Christmas comes to the court
14 years ago
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Selling our house
Ever since we got back from Colorado, it's been a whirlwind of getting back into our routine and finishing up last-minute projects to get our house ready to sell. I am happy to report that our house is officially ON THE MARKET!!!! I am excited and sad about selling this house. When we moved in, I thought we would be here for a good, long time. But, who knew that Denver would come calling? Anyway, the sign is in the yard and hopefully, we'll have a good showing at our open house this Sunday. Please keep your fingers crossed for a quick and profitable sale!!!
Friday, December 28, 2007
An adventure in Colorado Springs
Today, we took a ride to Colorado Springs. It was so beautiful driving through the foothills and into the mountains. We visited the Garden of the Gods and admired the beautiful red rock formations. Mattea slept through it, but the boys had a blast climbing around on the rocks when we pulled over to take pictures! We stopped at the Cog Railroad Station to see if we could catch the train going up to Pike's Peak. Unfortunately, we missed the last train, so we opted to drive up instead! I suppose our other option would have been to hike, but we weren't quite prepared for that!!! We headed up to the top and were able to travel 13 of the 19 miles up Pike's Peak, but couldn't travel the last 6 due to the snow. The view was absolutely amazing! The mountains are magnificent and there is no way to capture a picture that seems to do it justice!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...
Our wonderful vacation in Denver continues. We woke up Sunday morning and just hung out. It was so nice to be together. Jeff & his parents went out for breakfast and a tour of Denver while I hung out with the kids. Mattea still wasn't feeling 100% and the boys weren't that interested in sitting in a restaurant. Later, Jeff took us downtown to a really cool bowling alley. There were big screen TV's and comfy couches everywhere. There was even a TV above every lane in the bowling alley. It wasn't your average dingy, smoky bowling alley. The kids had a great time! I'm ashamed to say that both of the boys beat my score!!! They had the benefit of using the bumpers. Next time we go, I think I'll ask for them to put the bumpers up for me, too!!!
Later, we were just hanging out at Jeff's apartment singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" when there was a knock at the door. You wouldn't believe who showed up! SANTA CLAUS!!! And he had a BIG bag of presents for us! The kids were spoiled rotten and were very grateful to Santa for everything he brought. Santa even brought me a diamond necklace!!! I guess he was watching this year cuz I was definitely a good girl! : ) It was a magical night!
The next day was Christmas Eve. We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and took the kids swimming. After that, we headed downtown for some shopping. We wandered around for awhile and then stopped at Maggiano's for lunch. Wow... what a lunch! We had family style (a.k.a. - all you can eat!) Italian and it was phenomenal!!! With our bellies full, we shipped Mattea off with Grandma & Grandpa and headed to the movies with the boys. We saw National Treasure - Book of Secrets. We gave it 4 thumbs up!!! Later that night, we played games and hung out at Jeff's apartment. The kids went to sleep dreaming of what Santa would bring the next day. Oh, and did I mention that while we were walking around downtown on December 24th, we weren't wearing jackets because it was 52 degrees?!?!?!? Regardless of how wonderful that felt, we were hoping for a white Christmas.
We woke up on Christmas morning and were happy to see a beautiful snowfall! Ahhhh... a white Christmas! Santa was extremely generous AGAIN and so were Mommy & Daddy. We had fun watching the kids open their gifts and scream with glee! We played for awhile with all of our gifts and then headed over to the hotel for breakfast. Knowing that not much would be open on Christmas Day, we let the kids swim in the pool again and then just hung out in the hotel room.
On December 26th, we had to take care of some domestic chores... laundry!!! Due to all of the yakking on the trip to Denver (and some just toodling around town!) and just everyday use, we opted to catch up on some laundry. I spent a wonderful hour & a half hanging out in the clubhouse at Jeff's apartment complex reading a book while the laundry was being done. I enjoyed the quiet very much!!! By the time that was finished, Pete & Carol had come over to spend the day with us. We headed to a tourist trap called Casa Bonita. It's a Mexican restaurant, but they also provide very unique entertainment - cliff divers, short skit performances, fire jugglers, a cave for the kids to walk through and an arcade. We spent about 3 hours there. Jeff's family had gone there on a Colorado vacation almost 30 years ago, so Pete & Carol had really wanted our kids to experience it as well. Everyone had a great time!!! On our way home, we took a pit stop at City Park and bundled the kids up for a spontaneous romp in the snow! It was all fun until Alex ended up with a face full of snow!
Today, Jeff had to go into work for a half day. We ate breakfast at the hotel and went swimming again. That never seems to get old! We headed to the Cherry Creek Mall for some shopping. The kids found an indoor playground to goof around in while Grandpa & Grandma took a stroll through the mall. We enjoyed pretzels for a snack and then went to Build A Bear. The kids had never been there before. Alex picked out a cheetah and named him Pooku. His accessories include an army helmet and a skateboard. Josh picked out a monkey and named him JoJo. His accessories are a helmet, elbow & knee pads and a skateboard. Mattea picked out a puppy with hearts all over her and named her Indy! She also picked out a beautiful blue princess dress and headband. The kids had a blast!!! Now we are watching Chevy Chase's "Christmas Vacation" - a Christmas classic - we are just getting to it a little late! We are hunkering down at Jeff's apartment while it snows outside. We are expecting 8 inches. It's been very interesting to witness Denver weather while we've been here. It snows one day and it's melting the next day! It's crazy! Anyway, we are having a most wonderful time and we don't want it to end!
Later, we were just hanging out at Jeff's apartment singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" when there was a knock at the door. You wouldn't believe who showed up! SANTA CLAUS!!! And he had a BIG bag of presents for us! The kids were spoiled rotten and were very grateful to Santa for everything he brought. Santa even brought me a diamond necklace!!! I guess he was watching this year cuz I was definitely a good girl! : ) It was a magical night!
The next day was Christmas Eve. We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and took the kids swimming. After that, we headed downtown for some shopping. We wandered around for awhile and then stopped at Maggiano's for lunch. Wow... what a lunch! We had family style (a.k.a. - all you can eat!) Italian and it was phenomenal!!! With our bellies full, we shipped Mattea off with Grandma & Grandpa and headed to the movies with the boys. We saw National Treasure - Book of Secrets. We gave it 4 thumbs up!!! Later that night, we played games and hung out at Jeff's apartment. The kids went to sleep dreaming of what Santa would bring the next day. Oh, and did I mention that while we were walking around downtown on December 24th, we weren't wearing jackets because it was 52 degrees?!?!?!? Regardless of how wonderful that felt, we were hoping for a white Christmas.
We woke up on Christmas morning and were happy to see a beautiful snowfall! Ahhhh... a white Christmas! Santa was extremely generous AGAIN and so were Mommy & Daddy. We had fun watching the kids open their gifts and scream with glee! We played for awhile with all of our gifts and then headed over to the hotel for breakfast. Knowing that not much would be open on Christmas Day, we let the kids swim in the pool again and then just hung out in the hotel room.
On December 26th, we had to take care of some domestic chores... laundry!!! Due to all of the yakking on the trip to Denver (and some just toodling around town!) and just everyday use, we opted to catch up on some laundry. I spent a wonderful hour & a half hanging out in the clubhouse at Jeff's apartment complex reading a book while the laundry was being done. I enjoyed the quiet very much!!! By the time that was finished, Pete & Carol had come over to spend the day with us. We headed to a tourist trap called Casa Bonita. It's a Mexican restaurant, but they also provide very unique entertainment - cliff divers, short skit performances, fire jugglers, a cave for the kids to walk through and an arcade. We spent about 3 hours there. Jeff's family had gone there on a Colorado vacation almost 30 years ago, so Pete & Carol had really wanted our kids to experience it as well. Everyone had a great time!!! On our way home, we took a pit stop at City Park and bundled the kids up for a spontaneous romp in the snow! It was all fun until Alex ended up with a face full of snow!
Today, Jeff had to go into work for a half day. We ate breakfast at the hotel and went swimming again. That never seems to get old! We headed to the Cherry Creek Mall for some shopping. The kids found an indoor playground to goof around in while Grandpa & Grandma took a stroll through the mall. We enjoyed pretzels for a snack and then went to Build A Bear. The kids had never been there before. Alex picked out a cheetah and named him Pooku. His accessories include an army helmet and a skateboard. Josh picked out a monkey and named him JoJo. His accessories are a helmet, elbow & knee pads and a skateboard. Mattea picked out a puppy with hearts all over her and named her Indy! She also picked out a beautiful blue princess dress and headband. The kids had a blast!!! Now we are watching Chevy Chase's "Christmas Vacation" - a Christmas classic - we are just getting to it a little late! We are hunkering down at Jeff's apartment while it snows outside. We are expecting 8 inches. It's been very interesting to witness Denver weather while we've been here. It snows one day and it's melting the next day! It's crazy! Anyway, we are having a most wonderful time and we don't want it to end!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
WE ARE IN DENVER!!!
Pete, Carol, Alex, Josh, Mattea and I left Dubuque at 7:15am on Saturday morning and started our adventure to visit Jeff in Denver for Christmas. The van we rented had ample space for all of our bags, Christmas gifts and whatever else we could fit! We ran into a slight snag about an hour into the trip when Mattea got car sick! (At least that's what we thought at the time.) Josh, with his inquisitive and caring nature, had to check it out and was concerned for his little sister. So, I will let you guess what happened next. Yup! You guessed it... he got sick, too! We made a pit stop at the next gas station and cleaned them both up. They were both troopers and we didn't let it diminish our excitement to get to Denver. Mattea continued to get sick the ENTIRE trip. She slept off and on and I have NEVER heard her so quiet!!!
The boys were phenomenal travelers. We played games, read books and watched movies. They didn't complain when we told them we weren't stopping for lunch for another hour even though they were already hungry. They didn't complain that the van smelled a little stale! (Thank goodness for air fresheners!!!) We had a hotel reservation in North Platte, Nebraska, but cancelled it around 5pm because we decided we just wanted to get to Denver. Since everyone was in good spirits and willing to go the distance, we carried on. Mattea didn't eat or drink much all day, but continued to get sick right up until we pulled up into Jeff's apartment community at about 9:55pm.
Jeff was thrilled to see all of us! We carried our stuff up THREE flights of stairs to his apartment. He had gone shopping and had blankets, pillows and an inflatable mattress ready for our slumber party! Pete & Carol stayed in Jeff's bed and the rest of us had a slumber party in the living room. It was so great for us to be together!!!
The boys were phenomenal travelers. We played games, read books and watched movies. They didn't complain when we told them we weren't stopping for lunch for another hour even though they were already hungry. They didn't complain that the van smelled a little stale! (Thank goodness for air fresheners!!!) We had a hotel reservation in North Platte, Nebraska, but cancelled it around 5pm because we decided we just wanted to get to Denver. Since everyone was in good spirits and willing to go the distance, we carried on. Mattea didn't eat or drink much all day, but continued to get sick right up until we pulled up into Jeff's apartment community at about 9:55pm.
Jeff was thrilled to see all of us! We carried our stuff up THREE flights of stairs to his apartment. He had gone shopping and had blankets, pillows and an inflatable mattress ready for our slumber party! Pete & Carol stayed in Jeff's bed and the rest of us had a slumber party in the living room. It was so great for us to be together!!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
My charming & delightful children
I took the kids to Texas Roadhouse for dinner tonight. Honestly, it was Josh's idea! Of course, the reason he likes it is due to the fact that he can throw peanut shells on the floor. I mean, seriously, how cool is that??? I wasn't going to take the kids there, but the more I got thinking about it, the more logical it became. I justified it for the reason that I needed to pick up a gift card, so why not just grab dinner while we're there? I certainly deserve a nice meal that I didn't have to cook, right???
We had to wait about 10 minutes to get in, so Mattea was holding the what-cha-ma-call-it that lights up and vibrates when your table is ready. Once it finally did that, she was showing EVERYONE how cool it was! This group of old ladies thought she was so cute!
We were seated at our table and our waitress greeted us. She was a cute, young girl with a spunky attitude. She plopped right down next to Joshie to take our order. Even though, she was very busy, she joked with the kids while taking our order. The boys ordered their meal and then Mattea chimed in. "I want a brownie!" So, Sarah (our waitress) went back & forth with her about that. The rest of the meal was relatively uneventful. The kids were pretty good and only needed an occasional "Sit up. If you are so tired that you need to lay down on the booth, then you can go to bed when we get home." Sarah came back to check on us often and always took time to talk to the kids. Almost every time, she commented on how cute and adorable they were. I graciously accepted the compliments!
We finished our meal and got our bill. I gave Sarah a very nice well-deserved tip. She came back one more time and whispered to me that we needed to wait a minute... she had something for us. Oh, did she have something for us!!! She delivered a very wonderful, very chocolate brownie with four spoons sticking out of it! Apparently, Sarah wanted to make Mattea a very happy girl. Mattea gave her the reaction she was looking for... kind of a deep belly laugh like "Yeah, baby!!!" Alex & I each had one bite and were done. Josh and Mattea, on the other hand, went to town on that brownie! They were in heaven!!!
After our bellies were completely full, it was time to go. Sarah came back one last time to make sure we had enjoyed the brownie. We got to chatting about how she loves kids and she mentioned that I could call her anytime if I needed a babysitter. Um... hello! You don't have to ask this single-parenting-multi-tasking-ain't-got-no-time-for-myself Momma twice!!!! YES - PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR NUMBER!!! So, she did. Ahhhhh... I like to have options! It was a good ending to a great meal. I feel like we were there for a reason... like it was a sign.
It definitely worked out. Adorable kids = lots of attention. Gotta love it!!!
We had to wait about 10 minutes to get in, so Mattea was holding the what-cha-ma-call-it that lights up and vibrates when your table is ready. Once it finally did that, she was showing EVERYONE how cool it was! This group of old ladies thought she was so cute!
We were seated at our table and our waitress greeted us. She was a cute, young girl with a spunky attitude. She plopped right down next to Joshie to take our order. Even though, she was very busy, she joked with the kids while taking our order. The boys ordered their meal and then Mattea chimed in. "I want a brownie!" So, Sarah (our waitress) went back & forth with her about that. The rest of the meal was relatively uneventful. The kids were pretty good and only needed an occasional "Sit up. If you are so tired that you need to lay down on the booth, then you can go to bed when we get home." Sarah came back to check on us often and always took time to talk to the kids. Almost every time, she commented on how cute and adorable they were. I graciously accepted the compliments!
We finished our meal and got our bill. I gave Sarah a very nice well-deserved tip. She came back one more time and whispered to me that we needed to wait a minute... she had something for us. Oh, did she have something for us!!! She delivered a very wonderful, very chocolate brownie with four spoons sticking out of it! Apparently, Sarah wanted to make Mattea a very happy girl. Mattea gave her the reaction she was looking for... kind of a deep belly laugh like "Yeah, baby!!!" Alex & I each had one bite and were done. Josh and Mattea, on the other hand, went to town on that brownie! They were in heaven!!!
After our bellies were completely full, it was time to go. Sarah came back one last time to make sure we had enjoyed the brownie. We got to chatting about how she loves kids and she mentioned that I could call her anytime if I needed a babysitter. Um... hello! You don't have to ask this single-parenting-multi-tasking-ain't-got-no-time-for-myself Momma twice!!!! YES - PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR NUMBER!!! So, she did. Ahhhhh... I like to have options! It was a good ending to a great meal. I feel like we were there for a reason... like it was a sign.
It definitely worked out. Adorable kids = lots of attention. Gotta love it!!!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Just a few more days...
... until my wonderful Mom comes down again to help me tackle my never-ending project list!!!
... until our home appraisal!!!
... until we leave for Denver to celebrate Christmas with Jeff!!!
My super duper parents braved the winter weather on Sunday and came down to help me with some house projects. Mom spent the day doting on the kids and fixing us a FANTASTIC lunch!! Dad spent the day helping me in the basement. Jon Meeks also donated his day to helping finish up my to-do list. We made a TON of progress and I was very pleased with what we got accomplished. As if that wasn't enough, my wonderful Mom is heading back down here on Thursday to do anything else she can to help. It's so great to be surrounded by such special people!
The kids are counting down the days until we leave for Colorado (or Colowado - as Mattea calls it!). They are ecstatic about spending time with their Daddy... and for more than just a weekend this time! Jeff is still trying to coordinate some plans for us while we are there. He's working his connections to get us a condo in the mountains for Christmas Eve through the day after Christmas. While we are in Colorado, we plan on taking the boys snowboarding, going to Build-A-Bear (shhhh! that one's a secret!), hitting the Children's Museum, taking in a movie and just spending time together. We are all looking forward to it. Please think happy thoughts for safe travels and nice weather!
I woke up Sunday morning with body aches, a cough and feeling generally miserable. I've been going non-stop, so I'm sure my body hasn't had the time to recuperate from my last cold which was only a week ago. On that note... I'm heading to bed!
In case I get busy packing for Denver and finishing projects, I will wish you a very Merry Christmas now! Happy Holidays!!!
... until our home appraisal!!!
... until we leave for Denver to celebrate Christmas with Jeff!!!
My super duper parents braved the winter weather on Sunday and came down to help me with some house projects. Mom spent the day doting on the kids and fixing us a FANTASTIC lunch!! Dad spent the day helping me in the basement. Jon Meeks also donated his day to helping finish up my to-do list. We made a TON of progress and I was very pleased with what we got accomplished. As if that wasn't enough, my wonderful Mom is heading back down here on Thursday to do anything else she can to help. It's so great to be surrounded by such special people!
The kids are counting down the days until we leave for Colorado (or Colowado - as Mattea calls it!). They are ecstatic about spending time with their Daddy... and for more than just a weekend this time! Jeff is still trying to coordinate some plans for us while we are there. He's working his connections to get us a condo in the mountains for Christmas Eve through the day after Christmas. While we are in Colorado, we plan on taking the boys snowboarding, going to Build-A-Bear (shhhh! that one's a secret!), hitting the Children's Museum, taking in a movie and just spending time together. We are all looking forward to it. Please think happy thoughts for safe travels and nice weather!
I woke up Sunday morning with body aches, a cough and feeling generally miserable. I've been going non-stop, so I'm sure my body hasn't had the time to recuperate from my last cold which was only a week ago. On that note... I'm heading to bed!
In case I get busy packing for Denver and finishing projects, I will wish you a very Merry Christmas now! Happy Holidays!!!
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