Fall and Winter Fun

An update of things we've been up to the past couple of months.  Lots of pictures.

Jumping in leaves

Corn maze at Pumpkin Patch

Danny ran the maze about 5 times

Rocking out

Helping Grandpa make the cranberry relish at Thanksgiving

Wearing Mommy's old cowboy boots

Movie night

Making snow angels

Happy Halloween

Here are some pictures of our jedi and ladybug:

Obi Wan Kenobi

Ladybug

Maura's bucket is almost too big for her, but she did a good job saying treat and thanks

Danny had to use a second bucket by the end of the night to hold all his candy

Happy Birthday Maura!

Hard to believe our baby girl turned two this October.  We had a low key birthday with just the four of us for dinner (all of her favorites - steak, pasta and ice cream cake).  The next day we had a birthday party with family and friends at Deanna Rose's Farmstead.  Maura loved feeding the goats.

Ice Cream Cake

Checking out her birthday present, a balance bike

Loves to dance and spin

Feeding goats with Grandpa Bob and uncles

Slides are the best

Chocolate cupcakes

Since she is a big 2 year old now, figure an update is in order.  Recently started picking out her own clothes and "dressing-up". Loves her bead necklaces.  Wants to do everything "by self".  Maura has become more interested in princesses (Tangled and Sophia), but still loves playing with cars.  She would be happy outside all day long, most mornings she runs to the back door and asks to go outside.  One of her favorite things to do is to curl up in your lap to read a book; Ladybug Girl, Don't Let the Pigeon and Give Mouse Cookie books are some of her favorites.

Back to School

The kids started school at the beginning of September.  Danny is in Pre-K this year, three days a week.  Maura is going to Parent's Day Out, one day a week.  Danny loves school, hardly get a goodbye anymore when I drop him off.  Maura is not quite as sure, lots of tear shed the first couple of days.

Danny thought he needed to do an action pose

Summer Fun

Pictures from our fun, exhausting summer:

Lighting the way for fireworks on the Fourth. 

Doesn't everyone where sunglasses while watching cartoons

Maura's first bike ride with Daddy

Swim lessons - Danny learned to go underwater, blow bubbles and float

Colorado

Hiking, biking and beer would have been our Colorado vacation before kids.  Now we include playgrounds, ice cream, throwing rocks in the lake and Wreck It Ralph (or as Maura calls it eck it alph).  We drove to Dillon, Colorado for a week of fun in the mountains, stopping to check out the Downs celebration along the way.

Watching parade in Downs

Having fun on the slide at the carnival

Maura loved the backpack

Lake Dillon

Lily Pad Lake Trail, Danny hiked 3.2 miles!

That's a Moose

Water Taxi across Lake Dillon to Frisco

Lower Cataract Lake

Attempt at a family portrait, couldn't get the kids to stop throwing rocks

Steak at Pug Ryan's, think Maura ate almost half of it

View from Swan Lake Mountain, Aaron's first categorized climb

Graduation (sort of)

Danny last day of 3 year old preschool was last Tuesday.  I can't believe how much he's changed.

First day of preschool

Not quite the last day, but taken this month

Danny loves building with duplos and legos and can spend hours making cars, planes or "blazers" to play Star Wars.  He goes on lots of adventures, normally as a super hero or Super Mario.  I am constantly amazed by how much he has learned this year.  The other day he was swinging and started counting and didn't stop until 176!

We've been trying to write down some of the funny/awesome things he says:
This is a good ice cream song (out of the blue, while driving somewhere)
Wow!  Mommy that's a big number!  (in regards to my age)
Watch out, Maura has monkey arms (when she was trying to get something on the counter)

Having fun at soccer

Watching Grandpa Bob drive a race car.  Afterwards "that was super cool"

Officially a Toddler

I was watching Maura run around the backyard yesterday and realized she's officially a toddler now.  She is a little ball of energy and always seems to be running, spinning or jumping.  When Maura does slow down, one of her favorite things to do is to crawl up on your lap with a book to read.  Her favorite right now, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.

Will nod her head yes or no, it cracks me up some of the "conversations" I have with her.  Likes to call Aaron mommy with a smile on her face just to get a reaction.  Here is her list of words:

mommy    daddy

danny      gama

bapa (Grandpa Bob)

bottle      juice

cheese (for a picture or to eat)

bubbles

shoes

please     tank u

berry

no    mine

bye

walk

stair     up

baby

book   bird

clap

And some videos:

And more pictures: