Red Rocks Trip

We had a really nice day hiking out at Red Rocks Canyon last weekend. The boys both did really well. Trev's main struggle was having to wear shoes that aren't his new cowboy boots. Ryan's only complaint was when he had to be packed for a while when we were walking on an area with a drop off. So it was a very happy family adventure day.


Trev remembered and found his 'chair rock again'

Click to see Trev in chair rock April last year



Looking to the future


And then he turned into a bird


Lunch stop


Ryan loved climbing on the rocks. Coming out of the canyon he kept trying to veer off the sides to climb up the hills. So for a while, every ten feet or so he'd stop, turn and point up the steep incline and say "this way?"


Awww... they're so cute when they hold hands


The boys observing fluid dynamics


Ryan was pretty excited here-- he kept popping up from behind the bushes to roar or say boo! Then giggle hysterically and do it again.


Crawling in the cave

























I didn't quite think of taking a video soon enough-- so this is just the end of Ryan's roar fest. I thought the background and subject matter gave it a very B-movie feeling

Happy Birthday to John

John turned 33 this weekend--so Trev suggested we have a surprise party. He seemed to have it all down--I was instructed that we will decorate and buy him presents and then turn off the lights and hide before daddy gets home. Then when he opens the door he will say "Huh. That's weird. I wonder where everyone is. Hmm. Usually they are home right now. How weird. Oh look--there's decorations. I wonder what they are for" and then we will say "surprise!". He definitely had ideas. And a script all ready. So we went with it.


Trevor melting chocolate for the cake


Ryan monitoring the cake


"I set table"

Ryan started to set the table in hopes of getting this whole cake business started. So we went to the park to minimize Ryan's torture of having to be in the same vicinity as the cake.


Yep. He's just that cool.


Opening presents. One of them was a small box of legos... very hard to keep a secret. "Daddy! We got you a present and it's a secret. Can I tell you that it's legos though?"


Finally cake time

Hiking and Laundry Baskets

The weather has taken a turn for the better lately. And it's about time... Trevor was complaining a week or so ago about having to wear a coat every day (because it's been over a month now...). We made it out to the hills behind the college for a little hiking and lunch last weekend. The boys did really well. Trev as usual likes the going up part and climbing on all the rockpiles. Ryan wasn't as sure about the backpack thing, but also didn't really want to walk the entire way up. So he managed to be packed. He really liked the rock piles too this time. And he made it the entire way down though on his own little two legs.


Getting ready to go


Trev liked to lead the way


Those pack straps really work!





Trev loves to climb the rocks


Lunch time





Father son resemblance


Ryan took to climbing





And as for the laundry baskets... still one of the most fun toys in the house:

Snow Day

We had a big snow fall early last week. I never quite caught any accumulation measurements, so the best I can say is we got four snowmen's worth. It started falling off and on Sunday, then more heavily in the evening.




Happy Snow Dance


Let's make a snowman



Ryan strongly declined any gloves or hat. I put him in two jackets because he was also insistent on wearing his Mickey Mouse hoody. He would go out and play for several minutes, then he would all of the sudden look like this and run back inside to warm up. This cycle repeated over and over that evening.









A very cold but happy smile











Seemed a sort of Calvin and Hobbes-y picture


It's a ball... covered with snow... so kinda a snowball

After they were done outside Trev came in and plopped in front of the fire to warm up. He then announced that he needed to have some hot chocolate because he also needed to have his insides warm.



The next morning it was still snowing. John took off from work and the boys managed to assemble a whole snowman family.


Hugging the mommy snowman


Bam! Winter!


Exploring more in the backyard


Chocolate and snow seem to pair well


Late afternoon

Christmas

We had a very merry Christmas. Every year is so different with the kids being different ages with different interests and activity. My folks and brother are up for a couple weeks and my grandma Wanda also came up for a few days over Christmas.

We had a pretty steady cookie production going on. I made quite a bit through the month and mom took over once they got here.


Ry quietly got himself up on the chair and when I looked over saw him pressing his face against the glass dome


He had impressive self restraint and only looked at the treats on the a table

After Christmas Eve service we put out the candy dish and cookies for desert. Very quickly I could see that the boys were not pacing themselves too well with the candy consumption. This picture was taken shortly after I announced that it's time to put the candy dish up... Ryan is quickly trying to secure his pile before the dish goes.





John and Grandma Wanda eating some of the really yummy fruitcake John made this year.

The boys opened up their stockings before breakfast. They had little wrapped presents inside and quickly after opening Ryan's first gift he became agitated that he couldn't put it back in the wrapping like he found it... making me think this might be a long morning... but he soon got over it and decided the stuff inside the packaging was worth the not being able to put it back how it was.








Mmm... breakfast.

Opening presents...



Robot wrapping paper putter-wayer... awesome


And uncle grabber




After Trev got his leapfrog books asked me to unwrap his next present and then tell him what it was because he's "busy right now".


Grandma Wanda reading to Ryan

Angel Choir

And a picture from the cookie decorating fest... Trevor decorated maybe five cookies and ate tons of sprinkles. Ryan decorated a couple too and then would only lick the frosting off of his cookie. Because the cookie part is only good for holding the frosting that one licks off.