We got to see SNOW!

Before the snow fell the kids got to experience being tossed into leaves:





And then the snow came!  New Mexico, New Mexico, you pulled through for me!  It was perfect, we had one night where snow drifted down and the twins got to see it and then the next day it melted and went back to warmer weather which was much appreciated seeing as how I do not have very warm clothes for Austin and Lanna. 



Austin spent most of his time in the snow trying to eat the flakes drifting down.  It was pretty cute.  We got our snow storm in for 2010!  Which is important since I don't think Phoenix will be getting snow.  :)

We also had a great visit from some of my most favorite people.  Melody and Tarra (plus her two adorable kiddos; April and Alex) came all the way from Albuquerque for a visit. 

Here is Mel with all the kids:


Before they headed back to ABQ we ate at Gabrels:


Austin LOVED the guacomole :)





Oh and I have mentioned I know have a fashionista on my hands?  She chose her own outfit for the first time and this was it:


She brought it to me saying "mama, I wear this one today."  :)  Big props to Grandma and Auntie Ann who bought it for her!  She LOVES it!

Last of the crisp days, we are headed to COLD!

Last weekend Jonathan drove over 18 hours round trip to visit the kids and I for a couple days.  What a good husband.  :)  We had a wonderful time.  We ate delicious food, we fed ducks at the pond, we went for walks and in between we relaxed. 





family shot!


It ended way too soon, but I guess good things commonly do.  Maybe that's part of what makes them so good, they leave you wanting a little more.  Since he headed back to Phoenix, the weather has been getting colder and colder.  Our days of crisp fall weather are gone, now they are cold, but that's ok.  Cold days mean things like fires and hot cups of tea.  But, before the snow starts we are enjoying fallen leaves as much as possible. 







there is a grandma somewhere beneath the kids and leaves!



For now, the sky is a deep blue, the kind of blue that touches your soul, the kind that makes you feel like your heart is swelling up to twice it's size because it really is that beautiful.




Eventually the snow clouds will roll in, and cover the picture outside the windows in white and everything will look new and fresh and calm.  I am kinda hoping we will get to see at least a little snow before we head back to Phoenix.  I don't have any warm clothes for myself or Austin and Lanna, but I would like them to get a chance to see snow again, I am guessing they don't remember it!

here and there

My poor kids have not slept in the same place longer than a couple of weeks since September.  While Jonathan is stuck in Phoenix on his own, the twins, dog and I are in hanging out with his parents!  We were staying with my mom, but in order to spread the grandkid love around, we are now at Jonathan's parents house.  I am so blessed to have in laws who happily agreed to house me (without their son) and my crazy crew.  As wonderful as being in Los Alamos is and have lots of people to love my kiddos has been, I miss my husband.  So being the wonderful man he is, he agreed to drive all the way from Phoenix and visit this weekend.  It has been wonderful having him here and I am dreading the idea that he will have to leave soon. 

Things with the house in Phoenix are going well.  It's been inspected and it's in good condition, only a few minor things to fix up with the exception of a broken window which we knew about and a toilet that leaks a little which should be easy enough to fix.  No water damage from it, so that's the important part.  It has also been apprased and it came in a tiny bit higher than we were expecting so that is always nice! :)  So for now, we are just waiting on the bank to finish up all the loan stuff.  Who knew underwriting stuff could take so long!  We are hoping to close on the house by the 22nd, but we are really pushing for a few days earlier.  Feel free to pray that will work out!  We are so excited to move in!  It's much bigger than what we had been expecting to be able to get and so we are having all the Theye family that can make it out for Thanksgiving!  They will just have to over look the fact that EVERYTHING will still be in boxes ;)  As long as I can unpack enough kitchen stuff to pull off some sort of Thanksgiving meal, that is all I ask!

Not too much else to report.  The twins have been a little fussy lately, but I think a lot of it is a product of all the changes going on in their life and probably some of the stress that Jonathan and I have been feeling rubbing off.  Changes are so exciting but a little stressful too. 

btw....I SOOOO need to start Christmas shopping...someone light a fire under my boo-ta-kiss ;)

ps - we are thinking about getting one of those one cup coffee maker deals for guests and for tea for me, any thoughts on them?  I am kinda a liking the Keurig ones best based off online reviews...

life in LA

I am falling so far behind on blogging!  But it’s because we are BUSY and we are busy doing wonderful things.  From taking scenic walks to playing with friends to making new friends, the twins and I are having a great time in New Mexico.  If Jonathan could be here it would be perfect, maybe even better than perfect.  But as it is, we are still enjoying everything.  Los Alamos, NM is beautiful this time of year!  The Aspen trees are changing colors but the Juniper and Pine trees are always green, so it makes for a beautiful combination. 

I am loving all the outdoors walks!  Oh, Los Alamos how I missed you!

so beautiful!

We have also gone to feed the ducks a lot.  Little Buddy LOVES the duck pond.  I hear "duck pond, duck pond mama" almost every time we get in the car!

finally made it on a sunny day

Andrea (aka: Auntie Ann) and I even managed to get the twins and all 3 huge dogs and meet up at the dog park.  The dogs sat in the shade but Austin and Lanna got some good running around in!

and while we are talking about Auntie Ann:

Lanna is also finding her love for boots :)  it must be genetic!

We are loving being around family (but missing Jonathan)!

The Blazer of Trails

I have not realized until recently how attach to my car I have become.  Really, my Trailblazer has been good to me.  The miles we have gone together, the diaper changes it has endured, we are tight.  But lately it has been having a rough time.  It all started with the fateful fan clutch going out, now there is a reverse light out, a brake light out, a head light out, it’s leaking something....probably coolant, it’s making some weird clicking noise and another squeaking noise.  Oh and the passenger seat belt won’t always retract.  Not so good.  And people keep saying things like “it may be time to replace it,” and it makes me so sad.  That car and I have been through so much.  It has been there for me!  When some poor lost soul decided to drive the wrong way down a street with a concrete barrier on one side, it was there when I had to jerk out of the way after coming around the corner.  When some random dude decided to slam into the back of us while driving down a street in Santa Fe, my faithful Trailblazer stuck out its trailer hitch and it escaped more or less unscathed, while the big truck that hit us took a beating.  It’s hauled me, the twins and the dog all over the USA, literally.  From Colorado to Georgia, from Georgia to South Carolina and back, from Georgia to Florida and back, from Georgia to Arizona and all sorts of trips in between.  We are tight!  Tomorrow I take my faithful steed to the doctor; hopefully it will not cost my children’s college education money to fix. 

Since The Blazer of Trails is currently not functioning at its highest, we move the twin’s car seats into my mom’s car to run a few errands today.  Austin and Lanna got a kick out of it!  They kept talking about Grammie’s car.  :)   Hopefully the Trailblazer will be up and running soon (and without too much damage to the bank account).  In the mean time, we will be without our little piece of home.    

oh fall, I love you!

I took the twins to music time at the library this morning .  Who knew a little tiny town would have music time at the library on a Saturday?  It was great.  The twins had fun and I was totally shocked that there were FOUR dads there!  Well done men, way to represent!  After the library, I realized I was hungry.  I forget to eat breakfast so many mornings, with all the craziness that is involved with getting the twins out the door, it just gets skipped all too often.  Anyhow, we (and by “we” I mean “I”) decided to go over to El Parasol and get breakfast burritos and take them over to the duck pond and have a impromptu picnic.

It was wonderful.  The air was crisp but not cold.  The sun felt great.  The food was so yummy.  Loved it.  And Austin and Lanna loved the ducks!  We will be going back and with some bread to feed the ducks soon.  

After naps...

 

(not sure I should put proof on the internet that I still let my kids sleep with binkies...)

...we all meet at Bandelier.  I love Bandelier!  So many wonderful childhood memories there and it is so peaceful and scenic!  We took a walk, ate dinner, threw anything and everything into the creek and watched it float downstream.  And on the drive home the lights on the Trailblazer decided not to work.  Thankfully the brights (for some odd reason) did!  My apologies to the car I passed, it was brights or nothing friend, I hope you are not blind!  ;)  

being silly at dinner

they have too much fun ;)