snow hearts...

The Wednesday and Thursday before Halloween last week we had a big snow storm...Tom's such a sweet dad, after dinner one of the days he spent about 20-25 minutes bundling up the kids (note Taylor's tie around her coat b/c the zipper broke and Max's gloves ;-) and was all excited to take them outside to play...well, it was so cold they were outside for about 4 whole minutes and then they hurried inside.

When the storm first started, I looked out the window to watch the snow and saw this....

just from someone pulling in and pulling out! Pretty neat, huh? It only lasted about 30 minutes, then the snow got too deep...I'm glad I got a picture!

Max's first haircut

Max's hair started growing really fast a couple of months ago and he started looking pretty shaggy and....he was started to grow a mullet!!! So, I gave him a trim...didn't know exactly how to do it and there's some places where it's a big choppy; but anything is better than a mullet isn't it?

Okay, I have a story about mullets. When I was 13ish we moved from St. Louis suburbs to a tiny town called Greenfield, Missouri. I was in deep infatuation with the majority of the actors in the movie Newsies. The daughter of the realtor out in Greenfield was the same age and class as me; so before we moved I had talked to her on the phone a couple of times and asked her about the town...I also asked if any of the boys there had longer hair (like chin length like some of the boys in Newsies). She told me enthusiastically that they all did, so I got pretty excited about this move! When we got there though, I realized that they all did have long hair! In the back! It was mullet city!!! ;-)

Before...After....

Cracker Barrell and Coffin races...

The Saturday before Halloween, Manitou Springs, CO (a very quaint little town nearby) has their annual Emma Crawford coffin races. We brought along my good friend Rachele who's husband had to work that morning and her little girl Emily. It was a beautiful fall day and we had a fun time! If we live here next year, I really want to enter this race! It just looks too fun!

the best Halloween costumes!!!

You've got to take a minute to check out my "little" brother Ben and his son Brian's Halloween costume...it's probably even more fun and hilarious if you know my quieter, computer wiz brother, but still I think it's a pretty ingenious set of costumes and definitely worth taking a peek! Oh, and little Brian is just over 3 months and was born several weeks early...he's a little heart stealer for ya!

Click here!

Happy Birthday MOM! BIG news for your bday!

Well, I had meant to get something in the mail to you earlier this week; and it never happened....sorry! So, instead we thought you might enjoy some news for your birthday....

we're expecting baby #3! (this is old news for Coloradan friends of mine--sorry! :).

Want some details?

We're due April 6th, we're 18 1/2 weeks along and yesterday we went in for our big ultrasound and found out we're having a....




surprise! Yep, we're not finding out this time, but the baby was waving to us a bunch and looked quite cute and actually resembled E.T. an awful lot! (hopefully that resemblance doesn't stick around for too long! ;-) Taylor thinks it's going to be a girl....or a boy. She's a smartie! ;-) She likes the name Maggie if it's either. Oh and last night when getting her ready for bed I found out her stuffed pink pig (who she named Maggie over a year ago) is a boy for the first time....I said, but Taylor, she's pink! and she said, 'yeah, he's a pig!'.

A few other details of this pregnancy...it started out quite miserable. I was more sick this time than any other...the boot camps and teaching Pilates was a lifesaver b/c when I was working out I felt great and it really helped me get through it decently. Thankfully, I'm feeling much better and I have more energy so our house isn't such an unorganized shipwreck anymore. I've had lots of anxiety with this pregnancy (that's always helpful) because of having several close friends go through very difficult miscarriages recently...which is one reason we've waited so long to spread the word. I am having problems with the veins in my left leg so I'm actually going in today for a veinous dopplar! sounds exciting! Other than that, things seem to be going well and we're very grateful.

Well, mom, we hope you have a wonderful birthday and many, many more to come! You are the best mom and Grandma and we love you! We're looking forward to hosting your two-three week luxury stay with us next spring when the baby comes, but feel free to come sooner if you'd like!

We look forward to your comments everyone, so we can add them to our blog book, so please comment away!

I love Children's Place...espcially the outlet!

I'm a softie for cute kids' clothes, but only when they are super affordable...my greatest preference are those one in a few amazing garage sales where the clothes are adorable and in perfect condition for 50 cents to a dollar...I also very much enjoy going to the outlet mall a few towns away. I don't go that often, but if the weather's good...it is always fun adventure for the kids and I. I don't really think outlet malls are all that great but this one has a Children's Place outlet and 90% of the times I've visited, they have racks of clothes for as low as 99 cents and I always get 15% off coupons...anyway, I love it! Oh, and the quality is great!!! Gotta love durable kids' clothes! Here's Taylor and Max modeling some of our latest finds:this one of her dancing is one of my favorites! So Taylor!

all about the boot camps...running from June-October

A couple weeks ago, I finished my 7th and 8th boot camp session for this year--my first year. This year has been very fulfilling getting to design and implement my own fitness boot camps starting with two two week long sessions (an early a.m. and an evening session) in June. It's definitely been a lot of work, a lot of learning the hard way, but also so rewarding. I LOVE being able to do something active and healthy on an everyday basis and getting to be with some of the most amazing women. I also LOVE getting outside and it was the perfect times of day; either early in the morning right in time for the sun to rise or later in the evening and getting to watch the sun set. The park we were at had beautiful views of the mountains and I loved those moments where all my blessings: the beauty around me, a body that functioned, great company, great family and friends and getting to do something I loved set in. My favorite sessions were my very first...early a.m. and eight super gals, my tough girl session...again an early morning session and it was not for beginners, so we worked and played hard (a.k.a. killer freeze tag ;-), did a lot of running and advanced exercises and it actually may have been my very most favorite! and lastly the mom and baby sessions I just finished up, which were definitely different from others, but a lot of fun and great to get a group of moms and their little ones together for a refreshing start to your day! I had a couple that were more challenging and I learned some important lessons from them. With each of them I got to meet and know new and amazing ladies and loved it.

It's also great to still get to be a stay at home mom and still get to do something I feel passionate about. Next year, I look forward to more fun sessions! I'm hoping to start back up in May with a mom and me and an evening session, June having another early morning session and tough girl session and we'll see from there. We'll see what the future holds! Here's some pics I've been wanting to post so I could reserve some of the memories in our yearly blog book. That was one important lesson I learned: take more consistent pictures of each session and get a group photo each time...next year! this was on the last day of the first session...I had superwoman Jane, a student of mine from the health club I work at come and speak to the group for a few minutes. She's in her sixties and is as agile, strong, and capable as an athletic teenager. She's a great example of the importance of exercising your body regularly as you grow older...I like to say, grow older, stronger and BETTER! She's definitely done this and I always love having her in my classes.

drawing names (#s) for prizes...my first two sessions, I was able to give out some great prizes: movie tickets, hair products, bags of groceries which were all mostly donated from local businesses.

Tom brought the kiddos and took pics on the last day...

this was the last day of my first of two evening sessions. We had a nice big group and a lot of fun and some gorgeous sunsets! We did more Yoga with this session.

On this day, I had Mercedes, another student of mine come and speak to the group. She's a very cute 73 year old lady from Jamaica. I remember the first time she came to my class, she was in the back of the gym doing everything we were doing without modifications (easier methods) and with amazing agility and flexibility. I was so impressed. I still see her one or two times a week...she's raising two of her grandkids and is just so full of life and vibrancy....THIS is how to strive to be in your seventies, eighties and so on! It takes a few minutes a day and healthy food choices...but, so worth it!!!

Jeanine, from Switzerland and her three beautiful daughters...