes...any pair. It's a hoot, and if it is foreshadowing our future together...A. we're going to be great shopping buddies, and B. I'm in great financial doom. :)

Sweet baby girl is starting to get vocal, too. "Hiiiiiiii," "Byyyyeeee,"and "tank ew" are among her current favorite words. Her little voice is just magical music to my ears. This stage is great fun. She is also signing her manners...more, please, and thank you are a daily occurrence.

My heart swells with joy when I think of her, when I hold her, and when I kiss and hug her.

Happy July...everything

2009-07-09T17:53:00.004-06:00

July 1st-Happy Birthday, dear Tommy. You are such a joy to my life! Four years have gone by since I was laboring with you in the hospital and I can hardly believe it! I love you to the moon and back a million billion times. You are my sweet boy! I am glad you are a part of our family. Happy Birthday, America. What a day we had celebrating as a family-both for Tommy's birthday and for the fourth of July. I love spending time with my extended family! And now, here we are on the 9th day of July and I have no idea where all the time is going, but I do know this...we're having one rockin' awesome summer playing and bouncing all over the place! A very special Happy Birthday to our friends Kya and Bella on July 7th and 8th, respectively. This is a great month!

pictures...finally

2009-06-24T22:59:00.007-06:00

day at the zoo
the kids at Tommy Davis Park
our new lawn tractor

GrandMommy D
Generations

Glenwood Springs
snuggle time
us at the pool
the boys
my favorite boy
my favorite girl

great minds think and act alike ;)

Way Behind

2009-06-19T17:34:00.003-06:00

I admit, I am way behind and I have let my nuts-so schedule get in the way of me posting new posts here. Here's a slight recap of my life the last 3 weeks...The last weekend in May the Stevenson/Seiler family went to Glenwood Springs for a most wonderful weekend get-a-way of swimming and relaxing and recouping (of course, pictures to come...). Right before we left I got a phone call from my aunt saying my Grandma wasn't doing too well and they have put her into hospice care. I got home from Glenwood Springs on Monday (6/1) and Wednesday I was on a plane to Baton Rouge for a visit with my aunt, uncle, and Grandma. Kate went with me, and we had the most wonderful time visiting. As always, too short. Kate and I flew home on Saturday and quickly established ourselves as a family into our summer routine. We have been busy...playdates, tumbling and swimming classes for Tommy, trips to the zoo, pool, and more playdates! On Tuesday (6/16), I got a call from my aunt saying that my Grandma had pass. As I like to think of it, she had her heaven day-the day she got to go see the Lord Jesus Christ and reunite with family and friends who had passed before her. What a lucky gal, but what a loss to us. We have lost the most optimistic, loving, graceful, beautiful both inside and out person I have ever come across. Although she is and will continue to be greatly missed, she put in 92 amazing years of blessing peoples' lives. I leave the end of next week to go back to Baton Rouge for the memorial service. I will be traveling sans children, and I am kind-of excited about that. So that's my recap. I have lots of pictures to post from Glenwood, my trip to Baton Rouge, and some of the playdates, and hope to get that done tonight after my babies go to bed. Then again, I have plans to put away laundry, clean the kitchen, run on the treadmill, set up my new phone, set up Jake's phone (my old phone), and shower! Maybe some of those things will roll into tomorrow's activities. Hehehe. Thanks for putting up with the 3 week void since my last post. Love to all of you reading this.

The Little Kids, The Big Kids

2009-05-28T23:50:00.002-06:00

From our AWESOME playdate 10 days ago (yes, so I am a little behind). Kinley and Kate had fun making faces at each other, and Tommy and Kya...well, they have fun doing everything together! Such fun to have such amazing friends-young (14 months) and old (30 yrs). Here's to a lifetime of many memories! Thanks Brooke!

It's All About Me

2009-05-25T20:39:00.002-06:00

For the longest time Kate has said "dadadada" but only a couple of times has she said "mamama." Her words include "uh-oh", "dadada", and "peek-a-boo" (and sometimes "baby"). Well, Jake was teaching her to say mama today while I was napping (assuming I was going to work tonight). Instead of saying "mamama" she said "meemeemee"! That's right, in her little world, "it's all about me!"

Top Knot & Ladies Man

2009-05-17T16:33:00.006-06:00

She finally has a top knot...and I finally figured out how to barrette it! I'm entering a whole new world of hair styling that I wasn't aware of...barbie dolls are a far cry from a real baby's head!

Tommy is my little ladies man! He has a few girls that are his "girlfriends"-Kya and Bella being the leading two! This was from our impromptu day yesterday with the Newsom family-a fun playdate that spanned 3 cities!

Spoiled Mommy

2009-05-11T13:35:00.004-06:00

Happy Mother's day! I was so spoiled by Jake and the kids! It all started with breakfast in bed-waffle with berries and whipped cream, and coffee, followed by my gifts-a bottle of wine and a gift certificate to a great spa for a wonderful massage. After a somewhat leisurely morning it was off to church where we got to see my niece get dedicated to the Lord. Then it was over to mom and dad's (Jake's parents) for a mother's day lunch and celebration. Finally home for naps and some unpacking and hanging pictures on the walls. Such a nice day! I did get a little sad that I couldn't wish my own mom a happy mother's day-I felt a little bitter as memories flooded my mind and she wasn't there with me. But this is only the 2nd mother's day without her. I guess I need more time to heal.

girl time
the #1 and #2 reasons I am a mom
snuggle time
kisses
more kisses!
"who, me??"
grandma, granddaughter time
great aunt conny kisses
grandma with her granddaughters
cousin kisses

Thirty is not so bad...

2009-05-11T13:18:00.004-06:00

Well here I am, 6 days into my 30's. It's not so bad. In fact, I pretty much forgot about the whole number thing until I had to write it down at the gym. It was then that I felt old. "It's all just a mind set" I kept telling myself. I never had to own up to it until that moment at the gym. I am slowly living it down again..."it's all just a mind set...you're only as old as you want to be" I say over and over again. Someday down the road I will wish I was still thirty.

my darling daughter
she is so much fun!

Jake took me out to dinner at Opus. Uh-YUM!! Contemporary expression through food is how I'd best descibe it. It was a great evening out. No kiddos, just adult conversation, cocktails, great food and service...a night to remember.

our date night

my dinner
mmmm, dessert, chocolate soup with berries and whipped cream

Lesson Learned

2009-05-08T16:43:00.003-06:00

Ok, I get it...I still have lesson's in life to learn...here's one of them...

larger than life jacuzzi tub+warm water+bubbles+jets in action=a ridiculous amount of bubbles that nearly overflowed onto the bathroom floor, but also ='s a whole lotta fun in a bubble bath!

Remanence of the Infamous Move

2009-05-06T22:03:00.003-06:00

Just one, or a few of the reasons our moving experience wasn't exactly stellar. Thank you, moving company, for getting your truck stuck in our yard, digging ruts, and chewing up our concrete driveway with the chains on your tires.

Bat-Man

2009-05-06T21:51:00.002-06:00

Meet Charlie. He's our new friend/pet/whatever...

Charlie decided to join us a few days ago outside our front door, and has made himself quite at home. He's really not a bother, and most of us in this family have come to love him (Jake's a little uncertain about him still). Tommy is super excited to have a pet bat, and I am giddy over all the new animal friends we're meeting here in our new home. Here's hoping he sticks around for awhile...

T minus 9 hours

2009-05-04T15:05:00.003-06:00

It's almost time. I am almost changing decades. I am confused. Should I be sad? Happy? My twenties were the best years of my life thus far...I have to show a college degree, a fantastic career, 2 marathons and countless 1/2 marathons, 10K's, 7K's, and 5K's, an amazingly beautiful, wonderful Godly husband and marriage, 2 amazing children, 3 homes we have shared our life in, 3 cars that have protected me so much in ugly accidents, a growing faith in my Lord, Jesus Christ. Wow. There's something to be said for all of that. I have also had challenges that have changed me forever, choices I've made that weren't so smart, losing my mom-my last parent, losing other relatives, etc. But I feel like I am a better person for that. I am sure my thirties will be great. Everyone I have talked to about this says how amazing their thirties are. I have alot to look forward to...a continuing growth in my faith...daily I hope, as it seems to already be on that track. Watching my 2 babies grow and become independent little things, rooting our family in our new community, strengthening my marriage-even more so than it is strong now! So much to look forward, but I feel so hesitant to take that step forward...not that I have much of a choice. In 9 hours it hits...full force.

Moving Fiasco

2009-04-25T08:46:00.002-06:00

If any moving company tries to convince you that they can move all your belongings in a major snow storm, DON'T believe them! We just went thru this last weekend as we moved into our new home and for 1 week only had 1/2 a house here because the movers couldn't finish their job (thanks to the weather!). One night we were homeless, and the next day the moving truck got stuck in our driveway and yard, digging ruts with their chains on as they tried to get the truck unstuck and nearly tipped over! Well, it gets better, then a tow truck was called to get the moving truck out, and yup, you guessed it, the tow truck got stuck!! So, yet another tow truck was called to rescue both the 1st tow truck and the moving truck...well, the 2nd tow truck did not get stuck...got the first tow truck out, but said there was no way he could get the moving truck out! So, for the next 72 hours we had a moving truck stuck on our driveway/yard. Joy. Well, fast-forward to yesterday...a different moving company was called to finish the job, and what a joy they were! Fast company, very polite, and a job well done. It is a nice feeling to know that all of our "stuff " now resides under one roof! :) So, as for the unpacking...anyone want to help??? ;) I assume in the next 3-4 years we'll be done! Just kidding...I hope. Hopefully in the next month or two we'll have it ALL done! Hopefully.

Easter

2009-04-15T20:11:00.003-06:00

What a glorious day celebrating Jesus. HE is risen! What an amazing life He led, and I am amazed constantly at how He lives today! What a powerful God we have! As a family, we had a great day dressing the kids up, going to church, then spent the rest of the day packing for our impending move. Oh we're so excited, but that's a story for another day. Enjoy the pictures of my beautiful, amazing, wonderful, lovely children. Oh how I LOVE them!! :)

Babysitting

2009-04-07T22:02:00.003-06:00

We had the pleasure of watching cousin/niece Carly on Saturday night while mama got some serious r&r with friends. The kids loved having her over-well Tommy did...Kate had to sort through some jealously issues-she's not one to share her mommy. All in all, it was a fantastic evening.

Crazy Snowy Day 2

2009-03-27T21:01:00.002-06:00

After the remainder of the snowfall, we got out today and played in the fluffy white stuff-there was an abundance of it! Tommy and Daddy shoveled while us girls watched (and helped a little on the porch), then it was across the street to go sledding before coming inside for hot chocolate, a warm lunch, bathtime, and mommy's favorite...naptime! It was a good day!

Crazy Snowy Day

2009-03-26T23:41:00.003-06:00

After the driest season we have been thru in quite some time, we finally got hammered with the most beautiful snowfall and heavy accumulation! Instead of playing in the snow which was white-out conditions for most of the late-morning/early afternoon. Outside playing will happen tomorrow. For today, we braved the roads and headed to a super fun swimming pool and had a family swim date. It was wonderful!

just SOME of our snow
T's fav alligator slide
my swimming monkey
my princess pea

What a fun day!

2009-03-18T21:58:00.006-06:00

Baby Kate's birthday party was a huge success! Much fun was had by all, and Kate's smash cake was a hit! Still can't believe my little girl is one already...on one hand it feels like she just joined our family, but on the other, I couldn't even begin to remember life without her here with us! WOW! How incredible that is!!

presents
smash cakemy big helper!

dancin'
time to make a mess!

sugar baby

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl

2009-03-11T22:12:00.004-06:00

I am not sure how it happened, but it did...one whole year has passed us by, and our sweet Baby Kate is now one year old! We have had a marvelous day that included multiple singings of Happy Birthday throughout the day, dressing up (like a cupcake, according to dad), going to lunch and having the staff sing, enjoying a yummy sundae treat, taking a nice nap, and hanging out with mom tonight. What a fun day. Party is Saturday....more pictures to come. And for my baby girl...Kate, I love you more than any words could ever describe. You are my angel, my sweet baby girl, my best lady friend, and I look forward to watching you grow up, and watching our relationship blossom into something this world has never seen. Hugs and kisses baby girl! Happy Birthday!

cool shades!
our cupcake
birthday girl

all the fluff

mama & daughter

big time dessert!

mmmmmmm
all done
goodnight!

What a Night!

2009-02-14T22:53:00.003-07:00

My heart is busting with joy! Tonight Tommy asked Jesus to live in his heart, and together we prayed a pray of salvation. WOW!!! I can barely contain my joy! What a mature 3 1/2 yr old I have on my hands. I couldn't be prouder!

I'm an Auntie!

2009-02-13T20:54:00.003-07:00

Congratulations to Ben (my brother in law) and Kristy, his wife (my sister in law) on the birth of their first baby, a girl, named Carly May Stevenson-8lbs, 2.8 oz on Feb 10th. She is beautiful, and I am one proud auntie!! (and Jake is one proud uncle!!). Tommy loves his new little cousin, and even sang happy birthday to her. Kate doesn't realize it yet, but she is so lucky to have a little cousin who will be so close in age growing up. I know they'll be great friends! Enjoy the pics from a very excited Aunt Mandy!!

one proud auntie
brother's and their daughters
the new family
tommy holding carly
tommy singing happy birthday to cousin carly

New Friends

2009-02-05T22:04:00.003-07:00

Say hello to Trampoline and Kermit the Leopard, our new friends, the frogs, the reside in our kitchen. Tommy is THRILLED to have pets to care for...it's great to see him so eager to take responsibility for something.

It's Been Amazing

2009-01-30T20:22:00.003-07:00

I hate to leave Baton Rouge tomorrow, and I am sure that anytime I left I would feel like it was too soon. I have had an amazing time with my aunt and uncle, they have been incredible hosts, and spending time with my grandma has been priceless. I have enjoyed her company so much and we have had fun talking about all kinds of things. I know I will cherish these memories and this time forever. I hate that I have to leave, but I have a son and husband awaiting me in Colorado who I have missed terribly! And a husband who misses his wife and daughter so very much!

Baton Rouge...Jan '09

2009-01-27T21:49:00.004-07:00

god bless my grandma. known to me as mommy d, she is one amazing woman! a lady who is 92 and has the best disposition i could ever imagine. when i am down she can always lift me up. "god gave you strong shoulders, mandy, to bear the weight of this situation." an optimist in the purest form. here's hoping i can lift her up now.

Most Precious Treasures

2009-01-09T22:03:00.003-07:00

Anyone knows how much I love my kids. I have been so greatly blessed with Jake and his love-there is a great comfort in the fact that we have been together so long (15 years now!) and we've literally grown up together. I have been blessed with his family, a family so special that accepted me as a huge part of Jake's life right from the start, and have been so supportive of me, of us, and tremendous influences in our lives. Now that we have a family of our own, I can't even express into words how complete I feel, how blessed I truly am, and how incredible everything is! Through triumphs and tribulations, we have a solid rock foundation of a family, and that is my most precious treasure!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-03T18:22:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year, everyone! Ours was quite mellow as everyone in the house was recovering from some yucky germbugs. No new pictures this time, just a cute story I have titled "Holding Hands."

We recently changed Kate's carseat from an infant carrier to a "big girl" carseat. It's still facing backwards since our little girl is no where near the weight limit or age limit to turn her seat to a forward facing position. Kate loves her new seat, but that's not the point of this story. Jake and I had the kids in the car and we were ready to tackle some errands. He and I were talking, music playing in the background, and holding hands (ahhh, so romantic). Well, the best part is little did we know, but Tommy was watching us, and because Kate sits slightly higher in her new seat, he was able to reach out and grab her hand. The best part was, this wasn't a "look at me" from him, we didn't even realize what he was doing until we asked him to dance along to one of the songs that was playing and he informed us that he couldn't because he was holding Baby Kate's hand. Too cute! Oh, and did I mention, Kate LOVES her big brother, and loves the attention she gets from him!

It was a Merry Christmas

2008-12-28T09:51:00.004-07:00

our Christmas airplane @ the preschool pagent
look what Santa brought!
the family @ zoolights

kate, grandma, & a monkey
trying to dress herself!
who me?? I'm not doing anything wrong!

We had a great time spending Christmas Eve with all of our family at our home. Opening presents was fun...every one that Tommy opened was his new favorite and it took alot of convincing to get him to open up the next! Kate had a good Christmas and really enjoyed the clothes she received! Yup, that's my girl...loves her clothes! She even tried to put one of the shirts on (not that she can dress herself, but she sure tried!). Christmas day was quite and nice, I'd even call it blissful! We currently have a home full of sick people, so we have been laying low to try and get better!

My Very Own CandyCane

2008-12-19T08:30:00.002-07:00

are there any words to express how cute she is?
Sassy
My little ham!

I love her! I love this bow! I love her goofiness! She brings such joy!

To the Point

2008-12-12T22:26:00.002-07:00

To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. 'When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.' Concentrate on this sentence...'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

one year

2008-12-04T23:58:00.002-07:00

well, I suppose I did it. I made it thru the one year anniversary of my mom's passing. What a roller-coster of a day! It snowed all day long which was wonderful! I love the snow so much-kinda like a special gift from my mom to me to say that it is all ok. Jake was in surgery today...he's fine...and home. Once we came home and settled in for the night that's when all the emotions hit and hit hard. Emotions of all sorts hit like ocean waves-right on top of each other. I am glad the day is over, now if I can just get myself to fall alseep so I can get to tomorrow....yeah, right.

Snow Day, Finale

2008-12-02T22:38:00.002-07:00

So, we ended up with 12 inches of the fluffy white stuff, and it was a blast to watch the boys playing and shoveling while us girls stayed inside and warm! Of course, today it was almost 70, and tomorrow's high is supposed to be 30 and more snow! Only in Colorado...

Snow Day #2

2008-11-30T14:03:00.001-07:00

some pics to come...1o inches and counting!! Football, playing in the snow, fireplace going, white snow everywhere! Wonderfulness!!!

Snow Day

2008-11-30T00:31:00.003-07:00

So Big!
Chase Me!
Snow Angel

Portable Snowman

A fun day playing in the snow and getting things done around the home. The best part is the Tommy-ism today-after playing in the snow he asked for "hotdogs and marshmallows" to warm up! Yup, you guessed it, "hot-chocolate with marshmallows" is what he really wanted!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-11-30T00:16:00.004-07:00

A time to be thankful. I am so thankful for my friends, my family-both extended and immediate, for the blessings in my life-a car to drive, a roof over my head, for good health. I am most thankful for my incredible husband and sensational kids. They have been so instrumental in making me and my life whole. How amazing it is to have such a foundation! I hope and pray that everyone reading this had a wonderful thanksgiving and knows that you are special to me.

this smile makes me so happy!
...and so does this one!
my babes
my happy place

Eat Your Heart Out, Stevie Wonder!

2008-11-22T10:00:00.003-07:00

So, this was taken about a week ago. This kid cracks me up!

SNOW

2008-11-14T08:24:00.002-07:00

YAY! It's FINALLY snowing-our 1st of the season. So pretty, and here's hoping for lots more this season! What a beautiful way to wake up!

To My Most Beautiful Girl, Happy 8 Months Kate!

2008-11-12T15:31:00.005-07:00

Kate, you are my most beautiful and precious baby girl. Your daddy, brother, and I have all been blessed since you joined our family! We could not imagine a moment without here. I cannot believe you have been with us for 8 months (& 1 day) now! Where has the time gone? We love you so much, and thank you for

*growing so differently from your brother

*being so petite that I feel like you are much younger than you actually are

*lighting up more than a room when you smile-love to see those precious dimples!

*having some similarities to my mom that I feel like I still have her around

*making my heart swell so much that I often just want to cry tears of joy when I look at you

*rolling around all over the floor-you never seem to be right where I left you

*giggling at nothing-you just start up laughing...I wonder at what?

*you hearty laugh, it seems so deep, and your shrill screams, they're not deep at all!

*being fascinated with your tongue and sticking it out at us! So cute...

*being so patient with Tommy when he hugs you just a little too tight

*not having any teeth yet. I love that gummy smile and it makes nursing you so much easier

*always wanting to be on my hip, snuggled with me, or close in some fashion. I love snuggling you sweet baby girl!

*tolerating wearing the biggest bows I can find, you know you look so pretty in them! ;)

Kate Holland Stevenson, you are such a beautiful blessing to us. Thank you for being you and letting us love you.

A Milestone

2008-11-05T22:02:00.003-07:00

Well, it happened...Kate ate cereal for the first time last night, just one week short of her turning 8 months! The rice cereal itself wasn't a big hit, but the process was, and so much fun! Bless her heart, she's such a doll! Then she proceeded to sleep in her own bed-a first after spending the last 3 weeks in bed with Jake and I for an undetermined reason. I'm still skeptical, we'll see how long it lasts.

Halloween Friends

2008-11-04T10:55:00.004-07:00

Halloween was so much fun this year! Tommy was a shark-until 30 minutes before we left to meet our dear friends for a fall festival...he wanted to be a pirate! A compromise was made, and he was a pirate shark. Hehe, so fun. Kate was a good sport and she was a chicken...a costume that was bigger than she is! We met up with our dear friends, Brooke, her husband Mark, and their daughters Kya and Kinley who are the same ages as my peanuts! Jake was at work, so he had to miss out on the fun we had. We went to their church's fall festival and had so much fun going on a hayride, playing with balloon swords, getting faces painted, bobbing for apples, playing games, square dancing, and so much more!! Kinley and Kate must have been celebrity babies because everyone was ooohing and ahhing over how precious they are! Which is true! Kya and Tommy sure had fun running around together...I love watching them play, they're great friends!

kate and kinley in the ball pit

bobbing for apples
peek-a-boo
celebrity babes
the girls
tommy & kya fishing for ducks
kya & tommy on the hayride
pirate tommy
shark tommy
my babes

Scream Scram

2008-10-28T22:46:00.003-06:00

Every year since 2002, the weekend before halloween,I have participated in a 5K running race at Wash park in Denver. Since kids, I have tried to dress up to keep par with the other runners-you'd be amazed at some of the costumes there...truly outrageous! I wanted to theme the kids and myself this year, but Tommy wasn't into it, so we've gone our separate ways (and costumes) this is what we ended up with-a shark, a chicken, and Wonder Woman (yeah, that's right...my alter-ego is Wonder Woman). It was a blast!