Let is snow...and snow.....and SNOW!

We arrived on Friday night and there was very little snow on the ground. However, it started snowing Saturday morning and didn't let up until Thursday with about 2 feet of total accumulation! We bundled all the kids into their snow gear and took them outside to play. They had a great time on the sled and playing in all of the snow and I am also pretty sure that the adults had fun too as evidenced by some of the pictures. There were snow angels made, snow put in mouths and snowballs thrown! It has been a long time since I have had that much fun playing outside in the cold - I guess it is true what they say - kids bring out the kid in each of us!

After playing in the snow, the kids came inside and made cookies with red, green and white frosting and sprinkles that Gam had purchased just for the occasion. There was definitely more frosting in their bellies than there was on the cookies, but that is part of the experience and made for some pretty cute pictures!

Ski school

Cael was eligible for ski school this year and my dad was eager to get him enrolled. Ryan and I were a little apprehensive about how he would do so we decided that it made sense to take him up to the slopes for a trial run. He looked absolutely adorable in his gear and was so excited about going skiing with Daddy. He had a minor meltdown, but calmed down enough to attempt skiing. He was a little shaky and Ryan thought it might be a little too soon for ski school especially considering it is expensive and they needed 48 hours advance notice if you were going to cancel (talk about pressure).

We discussed the pros and cons and decided that since Veronica would be there too it was worth a shot. It also didn't hurt that Lowell had gone to two lessons and LOVED them! They headed out early Wednesday morning to pick up their rentals and then up to the mountain they went. The kids each got individual lessons, which is customary for their age group. Veronica's instructor's name was Lisa and Cael's was Kelfton (or Kelston), but he actually went by Kel....Kel and Cael....how cute. Both of the kids exceeded our expectations and Kel was very complimentary of Cael's listening skills (what - our child is a good listener? - who knew?). I think we were all thrilled at how it turned out and once Aveyn is older, we may start skiing again on a regular basis and may even purchase a small shack up in the mountains so we can avoid the dreaded traffic!

A big thanks to Bapa for giving Cael the opportunity to try out his ski legs and for helping with all the rental gear, tickets, etc. Cael will make sure to thank you when he wins his first Olympic race for downhill skiing - hey, a mom can dream!

Park City preview!

We left for Park City on Friday December 17th and after an eventful flight (we left our laptop at home and the kids were NOT happy campers especially Miss Aveyn), we we're thrilled to finally be at the house and surrounded by family. It had been two years since the last time we were all together for Christmas and we had a lot of catching up to do. We had not had a chance to meet Brooke's boyfriend, Peter, the kids had not met Reid and Brooke and of course we were excited about seeing Lowell again! The kids had a lot of fun together and this year the ball popper, Wii and corks were a hit with adults and kids alike!

Stay tuned for more about our wonderful trip to Park City, UT! You had to know I couldn't highlight everything in one post ;)

Office Christmas Party

I have said it before and I will say it again....I LOVE the people I work with and I wish that we could hang out more often outside of the office! My manager, Vanessa, hosted the holiday party this year at her house again and as usual, everyone had a great time. The presents were plentiful as was the food and wine and soon we found ourselves in the basement playing Guitar Hero and laughing hysterically as we all tried to impress with our musical talents!

Julie and Jodi

Andy, Chris, John and Jeff

Hostess with the Mostess



Laura, Jori and Molly

Vanessa, Susan and Alison

Derek, John and James

Maria

Chris, Judie and Vanessa



Caroline



LIFE OF THE PARTY!

I think it is safe to say that everyone had a blast and we are all looking forward to the next time we can get together!!! Cheers!
P.S. - you read that right: I work with a Jodi, Julie, Jeff, John B., John M, James, Jed and Judie!!! LOL!

Update {Aveyn} - 15 months

Aveyn had her 15 month appointment today and I wanted to update everyone on her stats and overall progress:

Weight: 20 lbs 11.4 oz (19 lbs 5 oz at twelve months)
Height: 31 1/4 inches (29 1/2 inches at twelve months)
Head Circumference: 47.6 cm (46.5 cm at twelve months)

She is in the 15th percentile for weight, 75th percentile for height and 90th percentile for HC. My first concern was her weight, but the doctor assured me that they prefer them long and thin versus the alternative (can we say Cael - LOL - kidding). She wanted to know how much Aveyn was talking and I told her not a whole lot so she suggested that we go see a specialist if Aveyn isn't talking more by her 18 month appointment. I asked repeatedly if she was worried and she always responded with a no (not at all - especially because Cael was a later talker) so at this point I am not worried. She also assured me that Aveyn would be walking by the time she was 18 months, so once again, nothing to worry about there either. Physically, Aveyn is 'perfect' and she managed to charm the socks off of everyone she met (shocking - such a flirt). She got four shots and it was awful, but after a few pieces of chocolate (I didn't have a pacifier), she had calmed down quite a bit and cuddled with Mommy (yay).

She's a busy girl

Aveyn isn't walking quite yet, but she is close and despite her 'limited' mobility, she is an active little thing. Lately she has been pushing herself into a standing position without any help, but of course, only if that gets her more attention than standing on her head with her little butt in the air!

We bought Cael a hula hoop for his birthday and over Thanksgiving, I am pretty sure almost everyone tried to 'hula hoop' at least once. Makenzi was the only one who was actually able to do it, but I think Aveyn is trying to give her a run for her money!

She is also a bit of an action junky and loves being thrown into the air, being held while we chase Cael around the house or pretending to fly with Nana.

In an effort to keep her occupied one night, we gave her some ice in a bowl and she LOVED it (thanks Nana) so we have since purchased a sand/water table for her for Christmas (shhhh, don't tell). I swear it is the simplest things that keep them occupied. Between ice, bowl and tupperware drawer, we are set!

Last, but not least, this child is obsessed with Simba, my mom's cat, who we are watching for the winter while she is down in Yuma. Simba is currently residing in our basement and when he comes up for a visit, Aveyn can't focus on anything other than the cat. However, once she gets near him, she immediately seeks the comfort of Mommy and Daddy (or Nana), but if you try to remove her from Simba's presence, she throws a fit (go figure)!

She is certainly a cutie and most definitely a hand full, but we are having fun and that is all that matters! 

Update {Cael} - 3 years

Cael had his 3rd year appointment today and I wanted to update everyone on his stats and overall progress:

Weight: 36.5 lbs {32 lbs 7.8 oz at 2 years}

Height: 39 inches {36 1/2 inches at 2 years}

He is in the 90th percentile for weight and the 85th percentile for height. So funny story...I hadn't received a phone call reminding me of the date and time of his appointment so I called the doctor's office to find out when it was scheduled. The receptionist asked me for his date of birth and once she confirmed his name announced that his appointment was in approximately 30 minutes. Agghhhh, I quickly shut down my computer, informed my boss I was leaving and managed to make it to the appointment only 5 minutes late. The doctor asked Cael a series of questions (what is your dogs name, what do you do with a pencil, what color is the wall, etc) and for the most part, he answered them all correctly. However, when she asked him to wiggle his thumbs, he refused and when she asked him what he did with a cup he replied by saying 'you dip it in the toilet'.....I was embarrassed and naturally Dr. Chris wanted to know the toilet story. I informed her that there was no story, but now I was a little concerned about what Cael was doing with his sippy cups when I wasn't around! All in all the appointment went VERY well. He seems to be right on track with his growth and learning abilities (whew). I also got the usual spiel: make sure he gets plenty of dairy (definitely not a problem), limit how much TV he watches, use a car seat until 4 years and 40 lbs, don't use scented soaps because they can exacerbate his eczema (dry skin), brush his teeth at least once a day (check) and discipline properly! He got the flu mist and one shot and he WAS not a happy camper after the shot. He started screaming and would not stop until long after the nurse left the room. He talked about his 'shot' all the way home despite being given a pair of very cool sunglasses (green stars) for being so brave. Hopefully I will be able to better prepare him next year because I will be better prepared myself!!! I didn't have my camera on me because I wasn't planning on taking him to the doctor so no pictures of our latest adventure :(