Memorial Weekend

We took a quick trip up to Estes Park for the Holiday Weekend. It is about an hour and a half from us, making it not too far, but far enough that it feels like we're getting away. We love this small town. The weather was a little chilly so we stayed in Estes Park and didn't venture into Rocky Mountain National Park this time. RMNP is only 5-10 minutes from Estes, very convenient, but much more snowy. One of my favorite things about Estes is the taffy and "old school" candy shops. Walking along main street, it feels like every other shop has something sweet to offer. We are slowly checking candy shops off of our list.

There was a lake not too far from where we were staying. We decided to stroll around the lake and skip a few rocks. It was a chilly, but gorgeous morning.

 

Luke, the explorer.

 

He was too interested in the water to look at the camera, or maybe he was just sick of us trying to get his attention. I'm betting on the latter.

Grandparents: Any time is a good time.

Last week, my dad surprised my mom (and me!) and booked some last minute tickets to come out to see us! We felt very lucky to have them here for a few days. I managed to put them right to work! We did some hunting at the local stores and nurseries for tomato and basil plants, perennials, and a few annuals. We planted them in the backyard in our little garden space. I'm crossing my fingers that I can keep them alive for at least a week...we'll see.
Next project, I used the fabric that I scored at a yard sale a few weeks ago ($1.50 for almost 8 yards) to make some curtains and pillows. My mom kept Luke busy so I could be more efficient without my"helper" assisting me.  She also made sure that my square pillows didn't transform into triangles and that the curtains looked like actual curtains. I will post pictures of the above projects at some point. (Maybe...only if my plants survive)  :)

After we finished up our projects, we decided to get out and enjoy the nice weather. We went on a little hike at Roxborough State Park. We managed to wait until the hottest time of the day, good planning on my part. My parents were good sports.  It is a very pretty place, especially this time of year. I love the green trees and bushes against the contrasting red rock.

 

 

Like I said, it was a little hot... :)

Thanks so much for coming!

We love you.

Stair-Master

It was one of those moments when Bryan thought I was watching Luke and vice versa. When Bryan discovered the little man, Luke was quite proud of himself. We were terrified. The gates are going up.

Bargain Season

Ah, it is that time of year when the birds are singing, flowers are blossoming and YARD sales are happening on every street corner! It might be the most wonderful time of the year. I do love a good yard sale. My friend, Kelly, invited me to go with her on Saturday morning. We did not leave empty handed, lots of other peoples' "treasures" now belong to us.

 

We might need to take a trailer next time for all of our loot.

 

Bryan is quite determined that our little family will be going camping this summer. I decided to embrace this adventure and purchased a camping chair for Luke while we were out and about. He lasted almost a minute in it.

 

This is definitely his favorite spot in the house. ANY time he hears the spring on the dishwasher he stops what he is doing, crawls incredibly fast to this magnificent toy and plops right down. I make sure to put all of the sharp knives within arms reach. :)

A Different Bug

Well, the domestic bug I had was overpowered by a nasty stomach bug that came to stay for a day or so. Yuck! Luckily, Luke nor Bryan have caught this bug, fingers crossed. However, since I was a little slower at getting around to things, Luke managed to step up to the plate and take care of himself, more or less.




Learned a few new ways to entertain himself: 

 

This is called "Luke the Turtle." Creative name, we know.

Next, he learned a new "illusion" - a.k.a. magic trick.

 

****Drum roll****

 

Poof!! That's right. The WHOLE golf ball.  







Scrounged up whatever he could find to fill his belly.

Jackpot!

Bryan took pity on Luke for the lack of attention he received and made it up to him with his first chocolate chip cookie.

 

 
Nothing like a little comfort food to ease any pain. :)

 

 Luke did get pretty bored around here. He dressed up all fancy to see if Bryan would take him into the office so he could learn the ropes there-having exhausted his resources at home. He really thinks that "sales" is in his blood, he might just have the "Nielson Boy Charm." Could you say no to this face? 

Snow Day!

Yesterday, MAY 12th, it snowed here in Castle Rock! Not just a little skiff on the ground, a full on snowstorm. I loved it! We haven't had much of a winter here and it was kind of fun; I also knew that it would melt and be gone today!
 
Charlie, Luke's friend, invited him over to play in the snow. The boys had a great time, but I think their moms enjoyed it a little bit more. Here are a few pictures from their adventure in the snow!

 

Luke making himself comfortable.

 

Luke relaxing on Charlie...poor Charlie was using all of his stomach muscles to support him AND Luke. Luke's looking at his buddy and wondering what the problem is... 

 

As you can see, Luke is already kicked back and loving the idea of sledding. As for poor Charlie, I think he is beginning to wonder who invited this kid over!

 

The initial excitement of the sled moving across the snow...didn't last long

 

 Uh-Oh! They only made it a few feet, maybe inches, before they toppled over. Valiant effort.

 

What? No tears??  

(P.S. I love the look Charlie is giving me in this picture..."What's wrong with you lady? Help us out!"

 

Okay, yep, there are the tears.

 

We rescued the poor boys from their mothers' idea of a good time and took them around individually on the sled. The boys liked this much better. However, I am still laughing about the previous pictures.

 

Luke bundled up for his turn on the sled. He thought it best to lay down this time...might have a longer chance of staying on the sled.

 

Success! He loved it! 

For the grandmas out there, I'm sorry that I don't have snow boots on your grand kid, but he is wearing 2 pairs of socks. :)

 

We had a great time in the snow. Thanks for inviting us over!!

Domestic Bug

As of late, I have caught the domestic bug, not sure where it came from-I'll see how long it sticks around! I made a few baby items that were quick and simple.

My sister-in-law, Jess, shared a bib pattern with me that I just loved to make the following.






Last time I visited Utah my mom showed me some burp cloths that were made of terrycloth and "minky". They were amazingly soft. We visited a few craft stores for the fabric I wanted and this is how they turned out.

If only I could transfer via picture their cuddly, cozy texture. I might just use one on top of my pillow tonight.