June in Review (part deux)

We've really been enjoying our gorgeous city so far this summer. We already knew it was lovely and had lots of great stuff to see, but we've discovered even more the last couple months and LOVE it! We've also been trying to live healthier, by working out more regularly (well Nate always has been, but I've been better). I did a fitness bootcamp that my friend Mel was running (thanks, Mel) and it really helped to get me jumpstarted with my exercising. She also gave us some nutriorional challenges with it and I actually explored the world of sugar-free-ness (not something I ever thought I'd do or wanted to do) and it wasn't so bad. Our family has been eating a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables as well and we've all been benefiting.
As I mentioned before, we've also been discovering many great trails and parks in the city and have been staying quite active in that way. One of our new favorite parks is Monument Valley park. It's very long so we've been trying to explore all of it and found some neat photo opportunities, like you'll see...

In the middle of the park is this historic building with really unique architecture. You really have to see it up close to appreciate it. I guess it was a pottery building and now used as part of Colorado College campus.

We also found this cool pond/ lake there, where the first time we saw a huge beaver! At first the kids thought it was an alligator swimming in the water and it actually did look that way. We finally figured out it was a beaver and it was building a little home. I guess there's a little beaver family of four there. It was pretty neat, because it's not often you see something like that in a park in the middle of downtown.

We took my parents there again, when they came to visit.

There are these great gardens there as well.

Lexi and Tyler were pretending to be statues sitting there on the wall. Tyler is holding his precious stick and rock that he found.

Lexi actually took this picture of Colton, not too bad.

She took this picture as well. My dad, mom, Tyler and I.

This place has some great trees to climb.

So while my parents were here we celebrated Father's Day and my birthday. On Father's Day, we went to church and I surprised my dad as I went up on the stand and gave a talk. I had kept the fact that I had to give a talk a secret from him. The talk wasn't on fathers necessarily , but I talked a lot about him and what a great example he is to me. So it was pretty much an ambush, I embarassed him , but hopefully I honored him as well. I was grateful for the opportunity.

For my birthday, we actually went to our friends the VanWagoners for a joint birthday party as it was my friend Rochelle's birthday a day before mine. We had a few friends over and had a little barbeque and potluck. We had put Nate and her husband Jarrod in charge of the whole thing. We were slightly worried how it would all come together, but they did a fabulous job. The food ended up being excellent and I think everyone had a good time!
Here's my dad and I and a few friends enjoying the tasty food. I was caught with a weird face in this picture (as I am with many pictures :))

So Nate and Jarrod made this big pan of brownies (actually I think Rochelle had to make them), making us think this is what there was instead of a cake- which we were fine with, but then....

they surprised us and said, "Nah, we have something better for you..." and brought out this cake that had a childhood picture of each Rochelle and I. The brownies were fine, but you can tell we enjoy this cake and the thought behind it much more.

It was a nice surprise. Our hubbies did very well!

Another great thing in Colorado Springs in the summer time are all the free concerts in the park. We love them and the variety of music. Here's our kids gettin' their groove on during one of the concerts. This was moments before we got poured on!!! We were all soaking wet, but we still had fun!

June in Review (part one)

So it's been a little while since our last update, I realize. We've had a great summer so far. No big trips, just enjoying the beauty of Colorado and getting a little wet (you'll see in the pictures). Nate couldn't stand all of Colton's curls anymore so he diceided to give him a haircut (although you wouldn't be able to tell because his hair is as crazy as ever). Here's Nate deep in concentration as he attempts to give Colton his first haircut. The pictures got all out of order again, but here's Colton after discovering what happens when you crawl in the sprinkler...

We went to this great spray park to stay cool. Here's Lexi enjoying it.

Sweet Colton with his feet up by his face, he loves that position. He's very bendy, that kid.

Our precious mess-maker!!! This is a daily scene at our house.

Out of order, of course, but this is Colton quite curious as to what the thing spewing water is.

Who needs a pool ,when you got sprinklers? Colton with his "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?" look on his face.

Tyler with his best-bud Elijah at the spray park.

Colton wanting desperatley to join in on the spray park festivities, but his mom didn't want to get wet :)

Lexi and Tyler took swimming classes everyday for 2 weeks. They loved it and I think they improved greatly. Tyler's teacher kept using him as the example for the rest of the kids, which of course he loved! Grandma and Grandad even got to watch a couple classes. I didn't really get great pictures, unfortunately.

Lexi taking the big leap without any hesitation! (that's her way in the background)

Part two of our June will be soon to follow....

Mr. 'T' is in the house!

So, the night before Mother's Day I was out at the grocery store and I came back to find this.... Apparently Nate got a little creative with the clippers. I was not so happy at first, especially since we were going to church in the morning.

This picture of Lexi is out of order, but cute just the same.

Anyway, so Nate finally convinced me Tyler can only get away with this for a couple more months, we should let him live it up. But I couldn't stand the mohawk all the way in the back, so I made him even it up so you can't really tell he has a mohawk from the back.

Tyler has such curly hair that it naturally sticks up, so no product needed. Except it's so curly it's really more a "mo-fro" rather than a mohawk. Tyler's still really proud of it though (maybe as much as Nate is)!

Our cuties enjoying some beautiful May weather.

Gotta love the tulips, just wish they'd last longer...

My MEN!!



Here's Colton sporting his "Bozo the clown" hair-do. It's still a mystery where his red hair came from.

This is a picture of Lexi and Tyler's soccer team after their last game.

They had so much fun playing soccer, especially being on the same team (I know I loved that!). They both improved greatly since the start of it. Lexi did especially great! She was one of two scorers on the team. That dog in the middle is Rufus, he sat behind the goal so our team knew where to kick the ball. Let me tell you, it didn't seem to help much, but it was sure cute!

Here we are at our friends' Lance and Chandler's b-day party. I wish I had a bucket for balance! I'll just use Lexi and Tyler as a crutch :)

Colton's ONE!!!

So our little baby(well not so little, never really was) is now one. How fun! Here's how we celebrated. For starters Nate's parents were in town so we had a little celebration for him a few days early so they could be a part of it. The kids LOVED having grandma and grandpa here and so did we. It was relaxing for the most part (except when Nate put his dad to work for a couple days straight - so if you ask him he'd probably not agree with the "relaxing" comment) and a lot of fun.
The not so fun part of the whole week (right after grandparents left) was that Colton developed this unexplainable high fever that ended up lasting the whole week without breaking. The doctor said he did have a cold, but everything else seemed fine. He was concerned about the height and length of his fever, though. He told me if it hadn't broken by the next day (which was Saturday) to call him and they'd do bloodwork....so long story short Colton's birthday week consisted of going to the hospital, being poked and stabbed multiple times from shots and tests etc., being strapped down to a table for a chest x-ray and having his temperature taken what seemed to be fifty times a day. It all was probably a bit overboard in my opinion, but better safe than sorry I guess. Our heart broke for him though, poor thing. Needless to say he wasn't in the best of spirits throughout the week. He seems much better now, still not sure what all was going on with him, but here's what we do know...
He LOVES food and lets you know it, he enjoys playing hide 'n' seek around the chair, he's got quite a sense of humor (when he's not sick) and totally tries to be a clown b/c he knows it will get a laugh. He says mama and dada quite often and absolutely loves his brother and sister. He can also be a real snuggle bunny still (especially when sporting fevers of 104 degress). He loves to crawl super speed to us and then lay his head in our lap etc. He's really liking spending time outside now and wants desperatley to run around with Lexi and Ty. Colton's standing up longer and longer now on his own, but I think we still got a while on the whole walking thing (I'm not crying).
I love his little "I am one, hear me roar!" pose in this picture, with his lil' claws.
Colton and his friend Laraleigh playing at his birthday celebration, a few days early. I love Colton's crazy red hair (still a mystery where it came from). There's Grandpa in the background, unfortunately I didn't get any good pictures of grandpa or grandma with the kiddos this trip, sorry!

Here's Colton living up to his "quarterback" name (the reason Nate wanted to name him Colton). "Hut, hut, hike!"

Can you tell how old he's turning? :) The kids helped decorate the cupcakes and Nate's mom helped me with the cake. Hey if you look really closely the cupcakes at the top spell out Colton

This is when above cake meets Colton's face.....First taste of cake + chocolate icing = complete and utter GLEE!! Priceless!

He didn't make as much mess as his brother or sister with their first cake, but he made a pretty good attempt.

Laraleigh on the other hand created an awesome chocolate goatee for herself :)

Here's Colton with a present from Grandma Lincoln (that's her in the background - again, sorry I don't have better pictures but atleast there's proof she was there). He's feeling like a big boy with his own special camping chair.

Some more present action

Colton opening a present from Gramma and Grandad Butler a few days later due to him being so sick and grumpy on his actual birthday.

Here's a little "taste" of Colton being introduced to his cake... Happy Birthday big boy!

Happy Easter (ok I'm a month late, sorry)!

Well I finally got around to posting some of these pictures. Here's my two little bunnies complete with bunny teeeth (crack me up). Notice the abundance of snow in the background...Merry Christmas, wait, er, I mean Happy Easter! Here's our third bunny, he wasn't left out of the fun (although we didn't give him any bunny teeth). Also if you look closely you'll see Lexi's doll has a matching dress on, too cute, thanks Gramma!

Colton's first easter, just wait 'til he realizes how much candy he's missing out on.

Ok, so we ditched the teeth and ears for atleast one picture. Looks like Lexi could use a few extra teeth though :)

Here are our scavengers looking at their loot after an successful easter egg hunt with our friends the Bass family. It ended up being a nice, relaxing easter, where it was easy to focus on the true meaning of the holiday (although you can't tell that from the pictures).