Another Weekend of Fun

 This weekend when the kiddos were here we had a great time:

• building forts, 
• enjoying yummy food, 
• playing at Ballocity, 
• going to an all-you-can-eat waffle fundraiser for some students, 
• movie on the big screen at dad's school, 
• church, birthday party for Great-Grandpa's 91'st birthday, 
• and of course, NFC & AFC Championship football games!

Fort Building in the Living Room 

20 Waffle Irons for the Waffle Man Fundraiser

Yum!

Everyone enjoyed their waffles for supper!

Christmas 2011

We spent the Christmas holiday with Titus' family in Eudora / Kansas City, KS.  While we didn't snap too many shots this year, we did have a great time with all the family on Christmas Eve and a great, low-key day on  Christmas Day.

Abe with his new BB Gun

Grandma Nancy and all 10 grand kids

Nancy and her four children

Titus & Abe early Christmas morning

Estes Park on New Years Weekend

We spent a lovely night in Estes Park when in Colorado for New Years.  The day in RMNP was windy and cold - but still beyond beautiful.  We visited all the places that mean so much to us.  Where we were engaged, where we were married, the cabins that our family have stayed in for over 30 years.  It was a truly relaxing day.  So glad we were able to make the trip.

The Alluvial Fan - where we were engaged.  

Bundled up for Sprauge Lake

The Cold & Windy side of the lake

Happy 7th Birthday, Abraham!

This last week Abraham turned 7 years old!  To celebrate, we watched the K-State Bowl game, ate pizza, and cheered them on with our friends Keith & Becca!  Even though they didn't win, we had a great time celebrating Abe!  

Abe's Mater Colossal Cookie!

Blowing out 7 candles!

Art Museum

Before leaving Kansas City we took a trip to the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum.  Admission is free to this beautiful multi-story, two-building museum.  We enjoyed several hours of viewing art from all different cultures and time periods.  There were interactive options for families in many of the galleries.  But one of our favorite parts of the museum is the awesome sculpture garden outside.

Abe rolling down a hill in the sculpture garden

One of four giant shuttle-cocks at the museum

Abe, Titus, and "The Thinker"

Creating their own art in the sculpture garden.

Titus and I 

This was our favorite piece in the garden

Just hanging out

Just lovely day for the end of December

Busy Little Elf

Last night I wrapped our Christmas presents.
Now, I have to pack them up and take them with us.
Oh, well.  They were nice to look at for a night!

Snow Day!

The stock tank was frozen solid!

Madi's snow fort; using the sled as a shield.

Abe's snow fort.  He said that sign would make the snowballs slow down .

Check out the massive snow ball Madi is throwing!

Love snow ball fight and snow forts.

Our Favorite Place to Be

Estes Park has always been, and will always be, a very special place to me and my family.  Every Labor Day weekend, since I was two years old, we have enjoyed this fantastic weekend retreat.  And in 2009, Titus & I were married there.  So every year when we return, we have new memories to make and a new reason to celebrate.  

Coming up on 2 years

I cannot believe we are about a week away from celebrating our 2nd Anniversary. While this will be a busy week leading up to our annual Labor Day Weekend in Estes Park, and the celebration of our second anniversary, I am very excited about what all this will mean for us this weekend.

Estes Park has long been a sanctuary, a retreat for my family. And now I am able to share that experience with my husband and the kiddos. What a rare and wonderful treat to pass along the tradition to my own family. I never thought I would be able to do that. And since Titus and I weren't alone in getting married, Madi & Abe were there with us, as a family on that wedding day, it is a joy to have them celebrate that side of the weekend as well.

As for our actual anniversary, I have no elaborate plans. We will spend our budget on the trip. But I do have a special gift in the plans, if I find the time to make it happen. My husband is to great to not honor in some special way.

As for now - I will return to work (lunch time is over) and continue plotting and blogging later.

Settling In

July brought us many more changes. With a bittersweet heart we moved our lives from a two-home family to a one home family. Titus got a new job in Kearney and we moved all of our belongings from Bridgeport and our Arapahoe apartment into a home in the country west of town about eight miles.

Mostly we are settled in. After five weeks of unemployment and driving my husband and family nuts, I am now working at a great church. It is very similar to where I worked before. In many ways I feel like I have come back home...minus the mountains.

Last night I walked down our driveway and looked up at the night sky. Stretched before me was a dark expanse of sky littered with stars. I just stood there, rotating around in every direction marveling at the beauty just above my head. We never saw stars like that living in town. And they are there every night for us just outside our front door.

And there is beauty all around our place. Just look at some of the pictures taken by Madi & I at the amazing beauty just outside our door.