Made it!

I am officially on spring break! The week was kicked of by literally spending the entire day on the couch today. It was awesome! I have a week of NOTHING planned and am so excited. :) I will be sure to post all the adventures that Sofia and I have during the week.

17 Months and 1 Week Later

Happy Easter! (...well, a little late)

We had a blast this year for Easter. We began our day by attending the Easter service at our church and then had 10 people (and 2 babies!) over for dinner. We are so thankful for our friends who were able to attend and share in the joy that the Easter holiday brings. Enjoy the pictures! On a side note, when asked, "Did the Easter bunny come to your house today?" we had to say, "Nope...he didn't quite make it across the street" because a bunny was hit by a car next to our house! Now, how's that for irony!

Chris and I decorated eggs this year. He made most of them...and then we turned them into an awesome egg salad! Mmmmm!

Posing in her Easter dress from Grandmary and Grandma Debbie. She was a hit at church!

Sofia sat through the entire Easter service and didn't make a peep! She was content next to Daddy with her books, grapes and animal crackers.

The Sweet 16 is So...

Sweet! Michigan State sealed the deal on Saturday night here IN DENVER to advance in the NCAA tournament. Their next game is on Friday night in Houston. GO GREEN! GO WHITE!

My fair lady...

Sofia sure is growing up fast. She looks like a little woman in this top picture. She is on the tail end of another ear infection. She is going to see an ear specialist in about 7 weeks. Tomorrow is Easter and we are very excited for Sofia and her new dress from Grandma Debbie and Grandma Mary. Tonight we are going to color some eggs and get ready for Easter dinner here at our house with friends. Easter pictures will surely follow, but it has been a while since we posted so more Sofia pictures. Enjoy.

About the last time she was able to fit into these shoes

Hold that pose, give me some attitude!
What a shovel for that mac'-n-quesso?

What girl doesn't like to play dress up? Last year swimsuit definitely does not fit.
Wonder where she found it?
Let's dance! Cha Cha Cha...Future marching band symbol player. Just what every parents wishes for...

Sofia and Meg at the largest St. Patrick's Day parade west of the Mississippi!
What two beautiful girls!

The Dollars and Sense of Friendship

One of the things that I have always cherished about my relationship with all of my parents is how well they model the importance of friendship. It is from watching them that I feel I have been able to establish bonds with women in my life that will withstand anything. I remember being about 10 and listening to my mom talk to her friend Carol. They had met their first year of teaching in the, ah hem, mid-70's. While my sister and I played, they talked about how neat it was to still be friends and now, be friends with children growing up (semi) together. Carol has two kids: Andrew and Amanda. Both have gone on to be incredibly successful individuals. How do I know this? Mom and Carol still remain the best of friends and are constantly updating all of the kids on life's happenings.

Just recently, I got an email from Mom about Amanda. She now lives in New York with her husband and child and works as a psychologist who's practice specializes in financial wellness. Her primary clientele is made up of young artists and actors with a variable income. Her practice has become such a success that she has been quoted recently in the New York Times and has been writing articles on About.com. She also writes a daily blog called The Good, The Bad, and the Money.

While her focus is mostly on clients with a variable income, in reading some of her posts and articles, I found that she touched on many of the issues that young couples and twenty-somethings face on a daily basis. Check out her site! It is really well done and could definitely shed some light on those in need of a little financial wisdom!

A Morning Conversation of Pooh

No. Not POO. Winnie the Pooh.

Sofia has just taken a liking to "Playhouse Disney", the morning series on programs on the Disney Channel. This morning, we had it on while Chris and I ate breakfast and Sofia was playing. As we chatted about what our day was going to look like, I happened to notice what was on TV and was horrified! Christopher Robin is NO LONGER a character on Winnie the Pooh! Now, they have some chick named Darby. What??

I voiced my fury to Chris. His response: "Maybe he wanted too much money and his contract couldn't be renegotiated." Followed by, "Or, maybe he was diabetic and decided that Poohbear and his jars of honey might not be the best friend to hang around."

A quick wit is definitely not something my hubby lacks!

A Little Perspective

This was not an easy week.

Chris's job site got really underway - meaning several mornings of leaving before 5 a.m. and getting home around 6 p.m. We had our state tests (CSAP) all this week and into Monday at school and I was in charge of planning four, one hour assemblies to finish each day. On top of all of our work pressures, Sofia has not been sleeping well at all - waking up 2 & 3 times a night for lengthy amounts of time. Need I even say that when we woke up this morning we were THRILLED it was Friday?

But, as I drove home this afternoon bleary-eyed and slightly grumpy that our home was going to be invaded yet again by potential buyers during our dinner time, I was struck with an incredible sense of guilt. Sure, we may be tired, pressured and inconvenienced from time to time, but there are definitely better ways to spend our energy than to feel bad for ourselves.

So, I changed my focus.

My dear friend of many years, Christie, who lives in Washington D.C. was struck by tragedy this week as her apartment building caught on fire and burned to the ground. She lost everything but the clothes she was sleeping in, her wallet, running shoes and phone. Luckily, she managed to escape the fire without injury (thank goodness!) and has a friend that has lovingly taken her in until she can find a new place to stay. We want to help Christie in any way that we possibly can. There were over 200 families (many low income) that were displaced as a result of this 5-alarm fire. If you are interested in helping Christie or people from her neighborhood, please let me know and I will point you in the right direction.

Chris's grandma is a trooper! We have been fortunate to listen to hundreds of stories about her life, family, singing, family business and amazing recipes. She has even beaten bouts with cancer on 3 different occasions! Currently, she is battling her 4th round of cancer and this one is proving to be a dousy. She recently spent some time in a Minneapolis hospital because the chemo treatments were taking a tole on her heart. She is home now, resting and as usual, is in good spirits. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she facing the last of her chemo treatments in the near future. Yay!

Being the perfectionists that Chris and I are, we often lose sight of the impact we are having on the people around us. To us, we can always do our jobs better. But today, each of us got a little something special and the realization that we actually do have an impact...

For Chris from two 1st Graders:

Dear Worker, I think you work very good. I wot to be like you be. I like working. Love, Haylee.

Dear Worker. I think you are working hard! You are doing a very good job! Fomr, Emma.

From my principal regarding this week in a staff email:

And Meghan, yes, you are a party planner Diva. You did a great job and we had a ton of fun. in the midst of what could have been a disaster (850 kids in the gym and no performer anywhere near showing up) we did one of the most fun things ever. When life hands you lemons...play dodgeball. From Sky Vista Gladiator, to Dodgeball, to the basketball game, I absolutely loved watching you all and the kids have fun. What I realized is that next year we will not pay anyone to come provide entertainment. Our staff can do a better job of that.

It feels good to be able to go to sleep tonight with less on our shoulders. There are lots of people out there who need us and deserve our attention. Being tired and having a bad day/week is going to happen. To dwell on those moments will not allow us to get anywhere. Our thoughts and prayers are with those we love and cherish.

Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day weekend!

What a Difference A Day Makes

Seriously. What a difference a day makes! Yesterday it was 74 degrees in Denver and today it looked like this...


























Yesterday, there was no smiling for this babydoll. But today...

Mmmm! Mashed potatoes and meatloaf! "I think I'll try a new mashed potato hair gel."


Bath time!











































Watch out Pantene Girls! Your
new model is going to be on her way soon!








































"Whoa!" ...we have no idea what she was looking at.