Our Children

Posing nicely for us on the front porch of the Stanley Hotel.

The Stanley Hotel

Estes Park is home to the Stanley Hotel, the hotel from the Stephen King movie "The Shining". We just had to go and check it out for ourselves. It is very beautiful inside and out, is quite expensive to stay in, and has a stunning view of Estes Park from the front porch. But not a single ghost or crazed madman in sight.

Lots of Elk

We saw elk all over the place in Estes, a herd of them even came to feed below our balcony at the condo! I expected them to be similar to deer, but they are actually closer to horses in size. Huge animals!

Ellie

Nick

Rocky Mountain National Park

The scenery in Moraine Park in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Paul's favorite fishing spot and a great place to let the kids explore.

Ponies!

We took the kids horseback riding and they absolutely loved it! Nick rode the well behaved pony "Billie" and Ellie had the naughty "Skittles". Very appropriate we felt! Nick did great, if he was just a little bit bigger he could ride by himself. Ellie was having a little too much fun, she kept wanting to do the "look Mom, no hands" trick! They are still talking about how wonderful the ride was, and how much they loved their respective ponies. Paul and I are crossing our fingers that the "ponies" don't end up on the Christmas lists this year!

Fishing with Daddy

Nick is trying to pick up the art of fly fishing from Daddy. Ellie is content to sit in the grass and watch the boys.

Vacation in Estes Park

We are off to Estes Park, Colorado for a weeks vacation in the Mountains. Looking forward to lots of sunshine, hiking, fishing, fresh air, wildlife, and fun. See everyone in a week....

William at 2 Months

William is officially 2 months today. Time flies! He weighs 10 pounds, 8 ounces and is 22 inches long. He's a little guy, that's 25th percentile for height and weight. Nick was this size at two weeks, and we all know how little he is for his age! That being said, he is very healthy and doing great. Despite the fact that he is a "spitter" like both his siblings, the doctor is very happy with his growth. He is a very good baby, eats and sleeps most of the day. He is becoming more social, loves to smile and coo at anyone (especially women) who catch his eye. This is how he spent the afternoon at the zoo today, napping in the stroller!

Nick and Sam's Reunion

After our big move last summer, we were thrilled when Nick made a best friend at his new school last year. Sam and his family had just moved to Denver from Wisconsin, so maybe they bonded over their common midwestern upbringing. Unfortunately, Sam's family moved to Evergreen (about an hour west of us) at the end of school. Boy, did they miss each other once school was out! Finally this week we were able to get the best buddies together at the Denver zoo. Nick and Sam were sooo excited to see each other again, and the silliness started almost immediately! There was non-stop talking about Spiderman and Star Wars, while running around the zoo on a steamy 101 degree day. Ellie did great, she managed to keep up with the boys and Sam's sister Rachel for almost the entire trip. We did stop for ice cream to cool off, which Ellie ended up wearing for the rest of the day. The babies slept in their strollers the whole time (William and Sam's baby sister Kate), so apparently they don't mind the heat.

William at 8 Weeks

William has acquired a noticeably more round, baby-like physique this week. We love the thigh rolls and creases! He is also much more social; he smiles at anyone, flirts when he's out in public, and laughs out loud. He thinks his big brother and sister are immensely amusing. And apparently is trying to keep up with them even at this early age, as he figured out how to roll from back to stomach yesterday! We though Nick was an early roller at 10 weeks, but William did it at 7 weeks, 6 days. Next thing we know he'll be out on a tricycle!

Afternoon at the Park

We all walked up to the park today to get some fresh air. Ellie was a bit sulky at being "put out" of the stroller, but she managed to walk the three blocks just fine. This was William's first time walking to the park. He looked a little concerned on the way there, but did fall asleep in the stroller on the way back home.

Boy, Is It Hot!!!

We had another 92 degree day here, time to break out the pool! Nick and Ellie enjoyed cooling off in the pool, amidst the mud pit that currently passes for a backyard. We can't wait for grass! A couple more weeks to go....

Hey, What's wrong with these candles?!?!

Gotcha!! We couldn't resist the trick sparkler candles. Poor Nick tried, and tried, and tried to blow them out to no avail. He thought the whole thing was hysterical when we told him why he couldn't extinguish them though. And no worries Nick, you still get your birthday wish!

Happy 5th Birthday Nick!!!

It was a Star Wars kind of a birthday for Nick this year. The light-up light sabre with real battle noises was a big hit! He also loved all of the army and Star Wars guys, Spiderman stuff, and Star Wars movies. Thank you to all! We had a quiet day; he wanted to ride his bike, play with the neighbor kids, and eat dinner at McDonalds so that's what we did. Nick was rather disappointed this evening though. He climbed on the scale while getting ready for bed and was quite perplexed: why does he weigh the same as he did yesterday if he grew up a whole year today?!

William at 7 Weeks

William is seven weeks today and doing great! He is a pretty laid back baby, we don't hear much crying unless he is hungry or has to burp. He does like his baths in the tub now, loves to watch Nick and Ellie, and is starting to stay awake for longer periods of time after feeding. This week he started going to sleep at 8pm, wakes once during the night, and then is up at 5 am for a feeding. He smiles a lot and is starting to laugh a bit too. His amazing platinum blonde hair still attracts a lot of attention when we are out, or it could be that he is turning into quite the flirt too! He discovered the fun of the bouncy seat this week, kicking his legs to really get that thing going.

A Smile At Last!!

We met our playgroup at the park today and William was flirting with the ladies, showing off his best smiles. I was finally able to catch him with the camera!

Swing Away...

William hanging out in the swing. Finally, the baby rash is healing and we can see his sweet face again.