We've had record breaking temperatures the last few days out here. Needless to say, we're HOT! Argh. Without air conditioning in our place, we've been forced to become creative in our ways to keep cool. Here's a glimpse into our lives the past few days:
1) Drink like 25 glasses of water. (This of course requires then about 40 trips to the bathroom.)
2) Open all windows at night and promptly shut with blinds around 8 a.m. This traps the cool air for at least 3 more hours before a breeze is a definite must again.
3) Go to Bass Pro Shop/Outdoor World to stare at fish tank and the biggest lures one could imagine for 2 hours.
4) Go to Target and look at items we will never need to buy.
5) Sit in coffee shop for 4 hours working on homework for last master's class. (Very atypical level of concentration. AC is definite motivation!)
6) Grocery shop and walk up and down EVERY isle to extend time in store.
7) Watch movies like Vertical Limit, Aspen Extreme, and other snowy, arctic attractions.
8) Sit directly in front of fan with bowl of ice piled up for "make-shift AC". My hubby is so smart!!
9) Wear as few clothes as possible. Potential problem when blinds and windows have to be open.
10) Sit in car outside house with AC on.
I apologize if it sounds like I am complaining. I am really trying not to. It's just that 103 degrees isn't cutting it for this prego.
When does winter come again?
Monday, July 17, 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Whoa Nelly! What a Week!
We just got back from dropping Kristen and the boys off at the airport. It is oddly quiet and a huge wave of tiredness just came over us. We had a fantastic week together though. We filled our time at the Denver Zoo, the pool, Water World (the ultimate favorite) and 16th Street Mall. Chris and I were so impressed how well the boys did being away from Rose and Dad for an entire week. Not once did either one throw an "I want Mom" fit. We took a ton of pictures to document the trip. I don't have any with me or Chris in them, but they are on their way soon when my sister sends them. :) Enjoy what we have so far!
Kristen and Q at the zoo.
Q and Walker sitting on the break wall of the tidal wave pool at Water World..this particular pool provided hours of fun!!
Pool Party for the penguins at the zoo! We watched them for nearly 20 minutes because they were so hilarious.
This ape was very curious about Walker.
Unfortunately, I was too far along to be able to go on any of the rides at Water World. Kristen, braved the lines and carried the tubes so that they could go on this big one. :)
Kristen and Q at the zoo.
Q and Walker sitting on the break wall of the tidal wave pool at Water World..this particular pool provided hours of fun!!
Pool Party for the penguins at the zoo! We watched them for nearly 20 minutes because they were so hilarious.
This ape was very curious about Walker.
Unfortunately, I was too far along to be able to go on any of the rides at Water World. Kristen, braved the lines and carried the tubes so that they could go on this big one. :)Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Here We Go!
We have been having so much fun since the brothers and sister arrived. Yesterday, we hit up the pool for the first time and Mexican food for dinner. Today, it's the zoo and back to the pool. Here are a few pics!
A seasoned traveler, Q greeted me at the airport with all smiles.
Pool time!
Ready to jump!
Stupid adult swim time! What's the point anyway?
A seasoned traveler, Q greeted me at the airport with all smiles.
Pool time!
Ready to jump!
Stupid adult swim time! What's the point anyway?Monday, July 10, 2006
Projects , Projects Everywhere!
With 17 1/2 weeks and counting until the little one arrives, we have been gotten down to business with projects around the house. The first task: the garage work bench.
We are fortunate to have a garage (not so standard in Denver). And what garage would be complete without a workbench? As soon as we decided to buy our place, I started putting money away to surprise Chris on our anniversary with the supplies to build his very own workbench. He had already designed his dreambench, so I had the easy part of just getting the gift card to Home Depot. :) Needless to say, his design turned out beautifully and made for an excellent organizational addition to our garage.
Project #2: Shelving in Baby's Room
As you have probably seen, we have to be creative with our storage space here. Our closets, while a good size, needed some work to make them optimum storage containers. Yet again, my engineer of a husband went hard to work at designing a way to create more storage for the abundance of baby items we have accumulated in the last few months. He came up with a great design and off to Home Depot we went again! We found all the materials we needed and had the shelving in the closet cut, sanded, painted, and put up by the end of the day!
Project #3: The Nursery
While the whole of this project is yet to get underway, we definintely have our ideas in place of what this room will look like. On the list, paint, wayne's coating, chair railing and assembly of rocker and crib. This project is on hold, however, until our last group of summer visitors comes this week. My sister and two younger brothers (22, 10, and 4) will be here until Saturday! We are so excited and can't wait to spend time together. I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures to post from their visit here.
Until then, here are some of the pictures from our two complete projects!
Chris, hard at work!
Workbench finished and ready for tools and storage!
Shelving in the closet of the baby's room. Almost there!
Finished and ready for storage.
We are fortunate to have a garage (not so standard in Denver). And what garage would be complete without a workbench? As soon as we decided to buy our place, I started putting money away to surprise Chris on our anniversary with the supplies to build his very own workbench. He had already designed his dreambench, so I had the easy part of just getting the gift card to Home Depot. :) Needless to say, his design turned out beautifully and made for an excellent organizational addition to our garage.
Project #2: Shelving in Baby's Room
As you have probably seen, we have to be creative with our storage space here. Our closets, while a good size, needed some work to make them optimum storage containers. Yet again, my engineer of a husband went hard to work at designing a way to create more storage for the abundance of baby items we have accumulated in the last few months. He came up with a great design and off to Home Depot we went again! We found all the materials we needed and had the shelving in the closet cut, sanded, painted, and put up by the end of the day!
Project #3: The Nursery
While the whole of this project is yet to get underway, we definintely have our ideas in place of what this room will look like. On the list, paint, wayne's coating, chair railing and assembly of rocker and crib. This project is on hold, however, until our last group of summer visitors comes this week. My sister and two younger brothers (22, 10, and 4) will be here until Saturday! We are so excited and can't wait to spend time together. I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures to post from their visit here.
Until then, here are some of the pictures from our two complete projects!
Chris, hard at work!
Workbench finished and ready for tools and storage!
Jack, a little confused about his new role in the family.
Shelving in the closet of the baby's room. Almost there!
Finished and ready for storage.
Monday, July 03, 2006
My Little Gold Medalist
About two weeks ago, I felt the first inkling of our little one's movement with fluttering and Mexican jumping bean-style sensations in my stomach. Just the other morning however, Chris and I got a huge surprise as we actually felt these kicks and punches on the OUTSIDE of my skin. It was the most incredible moment to share together and we celebrated by calling our families.
Since then, Baby D has apprently decided to take up aquatic gymnastics as an occupation- tossing, turning, punching, kicking, flipping and maybe even the pummel horse. These olympic events seem to be taking place as soon as I wake up, sit down, drive, watch tv, read, and lie down for bed. While I do enjoy the movements and giggle as I feel an elbow or foot, I can't help but wonder where this kid thinks s/he is going? I mean, really, there isn't a whole lot of a room in there.
I thought the sonogram brought to reality that there is a REAL baby inside of me...this definitely takes the cake!
Have a great 4th!
Since then, Baby D has apprently decided to take up aquatic gymnastics as an occupation- tossing, turning, punching, kicking, flipping and maybe even the pummel horse. These olympic events seem to be taking place as soon as I wake up, sit down, drive, watch tv, read, and lie down for bed. While I do enjoy the movements and giggle as I feel an elbow or foot, I can't help but wonder where this kid thinks s/he is going? I mean, really, there isn't a whole lot of a room in there.
I thought the sonogram brought to reality that there is a REAL baby inside of me...this definitely takes the cake!
Have a great 4th!
Friday, June 30, 2006
Back In The Game
I feel as if the blood has finally returned to my fingers! Ahhh cyberspace! How I missed you!
In my absence, I have had quite the adventure traveling across the country and back, visiting family and friends, being overwhelmed by the generousity of gifts at a baby shower and spending time back in Denver with Mom and Aunt Judy. Because so much has happened, it is almost impossible for me to give a complete update. So, in quick review, here is the past few weeks:
Visit to Dayton:
Had tons of fun hanging out with my brothers, dad, step-mom, aunt, cousin and yia yia. I realized how quickly time can pass without the bat of an eye as I went to visit Yia Yia (grandma) and found her Alzheimer's had kicked into high gear. She no longer remembered who I was, just knew that she was supposed to know me. We had lovely conversations despite her memory loss and it just felt good to be in her presence. Rose, Aunt Marya and my cousins threw me a Michaels's family baby shower which wouldnt' have been complete with out my 4-year-old brother's help in opening the gifts! :) It was a great weekend!!
Visit to Michigan:
Family, friends, food - awesome! This trip allowed the luxery of traveling to visit friends and family in their own element and cities. Trips to Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Gun Lake ended up providing priceless moments of laughter and cherished updates. I am truly blessed to have some many wonderful friends and family! The visit ended with the best-planned baby shower I have ever seen! Long time friends and family gathered together at my parent's home and basically set our soon-to-be bundle of joy up for the it's entire first year of life! I was overwhelmed by the generosity of gifts and love.
Visit in Denver:
With my tetris skills working at their premium degree, Mom, Aunt Judy and I packed up a rented Ford Explorer and headed back out west. The drive was filled with the typical corn-filled scenery that Iowa and Nebraska have to offer and an interesting experience at a Holiday Inn in Grand Island, NE with moldy candy. In the end however, we made it to Denver just fine. Once here, I was surpised with my handyman of a husband's work on our house. He had painted the stairwell and kitchen as well as installed a beautiful ceiling fan in our living room that reminds me of being in the Caribbean. During the week, we women spent time in Boulder shopping, unpacking all the gifts, hanging out downtown and even had a barbeque with friends. It was a great week!
This week has brought the reality that school is finally out. I still wake up early, but getting dressed often takes place hours later rather than the usual minutes. It has been nice kind of moving at my own pace and hanging out at home. Jack and Layla can't quite figure the whole thing out. Jack seriously looks peeved that I have invaded on his napping schedule. Boy is he going to be surprised when the baby arrives and I am home for another three months!
This week, we also celebrated our 2nd anniversary! Because of the whirl-wind of events lately, we took it easy on Monday and I made dinner, which, as most of you know, is an ocassion in itself! Regardless, we had a great time just hanging out an enjoying each other's company. We decided on a get-away weekend in the next few months to celebrate before the baby arrives.
Speaking of babies, the pregnancy is continuing to go well. We had the BIG ultrasound last week Friday where we got to see the little hands, feet and the face of our little one to be. It was so amazing and a huge reality check that it isn't just bad food making my stomach expand but a real person! At just over 21 weeks, a new body pillow, called a Snoogle, has become a must as my rapidly expanding midsection has kept me from sleeping well at night. Chris's t-shirts for night wear are also a must as my own no longer stretch over this belly of mine. As soon as I can find a quality scanner, I will post the pics from the ultrasound. Until then, check out some of the pics from the baby shower and back in Denver.
Love to all!
Present everywhere!
My secret is definitely out now! And in my college colors.....Thanks, Christie!
Kristen, one of the hot aunt's-to-be (my sis).
Hottie and Aunt-to-be Lindsey (Chris's sis).
It's hard to believe we have grown up together! Peggy, Christie, me and Andrea
Let's just get to the point....no more brand names for diaper rash cream. Let's just go for what it is....Butt Paste! Gotta love it!
It so was special to have so many generations at the shower! Chris's Mom and Grandma were in attendance. I guess that makes them now Grandma and Great-Grandma!
A double rainbow outside our house.
Mom and Chris deep in thought over chicken parmesan. It turned out to be delicious!
Hanging out with Lee-Ann and Stacey at our barbeque on Friday night while Mom and Aunt Judy were in town.
In my absence, I have had quite the adventure traveling across the country and back, visiting family and friends, being overwhelmed by the generousity of gifts at a baby shower and spending time back in Denver with Mom and Aunt Judy. Because so much has happened, it is almost impossible for me to give a complete update. So, in quick review, here is the past few weeks:
Visit to Dayton:
Had tons of fun hanging out with my brothers, dad, step-mom, aunt, cousin and yia yia. I realized how quickly time can pass without the bat of an eye as I went to visit Yia Yia (grandma) and found her Alzheimer's had kicked into high gear. She no longer remembered who I was, just knew that she was supposed to know me. We had lovely conversations despite her memory loss and it just felt good to be in her presence. Rose, Aunt Marya and my cousins threw me a Michaels's family baby shower which wouldnt' have been complete with out my 4-year-old brother's help in opening the gifts! :) It was a great weekend!!
Visit to Michigan:
Family, friends, food - awesome! This trip allowed the luxery of traveling to visit friends and family in their own element and cities. Trips to Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Gun Lake ended up providing priceless moments of laughter and cherished updates. I am truly blessed to have some many wonderful friends and family! The visit ended with the best-planned baby shower I have ever seen! Long time friends and family gathered together at my parent's home and basically set our soon-to-be bundle of joy up for the it's entire first year of life! I was overwhelmed by the generosity of gifts and love.
Visit in Denver:
With my tetris skills working at their premium degree, Mom, Aunt Judy and I packed up a rented Ford Explorer and headed back out west. The drive was filled with the typical corn-filled scenery that Iowa and Nebraska have to offer and an interesting experience at a Holiday Inn in Grand Island, NE with moldy candy. In the end however, we made it to Denver just fine. Once here, I was surpised with my handyman of a husband's work on our house. He had painted the stairwell and kitchen as well as installed a beautiful ceiling fan in our living room that reminds me of being in the Caribbean. During the week, we women spent time in Boulder shopping, unpacking all the gifts, hanging out downtown and even had a barbeque with friends. It was a great week!
This week has brought the reality that school is finally out. I still wake up early, but getting dressed often takes place hours later rather than the usual minutes. It has been nice kind of moving at my own pace and hanging out at home. Jack and Layla can't quite figure the whole thing out. Jack seriously looks peeved that I have invaded on his napping schedule. Boy is he going to be surprised when the baby arrives and I am home for another three months!
This week, we also celebrated our 2nd anniversary! Because of the whirl-wind of events lately, we took it easy on Monday and I made dinner, which, as most of you know, is an ocassion in itself! Regardless, we had a great time just hanging out an enjoying each other's company. We decided on a get-away weekend in the next few months to celebrate before the baby arrives.
Speaking of babies, the pregnancy is continuing to go well. We had the BIG ultrasound last week Friday where we got to see the little hands, feet and the face of our little one to be. It was so amazing and a huge reality check that it isn't just bad food making my stomach expand but a real person! At just over 21 weeks, a new body pillow, called a Snoogle, has become a must as my rapidly expanding midsection has kept me from sleeping well at night. Chris's t-shirts for night wear are also a must as my own no longer stretch over this belly of mine. As soon as I can find a quality scanner, I will post the pics from the ultrasound. Until then, check out some of the pics from the baby shower and back in Denver.
Love to all!
Present everywhere!
My secret is definitely out now! And in my college colors.....Thanks, Christie!
Kristen, one of the hot aunt's-to-be (my sis).
Hottie and Aunt-to-be Lindsey (Chris's sis).
It's hard to believe we have grown up together! Peggy, Christie, me and Andrea
Let's just get to the point....no more brand names for diaper rash cream. Let's just go for what it is....Butt Paste! Gotta love it!
It so was special to have so many generations at the shower! Chris's Mom and Grandma were in attendance. I guess that makes them now Grandma and Great-Grandma!
A double rainbow outside our house.
Mom and Chris deep in thought over chicken parmesan. It turned out to be delicious!
Hanging out with Lee-Ann and Stacey at our barbeque on Friday night while Mom and Aunt Judy were in town.Sunday, June 11, 2006
Dog days of summer...
I got to dog-sit Matt and Stacey's chocolate lab Jake for a long weekend while they went back to Ohio and Meg went back to Grand Rapids for 12 days. Our families are throwing us a baby shower while Meg is back visiting. Jake, Layla, and I spent all day today at the parks and dog runs. Another beautiful day and a little cooler, (only 89 in lieu of upper 90's).
Friday, June 09, 2006
recruting 'em young
Thank you to the women at MYC for the gift! How cute, that is all ther is to say....
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Paying it forward...
So a crazy thing happened this week. An unexpected package arrived at our house this week. As it turns out, a sweet couple from California have become fans of our blog. They have read about our expecting bundle of joy and decided to send us an item off of our baby registry! This is an at of kindness that makes the world a better place. I hope this posting will inspire us all to perform an unexpected act of kindness. Whether it is letting an extra driver merge in your lane, holding a door open for a stranger, or doing something extra for a loved one, it all makes a difference. So thank you Rob and Steph from California for you gift and inspirational act of kindness.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Our House!
It has taken us quite a while, but it seems that we are finally settled! We already have a list of projects to get started on to really make this place ours (i.e. paint, pergo flooring on stairway, nursery, etc.) but we are quite happy at this point to just have all those nasty boxes out of the way! Enjoy!
Welcome! This is the entry. The windows are about 12 feet high and give us a beautiful view of the city and mountains.
Our living space is wide open with high, vaulted ceilings.
Visiting with our friends, Kamran and Nicole.
Our bedroom is just through that hallway. Because of the angle of our room, I couldn't get a picture to turn out. Our room is connected to the second bedroom by a bathroom. (I thought you could use your imagination on that one.)
This is our "room in transition" - guest room and soon to be nursery. It is going to be painted like a sky.
View from our porch.
To see the outside of our place, see our posts from March.
Welcome! This is the entry. The windows are about 12 feet high and give us a beautiful view of the city and mountains.
Our living space is wide open with high, vaulted ceilings.
Visiting with our friends, Kamran and Nicole.
Our bedroom is just through that hallway. Because of the angle of our room, I couldn't get a picture to turn out. Our room is connected to the second bedroom by a bathroom. (I thought you could use your imagination on that one.)
This is our "room in transition" - guest room and soon to be nursery. It is going to be painted like a sky.
View from our porch.To see the outside of our place, see our posts from March.
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