Christmas & Birthday

As I sit here in our beautiful new living room, I am reminded of all the blessings of the last month.  Life surely has been crazy, but it has been fun!  The kids grow and learn so much each and every day!  I am truly EXHAUSTED from the fun of the last 3 days.  But know I am blessed to have such wonderful family to spend time with.  Christmas Eve was spent at Brian’s parent’s house.  We had a fabulous Swedish dinner with the night being rounded out by Gramma reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”  Here are the grandkids “posing” for a picture:

Christmas morning, Santa had left Ethan a McQueen Bike and Nyla a princess rocking chair.  Along with a bunch of gifts in their stockings!  I didn’t get any of Nyla “opening” as she let Ethan open most of her gifts.  But here is Ethan opening his and Nyla enjoying hers:

Christmas Night we went to Brian’s Brother & Sister-in-laws and had a wonderful family time.  It was even nice enough for some to get in a few games of Cornhole!  I posted some other pictures on our picasa site (there is a link to the right of this). 

Lastly, today was spent as a quiet day at home with just the 5 of us, including Belikan.  I could not have asked for a better birthday celebration!  And the greatest gift of family was enjoyed all weekend long.  I am truly blessed and feel grateful to have you in our lives! 

Christmas Time

Hello to our friends and family!

Some of you may be viewing this site for the first time in awhile.  I hope it finds you well!  Feel free to browse few our last few posts to see what was going on with us earlier this year.

We had a fantastic year and was blessed with many family trips all over!  Including, California (multiple times), Minnesota, Mexico, and many places between here and there.  In June we decided that we would throw our house on the market to see what the Good Lord would provide.  Well, in the process, we discovered that God had another child for us in His plan.  Baby Boy is due in February.  Thus, the search became a bit more urgent.  In the end of October we found our New house.  Things are rapidly moving forward on it, without the current one being sold.  Therefore, the week before Thanksgiving, we put it on the rental market as well.  Including 3 people looking today at the house, we have had 5 people interested thus far.  So, I believe we found the route God had in plan. 

Now we just pray that He continues to bless us with good weather on moving day.  If you are in the Denver area and want to help, we are planning on moving on the 18th of December.  Feel free to shoot me an email (candlepatti@msn.com) for details. 

Brian is still loving staying home with the kids. 

Ethan started pre-school in the end of August and is LOVING it (to put it mildly).  We have been treated to new prayers and Bear Hunts lately. 

Nyla is walking all over now and is starting to talk as well.  I pray they are both big helpers for Mom & Dad when Baby Brother comes along in February.

I am still a Sr Manager working in Benefits & HR systems for the same internet company and all year have been blessed with working from home 4 out of 5 days.  However, I did just hire an assistant so I will be in the office more until she is up to speed. 

Thanksgiving we were blessed to spend with both Brian’s family and my Parents and my Sister.  Mom and Dad got to see the new house!  We had my Aunt and Uncle come down for dinner on Saturday and offered us to use his 24 foot trailer to move!  He brought is down on Sunday and already it is half full!  That is a HUGE help to us and we are SOOOOO grateful for this gift.

Alas, I hope to continue to keep my blog up to date at least twice a month as time allows.  Unfortunately, with the move it may be less often.  And, I am BAD with pictures lately.  So here is one I took with Ethan reading to his sister.

I truly hope you found our site in good health and happiness.  May God be with you and your family this Christmas season. 

Lots of love,

Patti, Brian, Ethan, Nyla, Baby Brother, and Belikan too!!

Giving Thanks

We have so much to be thankful for this year!

But before we get to that, thought I would share the kids in their costumes from Halloween:

Then on Halloween we went to the Children’s Museum (I won an annual pass so we will be going there a lot more!!

Now, on to why we are thankful.  We are blessed to be buying a new house.  It is still in our current town, just further south.  We are truly excited.  We were unable to sell our current place, yet, but if it doesn’t sell, we will likely become landlords!  YIKES.  But, although it is hard, we are blessed to be able to afford this and place our faith in God.  Not easy, but it is what we will be doing.

Ethan had his first school pictures and this was our fave!

We will be quite busy in the next few weeks, but we look forward to showing off our new digs!

Potty & Walking

Well, I don’t have any new pictures for the week, but I am still going to make a post.  This weekend we decided to work on Ethan’s potty training.  Well, although we have had some times when he wets his underwear…he is doing REALLY well.  Causes some more laundry to do, but hey, we are making progress!!

And Nyla is starting to figure out this walking thing.  She has taken between 4-5 steps multiple times a day!  So we are moving on up.  The kids are growing up and doing so fast!

Today was fun when we had a half hour notice for a showing on the house.  But, we really can’t turn any showing down.  You never know if it is the *right* one or not.  We do know they showed up, because we were just loading up the truck when they got here. 

Well, another week and another post!  No pictures, so I am sorry about that.  Soon…

Pumpkin Fest!

So, this weekend we got the kids rounded up and headed to the Chatfield Botanical Gardens for their Pumpkin Festival.  The price was right and the value was UNBELIEVABLE!!  We started at the pumpkin patch so Ethan could pick a pumpkin for school.  Ops, didn’t get a picture of the pumpkins he picked…BUT he and Nyla did pose for some pictures

Then, Ethan and Mom went on a hayride.

   Then he got to play some games.

He made a pumpkin face, then got to play in the BUBBLES!!!

We sure had a great time! 

Then my good friend stayed with us for a couple days and brought presents.  Thanks Jenny!

Saturday was the perfect weather for the pumpkin fest then Sunday was a true fall rainy day. We had a great weekend! 

Nyla is Officially 1!!

WOW!!  It is hard to believe that just over a year ago my little girl was born into this world.  What a great day it was and will forever be!  Our life’s are so much better with her in it.  Her brother loves her so and she worships him.  (not sure how long that will last)

She did have her 1 year check up on Monday.  She is a healthy girl!  Small, but perfect for her.  She is 17 pounds 13 ounces (5th percentile) and 28.5 inches (25th percentile). If she continues on her current growth pattern, she will be 18 months before she can sit forward facing.  Hmm… we will have to figure something out for when her baby brother comes in February!

Yes, if you haven’t heard we are having a baby boy!  No mistaking that from the Ultrasound! 

Now, we just need to find someone to buy this house so we can move onto our next adventure! 

And, since I am being lazy, here are some pics from her birthday celebration with Brian’s family that we had on the 3rd.

Cousin and friend with Ethan.

Cousin EvanCousin Camden and Ethan

Eating cake with Aunt Amy Camden loves his cousin!     Ethan was better than Nyla at opening the presents.But everyone had fun playing with the balloons! Alas, Ethan loves to help sister try to walk. 

(Hey. I am doing pretty good keeping things up to date!!)

Week 2!!

Hey look at me! I am updating again!! Okay, so I will keep trying to do this and if I succeed I will brag more in other places.

Anyway, items I forgot last time:

We went to see Thomas the Train at the Colorado Railroad Museum earlier this month.  Ethan had a great time, but it really wore him out!  Here we are waiting for the train to depart the “station”

I know he doesn’t look too excited, but trust me he was! He also got to pet some animals, play with some trains and listen to a Thomas story.

   

But, by the end he was too tired to smile…

This past weekend my parents came into town.  We had a friend’s baby shower and then celebrated Nyla’s first birthday (which we will do again next week with Brian’s family).

It is a good thing we are doing this twice because it took her some time to get used to eating the cake.

 

And then presents:

Here BIG present from Gramma Betty & Papa Bob (Ethan likes playing with it too!):

Alas, I can’t believe she is almost 1!!!

On a separate note, tomorrow we will hopefully find out if #3 is a boy or girl?!?!?!  HMMMMM

Trying Again…

Okay, so I know I am bad at this and nobody probably reads this, but hey, I am going to try again!

Ethan has started preschool and is really enjoying going 2 days a week.  He talks about how he “loves pre-school!”  Let’s hope we can keep that up!! Here he is on his first day of school.

Nyla is growing up fast and is close to walking already!  She takes one or two steps occasionally (first ones were towards MOM!!!).  Her words are starting to come as well.  During one of few camping trips, she started with “Hi dad.”  So she is sharing her firsts with Mommy & Daddy.  Here she is with Dad on one of our numerous trips this year!

Yes, we have been the jet setters.  We have been to Mexico; Eureka, California; San Diego, California (this was a driving trip thus everyone between here and there!!); Minnesota and Iowa.  Had great times everywhere, but now looking forward to staying home for a bit.

The last thing we are working on (and I use “last” loosely) is trying to sell our house and buy a new one.  With our third blessing due on Valentine’s Day, we would really like to upgrade our house.  Unfortunately, not the best time to try to sell.  Regardless, our house has gotten a few upgrades and new life to it.  Hopefully someone will find the beauty in it that we found 6 years ago.  (So if you know anyone looking…let us know!!)

I once again am going to try to update this more regularly!  We shall see.  Last is our family picture while on our paradise vacation in Mexico!

Nyla is 6 months old!!!

Alas, I have not been doing wonderful keeping up to date on here and I apologize. Work is CRAZY. But things are starting the even out, a bit. I thought I would post about Nyla's 6 month appointment for those that are interested. She did weigh 13 lbs & 9 ozs (10 percentile) and is 25.5 inches (40 percentile). So she is measuring SMALLER than Ethan?!?! Would would have guessed we would make small babies!

And since I love this picture and it brought me moments of Fame at a recent Mammoth Game, thought I would share it with you all!


Aren't they adorable!!

Another week

As I sit here and think about this last week that went by…Nyla now has 2 teeth, Ethan is getting better with the potty every day, and I am truly blessed for the children I have and all the people in my life.  I remember how each person touches me and reminds me that God is love.  Is there anything better than that.   And now I present my soon to be star singing Twinkle Twinkle (aka “pinkle pinkle”).

Sayings for the Future

As we sit and beg Ethan to eat breakfast, Brian said something that will likely be repeated in the future but mean something totally different.  As many people know, Ethan does not like to eat.  So he took a tiny bite and the following conversation ensued:

Brian: “Are you a bird?”

Ethan: “I a bird.  tweet, tweet, tweet”

Brian: “Stop tweeting and eat.”

For some reason, that may have a completely different meaning in about 15 years or so!

And what’s a post without a picture, so here is a great shot of Ethan’s truck in Nyla’s Saucer.

Bouncy Bouncy

While Grandma Betty & Papa Bob were here, it was determined that Nyla LOVES to bounce.  So, we went out and got her a saucer to bounce in.  You can almost see her smiling from ear to ear! 

And you gotta love the things 2 year olds say.  I work in our basement and when I go downstairs to work Ethan will close the door for me.  However, he usually says “Go Work, Mommy!”  And follows that up with “I don’t work down ‘tairs, I work up ‘tairs!” 

Snowshoeing!

So, for Christmas Ethan got a pair of snowshoes for Christmas.  So, over President’s Day, my parents from California were in town and we headed up to Grand Lake.  Ethan was hesitant at first, but then really caught on. 

And here is a video of his first snowshoeing attempt (i hope I did this right!)

Happy Mardi Gras to you all!

“I’m not a kid, I’m a BIG boy!”

Oh the things kids say. 

We were playing this evening and we tell Ethan, “you are a silly kid.”  His response, “I’m not a kid, I’m a BIIIIIG Boy.” (Big being said in his DEEEEEP voice.)  Then later we were playing catch with his invisible ball and he got mad because Daddy was going to throw it to Mommy, not Ethan.  The nerve of Daddy!

Well, Nyla got her first taste of rice cereal last week.  First time she had it, she ate it all and Brian had to make more. 

Getting ready to eat!

And She wasn’t even that messy!  Eating like a Champ!

“Uh, Dad….I want MOOOORRREE!!”

And Ethan just Loves his sister.  Here he is posing with her!

Have a good President’s day weekend!  (Especially if it is a 3-day weekend for you!)