Ben & Jen & Babes

Ohhh Tatum

2012-01-23T08:03:00.001-08:00

Poor Tatum had a bad run in yesterday. It was our first good Sunday in a long time- Tatum went to Primary and stayed the whole time-- was running around happy after as we were walking out to the car. She was running the wrong way, I called her the right way so she turned around, not paying attention, and ran into a bigger boy. Luckily she is a good sport and doesn't complain. But she will talk your ear off to tell you all about it!

And Christmas 2011

2012-01-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve with the McDowell's. Started out with the sibling gift exchange- and found out Scott and Kara are expecting. Yeah for them!!! Then next on the agenda- Ginger Bread house decorating. That was a lot of fun- each kid got a house to decorate and if they had a family it turned into a joint activity. Then the adults went out for a game of Bocce ball. Next was Christmas Bingo for the kids.. And a surprise visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause... (and cool beanies from Aunt Devyn.)

Then off to the Skousen party. Our tradition is a Mexican dinner.. then a white elephant exchange. We used to do the nativity scene when we were little, but that died out and hasn't come back with the grand kids. My grandpa used to read out of Luke, but I think that also ended when he passed away in July. So it was a short and sweet party- good to see extended family that we never see!It is always a blast getting together with all our family, sometimes can get a little hectic. We loved being able to spend Christmas in AZ. Christmas Day itself was a little wierd having a 1 hr church block... and then a kid puking all afternoon/night. But it was very relaxing... just the way we like it! We got to play games with Uncle Matthew and veg out at home.

Here are some pics from the Flaherty Nativity night. I'm hoping this is an ongoing tradition (it is two years so far). The little kids get to be herded by the grandma's to re-create the nativity scene and also get fed dinner. We (parents) get to drop them off and be free for two hours which is the other fantastic part.

Merry Christmas. (almost a month ago...)

The Fire Station

2012-01-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Break down in AZ... I love AZ weather! We got a chilled first week there, a highlight of visiting a First Station that my brother-n-law used to work at, Uncle D took us on a SWEET tour. Kids got to do whatever they wanted on the truck, played in their game room in the station, took turns on the fire pole-- Uncle D even drove us around the station. It was a lot of fun! We even had our friends, The Clayden's, even joined us! Thanks for coming with. An THANKS DUSTIN for taking us on your day off!

I'll have to post other parts of the trip a little at a time. oh the anticipation!!!

December Events

2011-12-12T11:33:00.000-08:00

Our house is pretty low key usually... right?? I wish. This month has been more structured-active as we try to do more holiday activities with the kids. Thanksgiving weekend we started with some coloring (Linc is always blue and Carter green. They are pretty attached to their colors!)Tatum LOVES practicing her letter..

(or just drawing in general.. but she has improved so much with her writing!) Our animals had races,

we had trike races, put up our Christmas tree, visited Santa at Bass Pro Shop and worked in the attic (last post)

This past week or two we have rolled out Sugar Cookies, (don't you love Tatum's face!!??) made Carmel Apples, Decorated Sugar Cookies. We are pooped! Can't wait to see what else is in store for us the the rest of the month!

Productivity..

2011-11-26T19:38:00.000-08:00

We've had a fun time with the long weekend. Thanksgiving we totally laid back. Friday I did some shopping in the morning and then we just hung out the rest of the day with football on, of course! Luckily it was not our turn to watch kids friday night, so Ben and I got a date out to dinner and browsing some Black Friday deals. Then today- headed to Bass Pro Shop for a trip to see Santa. There was quite a line.. so quite a bit of people... and ran into some old friends and live further away friends and just friends.. it is a small world. That was fun. Kids were running around riding all the quads. Linc had to sit on every blue one, Carter everyone green and Tatum whatever. Those boys are stuck on their favorite colors. Makes life fun!! They continued to run around while I sat in line... right before our turn we did a run through "What do you want for Christmas?, sit on Santa's lap for a picture.." The prepping worked. The family in front of us had two yr old twin girls and a 6 yr old girl. They were awesome in line- I was very impressed- and they screamed when they got to Santa. Our kids ran up to him, gave him a big hug- they all told him they wanted race cars for Christmas, said "cheese" for the Camera, gave him a hug goodbye and we were on our way. It was AWESOME!! I felt like a good parent. (that doesn't happen often). So that was our fun morning. This afternoon Ben put some wood we've been storing for 8 months to good use. More attic space. When it came time to nail it in- all the kids jumped in to help. It was hilarious. That were up there for about an hour helping Dad nail and screw and whatever else. It was a great teaching moment and funny to watch. Linc copies Ben in every way he can.

Good times! And now back to life..

We did get all our Christmas stuff up and can enjoy the Christmas season!! Now next holiday to look forward to!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-26T19:28:00.000-08:00

We had such awesome weather this year! The kids rode with me on the bike to the park to watch Ben play football--(gotta love Thanksgiving loaded with football). Then had some trike races. The roads across the street from us recently got paved- which is a huge bummer- but open roads with no traffic. I took the kids on a bike ride the other day and it was hilarious. We had to show Daddy how it was done. The kids are pretty good on their bigger bikes- but haven't gotten the brake part down, so I don't know if I trust them going downhill when I'm alone. The little bikes worked great!!

Hope everyone had a Fantastic Thanksgiving!!

Pikes Peak

2011-11-13T16:37:00.000-08:00

I was looking through recent pictures- and realized I never posted these. we had a fun trip down to colorado springs over labor day- so a little while ago. It was a fun getaway with Grandpa and grandma Paula. In these pics we drove up to the top of Pike's Peak. Ben had hiked it the previous week, but over course, didn't bring a camera so didn't get any pictures. It was an amazing view and can't believe he had just hiked up it. That would have been a blast to go with him, but I definitely enjoyed the drive!

Happy Birthday. 3 3yr olds!!

2011-10-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Can't believe they are really 3.... They are a lot of fun to have around. We Love watching them grow and learn and imitate us or each other. They have a whole lot of impressive qualities... as well as some I hope they grow out of soon. Most of the time they love playing with each other, which makes my life more enjoyable. Aren't they cute!!! It snowed on their birthday and they LOVED IT!! They got snow bibs and snow jackets for their birthday- so it was perfect that their was snow for them to play in.

Good times!! Otherwise the birthday is pretty low key. We did have a movie night watching Despicable Me-- funniest movie ever (Thanks Dan&Kelli). These kids are totally the little minions. It was hilarious to watch with them as Tatum would start laughing and then the boys would join in and everyone is cracking up as the minions are whacking each other on the movie. I'm laughing at the movie because that is what these kids do- just start hitting and poking each other- then I'm laughing because the kids have such a sincere laugh from the movie. It was Fun!!

RRrrrrrr Mateys!

2011-10-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome bday party of the kids last Saturday! It was Pirate Themed, as much as I theme things anyway.

Here is a sweet cake I made... Ben took the kids on a treasure hunt at a nearby park (thank goodness for perfect weather!)

Linc found the buried treasure then we found some more loot at home

And then a party of a bunch of kids decorating cupcakes! Best entertainment.

Pumpkin up..

2011-10-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

I love the warm weather, but I also love this time of year. It is so gorgeous in Colorado and there are things to do and fun treats to bake. Love it! Our ward did a playgroup and this PUmpkin Patch and we know how to roll at the Pumpkin Patch..Boys are crazy, but they sure know how to have fun with anything. Even a Corn box!

(Don't you love Tatum peaking OVER her glasses instead of through..)

And we always love when Grammie comes to visit in October!

Love it..

2011-09-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

Love when family comes to visit.
Get to see pretty things and got to meet my new niece! Thanks Lucchesi's for coming to visit-. Glad you endured the long drive and the long weekend.We loved having you here and so hope you'll come again!

Last..

2011-09-20T19:53:00.000-07:00

Little creek close to our camp sight..
Ben was trying to teach the boys how to throw
And teach them how to be dangerous and live on the edge.

they just kept getting more and more wet, and ended up like this. Yep, naked children!This is Bison Valley, or Lamar Valley (all the same)- Buffalo are everywhere. We were a little nervous at times with not knowing how they can react to people- but got some good pics out of it nonetheless.

Our camp sight. Kids are eating and staring at a sweet rainbow. Ben started packing- and of course it rains for 10 minutes- just long enough to make it miserable to pack up camping and go on a long drive. Good times!!

On our way out we saw a ton of people at a pull-out. A bison dies a few days earlier and floated down stream (so the story goes) so here is a bison carcass in the river, a Bear is eating off it and a pack of Wolves is on shore trying to snag some pieces from the bear. that was AWESOME to watch.How some days went with kids.. Thanks Daddy for being a good sport.
Our last lunch stop in Yellowstone, next to Yellowstone Lake. That is huge too-

Tatum totally throws like a girl... But is SO DANG CUTE doin' it!

After days and days of driving, still happy.
The highlight of the trip... Jacuzzi! Thank you Gerrolyn! We Camped the first and last night- which was fun, but this place was WAY better..

That was our trip! Awesome huh?? I wish we had another something planned a lot sooner to be excited for. We'll see what the new year will bring! Adios Yellowstone (As Tatum said "Pinkstone" and Carter "greenstone" What kids think up on their own!)

One more??

2011-09-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

Gibbons Falls..
Some Cascades route where we stopped for lunch, how everyday went.. just pull over and eat somewhere.
An elk we saw off the side of the road...

This is Yellowstone River... gorgeous and humongous.

Artist Point- gorgeous stop with a little walk to this view. Isn't it awesome! This is the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

We hiked to the Upper Brinks Falls, it was steep switchbacks the whole way- maybe a little over a mile hike, but 600ft difference in elevation- kids rocked!! As long as Tatum had the binoculars she was fine. Coming up, Lincoln just started cruisin' and nothing phased him. He past a few older couples.. it was seriously awesome and so impressive. these boys...

Ben loved this view... so had to stop..But at the same time every area was unique in it's own way. The kids loves playing in any water that was around- and the weather was sunny and warm so it allowed us to get in.
Here is a Bison we saw just cruisin' along the side of the road on one of our days home..Norris Basin Geyser.. And I think this was at the Mud Volcano? See?? Start to look a little alike..

Next Stop.. Old Faithful

2011-09-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

After we left Grand Tetons, we drove up through Yellowstone and spent the rest of the afternoon at Old Faithful. It was a sunny, perfect day- kids slept on the drive up, brought the stroller for the boardwalk and had a blast. There is no way we would have made it the 3 miles if they were on foot, and it would have been a bummer not to see all we came to see, so a success!!

Anticipating...

She was about 40 mins late, but whose to blame. Still fun to see.

Had to get as close as possible.

Morning Glory- Aren't those colors amazing?

Sawmill Geyser

We were told to get Ice Cream cones at the lodge. They were Awesome!!

Grand Tetons

2011-09-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

We went on a little road trip for Ben's summer break. First to the Grand Teton National Park. It is beautiful there. We drove through the night and got there around 9:30a. Had a little construction which was a bummer delay to start out the day, but still had a beautiful view driving in. There was so much to see, and we decided to only spend a day and a half there. We took tons of pics, but still feel like we missed out on plenty. Our drive in. good thing the babes love tractors. and could care less about the mtns.

Our rest stop. change out of jammies. release some wiggles. Grand Teton behind with snake river below. Pretty sweet.

Kids were exhausted from the awesome driving, so they took naps in the tent after we got everything set up.

String Lake- a lake/river just north of Jenny Lake. Kids loved it and it was just fun to get out and play.

Starting a little hike around String Lake

Throwing rocks or whatever they could find

Me and Carter, he was the most dressed. This was such an awesome lake, it was shallow with not a strong current and an amazing view.

Took a picture like this when I drove through almost 10 years ago with my fam.. good times.

Ben got a little excited with the camera. the 2 up and 1 below were a view from our picnic pull over site where we ate dinner.

took a little over a mile hike to this lake after dinner. Linc is perfecting his throw- the boys actually have a pretty impressive arm. but Linc will be a perfect pitcher!!

back to the campground- this is the morning after, trying to keep kids out of fire.

Signal Mountain Summit. short drive. well worth it.

They know better than to wait for us

below. OxBow Bend view- as we were heading out we stopped here for lunch

Our picnic at Ox Bow Bend- how white trash does this look! Tatum is our pirate in her cloth patch and puked up some lunch so she ate naked- it was awesome! Ben at the end of Jackson Lake

Tatum being like her Dad!

This was the end of our Grand Teton experience. We hope to make it back again, either when kids are older and we could do a little more; or without kids and get some good day hikes in. After this we took naps and drove up to Yellowstone and spent 5 days there. I'll post about that soon- hopefully.

Ben has a hobby..

2011-08-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Ben likes to play softball. He really wishes he could be in AZ playing with all his brothers, but isn't. So he got some guys together from school and joined a city league. They did all right. I think he had a lot of fun. (It gave him something to do so he'd stop talking about golf!) And I like to go out and watch, so it's kind of a win win. I just wish he would stop being in charge of organizing. But, you do what you need to get what you want.

Good Times!! He is joining another league this Fall where he isn't in charge- we'll see how that goes!! It was a fun summer having something to look forward to every week while he was still in school. We'll see how this next team does and if we can get out to watch...

Summer Break starts

2011-08-26T15:23:00.001-07:00

Ben finally got two weeks off- the one bonus to still being in school. We get breaks!! We headed to Elitch Garden's, we got some free passes for participating in the Library Summer reading program. Totally worth it, and piece of cake. Carter wasn't as into the slide or water in general as the other two- but we all still had fun. Tatum loves anything with water- so she especially had fun and helped Linc enjoy his time.

Booth Falls/Lake

2011-08-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Our hike the 2nd day. And a thanks to Dan for getting us there!! It was a rough start; Ben, Grandpa and I carried a kid in the carrier- but Grandpa almost had a heart attack about 20 mins into it, so we took some breaks and kept walking. Luckily the elevation increase leveled out a bit until the end so we made decent time. The weather was great- overcast, but still warm and only rained on us for about 15 mins or so. Another beautiful place to check off of our list. We had never done anything up in Vail- it was fantastic and would love to do it again!

Hanging Lake

2011-08-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

We did a couple hikes, a couple weeks ago- so here are the pics. They were beautiful and a lot of fun and we enjoyed having Grandpa and Grandma Paula with us to help out. The kids seriously love the outdoors, it is a blast to take them anywhere. We were told about Hanging Lake a year or so after we moved here, so we were excited to finally try it out. It was only a little over a mile, so we thought kids would do fine hiking/walking. We took one back pack just in case- and regretted that very soon. They wanted to walk, but are just so little and easily distracted by rocks to throw into the water, it was taking forever. I carried a little one on my shoulder for a bit, and Grandpa- Ben kept the carrier so he had a kid in there and sometimes a kid on the shoulders too. He tries to be Hard Core!! But we did make it and everyone was happy as can be! It was awesome and we understand why the lake is named what it is. This post just has pics from the Hanging Lake hike-

Complete

2011-07-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

The room is done!

2011-07-11T12:15:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th!! We had an AWESOME afternoon/night on the 4th. Here is how it went.. Started with painting the playroom in the morning- not the most fun thing to do- but so far so good. (we aren't quite done.
Then to the park where some friends arranged a BBQ Party and face painting..

Bead necklaces for whomever..

Bocce Ball for some boys..The sponge water game-- yep, Ben is putting the wet sponge under Linc's hat..

Linc taking on Ben, then coming after me.. Carter throwing a ball around

Spray Bottles

Prepped for fireworks. We were at a park about 2 miles or so from our house and just sitting in the grass with the fireworks right over head. It was awesome. The best part-- the Kids loved it and were happy, even at 10:00 at night.

Back Track..

2011-07-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

This past month has been a busy month-- we've tried to do something every weekend we've had a chance, so we've taken some fun pictures. These are back from Father's Day weekend when Dad-Jim was in town.

Here's to watching a movie..Then to the hike.. We went to Canyon State Park (i think is the name)
Stud Linc
Tatum has to be silly all the time apparently..

I told her to stop and wait for us and this is what I got in return, a sumo pose with a huge grin on her face... Then she took off running again.

And yah- another fun weekend. The highlight of the hike: we walked down by the water to let the kids throw some rocks in. The water was very shallow, and that part of the creek/river was not wide- so Ben jumped across. Then- Linc decided to be like his Daddy and he ran across then hopped at the very end. a min later Carter did the same thing. They didn't want to stop once they started, but we did keep Tatum from going. So they had the 2nd half of the hike done in wet shoes and socks, and luckily they didn't even care. It really was hilarious... little hope onto the rocks after the water and a huge grin!

Pretty eh??

Happy 8 Day

2011-07-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

Apparently I had never got around to posting this- a little late but still fun! This was our anniversary day out while my mom watched the kids for us. We stayed at the Brown Palace, ate at Maggiano's then took a hike in Roxborough State Park. It was great!! Got to the top for a pretty view and didn't have to carry any kids doing it!!

2011-06-25T17:28:00.000-07:00

Happy 8 Years Babe!! Love you more everyday! Thanks for the fun day...

Rough??

2011-06-21T08:41:00.000-07:00

Ben had to go to an Ortho Conference up in Beaver Creek a weekend ago- does this look like a rough conference to you?? Did a little golf, Keg-Kickball, joined in a Poker tourney-- how I feel so bad when I at home with kids...

Happy Daddy Day

2011-06-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day!! Thanks for being the best daddy to my/our kids. You are fantastic. We even love you as a Brace Face!!

(By the way- Ben got braces...)

Buzz and Handy..

2011-06-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

To the Rescue!! Whenever I say "Linc, to the Rescue". He says "no, Buzz to the rescue." Well, ok then. Anyway- we got Linc a buzz bike and Carter a Handy Manny bike and these kids are pros. So here are the boys and their new rides..

OH.... Mexico

2011-05-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Oh how I have missed the Beach, and Mexico especially.

We took the kids reef searching and found some cool crabs
(Austin and Carter have one on their heads)

And some Sea Urchins..

Grammie went walking with the 4 kids that were at the beachHanging out on the beach....

More crab finding

And Holding

Just having fun in the sand..

Little Beach girl

Uncle D and Austin

Daddy and Tootsie's on a walk-- she LOVED the water and the waves all the time. The boys were hit and miss- but not my Tatum. I wonder where she gets it from??

The Babes had a blast on the beach and that was what we were hoping for, an actual vacation. Tatum loved holding Austin's hand, but couldn't get a pic of her actually agreeing to the kiss- but this still shows Tatum pretty well.

We took come fam pics while down there...

Then back to some pics in Mesa,

All the Grandkids with Grammie and Papa Mark giving the kids rides as he mows....

My sis graduated Nursing School!! Way to go Jules- most of the hard work paid off! Now just put the rest to passing.. which I'm sure you'll do Great! And the support...

And I think that's all I got for now. There are so many pics to chose from since we had such a blast away. It was fantastic to be in sun and warmth and shorts and sandals. I hope it will warm up one of these days here in Denver.

2011-05-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

We Love the AZ weather- and the fact that we can play outside at any time if we like!! And we LOVE irrigation. And we ENJOY having Family around to play with..... but we wish we had a Daddy here with us..

We Love the AZ weather- and the fact that we can play outside at any time if we like!! And we LOVE irrigation. And we ENJOY having Family around to play with..... but we wish we had a Daddy here with us. We did get so celebrate my Grandma's birthday with her- here is Her and Grandpa and Carter climbing around under their feet. She is 89... Crazy!

Ballerina's

2011-04-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

Tatum thinks she is a Princess in this little outift- I think she looks adorable. During our dance parties they all learned some moves- so here they are. Sometimes the boys are even better ballerina's than Tatum. Thanks for the clothes Linds!!

Fit for the Birds

2011-04-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

While I was in CA Ben taught the kids to feed the birds the left over breakfast- pancakes, waffles. Didn't want them to be totally wasted. Here is Tatum showing you the bowl full of torn up waffles...Now they are laying them below the tree (where are the birds are)Tatum snags a few that weren't fit for the birds "Oh no- you see me"

Carter isn't ashamed, he just goes to town.
"Guess I'm stuffed"And now watching the birds have a turn..The gross part about all this, is there was/is bird poop all over those bricks. Even when you'd tell them no, do kids listen? They still would eat the waffles. Even after sitting outside for a few days and getting wet- Carter still tried to eat the waffles.

And you wonder why he has digestive issues.....

Watercolors

2011-04-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Found a new activity for the kids- they don't quite understand the concept of getting the paint wet first, or washing off the brush, but Who Cares. They had some fun!

Oh- the concentration..

And look how well she holds that brush- I love that she notices things so I don't have to try and teach her.

Hysterical Laughing

2011-03-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

I've been playing around with Imovie- trying to learn it better and figure out what to do with all my random videos. I came across this tonight and can't help but laugh every time. Enjoy!! Hope you get a kick out of it as much as we do

So Sad

2011-03-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been looking forward to my Cali trip for months and months- and now it has come and gone. Sad Day! I met my sister, Jules, in California and stayed at an awesome friends house.(Thanks Jenna) It was a perfect weekend. The weather could have been a little warmer and a little clearer- but getting away from life was fantastic. We drove up and down the coast, sat at a beach house and just hung out at the beach, ate In-N-Out- super delicious. And got to sleep in. Plus- I am obsessed with California now and totally want to go back to visit or even move there!! One day. I need something to dream about now that I am back to reality. Once again, so sad.
I know- these pics are kinda lame, but I didn't have my camera on me too often. Hopefully Julie has some good pics to choose from!

Now Ben is on his last day of Spring Break. so back to all alone with kids next week. We got Tatum potty trained, but started working on the boys yesterday. My goodness. I am going to need another break here pretty quick. Now I know why people wait until boys are older. They are definitely not as developed as girls. A good thing to remember about my Angel Tatum- or remind myself frequently while she is throwing her many screaming tantrums- She is not in Diapers!! And tells us when she needs to go! Hopefully we all live through this process!!

Tatum in Action..

2011-03-10T18:46:00.000-08:00

Ties

2011-03-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

Ben came home today with a couple bags of Ties from Uncle John. THANK YOU!! They are always needed and used. But kids started pulling them out and saying "Tie on, go to work". Gotta love it!

Sledding Adventure

2011-02-27T19:26:00.000-08:00

We got a little snow a few weekends back-- snowed during the week, but Fri and Sat were fantastic and warm. So we decided to take the kids out for a sledding experience in the morning before the snoe was gone by the afternoon. Here is a pic of Carter pushing Tatum down our little hill. It was steep enough to get some speed, but short enough the babes could climb up themselves.
Tatum was probably into this the most-- she loved pushing the boys down- but overall just loved sledding. The boys eventually found their way back to the car and chilled in their seats while Tatum went for a few more rides. Ben decided to build a little jump for her and this is the awesome pic he caught!! Sweet huh?? Come on, she is only 2??... The best part is how content she was the whole time. LOVED IT!! Which mean we loved it too!!I love that these kids are a little adventurous like we think we are!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

To my hunk of burnin' love.. Happy Valentine's Day!!!! Love YA!!

Just another month

2011-02-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

What we've been up to..Snow storms..
Which means a little sledding..

Jumping on the bed..

And a Birthday for me...

Have a good February!!

Our morning.

2011-01-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

I was on a kitchen cleaning spree this morning and this is how the kids entertained themselves. I was/am impressed on how strong they are and their grips..

Yah- some serious pull-ups. And leg lifts... they'll be great little gymnasts!!

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

I have a ton of pictures I would love to share--- but have more important things to do since we are back to the real world. So- here are a few favs for now!

2010-12-23T15:24:00.000-08:00

So far so good... Happy Birthday Graycee! Here are pics from her party- but the actual birthday is today!!!

Don't know how she didn't make the pics... I'll have to look in to that! but like previously stated, so far so good!

Made it!!

2010-12-16T15:11:00.000-08:00

The kids are loving AZ weather!! It is rainy today- which is nice- but the past couple of days we have been outside running around! Fantastic!! The most exciting thing that has happened over the past little while is Ben and I and some friends and a brother got to go snowboarding last Saturday!! It was awesome. There was a ton of new snow, more powder than I was actually comfortable with it! There were flurries throughout the day, but not enough to block your visibility- weather was fine since I was bundled. It was a lot of fun!! Not sure when I'll be able to do that again. Hobbies/activities are much harder when kids are around.. I'll have to post some pics when I get around to adding them. It is almost Christmas...

Gobble Gobble

2010-11-28T13:21:00.000-08:00

I've decided I love long weekends again. Ben has been super busy and stressed out with school. I've been going crazy with kids... they all got toddler beds and since they are new- sleeptime is a nightmare. For Thanksgiving we headed up to Uncle John and Aunt Linda to have lunch with that whole McDowell gang. They are a blast to be around and I am glad they don't mind inviting us to their activities, otherwise we would have to tag along...It had been awhile since we took a picture with the whole family... and then the cute boys. I hate the glare glasses give off, but they are getting used to them and wearing them most of the day. I'm hoping their eyes will correct quickly so they won't have to be stuck in them for life. We'll see.
Then Friday we went to Bass Pro shop to go meet Santa, but instead just walked around and looked at all the animals. Then Saturday we took the kids bowling for their first time. It was awesome. They took turns, picked a ball and would carry it to the ramp and cheer it on. They lasted great until the 8th frame... which was about dinner time. I was impressed how well they did and so glad they love it!

That concludes our awesome weekend. Now we'll see what the next week shall bring..

It snowed!! And so we play..

2010-11-10T11:08:00.000-08:00

It was a little chilly in the shade, but we bundled up and made due! The kids had a blast- would have rather ridden their trikes in everyone's yard rather than on the sidewalk. The boys are laughing hysterically here. It is fun when they think the other is hilarious.. not soo much when it goes in a different direction.

Carter really was having fun...

Sun, Here it comes

2010-11-09T15:55:00.001-08:00

I wish

Not that I am in any hurry for it to be cold- I am just shocked at how nice the weather has been. Yesterday was 78 or so... awesome. I am also shocked that we haven't gotten any snow, none in October... or November until now.

2010-11-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

We've got Glasses!! Well, the boys do anyway. The new fight with them is trying to convince them they want to wear their gafas. I'm hoping over time they will realize the gafas help... hopefully. I was told how they check kids eyes when they can't read and was very impressed. I just wonder how accurate it really is. Either way, here they are testing them out and fixing their trucks batteries at the same time.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2010-10-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ben and I decided to dress up a bit this year. He was the scarecrow and I was Dorothy. The boys were Thing 1 and Thing 3. Tatum has the Thing 3 shirt- but the cupcake was just too cute to pass up. And the two things are the norm right?? The boys fit the part perfect. They ran around all night. It was a lot of fun. The kids are finally getting in the holiday spirit!

(Linc helped me with Trunk-or-treat)

Then here is our carving experience..

And here are some pics from our Ward party.. Thanks Tina and Teri!!

Happy Birthday Babes!

2010-10-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

My Babes are already 2. Can you believe it? I still look back at old posts when I was pregnant, when they were born- what I was doing before they turned 1- and now they are already 2. My goodness. Where does the time go. My babes are now toddlers that run around and can almost talk to each other. It is crazy. We had a couple parties for them, with friends and family and I think they enjoyed it all. That makes the actual birthday kind of laid back and chilled. We had a doc's visit this morning for a check-up, which was a nightmare so hopefully the afternoon is fun! I love having these little munchkins around, I wonder what this next year has in store for us! Here are the cakes we made for each party..awes Here are the cakes we made for each party..awesome huh? Well, I thought they turned out ok.

We Love when Grammie's visits..

2010-10-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

She listens to us cry

She let's us do tricks for her

Helps us make birthday cakes and feed us frosting!!..

She blows bubbles with us

She plays with us

Acts crazzzzy with us..

Let's us give kissesDraws for us, "Grammie, draw me a picture now"

Thank you for coming to visit us Grammie!! We love playing with you! We Love when you come to see us and hate when you leave. We are going to miss running into your room and waking you up, the fun times away from the house, the much needed extra love, the peek-a-boo games, bean bag toss, trikes all over the driveway with you, jumping on the tramp.. so many memories. Please don't forget us and come again. Next time you should bring Papa with you too! See you around Christmas! Don't forget about us! WE LOVE YOU GRAMMIE!

Tatum, finally

2010-10-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

I have actually been lucky that Tatum hasn't really had any hair, for life. It was easy to throw a head band on her when she was little. More recently with hair, we rarely go out to anyplace where I care for her to be dressed up so I didn't have to worry about it. I still don't since there isn't much- but there is enough for pigtails!! Finally. I still won't do her hair very often, and she'll let me when I want to-- so if I want her hair done cute I now have a pigtail option!

2010-09-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

We Love when Daddy comes home. We can play and release our wiggles and get fed again and have someone with new energy play with us. Some kids get soo lucky.

Some things just never change..

2010-09-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

How cute are they??

Sneaky Cart-Dawg

2010-09-26T18:51:00.001-07:00

Here is our little escapey.. he is pretty smooth and has also taught Tatum and Linc to get in and out of the pack n plays. What a disaster. But he loves his manta y perrito so that keeps him calm and in his bed most of the time...

Labor Day at Spring Haven

2010-09-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to be invited to Spring Haven, Springville, UT with our McDowell family here in CO. They are always a pleasure to be around and definitely make living in Colorado a lot more enjoyable. I also got the pleasure of meeting Ben's grandparents for the first time and introducing the "jiglets" to them. Apparently there were only a few great grandkids that they have not met, and grandma was determined and anxious to see them. She has been sick for a few months and was close to the end- I'm so glad we made it out and only wish we could have gone sooner. She wasn't very responsive, but did smile when they kissed her and we got an eye open when we were singing. She got to meet our kids! I'm glad she held out for us so I could also meet her, she happened to pass away this afternoon so the timing is what it is. But here are some pictures from our Labor Day getaway...

The McDowell boys.. (well, the boys there at that moment) with Grandpa

The swans that we loved to use to distract the babes..

Our fam at the moment..

The playground inside. This place is amazing- but especially to take kids to. They have places to run around, friends to run around with, things to explore- they had a blast!

Linc is testing out his strength on the firepole... pretty good huh?

And they've mastered climbing the slide, thanks to the examples of the older cousins.

More ants,

then races down the driveway,

playing ball,

kisses for Daddy,

driving cars to each other,driving cars down the driveway...

it was a lot of fun. I wish we were still there! Thanks again Megan and Jason, for letting us tag along!

Crack ups

2010-09-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

These kids LOVE the outside. As soon as they are done eating they say "jump?" But I thought these were fun. They love to point out bugs, usually it involves them saying "ant" and then the boys trying to squash it with their feet and making the sound effects of "aahh"

But here they are just looking where the potato bug, rolley polley bug went that they sent into the grass. While Tatum signals "Where'd it go?"

And then "Found it", squish

Don't quit

2010-08-29T16:16:00.001-07:00

So I've been reading again.. "I am a Mother" (thanks again Chrissy for the recommendation) It is supposed to motivate me to be a better mother and appreciate the stage of life I am in. This time reading this poem stuck out to me so I thought I'd share it.

DON’T QUIT

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit…

Success is failure turned inside out.

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far,

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit.

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

~Author Unkown

Take it as you like, but hope you enjoyed! Have a good day!

Our Rocky Mtn hikes..

2010-08-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

We had a blast getting one more outing in before Ben starts school. We went camping for a few days up in Rocky Mtn National Park. We had some extra hands join us (Ben's Dad and wife Paula) so we could actually do some hiking. Here is our campground

And the kids picking some flowers..

Playing in the dirt...

Linc climbing in the trees...

Let the games begin..

Nymph lake - the first of many that we would come across in the 3 days.

Start of day 2.. we planned on seeing a few lakes and waterfalls and to spend the whole day outside hoping the kids would take a good nap in the carriers. It ended up pretty darn good. The naps weren't the best, but the kids Loved the carriers and being outside.

We made it to Loch Lake and decided to skip out on Sky Pond. It was beautiful and a perfect place to take a lunch break and let the kids throw rocks in the lake. We could see the Waterfall you'd have to climb up to get to sky pond and figured that was good enough.

Our company- Jim (Ben's Dad) and Paula

"Why are we just standing here Grandpa . . . can't you move it?" says Tatum. Any time she wanted him to go faster she would just start kicking him in the back - kind of funny.

Mills lake view.

Long's Peak is in the background, Ben and Jim were so proud everytime they could see the Peak since they hiked up to it 2 years ago.

Day 3, Sprague Lake.. just an easy 1 mile walk around that we took our time on.

We love feeding the ducks...

Now back to real life, Ben starts school tomorrow and I am back to being on my own throughout the days. I have been spoiled with the help at home for the past two months- we'll see how I can manage. Good Luck to Ben!! He is such a good student and husband and Father, and pretty good at multi-tasking, but I can't wait for him to be done with school. Almost there...

Our New Love

2010-08-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

We have made it back to Colorado. We are back in our old house to start a new life, or something like that. Lucky for me- Ben has been home for a few weeks to help set up camp. There was some fixing up to do to our house and then the decorating. I am so not good in that department and we didn't want it the same as before. Plus- we have 3 toddlers now to make space for. They have a lot of junk to store which is hard to fit in our non-storage house. After a few weeks we are about moved in. Only a few piles left to find homes for. As we've been here, we have accumulated a few things. Ben built an awesome tv stand/ wall unit. We figured there is no space on the floor for an entertainment center- so on the wall the tv has to go so toys can be stored underneath. Ben had many trial runs and complications come up- but after a couple days work that got done. Then we decided our round table needed to go. We are still waiting to find a buyer for it though. However, we found our replacement table; Black, square, counter height. Pretty Sweet! It is working out great. Seems a little big for our kitchen, almost all tables are though. Next addition.. a trampoline. The babes think their beds and couches are for jumping so we thought this would be the best entertainment/investment. It is less than 2 ft off the ground and only 8ft across- so no biggy, but they LOVE IT!! (Hence, our new love) I got a video of their first time jumping on their tramp, but it has Linc falling off backwards. I think it is funny, we'll post it sometime but don't think we are bad parents. Obviously I was right there to help him after the fact, and all was fine, but I'm not getting a cage for them so they can bounce off of the sides and be more crazy. Kids are flexible right? and they got to learn sometime. Anywho- they love this and I can't wait until they are experienced enough to play in the back yard all alone . Here is Linc reading the directions for us..

Breaking it in slowly...

I am pretty impressed at how well their balance and coordination is, plus- the happy faces!! The boys still love their seat drops!!

I also realized I haven't take any pics of our house upgrades- we'll see if I get around to getting some for those interested in seeing. I am rather impressed though at what we've done with this place though..

Way to go Linc

2010-08-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a video I found taken at Grammie's house swimming. We were pretty impressed with Linc's skill level...

We love peanuts!

2010-08-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

Life in AZ

2010-08-02T10:29:00.000-07:00

Celebrating uncle Danos birthday..

Reading books at night with Grammie and Brentos and Lacey while Daddy was gone
More yard work-- gotta rake the grass and help Papa rota-till the garden

Riding the Lucchesi's Gator and playing at the Cabin- Tatum finally warming up to Uncle D while he gets them with a mop. Yep- They loved it!

Helping Papa in the Garden and Dancing with Grammie

Our hanging monkeys.. and little fishies

And more playing outside in the sprinklers and waterslide and regular slide..

Dan and Kelli's New pool with an awesome low diving board they could jump off (I like to say they get that from me)

Running in the irrigation..

Our long vacation in Arizona was a blast. It was fun to see friends and family and especially fun to hang outside and play in the water. We are going to miss Grammie and Papa's house and always having extra hands to help and to give some love. We are now back in Colorado and moving back into our house. Oh what fun!

Lake Powell pics

2010-07-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

Our Lake Powell trip in reverse. I am too lazy to fix it and just excited to have some fun pictures to share..

The whole Flaherty Fam..

Lake Powell

2010-07-19T09:45:00.000-07:00

I am a little bummed I still can not download any pics. I keep hoping my mom will get a new computer so I can- oh well. But we spent a fabulous week at Lake Powell, the week of the 4th. It was a little crowded when we got to Lone Rock, luckily some other family had saved us a spot. After getting stuck a few times we finally set up camp on Friday night (2nd), got kids eating and settled and put them to bed. We figured after we arrived and got settled everything would work out fine. And yep- kids slept in the heat box trailer and woke up with the sun. We had early mornings, fun days in the sun, tubing behind a boat, kids throwing rocks in the water, eating sand, volleyball games... just hanging out. I've learned to love Lake Powell. The kids did great as long as they got their naps, had a hard time getting to sleep at night- but all worth it. Oh- they had a hard time adjusting to other people. The first couple of days were a mess, there were so many new faces it kind of freaked them out. By the end of the week there were a few cousins they would play with which totally helped us out. But- there Daddy was back so that helped out a lot. Anyway- I am just sad it went by too fast. We have plenty of pictures to show off though!

Then last week Ben and I just got to hang out and not have much to do. I enjoyed keeping it relaxing since Ben had to go back to work this week. We swam just about everyday. We tried Dan and Kelli's floaties out on the babes- and they LOVED it. They would wade around all on their own- so they are a little more independent than I like, but it makes life a lot easier. I don't have to be all over them constantly, just always have to watch. But they jump off the side, off the diving board, Linc loves to go under the water and search for diving sticks! They are so amusing. They are becoming quite the chatter boxes too! I just wish we could understand anything they are saying. They love being at Grammie's and Papa's and running around their ginormous yard. Only a handful of days left before back to reality...

Wow- random

2010-06-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

There is a lot going on and I always wonder how much kids really pick up on it. Last weekend we went camping for a few days, then came home and packed for a few more day so the house was total chaos. Then we left everything they knew to drive 15 hours to Arizona. Luckily they know Grammie but have been reintroduced to aunts and uncles and cousins.... tried out a new nursery with no luck. Kids are having meltdown after meltdown. Overall they seem happy, but I don't know if they understand how much things are different or maybe they just miss their Dad.

Ok- so enough rambling. The kids, my mom and I left Oklahoma for good on Friday. I am so sad to leave. I loved our nieghbors, I was just getting to be comfortable with the friends I had made, church had order and the kids loved their nursery friends and leaders. On the other end- I am glad to have a house packed and not have to do any loading or last minute anything. Ben is stuck doing that by himself and whoever else he can sucker into helping. Then he'll drive our belongings to CO and then make a visit to come see us in AZ. I think that is when the real vacation will begin. I miss having him around, but I think the kids miss him more. When they say "Dada" while driving in the car in hopes that he'll show up- only to call Ben's brother "dada". Desperate times call for desperate measures I guess. That is what we have been up to. The kids still love being outside and love swimming so that is what I think we'll be doing for awhile. However- I am just glad to know this move will involve moving back to a known area with people we know. So for the meantime I guess we will enjoy our break in AZ and hope to see friends and family while we are here.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

2010-06-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

I LOVE MY BABE and FATHER to our Babes. Here is a pic today on our camping trip. He is such a fun guy to watch play with his kids. He does a fantastic job, I'm lucky to have him! Happy DAY!!

Sprint Triathlon

2010-06-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

I completed my first race of any kind. Yah- back in the day I'd do a 5k here and there, maybe a 10k- but running never got me excited to do it again. A few friends we've made in Oklahoma have done a sprint triathlon and got me interested in trying it out. So- I signed up for it and did it! I was a little bummed to not have anyone to join in with me since I had to go in blind- but in the end I was ok with it. I had no one to impress or compete against, just getting my feet wet and experiencing the first on my own was awesome. I would love to do one again. Ben wasn't planning on coming, he took the day off so he could watch kids. Then the day before he changed his mind- so I tried to find someone to come over at 5:45 so he could come with me- that fell through, but still found a girl/friend to come over later in the morning. Ben had everything ready to go so when she showed up he loaded the kids and showed up. I was way stoked to see him waiting for me when I got out of the pool. Then at every transition I saw him and the kids playing. And then when I got their attention as I went by- they would say "mama, mama" It was awesome. Got me pumped up! Anyway- good times, good times!

Carter loves his seat-drop

2010-06-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Just thought these were so awesome of Carter. He seriously, Loves to seat-drop. He started this trick when he jumped on his mattress and now does it everywhere. He did get a bruise on his rear recently, also does this on the ground- crazy kid. But look how much fun he has in the water!!

And Again..

Nice Height and good form!

Memorial Weekend

2010-06-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

We had awesome weekend by being adventurous and taking the kids on their first camping trip. We chose a nearby campground at Arcadia Lake so we could bail out if we needed to. It was a long night, but not worth packing up and leaving in the middle of it. We played in the lake the afternoon of Memorial Day and the kids had a blast. I was a little nervous of what they would think of their padded swimsuits, but once they realized wearing them meant they could get in the water- they were game.

We had a BBQ with some friends that met us at our campground- then hit the hay. The kids have never slept out of their cribs so there was a lot of rolling and scolding and tested patience and it was so hot and humid... But we did get a little sleep. And the next morning we played in the dirt and back to the lake....

It was a successful trip! The kids took some good naps when they got home and left us exhausted. A new thing we got to experience are ticks. I found, what I thought at the time, was a spider on Tatum's chest while getting her ready for bed. Took me a few grabs but got it off and didn't worry about it. On the drive home I saw something under Carter's chest and thought it was another spider.When I couldn't pull it off, we pulled over and I let Ben go at it. After all the pulling and tugging we eventually got it out and it was this.....

A nasty little Tick nestled in Carter's armpit. I'm not sure what made me look under there, but glad we found it. So far no rash, so we are hoping there are no side effects since we don't know how long it was there. It could even be the same one that was in Tatum, bluh. Kind of gross. Ben saved it and brought it home so he could look it up on the internet (its a Lone Star Tick) before crushing it - sweet justice for Carter. Gotta love Oklahoma!!! And here is a funny video of Carter at the park, before the beach fun.

2010-05-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know why- but I've stalled to post. I think I am trying to use time to pack, so can't justify blogging when I should do something else. Oh well. Here is the next day of our trip. There were just so many pics to post- all would tell the whole story but that would take more time than my little heart desires. So here we go. We started out at the Visitor's Center so the kids could release some wiggles. Here is one of the original suns that was on the temple. I don't know how it was preserved, but amazing. How'd they do this back in the day..??

Then we went on a wagon around Historic Nauvoo. That was a good part of the day.

The kids were tired from little sleep the day before so they fell asleep and we got to enjoy the narration of Nauvoo. This is a picture from Parley Street- or the Trail of Hope. Still can't believe the mormons were kicked out in the cold and left having faith there would be a place for them to go. The temple is in the background, a sad sight to leave and walk away from. So much hard work was put into the building of that Temple.
A Barge to cross the Mississippi..
The park for kids to learn Pioneer games. Ready to play after the nap..

Oh- not just the kids. Who do you think won?? Pete or Ben....hummm, tough call.
In the Smith Cemetery..

After we were done wandering for the day and all the shops were closed we took a walk down the trail.. There were quotes from different people all along, this is one Ben really liked. It was amazing that people could walk away from all they had to no where.

I don't know how they did it. We could not keep these kids under control for the short walk to the River.

Playing in the Mississippi, the end of the Trail of Hope, Trail of Tears...

Our night pics...

They sure had an amazing view over the River though..

The last place we visited was Carthage Jail. The missionaries give a tour and insight on the events that occurred there.

Don't really know how to close... I was glad to have the opportunity to visit and know a little more about the circumstances, and what the Pioneers of the Church went through. So much was sacrificed for so many. I wonder if we would be able to do that now...