Choo-Choo!

Tuesdays are always fun since it's our Dance Day, but this one was extra-special!  Daddy met us at the Historic Breckenridge Train Station to play!  The girls were ecstatic to run around these enormous pieces of machinery!!

The trains had giant snow blowers on the front, so they could blast through any blizzard weather!

Once the girls had enough 'learning' about the trains, we went on a nature hike - our first of the year!!  They loved crossing the streams on bridges & throwing rocks into the river!

River Walk Mother's Day:)

Such a gorgeous day to call 'mine'!!  We started the day off with a wonderful sermon at Church.  With a smile on our faces, and full & thankful hearts, we walked into town.  We stopped at Clint's Bakery to get coffee and banana bread, and continued our stroll to the River Walk! 

I've often thought Shawn needs a little boy for his outdoor excursions, but watching these two, and the delight they both got from throwing rocks in the river, I take that thought back!  Elsie Anne is the perfect mix of 'girly-girl' and 'tom-boy'...just thought of a new phrase...Elsie Anne is a 'TOM-GIRL'!!

On to the Rock Slide!!  A few rounds of this and we were off to...

...the Bridge over the River! 

I love this shot of us!  In so many ways, it reminds me of what I am so thankful for.  This little creature made me a MOTHER, something I've always dreamt of becoming!  Thank you my Sweet Angel for being ours, for changing mine and Daddy's worlds forever, for showing us all that we have to be thankful for... YOU absolutely make Daddy & I WHOLE!  We love you Princess:)

Wishing...

...and Hoping, and Praying...for Spring!  Dressed in her favorite new dress, Elsie Anne put on a show for the entire restaraunt us, with her spins, hops & twinkle toes:)  The snow is melting, but we still have a month left of snowy conditions!

I love this child's 'mane' of hair!!

Wailer's Adventure!

The Wailer's performed on the Mountain at Peak 8...and we weren't going to miss it!  Shawn went skiing, while I put Elsie Anne down for an early nap.  When she woke up, we had 20min before the next bus came.  I had most of the back-pack together, we just had to get our snow gear on & walk across the street!  And we made it, with a few minutes to spare! 

**EA's head is so big we have to buy 4T hats...but they sure don't fit her hands, hehehe!!**

We took the Gondola up to Peak 8, from the bus station, and met Daddy at the base of 'the Park' all before the concert started at 3pm!!  EA was lucky to have a bird's eye view of the stage!

We met our buds, Ms.Taneil and Nadia, and found a great spot off to the side that wasn't too crowded.  The girls could be silly in the snow & we wouldn't have to worry about them being trampled over!  

Our happy family enjoying the outdoor entertainment!  You couldn't help but bounce and sway to the Reggae Music & Bongo Drums!!

Nadia & Elsie Anne loved doing 'knee drops' in the snow, then sliding down the hill on their bellies!!  They also showed us some of their best hip shaking:)

Pure Fun. Pure Joy. Pure Love.

The venue was up the Mountain, so where ever you stood you could see the stage, pretty cool!  One of those guys up there has been with {Bob Marley} & the Wailer's since 1967!

Another hug before we had to leave - these girls truly enjoy each other's company - I love it!!

Thank goodness for my huge stash of snacks in the back-pack!  EA ate continuously throughout the concert!  Back on the bus for a fun trip home! 

We are really hoping they'll do Summer concerts on Peak 8 - couldn't ask for a better venue!!

Quandry!

After a long (but fun since Momma was here) work week, Memoo treated us to dinner!  We chose a spot we haven't been to in a while, but holds wonderful wedding memories - QUANDRY GRILL!  We hosted our 'Welcome Dinner' here, the Thursday night before our wedding:) 

I love how this picture captures my Colorado Child weathering the snow much better than my Florida Momma - no hood, hands in her pockets, just powering through the wind!!

Cheers to our fun Family evening!  Elsie Anne loves eating out & we love that she behaves much better at restaurants now, than 6mo ago:)  She hangs, talks, colors, orders her meal, checks things out around the table, tells us when its potty time, and eats like a champ when the food comes!!

Me and my Momma!  Loving our dinner, our dates & our time together!!

Elsie Anne hamming it up!  She was so happy to find that brand new tennis ball:)

Memoo put EA down for the night and gave Shawn & I a night out on the town!  Even though we didn't want to leave Memoo on her last night in Breckenridge, it was really special to have 'alone time' with my Hubby.  Thanks Momma for our date-night!!

Kiddie Adventure!

It all started when we decided to take Elsie Anne and Henry for a Gondola ride @ 4:45pm, when the Gondola usually closes just after 5pm.  We were just planning on doing a loop & head back to our car, but once we got to the top, one of the 'Mountain Information' guys told us it wasn't going to close until 6pm! 

It was an absolutely GORGEOUS day, so of course we walked around, taking our time & even stopped @ the T-Bar for a snack & drinks!  I thoroughly enjoyed my Bud Light, as Mom washed her portion of the quesadilla down with an Irish Coffee drink!  After the kiddos finished their snacks, they hopped up & started dancing to the hip-hop tunes.  They were quite entertaining as they hugged & danced around each other, even doing some break-dancing moves on the floor:)

When I looked up from them @ 5:20pm and realized the Gondola had already STOPPED, I froze!  It took a minute to figure out there was another way down to our car - the bus.  I asked the waiter what time the next one came - wouldn't you know, the LAST one came in 15min!!!  We quickly paid, packed our things up, and ran walked as quickly as 2 kids can, to the bus stop!  EA & Henry were smiling ear to ear when we told them we had to ride down on the BUS!!  They sat perfectly still together, and took everything in!  We sang the 'Wheels on the Bus' countless times, and once again, they were the entertainment for the Snowboarders that packed the bus at the last minute!

Pheeew, thank goodness we made it back to our car!  It was pretty exciting, but the moral to this story: NEVER trust the 'Mountain Information' guys again!!!

T-Bar

Our last day with GeeGee we made big plans for a Gondola ride - one of Elsie Anne's favorite things to do!!  Daddy went skiing, and after nap we met him @ the base of Peak8!  This adventure includes: potty time @ home, 5min drive to town, park, walk to Gondola, potty time @ Gondola Station, 15min ride on the Gondola, find Daddy @ the crowded 'T-Bar' Restaurant, another potty time, hang out/dance/eat, more potty time!!  I feel like my LIFE revolves around the POTTY these days - but that's what makes a successful BIG GIRL, right?! :)

What a precious 'Daddy Reunion'!!

Our fun 'Apre'-Beers! 

EA had a nice dance area, & boy did she have an audience!!  This picture doesn't do her hip-shaking, booty-wagging justice - I mean she gets her tail MOVING! :)

This one captures EA trailing along behind us!  Nothing will get her moving any faster - she just lollygags along, looking @ all the action going on around us, & takes it all in!  She can tell you @ any given moment what is happening too!

Once @ home, EA put on a little 'Ballerina Fairy' performance for us!  Papa picked out her Fairy Wings for part of her Birthday present:)

We had such a nice time while GeeGee was here!  It was so special to have family in town for her Birthday:)  EA pulled out all the stops & showed off all her big girl tricks - we think GeeGee was impressed!!

MORE of FOUR!

Another action-packed long weekend with our buddy, Henry!  Fun dinners & lunches @ the bar in the 'grown-up stools'!!

Sunday Funday - Henry had 'Bombers Ski School', so the boys went to the Mountain, while Elsie Anne & I had a chill day @ Church and home!  This is EA walking to her "Sunday Cool Class"!

And the boys met up after Henry's instruction & went out on the Ski Lifts!  Henry did fantastic skiing all by himself.  Shawn loved giving him pointers that really helped his coordination!  Back-in-the-Day, this was Shawn's day-job, and he is still REALLY good @ it:)

The BIG MAN himself...

After nap, we packed up & headed out to meet them!  Up,Up,Up the Gondola to the 'T-Bar' for beers & snacks!  It was awesome to hear Henry's stories of his day, his favorite part... "going FAST w/ Shawn"!!

And here are the little Munchkins going Down,Down,Down the Gondola!!  What a fun life they live, growing up in the Mountains:)

This just makes me SMILE!  Their little noses pressed up on the glass - they couldn't be sweeter:) 

Monday Night Family Dinner Date @ Mi Casa!  We picked up Henry from school & went straight there for an early dinner!  I love it when we can cut out that late afternoon snack & the kids stuff themselves @ dinner!  The kids behaved beautifully & it was such a nice evening for all of us:)

Woah, a little too close Daddy, but I wanted to include the other side of the table!  My buddy, Henry! 

Our Nanny stays with Henry are draining from all the extra activities, but always so enjoyable & worth it!  He is such a sweetie-pie & I am the luckiest Nanny to work with his family.  Just thinking about leaving him for Florida, (in the future) breaks my heart!

"Slide Water Park"

After being SICK, and I mean as sick as Elsie Anne has ever been... our first outing was the Silverthorne Rec Center, which has an amazing water area!!  We all deserved this little getaway:)

Elsie Anne & Daddy getting ready for the HUGE water slide!  Who do you think was more excited??

WAY UP at the THREE STORY top:)

In the middle of the slide!  It was so fun to see all her expressions on the way down!

SPLASH!  EA liked this part the best!!

We are so happy that fever, cough & snotty-ness are GONE:)

Lunch Date!

Why don't we do this more often??  Elsie Anne + I met our friends Meghan + Carter for a delicious Giampiatro's Pizza lunch!  The kids were awesome + we had a lovely chat.  We need to treat ourselves again soon!

I had to get a shot of us... I never turn the camera around or take pics of my friends, only their children:)  This is Meghan, she'll be having her second child on Jan.10th + we can't wait to find out what it is!!!  She 'nannies' too, so its nice to have a friend to meet up with + bounce ideas off of!

Special Days!

Oh, FRIDAY!  Always our special day!!  I think even Elsie Anne looks forward to our fun day together:)

We start it w/ our 'Tumbling Tots' class (that I teach).  EA is the biggest helper... we get to the gym @ 8:30am to set up for our 9am class.  She 'helps' me move the mats around, set up the balance beam, bar, spring board + block, tunnels, cheese mat, carpet squares, etc!  Then all her new "fends!" (friends) arrive and she's even more excited!!  As of now, she's the only girl w/ 3 little boys, Charlie, Adam + Kylan (plus his older brother), but she runs the show!  They are all so cute learning the different 'positions' - tuck, pike, straddle, arch, point/flex toes, etc - I'm absolutely loving my little class, and it brings back so many memories of teaching gymnastics in highschool!

After leaving the gym, we choose a special outing - the last two weeks its been "GONDOLA wide" (ride)!  I can't blame her for loving it, its like an amusement park ride, & its where all the action is in town!  She is a pro at it now too!  Wish you could see her... waiting in line, watching it go "round + round", then walking right up to it, reaches for my hand + takes the "BIG tep" (step) into the car!  She climbs up onto the bench, waits for the doors to close, then "Weeee,Bump,Bump,Bump!" we say everytime we fly off into the air!!

Looking back down to the Gondola Station & all the cars in the parking lots!!

We watch for animals as we 'fly' over Cucumber Gulch, we wave to the attendants we pass @ each Gondola Station (there are 2 on the way up), we sometimes brake out our snacks, we see buses, cars, trucks, tactors, & houses underneath us - all of which spark some sort of funny conversation!  We just enjoy each other's company as we relax & watch the beautiful scenery pass by!

I have to say, by 1pm I am usually looking forward to EA's nap!  Once she goes down, I usually clean up, browse the internet, take a power nap, blog or read, and freshen up for the afternoon/evening. 

Shawn got home early (love it when that happens), and we had our friend Donnie over for Taco Night!  I gave EA an early bath and started prepping her on the 'Big Girl Haircut' she was going to get.  Instead of trailing after her w/ the scissors all night, I thought she's probably old enough to sit still for a few minutes, if we make a production of it!! 

So, we set up a Beauty Parlor... stool, sheet on the floor, pillow case around her neck, & a special candy cane treat while she sat still, and this is what we got... one cheese-ball little girl excited to experience something new!!!

Then we stripped her out of her hairy clothes & she got to run around "nakeee" (naked) for a bit!  Look @ this little priss-pot:)

I took 3/4inch off the bottom & did a little stacking in the back!  Can't go wrong w/ this cut on her hair, it just looks too cute:)  Not a great pic, but once she got off that stool, she didn't sit still for over an hour!!