Ok, for my faithful FAN who doesnt follow me on Facebook I thought I would share some photos of this past weekend.    We started Friday evening off with getting a fire going in the pit and decided it definitely needed s'mores! No pics of those as the fingers were too sticky! LOL But then we decided to put up the old tent that we had from our camping days in Washington State.  It was a wee bit of a challenge considering it had been over 10 years and we were doing it in the dark! But we persevered! Then we collected every big fluffy pillow and blanket from the entire house and threw those in there. I think it would have taken a U-Haul to get everything to a real camp site! LOL  Finally the girls climbed in with the necessities in life...phone, ipod and dvd player! They were ready to "camp" out!

Of course what is a good camping trip without rain?!  Yes, it poured buckets that night.  The girls slept through it and it didnt bother Doug either.  Unfortunately, we spent the next few days drying all those blankets and pillows from where they were soaked! Me?  Well, follow the pics and you will see where I slept!

























They survived the night!!!
 

Where Sheba slept...



Where I slept!!!  Oh yeah!!!  This is realllllly roughing it!!! LOL

If there is one thing for certain about a Colorado Springtime...it is that nothing is for certain!  Thursday morning Doug left for Washington DC for a business trip until Monday and the girls and I had BIG plans!  Man we were going to have some fun this weekend!  Courtney was scheduling with a friend to go hang out and hit the movies. I was planning a night out with the girlfriends. Kaitlyn was gamely going along with whatever plans we had as long as she could go to Mardel's and play with all the animal puppets for a while.  Well, Thursday night Courtney was finished with gym and on the spur of the moment we invited a teammate who didnt have school the next day to come over and spend the night.

So the next morning we woke up and there was SNOW everywhere! Apparently, for once, the weatherman had gotten the forecast RIGHT! Unbelievable! So now Courtney and her friend, Sarah, are doing the Snow Dance in the hopes that Sarah gets snowed in with us and she cant go home.  Unfortunately, Cheryl has 4 wheel drive and really didnt need to use it! She waited for a lull in the storm and Sarah went home...sniff sniff.

By this morning, it is still snowing, we are all going cabin fever crazy and it is time to get out of here!!!  So we start rounding up boots, gloves, hats, coats.  Now this was the first time we needed them this year and it was quite funny to see Courtney walk out of the bedroom in snowpants that came somewhere between her knees and her ankles!!  Hmmmm, Plan B...layering!! So eventually we are ready and we head out into the wild white yonder!

It was PERFECT packing snow!!  What this means is snow angels...and snowball fights...and yes, even a SNOWMAN!! Yes, we did it all...Mama included!  After about an hour and a half and realizing that the lull was over, the wind was picking up and it was starting to snow again and we were freezing we went inside and left our new friend, Jeremy, to sit outside with his Christmas tree beside him to keep him company.  We have now had lunch and are appropriately watching Frosty the Snowman!

The moral to the story...sometimes the plans we have are not as fun as the plans that happen along! Now the girls are pooped and have all the antsies out of them...aahhhh, life is good! Now if only it would STOP snowing! LOL

Love, Michelle and the gang

This was on Friday, the first day.

The rest are on Saturday during a lull in the snow.

The starting of Jeremy!

How many calories do you think I burned lifting this guy up?!

Kaitlyn said Jeremy needed a Christmas tree...she built this.

We are eco-friendly! We used carrot for the nose and old oranges for his eyes!

Courtney using the carrot to dig a hole for the eyes.

Old mittens for his hands.

I went inside for something and caught Kaitlyn loving on Jeremy when I came out! Too sweet!

Ummm, we kinda "borrowed" Doug's old hat and scarf for Jeremy...so he wouldnt get cold!

Both the girls loving on a finished Jeremy.

 

Mama and Kaitlyn with Jeremy.

Jeremy is scratching Kaitlyn's cheek! LOL

Okay, I got brave and handed the camera to Kaitlyn...she did a great job!

We just "had" to give Jeremy a good night kiss! LOL

 

 

 

Okay, this entry "should" get me caught up with most pictures and news.  End of September we had my folks in for a quick 4 day visit and they overlapped with my sister and her family staying with us for 2 days! Talk about a houseful but it was fun and we crammed a lot of visiting into those few days.  It was the first time we met Jon, my newest nephew, and I am not sure who was more taken with him, me or Courtney!  Kaitlyn thought Josh was more her style...he was playable material 24/7!!  Enjoy the pics!


Papa and the girls all ready for church.


Papa, Nanny and the girls.


Kaitlyn playing with the airplanes Papa and Nanny bought her for a treat.


Nanny and Jon...about 2.5 nanoseconds after Jon arrived! JK!


Okay, now let's get down to some serious business...MarioKart!!


Love the concentration on Josh's face!


Courtney's turn to concentrate.  Notice Nanny and Jon checking out the action?


Yep, Nanny is STILL holding Jon.


Let's get Papa in on the action! I think he got a strike!


Kaitlyn instructing Nanny...no, push this button.


I think Nanny has the hang of it now!


Yay! Mama, I got a strike!


Whoo Hoo!!  Papa definitely got a strike that time!


Okay, WHO is winding up the children when they are supposed to be going to sleep? Hmmm??


Courtney loves to wear her pj's rolled up...strange girl!


Jon grabbing chunks of Kaitlyn's hair for inspection.


PRETENDING to be asleep...yeah...right!


Hey guys, I checked...all them teeth are really Papa's!!  LOL


Drool Baby!


How many grandkids does it take to break Papa's back?!


Josh and Kaitlyn playing cars.


Ummm, I think Jon might be as big as Courtney!


Loving getting to love on her cousin!


Aunt Michelle being a BAD influence and letting Jon taste a french fry.


Yep, Nanny is holding Jon...AGAIN!

 
Courtney being goofy at the park.


Papa and the grandkids.


Papa, Nanny and the grandkids.


Nanny and the grandkids.


Courtney and Josh chilling on the swings.


Happy Baby!


See what I mean?!


Yay! I got him away from Nanny for Aunt Michelle turn!


Okay, not sure if they were playing soccer or trying out cartwheels!


Definitely soccer here.


And to close, this is what you do when your cousin is gone, you have spilled your Pixie Stix, you are bored and you dont want to waste any of it!!!

Okay, before I get beat up I will get some pictures put on this blog!  Sorry Chris!!!  Anyways, I am just going to put pictures at random of things the girls have been up to the last few months!  Enjoy!

SARAH PALIN RALLY!

The night before Election we went to a rally that Sarah Palin was speaking at and as we walked in the girls (looking just too darn cute!) were nabbed to sit on the stage behind Sarah!  Of course I sat with them and what a blast we had!


The plane as it arrived.  The rally was at a hangar at the airport.


During her speech.


Shaking hands afterwards.


Some friends and the girls and I at the rally.


Doug and the girls...the stage we were on is just behind them.


The girls and I.  It was such a positive experience for their first political rally!

HALLELUJAH NIGHT!

On Halloween, in an effort to avoid the perils of trick or treating in the Colorado cold, we have made it an effort to go to Hallelujah Night at New Life Church.  Of course this year it was lovely and warm and not Coloradoish at all!


Maybe I will be a butterfly...


I think I am definitely a butterfly...


Nope! I am a CLOWN! Definitely suits Kaitlyn's personality to a "T"!!!


Courtney never wavered...she wanted to be one big bad Pirate dudette!


Courtney and her friend, Sierra, made this costume with clothes off the clearance rack at Target! They had a blast making it!!


She certainly has the Pirate Attitude down pat!!


On their way into New Life with friend, Aspen...also a clown!


Kaitlyn was in 7th Heaven, they had pony rides!


The smile says it all!


Trying her hand at rock climbing with a little help from Baba.


Made it to the top and did the last part all by herself!!


Courtney and Aspen nabbed by the event photographer.


Courtney trying out the bungee jumping...many times! Getting "pointers" from the worker?!


And she flies...!!!!


Kaitlyn checking out the guy's job on her ropes...


She could hardly wait!


And away she flies!!!


Courtney and friend, Briona, they switched head gear! We told Courtney she was a Hippy Pirate!


A close up of two beautiful girls...before they made themselves scarce...AGAIN! Something about the age and a cellphone...never see them!


one last pic...the Cotton Candy Man!  Does he look a mess or what?!