The Hedrick Clan

Fall Family Photos

2010-10-28T23:03:00.002-06:00

There is just something to be said for getting the family together, all pretty for the camera and saying the simple,"cheese" that can capture a moment in which we hope to live forever.

The girls and their Daddy

the precious girls

Ayla out for a run

Sophie and the Triceratops

Leaves are so much fun to play in

Fall Colors

2010-10-06T22:33:00.002-06:00

Late September brought another trip to Crested Butte...this time to let the family bask in its spectacular wonder

my awesome family

The 1st weekend in October brings Take a Kid Mtn Biking Day

This was Sophie's 1st year and she had a blast

The newly lifted Explorer saw its 1st 4x4 trail with a trip to Bill Moore Lake..The girls with my friend Sean's youngest girls

This is an example of what could be played on near the lake. This is a friend's Toyota 4 Runner, the Explorer as of yet, is not ready for this kind of action

of course there are always mines and views to be seen

11 years and Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park

2010-09-22T22:10:00.004-06:00

This past weekend marked 11 years of marriage for Tabetha and me. Wow, how far we have come! Tabetha's lovely Ma and Cool Hand Step Pa came to town to watch the girls for us and give a much needed reprieve of the little ones for a couple of days.

Tabetha found a beautiful Inn in the quaint little town of Niwot, about 45 minutes away from Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park.

The room was complete with fireplace, steam shower and a romantic ambiance

Saturday morning we woke to dreary skies but nothing could cloud our love for eachother and we enjoyed the morning taking it easy, slowly making our way to Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park with a stop at a local farm for some Apple Cider Donuts.

As we made our way up the Mtn, beginning our journey in the Park at around 8500 ft, the skies opened up and we had a deep blue ocean hanging above our heads for the rest of the day.

Tabetha taking it easy at the Visitor Center

Our tour took us up Old Fall River Road where one of our 1st stops was to look at Chasm Falls

Look close and you'll see there is a bit of snow near the top of that mountain that never melted off from our last winter

Tabetha and me at a random pretty spot in the woods

Getting near tree line

The secret Cabin..not on any maps but easily found if your willing to take a step off the beaten path

Another shot of my beautiful wife

Above treeline, over 11,500 ft

and getting windy and cold when we reach Trail Ridge Road

What may look like a volcanic cloud hanging over the center of the mountains here is actually a fire that shut down Trail Ridge Road not long after we got off of it. Late Summer has brought little rain and hot temperatures for Colorado and that means a very high fire danger.

The Girls these past two Months

2010-09-20T17:56:00.002-06:00

The Alpaca Farm

Vincent playing shy

Even Alpaca's get a laugh

Going to the Strawberry Farm

Ayla and Sophie camping near Rollinsville

Oh My, Oh Me! Sophie is THREE!

2010-08-10T21:24:00.002-06:00

From a sweet, mellow baby to a rambunctious, silly, and loving three year old. The years are flying by too quickly ...

Happy 3rd Birthday to our adorable baby. :)

2 Dads, 4 Girls, and a Camping Trip

2010-07-22T21:32:00.002-06:00

A trip that made both Dads more then a little nervous, the girls wild with excitement, and two happy mommas left at home to enjoy their homes to themselves. It was a great trip though. We made camp, made smores, fished, biked,hiked, climbed trees, swam and after a 20 minute thunderstorm Saturday night, chased a rainbow.
Sunday after packing up camp, we fished a bit more and after having no luck drove up to Independence Pass to check out the views. Truly an awesome weekend and we're already planning another trip in August.

Twin Lakes

Ayla Fishing

Kennedy Casting

Sophie

Climbing Trees

Bike riding

Ayla, Kennedy and Cambell

Ayla and Kennedy

Disappointed she couldn't get to the end of the Rainbow

Ayla and Sophie

Sophie at a beaverdam near Twin Lakes

Ayla getting ready to fly at Independence Pass

Me and Ayla at Independence Pass

There were more then 175 photos taken during this trip...all of which can be seen here

Rock Stars

2010-06-16T18:27:00.002-06:00

Our Girls, the rockstars!

Ayla got a haircut and looks awesome

Awwwww..

Sophie, the sweet girl

Then things just got silly

San Fran

2010-06-07T21:44:00.003-06:00

Our apologies for lack of Bloggin. It gets busy in the life of raising kids, riding bikes, knitting and enjoying life in the Rockies.

Back in the middle of May we went to San Fransisco to visit family and spend some time in the city.

3 sisters

Ayla and the "Brah"

Sophie enjoying her icecream from the Ghirardelli Chocolate Cafe

Ayla and Auntie Boo Boo

Momma and Sophie in Muir Woods

The Family Tree

Jac and the Bean

Sophie enjoying lunch at the Jelly Belly Factory

China Town

Ayla's 5th birthday

2010-04-06T21:53:00.004-06:00

April 1st was Ayla's 5th birthday and we celebrated Saturday with a nice little Lion party.

Nana and Pops flew in from San Francisco to continue the tradition of never missing one of Ayla's birthdays.

The Lion cake created by Tabetha and Nana

Ayla attacking the lion pinata!

Vincent giving it a go!

Sophie claiming one of Ayla's presents

Afternoon nap of Momma, Sophie, Nana and Pops on Easter day means me and Ayla get to escape to Green Mtn and Bear Creek Lake Park for some ridin and horse viewing.

Thats Daddies 20 lb pack on Ayla's 40 lb body

Another Week in the life ( X post from A Goat in the Turtle Shell)

2010-03-21T23:05:00.000-06:00

So in this week to date....

Missus Goat and myself continue to plan the illustrious demise of the world. It will most likely include bicycles and yarn.

(yes, I'll take the part of Pinky in this one)

Missus Goat turned 30

and the children have threatened mass destruction

I did manage a few rides this week and by the third and final night I got to ride with, "the little Jackalope on the Bike" and , The Chad. Both are extremely strong son of a bitches and had my legs feeling like a quivering mass of Jello within 2.5 seconds of hitting the trails. Luckily my mass as a Clydesdale, gears and skills as a downhill rider allowed me the brief respite of their presence any time the trail turned into a technical descent, including the always fun, Dakota Ridge.

The Chad at dusk on Green Mtn

After a week of 60-70 degree weather a cold front hit on Friday and dropped temps down to the 30's and dumped about 7-8 inches of snow on Lakewood. This kinda soured my mood for a ride so instead I hung out with my girls and finally got Sophie on the Trail a Bike. It'll be a few months before she is tall enough for me to trust her on it on the trails but for tooling around the neighborhood, this has us stoked.

Of course,Ayla is still rippin it up and scaring her Momma..

Tabetha's 30th Birthday!!!

2010-03-19T06:32:00.003-06:00

Tabetha turned 30 this past Monday. I threw a surprise birthday dinner for her at the Yak and Yeti in Arvada with our closest Colorado friends and family. For the rest of our friends and family across the country, we wish you could of been there and we miss all of you. I think the best present Tabetha received was a surprise visit from her Mom who flew in from California. Somehow Cindy and me both kept the secret and were able to get her here without Tabetha knowing.

The Birthday girl

Sophie and her Nana

The dinner crew

The girls showing off their pony tails

Our little Cuties

Vincent's 1st two wheeled bike ride

2010-02-28T22:50:00.002-07:00

Yesterday we had my nephew Vincent over with Jennifer so he could learn how to ride a bike on two wheels. Vincent took his own bike apart some months back and lost some parts so we loaned him Ayla's. As you'll see below, the kid is a natural.

Just another week of ridin bikes and changing diapers

2010-02-20T21:10:00.001-07:00

Visiting Dinosaur Ridge

2010-02-09T05:32:00.002-07:00

This past weekend I got out for a early morning ride on Saturday. How early? Lets just say I met my buddy Andy at 5am so we could get 5 hours on the bikes before family duties took over. Turns out it was lucky for us since we got a rare Colorado treat...to ride above the clouds.

I wrote up a post about : Riding in Heaven on my own blog so when you get a chance, go check it out.

While riding up on Dakota Ridge I realized I hadn't taken the girls to see the Dinosaur Exhibit at the base of the ridge yet. So when I got home Tabetha was on her way to Boulder with a friend and I quickly scooped up the girls to go see the Dinosaurs.

I'm kinda double dipping here since I also wrote about the Dinosaurs on my own blog but I figure you'd like a little History lesson.

If you were wondering what Dakota Ridge has to do with Dinosaurs...It goes by another name as well...That of Dinosaur Ridge.

Fossilized footprints of the Iguanodon, ancient crocodiles, and other dinosaurs have been found on the ridge along with bones of the Stegosaurus, and proof of an inland sea that is said to cover 1/3 of Colorado with sharks teeth, fossilized sea animals and plant life.

Also, bones of a Triceratops were found in downtown Denver and fossilized footprints of a Triceratops and a T Rex were found in Golden.

We took a little tour bus ride of the ridge where Alya got to walk in the footprints of Dinosaurs and Aya and Sophie both got to climb rocks that were inbedded with petrified Dinosaur bones believed to be a Stegosaurus. The bones and rocked fused so well that any attempts to remove the bones were damaging them so it was decided best to just leave them be.

Back at the exhibit there was an outdoor dig area where Sophie got to excavate some bones.

A Milestone

2010-01-28T09:05:00.002-07:00

Did you know Ayla started riding her bike on her own two weeks ago!! WOO HOO! Needless to say, her daddy is THRILLED.

Not ready for her push bike yet, but it won't be long...

Some Tidbits

2010-01-16T09:35:00.002-07:00

Just a few fun facts:
1. Ayla can now count to 100 (with very minimal help)
2. Sophie now has her own bed and has accepted the transfer REALLY well. She might be ready to move in to Ayla's room sooner than we thought ... gulp. Now to save up for a bed system to fit them in there. LOL
3. We are beginning the enrollment process for KINDERGARTEN! Still with her school, Free Horizon Montessori, but she will be going all day (a big step!)
4. Sophie's vocabulary is really expanding. It's so awesome to hear her and Ayla play together.
5. Ayla has shot up again in height, so time for new clothes before summer. All of her jeans look like capris.
6. Ayla has requested a Lion Birthday Party. I'll send out her wish list at a later date. :)
7. Sophie is a WHIZ with puzzles! Wow! She can do them so fast, barely even looking to figure them out!
8. And I finally found the dang Halloween photos. They got put in the wrong folder, but you can enjoy them now:

And here are some other pics I found:

This week in Photos

2010-01-11T17:57:00.002-07:00

Sunday the Mad Scientist came over and we took Ayla down to the Stone House to throw down some miles on the bike paths. We got in over 2 and a half hours of riding where at one point Ayla broke down but a quick offer of hot chocolate at the next store we see calmed her down and got us through the rest of our ride with smiles and Ayla with a laughing scream for me to go faster every time the Mad Scientist made a break for it.

Cool Girl Sophie

Ayla with the floating hair

Costumed Crime Fighters

2010-01-06T06:26:00.002-07:00

Denver's crime will surely fall with these two prowling the streets!

Swimming at Golden Rec

2010-01-03T07:14:00.002-07:00

Ayla has been asking for the past couple of days to go swimming. Bear Creek Lake Park was having a Polar Bear Plunge into the icy lake New Years Day but I just couldn't convince the family that sub freezing water was the right way to start off 2010.

So we settled for the Golden Rec Center.

Where Sophie got to play in a big frog's mouth

and Ayla got to play on giant Lillie pads

Ayla asking Sophie if she is having a good time

Sophie bouncing on a rope

Sweet Ayla

Sweet Sophie

Reflections of the Wee Ones: 2009

2010-01-01T07:09:00.003-07:00

Give this post some time to load, Its picture heavy

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Christmas with the Hedricks

2009-12-30T06:35:00.003-07:00

Can I ask my little girls to stay this little, at least on Christmas day forever? Even though there was some sickness running amuck in the form of a stomach bug, there was little that bugger could do to keep the glow out of Ayla's and Sophie's eyes, nor the smiles or sweet giggles as they tore into their presents.

Below, A small photo dump of our week in Christmas

Tabetha at Bel Mar, where on the Tuesday before Christmas we went on a date. Just the two of us. A walk through Bel Mar Square, a dinner at Ted Montana's and wrapping up the night, ice skating under the stars.

Sorry folks but this is the only picture we have of the girls with wrapped presents. Christmas morning was all about unwrapping and playing so there wasn't any time for a lot of picture taking.

Sophie with her new stroller

Ayla and her doll house

The girls playin dolls

Later Christmas afternoon Tabetha's childhood friend, Colleen flew in from Connecticut. Turns out she is a snowboarder as well so Sunday afternoon I took her up to Breckenridge for a day on the slopes.

Colleen Rippin down Peak 7

and of course you'd know I'd squeeze in a bike ride sometime. Better then staring at the TV while all the girls nap.

The Golden Christmas Parade

2009-12-23T11:21:00.002-07:00

Golden is a city we love. Forever, the classic little western town. Sitting right at the base of the Front Range Mountains, it has all the charm of the ranchers and miners who used to populate this area.

With all of its charm, its parade is no different. Small in scale but enough energy to keep a family entertained.

Welcome to Golden!

Santa and Mrs. Claus

Elf on the big Wheel

Big horse and a little girl

Ma Nature?

Unicycler

I think we need these guys to haul the girls

and the Buffalo herd a short way down the road

Death to the cell phone by Apple Juice

2009-12-19T08:26:00.001-07:00

X posted from Jeremy's Blog: A Goat in a Turtle Shell

A few of you received my email , "Needing phone numbers" where within, I composed a short bit of tale that my phone had suffered a horrible watery death. You took to yourselves to surmise that my phone suffered a death of truly epic proportions. Rumors of a toilet and a peeing incident, a bottle of Stanahan's and an attempt to get a phone bound friend drunk, and even scandal of a tub full of jello and a fun evening with my wife. Sorry friends but I must dispel all of these rumors and tell you the truth.

It was a bottle of apple juice that did my ancient relic of a cell phone in. I had that phone since before I even had children and even then I think it was a few years older, being drug out of a useless trinkets drawer and given to me by my father in law. Though younger then my old bag phone and even younger then the old radio CB that I could cook my lunch upon the antenna, it had served its life. I'm sure at least some of my friends might even be happy to know this phone is gone, being the battery could not hold a charge longer then 5 minutes when I was talking on it so everyone I spoke to got hung up on or so they thought.

It was a harmless enough day. I had just gotten back from Riding the Lake with Lubes and Spike. My wife, the lovely Missus Goat needed to get some work done without the chitlins running between her legs. So I took the little ones for a short hike on the Stonehouse Trail in Lakewood. At the trailhead there was a store and within that store a bottle of some over sugared kid's oriented crap drink that my oldest really wanted. Being a somewhat responsible father I directed her to the apple juice instead, which while still being over sugared, contained none of the dyes, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives of that over sugared kid's oriented crap drink.

I let Ayla take a drink of her juice, I allowed her to put the cap back on and I slipped the bottle into my coat pocket beside my phone. Later, while walking down the trail I noticed a golden liquid raining on the snow at my feet, realizing I was not drunk, therefore not publicly peeing myself I took the bottle out of my coat pocket and found it to be three quarters empty compared to the three quarters full that it had been when first put there. Of course I quickly pulled the phone out but being submerged in the golden liquid, it had suffered its fate, to be a shorted hunk of plastic and circuits. So there you have it, no epic tale of a bathroom incident, no scandal of a tub full of jello, my wife and myself and no Stranahan's, though if your still looking me a present, a bottle or two would be nice.

By the way, with the purchase of my new LG ENV3, I decided I should lose my old east coast number and become a true Colorado Man with a local number. So if for some reason my email missed you and you want my new number give me a shout at the email on my profile page.

Putting up the Christmas Tree

2009-12-15T06:22:00.002-07:00

Yes, we here at the Hedrick Clan are slackers. Only ten days till Christmas and we just now put up the Christmas Tree.

Ayla plays the Grinch so well

Then she becomes our shining star

Ayla Puts on the Star

You count five stockings...Marmalade is not to be forgotten

It all comes to Family

December in the Snow

2009-12-13T22:47:00.002-07:00

December has brought about a cold spell for Denver and all that snow and ice has us playing in a winter wonderland.

From Falling on ice while riding across the frozen Bear Creek Lake..there is some 20 feet of water beneath me

spraying friends with snow

seeing beautiful vistas

going hiking with the girls

to taking the girls ice skating

The little ones are happy, really!!

My lovely lady

Ayla running

The girls running

Thanksgiving Weekend

2009-11-29T18:11:00.004-07:00

Wishing you and yours, a Thanksgiving as great as ours.

Sophie's Eyes

Ayla's Eyes

Hiking on Windy Saddle

Ayla playin Miss Annie Oakley

A two headed cowpoke

Watched a few Paragliders

The Colorado State Capital

One of the many Gothic Churches in Denver

Jeremy on Dakota Ridge

Jeremy's new to him, 97 Ford Explorer

You could say we've had a bit O Snow Lately

2009-11-16T23:28:00.003-07:00

27 inches...And yes, it was entertaining to our little girls to watch daddy jump over the 5 foot tall rail of our patio and bunny flop in 27 inches of snow. Note to self: make sure there is a pillowly base beneath...Concrete...even with 27 inches of fresh pow pow, makes for a hard landing....just sayin

The ladies though, are willin to pose when 2 hours later....27 inches melts away

The Red Rocks Amphitheater

And the new family Fav dining spot

a bit of exploring by bike, Pueblo, Colorado

and a little hockey

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day

2009-11-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

Then the day goes all to the chickens. Really though, this is Nate. Works at the Golden Bike Shop, cool guy....just wears a chicken suit for kicks....whatever gets your rocks off brother. Wear that to the Pint to Pint and I'll wear my ballerina Viking costume, it'll make a good ol time even that much cooler in a riding a bike kind of way.

Saturday was National Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day and in all things great about our local mountain bike club, COMBA...they held a spectacular event just for the wee ones. More then 60 kids participated and the trails at Bear Creek Lake Park held just the right amount of mellowness and spice to keep em interested but also enjoying themselves.

So the morning started off with a variety of skills workshops where Ayla kept begging to just go ride, Self diagnosed ADD runs in the family and daughter like father, she just has a hard time sitting around and watching someone else do something while we get to twiddle our thumbs.

Kids helmets are so cool. I wish my melon was smaller so I could have flames and flowers....well, the flowers would have to be skulls and crossbones or some other version of uber cool, for a guy that is. Chicks can pull off the flowers so well.

So we joined the small girls group of 4-6 year olds but I had Ayla on the trail a bike since she is still learning the world of two wheels where we ran laps around a doubletrack circuit and we got to cheer on the other little girls riding downhill and making a small steep climb. We rode till about 11:30 and stopped for a well timed lunch of pizza and hoogies from Woody's out of Golden, Colorado.

After lunch Ayla decided she wanted some singletrack and being one not to deny my daughter of the simple pleasures in life I was more then happy to oblige. We rode a few miles with many giggles and smiles and made our way back over to the Pavilion where we found everyone packing up except for one other trail a bike. This was Sean and daughter Sienna. Ayla talked Sienna into riding some singletrack with us which made her father really happy since he couldn't quite say the words to convince his girl that singletrack and mountainbiking are as synomonous to eachother as an icecream sundae is to the cherry that tops it off. Understand, I was going to make that a reference to beer and its head but I was applying the analogy to that of one four year old speaking to another.

Whoot! Whoot! Sienna on her 1st singletrack...I think she is hooked

Not even a mile in the singletrack, Sienna's trail a bike had a flat. Her father didn't even have a tool on him much less a pump or patch kit. Being the always prepared, pack more then I ought to mountain biker that I am, I fetched my tools out of my 20 + pound Wingnut and had them set up in just a few minutes...even had the 15 mm wrench to take the wheel off Sienna's trail a bike.

Ayla is really still having a good time..She is concerned that Binky, the stick in her hand may fall and suffer the fate of all other sticks, being just a random stick on the trail.

15 minutes later and Sienna's father who I still want to call Sean but I honestly forgot had a flat on his Salsa. Goatheads run rampant on the Front Range and tubed tires such as the ones" I want to call him Sean" is running suffer the wrath of the prickly little buggers. Using the tools out of my always prepared pack we got him up and running again and we back on the trail with our girls giggling and smiling all the way.

"I want to call him Sean" and Sienna pulled off on our next lap and Ayla decided she wanted to keep riding. Happy to continue on singletrack we took off towards Mount Carbon and just as we were about to make the climb up, Ayla decided she had enough. It was 2:30pm and we had been at the park and riding for most the while since 9:30am. More then impressed with my girl for the day of riding we turned around and passed two other riders on the way back to the car where Ayla proclaimed," We won, we won, we were so much faster then them, Daddy!"

Sophie's 2nd Birthday

2009-08-24T22:54:00.004-06:00

Our little baby is two years old..

a few highlight pictures from her birthday party

Sophie and Momma

Chasing Ayla for the shot

Blowing out Candles

I think she likes her presents

Where's Daddy? Taking the pictures

Vincent showed us that he is part fish

Sophie and Daddy

The cool girl

Ayla abusing Andy and his daughter Justin(the girls regular babysitter)

Uncle J and the V dog

Ayla showing us some Balloon Sha Fu

see the rest here

Month of Transitions

2009-08-01T09:59:00.002-06:00

August has always been a month of change and this month in 2009 seems to be out most challenging yet! Where shall I start.....?

1. Jeremy has decided to leave Whirlpool, for a variety of reasons, but is quite looking forward to getting back on the road with Best Service Company out of Denver. I figure its a good thing when the boss man says he likes "the warm fuzzies" and doesn't like his guys to work longer than 8-9 hours. So, fingers crossed that all goes well!

2. Ayla starts school this month! All this past week, she spent the days at her school for Summer Camp - which she LOVED! She was overwhelmed a bit, but really grew into her own independence quickly. I was SO proud of her when she hung her backpack up, gave me a hug, and happily called out "bye mom" as she ran into her class. Sob.... Anyways, the next few weeks will be filled with orientations, open houses, meeting teachers, registration, getting supplies, paying tuition, phase-in day, and finally FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL on Aug 18!!! WOW!

3. Our lease is up on our current rotten apartment so after much thought, we have decided to give up house hunting and find a new rental. And we found a GREAT one! Quiet, semi-secluded, and huge - a town home about 5-10 minutes down the road from where we currently live. :) Moving is set for the weekend of the 15th of this month! Geez - as if I didn't already have enough on my plate! Again, wish us luck ... that I get out of August with a still somewhat sane mind. Haha!

4. Sophie has her birthday on the 10th, too! You, of course, are all invited to her cupcake social by the pool on the 9th. :) Just something simple with lots of sugar. I don't even know what I am getting her yet.... bleh! She has a whole closet of clothes arriving soon from a friend of mine, so she is not in need of anymore. I think I might be getting her some Lego's or something... But, my sweet baby is turning 2!! She is talking constantly (although, it is still words that only mama and Ayla can understand). She didn't quite know what to do with herself while Ayla was in summer camp. The first day we dropped A off, Sophie flipped out on the way back to the car, screaming and looking back for "OOoooooola!!!!!" Poor thing. She settled in quite well and was a model child when Ayla wasn't home. HAhahaha!

5. My little knitting/design biz has slowed down a bit with orders, but it has given me more time to get design work done. I have lofty goals of getting a sock design book ready for publishing by next year, so that has sort of consumed me lately. I also have a big themed stocking with my TLC group set for Aug 18 that I have been getting ready for - I've made felted bowls, baby socks, a lace scarf pattern, a tee pattern for kids with hearts on it, and I will be stocking some sock spots. Here's what my to-do list looks like for today (just with my biz) - sew heart tee, felt bowl set, finish writing scarf pattern, sketch out design for skull tank top, and finish knitting my "Bitches" sock for book.

Ok, I think that is the gist of everything major. LOL Keep an eye out for an email/snail mail address change note. :) We love you all!

First day of summer camp....

Summiting a 14er

2009-07-13T08:20:00.001-06:00

Well, I cheated. Yesterday I took Ayla and Sophie and drove the highest road in America, the Mt Evans Scenic Tollway. Tabetha was out of town for a Yoga retreat and I had the little ones. I considered taking the singlespeed, putting the girls in the trailer and try dragging and yanking them up the mountain. Thing is though Ayla has just about outgrown our trailer, the girls squabble alot in the trailer, and I just felt like being a lazy goat this weekend so I left the bike alone.

My Sweet Sophie at Lube's Bar-B-Q the day before.

Ayla playing in one of the few snow patches remaining on Mt Evans. Funny thing while only a few patches remain here at 14,000 ft...there are still plenty of mountains below 12,000 ft that have snow cornices over 10 ft tall.

From the tippity top. The top of Mt Evans is somewhere around 130 feet higher then the parking area and 1/4 mile up. I strapped Sophie to my back and Ayla refused to budge saying she'd rather ride my shoulders. I don't think either one enjoyed this as much as I did.

That is until the mountain goats started showing themselves.

Looking West towards Guanella Pass

Just as we were getting ready to leave I saw a familar face, Eddie Odea ride up on his bike being led by his teammate, Yuki Saito. Eddie is an old friend from the east coast and he still lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife, Namrita. Both of us were blown away by the chance encouter and quickly made plans to meet at a local Microbrew near Denver to catch up.

After leaving Mt Evans I made the drive over to the base of Jones Pass to do some scouting for the big ride next weekend. The view of the top of the pass did not look very promising with what appeared to be 10 ft snow cornices hanging from the ridge but seems JJonas was up there the day before doing a scouting mission of his own and says it should be good to go.

Photo by Jim Jonas...Top of Jones Pass. Jim rode to the top of Jones Pass, Made his way down Herman Gulch and tried to Summit Grey's Peak only to be turned around by a no bikes sign...Good thing my route takes us away from Grey's onto the legal Bard's Creek.

Father's Day

2009-06-24T23:14:00.004-06:00

Morning over Lakewood

Sunday, Tabetha and the girls took me to Glenwood Springs for Father's Day. The drive through Glenwood Canyon is always a treat.

We drove around the Springs for a bit and stopped at a park to let the girls stretch their legs and get out some restless energy

Then we headed to the walking district and found a cool little Cafe to have a early lunch that I guess you would call a brunch since we all had breakfast foods.

A short drive later and we were hiking up the mountain

to see Doc Holiday's Grave

seems this is just a marker in the graveyard. All the locals agree he is buried here, just where, is unknown

Back to Glenwood Canyon to hike Hanging Lake Trail

the trail started out easy enough

But soon it turned into its kamikaze evil cousin

the girls were troopers though

and the views were worth the effort

Ayla boulder hopping

Alya and Alvin....notice the Chipmunk?

We ended up stopping short of Hanging Lake. It was getting late and I think the ladies had enough adventure for one day. I hope all you fathers out there enjoyed your day as much I did.

The Month of May

2009-05-31T11:04:00.003-06:00

Wow! Where did the past two months go of no posting? Tabetha and I have been so busy with the girls, each other, and starting our new blogs that we've neglected this one horribly.

Tabetha's new sock knitting business has taken off quite well and she has been working on several of her own designs. Check out her new blog for all the latest and greatest in the sock world.
I've had many Mountain bike adventures and decided to start my own blog chronicling them.

Look close and you'll see me on the right

For Mother's day I gave Tabetha a treat that she has been wishing for....A night away from the girls. I put her up in the Table Mountain Inn, got a babysitter for the girls and met her for dinner and a stroll around Golden. Then I went back home to the girls and she got to a have a peaceful night on her own and sleep in on Sunday. Sunday the girls and I met her for Lunch and then we went to Hertitage Square.

Last weekend we took the girls to Georgetown, Colorado for Trains Day and a ride on the Historical narrow gauge railroad

Sophie and Momma in a moment of saying "Cheese".

from 100 ft above Clear Creek

My friend Kevin rides under the spot from where the photo above was taken..Georgetown just happens to have some great mountain biking as well.

On my birthday...Ayla and I went for a 10 mile spin at Bear Creek Lake Park. I believe this is her longest ride yet

Then the whole family along with Jennifer and Vincent took me to Beaujo's Pizza in Idaho Springs

Dodging storms during yesterday's ride

We'll try to be better about posting for the month of June.

Happy Birthday Ayla!!

2009-04-01T09:17:00.003-06:00

Our eldest daughter is 4 years old TODAY! YEA!!! I still think the 29 hours of labor was well worth it. :) It's so hard to believe it has gone by so quickly.... she's become such an amazing girl: intelligent, witty, funny, sweet, generous, loving (stubborn, willful, sassy... Haha!).

One Year Old

Age Two

Age Three

And Today, Age Four!!

Crazy Busy!

2009-03-28T20:56:00.000-06:00

It's been a crazy month with visits from Grama and Nana & Pops, illness, house hunting, birthdays galore... geez! But, overall, it has been fun.

Nana made Ayla a beautiful Puppet Theater and the kids are having a blast playing with it.

We celebrated Ayla's birthday a few days early with family and friends. Ayla had been looking forward to her birthday cake all year!

Nana being a wee crazy on a wee bike (at least Vincent likes to wear his helmet now! LOL)

Jeremy & Jennifer took Mark out skiing while they were here. HILARIOUS!

Finally a picture of me and Jeremy!

Sophie showing off her new diaper from Patti

And Ayla showing off!

It's Birthday Month!

2009-03-12T09:07:00.002-06:00

This is the month of birthdays! This past weekend, Grama came to visit and we have a lovely time celebrating her special day with cake, cards, and listening to noisy, sugar-loaded kids. Here's hoping you make your 60th your best year yet, Grama!

Sadly, we didn't get to see Pops on his BD, but he knows we were thinking about him. We'll celebrate when they come visit later this month. In fact, we'll celebrate MY birthday, too!!

And, can you believe that Ayla will be turning 4 very very soon? It's so hard to comprehend, but she stuns me every day with examples of her growth. She is so sweet, so smart, (so high strung...), and has the most adorable laugh... my baby is growing up!!! WAHHHH!

So, other than birthday's and visits from family, the girls and I have spent time learning about fun new things like snakes and the seasons, going to the library, playing at the park (because it's been so warm here for the past month!!), some house hunting...

Oh, and I have been CRAZY busy with my budding sock business. Who would have thought that hand knit socks would be so popular! In fact, I was extended an invitation to join The Tiny Lady Cooperative which is a group of women (each who own their own business) who join together to have a group store website. The foot traffic is quite high and I am quite honored by the invite. We will "stock" our stores twice a month with custom slots on my wait list, some patterns that I am working on, etc. I am very excited and will post a link when I make my debut. LOL

I don't have a whole lot of pics, but here are some of my goofy husband who has had too much time on his hands lately (since he broke his bike!):

Ok, Ok...

2009-02-22T17:34:00.002-07:00

I know! It's been a long while since I have updated the blog, so I thus offer my apologies. It's just been a little crazy around here. What's been going on?

1. Sort-of house hunting about once a week for half a day.
2. Delivering paperwork to Ayla's school that she will be starting in August (Free Horizon Montessori) - She got accepted! YEA!
3. Doing home "instruction" to Ayla and Sophie to keep their insatiable minds happy (see #4 for more explanation on why). We've been learning about snakes and shapes, numbers and letters, trees and countries!
4. Dealing with Ayla's show of independence, disobedience, or simply determination to make me crazy. Some examples of this would be cutting up my yarn with scissors or drawing on the kitchen cabinets with green sharpie marker, all of which are highly uncharacteristic of her.... :(
5. Knitting my fingers to the bone with my new budding sock knitting business. Suddenly, I am all the demand and currently have a wait list that books me until the end of March!
6. Spending time as a family - bike riding, visits to the zoo and Children's Museum, etc, etc

All of this goes on in addition to the typical daily chores, errands, activities... So, you can see how I get a little forgetful. :)

But, here are some pics to ease the pain. Haha!

Ayla regaling me with her music...

Jeremy and Jennifer skiing/snowboarding at Loveland

Jeremy's New Hot Rod

Thought you were supposed to go downhill ON the snowboard.

Both girls making faces together

Silly Ayla

Ayla's Artwork

2009-01-08T09:23:00.001-07:00

Here are some examples of Ayla's artwork and writing. She blows our mind....

X-mas Morning Pics

2009-01-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

We only took three pictures of the girls on x-mas morning, but we were a little occupied with presents. LOL

Sophie was very tired and not sure what was going on (haha)

Ayla in her super awesome mask and cape that Nana made

2008 in Review

2009-01-04T22:16:00.003-07:00

So, I thought I would review all things the girl's have accomplished this past year. :) So, here are their Top Tens:

Ayla - Let's see......
1. grew an insane amount and is very tall
2. Learned to read AND write most of the alphabet.
3. Learned to write her own name (today, she also wrote Daddy's name and David's)
4. Can now count up to 20
5. Developed and fine tuned her amazing imagination, evolving into puppet shows, making up her own songs and stories, and creating her own set of multiple personalities (when she is a boy, her name is Aiyah and when she is not Ayla, she is Daisy. AHAHA)
6. Got to be flower girl at her Aunt Henry's wedding and stole the show (welcome to the fam, Uncle Jeff!)
7. Her artistic ability is becoming quite astounding. I will take some pictures this week of her works. I can't believe these come from a 3 year old!
8. Has maintained a perfect memory of the past year on what her 4th birthday party theme will be and has reminded ME at least every month. "I'm going to be 4 on my Hot Dog Party."
9. Adjusted amazingly well to her move to Colorado and proclaims to everyone that it is where we live.
10. Immediately recognizes Barack Obama on TV or when hearing his name on the radio "Mom, they said Back Bama!" or "That's Bark O Mama!" Tee hee

Miss Sophie:
1. Learned to walk and run
2. has started trying to draw and write like Ayla and is very intent on it.
3. Learned to use sign language to communicate. Her vocabulary includes: nurse, sleep, more, please, thank you, and all done
4. Has started to learn to vocalize some words. Mostly only mama, but she throws Ayla and Daddy in there, too.
5. Became highly proficient at saying "yes" or "no" by shaking/nodding her head profusely.
6. Has learned to become a good playmate for Ayla
7. Has learned to be a pain in the rear to Ayla
8. When I am sweeping or vacuuming, she has learned to help by getting her own broom and vacuum.
9. Seems to have learned humor and is wonderful at "trying" to make us all laugh at her antics
10. Become a sweet snuggler who can tell everyone "night night" with kisses and hugs before bed.

Enjoying the New Year

2009-01-01T23:58:00.004-07:00

I was able to get off a little early on New Year's Eve and with weather in the high 40's I was able to convince the ladies to go for a bike ride in Bear Lake Park. It turned out to be a bit shorter then we anticipated as it got cool quick with the sun disappearing behind the mountains to the west. Never the less, it was a good time with the family.

Tabetha bundled up and enjoying the ride

Ayla with a cherry tipped nose

Sophie is hiding in the wagon...enjoying her ride

This morning I was able to get out for a few hours of Ice Boarding at the local ski Run...I say Ice Boarding as we had 90 MPH wind gust for about 16 hours straight three days ago. The result...nothing but ice left on the mountain. One of my falls ended in a 200 yard slide on my chest down the slope.

Cold in Windy

Rewinding a bit....this past weekend I took the girls to the Kids Museum and got them a year's pass with some of the Christmas money they received.

Sophie in the tunnel

I think we need one of these at home

Sophie crawling through a window

Ayla hanging out

We had a Happy Solstice and a Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T11:42:00.002-07:00

We've had a wonderful month of holidays here at home. Jennifer joined us for our Winter Solstice dinner before we exchanged handmade gifts. Jeremy was sweet and had some photos of the girl's framed, while I handed out knitted hats, mittens, and bowls. Jennifer made us a cool scrapbook that is ready for pictures! Christmas Eve, Ayla and I made cookies for Santa, leaving them on the table with a cup of milk and a note of thanks. She was SO excited to see the crumbs he left and the presents under the tree. It was fun to see her getting into "it" for the first time. The girls played with their new toys all day...

We have so many thanks to send out for the gifts and money given to us: Auntie Boo Boo, Aunt Jennifer, Nana & Pops, Grama, Aunt Debbie, Esmeralda and Family, Grandma and Grandpa Hedrick, Grandma Barnes, and I am told that there is more coming in the mail. Thank you, everyone, for your sweet generosity.

Jac's wedding was a lot of fun. It was wonderful seeing all the family again. We were thrilled to finally meet Jeff and certainly glad to have him as part of the clan. The girl's were great while in Florida, and while Tampa is on my most hated city list, I look forward to seeing my sister's again soon.

Here's some random pictures from this month (just 3):
This is Ayla modeling the sweater that I custom designed for her (yes, I am pretty darn proud of it!)

Jeremy out riding in the snow. It's starting to become a common occurence! LOL

Its the Great Puppet show; Ayla Hedrick

2008-12-23T14:49:00.001-07:00

One is Independent and One is Sick!

2008-12-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Miss Ayla is officially an independent potty-goer! Yea! That means she goes by herself AND wipes herself! Yea!

And little Miss Sophie is sick with pink eye. I have never had to deal with that before from any kid I have ever babysat, so its a new experience. And yucky! LOL But, she is already looking tons better from yesterday.

Found Some Pics

2008-12-09T22:06:00.002-07:00

I dug back through our flickr page and found the pictures of the girls in the first Colorado snow of the season. Thought you might enjoy seeing them.

Jeremy has picked up snowboarding (and loving it!), so Jennifer took him out for his first run. They had a really great time falling down a lot. Tee hee

We leave Thursday afternoon for Florida. Sunshine, here we come! Jac is getting married to her beau, Jeff. We can't wait to meet them. Ayla will be the lovely flower girl, so be prepared for beautiful pictures when I get back (which will be Sunday evening).

Thanksgiving Snow

2008-12-03T11:09:00.002-07:00

Well, we didn't really get snow ON Thanksgiving, but it came the next day... and the day after that. LOL I think we received a grand total of about 5-6 inches here. It was AWESOME! And then the next day it was in the 60s! Whew! Ayla LOVES the snow and as soon as she saw it, she insisted on going out to build a snowman. For some reason, though, that picture accidentally became erased. Sophie doesn't like the snow too much, preferring just to stand on the side to look at it. She screams pretty loud when it touches her hands. Haha!

Jeremy went out for his guy bike ride on Friday night and it was so clear, but then in the middle, the snow came falling FAST!

Sophie checking out the snow aboard her sled

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We spent the day with Vincent and Aunt Jennifer, eating lots of turkey and pie. Yum! It got exhausting pretty quickly with the kids all over the place, but it was so nice to spend a holiday with family.

Ayla and I spent a day together recently and it was loads of fun. I took her to see "Bolt" in the theaters (her first visit to one) and then pick up her flower girl dress for Aunt Henry's (Jacqueline) wedding. She was so funny in the bridal store, running around to all the dresses and exclaiming about how fancy they were. She kept wanting to know if they were "her size."

We all went hiking out at St. Mary's Glacier not too long ago and were awed by how much snow there was on the mountain top. We weren't exactly prepared, but it was still fun!
This is the lake with at least an inch thick of ice

December 1 was when we pulled out the Yule Tree and began the decorations. The girls were so excited and remain captivated by the lights.

Enjoy the rest of the pictures!

Sophie says "That was one dang good cookie!"

Sweet Smile

Ahh Growing Up

2008-11-13T13:37:00.002-07:00

Ok, so we have slacked off for the past month with posting. What's a family to do?

There hasn't been much "news." Just the same ol' every day stuff. Wake up, eat, change diapers, play with kidlets, hubby works, hang out in the evening, eat dinner, get kids ready for bed.... We interrupt this daily activity by visiting Jennifer & Vincent, bike riding, touring the area, etc.

Ayla, in the past two days, has seemed to enter the teen years. With her comments at least. Haha. For example, we went to the grocery store and I put my grocery list in my mouth while I lifted Sophie into the cart. Ayla turns to me and says, "Mom. Why do you have your paper in your mouth. You are not awesome." Ahaha! Then today, she was playing with her toy kitty cat and she says, "Kitty is a girl, Sophie is a girl, Mulan [the movie she was watching] is a girl. Daddy is a boy. I am a boy, too." I chimed in and said, "well, what am I?" Without hesitation she replies, "You are just a mama." Sigh. Not awesome and not even a girl. Pooh.

Sophie is all over the place. She likes to make us laugh with her silly antics (like throwing herself backwards onto the floor or flipping backwards off the couch. Seriously. You should hear her squeal with laughter!!). She babbles all the time and actually just started using sign language the other day. She says "please" (rubbing her belly), "more" (pushing her fingertips together), and "all done" (flipping the hands over). She's really picking things up and expressing herself.

Today, both rotten girls drew with crayons all over their bedroom door while I was making lunch. Ugh. See, the older Sophie gets, the more trouble they both become as a team. Bah!

Here's some pictures!

Cute Kids

2008-10-13T15:51:00.002-06:00

I thought I would post some cute pictures of the girls I took over the past two weeks. But, let's update first.

Ayla has suddenly grown taller, so today we went pants shopping (fun ... eyes rolling). A few weeks ago, I got her these preschool workbooks by Kemon and she LOVES them. She asks every day if we can do her "work." So, she can cut in straight line, can count to 20 by herself, and now she can write the letters T, L, H, I, O, and Q, as well as the numbers 1 and 0. She is expressing so much interest in learning what words say. It is fascinating watching her absorb it all, question it all, and find more to learn on her own. Ayla is really developing into her own, has become so beautiful that it takes my breath away sometimes, and blows our mind with some of the things she can do. We have begun touring some local preschools, but its been a little difficult to coordinate since some want the parents to visit without children (geez), but we are taking our time.

Sophie is still itty bitty, so everything falls off of her tiny bum. She walks and struts around like the owns the place (until Ayla runs into her, that is). She babbles and talks constantly!! She's trying to learn how to play with Ayla (who isn't keen on Sophie's manner of playing), is darned determined to express her wants, and can light up a room with her grin. She's a doll.

At The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-10T15:30:00.001-06:00

The leaves are changing into shades of beautiful golds and oranges, the girls are growing too fast for comfort, and now the holidays are peaking around the corner. Seems to me that time is flying by so quickly these days.

Early this month, we had a BLAST picking pumpkins with Jennifer and Vincent. We ran around the kid's maze at Rock Creek Farm, looked at their farm animals, and cut our pumpkins straight from the vine. Warning: this is a picture heavy post!

Tab, Jennifer, and Sophie lounging on the hay bales

Jeremy carrying all three kids!

"Gimme that camera!"

Ayla and Vincent tripping on hay bales together

Tabetha picked a Sophie from the Patch!

We were too eager to wait until Halloween, so we went ahead and carved our pumpkins. Then we roasted the seeds and coated with sugar and spices... yum! Ayla totally told us what to do and where to carve.

Not Much...

2008-10-02T21:53:00.002-06:00

Not a whole lot going on of late except, oh...

The whole "my sister is getting married" announcement. Sounds pretty exciting and now the whole family is making plans to head to Florida for the big to-do. I've never met the new fiance, Jeff, but if he can put up with her than he is tops (tee hee)!

Other than trying to make plans for the marriage shin-dig, we've been researching preschools for Ayla, gearing up for Halloween events, and enjoying the beautiful weather. I've spent time learning the area, checking out the numerous (and SO cool) Farmer's Markets, malls, metaphysical stores, bike trails, parks, etc. There is just so much here... even now, a month later, I feel overwhelmed.

Sophie is all over the place, determined to express her opinion on things in whatever manner she can get it across. She's quite clear when she says she wants more, when she wants to be read to, when she wants to nurse, or when she doesn't want something. "Sophie, are you ready for a diaper change?" Response? A vehement shake of her head "no." Haha She's got the cutest little "bye-bye" wave, too.

Ayla is impressing us more and more lately. She is developing into quite the independent girl.. umm, excuse me. She has changed her mind and she is "a boy now." She's is certainly interested in exploring the variations and questions of gender attributes and stereotypes.... Anyways, she has been working on learning to write the alphabet, cutting in straight lines, and writing/learning number concepts. She recognizes every letter and just about every number (she gets confused between 6 and 9 and has a hard time remembering 8). As of right now, when you ask her to write the letters H, T, and L and numbers 1 and 0, she can do it very well. She is also very much exploring our boundaries and how it relates to doing what she wants to do. There has been some butting of heads, but its wild to see her listen to reason (when she wants to be reasonable! Hah). She can ride a bike beautifully, loves to play at the park, is super helpful when grocery shopping, and is wildly imaginative (wildly).

This week, we are heading to one of the local farms in a hunt for the perfect pumpkin. I think we are getting a sugar one, too, so we can make some pumpkin butter (mmmmmmm). We are also checking out 3 different Montessori schools and one progressive cooperative preschool for Ayla. Should be loads of fun.

A late birthday shout out to Grandpa!! Happy Birthday!

From Lakewood to Mount Falcon

2008-09-22T21:58:00.002-06:00

So many good choices in the area and for a self diagnosed ADD it can be a good thing and a bad.

At 1st I thought about Centennial Cone but as the Fates held destiny it was closed to bikes Sunday. Then Kenosa Pass came to mind but I needed to spend some time with my wife and little girls and that would keep me away for most of the day.

So Mount Falcon started calling me on the Map and at 6:30am I left our apartment in Lakewood headed west..

Sunrise from the GreenBelt Trail

Finding a winding route up the eastern side of Green Mountain I pass the two water towers and made my way to Summit Trail.

Deer on Green Mtn

On over to the Radio? Tower and a short look at the map to find my way down Hayden Trail.

Views to the West
Views from the west on Green mtn

A fun swoopy section of Green Mountain Brings me to the C-470 Bridge..To do Zorro and Dakota Ridge...oh so much fun...or head down the C 470 Bike Path to Morrison and explore some new to me trail???

Dakota will always be there and now knowing combining it with Mount Falcon in the future is a possibility...the Bike Path it is....

Into Morrison

View of the Red Rocks, Dakota Ridge, and Green Mtn in the Distance from Castle Trail on Mount Falcon...That Radio? Tower looks so far away.

View to the South From Paralee Trail on Mount Falcon

Ute Trail at Mount Falcon....look at that we do have trees in the Colorado front range:p

So came the ultimate decision...ride over and descend through Lair O the Bear..which I've only hiked a short bit of and descend into Morrison by way of 74 or Descend back down Castle...wanting the dirt I decided on going back down Castle but the way down Lair O the Bear may be next time's descent.

By the time I reached the bottom of Mount Falcon it was now 10:20am and I'm getting a bit hungry. I called Tabetha and ask her and the girls to meet me in Morrison for lunch. I'll just hang out at the Morrison Inn and maybe Red Rock Cyclery till they get in.

Town of Morrison

Morrison Murals

Ok...is it a bike shop...a coffee bar..or a bank? Not shown in the picture is a teller machine to the right.

MMMMMM....32 ozs of Fat Tire:thumbsup: on a tummy with just a couple shots of gel and a bottle of perpetulum in it.

The Family showed up around 11:40 with a fresh set of clothes for me and a couple of growling tummies to accompany them. On over to Rigatoni's for lunch and the rest of the day to spend with my favorite ladies with somewhere around 25 to 30 miles in the legs.

Jeremy

Officially Walking (or Crawling No More)

2008-09-19T10:15:00.000-06:00

Sophie is officially walking on her own! I think it became "official" about 5 days ago when we noticed that she was refusing to crawl anymore. She's a riot to watch and Ayla loves chasing her around. Or she loves chasing Ayla. Its hard to tell who is chasing who, sometimes. Enjoy the video!

Ayla's First Hair Cut

2008-09-17T19:49:00.001-06:00

Today is the day we cut off that hair! That messy, rat-nest, pain-in-the-a**-to-comb hair! And she was pretty excited.

The "Before" Shot

First Cut

Pile of Hair From the Back

The "After" Shot

Ayla looks SO SO cute with her hair short. Like a pixie!

Some Pictures to Share

2008-09-16T21:16:00.001-06:00

Its been a while since we have updated with pictures, so I thought I would throw a few at you (to appease those chomping at the bit... LOL)

Sophie Flirting with Buddha (Packing Day)

Who Will Get Dizzy First (Ayla Riding in Circles Around Sophie)

Hiking at Lair O' The Bear

Oh, and YUM! Hehe This is a picture of one of the AMAZING salads at our new favorite restaurant called Mad Greens (Cat would be in heaven...)

Getting It Done

2008-09-15T22:03:00.004-06:00

Good Grief. This week has been so chaotic, so ridiculous, that I feel loopy and out of whack. Recap: Jeremy left on Monday, I got sick, began the "flo" so was super.. ahem... "thrilled," and was still furniture-less.

Wednesday, our furniture FINALLY arrived only two days + two hours late. When they finally got the truck unloaded, I almost cried at how crammed our tiny apartment was. But, I pulled through and got about half unpacked before Jeremy came home. I picked him up from the airport Friday afternoon and the two of us really plowed through the rest of the boxes. Whew! I think right now, we have the movies, last of the books, and about two more big boxes to unpack. And it is true what they say: you get rid of a lot more after moving, too.

So, some highlights: Sophie is really walking! She is so tiny and cute. Ayla couldn't be more thrilled and is waiting desperately for Sophie to start chasing her. Ayla, herself, has been so wound up this week, eager to help, eager to be doing anything. When we finally got her room unpacked, she jumped up, started shaking her bum, and singing a song about getting her room back.

Jeremy "officially" started his new job today and I think it went really well. It was weird telling him "goodbye" when he went into another room. Haha.

We have been too busy to really keep up good communication with anyone at the moment, but know we are thinking of you all and miss everyone terribly.

Jeremy's Gone

2008-09-09T11:06:00.002-06:00

And I am home alone with the girls. Whhee! I think Sophie cried and nursed more than she actually slept last night caused by, I think, more teeth coming in. She's gnawing on her fingers so much that I think she is causing her gums to bleed a bit. Ayla keeps asking every five minutes where her Daddy is. Late last night, in fact, she woke up and said, "Is Daddy home yet?" Only 3 and a half more days until Daddy gets home.

Jeremy flew out Monday morning for his Whirlpool training in TN. So far, so good. I'm on the hunt this week for a desk and office chair for him. Not really a surprise, but I thought it would be nice to get him all set up for the new gig.

Our furniture is "supposed" to come tomorrow, but as of 11 this morning, I still haven't heard from the driver. Fingers crossed. I don't think I can go another day without my kitchen stuff!!

I'm sick with a yucky cold at the moment which means I have not been eager in the least to venture out much. Ayla has been handling it pretty well, but she is getting a little desperate to get out. I think this afternoon I'll take them to the park... if I can pack enough tissues for myself, that is. Blech.

Finally an Update

2008-09-06T11:39:00.002-06:00

Things have been more than a little crazy around here, but I will quickly fill in the gist of the details.

Friday, we closed on our house first thing in the morning. We then grabbed some lunch and headed to the airport. Let me tell you: two children, one 5,000 lb carry on, and a three hour lay-over = one very exhausted mama desperately needing a liquor store. LOL We made it in to Aunt Jennifer's waiting arms around 7:30 mountain time. Jeremy, after dropping us off at the airport, arrived in CO on Saturday by 8pm (impressive!).

So, without furniture or a whole lot of lights in the new apartment (no lights in the bedrooms or living room. Pooh), we ended up staying at Jennifer's for a week. We've had a few problems with the apartment office staff (as in they are royal idiots... ) which has caused some angst, but overall, we are pretty content with our choice. We received some bummer news yesterday, though - our moving truck is going to be two days late!! GAH! What makes that part so ultra annoying is that the weather likes to be 75 one day and then drop to 45 the next, so all of our warm clothes are on the moving truck. We had packed a weeks worth of clothing, including one or two warm outfits, but with no washer and dryer... well, you get the picture. A bit of a hassle.

One bit of amazing news to share: WE ARE DEBT FREE!!!!!! WWHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! The feeling is indescribable.

Jeremy flies out Monday for training in TN with Whirlpool (means I will be coordinating movers with two babies alone), and while he is quite nervous, I can tell he is very excited, too.

Things are really going well out here. There is so much to do and see, we don't quite know where to begin. The mountains are huge, the air is dry, the weather crisp, and thus far, so many nice people. And Whole Foods grocery ROCKS! LOL We are feeling quite happy and confident with the road ahead of us.

Pics will come up soon, but thank you all for your love and support. We miss you.

The Big Day

2008-08-28T19:19:00.002-06:00

Was today! Well, sort of. The movers came to take all of our stuff away. With all the chaos, the girls were total troopers. Ayla was the cheerleader as she told all the guys, "Good Job, Guy," and "You can do it, guy!" Last night, she got Jeremy and I a little choked up when she said, "I am sad. I don't want to go to Colorado." But, she changed her mind first thing this morning and was telling everyone that she was moving to her new house in CO.

Tomorrow we go to our house closing, collect our money, and the girls and I head to the airport. Jeremy will toodle along behind us on the ground with the Mar-man. I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow as well as it did today.

It will be a few days before we can email or post again, but once we get our main computer back, I will email everyone with my new email and phone number (and for those who lost it already, our address. :-)). Wish us luck!

She's Walking!

2008-08-24T13:58:00.002-06:00

Well, almost. Sophie is now taking up to five or six steps before "falling" into our arms. Her first step was officially on Thursday morning (Aug 21) as she was determined to follow Daddy out the door She's pretty excited about it, I think, since she can't sleep at night. At all. Or naps, either, for that matter. But, she's almost there. Leaving behind babyhood into toddler life...

Mrs. Goat's 1st Mountain Bike Ride Ever!

2008-08-22T14:55:00.003-06:00

Finally after 9 years of marriage my wife has succumbed to the dark side and let me build her a mountain bike. :thumbsup: I built her a 16" Soma Juice which she actually picked 1st and I liked the frame so much I had to build my own 20" version.

We took the girls over to the Flat Woods at Dupont where I let her warm up around the parking lot while I put the trailer together. A few saddle adjustments and we were off in the Kids loop for her 1st trail experience in her life on a bike.

I tried to entice her into riding the wood features but she was having none of that so we cruised over to Hickory Mtn Rd. Onto Ridgeline Trail and while breathing hard she was smiling and saying she was having a good time. Sweet!

We cruised to the bottom of Ridgeline, having to pull off trail for horses twice and during the second pull off she flipped off the bike, smiling and laughing the whole time.

We took a short siesta at Lake Imaging where I let Tabetha know she could wait and I could climb up and get the car or she could try to climb back up with me. Being the trooper she is, she decided to climb and though she had to stop a few times, she made it back up and all the way back to the car.

Awesome, I'll have this lady kicking some booty soon!

Crunch Time

2008-08-18T10:17:00.002-06:00

10 1/2 more days until we head to Colorado!!!! WWWHHHEEEEEE The logistics have been a total pain in the rear, but I think everything is set. All we have to do is finish packing! Gah - so so so annoying!

While Jeremy has been sleeping...

...The girls and I have been busy with boxes and tape! Well, Ayla and I have been anyway.

The bulk of the toys, books, knitting, knick-kacks, and what-nots have all been boxed up. This week and next, we attack the day-to-day living stuff in the kitchen, bathrooms, and office area.

We had a lovely visit with Grama this weekend. Jeremy took her and Ayla for a bike ride around the lake before dinner, though I am told that Ayla pooped out after 3 miles. After dinner, they enjoyed some soy "green tea" ice cream (blech) and then it was bedtime for the kidlets.

So, back to the Colorado subject:
the girls and I are flying out on Friday immediately after closing. Jeremy and Marmelade will then continue on in the car across the country, arriving sometime Saturday night (hopefully). This turned out to be the cheapest, easiest, most satisfying solution for all parties involved. Plus, it means I get to see Jennifer sooner than anticipated!

Oh, and did I mention the best news?

When we first started the blog, we mentioned that Jeremy was going to accept a job (with another appliance company). Well, that same day before his official "acceptance," he recieved a phone call from Whirlpool offering him an interview for a position as Master Technician. Well, after the interview process, many talks on the phone, and numerous pillow talks between the two of us, Jeremy has "officially" accepted the job with Whirlpool! And he is so excited! The opportunities rock, the benefits are amazing, the pay is awesome, and the company is one he has wanted to work with for a long time. Did I mention the best part? He'll be working from home with his own private office set up! His job entails acting as phone/internet support for field technicians. In the words of one awesome sis (she knows who she is): Yee Haaawww!!!!!

Happy Birthday Sophie

2008-08-10T20:54:00.001-06:00

Today, our little munchkin turned ONE! I've got some cute pics that I will put on the blog soon (they are not wanting to upload today for some reason). It is hard to believe that she was born at home only a year ago... while it was a hard pregnancy, I couldn't have asked for a better labor. And I sure got the sweetest little thing as a reward.

Ayla looking at Sophie on her first day of life...

Nana, Pops, Cat, Riley, and our good friends from the inSwain asylum came out to celebrate with us. While the cake was yummy and the people delightful, our birthday girl was tired and crabby! Ayla was excited enough for Sophie, though. She informed everyone that it was "Sophie's birthday" and that we were "gonna have cake!!" She, of course, helped Sophie blow out the candle and open presents (lots of much needed clothes!).

It was a nice day. So nice, in fact, that Jeremy was relaxed enough to fall asleep on the floor in front of everyone. And yes, we all took advantage of that. We tied balloons to every part of him for when he woke up. When he finally did, it took him quite a while to figure out what was going on and to find all the balloons. Haha!

Thanks to everyone for the cards and gifts. They are VERY much appreciated and will be put to good use. Smooches...

Whew

2008-08-05T19:55:00.002-06:00

I don't know what has been going on with the girls... perhaps its the inauspicious time of the year for them with the season or what-not (Ayurvedic reference here), but it's getting ridiculous. Two days after Ayla's vomit episode and now she is a stuffed-up nasal machine. And today, Sophie started with the runny nose. Geez! And Sophie has 4 molars and one other tooth poking through, too. So, they have been a joy. Really.

After spending DAYS trying to get them on the phone, we were finally able to apply for our new apartment home in CO. Looks like we have chosen the Red Rocks situated on Zang Street in Lakewood. We'll have a more specific address for you later. But, yea! Apartment living is not exactly our desired situation, but this will enable us to learn the area, save some money, and figure out our future a year from now. So, we are pretty excited!

And Sophie turns 1 in 5 days! I can't believe it! We are having a small little party here with cake and ice cream. Got Nana and Pops cruising up for the event, as well as the ever popular Cat. It should be a lovely weekend! As long as the sickies go away!

YUCK!

2008-08-01T12:46:00.004-06:00

Ok, Ayla waking us up at 3:30 in the morning complaining about her tummy hurting was a little disconcerting. Ayla throwing up 4 times between then and 7AM is just yucky and no fun. Some kind of bug has her all messed up and I hope it ends quickly! Note to self: When your daughter feels better after throwing up all morning and wants to eat some blueberries, do not let her. They turn everything in the stomach purple so that when she feels sick again several hours later, your furniture/rug turns purple, too. I say again, "Yuck."

On a positive note, we have officially begun our packing starting with knitting, toys, and coat closet. This is beginning to seem like a daunting task... fingers crossed I figure out the logistics before I go bonkers.

North Carolina Zoo

2008-07-29T10:08:00.000-06:00

Grandpa and Lee Ann treated us to a weekend at the zoo and we had a lot of fun. We arrived Friday evening, met up for dinner, and then headed to the zoo first thing Saturday morning. I totally took the opportunity to ride with my Dad on his motorcycle to our destination!

Looking like a total dork...

We saw lions, bears, elephants, bison, huge snakes, colorful frogs, zebra, giraffes, gorillas, baboons... the list goes on and on. We were very impressed by the quality and size of the habitats. Ayla would look at an animal for a minute before saying, "Come on, let's go see another animal now." LOL

Climbing on the rhinos

The weather was wonderful for the larger part of the day, but by afternoon it got very hot. So hot, in fact, that I think Ayla got a touch of heat exhaustion evidenced by her throwing up after a late afternoon nap (don't worry: once she did, she was instantly better and stayed awake practically all night!).

We received a nice surprise later in the evening when we ran into some old family friends who were checking into the same hotel: The Savage Family! What a small world!! Sunday morning, during breakfast, we all enjoyed catching up on each other. It wasn't a bad drive home, especially since we stopped off in Hickory to have lunch with our friend Carla.

Snuggling with her sheep on the way home

It was nice to see Grandpa, Lee Ann, and the whole Savage gang before our move. And we have lots more of the fam to see this month around Sophie's birthday! YEA! Enjoy the pictures...

Climbing on the forts.

Snacking while waiting for the tram

Hiding in the tree trunk!

Digging for bugs in the Kid's Zone

Chillin' with Grandpa and Lee Ann

Illness

2008-07-24T08:28:00.002-06:00

Just a quick blurb on the girls - Ayla was sick most of this week with a wicked fever, but no other signs or symptoms. She was pretty whiny, but kept saying, "I'm ok mom. I feel good. I feel better." Today, she woke up in a great mood and no fever, but guess whose turn it is now? Poor Sophie is running one too and is very clingy... We have plans to go to the NC Zoo this weekend with Grandpa, so I think a trip to the Chinese Acupuncture Clinic is in order today. Fingers crossed that Sophie can get over this quickly.

On the moving front, we have officially scheduled our movers. Now we are focusing on choosing a new home! Oh, and yes, we have started packing. Joy.

Standing and Sassing

2008-07-21T06:39:00.003-06:00

Sophie stood on her own for a few seconds yesterday and is doing it a lot this morning. She's still hesitant to take a step forward without assistance, but she's getting a bit more confident. Shoot - I am just glad she has been able to entertain herself this morning. For the past week, she has refused to be put down at all from wake up to bedtime!

Ayla is sassy! SASSY! Her favorite thing to say is, "I don't want to right now" with the most amusing country twang. We've pretty much decided that the age of 3 is much harder than the age of 2. Our friends, with kids the same age, agree. No such thing as terrible two's anymore - it's the terrible 3s! But, she's so creative and imaginative. Ayla plays for hours with her little people and cars, carrying on the most adorable conversations. Her artistic ability is growing tremendously. A real treat is listening to her sing - she knows all of her Music Together CDs by heart, I think (a great Yule/Christmas present idea, by the way. She has the drum and tambourine collections already).

So, a little update on where things stand. We are narrowing our search of towns to Westminster, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, and Thornton. We are planning on renting as we continue our "Dave Ramsey" financial makeover and get acclimated to the area, but are slightly conflicted on whether to look for a house or apartment. This week, according to our moving checklist, we need to choose our movers (I think we are going with United), calling insurance companies about our health insurance, and concentrating on choosing a place to live. 39 more days to go!

Biking

2008-07-20T21:39:00.001-06:00

Are we packing yet? Seems to be the question of the year, but at the moment, our family is taking in the last joys of the WNC area before the hard work begins.

For example, today we went for a great bike ride around Tuxedo Lake. 6.33 miles and *I* actually did a LOT of steep uphill (at least I thought so!). The girls had a blast, too. Sophie squeals with so much excitement from her seat in the trailer whenever my speed picks up and Ayla is a trooper "pedaling" along with Jeremy from her tag-a-long.

Getting ready to ride.

Ayla riding along.

Sophie expressing her doubt at Jeremy's purpose with the camera.

I've decided that biking is too much fun and since I feel somewhat constrained on my cruiser, we are selling it to buy me a REAL mountain bike. Yup, I think it is time and Jeremy is thrilled. He even commented that he thought I was ready for a trail that has some steep inclines... we'll see... LOL But, we are having a LOT of fun riding together.

Last weekend, on a quick trip up to VA to check out a VW bus (no, we ended up not getting it), we stopped by the Virginia Creeper Trail and rode about 6 miles on that. It was awesome and beautiful. We rode for a bit, hung out by the water to picnic, and then rode some more. Ayla especially enjoyed seeking out the mud puddles and proudly displayed the results. Here's some pics of that day:

Contemplating mud.

Daddy & Sophie sharing water.

Only a *little* worn out!

Ayla scraping mud off her legs.

We ended the trip at an ice cream parlor before making our way back to Asheville. It was a looong weekend, but so worth it!

Surprise!

2008-07-19T21:05:00.002-06:00

Whew! Our family has gone through some massive changes here lately, but the biggest one is probably one of the most surprising. Here, let me soften the blow with some cute pictures of the kidlets:

Ok, we have sold our house (Yea!). And we have long talked about going to Virginia, but... we've changed our minds. Instead, we are heading out to COLORADO! I know, I know - we change our minds a lot. We are totally psyched, though, so this post marks our official countdown to moving day. 41 Days until CO! Its one of the reasons we have decided to start a family blog. It is important to us that our family and friends be able to check in, keep track, and see updated pictures (since we slack in the mailing department).

Some more pictures to soothe your pained hearts:

Jeremy was offered a really nice job and, since he despises the numbers-crunching corporation he is with, this brought lots of great feelings in our bellies. He actually had 2 other companies that were somewhat grooming him to work for them, too! And, because the money was right, the people sound right, and the company carries the philosophies that Jeremy agrees with, we accepted.

I, of course, am so excited out living near my sis-in-law (who really is way too cool to be called an in-law), Jennifer. I'm a little nervous about being uprooted from the coast where most of my family lives, but I am fortunate that they encourage my exploration of life where ever it may take me. We both are lucky to have such family and friends...

So, we hope you take advantage of this easy portal into our lives. We promise it will be updated regularly with pics of the kids and stories of our new discoveries. Thank you, all of you, for your love and support throughout our transitions.