Life in Colorado

We love where we live. We wish we were closer to family, but that's something we have to get over right now, I guess. Here are some pictures of life in our new home.

D loves wearing a coat and sunglasses. He puts up an impressive fuss when you try to take them off before he's ready.

D has a new thing where he makes everything a hat. Even food. (That's a carrot)

Mason wanted to look like a nun.

"Cave"

D does not like getting dressed. He's holding his PJs, crying to his reflection that he wants to still be wearing them.

When the snow melts enough for us to play, we love this playground!

D loves to see his face in a camera.

Showing off his new haircut.

This shop used a sucker, a car, a movie, bubbles, and a music toy to distract Donovan enough to cut his hair. We'll be going back.

We've found some fun playgrounds in the area. This one is a big pirate ship.

Daddy makes cinnamon rolls sometimes.

Watching the real big TV.

Frosting Face. He fell asleep about a minute after this picture was taken, cookie in hand.

Playing at Dick's Sporting Goods.

D has learned vertical exploration.

D has this amazing talent of plugging his nose with his upper lip. This is his pouty face. 

Side view.

Truck races.

Playing in a "cage." He roars like an animal. Love these boys!

The New House

We are in our new home. It's wonderful. The color on the outside is kind of "special," but who wouldn't want burnt salmon paint, you know?
We haven't really taken pictures of the house for the purpose of showing what it looks like, but here are some pictures of us in our first few weeks of moving-in chaos. Justin moved everything into the house by himself. I only helped stabilize things here and there while he carried it.
We love our new home. We love that we are together as a family again.

Unpacking the toy box was as exciting as Christmas Day.

We didn't have many kitchen supplies the first few days, so we got creative.

We had to be creative for entertainment, as well. Justin came up with this game.

Mason and Donovan found all the good hiding places in the house right away.

We have a great tub in our bathroom. The owner of the house was kind enough to leave some things behind, including her elephant curtains.

Can you see the rabbits? They watch us eat dinner sometimes.

We bought the boys new beds (one day we'll stack em, not yet). It took a few days for Donovan to actually sleep in the bed.

This was after his first full-night's sleep. Woohoo! He's a big boy!

The first snow day. Mason wanted to make a snow angel, but didn't want to wear gloves. This snow adventure didn't last very long.

D wasn't amused with the snow.

Another snow day, Mason wore gloves, and LOVED it!

D still wasn't amused. He refuses gloves.

After we play in the snow, we always drink hot chocolate. (If you heat up the dark chocolate almond milk, it tastes like heaven in a cup!)

The mall has a nice play area for snow/cold/rainy days. And it's only down the road! Woohoo!

We've already had a visitor- Melissa Pruneda (aka "Miss Wissa")

So the first few days we didn't have a table. No problem.

We let them watch TV sometimes. Lol. Remember when the big family TV was this size and black and white? I don't.

These were blankets and such that were used for packing. They were filthy. We found Mason in here before we got them washed.

Momma can't be on the ground without getting tackled.

On the Move: Road Trip Life

Here are some pics from the road trip across the country. I drove the boys, while Justin drove the moving truck, pulling the Honda on a trailer. We all stopped at a hotel halfway to South Dakota, then we made the second leg of the trip in one day.

Donovan found some cookies. Who can say no to a face like that?

It was his 18 month birthday, so why not celebrate with a cookie the size of his head. First he picked at all the chocolate candies in it, then he nibbled on that cookie for a good three hours, and then fell asleep with it, half-eaten, in his car seat.

This is the best McDonald's playground I've ever found. We've visited a lot, too. It's fun to find ones with unique themes. This had a piano slide that played the keys as you slid. The drums really drummed. And that's a red guitar on the ground, you can also play music on that.

And of course, they had to play chopstix. We're working on Heart and Soul.

On the Move: Stop in South Dakota

I packed up all our mini life in Alabama, and Justin came home two days before we moved and piled it all in the Penske truck we rented. I will miss being so close to family. And I will miss my friends in the south. I am excited to live in the same house as Justin again, so if that means leaving my friends and family behind to do so, then so be it. Here comes the next adventure!
On our way west, we stayed with Justin's family in South Dakota for about ten days. It was nice to be with his family. It was really, really cold. I've been to South Dakota at this time of year before, the first time I met Justin's family. It was cold then, too. Stacy was with me, and we almost died in a whiteout storm on I-80. I thought I'd promised myself to never drive through that part of the country in the winter again. Oh well. We did it. The windchill this time was negative twenty-seven degrees. I looked outside and it looked like glitter falling from the sky. Justin warned me that if the snow looks like that, you stay indoors. (And that was coming from an Eskimo!) I knew it had to be cold.
The last couple days warmed up for us, though. It was nice to see everyone again.

Daddy came home for good!

Our mini-life, all packed away and shoved in a corner.

In South Dakota, enjoying Daddy.

TV time

The Pantry Pencil Sharpener

Due to arctic temperatures, we sought indoor entertainment. Mason wanted to set up the pins HIS way.

It's warm enough to go outside!!!!!

Once we got out, Justin made sure to do one of his favorite pastimes-- yelling "I love you!" up the Yankton water tower.

Donovan only wanted to play on the oldschool playground equipment.

I felt really sick once we got to SD. So I took a test. I am pregnant! And I really was sick, too. Unfortunately, the rest of the house got sick as well. I'm just grateful it was a bug and not morning sickness!

And here is a music video for your enjoyment.