Garret's favorite photos.

So I know that those of you who see these pictures will wonder why I have posted them.  The answer is simple, I took these pictures with Garret and Grace and the three of us laughed harder about these pictures than we have in a long time.  Gracie really wasn't wanting to be in the pictures but trust me when I tell you she is right there with little man and I.  Annie had no desire to be in pictures tonight so that is why you dont see her.

So here is an update.....  Annie is sick, high temp and strept throat sick.  I feel bad that she has been sick this week but it is better this week than next week.  Gracie is her usual happy self.  She has learned a new trick at Nana's house.  Grace can officially climb in and out of cribs at her will.  SCARRY!  Garret is doing very well.  He is still having difficulty with his nose and breathing and he surgery is set for Jan. 16th.  I am doing ok too.  Work is stressful yet rewarding (most days).

Enjoy the pictures!

Sunday December 14, 2008

So it is cold in Colorado today.  8 degrees at my house right now and snowing.  The snow isn't heavy and it's not accumulating at all.  I actually think it is too cold for a good snow storm today.  The dogs don't even want to go outside!  I hope all is well with everyone and for those traveling for Christmas, please be safe.  I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year.  Gretchen is coming into town as well as Annie's cousin and his son.  Most of all I can't wait to watch the kids.  Garret is so excited he can hardly stand it.  He keeps asking if Christmas is tomorrow and doesn't understand why he cant get presents today.  Little Gracie will absolutely love opening presents and will be fun to watch.  Annie and I are even going to my Christmas party up in Denver next saturday and although I don't like the thought about being away from the kids, it will be nice to have a night with just my wife!

So just an update on Garret's surgery....  His Dr. canceled the appointment for today as she had a family emergency.  We have not been given a new date that works, i'll keep everyone updated. 

Christmas parade

Parades!  Good time for kids, fun for adults.  Last night was the Colorado Springs Parade of Lights.  I hadn't been to this parade since I was a kid myself and watching the parade brought back memories.  I can only hope that Garret and Grace will also remember times like this when they are older.

It wasn't too cold at the parade but Gracie kept taking off her gloves and hat.  She loved the parade and screamed and clapped for the floats.

These are pictures of Garret and Grace in the car on the way to the parade.  Garret "stole" my hat and wanted to wear it in the car.  The look of pride on his face while wearing my hat made me smile and realize how lucky I am to share times like this with my family.

Attitude doesn't begin to describe this little girl.  She has me wrapped around her little finger and I am trying to break free from this, however, I can't.  I admit I give in to her more than I should, but she is just so cute!  My little baby doll!

Garret is having "surgery" this friday to have his adenoids removed.  We are hoping that this procedure will help him sleep better and not have nose issues anymore! 

Little man turns 4!!!!

December third 2004 was the most single influential day of my life!  It was the day I became a father, the day I held an infant in my hands knowing that he was a gift to Annie and I and we were responsible for him.  My life is more full because of my children and I love them both dearly.  Garret turned 4 this past week and it was a struggle for me.  I stayed home with the kids for three days while Annie worked.  MAY GOD BLESS ALL STAY AT HOME PARENTS AND THOSE WHO WATCH CHILDREN DAILY.  My lovely children drove me up a wall, especially Garret.  

So bright and early on Garret's birthday he woke up and wanted to open his gifts.  Prior to his birthday Garret said, "Daddy, I don't want any underwear for my birthday."  So you can imagine what I bought him, and I made him open up the underwear first!  Then I made him pose for this picture before he could open toy's!  Maybe I was asking for trouble after doing this to him, but I laughed!

It has been said that you can see the soul of a person through their eyes.  In this picture of Garret's eye I see the soul of a kid full of life and love.  I am proud of my son and the type of person he is growing up to be.  Love ya Garret!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was great this year.  No food fights, not too much yelling or screaming and good times with family!  The kids are growing way to quickly for my taste but I cant wait till they are older.  Ah, the days of no more diapers and no more potty training.  These are the things my dreams are made of!

Garret loves school and is a complete ham during plays.  At the halloween play he laid down.  At the Thanksgiving play he sang louder than anyone else and was his normal ACTIVE self.

COR TURNS 2!!!!!!

LOL

We love our cousin/nephew Cor!  He is now two years old and full of life.  This little man is growing fast and it is great to watch him play with Garret and Grace!

Bekah and Dave, remember when you painted Garret's finger nails?  Remember how much I didn't like it?  Remember your trip to Mexico recently and how I watched Cor for a little bit of time?

So Sorry Cor for posting this picture, but you didn't really care much about anything other than McQueen!

Today is veterans day so Annie and I took Garret, Grace and Cor to a local kid friendly play place.  It was great to see how Garret took care of both the younger kids and was always watching out for them.  They had a miniature jail at this place and I want this to be the only time I see my son behind bars!  

Holiday's n kids!

Little Gracie loved the slide, the horses and the sand pit.  This picture is of her in the bounce house which she did not like!

We have Cor today since Bekah and Dave are still on vacation and Nana needed a much needed and deserved break.  I have to admit that I was a little worried how we could handle all three kids at the same time but it turned out to be rather easy.  Cor loved this little slide.  At first he wasn't sure about it but by the time we left he was sliding down in all sorts of fun ways!

The horses!  All three kids loved the horses.....  as well as all of the other little kids there.  The first time Cor was on the merry go round he had a death grip on the pole and had a look on his face that said, "get me off of this crazy moving thing."  The second time he had much more fun and even gave me high fives as he went past.  

My little girl loved the horses the SECOND time too.  Just like Cor she was white knuckling the pole the first time through.  She also gave high fives the second time around!  The face she is making is because she was worn out completely!  

I know this pic is a little blurry but I had to put a picture of Garret on the horses too or he would have been mad at me!  He is a ham just like daddy and he likes to have fun.  
So I thought I would add the slices of pizza count for each kid:  Cor ate 3, Grace ate 2 and Garret ate about 2/3rds of a slice.  

Halloween Fun!!!!!!!

Never before have I ever had so much fun on Halloween!  It was always fun to go trick or treating as a kid and get lots of candy, however, it is more fun to take little kids trick or treating and eat their candy.  This year Grace was a Pirate Princess while Garret was a Knight!  Cor and his parents went with us while we trick or treated near Nana's house.  Garret was fun and excited.  He loved saying trick or treat and was always polite.  He didn't necessarily want to carry his candy basket the entire time and towards the end wanted to be in the stroller.  Grace on the other hand never wanted to be carried, never wanted to be in the stroller and had to carry her candy basket the entire time.  All three kids did well and it was a memory I'll never forget!  This picture is of Garret and Grace on Nana and Papa's porch.

Garret has been in preschool at a local church and the day before Halloween they had a school sing along.  Cor came and watched and this is him in his pumpkin outfit.

Although Garret was a Knight for Halloween he wanted to be Pablo (from Backyardigans) for his show.  This kid is a ham!  I'm not sure who he takes after but he is funny.  Although he was supposed to be sitting quietly he stood up and looked for us and once he found us he would sit, stand and burp.  He did this several times even while sitting next to his teacher. Not that we approve of him doing this at all, but again, what a memory!  We have video of his show which is priceless.  After he sang both of his songs he decided he was tired, sat down and then laid all the way down on the stairs.  When I asked him why he laid down he said, "Daddy, I was tired after singing and wanted to rest."  Garret had been sick for the prior week so I let it slide, this time. 

My little Pirate Princess!  Let me tell you that clothes DO help promote attitude.  This little girl loved her costume and took on the behavior of a little pirate.  What you don't see of this outfit is a cute little dress and a pirate belt.  She did very good at keeping the hat on and loved the attention she got from all who saw her!

November first was another fun day for me.  Special Olympics held the first annual dodge ball tournament here in Colorado Springs.  The team I was on consisted of guys from our cul-d-sac for the most part and we were called The Has Been's!  Have you ever seen the movie Dodge Ball?  Well, the movie wasn't to far off from this reality.  How do you expect a team of normal guys to fully compete with the likes of the Air Force Falcon Football team with their mascot the Fighting Falcon?  Or how but buff big dudes from Golds Gym?  The truth is that we were not good, lost every game we played but had a lot of fun!  It was well worth going and playing.  I only got hit in the head once!!!!!!  Unfortunately I have no pictures.  Everything else in CO is good.  Annie is doing great and her class is good this year.  I hope all is well with those who read this.  

Little Gracie is growing up way to fast.  She has me wrapped around her little fingers and I am not shy to say it!  It is strange feeling like I do for my kids, I have felt love all my love between my family and friends and never knew love could be different.  My love for Garret and Grace is way different than any love I have ever known.  Maybe its the responsibility or the unconditional trust or the way the look at me and love me with all of my flaws.  I never want to know a day with out them in my life!

So for those of you who are not "up" with cars the movie, Garret is talking about the Screamin Banshee from the movie cars.  Nana and Papa bought Garret this toy and he LOVES it.  The only issue is that it is very noisy and annoying.  We borrowed it for a weekend and were happy to take it back to Nana and Papa!

Things in Colorado are good.  We have had our first snow and the temperature is all over the place!  One day it's 70 and the next 35, gotta love it!

Freaks!!!!!!!!!!

Bekah and Dave went to a Halloween party recently and this is the way they dressed.  Dave even shaved his legs so the paint would go on easier, Bekah wishes she had!!!!  Just kidding.

SAFE AND SOUND

68 and counting!  Happy birthday dad!

Dad and Vaughn had a great motorcycle trip and unlike last year both made it home safely!  I am glad that they were able to go on this trip together and finish the ride!

Yeti, Yeti, Yeti.......  Oops, this is actually vaughn!

This is what Colorado looks like this time of the year.  Looks like a good day for a ride!

The Great Divide couldn't stop dad and Vaughn from having a good time.

As summer ends......

It's that time of year again where the hot days are moving out.  It seems that as summer disappears I tend to want to be outside even more.  We built a "new" patio and the day it was finally finished we bar-b-qued on it.  The kids loved the swing and we all enjoyed the way the kids laughed and smiled.  

So how can you not love this picture.  Some things never change, to include this hyper, happy little boy.  He loved the fire and ran around like he had eaten a ton of sugar.  He's growing big now and has recently enjoyed watching football games with me.  He has also begun asking if he can help clean things up and has been a great big brother to Gracie.

The loves of my life...........

What a beautiful day!  Sunny skies, no wind, a little cloud cover and family.....   And a really fast bike!!!  Right after this pic was taken, Dave and I headed to the mountains and rode the dirt bikes for a few hours.  This was the first time since Dave broke his arm that we have ridden together.  It was definitely good times and Dave since at some point you will read this...  Watch your right turns:)  

Everything else here is going well.  Dad and Vaughn are on their last day of the motorcycle trip today and as of yet there are no deer issues!  We are hoping that they make it home safe with good stories and better memories.  

Ping Pong Bandit

So those of you with little ones know who the Backyardigans are.  One of Garret's favorite shows is the ping pong bandit.  Garret loves ping pong after learning how to play in Kansas at Emily's graduation.  He sure is a funny little guy and is very serious about ping pong!

Wheels on the bus!

Recently Gracie has begun talking and singing!  She has a good teacher in Garret and songs like Wheels on the bus are her favorites.  I love how excited she gets when she hears this song!

Colorado Living

One tradition during Labor Day weekend is going to the hot air balloons.  I remember going to see the balloons with mom and dad when I was younger and I always remember how much fun I had.  Getting up early, seeing the balloons filling up with hot air, watching them lift off the ground, watching them try to "touch" the lake......   These are the types of memories I want Garret and Grace to have also!

Early Colorado morning sky!

We were happy to have Nana, Papa and Cor come to the balloons with us.  Cor was especially fun this year!  He was talkative and very happy.

We have also had family members from out of state visit recently.  It was so much fun to have everyone around I wish it could happen more often.  I have been told that some of the family has thought about moving to Colorado in a few years.  The picture of Annie and Garret was taken at the Flying W Ranch.  Talk about memories!  Yes....  I worked there and wore the Cowboy clothes and even used to try to fake an accent.  Garret loves his Cowboy hat and his mommy!

Grace is growing up way to fast for me.  Today on the phone she actually said good bye to me.  Although I love my kids getting older and growing I miss them as the small, quiet babies that once slept on my chest.  This picture was taken by Uncle Chris while he was in town.
Things here are great,  Annie is feeling much better and she made me buy her a new car.  What can I say but "yes ma'am".  The weather is turning a little colder and school has started.  Garret starts pre-school tomorrow, and Annie has been back at work for a few weeks.  I hope all is well for those reading this!

Skydivin Queen!!!!!!!

Annie after skydiving!  Notice the never ending smile!

Annie just before jumping out of the airplane.  Notice the duct tape around the window behind Annie?  I would be wearing a parachute too, even if I weren't jumping!

Just out of the airplane!

What a smile!  

Surfing the air under the parachute!  Annie knows what it is like to fly.
Monday August 11th will be a day that I will not forget.  Annie, Bekah and Dave all decided to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, and I have never been more proud to say, "I'm not jumpin out of anything!"  I was excited and nervous to watch them jump and very happy when they all landed.  Annie and Bekah kept their cool!  They smiled, jumped and were happy!  Dave, now thats a different story.  Dave was calm until the point he learned their was no door on the airplane and then he got a little nervous.  Well, lets just say that the guy that jumped with him called him a wussy during the jump.  He still jumped though and we are proud of him for that.  Mom has decided next time the "sisters" get together here in Colorado she is going to talk them into skydiving with her!  

Gracie's song!

Lately we have had a new development at our house.  Grace has been crying a lot more than usual.  Not sure if it is her teeth coming in, if she has growing pains or maybe she is just cranky.  Every time she cries her big brother comes to her rescue and sings her a song!  When Garret sings he puts his hands over his ears so he doesn't have to listen to her cry.  It is very cute!  

An update on Annie, she is still in pain and the Dr.s have sort of diagnosed her with possible interstital cystitis.  Don't ask me what that means but it is good to have a name to go with the pain!

Patience, love and laughter!

So things in Colorado are good.  Gracie is doing well!  She had a haircut today and in this picture she was telling daddy that she was mad and wanted to be held.  Running around with Garret and Cor she is learning how to jump, climb, fall and how to protect herself.  She has her daddy wrapped around her little finger and I don't see that changing any time soon.  It's good that her mommy is able to say no to her!

It was 81 degrees in the house when I took this picture of mom.  She was sitting in the house shivering and "whining" about being cold.  I brought her a sweat shirt, a blanket and even a Nemo hat yet she was still cold.  I have another picture of her that is similar but with out her mouth wide open.  Dad, Dave, Anne and I all looked at the two pictures and thought this one was the best.  SORRY MOM!
Garret is a funny little guy!  He is wearing my bullet proof tac. vest in this picture that weighs as much as he does.  Not that I enjoy seeing my son fall but right after I took this picture I asked him to pick up a magazine from the floor knowing what would happen.  He bent over and promptly tumbled right over.  We both laughed and I had to take the vest off so he could stand and walk.

Annie is still in a tremendous amount of pain.  The surgery she had didn't do the trick and now we are worried.  Monday she goes in for a procedure to see if there is disease or other problems in her urinary tract.  If nothing is found then we will have to go see another Dr. and hopefully he / she will be able to figure things out.   Please send your prayers and thoughts to Annie to help her get through this!!!!!!!