Bermuda, Bahama.......

actually....

we spent most of our summer at Windsor Lake

and we loved EVERY second!

From center, then top left wrapping around to the right, then down, left, up following the square....

here's a taste of our summer.

Center in Miss Kimbree in T's sunglasses, looking so cool at Windsor Lake (WL)!

Top is Mom and T cuddling at WL

Leila, Ashlynn, & Brynlee remind me of Me, Jes, & Amber here

...sweet nostalgia.

 Brynlee building sandcastles!

Brian and I at a Father's Day feast with a bunch of Family at the Plantation for a Cajun Broil...those bibs aren't just for show ;)

Ashlynn and Taidan throwing a football around in WL

Taidan and Drake with Monster Face Paint, so cool!

Steph, Me, Amber, and Martha at WL. We loved going with friends, but somehow this is the only pic I got of anyone other than kids.

Brian eating the first set of ribs he smoked on the smoker he got for his birthday- we loved them so much we smoked out most weekends!

Taidan and Weston at their first Rockies game with their t-ball team and Brian, Grandpa Ric, Ben and Luke Martin.

Taidan, Brooklyn, Brynlee, Ashlynn at Centerra days with their cute painted faces.

Taidan and his awesome summer time mohawk survived the water that day.

Best Friends, Brooklyn and Ashlynn playing in the sand at WL.

This is my favorite sampling of a hundred more photos like this, it was an AWESOME summer!

And our first being home....it's something I think we'll have to repeat.

We ♥ Freedom...God Bless the USA

This year we did something monumental for the 4th of July....

we stayed home!!

We've NEVER done that before.

We hosted a BBQ, Brian smoked some ribs, everyone brought yummy food.

It was epic in it's simplicity.

We got our Old Navy t's on clearance this year. I think I got all 6 for 20.

I made hair pretties for everyone out of a bunch of different plaid shirts,

(originally I had planned on making t-shirt dresses for all the girl's with...but it didn't happen this year).

We started the day with some yummy patriotic pancakes!

 I made some really fun stained glass star spangled jello jigglers

and

A red, white, and blue potato salad.

That night we played with boxes and boxes of poppers and sparklers...

then realized we had to clean up the streamers.

Next year we'll have to re-think that.

We were able to see a few different fire work shows from our street.  Where we were celebrating, it was perfect.....all together a perfect day.

Our summer in Philadelphia and Washington DC changed who I am.  I always felt patriotic, but that is the summer that I became a true patriot.  Learning more about and seeing first hand where our country was born and what it cost to create, gave me a greater appreciation for the amazing freedom and protection we enjoy as Americans. I'm so impresses by our countries forefathers.  By their religious conviction and their passion toward a God given rite to freedom for all.
Seeing the many monuments and museums dedicated to the wars our country has fought protecting freedom of others that have needed it made me passionate about my country.  I feel so grateful to live in a land where my children and family are safe.  We are safe from great horrors that still exist in the world today.
I am honored to live in a country where people are willing to sacrifice and fight and stand up for freedom.

In our politically charged world today, I feel a loss at the righteous honorable American leaders of past days.  I know many exist still, but I believe that they are harder to find than those who push their own agenda's while the greater good gets pushed to the side.
I know that we as American's sometimes lack passion for our country. Would we feel differently if we'd experienced the horrors of West Africa that are currently happening today, or if we could see the great wars and desolation of past times? Our freedom is handed to us on a silver platter and I worry that, like the Israelite's, we will be too lazy to look up and save ourselves.
We know much, we have much...
we have been GIVEN much, and I believe it is our duty to be involved, to have a voice for all those who have sacrificed and now have no voice.  We have the ability to make changes in our country. We've seen what happened in Germany and France during WW2 when people stopped speaking because they at first weren't looking closely enough and then because they were too afraid to speak up for their neighbors.
We have a much greater ability to express ourselves than they ever did,
and I pray that the righteous in our country will be courageous enough to have a voice.
First in their families, then in their neighborhoods, in their communities, their cities, states, our country, and finally the world. To preserve our countries hard fought freedom, and the beauty that is the American Dream.

Princess Brynlee is 3

 Once Upon a Time.....

Princess Brynlee invited some of her very closest friends for a royal tea party,

everyone dressed in their finest to celebrate with Princess Brynlee.

But when her guests arrived, their Princess and Knightly attire was missing.

The group of friends searched the backyard kingdom high and low and finally after...

popping balloons

solving clues

dancing for hints

and scavenging the kingdom

...they were properly attired as Princesses and Knights!

They could now attend the magical tea party, thrown on behalf of Princess Brynlee, by the King and Queen who loved her very much!

There was even a cupcake bar for the little royals to create their own 

beautiful cupcakreations!

 Princess Brynlee and her beloved friends had so much fun,

and by the end of her tea party birthday celebration,

Princess Brynlee was ready to sleep for 100 years...

or until her Prince awakens her with a kiss!!

We love you Princess Brynlee!!

Always Remember,

♥

Queen Mommy & King Daddy

Hello, Goodbye

We had to get a new family vehicle and had to say goodbye to one 

that went through a lot of miles and milestones  with us.

We've heard a lot of good things about the Honda Odyssey and we really like the one we went with.

We still get sad sometimes thinking about the fun we had in the Hot Tamale van...

(though the new dvd player and working a/c in back help console us some).

On to new miles and milestones with this next one!

Dance, Dance Baby!

The kids dance recital with 

A Dance Place 

was so fun.

We were so proud of them! Each of them did AMAZING.

Ashlynn was in;

Ballet/Tap- These Boots are Made for Walkin' 

Jazz/Poms- Car Wash

&

Hip Hop- Hangin' Tough

Taidan was in;

Hip Hop- Come n' Ride This Train

Brynlee was in;

Ballet/Tap- Workin' 9 to 5

The awesome photographer also took pictures of them together
-gettin' their hip hop on-

And one of my little Ashlynn and niece Brooklyn
Gosh- they are cute!

I'm excited to see what they do next year....

come watch the video with me if you need the full cuteness!

T starts T-ball

Taidan started his first season of t-ball this year. We worked really hard to get him and his cousins Weston, and Luke on the same team.  Brian and Jake got to be impromptu coaches often and the boys all had alot of fun together and with their dads!

These are The Mets!

 Taidan working out his mean swinging skills during practice

(that footwork would be awesome if this were golf)

Hitting into the pack of the other teams players, at this age the kids flock like birds to the ball. We even saw a kid hit the ball while at bat and then run after where he hit it to with the other team ;)

Running the bases after a homer! Dad was so excited he ran them with him!

(He was coaching that game)

The Mets won tickets for each player and a parent to go to a Rockies game!!!

Grandpa Ric was in town and got to go with Weston, and Ben was there with Lukie!

It was Taidan's first professional game...and he loved it!

I got to make the cupcakes for T's end of season party!

I had a lot of fun figuring out how to make it look like the balls were facing all different directions.

and during the awards ceremony, Taidan broke a new record....

Fastest kid in history to break his trophy!!!

That's my boy ♥

I DID IT!!!

This year I ran the Boulder Boulder!!! 

It's a 10k....far longer than I ever thought I would willingly run (especially in HS when running the mile seemed like far). I ran with a great group of women, (left to right in left hand picture above), Amber Walker, Sarah Morgan, Brenda Martin, ME, Stephanie Waltz,  & Heather Smith! It was amazing. I almost actually cried when I heard my time was well within my goal...11 minutes actually! I could have run another mile! My time was 1hr 19 minutes. I averaged 6, 12 minute miles.  I know people have done better, but I was so proud of myself.  I was impressed that my body could do that after 4 babies!!

Brian was so impressed, he said he would run it with me next time!!!

Can't wait!

(and just in case I forget....I could barely walk a few hours after running, lol. It was torture, and I loved every second)

Mother's Day Program with Ashlynn

FCC Preschool does an annual Mother's Day Program, it's SO sweet!

And I of course lost all my photo's...

including the one of the beautiful pictures Ashlynn made me with the reasons listed out of why 

Ashlynn loves me and the BEAUTIFUL potted plant, 

that she not only planted herself 

but also she painted the pot 

.....I WILL FIND THESE PICTURES!!!

and post them too.

 my good friend, Lori, took these.

I love this snuggly picture of Ashlynn because she does it SO rarely. 

And I love, love, love, that she has crumbs all over her sweet snuggly face.

This picture is of Ashlynn and her closest preschool friend, Evan.

They were so cute together!

This was a really fun year for Ashlynn, she loved her class and loved her teachers.

Mommy started a carpool group with Ethan and Zack's Moms,

which gave the kids that much more chance to get close.

 Just a couple weeks later we had the end of school year  

pool party

at Aunt Karen (one of the teacher's) house.

One of the Mom's got this great picture of all the girl's from the class with Aunt Karen.

Mommy was able to do the end of the school year cake....

I chose a beach theme!