Christmas 2012

Christmas here in Colorado was very merry this year!  It snowed a couple inches Christmas Eve, so it was a white one too!

The festivities started on the 23rd when Mommy was surprised to find Mimi and Papa H. walking through the door!  Daddy (and everyone else in the family) managed to keep their trip a secret, so that was quite a shocking/happy gift that Mommy received.  Kara was also very surprised to see them and asked if the baby was coming too - Mommy kept telling her that she wouldn't see Mimi again until the baby came...guess she has a pretty good memory these days!

Grandma S., Grandpa S., Aunt Amy, and GG K. came on Christmas morning to spend day the with Kara.  Most of the morning was spent watching Kara tear through her presents and trying to stop her from opening everyone else's gifts!  There were a couple of breaks taken to eat breakfast and play a new game here and there.  Kara got board games (Hi Ho Cherry-O was her favorite), books, DVDs, jewelry, and even a LeapPad!

Santa brought the jack-in-the-box that Kara wanted so badly, and she did play with it happily for the morning.  Then she decided she didn't like it and that it was scary.  Sigh...  Kara also got a turtle that projects stars on her ceiling at night.  She's in love with it.  Now if only she'd go to sleep with the turtle in her room....

We also had a couple friends join us for the afternoon and dinner that night.  Kara really enjoyed all the extra playmates that day. Our little house was full and hopefully everyone had a good time.  We sure did!

Link to pictures

Kara's 3!

About three days after we got back home from Disney World, Kara had her 3rd birthday! Since we had just gotten back from an eventful trip (and Thanksgiving was two days away), we just had a cake at home.  Kara seemed perfectly happy. :)

She has been playing pretend more and more.  She really enjoys playing the princess and having Mommy and Daddy be a beast, tiger, Prince Charming, etc.  The playing usually involves dancing, "dinner", and chasing her around.  It's fun to watch the wheels turn in her little head, but it does wear Mommy out by the end of the day!

Also, she has recently acquired an imaginary friend!  She has a mouse that keeps her company at night. She was telling Daddy she was throwing "millions of apple chips" at the mouse, and she told Mommy that the mouse had a cold and needed help blowing his nose.  Kara is also into exaggeration these days.  Here are some recent quotes:
 - "I'm making eggs and toast.  The best dinner in the world!"
 - "I'm the best dancer in the world!"
 - "I'm the fastest runner in the whole world!"

It's all pretty cute.

Link to pictures

Disney World!!!

Just before Kara's third birthday, we decided it was time to head down to Orlando and visit Walt Disney World!  Mimi and Papa H. along with Grandma and Grandpa all came with us for Kara's first Disney experience.

We started our adventure with a visit to Disney's Hollywood Studios.  It was probably a good park to start with since it has lots of shows and attractions as opposed to intense rides.  Kara's favorites there were the Beauty and the Beast show and the Muppet Show (we did that one twice).  We were able to do everything we wanted to do before lunch and headed back to the hotel for nap time (we were able get Kara back to the hotel everyday for nap time - nap time is even more important than Disney!). After the nap, we went back to the park to see the light show, which was really cool.  Kara enjoyed trying to catch the fake snow!

The next day was a visit to EPCOT.  Kara's favorite thing was Turtle Talk with Crush, which is a really cool interactive show where Crush (the turtle from Finding Nemo) asks the kids questions and jokes around with them.  We only got in a couple of rides in the morning, but we went back to the park in the afternoon.  That was when Kara had her first character greeting experience.  She was a little timid at first, but quickly figured out how to get the character's signatures and how to pose with them.  We grabbed dinner at the Biergarten in EPCOT.  Kara really enjoyed the live band and had a great time dancing on the dance floor.

Our third day led us to the Magic Kingdom, which is where Kara would spend the rest of the week except for a morning at the Animal Kingdom with Mimi and Papa and another morning in EPCOT.  Kara was enthralled with everything at the Magic Kingdom.  She loved the shows (Mickey's Philharmagic was her favorite) and the rides (she liked especially liked It's A Small World and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Ride), but she absolutely loved the characters.  She had a great time meeting the princesses, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and, of course, Mickey Mouse!

All in all, Kara had a great time.  We got some great pictures and created some amazing family memories.  We're planning on heading back in 2018.  Who's with us?

Link to pictures

Halloween 2012

October and November have just been a blur. October was filled with visits to pumpkin patches, snow, and Halloween activities. Hopefully we can write more in the November post with details about our trip to Disney!

Link to pictures

Fall Visit from Mimi

Mimi came to visit us at the end of September (yes, we know we're getting this out late... but we figured it was better than never!).  She came to visit for ten days, but the time just flew by.  We went apple picking Ya Ya Orchard, just west of Longmont.  It was a lot of fun, but the trees were pretty small and more or less picked over (the season was very early this year due to the hot, dry summer we had here in Colorado).  We did get to pick some apples and they had some animals to feed (a couple of horses and donkeys).  Mommy shared a caramel apple with Kara, and Daddy and Kara even took a hay ride around the whole orchard!  It wasn't as much fun as Sky Top Orchard in Flat Rock, NC, however, which we highly recommend to our friends down South!

Another highlight of Mimi's visit was a trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park to see the elk.  Mommy and Daddy were a little worried that we were going to head all the way up there and then not be able to find any elk.  Well, we should not have been worried.  We drove past a large herd hanging out at a high school just south of Estes Park, before we even got into the park!  From there, we were able to find quite a few elk.  It was an exciting adventure for all of us (we included some pictures in the slideshow, but here's a link to all of our Rocky Mountain National Park pictures).

In baby news, we had our 20-week ultrasound last week.  The baby looks great!  10 toes and 10 fingers!  the big news out of the ultrasound is that Mommy and Daddy have decided not to find out the baby's gender until he/she is born.  We figured, how many times in your adult life do you actually get surprises?

Link to pictures

Expecting Baby #2!

We are happy to announce that Kara will soon be a big sister! Baby #2 is scheduled to join our family on February 25th, 2013!  Kara is very excited for the new addition.

In other news, Kara is becoming more independent. She has started her first non-parent class.  For two days a week, she spends an hour playing games and singing songs at a class called Twoodles at the local Rec Center.  She's also started her first non-parent swim class, which is going really well so far.

Bedtime has become quite the ordeal lately.  For about a year there, Mommy or Daddy would read Kara a book or two and lay her down, and that would be the last we'd hear from her all night.  Well, these days, we still read the book, but now we have to sing her songs and then Kara will come out of her room about 5 times before she finally settles down.  Mommy and Daddy are hoping she grows out of this phase soon!

Kara Quotes:
- "Good night, go sleep in your bed and I'll sleep in mine.  Dream about being a bat flying in the nighttime sky.  Bye-bye!"  8/20/12

And she's come up with a lot of variations on the "Dream about..." theme
"Dream about cookies!"
"Dream about working!"
"Dream about making cupcakes for Santa!"
"Dream about butterflies!"

A Month of Firsts

Our July and August have blurred together in several fun outings and lots of home improvement.

Mommy and Kara went to the Boulder County Fair with some friends at the beginning of August.  It was Kara's first visit to a county fair.  Everyone had a great time visiting all the different farm animals.  The cows were especially docile for the little girls.  Kara also had her first pony ride!  Check out the video to see how she did. :)

Kara also had her first haircut and her first visit to the dentist!  She watched Mommy get her haircut first, then was very excited to get it done herself.  She even insisted on getting a shampoo just like Mommy.  Kara did equally well at the dentist's office.  She loved the chair and the cherry toothpaste, but her favorite part was the video they showed her of dogs going to the dentist before her visit.  She told Daddy all about it that evening.

On the home front, we had new windows installed.  So far we're very happy with them, and they'll definitely be a great addition this winter.  Daddy and Grandpa S. also tore down a wall and an attached deck.  Good times!

Kara will be starting her first classes without parent participation in September.  We'll let you know how that goes!

Some recent Kara Quotes:

"Daddy, you have Kara in your eyes" - looking at her reflection in Daddy's eyes one morning.

"I dreamed about eating cookies today.... Dreams about cookies are good!"

"I am going to draw a picture of you and me!"

"I love you, Mommy" (Mom: "I love you too, Kara")  "I know.  I am in your heart."

Link to pictures




And here's a video of Kara's first pony ride:

Breckenridge 2012

For the 4th of July this year, we headed to Breckenridge in the mountains with Grandma and Grandpa S. Unfortunately, due to the dry weather and wildfires around Colorado, the fireworks were cancelled in Breckenridge, but we had lots of fun doing other things.  On the morning of the 4th, we headed to downtown Breckenridge for the parade.  Kara really enjoyed watching all the cars go by and got really excited once she realized they were throwing candy.  She didn't get much, but she had fun anyway.  After the parade, we stopped at a face painter.  Mommy and Daddy were very surprised that Kara stayed still long enough to get some stars on her face and on her arm. Of course, right after that we headed back to the hotel, and Kara insisted on going to the pool where her stars were promptly washed off.

Speaking of swimming, Kara is starting to get very confident in the water (a little too confident for Daddy's tastes...).  When she's wearing her vest, she can actually kind of move around in the pool.  Not bad for a 2-1/2 year old!

Other than parades and swimming, we had fun going for some hikes and just hanging out in downtown Breckenridge.  Looking forward to next year!

Link to pictures

Summer 2012 Visit from Mimi and Papa

We're a little behind on blog posts...this one is from Mimi and Papa's visit mid-June.

It was a pretty hot couple of weeks while Mimi and Papa were here, but we managed to find some neat indoor activities.  Kara really enjoyed a visit to the Denver Museum, which had an exhibit on snakes and reptiles, along with a kids area, dinosaur skeletons (a favorite), and mummies!  We also watched a planetarium show with Big Bird and Elmo - that was a big hit.  It was Kara's first "show", and she talked about it for days afterwards.  There was a Chinese Muppet character in the show too, who she refers to as "Elmo's China-nese friend."  :)


We also managed a mid-week visit to the Denver Aquarium.  Kara enjoyed all the fish and the "mermaid" show (girls in tails swimming).  She was very brave and pet a stingray too!  "Soft and squishy" - Kara's words.

Mimi and Papa were here to help us pick cherries from our tree!  Kara had a great time picking (and eating) the sour cherries, and Papa enjoyed the fresh pie.

For Mimi and Papa's last weekend in Colorado, we drove to Glenwood Springs.  Unfortunately, it was just as hot there as it was at home, but we still managed to have some fun.  Everyone enjoyed something at the adventure park there (the Alpine coaster was a big hit, and Kara loved the tram ride).  Kara enjoyed the hotel pool, and Mommy, Daddy, and Kara had a nice hike up to Hanging Lake.  Very scenic!

Kara had a wonderful time with Mimi's and Papa's full attention, and we will miss them until next time.


Link to pictures

Daddy, Let's Go Look for Bugs!

Almost every day when Daddy gets home from work, the first words out of Kara's mouth are: "Daddy, let's go look for bugs!"  Her favorite bugs are roly-polies (which were Daddy's favorites as well when he was a kid).  She also enjoys finding slugs, worms, beetles, ants, and grasshoppers (though those are very hard for her to catch).

Since we got home from our visit to Georgia, Alabama,  and Florida, life has been pretty busy.  Daddy has been working long hours on a recent project (which he successfully completed about a week ago), and Kara and Mommy have been keeping busy with gym classes, art classes, and play dates with the other kids in the neighborhood.  We also broke out the hiking backpack for our first hike of the year during Memorial day weekend.

The first weekend of June was an exceptionally busy weekend.  We kicked it off by visiting Louisville's Touch-A-Truck event.  Kara was very impressed with the helicopter they had there, but she was immediately drawn to the little train they had driving around the parking lot.  After waiting in line for about 15 minutes, Kara finally got her turn, which was very short-lived.  It was probably a little too much for her, and we got her out before the ride was over.  We spent the rest of the time crawling around dump trucks, bulldozers, and school buses.  The next day, we headed over to Aunt Amy's house for a "June Birthday" family party (Mommy's and Grandpa S.' birthdays are both in June).  Kara had a great time playing with Grandma and Grandpa's new puppy (a Chocolate Lab named Ruby), Aunt Amy's dogs (Belle and Briley) and running around the yard.

Some recent Kara quotes:
"You do it yourself!" - To Daddy after he asked her to help him clean up her puzzle.

"Those are the coolest socks I've ever seen!" - Checking out Daddy's work socks

"Look, a stinky sock!  I am making a mess with Daddy's clothes."

"I am being a goofball!"

"Let's go show this to Mommy" - excited to show off her latest bug find to Mommy (she seems to be particularly proud of her worm and slug finds)

"My rolling pin broke again, oh dear.  I need glue to fix it."

During the closing credits of Beauty and the Beast, Kara jumped up to dance and announced to Mommy, "I am beauty and you are the beast.  Let's dance!"

Link to pictures

The Beach!!!

At the end of April, our little family went to visit the family in Shorter, Alabama and take a road trip to Destin, Flordia.  Kara's first trip to the beach!

We flew into Atlanta and stayed with our friends Heather, Justin, and little Sean the first night.  Kara loved visiting them all and sharing Sean's toys.  After getting back home, Kara got a scrape on her knee and said she needed to show it to Sean.  I guess Sean's fascination with showing off boo-boos wore off on her. :)

As always, Kara enjoyed seeing Mimi, Papa, Uncle Trey, and GiGi in Shorter.  She gets a lot of attention (and usually a few new books and toys) when we visit.

For the middle part of our trip down South, Mimi, Uncle Trey, Mommy, Daddy, and Kara headed for the beach in Destin.  Kara was beside herself with the sand and the ocean.  It was really windy and chilly the first night, but she insisted on getting out on the sand.  After that, the days were much warmer.  We stayed right on the beach, so Kara basically dragged an adult or two with her every morning to the water.  Some highlights included "fishing" with her Mickey mouse fishing rod, feeding real fish on the docks, and collecting sea shells.  Enjoy the pictures!

Link to pictures

The Chatterbox

We haven't been great about taking pictures recently, but we have a few good ones of Easter and the crazy weather we've been having!

No, the pictures aren't out of order...We had a few record high's the weekend before Easter, which prompted us to get out the sprinkler and water table...then Monday it was cold and dreary and Tues it snowed! It was odd, but Kara didn't seem fazed. :)

Kara and Mommy went on an Easter egg hunt with friends on Sat, then two at home on Sun. She had a blast finding the eggs and twirling around in her dress. She had lots of fun with G.G. K. and Grandma and Grandpa S. Who doesn't love being the center of attention? Not Kara!

Kara is really getting into her talking groove. She amazes us on a daily basis with her language skills. She must be listening to us, on some level...

Kara often says, "I don't know the word" when she's searching for the right word. A recent example went down like this:
Kara: I want some cereal
Mommy: Would you like some Cheerios?
K: No, I want the one... I don't know the word.
M: Bran flakes? Cheerios?

K: No, the ones with the soft things.
M: Marshmallows?
K: Yes! Marshmallows! I want those!

Other Kara quotes:

"Mommy, I am your friend" (April 8th)

to Mommy - "We will always be friends" and "We are best friends" - both spontaneous after taking my hand for a walk - :O (April 18th)

"It's a pretend turtle. It's not a real turtle." - after an egg from Grandma and Grandpa S. "hatched"

"Why is that so funny?" and "What is so funny?" Deadpan with questioning hands in the air, as some older children where shouting and laughing at the playground - hilarious!


Link to pictures

Hello Spring!

Wow, what a difference a month makes!  As soon as the calendar changed to March, the weather started getting warmer.  It's been in the 60's or 70's most days this month.  Mommy and Kara have been taking advantage of the warm weather.  We hooked up the bike trailer and have been exploring the city.  Mommy and Kara also went down to the Denver zoo one day with Kara's friend Corabelle. a Kara has been having a lot of fun with gym classes and art classes.

On a less happy note, we found out that Kara is allergic to peanuts.  While eating a dinner with some peanut butter in it, Kara's hands broke out in hives.  About a week later, Mommy and Kara headed to an allergist where it was confirmed.  It's possible Kara will grow out of the allergies, but Mommy and Daddy are going to have to keep a close eye on what she's eating.

Kara Quotes:

"I want a garden with tomato plants like Eli [a little boy down that lives down the street] does.  I don't have tomato plants yet!"

"I never do anything I want to do" - and so it begins....

Link to pictures

Snow, snow, and more snow

We've been getting more snow this year than we got last year.  Daddy went to Denmark for two weeks in January and was greeted with two feet of snow when he got home.  Kara also got a bad stomach bug early this month, followed by a cold (with Mom and Dad).  Between getting sick, the snow, and the cold weather, Mommy and Kara have been spending a lot of time indoors.  We're all ready for Spring!

We finally buckled down and got serious about potty training this  past weekend.  So far it's been working out really well.  She's only had a couple little accidents since then and will actually initiate going to the potty these days.  We're so proud of her!

Kara is starting to speak in complete, (mostly) grammatically correct sentences, like, "Can I come along?" or "I will put on my shoes and then we go out to eat."  It's amazing how fast she's growing up.

Some quotes from Kara:
• "What's that?" - Kara's favorite question, she asks at least 100 times a day
• "Yum, oranges.  They're my favorite."
• "I'm going to go pee pee in potty.  I be so proud of me."
• "Can I go shopping?"
• Daddy to Kara - "Where was Kara born?"  Kara - "In South Ta-ta-lina" (she still refers to herself as Ta-ta)

Link to pictures

Big Girl Bed!

This past Friday we converted Kara's crib into a big girl bed!  We did this after Kara showed us how she could climb in and out of her crib (which she did about 4 times one morning).  Mommy and Daddy talked up the big girl bed and told Kara about all her friends that had big girl or big boy beds.  Kara was very excited about her new bed and has showed it to everyone that's come over since!

Mommy and Daddy are continuing potty training.  We think Kara understands what it means to go to the potty, and she can usually tell us when she is going pee pee or poo poo; however, she is still resisting using the potty.  We may have a strong-willed  little girl on our hands...

Some recent Kara quotes:
• "How cool is that?" - Kara
• "Oooh, I love crackers.  Mmmmm, delicious!"
• Kara enjoys singing "Hey Diddle Diddle" - check out the video!

Link to pictures

Link to Kara singing "Hey Diddle Diddle