The Rodeo, Yee-Haw!

Happy New Year everyone! Every January, after the excitement from Christmas starts to fade, the National Western Stock Show comes to town. We know because a certain "scent" blows strong when the wind is just right...It is two weeks of the the rodeo, cows, horses, pigs, and a whole lot of cowboys and cowgirls raining down on Denver. We think it is awesome. I can remember going almost every year with my mom and grandpa growing up. We have continued this tradition with our family. This was Payton's 5th visit to the Stock Show (she's gone every year since she was born!), and Brady's first rodeo. We had a great time cheering on the cowboys (although Payton cheered when the calves didn't get roped...), petting the animals, and getting a taste of the wild west!

Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree...Christmas 2008

I finally finished putting together a movie of this year's Christmas adventures. We had an amazing holiday...celebrating with all of our family and friends, laughing a lot, an abundance of thoughtful gifts, and best of all, seeing it all through our kiddos' eyes. There's nothing like a four-year old's excitement on Christmas morning. So, I decided to lump all of the highlights together into one giant movie. (10 minutes long!) There were just too many fun clips I couldn't leave out. So, you might want to get a snack before you press play...enjoy!

2/2

The title of this post reflects our daughter's current record for falling off of the stage during preschool Christmas programs. I've reflected on her programs in a previous post. This year, our Christmas wish was a drama-free performance. And it almost came true...Payton did a great job for the majority of the program. Her dress stayed down, no googly eyes, no bird wings. Just plain old singing. During one of the last songs, the very tall boy standing next to Payton got a little too excited and lost his balance. Arms and legs flailing, he fell off the back of the risers and took Payton right along with him. He immediately stood up, climbed back onto the bleachers, and resumed singing. Not so with Payton. In tears partially due to her hurt leg and partially out of embarassment, Payton lay on the floor behind the rest of the kids. Her teacher had to climb onto the stage, help her up, and sit with her in the pew until she felt better. Going through my head? "Are you kidding me?! Did my daughter really fall off of the stage two years in a row? Wow..." To her credit, she got back up at the end of the song and resumed singing (granted she was one level lower next to a very small girl...) I did not catch the "incident" on film as I was too busy trying to catch Brady. Here are few clips I did get.




On a side note: I was able to snap this great shot of the kiddos this morning. As all of you parents know, it's tough to get a pic where BOTH kids are smiling. PR did a great job trying to tickle Brady and get him to laugh. I included a shot of that too. It just doesn't exactly look like she's TICKLING her brother.

Twas' the Night Before Christmas...

...and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse (named Katie).

The stockings were hung on the chimney with care,
(PR insisted that Katie have her own!) in hopes that Saint Nick soon would be there...

O' Christmas Tree

Yesterday, we embarked on our 4th Annual Christmas Tree Cutting Adventure. We buy a $10.00 pass and head up into the mountains to find the "perfect" tree. This year, Mom and Dad, Mark and Abby, and Gwen and Tim joined in the fun. The weather was beautiful...just enough snow, not too much cold. The kids love climbing rocks and clomping around in the snow, and the dads love using 4-Wheel Drive and their saws! I think we found a great tree...not exactly perfect by tree lot standards, but one of our best Colorado trees yet!

T-H-A-N-K-S

Some things I am thankful for this year:
My Kiddos:

My Hubby (and his incredible dart throwing abilities!):

Awesome Parents & Grandparents:

Great Food!:
(and Uncle Mark!)
(and Nephew Nolan...who weighs the same as the turkey!)
(especially Wes's homemade pies!)
Aunt Sue's Games! (I explained her creativity for games in a previous post. Our "Thanksgiving Derby" involves rolling dice to see who's turkeys advance to the finals. The winners earn fantastic prizes.
(I'm especially thankful that the losers get to wear this lovely hat! oh, and for Gwen too...)
And Family & Friends:
(Some Near):
(& Some Far...Oma Bosch & Brady talking to Brad & Jayne via webcam):

Happy Thanksgiving.

What Happens In Vegas...

...gets blogged about!

Wes and I (and our friends Jesse and Kacey) enjoyed our 3rd annual "End-Of-The-Volleyball-Season" weekend away in Las Vegas.

We had a great time in Sin City. We slept in (6 AM is sleeping in for PR), walked The Strip, rested and read by the pool, gambled a bit (see if we were lucky in the video, and DON'T ask Wes about the ND/Syracuse football game), shopped, and saw the show Tony and Tina's Wedding.

I should also mention that Aunt Sue probably had the best trip of anyone. She didn't actually go, but we gambled some money for her at the roulette table...Wes worked the table, and I narrated to Sue via cell phone. She doubled her money and didn't spend a dime!

Thanks also to Oma, Opa, and Grandma Tammy for taking such good care of Payton and Brady. They had just as great of a vacation as we did!