Lots of Updates!

Wow! We've been busy. July started with my friend Alisha, and her family, coming to visit! It was soooo good to see them. Her adorable twins, Nathan and Alexa, and her new baby, Maxwell, are so sweet and wonderful. We miss them, and wish the visit was longer. We'll take what we can get! Avery enjoyed asking her husband, Sam, a million questions as she followed him around the house. Alisha brought Avery a slip n' slide for her birthday, so we tested it out that afternoon! Even the neighbors came to play in the water!

Nathan, Alexa, and Avery eating together!

Avery and Alexa! Too cute!

Nathan...all alone. Cute boy!

 After their family left, my family came in town for my brothers wedding. We used this occasion as a family reunion, and kept extremely busy. We went to Santas Workshop (a kids amusement park close by) twice, and visited the zoo.

Jared brought his bounce house...we blew it up in my yard!

Avery and cousin Ava!

Aric was a maniac on this thing!

Jared, Alexis, Grandma, and Aric at Santa's Workshop

Jared and Ava!

My baby niece, Alexis

Just a tad too short for the rides...maybe more than a tad!

Aric LOVED to ride with me. He's such an adventurous little man!

Tara, Jared, and family

All of the girls loved playing together.

After a week in Woodland Park, we headed to Winter Park for the wedding where we stayed in a beautiful cabin! Avery loved playing with her cousins Ava, Alexis, Emily, Sabrina, and Madison. She also loved playing with her Aunts and Uncles. The weather was beautiful for the wedding, and besides horseback riding, swimming, and boating, we just enjoyed the beautiful setting and ceremonies for the wedding. We are so blessed to have Hilary as a part of our family. She is such an incredible, positive woman...how lucky are we?!

Beautiful Hilary!

The wedding site. It was incredible!

View from reception

We all went on a boat ride in Grand Lake!

We also went horse back riding at the Y camp!

The girls had some crazy helmet hair after the ride!

Sweet baby Alexis. I couldn't get enough of her!

Hugs for cousin Ava!

Avery was so brave to do the trampoline and Alpine slide!

She even flipped a few times!

Me!

I headed out early from Winter Park to fly to Ohio for a visit with my friend Molly and her baby, Valerie. We were also able to attend our ten year reunion, which was fun, but overrated. Molly and I just enjoyed a weekend together playing with each other's babies, swimming, visiting a water park with David, Nikki, Taylor and Zach, and hanging out at Cosi's baby exhibit. It really was a great trip. Above all, I enjoyed having some one on one time with my little man. He loved having Mommy all to himself. He was SUCH a happy little guy and a great traveler until the last day when he started teething again. The plane ride from Ohio to Chicago was less than wonderful, but fortunately he slept from Chicago to Denver. Overall is was great seeing friends and family.


Updates on the family...
Justin...is loving his work. It looks pretty good that he will be staying with his company, and is thrilled to be involved in this great company. We missed him while we were in Ohio!

Tiffany...is headed back to work August 23rd. Only for a few months though! I'm totally excited about getting back in the classroom, but it's hitting me that I'm leaving my babies (even for such a short period). I have a feeling we are going to be having some rough mornings, but we will have to see how it all works out.

Avery...I swear is growing more beautiful every day. Her skin is tan, her eyes are turning even more green, and her hair is so blond from the sun. When I told her today that she is so beautiful she said, "I didn't do anything. I was just born this way." She was so cute when brother and I came off the airplane. She continues to say the funniest things. One conversation that sticks out the most was when my brother, Jared, was helping Avery and his daughter Ava (2 1/2) pick out flowers in a field next to our cabin. He said that Avery looked at Ava and said, "Hey Ava, come sit on this rock and we can talk without our Mommies." I'm in trouble...
She really is the sweetest little girl though. She has such a good heart. There's no doubt that she can have her whining time, but she truly is SUCH a good toddler.

Aric...has white hair! Holy cow that boy turned out with light features. He's had great skin so far... no burning, but his blue eyes and white blond hair look like they're here to stay. I know his hair will darken this winter, but Avery's hair was never that light! I think he got his Mugga's genes, with her blond hair and blue eyes.

I have fallen so in love with Aric. I always loved him, but I just grow closer and closer to him each day. This trip was so wonderful for the two of us. Before the trip, he was SUCH a daddy and Grandma's boy...now I may have turned him a little. I think he is also turning out to look a lot more like Justin than we thought...I can totally see some of Justin's features in his face. Aric is so mobile its ridiculous...and hard. He's a really easy baby compared to sister, but this stage is really hard. I thought Avery kept getting easier because she was so hard initially...I think Aric keeps getting harder because he was so easy. I have to watch him every second, and I can't wait until he can actually be more independent. He's such a boy...he shrugs me off if I try and touch him. He wants to do everything by himself. He jabbers mama and dada, but I don't feel like he actually calls our names, or puts it together yet. Sister definitely had a leg up on the verbal skills, though his motor skills developed so much earlier. Most of all I love Aric's laugh. It's enough to make me melt. And though I hate that he won't snuggle with me (he's such a boy), I love his passion and energy for life. He loves to be wild! He also puts his head back and makes this funny gasping sound that I can't put into words...he's a little comedian.