Glenwood Springs without the SPRING?

 A couple weekends ago, Grandpa came to visit.  This is always an highlight for everyone in the house:)  We picked Grandpa up at the airport and began our journey to the Springs.  Poor Dad had to drive in nasty conditions, but we made it.

 Our first fun was on the "TRAM".  Pretty sure, Aylen is obsessed with "TRAMS" now.  "TRAM", "TRAM", "TRAM"! 

 Here I am with Dad-Ms. I can bungy jump on my own-but I need my Daddy for the Alpine Slide.

 TRAM!!!!!

 The Grandparents:)

We had such an awesome time!  We will definitely be going back to go to the Hot Springs.  It was just a little too cold with little ones to go!!  THE VIEW here is absolutely insane:)

Made me super excited for all the fun random trips to various places now that we are in Colorado:)

LOVE,
Momma!

Evolution of the Rear view Mirror

Oh rear view mirror...you've been so many things to me. At first you were something I looked into to check my hair, my makeup or the cute guy behind me. Several crashes backing up , mind you, I still didn't get your importance.

Then came the realization that the rear view mirror was for critiquing how close the guy or lady was following from behind. Boy that irritated me.

Then Russ came along and after I kinda messed up his Prius he realized I didn't understand the point of the rear view mirror. Well that and my side mirrors. Whatever. I guess it's more my side mirrors...ha whatever it's been a long week!

And then recently I decided the rear view Mirror was to watch Aylen John. It was to see him jamming out with his hands, or nodding yes to my questions about school or telling me thumbs down to my music choice or just stare at him looking like the most amazing Lil dude ever ! Duh. Why did I ever question that this was The real purpose of the rear view mirror!

1269 Miles From Home...

1269 Miles away from home, in California on a business trip. By "home", I mean my family. 2 sweet little boys and 1 lovely beautiful wife. If they were here with me, then this would be home. As it is they are not with me, and this is not home. Sometimes, it is good to get some time away from home. This helps to provide perspective. It always makes me appreciate my family a little more each time. Yet it only takes a day or two to get perspective. Any longer and it turns quickly into a deep longing feeling, a yearning to be with them. This is greatly amplified when I know that Meg is having hard times as a Mom, not getting sleep, being run ragged by the boys, even with the help that she has.... I feel so very guilty for being so far away.

It's time for me to go home.

What keeps me Going...

just the other night I experienced the best thing ever.  RYKER was cracking up at Aylen and I.  Della happened to catch it on video although it is a bit hard to tell what is going on.  But Della is on the couch, holding Ryker, and Aylen and I are hunched down below the couch.  When we pop up-RYKER laughs so hard he gets the hiccups.

These guy are so amazing and precious, and I'll take all the sleepless nights for moments like this that make me so proud to be there Momma.

(I hope this video works!-if not-I'll figure it out:)
Love you Ryker and Aylen....

Momma

Toilet Diaries

So we have ZERO idea what we are doing with potty training.  All I know is I'm trying to follow Aylen's lead, lead by example, and help make connections.  At this point Aylen has pooed  and peed once in the Potty!  And when I say potty I mean the big Potty.  For some reason I'm grossed out at the little mini potties and would much prefer not to have to clean something else up.  Just my preference. 

Aylen totally gets that potty and poo go in the toilet.  

Yesterday Aylen laid down in front of me so I could get him ready for school.  I changed his diaper and got his clothes on.  I've learned that Aylen loves HAVING a purpose.  So I asked him to take his diaper and put it in the trash.  He ran off, and I focused my efforts on Ryker.  Aylen came running back into the bedroom and grabbed his snack and hollered POTTY.  And it donned on me, I was hearing the toilet flush.  So I RAN into our bathroom and sure enough....the toilet was in the process of flushing when I opened the toilet lid up to find Aylen's diaper in the toilet.  He ran over...POTTY.  Because we all know that we PEE in the potty and then FLUSH it down.

OMG.  Made me laugh and laugh and laugh:)  I get it Aylen, I really do.

Love,

Momma

Just one more story!!!

Aylen John is in this amazing stage of DOING awesome things on a daily basis.  We are seriously so impressed by this little guy!  This picture was how we spent a WHOLE morning/afternoon.  He poured water into the pitcher, watered plants, and REPEAT.  and REPEAT.  and REPEAT!!

The other day Russ and I left for work and Aylen stayed home with Grandma and his aunties.  He was sleeping in our bed and we had left the monitor on so the Grandma/aunties could hear him (and almost always when Aylen awakes he starts crying when he can't find anyone around).  My Aunt Lisa thought she heard some movement...so Grandma ran up the stairs and Aylen was laying on our bed, eating cereal he found by the bed, and watching cartoons.  HA!  Big man on campus!  He's got cartoons and food-he's GOOD!~!

Last night we decided to have Aylen stay up a little later to watch a movie with us.  At 930pm which is close to 1 hour after his bedtime, he looked and Russ and I and said..."Night night mommy daddy...(something in kid language)".  I took him upstairs and right away he conked out!  I love when he can tell me what he needs!

I was hungry and nursing Ryker on the couch.  I told Aylen, "Go tell Daddy that Mommy is hungry!"  So Aylen ran over to Russ in the kitchen and made the hungry sign.  Russ said, "Oh you're hungry Aylen?"  And he said, "No!" and pointed at me!  He then got some food for me and came RUNNING so fast over to me!  Helpful!

And the words he is saying right now are so darn fun!  Let's see what the list is right now....  noodles, water, juice, snack, kitty, dog, train, BUS, van, brother, book, jump, iPad, phone...oh there is a ton more.  But those are some of them!

Awesome creature learning at a ridiculous rate right now:)

Love, Momma

29.

Poor 29. He's been sick with some sort of stomach bug the past week.  He has just been spitting up/throwing up 1-3 a day.  And it's amazing how well he has acted despite these unfortunate events.

So some fun facts about the youngest, aka 29.  HE is just so darn sweet.  He has the biggest smiles that I have ever seen!  It's hard to calm the guy down, usually that requires a momma.  He isn't like Aylen who could listen to music and be instantly calmed.  Nope not this dude. 

Russ has struggled to find something to calm him down, and recently he found it.  He has to sit in an un-comfy chair (like the leather office chairs).  And then hold 29 in a frog like position in his arms.  AND BOOM.  Ryker is out.  It's good for a Daddy to have some go-to thing! 

Despite this sickness causing Ryker to not eat as much...the guy still have some chunk on him.  AND man oh man is he going to need it with his older brother.  Aylen has just been a bit ruthless with the little 29.  Yesterday Aylen completed the following scenarios:  kiss 29-then slap him, kiss 29 on the head and then BITE his head, kiss 29-then take the toy mirror and hit him, touch his eye-then STICK his finger in his eye.  Russ and I agree we can't wait for the day that 29 says, ENOUGH!  Oh man, those are gonna be the days...

I spoke with a teacher this past week who said that his mom gave him and his brother $1 daily from the age of 10-14 if they didn't hit each other that day.  Good to know, I said.  Hah.  Life is gonna be interesting.  As if it isn't interesting enough.....:)

Love,

Momma

Hotel de Fruvellhoffs!

 

This is a super risky post.  Because I KNOW I'm missing someone that has come to visit.  I just know it.  BUT I apologize in advance.  I just went through my pictures since we have been here in Colorado.  But bottom line.  We are lucky.

We have awesome family and friends.  We are truly loved.  We had some friends who came out here and when they found out family were coming the next week they IMMEDIATELY apologized!  We were confused.  Why were they saying sorry?  They explained how they would go nuts if they had people stay back-to-back.  We laughed.  That's the story of our life!  AND we LOVE it.  We get to share and show off our kids, our house, our life.  We like to show off that if you fight hard enough, believe, dream vivid dreams, tell each other what we need, recognize our dreams, and love that life can be pretty awesome.  

Why wouldn't we want to share that with others?

LOVE,

US.  

Eggs! Eggs! Eggs!

Aylen went on an Easter Egg hunt this morning and it twas amazing!  He totally got the point!  So So So cute.  Here are some pictures!

Love,
Momma!