Change is in the air

Well, here it is. My very last day of my time off with my family. That year-and-a-half flew by! It just seems like yesterday we were preparing for baby Natalie to arrive. Now I return to my art teaching job with a 16 month precious girl and a 3 year old spirited boy. Time sure does fly by. Of course I'm very sad to leave this life behind, but I trust that God is there "through the calm and through the storm." I've been so blessed to be a part of my kid's childhood for just a bit. This past year was easy, relaxing and beautiful as I made a home and watched my family thrive. I pray that we still thrive as we enter this next season. Although it seems crazy for me to make this choice to return to work, I will admit that this is something I feel that I am supposed to do. The financial part will be nice (someday, when I'm not paying for daycare). It's more than that though. I feel a strong sense of purpose where I'm going. I know that is where God wants me. I don't know why, but I do know that 1. There are so many kids there that need to be loved 2. Someday my kids and their cousins will come there too! 3. This year, I am blessed with Fridays off! Cheers to the past year's blessings, and now to moving forward! Here are some pictures of how we spent our last few weeks.

Dillan's first hike! He was such a trooper. We loved watching him have so much fun.

Playing in the Old Town splash park

Mommy and Daddy get a night out! We met up with our friends, Adam and Kim Fisher, had an amazing dinner and went to the Comedy club down in Denver.

The weird thing about being a parent is that you suddenly find yourself being overwhelmingly proud of your child for very insignificant things. Last Tuesday I took Dillan to the transportation event at Centerra to go on a train ride. To my surprise, I realized parents were not allowed on the train with their kids. (Thank goodness, there is no way I'd fit into that little cart.) In a quick moment of panic (expecting Dillan to refuse to go without me) I explained how he would have to be a big boy and go alone. Well, guess what. He did. Without a tear, he climbed in the cart, and gave me an uneasy look, and off he rode. He frequently glanced my direction to make sure I was witnessing such bravery, and I made a point to cheer and wave profusely. As the train disappeared into the crowd, I thought, 'Well, this is it. This marks the beginning of learning to let him go.' I'm so proud to be his mom.

Summer Heat

June flew by and I did not have a chance to update. I spent four long weeks on the UNC campus taking a watercolor workshop and my master's action research course. It was hard to be away from the kids, but it was good practice for the coming school year. We hired a nanny! The girl we found is an answer to many prayers. She has lots of experience, is very helpful, and most important, is a Christian who shares the same values. Kayla spent June with the kids and they loved her. In three short weeks she will be here while I return to work. Right now I am enjoying a brief break and preparing for the big change. Our mornings are spent at the pool- Dillan and Natalie are taking swimming lessons. Dillan started off SO afraid but now he loves it. Poor Natalie (who is in the 3rd percentile for body weight) gets so cold she usually can't finish the lesson... even in 100 degree heat. In the afternoons, the kids nap while I do my daily workout- 6 weeks of P90X! I confess that I only do a 40mn workout. Who has time to workout for an hour? Not a mother. I've also been spending time preparing my lessons for this coming year and taking care of business before life gets super crazy. The evenings are lovely- if Daddy comes home in time, we all enjoy a meal outside on the patio and then play games together on the lawn. When the sun sets and the little darlings are tucked into bed, Dan and I have our nightly competition of badminton. It gets pretty intense. I'd like to say that I'm improving, but he still beats me every time. :)

May: The Best Month Ever.

May has been a busy month full of blessings. Being the one and only month where I don't have grad school or work, there was more time to enjoy life. Our weeks have been packed full of fun with friends and family. One of the best things about having no school work is that my house stays spectacularly clean! Well, more like I have time to clean it constantly. Here's a recap of the month's events. Our back yard becomes our living room... kids end the day covered in dirt- which is a sign of a great day.

Mother's Day was great! We went out to Spoons for a pre-mother's day celebration on Saturday. Not considering the fact that it was graduation day in a college town, we waited a really long time to be seated. It all worked out. The kids hung in there and the food was amazing. Is there anything cuter than a little girl in a panda hat? I didn't think so.

Not to brag... well, maybe just a little. My wonderful husband made me breakfast in bed on Mother's day. Eggs benedict, fruit salad and chai. We enjoyed it while the kids slept in. AMAZING.

Road trip to Sheridan, WY to visit our good friends Sarah, Jay, Jaelyn, and Elliana Ruybal! We had SO much fun! Visiting them just reminded us of how much we miss them.

You are probably thinking.... are those two fun girls drinking martinis really moms??? The answer is yes. Sarah and I still know how to have a fun time. Thanks to the babysitter ;)

My favorite picture... they had one amazing babysitter.

Dan and I spent the next weekend WITHOUT KIDS in Winterpark. It was our first weekend free from parental duties in 2 1/2 years! We had so much fun. We ate some amazing food and took our time because we didn't have to make sure the kids didn't have public meltdowns. We went for a treacherousness and extremely windy hike (Dan's idea). We frequented the local bar and stayed up late just because we could. It was great.

This is a picture of me hunched down at the top of a mountain. The wind was blowing so hard (70mph?) that I could no longer hike without falling over. Dan eventually came back for me. So, that was fun.

April Highlights

Spring has turned into an early Summer; our days pass by quickly, but happily. What used to be a lengthy stretch of time off is now dwindling down to the last few months. April has been a month where much of my time has been devoted to 1. Grad school homework. 2. More grad school homework and 3. Keeping the kids on a schedule so I can do my grad school homework. Even so, we've still had many opportunities to enjoy the warm weather and spend time together. Here are a few April Highlights! Dillan and I had a great time dyeing Easter Eggs together! https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpHRbSaSwGOzj8LJWdT39vl0s3kaDtDnpM6cK5QfgF5Dh0Tld0GVb2_ZOUkRWL290nLbEV-_8kK-7AcBxelIU3pNzHbkVv3EIDDgozyv74mhmJXNkYVY4lH5dhCKEckU5KBtQ_WNMoos/s1600/IMG_0793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em">

Natalie's Birthday Extravaganza

Natalie turned one and we spend an entire weekend celebrating!