Blanchard Adventures

Elliette's Worship Dance Recital

2012-01-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

Elliette participated in a Worship Dance class this past fall. Originally I wasn't going to sign her up for dance, but my friend's daughter took it, and they loved it. Elliette really LOVES to dance, so I went ahead and signed her up.

It was a great program! The kids met once a week for dance class, and the class consisted of Bible stories, devotionals and dancing. Elliette had two wonderful teachers, Chloe and Naomi. I highly recommend the program. If you're in the Aurora area, check out Celebration Ministry of Arts.

Elliette's dance recital was held on the Monday after Thanksgiving. She did a fantastic job!! Eric and I were unsure of how she was going to handle dancing on the stage in front of everyone, but she was a champ. The kids were so cute, and we were so proud of our little Nugget!

These pictures were taken at the rehearsal.

Recital Pictures!

Elliette and Scout

Elliette and Chloe

Elliette and Naomi

Thanksgiving Weekend at Snow Mountain Ranch

2012-01-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

We had a low-key Thanksgiving, but it was still nice. We ate with our next door neighbors. It was great! The girls had fun playing together, and we were even able to watch a movie.

We spent Thanksgiving weekend at the YMCA's Snow Mountain Ranch. We LOVED visiting their Estes Park Center over the summer, and we were excited to spend a weekend playing in the snow.

Snow Mountain Ranch did not disappoint! We had a great time playing in the snow, tubing down the snow hill, swimming in the indoor pool, playing at the recreation center, eating the yummy food, and making crafts. Here are some pictures from our trip.

Tubing Fun!

Fun Activities!

Halloween Fun!

2012-01-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Halloween was fun and filled with a lot of activities. We kicked it off by trick-or-treating at one of the local nursing homes with the MOMS Club of Aurora. Elliette dressed up as Rapunzel, and Cadence was Wonder Red.

We met the Alexander's at the Children's Museum for some more Halloween fun. They put on a great event!

We had fun trick-or-treating with a group of friends in our neighborhood. Eric and I really like living on base at Buckley. It's a nice and small community. It was pretty cold outside, so Elliette traded her Rapunzel dress for a warmer ballerina bunny costume.

We had a fun time, and the girls ended up with way too much candy!

Sweet Monkey

2012-01-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

There is never a dull moment in our house thanks to this little Monkey.

Elliette's 4th Birthday - Still Catching Up!

2012-01-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

Elliette turned four on October 17. Our little Nugget is growing up way too fast! Here are some pictures from her special day.

Opening presents!

Elliette loved her special birthday waffles for breakfast.

My Mom visited us to celebrate Elliette's birthday. She also came to help me. At that time I was soooo sick (love the all-day sickness). She spent an entire day cooking and freezing meals for us so that our family would have dinner options other than chicken nuggets and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

2012-01-07T21:03:00.025-07:00

We held Elliette's fourth birthday party at one of Aurora's recreation centers. She LOVES to dance, so we had a "ballerina princess" party. It was great! Our party host was a real ballerina princess. Elliette's friends arrived and got to color and decorate their crowns.

The girls had fun dressing up in different tutus, and then it was time for a dance lesson! Their teacher's name was Maggie, and she was fantastic!

After the dance lesson, it was time for lunch, cupcakes, and presents.

I took a ton of pictures, but it was impossible to get a good group shot!

2012-01-07T21:02:00.030-07:00

Since we held the party on a Monday morning, Eric was unable to attend. Once he got home from work, it was time for more birthday fun! Eric was happy to try out the silly string.

We finished the evening with more cupcakes!

I think Elliette had a great fourth birthday!

Elliette is becoming such a sweet little Nugget. She's polite and thoughtful and loves her friends and family. She's also a bit sensitive and dramatic (like her Mommy!). She loves to dance, play outside, play games, and draw. She enjoys her school, and she is really smart! She is a bit tall for her age. Most of her clothes are 4t, but a lot of her pants are too short. I think she recently had a growth spurt. She's mostly wonderful to Cadence, and she's excited to have a new baby in the family. She's still strong-willed and challenges us daily!

We are so thankful for our little Nugget, and we are proud of the young lady she is becoming. I wish I could just freeze time for a bit because she is growing up way too fast!

AWANA

2012-01-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

Elliette started attending AWANA at our base chapel in the fall. She loves it and is learning so much! Eric and I have been volunteering to help with cooking the weekly meal. We've made some great friends through this wonderful program.

I took these pictures in early October. Elliette was chosen to hold the Bible for the Bible pledge. She was so excited! Oh, and the evening's theme was "pajama night," so that's why she's in her pajamas!

Big Surprise!

2011-12-14T06:38:00.001-07:00

On September 23 I visited the Urgent Care. I had been feeling bad over about the last four days or so, but I couldn't pinpoint the problem. I was tired and achy... it didn't feel like the flu, but I still knew something wasn't quite right. I also had been feeling a little jittery and overly-anxious for no reason at all. By that Friday, I also kept having to pee! All of these odd symptoms were starting to really bother me. Something was off, and I wanted to get it checked out before the weekend started.

While I was at a MOMS Club playgroup, I called the clinic. It was around eleven on a Friday morning, and OF COURSE they didn't have any available appointments, but they did refer me to the nearby Urgent Care. I left playgroup, took Eliette to school, and Cadence and I headed up to the Rocky Mountain Urgent Care. I practically had a panic attack in the parking lot of the urgent care, and I instantly prayed that, no matter what was wrong with me (diabetes?), it would be treatable.

The staff at Rockey Mountain Urgent Care was fantastic. We had been there once before, when Elliette ran into the wall over the summer. The medical assistant was kind and reassuring. I told him how I'd been feeling and that I thought I had diabetes! My blood pressure was pretty high, but I was in panic mode at that time... of course then I started wondering if I really was having a heart attack... He gave me a cup to pee into and then took Cadence and me into the exam room. I was feeling super stressed by this time, so I decided to lay down with Cadence (it was her nap time) while we waited to see the doctor.

We had almost fallen asleep when the PA walked in. I was happy to see that it was the same PA that fixed Elliette's big cut. She was sooooo kind at that visit, and she was just as nice this time. She briefly went over my medical history, and then we talked about how I was currently feeling. I told her about everything, from the tiredness to the anxiousness to the sudden urge to constantly pee. I told her I thought I had diabetes! Her response: "Well, we did a urine test, and your levels were great, so you don't have diabetes. However, with the symptoms you described when you came in, I decided to also run a pregnancy test, and it came with a very strong positive." I almost fainted at her response! At first I didn't say anything but "Oh my gosh" over and over, and then I said all kinds of crazy things: "This doesn't happen to me... this happens to high school kids who aren't being responsible." "We don't have spring babies; we have fall babies so that they are the oldest ones in their classes." "Due in May? Great, Eric will have been in Afghanistan for a couple of months by May." "I wasn't expecting this. I haven't taken any prenatal vitamins." "Ohmygosh. I can barely handle the kids I have." And I went on and on. And the wonderful PA let me ramble until I couldn't think of anything else to say. After a bit more talking, I was feeling a little calmer, and I called Eric while she stepped out to write me a couple of prescriptions (prenatals, and the most important: zofran!).

Eric was thrilled and so supportive when he heard my news. He kept saying things like "This is great." However, I was panicked about the timing of it all. How would I handle the girls plus a third c-section and new baby when he was halfway around the world?! At that time I did not see the blessing that we were given, and I admit that it has taken me a while to embrace the fact that we're having another baby. We told our parents that day, but we asked them to not tell anyone until we were ready.

I waited to tell any of my friends/family. I felt like this was the biggest thing in our lives that we had not planned for. If you know me, you know that I am an over-planner! Once we started telling people, I have felt so much love and support. Combine that with various sermons on "God's blessings that aren't always our timing" and a change in Eric's deployment schedule to allow him to be here for the birth, and I am slowly realizing that God's plan/timing isn't always our timing... His plan is perfect. I am so thankful for the little person growing inside of me.

We can't wait to meet our newest Blanchard! I've been to a few doctor's appointments already. I'm around 16 weeks now, and I'm due May 25th. We are going to find out what we're having in mid-January. Oh, and here are a few answers to the questions that we're asked most often. Q. Were you trying for a boy? A. We weren't trying at all! Q. But you do want a boy to complete your family, right? (this is usually followed by "I bet it's a boy." A. We have EIGHT girls on my side of the family, and there are two on Eric's side, with only one boy. The chances of us having a girl are also higher since we have two girls already. We will be happy with a boy or a girl. Sometimes if I'm feeling extra over protective of my daughters' feelings, I follow up with "Please don't discount our girls."

Sometimes if people are really persistent, I'll try to appease them by saying not that we're hoping for a boy or a girl, but that we're hoping for a redhead. We don't have one of those on either side of the family yet!

Sweet Girls

2011-12-12T08:33:00.002-07:00

Every now and then, I am lucky enough to get a glimpse of their love for each other.

Goodbye, Nana & Papa

2011-12-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks again, Lane and Cathy, for coming to Colorado!! We are looking forward to your next visit!

Lion King

2011-12-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Eric gave Lane tickets to a Broncos game for Father's Day. While they headed to the game, Cathy and I took the girls to lunch and a movie.

We went to see The Lion King in 3-D. I remember seeing it in the theater with my sister when it came out the first time, and I was so excited to share it with the girls!

Elliette was pretty excited about the neat glasses. However, during the preview of Happy Feet 2, she got scared when a snowball was thrown at the audience, and she wouldn't wear the glasses at all. She was still really good for the movie even though the screen was fuzzy for her.

Cadence was good for about half of the movie. Then she started getting bored. She was super restless and kept getting in and out of her chair and in and out of my lap. Oh, she also spilled her drink all over the place and took off all of her clothes (down to her diaper)! I think we'll wait a little while before we take her back to the movies!

Overall the movie was great... and a learning experience for me. I do not need to splurge on 3-D movies for Elliette yet, AND next time I need to find a sitter for Cadence!

Estes Park

2011-12-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

While the Blanchard's were here, we headed up to Estes Park for a fun day. It's one of our favorite little towns to visit! We were excited when we got there to see that they were having an arts and crafts festival. We had lunch and had a fun time exploring the little town.

Our little Monkey LOVES the water... even when it's pretty cold outside!

Nana & Papa Visit Colorado - Still Catching Up!

2011-12-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Eric's parents visited us in mid-September. We had a great time with them! Cathy brought the girls a new book, Cowboy Bunnies. It's a cute story, and it even kept Cadence's attention!

On the second day of the Blanchard's visit, I had planned to watch Sophia and Alaina for a couple of hours. We decided to pile everyone up in the Pilot and head to the park!

Fun with Cadence

2011-12-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

Elliette started a Worship Dance class this fall. It's an hour class once a week, and she loves it. Cadence loves it, too. On nice days we spend the hour at the park!

Elliette's First Day of School

2011-12-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

Elliette started preschool on September 12. We had a great school in Georgia, so it was hard to pick a new school in the Denver area. After a lot of research and family discussion, we decided that she would attend the preschool on base. It's five days a week and meets in the afternoon. So far we all love her school and her teacher! The best part is that it's about half a mile from our house!

Cadence was happy for the fun walk!

Elliette was happy to have her friend in her class.

So excited!

The four neighbors!

Sweet sisters!

Elliette was so excited about her cubby.

Sophia and her cubby!

The classroom is awesome and so much fun!

Elliette loves the "loft."

Cadence's Second Birthday Party - Still Catching Up!

2011-12-11T06:26:00.015-07:00

I just realized that I'm about 3 1/2 months behind... UGH!! We've had quite a bit going on at our house over the last couple of months, and our blog has been put on the back burner. One of these days I'll get it all caught up!

We celebrated Cadences second birthday at our house with a few friends. For us, simple playgroup parties are so much easier, and so much more fun! We went with a Minnie Mouse theme, and we ate pizza and cupcakes. We also had the kids make ice cream sundaes.

Happy birthday, sweet Monkey!

Getting a little help from big sister.

Opening presents!

Aurora Reservoir with Nanny & Pops

2011-11-01T13:37:00.000-06:00

Eric and I took my parents to the Aurora Reservoir on the last evening of their visit. Mom and I were going to bike and swim; unfortunately, my bike ended up with a flat tire. Mom still went on a great bike ride, and I braved the cold water for a quick swim.

Dad gave Elliette some casting lessons...

... until they were told to stop by the officer (park ranger?!)!

Cadence doesn't believe in following the rules.

We had a great time at the Aurora Reservoir!

Wildlife Experience

2011-10-25T10:30:00.000-06:00

Blue Star Museums Initiative is a great program that allows free admission to different museums between Memorial Day and Labor Day. My parents and I took advantage of the free admission and took the the girls to The Wildlife Experience. It was really cool!

The girls had fun digging.

The girls (and Nanny) had fun making end-of-summer shark picture frames!

We had fun watching all of the different fist eat!

Throughout the museum, volunteers were stationed for hands-on opportunities.

The Wildlife Experience has two children's areas. The girls had fun playing in the "big kids" area.

My sweet parents!

Cadence collecting balls for the avalanche game.

Look! The cutest exhibit at The Wildlife Experience!

Outside fun.

When we got home, Dad and Elliette played with a neat photography project the Dad bought. Basically it was photography paper, and they put objects on it and exposed it in the sun.

Success!

Water World

2011-10-24T07:26:00.000-06:00

While the guys were fly fishing, my Mom and I took the girls to Water World. I won some free tickets from Mile High Mamas a while ago, and I was excited to use them before the swimming season ended.

I was skeptical about taking the girls to Water World at such a young age. We probably wouldn't have bought the tickets, but since I won them we decided to check it out. It ended up being sooo much fun! There was plenty for the girls to do. They had a few different kiddie areas. The park was clean and not too crowded.

Elliette and Cadence had so much fun going down all of the different slides.

I've seen such a drastic change in Elliette this summer. Her confidence in the water has grown so much. She's always loved the water, but now that she can (almost) swim, she's having so much more fun!

Cadence is also a little fish. We are so thankful that our kiddos love the water!

This is just one of the kiddie areas. We arrived early, and we did notice that the crowd was picking up as we left a little after lunch.

Mom rode the big slide! Not quite as cool as the Schlittercoaster, but still pretty fun!

Elliette and Cadence waiting for Nanny to ride down the big hill.

Go, Mom!

Success!

Thank you to Mile High Mamas for our Water World tickets!

Fly Fishing in Estes Park

2011-10-24T07:22:00.000-06:00

I have fallen really behind on our family blog. In my defense, I've been waiting for my sweet Eric to write this post since it was his trip. However, with everything going on at our house, I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be a while before he gets to it. I'm determined to push on with catching up the blog, and he can always update it later!

One of the reasons that my parents visited (back in late August!) was because I gave Eric and my Dad a fly-fishing trip to Estes Park for Father's Day. It was Eric's first fly-fishing experience. Here are some pictures from their day together.

They guys had such a fun day together! They really liked their guide. If you're looking for a fly-fishing (or hunting) trip in Estes Park, check out Atkinson Expeditions!

Strider Fun - Still Catching Up!

2011-09-30T13:38:00.000-06:00

When we lived in Georgia, my friend Allie bought a Strider for her son Aidan. He loved it, and she loved it, too! She became a representative for Strider Bikes, and when we moved to Colorado, we the Easter Bunny brought Elliette a Strider (she loves it, too!). Cadence got her Strider for her 2nd birthday... of course, she loves it, too!

Elliette started out pretty slow/cautious, and now she zips along on her little bike.

Painting Fun with Nanny

2011-09-28T20:45:00.000-06:00

Elliette kept asking my Mom to do some arts and crafts, so my Mom came up with the brilliant idea to buy some canvases to let the girls decorate. In theory, it was a fantastic idea. They both love to paint, and the canvases were going to hang beautifully on our wall.

Nanny explained how to use the paint, and the girls seemed to listen intently.

I took this picture of Cadence at the beginning of their activity. She seemed pretty interested in it. I decided to go inside and let the girls have their fun with Nanny.

A few minutes later I decided to check on them. This is what I discovered!

They were covered in BROWN!! The canvases were also covered in brown. Everything was brown! The girls were so happy and playing so well together that I couldn't get mad. We just hauled them upstairs and threw them in the bathtub!

16th Street Mall

2011-09-28T20:40:00.000-06:00

While my parents were here, we headed to the 16th Street Mall to eat lunch and ride the bus. We had lunch at Johnny Rockets. It was really good!

After lunch we hopped on the bus. The girls loved it! We will definitely have to ride it again. They both are so excited about public transportation. I think it's because they don't have to be strapped in their car seats!

While we were riding the bus, Dad got a sudden urge to shop (shocking!). We dropped him off, and he walked over to REI.

The girls had fun just riding back and forth... talk about some cheap entertainment!

Nanny & Pops Visit Colorado - DMNS

2011-09-20T15:52:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago my parents spent a week visiting us. The girls and I picked them up at the airport.

And we headed straight to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. This is a picture from the fourth floor. The museum calls it the "best view in Denver."

The girls were so happy to see Nanny and Pops!

Cadence is such a little stinker! I think in this picture she was trying to: (a) run away or (b) take her clothes off.

Our favorite part of the DMNS is the Children's Area. The girls always have fun, and I am happy that they are secretly learning something!

Sweet girls feeding the animals outside.

My silly dad... I think he got bit!

Elliette's Accident

2011-09-20T07:05:00.001-06:00

About four weeks ago we visited the ER at Children's Hospital for the first time. I was babysitting our next door neighbors, and all of the girls were playing perfectly downstairs. I was upstairs folding laundry, and all of a sudden I heard Elliette crying. Now, when our girls get together with Sophia and Alaina, one of them usually ends up crying, so I decided to let them work it out. However, seconds later Elliette came up the stairs crying hysterically. She opened her mouth, and that's when I saw all of the blood. It was everywhere... on her chin, on her shirt, on the stairs...! She kept saying, "I'm afraid, there is so much bled (that's what she calls blood)." My heart was breaking for her. I was able to calm her down enough to find out what had happened. It turned out that she was jumping off of the couch (we have a "no jumping off the couch" rule at our house) with a magic wand in her mouth. The result was a nice t-shaped cut on the roof of her mouth (and a LOT of blood!).

I cleaned up most of the blood and had Elliette start sucking on an ice cube. Once she seemed okay, I called the Nurse's Line at Children's Hospital (LOVE THEM!!). They suggested that I bring her in, just because of the location of her injury.

Children's Hospital was amazing! We were in our exam room within about five minutes of arriving at the hospital. Our room was bright and happy, and it even had a television with kids movies on demand. We ended up watching Cinderella while we waited for the doctor.

Elliette's doctor was great. After a quick exam, he told me that it would heal on its own. We were thankful that she was going to be fine. A little Tylenol for a day or two, and she was good to go.

My poor kiddos are both accident prone. Cadence's face was all scratched up from falling down some stairs at a friends house the previous weekend.

Cadence's 2-Year Check-Up

2011-09-19T21:05:00.000-06:00

Cadence had her two-year check-up on August 18th. We are still going to the Buckley Clinic, but I think we finally have their system figured out! The staff has been great, and we LOVE our PA!

Cadence weighed in at 24 lbs, 4 oz (21%), and she is now 34.06" (68%). She has a pretty big head - 19.69" (97%)! Her PA said she's right on track physically and developmentally. She had a great appointment, and thankfully our little Monkey didn't have to get any shots!

Cadence with PA Tabin. If you're looking for a PCM at Buckley, we highly recommend her!

Ann & Wally Visit Colorado

2011-09-09T19:59:00.000-06:00

The day after we got home from Estes Park, Ann and Wally came for a visit. We enjoyed a few days with them and got to celebrate Ann's birthday and Cadence's birthday with them.

Reading with Annie before bed!

They were so happy about our cooler weather. Wally spent most of the visit outside!

Celebrating Annie! We had chocolate muffins for her birthday.

I asked Ann what she wanted to do for her birthday, and she chose to visit the Denver Zoo. Good pick, Ann!

Wally and his new friend.

Wally joined the girls and me for a ride on the carousel. We sat on the bench. He was a little braver and chose one of the moving animals. Thankfully he didn't throw up!

After dinner we had some cheesecake. Elliette was happy to help Ann blow out her second set of candles!

Ann was a lifesaver for me! She helped me get everything ready for Cadence's birthday. She even picked out the Elmo balloon!

Thanks for coming to visit us, Ann and Wally! We love you!!

Estes Park Trip

2011-09-06T21:20:00.048-06:00

A few weeks (almost a month!) ago, we headed to Estes Park to spend the weekend at the YMCA of the Rockies' Estes Park Center. We met the Alexander's for the weekend, and it was so much fun!

The Estes Park Center is beautiful. The scenery is amazing. The weather was wonderful. And because it's a YMCA-run place, there is so much to do! The Estes Park Center has many lodging choices, from hotel-style lodge rooms to single family cabins. We stayed in a lodge room. It didn't have a tv or air conditioning (two things that we did not miss over the weekend!). It was perfect for our family. The best part of our room? The view from our balcony!

We arrived at the Estes Park Center late on Friday evening. The drive wasn't too bad (about two hours), but we noticed a nail stuck in Eric's tire before we left Aurora. Thankfully the tire place fixed it pretty quick! We stopped in the town of Estes Park for dinner before we checked in at the Estes Park Center. It's such a neat little town!

The girls were pretty excited about our planned fun activities. Jenna had a pretty good Saturday itinerary for us. We got up bright and early and headed to the dining hall for breakfast.

After breakfast we headed out for a hike. Eric and Casey were great navigators!

The girls all had fun being out in nature. Cadence was a little clingy and wanted to be held a lot of the time.

Chloe and Elliette decided to get married.

Have I mentioned lately how happy I am to have the Alexander's an hour away?!

This was a neat prayer labyrinth.

Cadence enjoying some cake in the dining hall.

Our Saturday didn't turn out like we had planned. The girls were exhausted after the hike and lunch, so we headed back to our room for a family nap (wonderful!). We made it to one activity with Jenna and Lucy, and then we headed to the pool. The girls love to swim! Elliette was doing great at jumping in and swimming by herself. Unfortunately, when we were getting out of the pool, she threw up all over the place! She seemed to feel okay, so we chalked it up to swallowing a lot of pool water.

Estes Park Trip - Continued

2011-09-06T21:15:00.025-06:00

On Saturday evening, we headed to the town of Estes Park. We walked around and checked out the little shops. We also stopped for some yummy ice cream.

Unfortunately, Elliette ended up throwing up (mostly ice cream) all over herself, so we headed back to our room. Cadence ended up sleeping in a bed with me, while Elliette slept with Eric. It was very sweet because Cadence typically only sleeps in her bed!

Elliette was feeling better on Sunday, so we met the Alexander's for breakfast and then played some putt-putt before heading home.

Elliette LOVED riding her Strider up and down the hills.

This is the lodge where we stayed. It was great!

The girls had fun playing putt-putt. It was our girls' first time to play, so Eric helped them out quite a bit. We ended up jumping in front of a few people because the girls played so fast!

Lucy got a hole in one!

I highly recommend the Estes Park Center for a family-fun weekend. We loved getting away and spending time outside with our family. I can't wait to go back, and hopefully next time we'll spend more time there! http://www.ymcarockies.org/estes-park-center-colorado.html

Cadence is Two Years Old!!

2011-09-03T08:34:00.000-06:00

On August 17, our little Monkey turned two! We can't believe how fast she is growing up. She is such a wonderful little thing and a huge blessing to our family. I have been slow to write her two-year post because I'm still having a hard time that my "baby" is now a full-fledged toddler! I wish I could just freeze time for a little while!

Over the past couple of months, Cadence has grown and developed so much. Her vocabulary continues to increase all the time. She is still quieter than Elliette, but she doesn't ever hesitate to tell us what is on her mind. She also loves to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and her "ABC's." She even says our bedtime prayer (she NEVER forgets about the bedtime prayer!). We think she has the sweetest voice ever!

We are still not hitting potty training very hard. We have a potty in the girls' bathroom, and she likes to sit in it a couple of times each day. We don't push her to do it because I know that it will be so much easier to wait until she is ready! She always tells us when her diaper is dirty, and if we're not fast enough she takes her clothes/diaper off herself. I'm sure she'll get the potty training concept before she turns three... it will be so nice to not have to change/buy diapers!!

The "terrible twos" are in full-swing at our house. Cadence has a TEMPER! She's not much of a hitter, but she's a hair-pulling, face scratching, eye poking, screaming, shoe-throwing, and pinching little Monkey when she's angry! Thankfully the tantrums are super short, but they are intense! We have been disciplining her with time-outs, and so far it seems to help. We also address her fits immediately, and they quickly subside. In fact, she becomes a super sweet Monkey right when her fits end.

Cadence does have a sweet nature. She really likes to hold her babies (especially her baby Harper) and love on them. She kisses them and rocks them. Sometimes she even will push them around in her baby stroller or tuck them into bed. She also loves to love on us. She is super snuggly, especially first thing in the morning. She gives the sweetest hugs... it really makes the tantrums bearable! Around a lot of people, she is typically quiet and observant; however, at our house, she likes to be the center of attention! She is silly and funny and always makes us laugh. She is mostly independent, but she does get pretty needy (usually when she's tired). One of her most uttered phrases is, "hold me!"

Cadence wants to do everything by herself and for herself! She is constantly saying, "I do it" to Eric or me. She has become such a great little helper. She helps us clean, throws away her diapers, puts her dirty clothes and the hamper, and (her favorite chore) helps me unload the dishwasher. She copies everything that she sees Elliette do, and she's doing pretty good at keeping up!

Cadence is still sleeping great. Her naps are between two and three hours each afternoon, and she sleeps 12-13 hours each night. She's still in her crib and hasn't shown a lot of interest in climbing out. Her bedtime routine consists of taking a bath (with Elliette), reading books, prayers, and then bed. She sleeps with a little musical sea horse and a few babies every night.

Cadence is also eating like a champ. She loves chocolate milk and asks for it at every meal. She tries just about everything we offer her. If she doesn't like something, she promptly spits it out and says, "no like this." She will only eat with adult forks/spoons. Sometimes, though, she will hand me her fork and say, "feed me, Mommy." Even though she's growing up too fast, she'll still my baby!

We are a few weeks into Fall gymnastics. Elliette has moved up to the 4-5 year old class, so now it's just Cadence and me in the parent/tot class. Some days she is really excited about gymnastics and jumps right in, and then some days she is super fussy and doesn't want to participate. She likes to practice at home and is getting pretty good at her forward rolls.

At two years old, Cadence's favorite toys are Barbies, bubbles, Little People, play-doh, and babies. She also loves to dress up and play outside. Her favorite TV shows are Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Super Why. She likes to read and sing songs. She is still pretty tall and skinny. She is wearing clothes that range from 12 months to 2T, but most of her clothes are 18-24 months. Her feet are growing so fast! It seemed like she went up a size overnight, and she's now in a size 6. She has a mouthful of teeth, and she will have her first dental appointment soon.

On the morning of Cadence's birth, she was breech just hours before my c-section. However, when the doctor was just about to pull her out, she had turned and was "swimming" in the opposite direction. Over the past two years, Cadence has proven to be a strong-willed child who does things her way. The girls have a picture in their bathroom that says "Hold on to what you believe." We have no doubt that Cadence will do just that.

Cadence had a pretty relaxing birthday. She got to open her presents before breakfast. We decided to give her two presents: her very own Strider and very own Pillow Pet. In addition, she was showered with gifts Ann and Wally and her grandparents. She was especially excited about her new Strider. She kept saying, "my bike!"

After presents, we had breakfast. I made monkey bread and pumpkin shakes, and we sang happy birthday to our little Monkey.

Then we took Ann and Wally to the airport. After the airport, we came back home for lunch and naps.

While Cadence was napping I made her some special birthday cupcakes. When she woke up, we joined some of our friends outside to eat the cupcakes. We all sang happy birthday again, and then Eric and I took the girls to the first night of AWANA's. I think she had a wonderful day!

Cadence Emmalane Blanchard, Daddy and Mommy love you with our whole hearts! Happy second birthday!

Tri for the Cure!

2011-08-11T16:34:00.001-06:00

On Sunday I participated in Tri for the Cure. It was my second sprint triathlon... but the first one I've done since Elliette and Cadence were born! Tri for the Cure benefited the Susan G. Komen for the Cure; this year over 2,400 women participated. I decided to do this triathlon in May after talking to a few ladies from the MOMS Club of Aurora. At that time I had just met them, but it instantly gave me a connection to some other women who also wanted to train for something fun. Over the past couple of months I've gained some good friends!

The triathlon consisted of a half-mile open water swim, an 11.4 mile bike, and a 5k run. I completed an 11-week training program for the triathlon. Eric gave me a Scott Sportster Lady for Mother's Day this year, and it really came in handy! I did a lot of biking (most of it pulling the girls!) and a lot of swimming, but I didn't really focus on the running. I just have never liked running... and I especially don't like it when I have to push the double jogger. I did a little jogging, but I ended up mostly walking my running and bike/run brick workouts. My plan for the triathlon was to push myself on the swim and the bike, and then just get through the run to the finish!

I had to pick up my packed on the Saturday before the triathlon at the pre-race expo. It was held at Bicycle Village, and it was pretty cool! Eric and the girls came with me to pick up my packet and get marked for the big day. The girls tried out some Strider bikes, and we had fun checking out all of the vendors. I loved the atmosphere and excitement.

The race had over 2,400 women participants. I think there were around 24 different waves, ranging from the elite and competitive groups to cancer survivors to buddies (we were in the buddy group!). The race started at 7:00 am, and we arrived at around 5:30 am. The waves started in 4-minute increments, and our wave was last. It was so neat to watch the really awesome athletes who started the race. The cancer survivors wave was really inspiring, too. We watched a bunch of waves begin, and then we headed back to our area to finish preparing for our race. My overall goal for the triathlon was 2 hours and 30 minutes. I figured that I would complete the swim in 20 minutes, the bike in an hour, and the run in 45 minutes. I also gave myself a big cushion for the transitions (our transition area was pretty far back!).

Our race started at about 8:30 am. The swim was pretty good. We were kind of in the middle, so it was hard at the beginning to maneuver around the other swimmers. I think I expended too much energy trying to get around the people at the beginning. I kept getting kicked in the face and in the chest, and I kept kicking people, too. I tried to apologize every time I hit someone, but most people didn't seem to care because they were kicking people, too! Even though I feel like I had trained for the swim and increased my endurance, I ended up breaststroking most of the time. I felt like it was the easiest way to maneuver around people, and then I'd front crawl as soon as I had some open space. The water wasn't too cold, and the waves weren't too bad. It felt like it took forever, and I was so happy to be pulled out of the water when the swim was over. I wasn't very tired and felt like I finished in my goal time!

The bike wasn't too bad. I love my bike, but it's definitely not as light as a fancy-schmancy road bike. I was able to keep up with a lot of people, and I did pass a few people. I also got passed a lot, too! The bike course was mostly flat and fast, and it wasn't too hot. We did have one big hill (kind of like two hills in one) that totally kicked my butt. A few women actually got off their bikes and walked up it. Everyone was shouting encouragement to one another and we all reminded ourselves that once we got up that hill, we would get to cruise down! I used the bike time to drink a lot of water and eat a CLIFF bar. I was thankful for the many people on the course who were cheering for us, the music on my iPod, and the beautiful mountain scenery. Without those three things, the course would've been pretty boring. I really pushed myself on the bike, and I was pretty tired by the end. I felt like I completed it in my goal time, but by the end of it my legs felt like lead weights, and I was starting to notice the heat!

By the time the run started, I was already pretty tired. One of my friends told me that the run-to-bike part of the triathlon was the hardest, and I have to agree with her. My legs were tired, I was worn out, and I didn't feel at all like running. To top it off, the first part of the run was uphill! Overall it was a nice run course, right up a hill, across the dam and then back. I started the run at a really slow, almost strolling pace. I wanted to enjoy a cup of water and let my legs loosen up before I started jogging. After about seven minutes of strolling I decided to try to jog a bit. I ended up jogging for just a bit and then walking again. I was pretty frustrated with myself, but I just made myself keep going. Seeing my friends on the course (we all wore tie-dye tank tops) helped give me some motivation. I also ended up with a group of ladies who pushed me to jog more, which really helped! Once we were saw the finish line, we all ran in strong. It was such a good feeling to be finished! I knew that I had beaten my goal, but I wasn't sure of any of my times. I got my finisher's medal and a bottle of water, and I waited for our group to finish. Our group did great! A couple of the ladies really kicked butt, and the rest of us finished within a few minutes of each other! We stopped by the post-race party on our way to pick up our bikes and gear. I am so excited to TRI again next year!

I was really proud of my times. I am definitely going to sign up for another triathlon next year. For now, I'm going to focus on my running. My 5k time was the slowest 5k I've ever done! In GA I did two 5k's and my times were around 38 minutes and 35 minutes... still not fast, but I know I can do better than (almost) 43 minutes!

I am so glad that I decided to sign up for Tri for the Cure. Not only did it give me some wonderful new friends, it got me back into a good training schedule. I loved riding my bike and swimming at the Aurora Reservoir (I think it's my favorite place here!). Training also made me take time for myself. Eric was wonderful about watching the girls a few times a week or taking them to swim lessons by himself. I really enjoyed my new-found "me time," and I intend to keep it up as I train for my next race!

My official times:

ASHLEY BLANCHARD #2693

AURORA, CO

Age: 32 Gender: F

Distance	Short
Clock Time	02:01:24
Overall Place	1738 / 2411
Division Place	176 / 386
Swim	00:14:48
Swimrank	206
Trans1	00:09:32
Bike	00:48:13
Bikerank	1806
Mph	14.1
Trans2	00:06:11
Runrank	1982
Run	00:42:38
Pace	00:13:45

City of Aurora KidSpree!

2011-08-01T16:15:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Eric and I took the girls to the City of Aurora's KidSpree! It was our first City of Aurora event, and we weren't sure what to expect. We parked in the mall parking lot and hopped on a charter bus that took us to KidSpree! The girls LOVED getting to ride on the bus without their carseats.

KidSpree! was a great event! It was really spread out, so it didn't feel crowded at all. The bus that shuttled us was clean, and we didn't have to wait at all for a ride. There were so many fun booths for the kids... we definitely didn't get to do everything in the time that we visited. My only complaint was that it was soooo hot, and they didn't have any water bottle filling stations.

Party Hats! I had to take a picture of Stephen from Party Hats. He used to attend our events in Bedford!

Cadence in her Party Hat!

Elliette's Party Hat!

The girls had so much fun making different crafts.

They also loved drumming!

The festival had an over sized Chutes and Ladders and Hi Ho Cheerio!

Heading back on the bus. It was a great festival, and we'll definitely go again next year!

Cadence is 23-Months Old!!

2011-08-01T15:54:00.000-06:00

Our little Monkey turned 23-months old on July 17th. I think I am slow to write these monthly update posts because I'm still in denial that my sweet baby girl is going to be two in such a short time! We are starting to plan the girls' birthday party. This year we're going to try doing the two parties together, sometime in September.

Since I last updated a couple of months ago, Cadence has changed so much! It's funny how much difference a month or two can make when kids are so young. First, we had Cadence evaluated for speech therapy about a month ago. We went through Aurora Public Schools, and Cadence ended up being evaluated by a school nurse, a special education teacher, occupational therapist, and speech therapist. I was thankful that they were so thorough and addressed all of our concerns about her development. I am happy to say that Cadence met all of her developmental milestones (she actually exceeded most of them - our little over achiever!). She is right on track and doing great. Of course, over the last couple of months her vocabulary has exploded, just like her pediatrician said it would. She speaks in clear two to three (or more) word sentences. And though she is quieter than her big sister, she is really verbal and never hesitates to let us know what she wants!

Cadence hasn't really made any progress in the potty training area, but I really haven't been pushing it, either. She usually tells me right after she has gone to the bathroom in her diaper, and she does like to sit on the potty. She has also started taking her diaper off and throwing it away once it's dirty. Other than that, we are saving potty training for when she is really ready!

Cadence is proving to be another strong-willed Blanchard girl. Sometimes her defiance seems to be even stronger than her big sister's! Her tantrums are still intense and short, but now she has added screaming to her repertoire. It is really annoying. I'm hoping against hope that this is just a phase. She is learning more and more about timeout. Sometimes she even says "timeout" to me before I've realized that she did something wrong!

Another example of Cadence's strong will is her determination to do EVERYTHING by herself. From taking off her own diaper to washing her hair to buckling her carseat belt... everything is "I do it!" Of course, everything now takes twice as long, but Cadence gets so proud of herself when she finishes a task.

We are so thankful that Cadence is still a great sleeper. We moved the girls into one room recently, and so far it is working out pretty well. Since Elliette doesn't nap, Cadence goes right down at naptime for at least two hours. Bedtimes are sometimes a struggle, but for the most part they seem to be successful. Cadence is also still a great eater. She finishes just about every meal, and she typically tries everything we give her. She gave up her booster seat a couple of months ago, and she's still working on table etiquette (ie not moving from chair to chair at each meal!). I think her current favorite food (among the others) is macaroni and cheese.

Cadence is such a sweet little Monkey. She has become attached to one of her baby dolls, and she really loves on her! We call the baby Harper (a name my Mom was hoping we'd name Cadence!), and Cadence loves to hold her and love on her. She also sleeps with her every night. Cadence also has become very snuggly with us. She is really a sweet natured little girl.

Cadence has enjoyed her summer activities of swimming lessons and gymnastics. She is fearless in the water and loves to splash around. She is also fearless at gymnastics. Her favorite gymnastics activity is the trampoline, and she has really perfected her pencil jump! She has always been very active, and she really keeps me on my toes. I've often used various natural disasters to refer to her (ie tornado, hurricane!). She is always up to something or into something... I think I've called poison control a dozen times since Cadence became mobile!

Cadence is great at playing by herself or reading to herself, and she mostly plays well with Elliette. She can count to 10 and recite the alphabet (although I'm sure she doesn't know her letters!). She loves to sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Besides her Baby Harper, Cadence's favorite toys are Little People and Princesses. She also loves to dress up (especially shoes!) and play outside. She has also started watching TV. Her favorite show are Sesame Street and Super Why.

Happy 23-months, Cadence Emmalane! Mommy and Daddy love you with our whole hearts!

Pagosa Springs

2011-07-22T05:58:00.000-06:00

Molley and I met in 10th grade when she moved to our high school. Most of my high school memories (and a lot of college, too) from that point include her. Over the years we have kept in touch. Although we haven't physically seen each other as much as we would have liked, she is my family, and I'm thankful for her and her family!

Disney World trip from our senior year of high school... 1997!!

One of the biggest issues of us getting together when we are in Texas is that we usually split our time between Eric's family and my family. There never seems to be enough time to do any more visiting! The last time I saw Molley, Elliette and Maggie were sweet little things!!

When we got our orders to Buckley, I was excited because Molley's Mom has a cabin in Pagosa Springs. It's a bit of a drive for us, but it's better than 15 hours! We worked out the schedule for this summer, and I was so excited to get to see her and her family! Between her busy schedule of starting a new job and moving, and my schedule of prior commitments, we only had one night to spend together. I wish we had more time, but I am soooo glad that we were finally able to get together!

I didn't take a lot of pictures because it was such a quick trip. We had a fun and relaxing time catching up and letting the kiddos play.

Cadence and Maggie

Judy - my second Mom for most of my high school years!

Pagosa Springs was BEAUTIFUL!! I was kind of freaked out driving through the mountains for the first time, but we made it, and I'm so glad we went! On our way out, we stopped at a few different places to let the kids play, and we finally took some pictures!

Joel and Maggie

It was difficult to get all of the kids to smile!

I can't believe we actually got to play in some snow in July!!

Saying goodbye to our friends is never easy!

The girls were great in the car. What I thought was a five hour drive turned out to be a seven hour drive!

Thanks to Judy for having us, and thanks, Molley for inviting us!! I hope to see you guys again soon!!

Fourth of July

2011-07-21T21:43:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that I'm almost caught up with this blog!! Here are some pictures from our Fourth of July. We had a relaxing holiday, and we grilled outside with some of our neighbors while the kiddos played. I really do love the feeling of community now that we're back on a base.

Elliette helped Eric wash the car.

The kids had fun swimming around in the pool.

Rachael with Aubrey and baby Coby!

My Chicken ka Bobs. They turned out really good!

Cadence's favorite game: Peek A Boo!

A few of the kiddos: Elliette, Sophia (next door neighbor), Cadence, and Aubrey

Sweet sisters!

I know that July 4th was a couple of weeks ago, and I'm not one to start any kind of political debate about our freedoms and/or our government. However, it wouldn't be a proper Independence Day post if I didn't include how proud we are of Eric for serving our country! I think about our Fourth of July last year, and I just remember how much we missed Eric. At the same time, we were so proud of him and his accomplishments! I am thankful that the girls have a great Daddy who works hard to keep us all safe. I also am thankful for the sacrifices of many of our friends who celebrated Independence Day far away from their Daddies. We appreciate all of you!

Buckley Freedom Fest

2011-07-21T21:33:00.000-06:00

We attended Buckley Air Force Base's Freedom Fest on July 1st. Eric and I packed some picnics and rode our bikes to the festival. The girls love riding in the trailer (as long as they have plenty of snacks!).

The festival was great! I love that Buckley is small compared to a lot of bases, so their events are a lot less crowded. We were given some food tickets, so we got to enjoy a wonderful lunch and ice cream!

Of course, the kids just wanted to play on the playground. Aubrey (with her mom Rachael) lives across the street... AND they are from Texas!

Elliette and Cadence both liked the fishing game.

The girls were excited to check out the Fire House!

Texas Trip - Monday

2011-07-15T22:13:00.000-06:00

We headed back to Denver on Monday after our really quick trip.

Saying goodbye to Nana and Papa!

My parents were still in Austin, so we stopped by to say our goodbyes, and Mom took us to the airport. Genny really wanted to go on the airplane with us!

Elliette adores her cousin Jossie!

Saying goodbye to my Mom is always tough.

We had a somewhat eventful trip back to Denver. The girls started out great. I took these pictures in the Austin airport before we left. Everyone was pretty happy.

When we arrived in Dallas, we were not supposed to change planes; however, when we landed we were told to get off and get on a plane at a different gate. When we checked in at the new gate we were told that we wouldn't be leaving until 3:00 pm (it was around 11:30 am). We were supposed to have a really long layover at the Amarillo airport, so we were happy to have the layover in Dallas instead since it's a bigger airport. We ate lunch and tried to just enjoy ourselves for a few hours.

The kids were still being mostly good. We found some ice cream at the airport, so that was exciting. Also, I had packed a backpack for each kiddo that was filled with fun things to do.

Cadence played so hard she passed out and slept through the entire flight to Amarillo!

Elliette fell asleep as soon as we took off from Dallas, and she slept all the way to Amarillo, too. I took this picture in the Amarillo airport while we were waiting for our final leg to Denver.

Poor Nugget! She was exhausted! Our five-day trip was so busy, and our day of flying home was really long. She was done in Amarillo, but we still had another two hours of flying.

Cadence was ready to get home, too! She was in a pretty good mood after her nap.

When we boarded the plane in Amarillo, Elliette had a major meltdown. She didn't want to sit in her seat. She didn't want to buckle her seat belt. All she wanted to do was scream and cry. It was awful and so embarrassing! People kept turning around and giving us that "control your child" look. We didn't know what to do! Thankfully her fit was short-lived, and she had calmed down after about 15-20 (the longest 15-20 minutes ever!).

We were so happy to be back in Denver again! I made a mental note to only book the non-stop or one stop flights from now on!

Texas Trip - Sunday

2011-07-15T21:57:00.000-06:00

Eric spent Sunday morning with his parents. They had a nice and relaxing morning, and they took the girls for a fun walk to the lake!

On Sunday evening we headed back to Austin to eat dinner at Barbara's house. The girls had fun playing together.

We also celebrated Blaine's and Mom's birthdays with some yummy cake.

Cadence decided to go to bed in Genny's bed!

Sweet Genny!

Texas Trip - Sunday Urban Assault Ride

2011-07-15T17:16:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from the Urban Assualt Ride. Once again, we had a great time biking around Austin and completing tasks. I highly recommend participating in the Urban Assault Ride if it comes to your city!

Sarah and Brian on the Big Wheels!

Barbara rocking the Big Wheels!

Dad kicking butt on the Big Wheels!

The line for the Rowing Docks. Last year's line was a lot longer!

Waiting for the Rowing Docks.

My awesome parents!!

Sisters!

Christinne and Troy did AMAZING!! So glad you guys came out this year!! Troy, I will make sure that Christinne takes some spinning classes to better prepare next year!

Bikin' Mothers!

I love Christinne! She is one of my dearest friends from college.

Our group. Looking forward to next year's Urban Assault Ride!

Click here to read about last year's Urban Assault Ride!

Texas Trip - Saturday

2011-07-15T16:06:00.000-06:00

We got up on Saturday and headed south. We stopped in Killeen to visit Eric's grandparents. We had a nice visit and enjoyed swimming in the pool.

After our visit to Killeen, we headed to the Blanchard's house in Lago Vista. Cathy gave the girls the game Don't Spill the Beans. They LOVED it!! Cadence and Elliette kept dumping it over and laughing. It was a lot of fun!

Texas Trip - Friday

2011-07-15T15:48:00.000-06:00

We spent Friday preparing for Erica's special day.

We went out for manicures and pedicures. It was so nice spending time with the girls. Elliette got to go with us. It was her first manicure and pedicure, and she LOVED it!

Erica and Dan got married at the Reata Restaurant in Ft. Worth. It was a beautiful ceremony, and we had a lot of fun! I only have one picture from the evening. Congratulations to Erica and Dan! So glad we could share in your special day!

Texas Trip - Thursday

2011-07-15T15:37:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago we headed to Texas to celebrate Erica's wedding. It was our quickest trip yet. We spent five days traveling, visiting, and having fun. In addition, I participated in the Urban Assault Ride with my family. It was our second year, and once again it was so much fun!

We left Denver bright and early. Our flight was quick and easy. We had one stop in Oklahoma City, but we didn't even have to change planes. The girls did great. They are getting to be great travelers!

My Mom picked us up in Dallas, and we headed over to Bedford for lunch with Erica at Fuddruckers and some swimming at Bedford Splash. I have been swimming more at Splash in the last two years than I did when I worked in Bedford! Sarah and Shelley met us with Emery and Sydney. The kids had so much fun swimming and playing together! Erica treated everyone to snow cones, which was super exciting!

We checked into our hotel late on Thursday afternoon, and then we headed out to dinner to celebrate Erica's last night as a single lady!

Army Ball

2011-07-12T09:07:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, Eric took me to the Army Ball. It was held to celebrate the Army's 236th birthday. It was our first Army Ball to attend, and I was pretty excited! I'm not usually into getting dressed up, but I must admit that it was really fun. I missed my Mom while dress shopping, so I'm going to have to make sure that she can come with me next year. I met some nice Army wives while going to get my hair and makeup done. Eric looked so handsome, and I really felt like a princess!

The program was really neat. I wasn't sure about what to expect, but we both thought that it was pretty cool! There are a lot of things about Army life that I don't love (ie deployments, moving all the time, etc), but it is really neat to be a part of something so big. It's almost like a big family. Politics aside, a lot of the soldiers and families really care about our country and making it a better/safer place for generations to come. When we attend events like this (or even military family events), our decision for Eric to be in the Army, at least for now, is definitely affirmed!

Also, it was sooooo nice to eat a fabulous dinner without the kiddos!

One of the great things about the Army ball was that it included childcare. We are still pretty new to the area, so we probably would not have attended if we couldn't bring the girls with us. We knew that they were safe and having fun just a few rooms away, so we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves.

The girls had a great time! They got to play games, eat pizza, and stay up super late! To top it off, we stayed at the hotel to avoid having to drive home after our fun night.

Elliette was so excited about my dress, shoes, hair and makeup, jewelry.... everything! Since I know I probably won't be wearing it again for a while, I decided to let Elliette wear my necklace. She was so excited!

Elliette went to the little kids' room when we arrived, just to make sure that Cadence was going to be okay and not too shy. Once Elliette realized that Cadence was going to be fine, she joined the big kids for some big kid fun!

Father's Day

2011-07-11T14:45:00.000-06:00

How did I get so lucky to have Eric as a father to our girls?!

Eric is a great Daddy! He works so hard for our family, yet he always has time to spend with his girls.

We had a pretty relaxing Father's Day. The girls gave Eric a Rocky Mountain National Park fly fishing trip. I am sure he's going to love it! They also gave him a couple of remote controlled cars. We had so much fun driving them around the driveway while the girls chased them!

Of course, Father's Day wouldn't be complete without recognizing my awesome Dad and awesome Father-in-Law! We are so thankful!

Cadence is 22-Months Old!!

2011-07-11T14:14:00.000-06:00

Our sweet Monkey turned 22-months old on June 17th. I can't believe that when Elliette was 22 months old, Cadence was born! Since I'm so far behind on posting, I'll just include some 22-month old pictures and update everything else next week!

This picture is a little blurry, but I just love it! She looks just like a toddler Eric!

We love you so much, Cadence!

Gymnastics

2011-07-02T20:34:00.000-06:00

One of Elliette's favorite activities in Georgia was gymnastics. I decided to sign the girls up for the City of Aurora's summer program. They are both in the parent/tot class this summer, and Elliette will start the three-year-old class in the fall.

I love the program! The girls' teacher is great. She is so enthusiastic, and she is patient with the kiddos. The gym is nice and clean. The girls are learning and having fun each week.

Of course, there are times that Cadence just doesn't want to participate!

Elliette loves to jump off of the balance beam and yell "Superstar!" She said she learned it at her class in Georgia.

Every week the girls get stamps from their teacher.

One of my favorite things about the City of Aurora's program is that the recreation center is attached to a great little park! I try to pack our lunches for a picnic after gymnastics each week.

Elliette has gotten really brave when climbing and playing on the playscape. Cadence has always been pretty fearless. On the day that I took these pictures, Cadence did a front-flip off of the platform (the one right behind Elliette's head in this picture) and landed right on her back. Thankfully she didn't hit her face on the spiraly-thing, and she didn't land on her head! Between her front dive off of the playscape and Elliette's black eye, I really felt like Mother of the Year!

There is a big open space by the park for us to explore nature.

Elliette vs. The Wall

2011-07-02T20:22:00.000-06:00

Again, these pictures were taken a few weeks ago! Elliette had a bit of a run-in with the corner of our wall one morning while we were getting ready to go to the pool on base. I was sun screening Cadence in the living room, and Elliette was running back and forth from the living room to the backyard. She would visit her friend Sophia at the fence and then run back inside. The last time she was running to go out the back door, she tripped over our carpet runner and smashed her face into the corner of the wall!

I usually stay pretty calm when the girls fall or run into things (both of our girls are accident-prone!), but this time it was really loud, and there was quite a bit of blood! I called my neighbor, and she came over with a great first aid kit. She cleaned up Elliette's face a bit, and she put a tight band aid over her cheek.

The bleeding wasn't stopping with the band aid, and I was worried about her getting a scar on her face. I decided to take her to urgent care. Thankfully we didn't have to wait very long!

Poor sweet Elliette! She was a trooper and stayed very clam during the urgent care visit.

The doctor was great! She was so nice to Elliette and helped to keep her calm during the visit. She decided to glue the cut instead of stitching it to minimize scarring.

I took these pictures when we got home from urgent care.

I took this picture a few mornings after the incident!

It's been a few weeks, and thankfully Elliette's eye is healing nicely. She has a bit of a scar and some swelling on her cheek, but we are hoping that it will go away with time.

Sweet and Sassy

2011-07-02T20:09:00.001-06:00

Again, these pictures are a few weeks old. I took the girls to Sweet & Sassy for a haircut. The base charges $15 for a kid's haircut, but I really wanted to take them to a place where the stylists are used to kids. I asked around for some recommendations, and Sweet & Sassy was highly recommended by several people. Also, they offer $10 haircuts on Tuesday and Thursday mornings!

Cadence was not excited to have her hair cut. Thankfully the stylist was super patient. She gave Cadence a lollipop, and it helped her calm down a bit!

This was Elliette's third haircut. She's a pro!

Sweet and Sassy is great! The stylists put magic fairy glitter in the girls' hair, and they drew hearts on their cheeks!

After their haircuts, the girls got to walk the runway a few times!

Even though Cadence freaked out a little bit at first, it was a great experience. They treated the girls like princesses! We will definitely be back when it's time for another haircut!

Belleview Park

2011-07-02T20:00:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago (most of my posts are going to start this way until I'm finally caught up with the blog!), the girls and I joined the MOMS Club on a morning trip to Belleview Park in Englewood. It is, quite possibly, my new favorite park in the Denver area!

It was a little too cold for us to splash around in the creek, but the girls LOVED the petting zoo!

We rode the train twice! Elliette was excited to ride with Scout.

There are two great playgrounds at Belleview Park. They are separated by a really big covered pavilion with a bunch of picnic tables.

After playing on the playground, we headed back down the path for another train ride.

Elliette was so happy after a fun morning!

Cadence was a little tired!

To find out more about Belleview Park, click here!

Denver Botanic Gardens Family Night

2011-06-28T13:36:00.000-06:00

The Denver Botanic Gardens offers monthly Family Nights in their Children's Garden. Eric and I packed a picnic dinner and took the girls to this great program about a month ago. It was really neat! They have themes each month, and when we went they had an insect theme. First the girls made bug masks.

The girls got to plant their own sunflower seeds (of course, both pots were emptied all over our backyard within a few days!).

The views from the Botanic Gardens were beautiful!

We will definitely attend the Family Night again!

Cherry Creek State Park

2011-06-18T14:05:00.000-06:00

We took these pictures during our first visit to Cherry Creek State Park (I'm going to get this blog caught up one of these days). It's a fun place to hike, bike, swim, play on the playground, explore, etc.! We bought a State Parks Pass, so I'm sure we'll be back again soon! The best part is that it's only about 20 minutes from our house!

The girls did great in the bike trailer!

I was so excited to take my Mother's Day gift out for a spin. I love my new bike!

We love the mountain view!

It wasn't very hot, but the girls still insisted on splashing around in the water!

Ice Cream Fun!

2011-06-12T22:13:00.000-06:00

We've been driving Eric's car a lot lately. It is helping to keep miles off of my car, and it saves us money on gas! Plus the girls love it because they sit so close to us. One of the other benefits of driving Eric's car is that we are less worried about messes... such as the girls eating ice cream cones after a fun day of exploring Denver!

Pyxie Skate

2011-06-12T21:57:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, the girls and I joined the MOMS Club of Aurora at a local skating rink to participate in their Pyxie Skate program. It's a cute program! The fee includes skate rentals, and the kids get to skate around and play games. At the end they line up against the wall to have a snack. I was really excited about it, but I wasn't sure how the girls would do since they've never tried skating before.

Cadence was the first to put on her skates. I took her out to the rink, and she was pretty scared! She mostly just stood and cried until I rescued her a few minutes later.

Our next door neighbors, Sophia, Cassie, and Alaina!

Pyxie Skate is such a cute program!

Sweet girls.

Cadence was happy to have her skates off... she spent the rest of the time scavenging for food!

Elliette was finally happy. She spent the first half of the program crying next to the wall because she didn't want to even try on the skates. I told her that she had to sit there until she at least put them on. Little Nugget has some issues with trying new things sometimes. It frustrates me, but then I remember where she gets that trait!

Excited to wear the skates, but ONLY on the carpet. She is such a mini-Ashley sometimes!

Snacking Cadence

Since our first Pyxie Skate was kind of a disaster, I decided to buy the girls some skates of their own to practice with at home. One of our neighbors happened to be selling two pairs of girls skates for $2 each. It was a great deal!

Elliette was sooooo excited to get some skates of her own!

Even Cadence, our sweet accident-prone child, loved the skates!

We're going to practice at home for a while, and then we'll try the Pyxie Skate again!

Sweet Sisters!

Denver Museum of Nature & Science

2011-06-06T22:23:00.000-06:00

When Eric got his orders to Buckley, one of the first things I did was contact the MOMS Club of Aurora. I was so excited to officially join once we arrived. The ladies are great, and the club is very active. A couple of weeks ago the girls and I joined the MOMS Club on a visit to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. One of the great things about the museum is that it is FREE for military members and their immediate family.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is HUGE! We've been twice now, and we still haven't seen everything. They have a ton of interactive exhibits throughout the museum for the kids, and they have a wonderful kid's room, too. I'm sure we'll be visiting this museum regularly!

Out of everything at the museum, the girls loved the hand dryer in the bathroom the best!

Mother's Day - Still Catching Up!

2011-06-06T21:58:00.000-06:00

We had a great Mother's Day weekend. We headed to Loveland on Saturday to hang out with the Alexander's. We are so excited that they are moving there... it's only an hour from our house! We shopped at the "World's Largest Yard Sale," at lunch at a yummy restaurant, and we introduced the Alexander's to geocaching. I think Lucy is hooked!

On Sunday we headed outside for some geocaching and more exploring. We stumbled on to Lookout Mountain, where we got to visit Buffalo Bill's grave! We had lunch at a little restaurant and watched some skateboarding competition. I can't imagine skateboarding down a mountain!

Dinosaur Ridge. Elliette rode her Strider Bike all the way up that hill!

Eric and the girls spoiled me this year with a trip to Bicycle Village and a purchase of a new bike. I'm so excited to ride it! I feel so loved by my little family and so thankful to be a Mom!

I am thankful for my wonderful Mom. We have become such great friends, and I feel very lucky.

I am also so lucky to have Cathy as my Mother-in-Law. I really am blessed!

Cadence is 21-Months Old!!

2011-06-06T21:08:00.001-06:00

My friend Megan recently posted, "Life is good... can't find time to blog." I feel the exact same way! Eric and I have fallen in love with Colorado... we spend just about all of our free time outside exploring. It will definitely be a hard place to leave!

Cadence turned 21-months old on May 17th. She is learning so much everyday and growing up way too fast! We've definitely seen an improvement in her vocabulary. We have an appointment on June 20th to have her evaluated for speech. I made the appointment a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm pretty sure she's not going to need any help. Eric and I kind of think that Elliette is doing a lot of Cadence's talking for her. I'd love to hear opinions from others with kiddos close in age! We've given Elliette the task of trying to help Cadence learn her words, and it seems to help a lot. Now instead of Elliette answering the questions we ask Cadence, Elliette asks her the questions and waits for Cadence to answer! I'm not sure how many words Cadence can now say, but I do know that it's increasing all the time. She's gotten a lot more vocal lately, and she even says a few two-word sentences. Some of her frequent sayings are, "I do it," "I did it!" "Oh no!" and "Hold me!"

Cadence has also been telling us when she has gone to the bathroom. She has peed in the potty one time, and we haven't really pushed it at all. However, she does tell us "I potty" or "I poop" after she has already gone. Most of the time those sentences are followed with an "Ugh" to let us know that it is a yucky diaper.

In the last month or so, we've seen the "terrible two's" develop even more. Cadence's tantrums are pretty intense, but they are still short. They usually involved her throwing whatever she can reach at that moment, but sometimes they also involve her pulling hair, scratching or pinching whoever is closest to her (typically Elliette!). We're using the "redirecting technique" to help stop the tantrums, and for now it's working okay. I've also put Cadence in timeout a couple of times. I know her behavior has a lot to do with the age, so we're trying to remain patient!

Cadence is still sleeping and eating great. She still hasn't attempted to climb out of her crib, and she goes down so well for naps and bedtime. She has three electronic devices in her crib: a turtle, a seahorse, and a musical baby. She wants everything to be playing as she goes to sleep. It's a little noisy, but she does go right to sleep! We have been finished with nursing for a while, but she still does ask to nurse every now and then. Her favorite foods (in addition to the fruit, crackers, and fruit snacks) currently are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and baked beans. She also loves cookies and ice cream. She calls cookies "too-tees" and asks for them a lot!

We've seen Cadence's imagination really blossom this month. She loves to play with the "guys," and she even makes her Little People talk. I am so thankful that she plays so well with Elliette or by herself... it really frees up some time during the day for me to take care of things! She also still loves to dress up and put on shoes.

Happy 21-months, sweet Monkey! Mommy and Daddy love you with our whole hearts!

Geocaching Fun!

2011-05-24T14:39:00.000-06:00

Eric and I have been taking the girls geocaching over the past few weekends. They LOVE it, and we LOVE all of our outside family time. It's giving us an opportunity to explore different areas of Colorado, and the girls love to exchange treasures with the caches.

These pictures were taken on our first-as-a-family-of-four geocaching trip on April 30th.

Eric is a fast finder!

Elliette and Cadence are HOOKED!

One of the caches was hidden at Dinosaur Ridge Park. It's a neat place, and we'll definitely come back here for some hiking and exploring!

Elliette's first find!

Colorado is beautiful!

Ashley and Elliette hunting for the cache!

Success!

Cadence is pretty excited about geocaching, too!

The best part about our fun geocaching trips? The kids are exhausted by the time we get back home!

Check out http://www.geocaching.com/!

Easter!

2011-05-23T14:21:00.002-06:00

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11:25-26

It's taking me forever, but I feel like I'm finally starting to catch up our blog!

We had a great first Easter in Colorado. We went to a few different egg hunts, a party with the MOMS Club of Aurora, and a great service at the church we've been attending.

The first egg hunt we attended was at Buckley Family Housing. Our housing community is pretty small, so the egg hunt wasn't too crazy. Since I planned special events in my previous life (before children!), I constantly judge events that we attend, and I try to think of ways for them to improve. The egg hunt was fun for the kids, and I'm thankful that the housing folks put it together for the residents. The kids came home with candy, so everyone was happy. Oh, and I love that we were able to walk to the hunt!

The girls and I joined the MOMS Club of Aurora on a visit to a local nursing home. The kids had fun doing a craft, meeting the Easter bunny, and getting candy from the residents! The residents seemed to really enjoy the kids. I'm looking forward to going back again.

Not sure what to think about the Easter Bunny!

Here are some pictures from the MOMS Club of Aurora Easter Party.

Easter!

2011-05-23T14:20:00.011-06:00

Easter morning was wonderful. The girls woke up to baskets filled with treats from the Easter Bunny!

Checking out their baskets!

The girls were excited about egg hunting in our backyard!

Hunting!

We went to a great Easter service at the church we've been attending. We're not sure if this is the church for us, but it has been great so far.

It was supposed to be outdoors; unfortunately the weather was looking iffy so they moved it indoors. After the service we stayed for an Easter brunch. The girls looked so cute... I can't believe I didn't take more pictures!

A Milestone for the Monkey!

2011-05-14T21:52:00.000-06:00

It's not uncommon for Cadence to be only wearing a diaper after dinner. The girls usually play for a little bit, and then they head upstairs for their bedtime rituals, which includes a bath, brushing their teeth, stories, prayers, and then bed. One evening after dinner the girls were playing sweetly, so I decided to take a few pictures.

Cadence just looked too cute in her little cowboy boots!

Posing for a picture with Elliette!

Before I knew it, Cadence had lost her diaper and was heading upstairs...

... and then she sat right down on her little potty! I handed her a magazine, just to see what she would do.

And she peed! I was so impressed with her because she did it on her own, at 20 months old. Of course, she hasn't done it again since then, and we are NOT potty training her this early! At least she has the concept down... we'll address this again sometime before she turns three. In the meantime, way to go, little Monkey!

Eric's Birthday Dinner

2011-05-14T21:37:00.000-06:00

Since Eric's birthday was during the week, we waited until the weekend to go out to eat. After researching the MANY restaurants in the Denver area, we decided to check out Casa Bonita. What an interesting place! The food was just okay. It was all premade and ready. The tables had little flags to raise to get your waiter's attention (think Pancho's, but a little fancier, with a LOT of bells and whistles).

Casa Bonita has so much to do! They have an arcade, a Mexican-style market, strolling entertainers, a jail area to take pictures, puppet shows, gun fights, and a lagoon with cliff divers! I'm sure I'm probably missing some things, but overall it was quite an experience!

We will definitely have to eat at Casa Bonita again. If you're in the Denver area, check it out! http://www.casabonitadenver.com/

Eric's Birthday!

2011-05-10T22:43:00.000-06:00

Eric turned 32 (I know, he's an OLD MAN!) on April 12th. We had a small family celebration at home. The girls helped me make Eric a giant cupcake.

Eric, you are such a wonderful husband and father, and we are so lucky to have you!! We love you very much!

Nanny and Pops Visit Colorado!

2011-05-10T22:25:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from my parents' visit (about a MONTH AGO!). We had fun exploring Colorado with them. Elliette and Cadence were especially happy that they brought Lucy and Peanut home. We love you, Mom and Dad! Can't wait to see you again soon!

We played outside in the beautiful weather!

We celebrated Lucy's birthday at the Denver Children's Museum!

We checked out the Denver Zoo!

Elliette got sick, so Cadence got to spend some special time with just Nanny and Pops at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science!

And Dad thought about going back into the Army!

Denver Aquarium

2011-05-05T15:35:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things about moving is getting to explore new cities. Denver is especially exciting because there is just soooo much to do! During our first weekend in Denver, we went to the Denver Aquarium. It is such a neat place! The restaurant has a huge tank, so you can see a ton of fish while you're eating. The food was great, and the Aquarium itself was pretty fun.

Elliette's favorite part of the Aquarium, by far, was the Mystic Mermaids show. She LOVED it! We look forward to going to the Denver Aquarium again!

Colorado PCS

2011-04-23T22:31:00.004-06:00

Here are some pictures of our move to Colorado. We ended up taking three days (two nights) to get to our new home. We spent our first night in Amarillo. The drive was pretty easy. We ate dinner at the Big Texan. It was great! Eric and I were amazed at the guys manning the steak grills. The restaurant was crazy crowded, and there were only two guys cooking the steaks. Our dinner was great, and we’ll definitely eat there again.

The next morning, we woke up to Cadence COVERED in vomit. Poor sweet girl! She seemed to feel okay, so we cleaned her up and kept heading north. We spent our second night in Trinidad, Colorado. It was so exciting for us because we finally saw some mountains! Cadence seemed to feel fine, so we drove around the city, played at a local park, and swam in the hotel’s pool. Cadence still seemed fine, so the next day we piled back into our cars and headed north.

We arrived in Denver in the early afternoon and checked into our hotel. We headed out to eat some lunch, find the base, and explore the city. We were so excited to finally arrive at our new home! We swam in the evening and went to bed early in anticipation of moving into our new home early the next morning.

Our move-in day was March 21st. Eric headed over early to meet with the housing people, and the girls and I stayed behind to eat breakfast and check out of the hotel. While we were eating breakfast (at the Embassy Suites), Cadence seemed a little fussy. She didn’t want to eat, and I knew right away that she still wasn’t feeling well. She ended up crawling into my lap and throwing up all over me. UGH! She had some crazy stomach bug, and the sporadic vomiting (and diarrhea) ended up lasting for almost three weeks. Thankfully she felt okay through most of it.

Our movers had some truck issues, but they finally arrived at about 1:00 pm. They got everything unloaded, and we were so happy to finally be home! We live in a duplex in a pretty small housing community. It’s relatively new, and we’re very happy with the housing. The best part is the beautiful mountain view that we have from our back porch!

Catching Up - Fun Day with the Bell's

2011-04-23T22:04:00.000-06:00

Here are some more Texas pictures. Sarah and the girls came up to spend some time with us. Poor Sydney had recently broken her leg, so she was stuck in a cast. The kids had fun playing, and it was nice to hang out with the family.

Dad in his John Deere hat. We have a good friend from church who works from John Deere. Kris and Cory, this picture is for you!

Of course, we headed out to the Club for some fun! Dad hooked his trailer to the jeep and took us for a hayride.

Elliette decided to ride with Dad in the jeep. Every time he stopped, Elleitte would crawl to the back to make sure we were all okay.

Sweet cousins!

Catching Up - Sherman Country Club

2011-04-23T21:55:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures from our fun day at Sherman Country Club. Marie joined us for the evening, and Erica brought her boyfriend, Dan. It was great to finally meet him!

The girls love the Club. They get to run around crazy, play on the swing set, and drive in the jeep.

Eric is always awesome to man the grill!

We took the girls to feed the fish with some old hot dog buns. Elliette decided to use hers as binoculars!

Elliette loves to go fast in the jeep!

Of course, Dad put the guys to work!