L is for leopard

Nolan has an amazing preschool teacher. I really look forward to see what is in his backpack every time he comes home because it isn't just a picture that he colored it is some elaborate craft or project. He just eats up the stories she tells and the things she does. One day we were coloring with markers and he took the lid off his marker and kept trying to make a sound with his lips and said "Miss Jana pops her lips when she takes the lid off her marker." A few days before Halloween they made goop and Nolan came home and told me we needed to go to the Witch's store to buy skeleton snot (elmers glue), ghost sweat (borax), witches blood (red food coloring), frog guts (green food coloring) and grinded up bat wings (glitter) so we could make some at home. We have a calender of what is scheduled for each day but Nolan never wants me to tell him, he wants it to be a surprise. Miss Jana has some amazing face painting skills, I would have loved to see a classroom full of leopards yesterday. Thank you Miss Jana and Miss Joan, you are the best!

Still smiling

Gwen has found her voice. She sounds like a little girl with lots of squeals, screams, and she even cries now. But she is still very happy and has plenty of smiles. She still amazes me that she doesn't get upset when I get her out of the bath or put her in her car seat. My day is made when I hear her laugh and get some of those sweet smiles.


For the months leading up to Halloween Nolan wanted to be a vampire ghost. I was very worried how I was going to pull that off. Then he changed to just a vampire, then Dracula, then a bat, then randomly one day superman and he stuck with it. Walgreens had a few Superman costumes but in a smaller size. I was running out of time so Superman's belt was a little high this year.

How has it been six weeks already?

Gwen wore the dress my mom made for me and that I wore over 30 years ago
What ever it takes to entertain him so I can shower I am game. My kitchen did smell like shaving cream for the rest of the day.
Gwen really wasn't in the mood for pictures but her brother sure loves her.
She really loves her dad and always has smiles for him.
Hanging out with cousin Loralei, Gwen is almost a month older.
All ready to go.

so sweet

Gwen was smiling while I was taking her pictures but my timing was always a few seconds off for the real cute faces. But she is so sweet and such a good baby.

Family fun

It has been great to have my entire family around these last few days. I haven't had much energy or stamina but they have been wonderful to help out with Nolan and he has really enjoyed the time he has spent with his grandparents and cousins. There has even been minimal cousin conflicts that he has instigated which is a miracle!

On Lauren's birthday we met at the park to celebrate but Nolan had been having so much fun he barely made it through lunch.
I remember going to the hospital and waiting for this girl to finally make an appearance. I can't believe it has been ten years!

Oakley spent many minutes examining Nolan trying to figure out what was going on. I don't think she has ever seen her cousin hold still.

We met at another park last night for some more family fun. Nolan worked on his leaping skills for a while.

Waiting, waiting, waiting...

I must need to learn patience. I don't know if I am more excited or nervous to meet the little one I have been waiting for. Have I had to wait because I needed to want and appreciate her more or because she needed some extra convincing to join our family? Even after waiting years for her these extra days seem so long. I wanted to have the "magic" of going into labor on my own but with family in town for only a few more days the impatient side of me jumped on my doctor's idea of inducing labor tomorrow. I hope my body is ready for the journey and miracle that awaits. Thank you Rick for being willing to share your birthday with your newest (for less than a month) granddaughter. Let the new adventures begin!

Spring catch-up

Now that it is officially summer, here are some of our spring pictures that accumulated on my memory card and weren't downloaded until recently. Dan and I had a good laugh over this beauty. This was taken on one of our visits to the zoo this spring.





I got older
Nolan went swimming with a few of his girl cousins
We went on a nature walk
Nolan loved playing in the creek
While waiting for Old Faithful we watched a dark storm roll in. The wind hit right as Old Faithful went off and we were sprayed with some wonderful smelling water. Then the hail hit and everyone ran for cover.


Since the weather was not ideal for camping we set up the tent in the basement and a few of Nolan's animal friends joined us
Nolan playing in the river outside our front door

Nolan's new obsession

Yesterday Nolan told Dan he wanted to ride his bike without training wheels. So Dan took them off and very patiently worked with him running up and down the sidewalk for a few hours. Nolan did not want to stop.

First thing out of his mouth this morning was he was ready to go ride his bike without training wheels again. I told him he needed to wait until it warmed up a little. So after distracting him with some Mario Kart, painting, and Rescue Heroes I could hold him off no longer and we headed outside.

I held his bike so he could get started and he was off. On his first run he made it past two houses. He was a little wobbly on the way back to the house but it didn't take him long to get the hang of it. By tonight he could start all by himself and was zipping up and down the sidewalk and in and out of driveways. He was off to dreamland tonight seconds after his sweet little head hit the pillow.

St. George

The last and final segment of our trip was in St. George for a few days. I never thought Nolan would find a playground as fun as Project Playground in Carlsbad but St. George had a pretty close runner up.

Phoenix

Nolan really enjoyed seeing himself on TV. I should set the camera up at home, it could provide hours of entertainment.

Dan and Nolan went panning for gold at the Mesa Youth Museum. Sunshine and 85 degree weather really does a body good after a long cold winter. I might have to do this every year.

So in Carlsbad Nolan spent everyday at a playground. In Phoenix he spend everyday in the pool. Jake is a fish but Nolan eventually got around a little more with the water wings on.

Carlsbad, New Mexico

I think Nolan may have spent too much time hanging out with his Grandma Telford at Bell Photographers. He was sitting on some rocks at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens and I asked him to look at me so I could take his picture and this is what I got.

My mom's neighbor told us about Project Playground along the river and Nolan was in heaven. It was huge and had everything from a tire swing in a bat cave to a big castle filled with mazes and huge slides. Nolan dragged my mom and I around the playground for hours, 3 days in a row. I think in my 30 years I had never seen my mom go down a slide until last month. Nolan gave her a good workout. He even got grandpa to go down the big tube slide too.
Nolan spent every evening playing dominoes or Lincoln Logs with Grandpa.

Nolan made sure he had his head lamp when we went into the caverns. He did a really good job making sure he didn't touch any of the rocks since it was a $250 fine but he was more worried about getting kicked out. Now he wants to go back this summer when the bats are there.

Idaho Winters

I dread Idaho winters. They are long, cold, and can get very ugly. But I have found a way to make them a little more enjoyable. Kim and Susan Kohler took Dan and I on some trails above Kelly's Canyon. It was so peaceful and beautiful. So years from now, when I have the opportunity again, I will know what to do to make winters a little more bearable.
This was the warming hut where we took a lunch break.

Birthday number 4

Since I was dragging Nolan through airports on his birthday we got together with Dan's family a few days early to have some cake. The hit present was the head-lamp that Grandma Telford gave him. Nolan was even nice enough to let PJ have a turn.