Still Here

I have fallen into the facebook trap and have let the blog slip a little. Getting a little bit lazy I guess and not taking enough pictures. Here is a list of things I have let slip by

Easter

Gary turned 40

In celebration we took a little trip to Colorado and followed Donna the Buffalo from Denver to Boulder

Ellie went to a “Princess Festival” with Grandma McKenney

Mother’s Day. We went camping. It was a busy weekend and we were shut out of our original Goblin Valley destination and had to camp down the road with all the motorheads. We moved on the next day and found the last spot available at the Juniper site above slick rock in Moab. It was windy the second night. Owen couldn’t stand it so he and I got to snuggle in the truck all night long.

Ellie finished her first year of preschool *sigh*

I got a new bike (Juliana)

Owen has mastered stairs and is learning to do a jig

I’m learning the guitar

this was built down the road from us.

a closer look… Oh My!

Gary is thrilled.

Ellie has gotten very good on her Skuut bike and is even starting to pedal on her own

and now I vow to do better at spending my online time blogging and less at facebook  and putting up more pictures like this

and videos like this

He’s a Hoot

Owen is officially one year old.  We celebrated this weekend in spite of his sister’s nagging ear infection. The party was postponed on Friday and then we reorganized.  We had a small celebration on Friday night just the 4 of us. Owen made us laugh as he explored his cupcake and opened some gifts.  He is such a character with the faces he pulls and jabber he makes.

He loved his cup cake. I found a great sugarless recipe for carrot cake  here

Grandma and Grandpa McKenney wrangled up the cousins, Aunt Tamara, Aunt Gay, and Grandpa Jackson. We had a little impromptu party Saturday afternoon. Owen put on a good show having conversations with Grandpa Jackson, attempting to walk, and just pulling funny faces and silly noises all day.

It was a great weekend and to top it all off Owen has begun walking.  Just a few steps at a time but he is determined. Just a little more practice and it will be a whole new world.

Soooo Tired

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMJq7NE4IUM[/youtube]

Owen had a long day last week.  He is turning 1 on Friday. Really!? One! I can’t believe it but it’s true a year ago this week he made his grand entrance into our little family and has stolen our hearts ever since. He is working really hard at trying to get the walking thing down. He is saying Adah as clear as a bell and insists that all animals are “Adah’s”  Lately his favorite thing to do is to exchange things with someone. He hands you something with a big smile, you say thank you, he smiles bigger, hand it back to him and he laughs a bit. He also loves playing with the spices sorting them putting them in other drawers, and then putting them back (sometimes). Funny how the best toys are not toys at all.

A Little Something for the Frandsen’s

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs7z7JuoWuQ[/youtube]

Got Giggles?

I got to hang out with my high school girlfriends this weekend. It was good therapy. I came home a happy refreshed Momma, and I came home to this which made me even a happier Momma.

Owen is closing in on a year. Only about two months away. It all happens in a flash. He has started exploring speech lately and can almost say Adah. He is very aware of Adah and loves to snuggle and get tickled by her wet nose. Every other animal he see’s is an Adah too. He pulls himself up to stand every chance he gets and I think he will be walking soon. He is so very strong just needs to work on the balance. Every time we go to the grocery store all the ladies fall in love with him. I always get a comment on how cute he is. He is a big flirt and flashes a sweet smile at them all and dazzles  them with his big beautiful eyes. In fact the other day he had a bunch of Ladies giggling over him in the freezer aisle because of the way he was slouched in the cart with one arm slung over the back and and slightly leaning the opposite direction and he kept flashing his three tooth grin at them then checking with me to see if it was okay. Such a flirt.

His new favorite thing is the walker in the new house. There is room to move here. I think before he didn’t understand what the walker was for because it couldn’t be used to it’s full potential in the wee cabin. Now there is space to spread his wings and oh how he flies…

Catching Up

There is much to blog about. This little family has been busy with holidays, a big upheaval and move, and a special vacation to Maui! As a result our schedule has been turned upside down and we are having a hard time adjusting. Owen’s sleep habits have become… well lets just say we are all sleep deprived. We are trying to set up new sleeping habits in the new house but it is a process and it is taking a long time.  As a result I have been so tired my head is spinning literally I have been dealing with vertigo and I think it is due to exhaustion. So bear with me, because I’m just going to slap a bunch of picture up to represent our Christmas…

Gary and his crown from Ellie so he could be the "King of Christmas"

Ellie gave Owen a "Pirate Ship" for Christmas and she picked out that necklace for me

Ellie enjoying the traditional Elbelskivers

Adah has become a singing fool lately. She seizes every opportunity presented to her to show off her lovely singing voice. Just last night she was belting out a tune with Gary as he blew into his beer bottle. She really likes to belt it out with Ellie whenever the Piano gets going.

All in all Christmas was wonderful.  Gary surprised me with a guitar and some lessons. Gary got a record player from his parents and Bada even found a bunch of his old albums he had collected in high school. It’s been fun going through them lots of Cheap Trick, ACDC, the Cars, and there is a Rolling Stones one that I am anxious to hear. I gave him a box set of the Avett Brothers that included two records and we have been playing them almost every night. I’m glad we celebrated one last Christmas in our cozy little cabin. It was a good way to say goodbye to our little home. One thing that little home has is some good old fashion winter atmosphere and it truly made the holiday special.