Glenwood Springs, CO

To break up our long drive home, we stopped off @ Glenwood Springs Spa.  It is a natural Hot Spring that they've made into a huge swimming pool!  The large pool was 90* + the smaller one was 104*.

The Ilano Family, our new best friends:)

Elsie Anne surprises us each time we take her swimming.  This time she loved DIVING into the water.  We held her as she would JUMP out of our arms, head first, into the water.  So, we let her actually SWIM!  She kicked her legs + held her arms out to reach for us, all the while she was completely under water!  She came up w/ a smile on her face EVERY time. 

She loved climbing up + down the steps too!

Playing in Moab, Utah!

Nadia + Elsie Anne quickly became Best Friends on our trip!  It was so much fun staying w/ another family... we will definitely plan another trip w/ the Ilano's!

Nadia playing in her Mommy's running shoes!

This is HWY128...the Canyon that we RAN through!

More of our RACE stretch...

A momento to remember our hard work!!  We're definitely in a different state of mind in this pic!!

Canyonland Half Marathon: Moab, Utah

Before the race... me, Taneil + Becky

Crossing the FINISH LINE!  I can't believe Shawn was able to find me in all the crowd!!  There were over 3,000 runners that crossed the line:)  And, yes, I was DYING!

A teary kiss for my priness!  She was so excited to see me:)

Playing in the Park afterward!

The Ladies from Breckenridge!

Elsie Anne enjoying the live music @ the Park!

Wow, did that 1/2 Marathon humble me!  I had done a 10mile race a few weeks ago, but those extra 3miles really did me in!  I will be much more prepared for my next one!!

A Day In The Life...

...of the Big One Year old!!  I'm sure every parent has experienced this, but it is new to us + we can't get over how BIG she feels, looks + acts now:)  Its like she knows that she just turned ONE!!

MORNING...
Elsie Anne loves helping Momma w/ the dishes!!

She also loves her morning play-time w/ Daddy!  She still can't get enough of her SUNGLASSES!  Its too funny, they really don't even fit her, but she gets so fiesty when you try to take them from her!

She even reads books w/ her SHADES on!!

NOON...

EA is INTO everything, LITERALLY!!  Anything she can climb IN, ON, OVER or UNDER, she is doing it!! 

She looks like she's in Kindergarten when she sits on her chair:)

NITE...
So happy to play 'PEEK-A-BOO' anytime of day, she says, "BPPOOO!" its a funny little word!

Elsie Anne is trying to walk more + more, and wants to walk @ stores holding our hand (which can be challenging @ times)!  We've decided she is a 'PERFECTIONIST'... she's been @ this same stage of walking for about a month.  She doesn't want to fall, she wants to do it perfect, so she waits to find the perfect environment to step out on her own.  It won't be too much longer + she'll be going for it anywhere!!  Its still amazing to watch the changes in her EVERYDAY, she is SO MUCH FUN!!

More Bday Shots!!

These are some pics that Emily took for us @ Elsie Anne's Breck Birthday party!!

The Birthday Beauty is HAPPY to see her friends arriving...

We had been practicing 'BLOWING' out candles... and look, she really tried to do it!!

Gently touching her cake... such a dainty little being!  She only tasted the icing a bit + wasn't interested.  Daddy showed her there was something under the icing, then she nibbled @ the Carrot Cake:)

Emily made even MY baking look tasty!!

Daddy the Chef... yummy burgers + dogs!!

Elsie Anne's friends... this was the last task before heading out for some sledding!!

Proud Parents of the ONE YEAR OLD!!

Getting Missy Moo in her Sledding Gear!  Can you tell how pumped Momma is?!

So happy our party was a success + all the families had a good time:)

Little Helper!

Shawn was able to get to one of the household projects (that have been accumulating) done!  But, I don't blame him for not wanting to work once he gets home from work!!  Today, he got to go skiing though, so he decided he'd get a few things done before taking off... recycling, garbage + cleaned up his sports area in the mud room... THANK YOU HONEY, that makes me feel so much better:) 

Elsie Anne has to help Daddy w/ everything he does... + he just loves it:)  Project #1: hang mirror in EA's play area!!  Something I've been wanting since she was about 6mo old!

She's going to be a 'Miss Fix-It' when she grows up!!  She was REALLY into this project...

The finished product... I LOVE IT! 

song..."SPIDER PIG, SPIDER PIG, DOES WHATEVER A SPIDER PIG DOES!  CAN HE SWING FROM A WEB?  NO HE CAN'T, CAUSE HE'S PIIIIIIIIIIIG!!!"  If you've seen the 'Simpson's Movie' than you know what I'm talking about, otherwise... it's too long of a story:) hahaha!!  Yes, EA got to be a SPIDER PIG!

Close Up of the SPIDER PIG!  She absolutely loved this... she was cracking up histarically:)  She loved the song too!

Enjoying a little MILK in her 'big girl chair'!!  She really feels grown up when she's in it!

Adeline is BETTER!  We haven't had (nannied) Adeline in almost a month, due to virus after virus, which ended up causing RSV (resperatory infection) + 3 days in the hospital:(  Poor sweet baby girl... but we are so happy to have her back!!

Party Time!!!

So, we finally made it to Elsie Anne's BIRTHDAY PARTY!  I swear this week felt like a month?!  I definitely miss having family around to help get everything together:)  But, I'm so proud of Shawn + myself... we did it ALL (shopped, cooked, baked, goodie bagged, decorated, etc) + had a fun time doing it!! 

We had EA's party @ Carter Park Pavillion.  It is a small indoor/outdoor area w/ beautiful views of the mountain, nice outdoor gas grill, indoor fireplace, seating both inside + out, and it's right @ the base of the best Sledding Hill in town!  If you follow the blog, you have seen pics of this Hill before:) 

So, it took Shawn's truck + my wagon to get everything we needed to our perfect location!  Being a pretty organized person, I had everything layed out the night before, we just had to load up the morning of.  I have to say, it went so much smoother than I had anticipated.  I did all the preparing inside (got EA + myself ready, packed up last minute things, etc) + Shawn packed up the cars as I put things in the mud room.  It's so nice feeling like a good team:) 

Once @ the Pavillion, it went the same way, Shawn brought everything in, I sayed where it should go, + started decorating + arranging the room as I thought it would flow best!  All you Mommas out there know that there is A LOT of thought that goes into a 1st bday, + all of these things had been running through my mind for the last 2 wks, so I knew exactly how I was going to set up once we were there!  So, with a little physical labor from Shawn (he was the 'tape man' for the streamers), the room was ready... 10 minutes before our first guest arrived...

This is our dear friend, Emily... she took our wedding pics + all of EAs pics!  We were so fortunate she was able to come to the party, as I would never have documented Elsie Anne's first birthday as it should be:)  I haven't gotten her photos yet, but I will definitely share once I do!

Here is the BIRTHDAY GIRL, herself... We brought her walker so she didn't have to crawl everywhere!  Her bow is hooked onto her dress, it hadn't made it into her hair yet, and these are her new snazzy sun glasses that Shawn picked out for her!  She LOVES them + never tries taking them off!!  This is still while we are getting ready...

...and we're still getting ready, so EA needed a snack (in her B-DAY THRONE)!  Check out that view!

This is Momma's hard work... I am NOT a cook or a baker + this was my very first time BAKING anything, so it was an adventure in itself!  I had planned on buying a cake from the local baker, but I decided a week before, "I'm a 'MOM' now, maybe I should try this?!" so that is what I did!  Saturday I started @ 2pm when EA went down for her nap, + I never stopped or sat down until I went to bed @ 11pm!  Woah, that was a CHORE, + I won't say that I enjoyed it, but it is nice to say that I've done it:)  I made a Sweet Potato Salad w/ a Vinegarette Dressing, Vanilla + Chocolate Cupcakes, + an Organic Carrot Cake for Missy Moo!  Shawn + I had fun decorating the Carrot Cake... its absolutely not a professional job, but it ended up pretty cute + we had some good laughs doing it:)  PS: there was triple that amount of cupcakes than shown in the pic!

I grabbed my camera as EA was ready to get out of her 'throne'... She really could have cared less about that gigantic cake in front of her!  She poked her finger in it a few times, licked her finger, licked her lips + then was done w/ it!  So funny to see your little one's reaction, you just never know what their going to do!

Before we headed outdoors for some sledding fun, we gathered all the kiddos together for a quick photo!  I was late getting my camera, but Emily got some good ones!!!  As you can see, most of EAs friends are older than her...

I know she can't wait to walk in her snow boots, this crawling in the snow stuff is for the birds:)

We all had an amazing time sledding... the weather couldn't have been better, warm + sunny... just what the doctor ordered for Momma!!!  We'll have more pics from Emily soon:)

Birthday Day:)

Elsie Anne got a rocking chair just her size from GeeGee + Papa!  She is thrilled to be able to climb up + down on it, rock, read books + sometime relax in it!  Henry + Daddy are checking it out... it is a HIT!!

After birthday breakfast we went into town.  The kids' favorite thing to do is "RIDE GONDOLA", as Henry so clearly states!!  It is a great 'time killer' when Momma has run out of things to do, 2 laps is about 30min long + they don't get tired of it... but not today, it was was the MAIN ATTRACTION for Elsie Anne's birthday:)  She LOOKS like a 1year old in this outfit, doesn't she?!

Oh, and I forgot to mention, it was a GORGEOUS day!  Low 40's, sunshine bright as can be... perfect Spring Day to celebrate the Birthday Girl!!  We road the Gondola to the base of Peak 7 to have a Birthday lunch @ 'Sevens'!!   "Hey Daaare!" says EA...

Getting ready to find our table @ 'Sevens'.  Gosh, Elsie Anne would love an older sibling, thank goodness for Henry :)

Elsie Anne is showing you how old she is... and eating her Sweet Potatoes!!

Snack Time after naps @ Henry's house.  This scuba diver kicks it's feet + EA thought it was hilarious!  I was glad we captured a good picture of her top 4 teeth:)

The weather got Momma motivated to shovel off the back deck... EA got to put her snow boots to use + came out to play, or eat some snow!!  She gets so excited to get a good chunk in her mouth:)

Henry's parents got home about 5:30pm... we went to a nice Lobby Bar to watch the Seminoles BEAT UP on Wake...

...and she learned THE CHOP + WAR CHANT!!!  She thought she was so cool doing what Momma + Daddy were doing + could see the people on TV doing it too:)

Bubba, the bartender, gave Elsie Anne her first tattoo!  This is Riparoo the dog, mascot of Breck Ski School, and EA was beside herself... she couldn't take her eyes of him:)

This is EA saying "oof,oof,oof" for her tattoo:)

Nite,Nite time... what a great FIRST BIRTHDAY DAY!!  Its not over though... her Party is on Sunday + we will continue singing the song to her ALL MONTH until her Tallahassee Party:)