Biking, Bold, Broken, and one for Deena

Yup. It's broken. Yup, I'm awesome. My daugther had a broken ankle for a WEEK and I didn't know. In my defense, she continued to play, run, and just be crazy for the last half of that week. Also, in my defense, the girl is constantly wrapping an extremity in some sort of cast/sling/brace and pretending to have a broken arm/leg/hand/foot. I feel like SUCH a jerk. Seriously.
Keeler has some mad skateboard skills. He also thinks that anything you wear on your head is hilarious.

Keeler likes corn. :)

For Deena.

Pretty sure I made my friend Deena a bridal shower hat out of the exact cowgirl hat that Isabel is now refusing to take off. Made her dr's appointment fairly entertaining. :)

In front of the CU Boulder sign after the Bolder Boulder on Memorial Day. This plus a picnic at Grandma's have become an annual tradition. I ran with Allyson this year and set a new PR--49 minutes and some change!!

My favorite journal entry from Kindergarten (from several months ago). The spelling will tip you off that it is Isabel's entry...Milo refuses to write unless he is POSITIVE that he is spelling everything correctly.

Spring Summary

Too many pictures. Not enough organization. Tons of fun.

Here are the last 2+ months, in a nutshell. Let's see if I can hold your attention through this ridiculous number of pictures shall we?
Milo played soccer again and cemented his role as "cutest and most enthusiastic soccer player ever". That boy can CHEER. So, so funny. It melts this mama's heart to see her son do something that does not come easy to him and enjoy the heck out of it. He works so hard and practices so hard. He also scored a game goal this season (which promptly sent me into tears) and helped his team to another undefeated season--aided, of course, by the lucky matching sweatbands they all wore.

We all went to Moab with our friends (the Voorhies and the Bakers). Much fun was had and much rock climbing was done--by the twins and by Spencer.

Keeler loved the water in Moab but wasn't sure if he loved it quite enough to let go of Spencer's hand. Then again, he wasn't quite sure that he DIDN'T love it enough to let go of Spencer's hand. It was quite the conundrum.

Keeler also assured us (repeatedly) that is both adorable AND crazy. This boy is so cute, so busy, and so kooky.

Milo and Isabel were troopers on their hike to Corona Arch and Bowtie Arch. Brave too--that hike isn't easy-peasy (as they would say).

Spencer continued to be the cutest dad ever. Keeler loves this guy and it melts my heart! He also loves sunglasses. On. Off. On. Off. On your face. On his face. On. Off.

Kennedy, Milo, Isabel, and Sophie were very, very glad to be out of the dusty wind and in this lovely creek in a canyon in Moab. What being a kid is all about!

Isabel continues to be hilarious. Superstar anyone? She has gotten more and more imaginative and loves (as her teacher says) to just "put pen to paper and start writing away!". Spelling be darned.

Isabel, Milo, and Keeler hung out in this awesome fort on Mother's Day. Keeler loves to play right.in.their.business all day every day. Most of the time, they don't even mind.

Isabel realized all of her greatest dreams when she had her dance recital!!!! There were costume changes, puffy skirts, tiaras, stage lights, stage makeup, dress rehearsals and flowers. Need I say more? (Only to emphasize that I was soooo far outside my box in all of this. Stage makeup? Seriously? I had to call in help from my good friend Robyn because, apparently, I don't even know how to BUY the right makeup--let alone apply it.) Despite my parental shortcomings, she did so great, was so cute, and made us so proud.

Keeler discovered that spinning in circles WITH sunglasses on is even more fun than just spinning in circles. Have I mentioned that he is hilarious?

We all made a foray into Utah for the graduation of Aunty Mel (Grami Tami's oldest daughter). Isn't she babe-a-licious? Love that girl and so proud of her! There was also a super-duper-sleepover-with-Grami while we were there. Those two kiddos stayed up until 1 am (!!!) and had more fun in 14 hours than most people have in 14 days.

Isabel and Milo reverted to earlier years and started sharing a bed again--of their own free will. They were like 2 sardines in a very tiny can. Or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's grandparents. It was a passing fad but it was cute darnnit. (We also checked out the aforementioned movie to help them understand the reference. It freaked them both out (shocking) and Milo wanted to know what sort of special effects they used to "make those orange guys' arms and legs so short. Oh boy.)

Milo was a proud participant in the district art show. Love his sun right? (Isabel, the self-proclaimed, artist was more than a bit miffed that she did not have a piece in the show. Don't worry, she stifled her discontent long enough to be a good sport at the show.)

Milo and Isabel began playing outside every.waking.minute. "Can I go see if May and Spenc can play?" has become the intro to every day.

Erin continued training for her second marathon. Wowza. Doing a few things differently this time around and definitely enjoying the training more this time. Ran the awesome Platte River half-marathon with these great gals and had a 2nd best ever finish.

That's it. Phew.

It's our 6th time you know...

9 babies. Weighing in at just under 2 lbs to just over 6 lbs. 13 weeks early to 4 weeks early. All in our immediate families (aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings).

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This will be the 6th time we've gotten up on a Saturday morning in April and headed to a park. Or a zoo. Or a trail. It never gets any less personal or any less emotional. We've always started off with a cry. Listened to another family tell their story. About how their baby (or babies) was born too soon. About how they feared the worst. About how they cried. And prayed. Some rode in helicopters and some didn't know for days. All endured. And held their breath. And counted the ounces gained, heart rates dropped, days in the NICU. And their baby made it. Their baby is now 2. 4. 6. 9 years old. Most years we release balloons. Or doves. To remember those who did not survive prematurity.

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Then we start off together. Walking in a circle. Or walking there and back. This year it will be 5 lovely miles. And everyone has a connection to this. Their baby. Their patient. Their sister, niece, nephew, friend, grandchild. Had a baby prematurely or had a full-term baby who should have been healthy. But wasn't. Some got steroids, some got surfactant, some got inhaled nitric oxide, some got parent support. All benefitted.

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6 years ago we were afraid. We were engulfed. We were crying every. single. night. Because our babies were so small. Because our babies were born too soon. Our babies were in the intensive care unit where we had to sign in and out and show picture ID to see our babies and we had to talk in whispers and had to wash our hands while we sang the ABCs and had to ask questions like "how many times did his heart rate drop?" and "how blue was she though?". And had to fear the middle of the night phone call.

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On Saturday April 24th, we'll walk together for the 6th time. This is the March of Dimes biggest fundraisers of the year. Walk with us won't you? Can't walk? Donate to support by clicking on the link of the left side of the page.

Confessions of Teenage Bride

I was a teenage bride.

Ack. Can you believe it? Sometimes--okay, most times--I can't either. I know, I know. You're chalking it all up to our religion. "Ooohhhh, it's because you're Mormon." Um, guess again. Here's the tricky part--we were not involved with any church or religion at the time that we married. Oh sure, getting married at a younger age is more common in Utah, but still. I was NINETEEN. Ack. Did I say that already? ACK. That was not a very women's lib move for someone who has yet to even change her name.

Snowshoeing outside Steamboat Springs. Most fun we've had in ages. Sort of a scary-too-close-for-comfort-self-portrait. Sorry.

This adorable Mr. and I spent a lot of time talking about our marriage over the last week. We celebrated the big ELEVEN last weekend. Talk about lucking out right? Did you know that 60% of teenage marriages end in divorce within 10 years? Not a big shocker right?

We laughed about how, on paper, most people probably would have placed bets against us. How most people would have put us in a trailer park or would have put us in the same jobs we had when got married.

We laughed about how we had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA, NO CLUE, NO INKLING about what we were doing when we got married. I mean, seriously. NONE. We had no idea how hard it would be. We had no idea how crazy it would be. We had no idea what challenges would come our way. Or how blessed we would be. We just had no idea.

I guess maybe that's for the best?

Apparently, we are getting braver in our old age. This is the sign outside the hot springs above Steamboat. Remember how two years ago we went to one that made a point of telling all visitors that bathing suits were mandatory?? Lest your mind is getting away from you, do not fear. We high tailed it out of there so fast once the sun started to set! Trust me when I say that the people who were showing up at dark were a very interesting crowd.

Because, honestly, I can't imagine what my life would have been like if I had let this get away. If I had decided against it because it was too soon or we were too young or I was too scared (which I should have been and which we were and it was).

Oh sure, a few things may have been a bit easier or may have been a bit easier (school). But, we've agreed. We made each other what we are. We pushed each other, supported each other, trusted each other, and pushed each other some more.

Looking down on the springs. Don't strain your eyes. No nudies here.

I don't know exactly why we made it. Why we beat the odds. But, hard work has definitely been part of it. Faith eventually played a big role. Learning to disagree constructively is a big part. There's that whole love thing, of course. Anyway, I give him WAY more credit than me.

Eleven years. !!!!. Crazy. I love this Mr.. I love this marriage. Teenage bride or not, I wouldn't trade this for anything.

Birthday. Party. Pictures. Love.

Who needs to sit when you can stand 'n spin? So much more thrill.
One of my fave pictures ever. Love those eyes.

Messy fingers. Yummy cake.

Self-explanatory.

Suspicious. Highly suspicious.

Um, mom? That thing is on fire. Don't you think you should do something about that?

So much cuter in real life. Or maybe it wasn't. But the taste overpowered the lame exterior.

Playing with one of his 74 new bouncy balls that he got for his birthday.


Thanks to Sage for the amazing pictures as always. :)

Using two hands...

Six years old. SIX. Isn't that the age when you suddenly stop being "little" and truly enter the realm of "school age"? I don't know why this birthday was so tough for me (um, because I'm a wimp??) but I did so much reflecting and wondering where the time went...
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We did a few other things, of course.
In the morning there were new birthday outfits to open and wear, new metal lunchboxes (old school Star Wars and Hello Kitty), and packages from Grami Tami (which totally trumped the outfits and lunchboxes). We could barely tear them away from the fabric dolls (like paper dolls only made from fabric) and panda extravaganza she'd made and get them out the door for an early breakfast at our favorite restaurant in an old house, Lucille's.

They had freshly squeezed orange juice (which Milo deemed "too chunky") in tea cups, yummy french toast, all the homemade jam they could handle, and fresh buttermilk biscuits.

We took an assortment of fudgesicles to school for their birthday treat. When the class sang Happy Birthday to her, Isabel said "Well, I guess I'd better put this Fudgesicle down since now I have to use TWO hands to show you guys how old I am!". Seems like just yesterday they were excited to be using their WHOLE hand to show how old they were.

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When their teacher asked Milo why it took him 33 whole minutes to get here after Isabel (when they were born), he told her "Well, they had to cut me out 'cause my 'bilical cord tried to get out before me and that was a big mistake!". True story and hilarious to hear him tell it to a room of 5 and 6 year olds.

This year we (okay I) decided we would take a year off from the insanity known as "a friends party". Instead, we headed to Build A Bear and went wild. Milo made a panda in a soccer uniform and Isabel made a flourescent pink bear in a prom-circa-1995 ensemble--complete with a choker and black velvet pumps.

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They each got to pick a dinner menu for their birthday dinner. Milo chose the very gourmet Little Caesar's cheese pizza and Isabel chose bbq pork sandwiches with asparagus. No pictures of that but trust me, they were feeling pretty special being in charge of their own menu.

The weekend after their birthday we had a family party. We carried on the tradition of picking out their own cake and frosting flavors. Isabel, apparently, is a 30 year old in a 6 year old body because she wanted cheesecake (she even tried to talk me into Cheesecake Factory cheesecake). Milo, went for the more traditionally associated with his age group flavor of chocolate with chocolate frosting.

Oh this girl. She is constantly making us laugh and wonder--as in "where in the world does she come up with this stuff?". A few funnies from Isabel...

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Last night during family prayer, she asked me to please pray "that Milo could work on his attitude". WHAT?! Even funnier because he was so not having an attitude that evening.
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A few weeks ago on the way to soccer practice she laid this one on me, "Oh Mom, I forgot to tell you that we are out of bandaids. So, the next time you go to the store you'll need to put bandaids and soy milk on your list okay? (Pointing at me now) Can I count on you to do that?". Mind you, this was all said in a very team-spirit way. No snottiness at all.

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She got that cute little art desk in the picture above from my parents. As soon as she opened it, she ran to her room and set up a little art corner. Her joy turned to frustration when she couldn't figure out how to sit at her art "desk" in their little stool while still keeping the legs of the "desk" on the ground. Some clarification and convincing were required. She now believes us that it is meant to go over your lap while you're sitting on the ground or the couch.

Then there's this guy. His humor is so completely different than Isabel's.

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Milo has developed an affinity for nonfiction books. We've checked out every book on pandas in our library system. We've tapped the cheetahs too and we're now moving onto volcanoes and the human body. This love of science and facts has led to a few awesome Napoleon dynamite-esque comments that crack us up..."actually Mom the cheetah is the fastest land animal" and "did you know that burps and toots are the gas that builds up when your body breaks down food?". Hilarious.

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Our neighborhood school is a "wellness based curriculum". The twins, especially Milo, come home with all sorts of facts and goals with regards to healthy eating and exercise. Yesterday, Spencer was getting ready for work and Milo came into the bathroom panting.

Spencer: "Hey bud, what have you been doing? You're all sweaty."

Milo: "Just getting my heart rate up."

Spencer: "Oh yeah? Doing what?"

Milo: "Jumping on your bed. It's good for you to get your heart rate up Dad. It's called EXERCISE."

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Milo got new running shoes for his birthday and has, literally, worn them every waking second since then. He's also been busting out sprints anywhere and everywhere. Down our hallway. Across the backyard. Down aisles at the store. When we eventually catch up to him, he's fond of saying, "I totally smoked you!" and "Yup, these are definitely the fastest running shoes I've ever had!".

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So cute. So big. So can't believe that they are six.

Uno

(How 'bout that sabbatical eh? Wow. Season even bumped me to her list of "friends who never update their blog". Ouch. I'm workin' on it peeps. The computer is in the baby's room. 'Nough said? No? Okay. I'll be better. I promise.)

Turns out, Keeler loves tacos.

Emotion has filled this last week...I am one who feels so reflective on my kids' birthdays. I think of everything the last year (or six!) has held, everything the next year will hold, and everything that I will miss about the stages that are passing.

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This week I thought so much about the adoption process, the little miracles that brough Keeler to us, and his birthmom. So, so, much about his birthmom. And how this exciting and important day for us would be one of the hardest of her life. There were emails back and forth. Tears. A package from us to her (pictures, an album, a necklace with a charm for each of her kids including Keeler). And more tears. Knowing you've made the right decision doesn't make this easy. Prayers for her please? Thanks. :)

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Then there's this guy (see above). Oh my. How we love him! So crazy this boy!

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I love his walking (10 or so steps until he remembers how much faster crawling is).

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I love his talking (mama, dada, ball, shhhhh (that's 'shoes'), whassat, and ball, ball, ball, ball).

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I love his funny baby breath. I love his green eyes. I love that he looks so much like his birthmom but so much like us too. I love when people say he has my eyes.

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I love his fat feet. I love his blonde hair.

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I love that he got his eye teeth first (just like Isabel) and that his front middle teeth haven't quite caught up.

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I love that he beelines for the bathroom like he can sense that the door is open and that he can unroll the toilet paper faster than any adult. Ever.

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I love that he loves raisins and yogurt and bananas and pancakes. I love that he thinks that climbing on things is the funnest and funniest thing ever.

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I love that he dances to the Farmer Tad musical magnet.

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I love that he still sometimes smiles with his eyes closed and I love that he is a solid 12+ hour sleeper at night.

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I love that he loves his brother and sister SO much and looks for them as soon as he gets up in the morning.

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I love this boy. I mean, LOVE this boy. It seems impossible that our family was ever without him.

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Grami Tami put together a lovely collage and letter for Keeler on her blog. You should check it out. :)

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Birthday pics are coming...promise.