Vail, Colorado

Vail Colorado.  Ahhhhhh...... brings back such good memories.  =)  Not only is it our most favorite place to ski, it's where we got engaged 9 1/2 years ago!  So it was almost a no-brainer when we were talking about where we should go for our anniversary/Labor Day Weekend get-away.  We are SO glad we chose to go back there for 3 days.  We had the most amazing and relaxing time, ever! 

Our second day there, we stumbled upon this adorable little pirate ship park on our way to ride the gondola.  Noah had THE BEST time (since he IS a pirate, you know).  We don't think he stopped smiling the whole time he was playing!

Next to the park was a little river that we had to play in.  (Jen had to add this picture for her Gran - it would make her proud!)  =)

 

 

Next was our gondola ride!  1 of 2 gondolas that we rode that day.  Noah absolutely loved this experience.  =) 

 

 

 

Top of the mountain.  Family picture.  =) 

 

 

Adorable Father/Son picture.

 

There was a HUGE Farmer's Market going on that weekend in downtown Vail.  We've never seen one so big before. This picture was only a small portion of it.  We sure had fun milling around and browsing.  =)

 

 Fun little fountain for kids.  Water would randomly shoot up out of the ground.....

 

..... so we told Noah, "hey, go over there, look down that hole and watch for it to come up!" 

 

LOL!!  We're so mean!!!  He was a good sport though - and then proceeded to do it over and over and over again.  Thought it was BIG fun to get sprayed in the face.  ;) 

 

 

Lunch on the patio.  It was the most gorgeous day.  No wind!

 

 

Loving his Vail experience.  =) 

 

 

"I don't want to ride!" 

 

 

Neat sculpture in the middle of town.

 

Playing in yet another fountain.  =)

 

 

 Ice cream for dinner!!!!  (Yeah, really it was.  We needed an afternoon snack and by the time supper rolled around, we weren't that hungry.....)

 

 

 Can't get enough of playing in the river.  =)

 

 

Went back later and played in that same fountain.

 

"Look, guys, I'm all wet!!!"  =)

 

 SO stinkin' CUTE!!!!

 

And what trip would be complete without someone needing to stop on the side of the road and go pee....  =)

 

 

And that's our trip in a nutshell.  Can't wait to go back again someday!!!!

The Colorado State Fair - 2013

We gathered up the fam yesterday and headed down to the State Fair.  Boy was it EVER hot!!!!  (but a lot of fun, too!)  =)

 

For the Love of Instagram

Can't seem to get enough of Instagram these days..... love love love love LOVE it!!!!  Seem to use it and be editing pictures ALL the time!!!!  Here are the top (hard to pick!) 10 fav's: 

 

 

  

 

  

Red Rocks and a Tiny Town

So there's the neatest venue in Colorado called the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  We have never been to an event there before, so months ago, when we found out that Brian Regan was going to be there, we quickly bought tickets for last night's show!  We had such fun under the stars and hope that someone else we love performs there in the future as well so we can go back!!!  =)

(The best pictures we could get..... the iPhone seemed to be having issues.....)

This morning, we found ourselves back up around the same area in Colorado at a neat little place called Tiny Town. (Well.... WE thought it was kinda cheesy, but Noah had a blast!)  ;)

 

Side Note:  We are now on week three of  having Noah do "chores."  Here's a picture of the first week. We'd say it went quite well!  =)

 

N-O-A-H

Little man LOVES to spell his name.  Find his name.  Write his name.  SEE his name.  Say his name.  Count the letters in his name.  Etc.  So lately, here's what's been going on with THAT:

So he has this sheet of letter stickers, (to which we ask over and over, "where do stickers go, Noah?" he responds, "on people and on paper!" - apparently this particular day was an oversight) and one night as we were getting him ready for bed, we happened to glance over and see his name on his closet.  We really couldn't help but laugh and shower him with praise.  =)

 

One day, as Jen was cleaning up the kitchen, he yells, "look, Mom! I spelled my name!  Look, it's N-O-A-H!"  (Geez.... he even lined them up all nice and straight, too!)

 

In an attempt to add a little variety to our food choices, we sometimes get the whole grain Chef Boyardee Spaghetti-o's with meatballs and have them for lunch.  Well.... guess who picked and picked and picked at his food until he found his name?

 

So Williams Sonoma came up with this nifty little invention called the "pancake pen."  New to the market?  Probably not. New to us?  Yes.  It's been fun making (and eating!) non-boring pancakes..... especially when they spell "N-O-A-H!"

 

Window markers still thrill his soul.  "Help me write my name, please!?"

 

This one will throw you....... "Look Mom, there's my name!!!!"  (what?!)  "Yeah, look, N-O-A-H!"  (heh, he found the letters and spelled out his name - lol)

 

Same as above.... "I found my name! Look!  N-O-A-H!"  (sometimes it takes a second to figure out what the heck...)  ;)

 So glad he loves his name.  We just so happen to be quite fond of it, too.  ;)