Cousins

A highlight of our trip to Indiana was spending time with our niece and John's cousin, Ella, who is 7 months old. Here are the cousins in their Christmas jammies. John has not yet accepted that he is no longer the 'only' grandchild and that he now has to share the spotlight with his cousin, as adorable as she is. It's tough being a kid! :)

Spiderman Birthday

We are back to Colorado from our trip to Indiana for Thanksgiving, so I will be getting back on track with my 'Picture of the Day' posts.

John got to celebrate his birthday (which is Jan. 7th) early with Ben's side of the family since we won't see them again until summer. Of course, he requested a Spidey cake and finished off the theme with his Spidey costume. He was one happy almost 3 year old!

My Mommy works at Panera! :)

As you probably know, I now officially work at my favorite restaurant/coffee shop and I have the hat and nametag to prove it.

Mountain Biking

My first 'Picture(s) of the Day' post! :) John was 'helping' me with laundry, which turned into 'Mountain Biking' over the hill of laundry he created. I love his concentration, which is evident by his tongue sticking out in the first picture (click on it to make it bigger). After braving the rough terrain on his ride, he needed a little break.

Catching Up...

Sorry for the very long delay in posting anything on my blog. I am going to catch up with some pics from this fall, but from here on, I am going to try something new. My friend, Shannon, posts a picture each day on her kid's blogs, so I am going to **try** the same thing. That way, I won't have to tackle so much at once, and 'blogging' might be a bit more managable.

As for catching up with our lives this fall...

...We enjoyed wonderful visits from both my parents and Ben's cousin Ryan, his wife, Alyssa and their son, Luke.

...I have started a new part time job at Panera, which I am really enjoying so far. I am learning the cash register, coffee bar (barista), and bakery.

...John loooooved being Spiderman for Halloween and Spidey still makes his appearance at least once a day around our house.

...We are spending Thanksgiving in Indiana with Ben's family and exicted to see everyone soon!

Hiking with Ryan, Alyssa & Luke on Flagstaff Mountain.

John and Luke had a great time together.

John with neighbors (and fellow Superheros) Owen (Robin) & Cameron (Batman).

Trick-or-Treating on Pearl St. for the 'Munchkin Masquerade'.

Halloween Party with our Playgroup.

The piles of leaves are too tempting...and so much fun!

At the pumpkin patch finding the perfect pumpkins.

Grammy & Johnny in disguise.

Bukka and John as 'Skateboard guys'.

Hiking with Bukka & Grammy.

Mom, Dad & Jason (my brother) hiking up Sugarloaf Mountain.

The whole group on top of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Fall Fun

I love Boulder in the fall...so much so that I think I am changing my 'favorite season' from summer to fall. :) This fall, we have spend a lot of time soaking in our marvelous surroundings and the beauty of Boulder. John can't get enough of hiking. He starts asking to go hiking about 2 minutes and 16 seconds after he wakes up in the morning...and doesn't stop asking all day. John has quickly become a Colorado boy. :)

At Chautauqua Park.

'Fishing' with a stick in a creek at Chautauqua Park.

Balancing sticks.Sunset at the park by our house.

And, more of the sunset.

John and his friends, Anna & Justin, going on a hike.

Anna, me, John & Justin.

Just hanging out waiting for mommy.

At the 'Pearl St. Stampede' - a Friday night 'pep rally' of sorts which happens the night before each home CU Buffs football game.

We had a great time with our friends at the 'Stampede' - Andy, Betsy, Mercy & Eden Zenz.

The crowd and the CU Marching Band...John was not a fan of the loud band. After each song, he would ask, 'Is it all done?'

Happy hiker boy.

Taking in the view overlooking the Flatirons.

Blazing the trail.

John reading in his 'little house', which likes to build with pillows in the guest room.

September 08

Due to the fact that something strange is happening with my blog when I add pictures, I can't figure out how to put captions under the pictures. So, I will fill you in on the happenings in our world in Sept., which should explain most of the pics. :) Some of the highlights from Sept. don't have any pictures to go with them - they are just interesting tidbits that I wanted to share. So, in no particular order...

--John started riding a 'balance bike' (a little bike with no pedals, which teaches kids to balance before trying out the 'real thing'). He is a pro! It's really fun to watch his little legs just propel him along on this bike. He can even lift up his feet and coast for 10-15 feet.

--Mid-Sept., we started a weekly 'family fun day' tradition. So far, have been to the town of Golden, CO to walk along the river & eat some yummy pizza, as well as hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park where we saw a great waterfall & the beginning of fall colors with the brilliant yellow of the Aspens.

--Ben went on an amazing men's weekend retreat called 'Men at the Cross.'

--John, our incredibly picky eater, downed an entire Filet Mignon at a party and even wanted more. We now know that mac-n-cheese, hot dogs, pb&j's, (enter any typical kid food of your choice) don't cut it with him - he wants the good stuff. Of course, Ben says he gets it from me and my Hudson upbringing. (You may be thinking, "Why on earth is this one of her Sept. higlights?"...but, if you know how much of a challenge it has been to get John to eat much of anything in his 2.5 years of life, you would understand why this IS a highlight)!! :)

--Ben taught John how to catch grasshoppers & feed them to the fish at the lake near our house (a talent that he got from his Indiana upbringing). :)

--We have been on a lot of fun outings with friends - to the zoo, hiking, to a really great local farm & to a little place in the mountains called 'Tiny Town' with a train & a 'town' made up of kid-sized buildings.

--We spent an afternoon with my brother, Jason, & his girlfriend, Regina, down on Pearl St. for the Fall Festival. It was John's first time in a 'bouncy castle' and he loved it.

And, here are the pics for your enjoyment: