Baseball Boys!

These boys are happiest when they are outside playing ball!

My mom's amazing green thumb.

When I was in North Carolina, the week before I had Colby my mom came out to visit me. Every morning I would gently wake my mom (tell her, NO, I'm NOT in labor) and we would go for a long walk before the heat and humidity took over. We walked around this one neighborhood that had several bushes of these beautiful purple plants. She snapped off a branch, took it back to our apartment and kept it in a water bottle in the bathroom. There it sat for over a week while I eventually had Colby and than waited while he was in the Intensive Care Unit (extending my mom and Bob's trip). When it was finally time for her to go she wrapped the little branch in a wet paper towel and packed it right into her suitcase. Somehow, it made it to Colorado alive. In Colorado she tended to the roots and eventually got a plant to grow, from that plant she made more and more and now has several around her barn. She even had enough to make me three little pots just full of it! I love this plant because it's so girly, purple leaves (or leaf-es as Chasey calls them) and delicate pink flowers. But what I love the most about this plant is thinking about my mom and how she created so much out of that one tiny branch. Here is one of those plants 4 years later...pretty incredible. 

Tough life being a dad...

Jason is the ultimate multitasking papa, managing to play X box while holding a sleeping (almost) three year old!

Nothing beats a sleeping baby, I can't believe this little boy is almost THREE!!

SPIDER!!

I absolutely HATE spiders and happened to find this creature in my garage today. I was so freaked out by it that Chasey was late to school! That's it! I'm ready to move into an apartment! This backing up to open space is for the birds! 

Colby's Well Check

Colby did not have to go to the doctor very frequently this year (fortunately) yet he still innately knew it was not a place he wanted to be. The medical assistant asked if he would change into a gown. This was his response...

 Chasey on the other hand, loves attention and was more than happy to put the gown on. 

The North Pole

We decided to take the boys to the North Pole in Colorado Springs as a way to celebrate both of their birthdays. It is one of our favorite places to go!!

What is a visit to the North Pole without Santa??

Cautious Colby was a little nervous!

Next we were off to the spinning decorations. 

Even Daddy had a blast at this one!!

I can't get enough of these big smiles, I can almost hear their giggles through the picture!

After the spinning we had to take a breather, Colby and Jason look so similar in this picture...equally UNAMUSED!

Chasey picked the sled with his favorite number five on it.

Daddy and Colby, and random North Pole worker (oh that could come off so wrong!)

Mommy and Chasey

Mom and Colby

Watch out, Chasey is at the wheel!

WAHOO MOTORCYCLES!

Colby LOVES it too!

Future Sons of Anarchy!!

Colby picked his favorite number, 8 of course!!

The horses were not quite as big of a hit.

A little different than his expression on the motorcycle huh?

This is why we love this place, it is never too crowded and it is in the shade. 5 Stars from this mama!

Can't beat a classic carousel!

Chasey, giving his horse a little love pat. 

Gondola - North Pole style. I will never forget riding this with Chase the year before. He started squirming and I thought he was going to slip right out of the seat. Just looking at this pic gives me butterflies!

I was so nervous about him falling off that I had a death grip around his waist the whole time, fortunately it doesn't seem to effect Chasey one bit!

Dad and Colby

...loving the view!

Trains will always be number one for these boys!

Anticipatory excitement!

Chase and Colby went to check out a little elf puppet show. 

Like the rest of us, they realize there is something inherently creepy about puppet shows...so they held hands :D

Love of my life

So thankful to live in beautiful Colorado!

Rocket ship time!

Colby looks a little annoyed that the kid behind him appears to be shooting him. 

He gets over it quickly when he realizes he can shoot the kid in front of him, boys and guns...

Ferris Wheel (the highest one in the world!)

Love this boy!

Last but not least, a ride in the boats!

Colby was pooped, snuggled with his tractors the whole way home. 

Chasey was equally spent. What a fun day for all of us!