Off to Lobsterfest

Parker and Molly each will receive their very own Lobsterfest tshirts this year! We'll post some photos from the weekend when we return. Until then, Happy Lobsterfest!

Retiring the Robeez

Our first pair of Robeez has officially been retired. Parker inherited my feet, and therefore, while he's at the bottom of the charts for weight, he would exceed the 99th percentile if there was a category for foot size. :) We found a new pair of Robeez last weekend that will be perfect for summertime. For not walking much yet, these were a very-well loved pair of shoes...

Pretty pictures for a Pretty day

It's so nice out today and makes me want to get outside....but since there isn't much to do in the yard (until we finish the back) I'll reminisce about my lovely yard in Ames. I bet the irises are in full glory right now...I took these photos about this time last year. These were from the back yard--we had planted a few new varieties in the front that are probably blooming this year. Sigh. Someday I'll have a yard like this again.

Fun for the Looking

Bored? Need a little creative boost? I have found these two blogs to be great inspirations lately. http://designsponge.blogspot.com/ and http://www.paperpony.net

Four things

It's another rainy afternoon and I just can't work anymore today. I think my brain is still on weekend mode...I got this email from lovely Meredith and thought it might be fun to post.


Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. You've Got Mail
2. The Devil Wears Prada
3. Breakfast Club
4. Charlie Brown Christmas

Four places I have lived (and there are more!):
1. Colorado
2. Iowa
3. Kansas
4. Illinois

Four shows I like to watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. What Not to Wear
3. Anything on HGTV
4. Anything on DIY Network

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Nassau, Bahamas
2. Okoboji
3. Seattle, Washington
4. Kansas City--Lobsterfest!

Four of my favorite foods are:
1. Black Bean Dip
2. Cinnamon Toast
3. Wine (that's a food, right? It comes from grapes...)
4. Noodles

Hello?

Forget you guys, I'm calling Grandma....

A new haircut!

So, I'll be the first to admit, I shouldn't be allowed near scissors and hair. But thus far I've been able to tackle Parker's hair since there hasn't been much to it until lately. A little snip over the ears to tame the stragglers, and we were in good shape. We decided this weekend it was time for a real haircut...there were rumblings around Moresville that he was starting to look like he should wear pink instead of blue.

I figured this is far beyond my trimming skills, so while we were out shopping this afternoon (for new Robeez!) we found a salon that specializes in children's cuts. So, not five minutes and a few tears later, Parker has a new "do". I've never seen a stylist work so fast. Parker did well at first--he had just woken up--and then realized he didn't know where he was or who was getting his hair wet (two big uh-ohs). It wasn't long before the tears started rolling and there was a very loud series of Waah-waah WAAAHHH's!

I'm not sure he's impressed with the results, and I can't get over how different he looks. But I think it's a huge improvement over what I would have done. You be the judge...

Helper

I had a "helper" as I was putting laundry away yesterday morning. Thanks, Cooper.

Testing our boundaries

Parker took a tumble at "school" on Wednesday afternoon--and has a nice reminder of how tough it can be to learn your boundaries! It doesn't seem to be deep or bother him much, but it sure is unsightly. (And running errands this morning, I felt like people saw him and thought, "oh, you're 'that' kind of mom". I wish it didn't happen either, believe me.)

Anyway, we were playing outside yesterday evening and Parker discovered the rocks that line the driveway. They are fun to hold and bang together. :)

We're looking forward to the weekend. No big plans--maybe a few people over to grill on Monday--but it will be great to be together. Enjoy your weekend, whatever you have planned!

p.s. yes this is the same shirt you've seen him wear since he was about 4 or 5 months old. It still fits...but I don't think it will for much longer.

A paper junkie once again

Since we moved out here I've been trying to figure out how to make contacts with other designers and merchants (printers, paper distributors), since most of you know I'm flying solo. Today I was able to meet the local Xpedx rep and literally paw through the sample room and drool over all the beautiful new papers (and paper promotions). So the backseat of my car is literally full of paper, paper books, envelopes, you name it. I am in paper junkie heaven.

One of my current projects is an identity and sales collateral kit, including a business card--so I was researching some cool and unusual ideas for them. This card in particular was interesting...not so much for the design, but for the nature of the business! And I think the website address is very clever. But I'm sure the owners of the business already knew that. :)

Rain, rain, go away

Wouldn't it be my luck that the days I work at home are usually the days of the week when it is raining, freezing cold, or both. Today might make it past 60º (if we're lucky).... I really shouldn't complain--but I would love the thought of being able to look out the window and see the sun shine. At first I thought this might be a case of the "virgo" rain phenomenon, where ghostly trails of falling water evaporate thousands of feet above the earth in the thermal-ridden air. (I know, that's a nerd answer. It actually happens fairly often around here.) But now looking out to the west, it's just rain, because the mountains are completely hidden by the clouds and falling raindrops. Which is a good thing, the flowerpots need watering! :)

A whole buncha photos

The little man has been uncharacteristically grumpy the last couple of days. It's so hard when they can't talk and you just don't know what's wrong. We had a couple of bright spots throughout the weekend--here's proof.



And more visuals of the fact that nothing in Moresville is safe any longer--hide your pets, your valuables, your random bits of paper--because if it's on the floor, Parker will find it. We did invest in a portable gate yesterday afternoon. I'm excited because we can use it all over the house without having to drill any holes into the new woodwork. He did get up one step after this photo--the camera was quickly cast aside, believe me.





A nice aprés-bath photo from Saturday, snuggled in and watching what the cats were doing.




And one, just for fun.

Hot Air Balloons!

Parker is still in bed (silent Hooray!) so I'm shooting photos and typing fast. These were so beautiful--graceful and quiet against the noise of traffic on I-25 (Which you can see in the photos). I guess they're doing a big balloon festival next weekend in Erie, which is just a couple of miles west of the house. So, here's a little preview:





The foremost balloon actually landed in the open space in our neighborhood across the street from the house. It was amazing to watch it come down.

Parker and I don't have much planned for today--it will be good nonetheless. I love our Fridays together. Weather is forecasted to be great all weekend. Hooray! Happy Friday!

Happy Thursday

Not much new going on around here today....trying to wrap up a couple of rush jobs and get them off to print, so while waiting for the final approval, did a little more sorting through photos from the weekend. (I took a lot. I won't lie. :))

These are both from our visit to the park last Sunday. Parker was fascinated with the grass--he wasn't crazy about it at first and then found he could pick at it. Notice the crossed feet--it is totally his calling card. :) He's about grown out of these Robeez! We love them and you can tell it's time for a new pair. Those little soles have taken a beating. He loves to walk anywhere you'll let him, but only if you're holding on. :)



And a nice Mother's Day photo.



And one quick rant. I was so, so, so sad to see Melinda Doolittle leave American Idol last night. Since we don't have much for social lives lately we've been watching a lot this season and I was really pulling for her to win. The other two are really talented--don't get me wrong, but I really liked Melinda. I have a feeling that we've only just seen the beginning of her career though.

A-Ha!

After a good night's sleep (hooray, Parker!), I'm basking today in a creative uptick. Even got the site map for my website rolling...which has been a long time coming! I'm excited about being able to show prospective clients all my capabilities with design and photography. Yahoo!! That's the big thing to cross off the list. Now comes all the hard work of getting all the content together to make it come to life. Promise to keep you posted on the progress...

No other news today. Sun is shining! Parker's tooth is through! Two teeth in two weeks--I hope this pace slows just a little. He still wasn't interested in Cheerios this morning so it must still be a little sore, but he was pretty excited for bananas and cereal.

Breathin' Easier

O, it's a sad day, and kind of happy too. We just got a call from our Ames realtor and they just finished signing the papers on the house there. Hooray--no more double house payments. :) At the same time, I'm so sad to have it be final. It's hard to see something you put so much of yourself into suddenly belong to someone else. You'd think after all the times we've moved that it would get easier, but each one seems more difficult than the last.

On a lighter note, Parker's second tooth finally broke through and I think he is starting to feel a little better. Last night was an improvement, but he's not back to his regular sleeping habits yet. This teething thing sure is tough. He was pretty interested in breakfast this morning, so that was good!

One more Parker Photo

Swinging at the park today--had a little picnic and enjoyed the weather before taking mom and dad to the airport. Sigh, just a few more weeks until we're together again.

More Mountain Photos

Tired of the scenery yet? :)

These were shot just on the east side of Estes, as we were leaving town. Along the highways we took to get in and out of town were little creeks that were running full from the melting snowpack, so it made for some great photos.

And along the highways were tons of little cabins perfect for a weekend getaway--most of them catered to the trout fishermen, which must be a popular pastime. A couple of these photos remind me of the movie "A River Runs Through It".





This last one is the Stanley Hotel, where several movies have been filmed, but supposedly it's haunted, but also a beautiful and historic site.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Drove up to Estes Park yesterday (Saturday) and visited RMNP. Really amazing views and wildlife here and there. Again, lots of photos so I'll get right to it. We hadn't anticipated the 15º drop in temperature or the unexpected rainshowers so we definitely felt like out-of-towners, but now we know for next time. (Especially since it was 85º and full sunshine when we left the house!)


Driving into the park.



The alluvial fan left by the dam break from Lawn Lake in 1982.


Grandpa/Dad Larry, Dad Mike and Parker at the alluvial fan.


Looking toward the west. See the rainclouds? A hint of what's to come.


My mom and dad at the fan.


With Parker, this time. Sooo cute!!


Looking to the south at Long's Peak (I hope I got that right). It's the one on the left with the three little peaks.


On the little path to Sprauge Lake, when it started to sprinkle.


View of Sprauge Lake.



The path around the lake still had a 3-4' snowpack most of the way around it.

Trail Ridge Road, one of the highest paved roads in the U.S runs through the park and we've heard it's a beautiful drive. Maybe later in the summer, though....right now, it still has a 20-30' snowpack on it. The guide at the park entrance said they should have it all cleared by Memorial Day...but it will be close.


One more nice view in the park.


On our way back into Estes Park an elk crossed the road right in front of us, so we were able to get a good close look. We discovered that elk aren't incredibly beautiful, but this one's size was impressive.

A Great Weekend

Hope yours was just as good. It was great to see my mom and dad and show them around (even some unexpected parts, ahem) but mostly it was just what we needed to have them here. Lots of photos to show, so we'll get right to the goods.

BTW. Parker is cutting his second tooth on the bottom these past few days, so that's why all the drool everywhere. And I mean everywhere. He was really out of sorts yesterday and today, but he definitely had his bright moments--usually after the Tylenol/Motrin kicked in. Poor kid. We can start to see it break the surface, though, so hopefully the end is near. For now.



Grandpa and Parker catch a snooze. (Grandpa was snoozing just before this photo, I swear)


Parker shows off his toy-playing, standing and crawling skills.


Daddy was working outside so Parker was trying to watch. He can alllllmost see out the window.

Loveland is love-ly

Went a few miles up the road this morning to press proof a job running at a printer in Loveland. Great facility--nice people and things went smoothly. It always amazes me when a print shop has super-clean floors (not a drop of ink) and everything is neat and organized. They just got a new variable data press similar to what Sigler has, so it was fun to compare stories and learn about their capabilities. Plus, I got to totally dork out over ink and paper, which was a good feeling.

p.s. Happy Birthday dad!! See you bright and early tomorrow!

The sun finally shines

Someone told us when we were deciding to move out here that Colorado has more sunny days than California. That certainly wasn't a factor in our decision, but a random bit of trivia anyway. But I'm starting to wonder if it isn't true...it's rained four of the last five days. And there's rain forecasted for tonight. But, for today, it is sunny and beautiful outside, and tomorrow through the weekend looks to be bright and warm. Time to dust off the flip flops again and get some fresh polish on those toenails. :)

Is it, could it be, do you think?

It's a tooth! Finally! Parker has had a really rough last few days (the earlier photo of him smiling was a bright spot in an otherwise tear-filled day--for Parker, not mom) because his mouth must be hurting something awful. But this morning, we saw a little glimmer of tooth poking through.

I think Mike thought I was crazy--I had been saying for at least two weeks that the little man hasn't seemed like himself (although he has been keeping to his regular activities and schedule remarkably well, considering). And I kept saying, maybe he's finally getting a tooth. Now I'm starting to wonder if a second isn't far behind, as getting this one through hasn't seemed to relieve some of his uncharacteristic crankiness.

Here's visual proof! (Click on it to see it bigger)

Smile!

Tee-minus to Lobsterfest

The countdown is on to the fourth annual celebration of bibs, butter, beer and bbq...also known as Lobsterfest! The invitations went out last night and I'm already excited for our trip to Kansas City at the beginning of next month.

I think what makes me happier is having some things to do coming up the next few weekends. My mom and dad are coming out here to see us next week and I couldn't be more excited to see them--and I'm guessing they are ready for a major Parker fix (right?) too. Not that I haven't enjoyed the quiet weekends we've had lately...I'm just ready for some familiar faces.