My Mexico Pics... Finally!

Our little camera is terrible but it sure was fun for our underwater photo ops.
Thanks again, Amy & Spence, for a fabulous trip.

My summer's saving grace and the kids new replacement friends...
Before:

And
After:

Thanks so much Brent and Hunter.
The 16 hours spent building it have almost
been recouped in time spent playing on it.

Elsie at 1

Holly took pictures of Elsie while she was waiting for Katie to feed Drew so she could finish his newborn pictures. Thanks so much Holly for the cute impromptu photos. Oh, how I wish I had your camera, oh and your skill wouldn't hurt.

More of Utah

My mom was so thoughtful and threw a party for Elsie on Sunday, May 24th.

She had a cake, a pinata, presents and even games.

The kids had so much fun and it was nice to have a party at my

grandma's since that was always what we did the Sunday before a birthday.

I love my grandmas and it was nice to be able to go there two Sunday's in 

a row since we went out for Memorial Day weekend and then Katie

went into labor on Memorial day as we were driving home so...

I got to fly back to SLC with Elsie that Saturday to help Katie with her darling new baby.

Anyway, thanks, Mom, for a fun party!

There is no place like Nana's house

Ayla.

Oh, how she makes me smile.

Elsie Jayne turns 1.

Elsie Babe turned 1 on May 29th, the same day the Elmores moved. It was a good thing she had no idea what was going on and she slept the day away as usual.

We love this girl.  What else can I say? She is the easiest, happiest, mellowest, softest, cutest, most flexible baby.  I love it when she says "hi" or "ickle, ickle" as she grabs someone or when she laughs out loud but most of all I love it when she says, "mama and reaches for me and snuggles into my neck.

Utah Trip

Zoo Fieldtrip

Backtracking

 I hate posting out of order but I had to this time so now I will go back and post the things I missed, the things that happened before the Elmores left.

We went to Garden of the Gods with Amy, her kids and her friend from Utah, Karla.  

We knew the time would come when we would have to say goodbye to the Elmores.  It came faster than we expected or had hoped. It isn't very often that you find a family that both spouses get along with both spouses, but this is what we had in the Elmores.

When Amy and I met for the first time it was at Bunco 6 years ago before she had even moved to Ohio.  I didn't know who she was then or even talk with her much then.  The next time we officially met was when I was on bed rest with Sienna.  I needed a haircut in a bad way but couldn't go anywhere so Jenn Orme mentioned Amy and she agreed to come to my house and cut my hair.  After that we see each other at card club and other group activities and she would do my hair.  I remember the last time we saw them in Ohio very clearly.  We had a few families over to our house for one last batch of Brent's cobbler before we moved and the Elmores were one of the only families still there.  Hunter and Kayla had hit if off, Brent and Spencer were talking animatedly and Amy and I were chatting and I remember as they stood to go the thought clearly entered my mind, "In another time and place we could be really good friends."  I felt a surprising sense of sadness as we said goodbye to them that night, as if we had missed out on a great friendship that should have been.  I even told Brent about it that night.  I felt very strongly that Amy and I could have been really great friends.

Was it foreshadowing? It must have been.  When the Elmores moved to Colorado Springs I hoped they would live near by.  I would say that 4 houses down would qualify. It was from the very beginning, the very first day they arrived that we had something special.  We had something that not everyone finds even once in a lifetime.  We found great, great friends in Ohio, but there were so many that we almost took it for granted.  To find that kind of friendship outside of the school atmosphere and outside of Ohio was such a pleasant surprise.

The last two years with the Elmores have been just that.  The Elmores.  We have done nearly everything together from our first trip to Breckenridge to our last trip to Mexico.  We will truly miss them.

On the day it came time to say goodbye, Elsie's Birthday, there were tears shed by many which was of no surprise.  I was shocked however to hear Brent's voice choked up as he told Sienna to wave goodbye, and then as I looked at him I saw the tears in his eyes. I can remember only a select few times in our marriage that Brent has cried(when he thought his Grandpa wouldn't make it out of the hospital, and when each of our children were born) so it was then that I knew this was serious.  It was real.  I asked Brent if he was crying and he choked out, "Yes, I can't watch Sienna so upset."  It was then that I realized that Sienna was silently sobbing.  I grabbed her and we plunked down on the grass and cried together as I held her and buried my face in her hair.

I would like to end there because that is where our feeling still are but life goes on.  I left the next day for Utah to help Katie with her new baby and the kids went through withdrawals without me but with the babysitter.  It really didn't hit me that our friends were no longer near us until Katie was talking on the phone to her friend Kandice that lives in Ohio.  Kandice told Katie that she was watching Kayla, Avery and Evan and it was then that the pang hit.  They really were in Ohio and not Colorado.

So as I get fatter just realize that I not only lost my workout partner but my sounding board as well, so my need for chocolate will no  doubt increase.

Funnies

While driving in the car last week.

Sienna:  Ayla, you get to go to preschool next year.

Ayla:  Yeah!

Hunter:  You don't learn anything in preschool.  All you do is color and make stuff.

Sienna:Yeah, and you learn how to be away from your Mom and Dad. 

Tonight:

I am in Utah helping my sis, Katie with her new baby.  Brent took the kids to see UP! and on the way home he asked the kids what they were going to do when they got home.

Sienna:  We are going to get our pajamas on, brush our teeth, and if we can't find our babas then we will look for them, and then go to bed.  

I am glad she know the routine!

I miss my kiddos.

The Cliff House with the Elmores

This is my last post to steal from Amy. My blogging is seriously lacking and now it is going to get even worse with her gone.  I will post more about them leaving at another time when I can do it without balling my eyes out.

Anyway, one of our last dates with the Elmores was to the Cliff House in Manitou Springs and we had fun walking around the cute town afterward and trying to find a yummy dessert. We ended up going to Marigold's by our houses and ordering cheesecake. It was a great time as always.

We thought this would be our last date but ended up fitting in a night to see Terminator and then another night to our favorite place and also the first place we hung out when they came to the Springs, Zio's.

Here is the slideshow Amy put together from her pics of our trip to Riviera Maya.  More to come soon.  As you can see it was beautiful and we had a fantastic time. Amber and Eric left today and the kids were so sad to see them go, as was I. They are so great. Good luck driving home in the snow.  We love you guys.  And to the Elmores... well, that was one great trip all the way around and all I can say is that when you move and I am feeling sad and lonely, these pics will surely help cheer me up.  Thanks for being such great friends.

More Funnies

I told Sienna to hold still and not move while I was doing her hair the other day and her reply was, "But can I blink and breathe?"  I had to hold back my laughter.

Ayla just came and told me that there are monsters in her room. 

Me: "Did you say hi and ask them to play?"

A:  "No, he is  a mean monster. He said, he won't plaayyy with me. He went home."

Me:  "Oh, so then you can go back to bed then."

A:  "Will you take me to bed, Mama?" So I did for the third time.

Ayla earlier today.

Me: "Ayla get off the table, please."

Ayla in a very soft and sweet voice: "Not right now, Mama."

Gotta love kids.