Back after a LOOOOONG absence!

I have a couple friends who have inspired me to get back into blogging. There are links to both of their pages from my page. Thanks Rachel and James! Originally I started this blog to post pictures of the kids when we lived in TN for family and friends back in Oregon (original blog name was Oregon Girl in Tennessee). I saw this mostly as an online photo album for grandparents. Then around the time of my last blog post, I discovered Facebook and decided it was much easier to share photos through that medium. Hence, the long absence. I've been engaging in Facebookery ever since and lost touch with this blog! Now after checking in with my friends' blogs, I see the value in this page of mine as more than just a photo album. It really is a place to record thoughts and memories as well. That really appeals to the writer in me! While very few (or no one at all) will probably ever visit this site of mine, I guess I will have to be content with the idea that it is a place for me to revisit my own thoughts, memories and pictures. After all, I don't have anything nearly as exciting to share as my two friends do in their blogs! Every time I come back to this site I enjoy reading about what was happening with us in years past and looking at the pictures of the kids (how much they've grown!). It occurred to me that I've really been remiss in recording our current happenings and realized I have few current pictures of us together as a family. All the Facebookery and working on my masters is responsible for that, I think. So, I'm going to start today by posting the last pics I have of us as a family together - 4th of July 2010. I'm also going to work hard to take more pictures of us together - which I think means we need to start doing more things together as a family so I have something to take pics of! I've realized after reading through Rachel's post on bringing home their new baby Grace that I haven't been cherishing my own family enough - and the kids are growing so fast! I don't want to regret lost potential family time together when the kids are grown and gone. I know my new job and working on my masters degree is partially to blame for us not spending time together, but I am working to find the balance that allows me to still have time to nurture relationships. Perhaps this little blog will help propel my motivation to spend more time with the family - I'll have to have something to blog about! Wish me luck as I work to find that balance, but for now enjoy the pics of our 4th of July on a pontoon boat at Vallecito Lake.

First snow day

We awoke early this morning expecting to have to dig ourselves out and get ready for school and work. We have heard so many times how the schools around here "never" close for snow. Only five minutes after I was up, the phone rang announcing that school was closed! Once we got outside we understood why...over 12 inches of snow had piled up during the night!

Beautiful winter scene from our front deck.

The snow reminds me of powdered sugar on a gingerbread house!

See how nicely those steps are dug out? That was all me, baby! My chiropractor will not be pleased.

There goes Steve - on a mission to dig out a Jeep! Never a day off for a US Army Recruiter! With all those seniors out of school today, I'm sure they'll be stopping by to sign up for the Army.

Who cut off Anna's legs?

Mmmm...icicle - from the grill of the truck!

Speaking of the truck...

Me, showing off my Colorado fashion sense (notice coffee cup in hand). One can never supervise digging out a vehicle without a steaming cup of Starbucks!

Notice how Seth is suspiciously missing. He opted out of the fun and stayed in to watch cartoons. Imagine that.

And for the grand finale! Take a look at the fun time had by all when Steve tried (and tried, and tried) to get out of the driveway to go to work. After all the digging he did, I know his physical therapist won't be happy! About two hours after Steve got out, the snow plow arrived and plowed the driveway :)

Mother's Day at Mesa Verde

This Mother's Day my family was super nice to me - they let me take them hiking!!! We've only been in Colorado for about 2 weeks so it was definitely time to start exploring. Mesa Verde National Park is only about 40 min from our house and really awesome (and huge!).







First we checked out ancient Pueblo Indian ruins (about 1000 years old!)














We even got to climb down into the ruins - watch your step!















After that, we hiked around the edge of the canyon and enjoyed the views. Sometimes it was a little scary being right on the edge of a big drop off.














But we had fun climbing around in the rock formations...














squeezing through rocks...


















and climbing rocks!















We even saw ancient petroglyphs.















Surprising...














and fun! Who could ask for more?

Seth's 6th birthday!!

Seth had a great birthday! It started out with present opening at 6:30 in the morning. The rest of the day was spent with him looking at his new watch every 10 minutes to tell me that it was almost time for his party to start (which didn't start until 4pm).

The afternoon was full of fun with the Banzai Falls, hot dogs, presents and cake. Lots of little boys kept the action moving!

Seth's first t-ball game...

After a quick nap in the van before the game, Seth puts his game face on.

Keep your eye on the ball

How'd you like that last hit of mine? I can give you some pointers.

Throw it home! I'm ready!

Anna at Camporee (April)...

Anna's Brownie troop went to Sycamore Hills Girl Scout Camp for a weekend in April. I went along for the fun too!

She rode horses...

Climbed a mobile wall... (me too)

Went on a hike...

And creek walked!

Seth loses his first tooth...

We were actually at t-ball practice when we noticed Seth's tooth was so loose he was in danger of losing it on the field! He agreed to let me pull it for him :) Didn't hurt a bit, you can even ask him. After that, he walked around to all his teammates and his coaches to show them the bleeding gap where his tooth had been. The middle tooth right next to his gap is loose too!

Check out our new floor!

Steve spent a couple weekends tearing out carpet and laying down our new wood laminate floor. It looks great!!

Isn't Gimli adorable??