Out with the old, in with the new.

It's official.  We are out of the old house and into the new one.  It has been a busy, crazy and exciting week.  We have a lot of work to do and our new house is a mess!  But we are excited and ready for this new adventure.  Lia has been running around having lots of fun in her new house.  And Monkey loves his backyard and all the sticks that came with it!  We are so happy to celebrate Christmas in our new house.  I can't wait to get our tree.  And Paul's parents are coming tomorrow to help make our new house feel like a home.  Here are some pictures of us moving out.  I will post 'new house' pictures soon.

A Big Move

We are doing it!  We sold our condo and we're buying a house!  After 10 months being on the market, our condo sold!  We close in 1 week.  It's a big, exciting and scary venture.  We didn't plan on moving in the winter but that is just how things are working out.  The extra time off of work around the holidays will really help.  And we got some great black friday deals on things for the new house!
This upcoming change is bittersweet.  This was our first home.  This was the house we brought our baby girl home to from the hospital.  This is the only home our dog has ever known.  We love the community and how close we are to work and to the mountains.  But things are too small around here.  We want room to house our family and friends when they come and visit.  We want a yard.  Paul wants a 2 car garage and a workshop.  We are excited to get settled in to our new place.  We'll be there just in time for Christmas.  I guess we'll have to get used to shoveling the snow ourselves!!  Lia has been great during these changing times.  She's been helping to pack her things and she's having fun playing with all the boxes.  We'll send pics of the new place as soon as we move in!

Best Buds!

Monkey has been feeling a bit anxious since we've been packing up the house.  Lia has been very helpful with making him feel safe and loved.  And he's actually been putting up with alot of attention from her which is pretty unusual.  Either way, it makes for some cute pictures!

Something to Ponder

I want to share this story with you.  It just makes you think of what is important in life, and it's funny!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Mayonnaise Jar & Two Beers...
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else..
He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed..

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car..
The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children.
Spend time with your parents.
Visit with grandparents.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.
Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.
The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'
The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.

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Happy Halloween!

A Visit

Shopping with the girls in Estes Park.  It was a beautiful Fall day in the mountains.

 Checking out pictures with Uncle Bill.  That girl loves cameras.

Grabbing a bite to eat in Boulder.  Vegan burgers and hotdogs to satisfy everyone's cravings!

A visit from family is always good for the soul.  We really enjoyed our time with you, Uncle Bill, Aunt Laural and Sara.  I'm so glad you guys were able to come to Colorado and visit us.  I hope you enjoyed your time in the mountains and in Boulder.  We all loved hanging out with you!  Hopefully it won't be long before we can do it again!

Welcome to the world!

Congratulations to our good friends Chris and Monica.  The new addition to your family is perfect and beautiful.  Welcome to the world Clara Evelyn Black (or Baby Cwara as Lia says it).  We are excited to be a part of you life and watch you grow and discover all the blessings in this world.

Fall

We just had a huge snow storm which was magical and beautiful.  But I figured I should post our fall activity pics before I start sharing our winter wonderland ones.  There are so many fun and wonderful things to do in the Fall.  Pumpkin patches (we even have some with goats!), apples, hay mazes, etc... Lia and her friend Sage had lots of fun together enjoying some fun fall activities.

 Goats are pretty curious, and friendly, and funny, and hungry all the time!  Mmm just like toddlers!

 Mmm.  The apples were sweet and the colorful mums were so beautiful.  The maze was lots of fun.

A big step!

We took a big step this weekend.  Yup, our little girl got her very own big girl bed.  She loves it!  She was very interested in 'helping' Dad put it together.  She decided which blanket and stuffed animals went on it.  She doesn't really get that your head is supposed to go one way and your feet the other... but she's been sleeping very well in it.  I can't believe it!  I can't believe there isn't a crib in my baby's room anymore.  I can't believe my child can just get out of bed on her own (scary)!!  I can't believe my girl is growing up so fast.  Lia, you are such a big girl now! 

This piece goes here, Dad.

Pure Joy!

Oh, the pure joy of friendship, fun, summer days, the outdoors, family... being in the driver's seat of the biggest, coolest, shiniest red fire truck ever!  Does it get better than this?  Watch out world, we are large and in charge and ready for action!  We are big kids!

A Chef in the Making!

Here we are making bread.  It's an all day process, mostly spent waiting for the dough to rise.  But we enjoyed an entire (mini) loaf with dinner.  There is something very gratifying sharing this experience with Lia and then enjoying the fruits of our labor together.  I think we'll both agree that bread is one of our favorite foods!

Row, row, row your boat, speed version!

Vacation

                                                                  Fun with Family!

Here are a few pics from our recent vacation.  Lia and I went to Erie, PA to spend a week with our family on the beach.  We had such a wonderful time.  The weather was beautiful and we had the perfect balance of relaxation and fun.  It was really great spending time with family we don't see often enough and it was great for everyone to see Lia in action.  I didn't have any pictures of my mom to include here but we love you mom!  Thanks for letting us take over your house!  Lia loves having her toenails painted pink!  And it was fun to see my Aunt and Grandparents.  Thanks to everyone for a wonderful trip.  We love you and miss you already!  Who is going to come and visit us next?

Ahh, The Beach

I grew up by Lake Erie and now that I live away from it, I seem to enjoy it more and more when I visit. Lia and I had a beautiful week long vacation on the beach. We enjoyed the sun, sand, and the simple pleasure of throwing rocks in the water. It was a great way to end the summer.

The water was perfect. Clear and calm. The sun was warm. A beautiful day for a swim.

The race car was fast!

Sand was a new and fun discovery!

Ah, the water is so peaceful and relaxing!

Some Days

Some days you got it together. You have enough time for chores and fun. Things are easy, the house stays clean. Other days you're tired, busy and kinda stressed out when your child spills her cereal all over the floor. And when you ask her to help clean up, she proceeds to pick up the cereal pieces with her mouth. Yup, here she is eating her food off the floor! But this makes you laugh! Ah, children teach us important lessons all the time. Don't take life too seriously. Take time to be silly and laugh.

Actually, there was a time when I would have been mortified to have my child eating anything that touched the floor. Now, I've mellowed a bit. I know it won't kill her. As for the social ramifications of her actions, well I can just blame it on the dog.

My first quilt!

My friend Monica is having a baby in October. I'm planning a baby shower for her and I made her baby girl a quilt. It's my first quilt! It was fun but took a long time. I made many mistakes. If you know my family, you know there are many quilters in it. My mother and aunt are major quilting Divas! It's a big deal that my mom was proud of my little quilt. I wonder what I should make next. Moni, I hope you and your baby love your new doggie quilt!

A Visit

Lia's Grammie and Grandpa came for a quick visit last week. My Dad spent his 60th birthday with us. We had so much fun in 2 jam-packed days. A baseball game, swimming, cooking out and going out to eat and of course playing! Lia really bonded with her Grandparents and I know I had a wonderful time too. Happy Birthday, Dad! Thanks for coming to visit us. We love you.

First Haircut!

Lia finally got her first haircut (after 2 years)!! So naturally, I had to document this big event. Here are before and after pics of our little cutie.

Happy Birthday, Lia

Lia, we can't believe you're 2 already. It seems like the time has flown by and it was just yesterday you came into this world. It has been an amazing journey so far and we're enjoying watching you blossom into a smart, funny, caring, daring, sweet, irresistible and wonderful little girl.
You have learned many things this past year. You run and climb with lightening speed. You are doing very well with numbers and letters. You can now count to 8 on your own and just yesterday I heard you repeating letters to yourself. I love that you love books! We read everyday. You have several favorite books that you talk about during the day. I hope you will always have a love of reading and learning. We know you'll grow up to be one smart cookie!
You are truly a happy little girl. You laugh all the time, make little jokes, tickle and love to make others smile and laugh. You say 'Weeeeee' when we're driving in the car. You laugh when Monkey licks your toes, you run away and always come back for more. Your giggles are a sweet sound. You are a little busy body. You are always on the move, playing and 'working'. You seem to be master of your own universe, you always seem to have a plan! You love to organize things and are actually very good at cleaning up your toys. Right now you love putting things in and taking things out of your purses and pockets (and Daddy's pockets)! You put your sunglasses on and say 'cool lady'!! That is so cute. We sing a song about ladies and cowgirls riding horses and you love to be the cowgirl!
You listen to Mommy and Daddy well. You hold our hand when crossing the street. You wash your hands and help get dressed. You clean up your toys and books. You love to help Mommy and Daddy clean things around the house and cook in the kitchen. You also love to help/ play in the garden. You are very good at watering the plants and picking veggies to eat.
Your appetite is still great and you enjoy a variety of foods. Right now you love all kinds of fruits, fish, breads, ice cream, anything you can dip, cheese, pork, cereal, peas (frozen and cold, not cooked!), peanut butter. The list goes on and on.
You have all your teeth except three molars and I can feel one close to the surface. You HATE brushing your teeth and dislike it even more when I brush them for you. But, You have a great smile and we're going to keep it that way! We're planning on taking you for your 1st haircut soon!! I'm going to save your hair in your baby book.
We've reached a big step lately. I've gone back to work at Hanna's Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Lia is going to daycare. She has adjusted really well. She eats well there, naps well and seems to really enjoy all the activities and playing with the other kids. She is using her potty more and more (at daycare and at home). We are so proud of you, Lia.
Lia, happy birthday little one! This next year is going to be so much fun!

More party pics

Mmmm, brownies!