Catching up ~ Spring 09

Happy Easter!!

Family Easter Picture.

John & his buddies Lake & Karsten after their Easter egg hunt.

Playing with dad at the indoor water park.

A shot of the indoor water park we went to for a family outing on a cold, rainy spring day -- sooo fun!

Look what I cut mom! (Note the chunk of hair missing on John's forehead).

After our last spring snow melted, there was a lot of water just pooled up in various places and it was really hot, so John and some friends took a dip in the little lake that had formed in the sand volleyball court at the park.

My friend, Melissa & I (and her daughter, Sara) ~ she is due 2 weeks before me with another girl.
A classic of Spiderman at the zoo with a lollipop.

John & Isaiah on the teeter-totter.

John & Tyler having fun with Sara's baby dolls & strollers at our Playgroup Family Spring Party. :)

This is John's favorite babysitter, Megan.

Just scootin' along...

Snowmen, Scooters & Friends

With the crazy spring snow we had this year, we finally had a chance to build a snowman.

John is having a blast learning how to use the scooter that Nana & Papa gave him for Christmas.

Out for a ride with Isaiah and Spiderman.

We love our friends ~ John, Mercy & Isaiah.

Blast from the past ~ Isaiah, Mercy & John in June 2007!

Spring Blizzard '09

I didn't think winter was actually coming to Colorado this year...but, alas, she came with a furry. We ended up with about 18" of snow, which more than doubles the amount of snow that fell in Boulder all winter! John has had a blast playing in it and getting the most out of our big snowfall of the year! Since we were snowed in, we decided to focus some time on potty training. John is quite excited about his new 'big boy underware' that both his Grammy and Nana gave him, which you can see him 'modeling' in the last picture. :)

Happy New Year!

Whew! Life sure has been crazy over the past month with Ben losing his job, the job search beginning, and the holidays. We enjoyed having my parents in town over Christmas and the chance to rest & refocus a bit before the new year began and we really had to face what the unknowns of our new situation. I will update my blog from time to time, but will be lucky to get a 'picture of the month' up vs. a 'picture of the day'. Oh well...so much for good intentions. :)

John turned 3 on Jan. 7th and is jumping into little boyhood with both feet (and Spiderman light up shoes on those feet to boot). He said to me when he was sad that I had to leave for work (at Panera), "But I'm ok mommy because my Spiderman light up shoes make me feel better.' Ahhh, the days when it was that easy for our problems to be resolved. He had been talking about getting those shoes for months and finally Grammy came to town and saved the day. He had actually convinced himself that his other pairs of shoes light up, but he is more than thrilled to have the real thing!

We have no news on the job front. Ben is working hard looking for a job, follow-up leads & getting his resume out there. Once he is officially finished with his job on Jan. 17th, I will increase my hours a bit at Panera to help make ends meet. We are trying to make the best of this unexpected and challenging situation, while remaining grateful for the support of our friends & family and hopeful in God's love, grace, provision & plans.

Here is our family picture from Christmas Eve, which I would have used for a late Christmas card picture had I sent one. :)

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!