Happy Father's Day Brad!

Three little girls and one AMAZING dad!

They absolutely adore him and so do I :)

Memorial Day Weekend- Estes Park

We had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend!  We spent a few days in Estes Park with my parents.  The days were filled with hikes, golf, swimming, shopping, relaxing in the hot tub and yummy food.  Estes Park is gorgeous!  It was so much fun exploring the area.   

Hiking around Bear Lake 

in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

9th Anniversary

It was our 9th anniversary yesterday!  We celebrated with a romantic evening under the stars at Lake Arbor.  It was perfect.  The years have gone by so quickly... 3 kids, 5 moves in 3 states, undergrad, law school and a million other adventures.  I am so lucky to be married to the sweetest man in the world.  I love you Brad.  HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

9 years ago, love the poofy dress and the sideburns!

Anniversary gift: A beautiful picture of the

Mount Timpanogos Temple. 

A perfect gift on a perfect day.  Thanks Brad!

I LOVE IT. 

Tiny Town

This weekend we visited an ADORABLE little town in a beautiful mountain canyon southwest of Denver.  This cute little town is called "Tiny Town".  The town is made up of tiny little buildings with interiors decorated with miniature everything!  We went from building to building and house to house looking through windows.  A few of the houses were big enough for the kids to play in.  The girls LOVED it.  We also took a delightful train ride through the town and surrounding area.  It was a perfect afternoon for a family full of little girls. :)

Pearl Street

The girls and I went to Boulder on Monday to check out the tulips on Pearl Street.  Pearl Street is a popular Boulder hang out.  It is home to hundreds of beautiful tulips and part of the Boulder Tulip Festival in a few weeks.  So, I thought it would be the perfect spot for Ella's 2 year old pictures and a fun afternoon for the kids and I. When we arrived, Pearl Street was very crowded.  Surprising for a Monday afternoon.  I could barely get my stroller through the people.  After a while, I realized that we were standing in the middle of the National Marijuana Forum!  What a day to visit Boulder!  We were not able to take pictures of Ella and the tulips (used a red door at the mall on the way home), instead we found a "bubble fairy". She kept the kids entertained with bubbles while I enjoyed "people watching".  Very entertaining. :)

Happy Birthday Ella!

I can't believe it, our little Ella is 2 years old!  She is such a sweetheart.  We love her so much!

Ella LOVES being a little mom to her babies.  This is a gift from my mom and dad.  Ella is very protective of her new doll pram, the older girls can not even get close to it without her yelling "NO, MINE!"  Yesterday, Addison and Olivia set up a trap with a jump rope to pull it away without Ella knowing, she was frantic and very upset. They thought that it was hilarious. Poor Ella, what a little cutie. 

Our family gift to Ella was a Kelty backpack for hiking.  We love to go to the mountains on Saturdays and we have really needed this to carry Ella.  We went to Boulder this afternoon to try it out.  She loved riding on her dad's back and we loved having her safe and secure.  

We invited the Westhoff fam to party with us in Boulder.  The trail we wanted to hike was closed, so the kids had fun climbing rocks, eating cupcakes and playing in the canyon.  

Coloring Easter Eggs Naturally

Today, we went to the Whole Foods Market to learn how to dye eggs naturally. The girls each dyed an egg in the color of their choice and made a cute (recyclable) basket for their egg to rest. Our kids were fascinated by the process. They could not believe that fruits and vegetables were making their eggs colorful.   The colors were vibrant and beautiful.  At the end of the class, the girls were able to fill their baskets with a variety of flavorful organic jelly beans. Yum! 

 Sweet Ella- loves her new basket  

Ella's yellow egg- dyed in turmeric.

Natural Egg Dyes:

Simmer 2 Tbsp white vinegar with ingredient below for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before immersing eggs.  Let egg soak in dye bath for 5-10 minutes.

Pink-  12 oz. cranberries

Red-   4 cups chopped beets 

Blue-  chopped red cabbage

Yellow- 3 Tbsp turmeric

Lavender- 4 cups blueberries

From Sun to Snow

Just 5 days ago we were in Phoenix, relaxing by the pool in 90 degrees of sunshine.

Today, in Denver, we are in the middle of a BLIZZARD!  The weather man is reporting 15-19 inches of snow in the metro area!  I can not believe it.  The snow has been thick since 9:00 a.m. and the blowing and drifting is out of control...a total whiteout at times.  It is so bad, we can't go anywhere (it's Spring Break).  Where is Spring?   I put our snow clothes in storage a few weeks ago.

Ahhh, those were the days!

Addison...dreaming of Arizona.

Visiting Beautiful Arizona

We are currently in Arizona.  Brad is watching the Dodgers (his favorite team) at this years Spring Training. While he is with his buddies at the baseball field, the girls and I will be at the pool enjoying the warm weather.

Our trip began early yesterday morning.  On our way, we stopped at one of my favorite places in the world...the Navajo Reservation in sunny Arizona.  I lived on the reservation several years ago as I served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I can not tell you how much I love to visit this beautiful area and the amazing people that live there.  Brad and the girls had a good time exploring the reservation and learning a little bit more about Native American culture.  

Olivia and Addison in a Hogan-

Primary traditional 

home for the Navajo people.

Before we arrived on the reservation, I promised the girls that we would stop at my favorite trading post to buy them each a Native American doll.  They were eagerly anticipating our arrival.  On the way,  I taught them how to say hello(ya'at'eeh) and thank you(ahe'hee') in Navajo.  They practiced and practiced and practiced (so adorable).  When the time finally arrived to use their new words they were too nervous to say them. :)

Olivia- proud of her 

precious new doll.

Hammond's Candy Factory

We took a trip to a local candy factory.  On our way, as I listened the kid's excitement, it was clear to me that they were anticipating a "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" experience.  In fact, Olivia said, "Mom, if they ask me to eat grape gum, I will say no because I don't want to blow up into a big grape."  Cute.  

It was so much fun to see all of the candy, how it is made and try a few flavors.  It really was fascinating.  When we arrived at home, Addison asked if she could make some candy (pink suckers).  So, we gave it a try.  It was our first attempt at making candy and probably our last. :) It was a messy, sticky process. But, in the end she was very proud of herself.   

Kenna, Addison, Addyson & Olivia

waiting for the tour to begin.

Exploring candy heaven.

Addie's pink suckers

Bloomba! Fort Collins, Colorado

The girls and I visited Fort Collins on Friday.  Our friends, Heather and Joe Widdison, own Bloomba- a cute, trendy play center and yummy cafe.  It was a blast.  If you are ever in the Fort Collins area, you must stop by and check it out. Click here for more info.  My girls loved it and were entertained all afternoon.  I was able to sit back, relax and enjoy the delicious food (I recommend the Turkey Applewood Panini YUM!).  Heather, thank you SO much.  I was very impressed by your creation. :)

Good times in the Mile High City

Today we decided to spend the day in downtown Denver.  Our first stop was the Capitol Building.  The girls and I toured the building earlier in the week and they loved it so much, they were anxious to show their dad.  On the 18th step, of the west entrance, we found the official spot that marks Denver exactly  "one mile above sea level".  

We spent the afternoon strolling down Denver's 16th Street Mall.   It is located right in the heart of downtown.  It is 16 blocks of popular shops, street vendors, restaurants, and entertainment.  It is a lot of fun and the best part is the free "MallRide" (bus).  Because it is a mile of shopping, you can travel on a bus from one end to the other, with many stops in between.  This was the highlight of the day.  Our girls could have skipped the whole shopping experience just to stay on the bus.  Kids are so easy to please. :)

To My Valentine

This is our 10th Valentine's Day together and once again I woke up to an overabundance of flowers and valentine surprises.  Thank you for making this day perfect year after year! 

I LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU, LOVE YOU!!!!! You are the most thoughtful, kind man I know. Not just today, but everyday. You never cease to amaze me.  Happy Valentine's Day! 

Happy Birthday Olivia!

Our little Olivia turned 4 this weekend!  We had a ladybug birthday party with some of her cute little friends. Olivia is such a bright light in our family, she has the cutest personality and is SO sweet. We love her so much! I wish she would slow down, she is growing up too fast!  

Riverfront Park

Friday was a beautiful day.  The weather was awesome!  My friend Megan and her kids joined us in Riverfront Park for a walk along the Platte River in Denver's lower downtown area.  The kids enjoyed hanging out on the bank of the river gathering shells.  We had a fun afternoon playing and exploring the area.  After a cold couple of weeks, it was nice to be outside enjoying the sunshine again.

Boulder, Colorado

Childhood Treasures

I love the weekend.  Since our move to Colorado, we have spent the weekends exploring Denver Metro...museums, parks, trails and attractions.  We love it.  There is so much to do and so much to see.  Today we decided to venture to Boulder, Colorado.  A new favorite, just 18 short miles from our home.  Boulder downtown is awesome.  So many fun shops and restaurants.  We stopped in Settlers' Park, it contains a network of trails that take you through beautiful red rock.  It was really fun.  At the trail head, we read information about the area.  We learned that this was an area rich in gold for early settlers.  After hearing that, our girls were determined to find gold!  Along the trail, they stopped every five feet to dig for their treasure.  They found several rocks that contained "sparkles of gold and diamonds" (little girls are so cute).  We look forward to visiting Boulder again soon.  Next time I won't be wearing 3 inch heels- not so fun to hike in. :) 

Birthday Boy

We had so much fun celebrating Brad's birthday this weekend.  For his birthday gift, the girls decided that he needed more "prince clothes" for work.  They are so cute and they LOVE their dad so much!   The highlight of his birthday was a trip to a Vietnamese Restaurant that Brad has been wanting to visit for a while.  Brad loves Vietnamese food, he served the Vietnamese on his mission in Australia.  Our little girls thought that it was neat to try some new dishes and hear their dad speak Vietnamese.  Addison said, "Mom, this food is way more exciting-er than our food at home!" :)  I think she is probably right.

This blog has been seriously neglected! The holidays were so busy and so much fun, no time to blog. I can not believe that it is already 2009. I love the start of a new year. Brad's back to a normal work week, Addison starts school tomorrow, and the 2 little girls and I are beginning our busy weekly routine. It was so great to relax and hang out as a family during the holidays. We really loved it. Wish it could have lasted a bit longer. :)

Chasing Ella

This sweet little girl loves to run away and she thinks that it is hilarious!  I love to take the girls out and about each day to visit new places and Ella really makes it an adventure.  We chase her the whole time.  She loves to tease and saying, "No, Ella" makes her laugh.  She's a little cutie and brings a lot of fun to our family.