My birthday and a trip to Utah

Since I was heading to Utah to see Jeff for my birthday, the kids and I made a cake on Sunday so we could enjoy it before I left.  The tie dye cake was really fun to make and the colors were amazing.  Unfortunately, the cake didn't come out of the bundt pan very well, so it didn't look great but it tasted amazing!

Since Jeff was at the tail end of his trip, I flew into Utah to meet up with him and then drive the rest of the way home with him.  Grandma Carol and Grandpa Pete came to stay with the kids while we were gone.

Jeff and I stayed at the Zermatt Resort & Spa in Midway, Utah.  For my birthday, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner and a brownie with ice cream for dessert.  We played some pool and had a great time catching up on the discoveries of his journey.

While in Utah, we went to the Ice Castle, but we weren't able to get in since The Piano Guys were there filming a video.  It was still cool from the outside! 

After a few days in Utah, we headed back towards Colorado.  The views were absolutely gorgeous... it was such a beautiful drive.  When we got home, the kids had made signs to welcome us home.  It was awesome! 

Everyday life while Daddy is gone

Life continues on as normal while Jeff is on his trip.  Our week is full of work, school, homework, activities and some very brief downtime.  On Mondays, Alex has volleyball games.  On Tuesdays, Mattea has volleyball games.  Wednesdays are my favorite right now because we get to stay home... no activities!  On Thursdays, Josh has hitting practice for baseball.  On Fridays, Alex & Mattea have volleyball practice.  Saturdays, until March rolls along, are pretty wide open as well.  On Sundays, Mattea has gymnastics.  Whew!

Yesterday, Alex had the day off from school and Josh & Mattea didn't.  He thought this was great, but I wasn't about to let him just spend the day playing video games.  I told him he had to prepare dinner for all of us.  He looked at me like I had six heads.  I walked him through a very simple crockpot recipe and he did it!  I took a video as proof that one day, Alex Dolan cooked... because it may never happen again!

 

Josh was eating some cheese quesadillas and potato soup the other night when he was struck by a line from the movie A-Team... this one's for you, Jeff!!!

Tonight, on our one free weeknight, we had a shopping list for some things from Target.  I grabbed the kids and we left the house quickly so we could get in and get out and get back home.  We arrived at Target and they were all walking ahead of me when I realized how ridiculous they looked!  Mattea had on shorts and her new birthday boots that she picked out.  Jeff will call them hippie boots for sure when he sees them.  Josh had on a cute fuchsia & black shirt wih totally unmatching athletic pants and slippers.  Alex had on plaid shorts and a striped sweatshirt that he had just thrown on when we walked out the door.  I made them pose for me and I'm so glad they did.  This picture cracks me up every time I look at it!

When we got home from Target, Alex took the new garbage can out of the box and Mattea promptly got into it.  Of course, he took advantage of this golden opportunity and this is what followed...

Update #1 on Jeff's Journey

Jeff left on Tuesday afternoon to embark on his journey.  Once we get all the kinks worked out, I will add a link to his blog so you can follow his adventures!  Right now, I can't even access it. 

The kids, Cody and I miss him, but we fully support him as he seeks clarity.  Right now, I believe he is at the Grand Canyon.  I cannot wait to see the pictures as it is his first time there and the rest of us have never been there.  I would imagine being surrounded by nature and beauty will ease his mind and be amazing.

Here's a short video from Mattea to Daddy...

Sorry the video is so dark... I should have had the lights on... it was time for bed, so we did it in one shoot.  We're not professionals here, so don't judge.  : )

Update:  I just watched this video for the 4th time and only now realized that Mattea did her front walkover with her LEFT hand.  I mean, I realized that she was doing it one-handed which is impressive enough, but when I realized it was left-handed, I was amazed.

A Visit with the Ruff's

While we were in Iowa, we knew we needed to make time for a visit with the Ruffer's.  They are like family to us and even though we don't see them often anymore, we always seem to pick up right where we left off.  The kids all get along well and every time we are together, Jeff brings up his suggestion of arranged marriages for our children.  I am not sure if he's joking or not.  I would bet not.  It is fun to see the kids interact as they get older.  I can't believe how grown up they all are.  We had such a blast catching up and talking about old times together.  It's always fun when the Dolan's and Ruff's get together!!!

 

OCHO!!!

Kevin & Julie hosted a New Year's Eve party at their house.  This was particularly generous since they let us invite our friends!  We were trying to do the best we could with seeing as many of our family & friends without having a completely chaotic schedule on our trip, so this worked perfectly for us.  The Bachman & Jacobsen families and, of course, Grandma Carol & Grandpa Pete, joined us to par-tay!  We played pool, Yahtzee & dominos and had plenty to eat and drink. 

Sorry, Julie... I had to post this one.  You know you love it!

We kept the party going until it was time to ring in the new year.  With champagne in our hands, we watched the ball drop in New York City and yelled OCHO (in Kelly's honor) at midnight!  We even recreated the group shot from (what year was it, Julie???) 2011?  SO MUCH FUN!  (Thanks to Julie for finding the picture so we could all get in the right places! We just had to swap out Sarah's friend for Evan since he wasn't there this year.)

And a few "outtakes"...

Waterparkin'

We spent several days at the Wilderness waterpark in the Wisconsin Dells.  We met up with the Hawkins and Bachman families and had a blast!  The kids' favorite spot at the waterpark was the wave pool for sure.  They loved riding the waves on their inner tubes!  It's lucky, though, that we were only there for 2 days because Josh and Mattea developed a nasty rash from the chemicals in the water. 

We spent our last few hours at the arcade and on the ropes course.  It was such a creative way to use the space above the arcade.  Apparently, the activities of the weekend wore out Jaelynn because after Josh carried her downstairs to the ball pit, she fell asleep in his arms.  Precious!

 

Ice Skating

While we were in Dubuque, we went to Mystique Ice Arena for some ice skating.  The kids were smooth on their skates and Aunt Julie & I were the only adults brave enough to try it.  We had a fun time!