Aaaahhhh! Vacation!

Preston and I were blessed with the opportunity to have a vacation for ourselves. My Aunt Jo and Uncle Randy in Colorado went on a 2 week Alaskan tour/cruise and wanted someone to dog and house sit while away. Kristin went for the first week, then we went and covered the second week. Preston hadn't ever been to Colorado and seen the mountains out there so this was a very exciting trip. We did all kinds of things which I will try to show w/ pictures. Things we did not get in pictures include the Denver Mint, shopping (what trip is complete w/o that?), Buffalo Bill's museum and grave, and Water World waterpark. At the waterpark we spent most time in the lazy river and wave pool, but I did find 3 water slides I was able to go down comfortably being nearly 8 mos pregnant. Actually, I didn't see any other pregnant women there, lots with little babies though. These pictures aren't really in any kind of order so I tried to label them briefly. The trip was awesome. Preston decided the Colorado is a new favorite vacation spot.

Mt. Evans behind us. We had a wonderful time getting to spend the day with them and catching up.


Mountain goats at Mt. Evans that my uncle took with his mega zoom camera lens. They were just shedding their coats in time to have to grow them out again. The fisrt snow could happen about anytime they said.




This was a restaraunt at the top of Mt. Evans and was at one time the higest structure in the world. It burnt down in 1979. My mom said she ate there once. Pretty cool.


We got to spend the last day with my aunt and uncle after their return from Alaska. They took us to Mt. Evans (14,200 ft elevation). My Uncle Randy is the one in the background behind us with the mega zoom camera and the green jacket. He took and sent us several great pictures for us from this day. My Aunt Jo is the one in the black jacket and pink pants. We were looking for mountian goats up there, which according to my aunt and uncle you can find most of the time when you visit there.






At Casa Bonita mexican restaraunt in Denver. They have an indoor waterfall and put on a show while you eat. The guy is the "cliff diver" that dives 30ft(?) below into the waterfall pool. He jumped right off in front of the table next to us.



The only elk we saw on the whole trip. Someones front yard in Estes Park.


Sightseeing Vail in the summer. There wasn't anyone around to take our picture and we left our tripod in the car so the picture of us is a split screen (hence one side being lighter than the other).



Golden, CO, Driving up Lookout Mountain to Buffalo Bill's grave/museum, and a sign Preston want to hang in the youth room at church.




Coors Field for a Rockies games.




Loveland Pass and the Continental Divide



Preston with the dogs on the Riverwalk in Estes, big slides my siblings and I went to when we visited my aunt and uncle at the YMCA of the Rockies growing up, Locals Grill we ate at in Estes, and a mountain view from the top of the YMCA Camp.





The dog park in Estes where we took Hoot (the golden) and Charlie (the beagle).


Estes Park



Red Rocks Park and Ampitheater

Catch Up

Okay, so I'm trying to catch up on a few of the events this last month. It might be kinda a hodgepodge of stuff. We gave Noah a buzz cut a couple weeks ago. He was in need of a haircut anyway, but the main thing is he has developed a cowlick right in the front. His hair has some wave to is and has gotten really thick so with this cowlick he always looked like he had bedhead. I tried everything to keep it down like water and a brush, hairspray, gel, mousse. It all lasted for maybe 2 hrs tops and then the wave in the front would come back. Here are some before and after pics and how different he looks with his buzz.



We also went up to celebrate Aunt Tinny's (Kristin's) 30th Birthday. We went to Dave and Buster's, the T-Rex restaurant, and Union Station. Union Station has a free train exhibit and Noah is all about "boy" stuff like trains, trucks, planes, cars, etc. We also went and ate at a place called Fritz's nearby that has trains all over. It actually has trains bring your food to the table.




Here is the table at Fritz's. I wasn't thinking and didn't get any pictures of the train above our heads that brings the food. There was a train that ran through the glassed in wall next to the table though (just not in my pictures of course).




Last week Preston and I took Noah to our local fire station since we know one of the head haunchos over there. We thought Noah would LOVE it! Turns out he weenied out when we actually got there. I think b/c everything was so big compared to him even the firemen were big guys. I didn't get but maybe one picture of him smiling, and I had to make him sit on the front of the fire truck for a picture. Once we left he couldn't stop talking about it though. He would go on and on about how the fireman gave him purple and yellow candy, pencils, coloring books, and a junior firefighter badge.




Noah also got to go to his first racecar event. Preston's family came up to Fulton and treated us to a Callaway Raceway race. I didn't bring anything in the raceway with me so I didn't have my camera. I was kicking myself for not remembering to grab it. Preston went out and bought Noah is own earmuffs b/c the races are pretty loud. He absolutely loved it. Noah's favorite was the pink race car, of course. What can I say, my son loves pink. Regrettably no pictures from that event.

Lastly is a short video of my manly son dancing around to The Sounds of Music's yodeling song. He loves it! Once he realizes I'm videoing him dancing he backs off a bit. The little boy I was babysitting that day got a kick out of it too.

Daddy's Birthday!

Tuesday was Preston's birthday. This was an extra special one for him b/c Noah can actually say Happy Birthday and tons of other words and sentences to describe things going on and around him. Ever since his cousin Aaron's birthday a month ago, Noah loves to go around sining "Happy Birthday to you AAAAaaaron!" So we got to insert a new name this time. Now its "Happy Birthday to you Daaaddddyyy!" We took daddy out for dinner to one of our all time favorites, Kobe's Japanese Steakhouse. One of those places where you table is around a grill and they cook/perform all your food in front of you. We had been countless times to places like these, but have never brough Noah since its kinda a special occasion only place for us. He was so excited to see the "big fire" they do on the grill and the onion "volcano" that turns into a "choo choo train". He had fun watching all the other tables do the big fire b/c they were a little bit further away, and then freaked out when they did it at our table. Luckily the "choo choo train" onion was next and that was very cool to him and calmed him down for the rest of the dinner. He had fun overall though. Anyway here are some pictures from Daddy'd Birthday Dinner and a special message to Dad from Noah.

Noah's Clubhouse

Preston made a play house out of this big box for Noah to play in. Then Noah got some new finger paints a couple weeks later. We decided that this was the perfect thing to try out his new paints with. He had fun playing in the paint and seeing what rocks and sticks he could mix the paint up with while I actually painted the playhouse. He did some, but the masterpiece on his body is by mom.

A few new pictures

I don't have much news to write about in this one, we've been very busy the last several weeks. We've had my brother's wedding, vacation Bible school, working around the house (got another room painted finally), and a bunch of odds and ends in between. Here are a few picture taken during the last 2 weeks though.
-So first I'll clarify the belly picture. I'm not the type that usually would post my big pregnant belly online unless it was done professionally, but this was kinda funny. Noah wanted to see who had the bigger baby belly (he has a "food" baby). He loves to show it off to be funny. So Preston captured this Kodak moment. Oh yeah, I was also pushing my tummy out farther too so I look a touch bigger than I actually am.


-Then we took the youth group back to St. Louis to go to the zoo and the City Museum. SO Noah tagged along. The City Museum is kinda like a huge tunnel town/obstacle course/jungle gym all built out of industrial materials. They had this ball pit full of huge rubber balls which was Noah's favorite thing besides all the gigantic slides they had.



-Lastly, Noah decided to be Bob the Builder one had and thought it was hilarious when daddy picked him up by the overalls and swung him around. He had a pullup on that provided some padding, otherwise it looked quite uncomfortable.