Summer Visitors

This past week we had the pleasure of having my mom and brother visit! My mom stayed for 10 days and my brother for 4! As always, my mom was up for some Colorado adventures! And we spent a lot of time chasing after and playing with Nolan! He has taken off over the past few weeks and is also saying so many new words, so it was perfect timing for them to be here! Brother- thanks for coming for a summer vaca- 

Nolan LOVES you! 

Whenever my mom comes to visit she completely spoils us! She cooks, cleans, bakes, does laundry, takes us out to eat, and cares for Nolan. This time she even cleaned my refrigerator! We have a blast just hanging around the house and being together- doing normal Mother/Daughter things! 

We wish she lived here and that we could spend time together all the time! Thanks mom for a wonderful visit! When Nolan woke up from his nap today he said, "Where'd go?" and looked around for you. He misses you already- "Ba, 'A-ma!" 

(Bye Grandma!)  

It's a...

BOY! 

We can't believe it! I'm officially outnumbered 3 to 1 in this house! We had our 20 week ultrasound yesterday. Everything looks healthy and strong! Our little baby boy was moving like crazy and even had the hiccups! It is always so fun to see him in action and to hear that all looks well. We are so blessed to have two boys to raise to know God, serve others, respect and love the women in their lives, and of course-play sports and get dirty! Mark is looking forward to more blue and even more- balls! I can only hope and pray that my boys turn out to be as great of a man as Mark is! Some pictures and a video from our Dr.'s visit are below! In the quick video, you can see his heart beating, watch him hiccup, and turn his head!  

After our appointment we made lots of phone calls and went home to tell Nolan and my mom! She had made cupcakes during the day, so we frosted them blue, added some "boy" sprinkles, and brought them over to surprise Mark's family at dinner! 

I can't wait to start doing some planning now! Thinking about Nolan's big boy room, buying a few new things for the baby, and finalizing his NAME! We'll keep you posted! 

PEZ

My Dad sent us a Cubs PEZ dispenser in a fun package from my family last week! And it has proven to be great motivation for our wobbly walker. Nolan is still teetering around and not choosing to walk all the time, but he LOVES when we cheer and clap for him when he is successful. Here's a clip from our evening together tonight. Mark was at baseball so we picked up Chick-fil-a for dinner and had a blast playing, walking, reading, and having a bath. The video is a bit shaky and dark, but I had to set the camera up myself! Although, you do get a peek at my prego belly in all it's glory! I work tomorrow, but then I have 5 days off- Ahh, the life of a part-time teacher! We are looking forward to our visit from Grandma and Uncle T. on Wednesday! Check him out! 

You're a Grand Ol' Flag

We had a fantastic 4th up at the Bosch Family cabin! We did all the usuals- the parade, eating, game playing, tractor rides, and fireworks! Nolan had a blast and was a filthy sticky mess in the end! He was so tired he actually feel asleep 15 minutes into the fireworks. Check out the pics below from a great day in the foothills. 

Nolan rode in his 1st Indian Hills parade! Last year he just watched from the road. I don't think he understood why in the world we would throw away all the candy! But he sure enjoyed a lolly pop and tootsie roll along the way! 

Uncle Dave bought Nolan popsicles just his size! 

The Barker Fam's dog- Roscoe. Nolan LOVED hugging, kissing, and snuggling up with him all day! We are doomed! 

Driving the tractor with Uncle Ken

Nolan had a blast trying to keep up with the big boys all day! Josh and Jake are great older cousins and take such good care of him! 

Enjoying some sparkler fun- despite the great smoke out of '09. 

Watching the fireworks right above our heads from the comfort of the cabin driveway! It's a perfect location! 

Start Spreading the News!

Exciting stuff has been going on around here! Not only is Nolan up and moving a little, but we are also expecting another little one! December is going to be one busy month for us! The new baby is due December 7th, Christmas the 25, and Nolan's birthday is December 30th! We like a crazy life I guess! 

We are super excited about the new addition to our family! And so is Nolan. He loves watching babies and smiling at little girls. He kisses my belly when we ask where the baby is. I think by the time this baby is born he will be a great helper as well. 

Here is an ultrasound picture from my 12 week appointment. The baby has been super active and has had a fast heart rate. I've felt great and the baby bump is starting to grow. We think that the baby looks just like Nolan did at 12 weeks, except maybe a bit smaller- more petite. So maybe it's a girl? Or maybe just a regular size baby boy. What do you think? 

Every good and perfect gift comes from you, Father of lights. James 1:17

Step by Step

Big news around this house! Nolan FINALLY took his first steps! We have been patiently (sometimes) waiting for Nolan to be ready to walk. He is definitely a boy who wants to do things his way and in his time! We have worked hard in PT the past 6 months and have made great progress! He is such a joy to us daily- sitting, crawling, scooching, whatever! But the pride these parents felt, when he decided that Sunday was the day to start moving in the upright position, was immeasurable! 

We dropped Nolan off at Uncle Wes and Aunt Cara's house for the afternoon. Mark and I went to a movie and ran errands while Nolan slept. When he woke up, Cara was at the mall and Brady was sleeping, so Uncle Wes and Payton decided it was a good time to practice walking. Nolan has been an expert at walking everywhere- as long as he could hold on to someone's hand, the wall, a chair, etc. But he never wants to take the risk to do it on his own. He has become quite fast at crawling and getting anywhere he needs to go on his knees- it's easier for him, no matter what the surface- gravel, concrete, sand, grass, etc. So why should he have to walk? 

 After our movie, we were in Walmart looking for some back to school deals, when Wes called us and said, "Dude, Nolan just walked a few steps across the room to me!" You can imagine our surprise and disbelief when we heard those words. It was probably just a fluke right? Well, we rushed over to see with our own eyes. And although, he's super wobbly, and doesn't choose to walk every time, and needs some MAJOR motivation (a.k.a.: food or live animals- 2 of his favorite things), HE DID IT! 

 Check it out below! Thanks Uncle Wes for helping out! And thanks to everyone who has been praying for him and for us in this journey! Keep it up- we still have a long way to go. But his confidence and strength are building and we know it's only a matter of time before he's zipping around the house on two feet, instead of his knees, butt, or whatever crazy method he decides to try at the time! We love our little guy for his unique, funny, stubborn, cautious, and just so darn cute self! 

Cancun Baby!

We got back last Sunday from 10 EXCELLENT days in Cancun, Mexico. We went with Mark's whole family and had a wonderful week together! The weather was great, the pool was warm, the beach was fun, Happy Hour was a blast, and the company- the best part! Nolan is one lucky boy to have been out of the country before 2 years of age! He is an experienced traveler and did awesome! He loved every second of it! Thanks Mom and Dad Jansen for a vacation we'll never forget!

 

6 years and going strong!

This Saturday Mark and I will celebrate our 6th Wedding Anniversary! When we look back at our years together we really can't believe how fast time flies by! 4 years of dating + 6 years of marriage = 10 years of fun & happiness! Here's a look back...

Where it all began: 

Sealed with a Kiss! 

June 20, 2003

Our 1st Anniversary: celebrating at Grand Timber Lodge, Breckenridge, Colorado

2nd Anniversary: Sailboat ride on Lake Michigan- Downtown Chicago

3rd Anniversary: Soakin' up the Sun in Cancun Mexico

4th Anniversary: We finally ate our cake topper...just a little late! 

5th Anniversary: Back to Breck! 

And this year...here's where we'll be...

Mark, I love you! Happy Anniversary and here's to many more! XoXo

Snip Snip Snip

Nolan has always had a lot of hair! We cut it for the first time around 9 months I think. Mark has always just used the clippers on him and buzzed it short each time that it has gotten long and shaggy. But as he has gotten older he has gotten more difficult to trim ourselves. He moves every time the clippers get close to his ears, and it's hard to get the nape of his neck. So since we are going to Cancun next week we wanted to keep it long on top so that he doesn't burn his scalp. Not trusting our own abilities to cut his hair with a scissors, I decided to take Nolan to get his 1st official hair cut! 

We went to Cool Cuts for Kids! A great place but expensive for a kids hair cut! Nolan got to pick out a DVD to watch- he chose "Mo Mo"a.k.a. Elmo! He sat in a Fire Engine seat, spun the steering wheel, watched his movie, and didn't say a peep! Much easier than the 3 ring circus we go through to cut his hair at home! And at the end as they trimmed the hair around his ears and neck he got to have his very 1st sucker! He knew just what to do with it as the hair dresser gave him the stick- pop it right in his mouth and suck away! He loved it and was a cute sticky mess in the end! Nolan's new 'do turned out great! He looks like such a big boy now! Check it out!

 

"Where my Dog at?" - Trey Sloothaak

Our dear friends the Sloothaaks came to visit for the week! They made the long trek across the country from Zeeland, Michigan to Parker, Colorado. Trey and Rowan did great on the ride! John and Jill were tired, but ready for a week FULL of fun! We were busy chasing kids, changing diapers, calming tantrums, feeding hungry bellies, playing hard, taking trips, and doing a LOT of laughing! The boys L-O-V-E each other and Nolan just cracks up at every funny face or silly saying Trey makes (hence the title of this post)! The video below is of all of our adventures. It's long, but I just couldn't leave out one single second! 

Jill and I were the best of friends in college, the four of us have enjoyed our newly married time together, and now we are having a blast creating memories with our families! We hate that we live so far apart, but every time we are together it's as if no time or distance has come between us! We can't wait for more family vacations in the future- a couples cruise, Disney, the possibilities are endless! Enjoy! 

School's Out for Summer!

School's out and Nolan and I are sure enjoying our summer days together! My school friends who are still teaching asked me the other day what we have been doing since A-Track has been off, and I really didn't know how to answer. I feel like we have been so busy, but I can't really put my finger on what it is we have been doing. Cleaning, running errands, shopping, playing hard, visiting friends and family, practicing walking- and REPEAT! 

We are preparing for our great friends the Sloothaaks to come visit for the week. They are driving out this evening from Michigan with 2 kids under 2 1/2. We are going to spend 3 days of their visit in the mountains relaxing, swimming, playing, and eating well! It will be so good to be together. Then I'll have a couple of days to pack and get ready for our trip to Cancun with Mark's family! So we definitely have a LOT to look forward to! 

I posted some pictures below of what we have been up too, not too exciting, but LIFE...I'm sure we'll have some good ones of our upcoming fun! 

Great Grandma Verna came into town and spent the day with us! She's still flying at 88...pretty impressive! 

We took Payton and Brady to my school's "Spring Fling" carnival! They loved their snow cones!

And Nolan LOVED his cotton candy! 

I was emptying the dishwasher and turned around for probably about 5 seconds and look what Nolan decided to do! "What mom?" 

Mark, Wes, and Bruce road in the Elephant Rock on Sunday- a 62 mile bike race! Gettin' buff for Cancun! 

Memorial Day at Bozo Farms

For Memorial Day weekend we went up to Mark's family cabin in Indian Hills, fondly known as "Bozo Farms". We spent Sunday afternoon and evening and all day Monday, relaxing at the cabin, getting outside between rain showers, feverishly playing Uno Attack, munchin' on yummy food, and celebrating Payton's 5th birthday! It was a nice escape and good way to unwind before my last week of school. I'm now done with school (HOORAY!) and looking forward to the next 5 weeks of vacation and being a mommy! School starts up again in July, but I'll be working part time next year! I'll teach Monday, Tuesday, and every other Friday at my same school and still in 1st Grade! It will be a wonderful way to balance both family and career! Enjoy the few pictures from the cabin and I'm sure we'll have a lot of summer fun to post about in the coming weeks! 

Nolan lovin' some indoor Smores around the fireplace! 

Yummy marshmallows! 

Brady and N.B.J. playing some tunes on the player paino! 

Grabbin' some time outdoors while the weather was cooperating. Nolan was such a trooper crawling around in the rocks, dirt, and grass! He's a tough dude- bruised, scraped, and calloused knees and all! Good thing he's getting closer to walking everyday! 

Payton Ruth is 5! Hard to believe! She's the perfect mix of girly girl and tom boy! As  you can tell by her requested "Blue Dinosaur Princess Cake". Nice work on the cake Cara! 

Howdy!

We spent the weekend in College Station Texas celebrating my brother's graduation from Texas A&M University! He received his doctorate in Political Science! It was so fun to see his life there, to visit his office next to the Bush Presidential Library, to take a tour of the campus & learn all of it's traditions, and to spend great family time!! 

The weather was HOT the first few days but a storm blew in and cooled things down a bit for Saturday afternoon through Sunday! Mark was very happy to see some clouds so that he wasn't dripping in sweat constantly. The air conditioning was never cool enough and he always seemed to have too many clothes on! I told him to quit complaining because he wasn't the one having to wear a suit, robe, and velvet collar in 90 degree weather! 

We are so proud of my brother and his hard work! He'll be teaching two classes at A&M this June and then will be off to teach at the University of Oklahoma in August. Somewhere in between we are hoping for a visit from him here in Colorado! Nolan loves Uncle T.'s funny faces and silly voices! 

Here are a bunch of my favorite pics from the weekend! I would have loved to make a video from all of our adventures, but school is closing in on me, my To-Do list is way too long, and Mark worked tonight! So posting a few pics is much quicker and does the trick! 

Gig 'em! Whoop! 

Dr. Tyler Charles Johnson 

Nolan loves other people's hats...so Tyler's "Martin Luther" hat was a hit! 

Playing in the hotel pool. 

Nolan in his surfer dude swim gear. 

In front of the "12th Man" statue at Kyle Field. 

At my brother's office building- the statue has pieces from the Berlin Wall- pretty neat! 

Dinner at the Dixie Chicken- a very cool restaurant/bar with good grub, pool tables, and dominos at your table. 

Cuddling with Uncle T. at his apartment

My blue eyed boy lookin' studly! 

Saying goodbye to Texas! 

Belated MOMS Day!

I love being a mom! Especially when I get great hugs from this big boy! This was a picture after a long and busy day at Oma's on Mother's Day. Nolan has been super cuddly and sweet lately... and I'm lovin' it up! 

zerberts