Tuesday

December, part 1

 
we loved our tree this year.  i had some amazing helpers decorating

 
ta-da

 
freddy loves his new ski bib, laurel loves puzzles with mommy and games with daddy, and daddy is just silly

 
each kid in laurel's preschool class got an elf to bring home.  we love rose rosemary

 
ski season!!!

 
no, freddy isn't skiing yet.  maybe next year?

 
this was a GREAT old condo in keystone.  see my elf-on-a-shelf?

 

 
time for daddy's work Christmas party!

 

 
laurel with General (pat's boss) and Mrs. Gould 

 

 
laurel and maggie got to go see The Nutcracker!

 
the griswolds across the street...

 
sweet memory


home-grown Christmas card  8-) 

november, part 2

we had a rayner/lively thanksgiving in colorado this year

 
USAFA

 
turkey on the big green egg

 
it tasted as good as it looked

 
feast
 
precious cousins

 
chris had a good nap on the cog railway.  laurel couldn't quite figure that out...

 
choo choo!
 
at the top


pictures at the broadmoor 

 

 

 

 

 
 
egg bowl. 

 

 

 
ready!

november, part 1

catch up time again - at the beginning of november i went to charlottesville, va to spend the weekend with my college buddies.
 
it was such a fun weekend.  i love these girls!

 
we stayed at mark and stephanie's house.  look at lucas and eliza - aren't they precious?!

 
roomies

 
we may have gone to a few wineries... and accidentally crashed a wedding...

 
smiles all around!  thank you osadas for your hospitality!!!

meanwhile, pat was getting the husband of the year award:
 
or daddy of the year?

 
i got to visit with maureen (and norah, in that belly) in atlanta during my 3 hour layover on the way home.  we missed her, but so glad i got to see her!

 
2 pretty good sites awaiting me back in colorado

freddy is into cars.  BIG.

 mom and dad came to visit the following weekend and this is the ONLY photo i got.  ha!

 
pops's girl.



laurel's thanksgiving feast at school

that same day we spent 6 hours in the pediatric ER downtown.
it was an incredibly scary day.  freddy's platelet count was dangerously low.  the doctors were throwing around words like meningitis and leukemia.  yikes!

he didn't feel TOO bad the entire time we were there...



we are extremely thankful that freddy just had a blood disorder called ITP.  

he had some bruising for a few weeks, but those platelets increased pretty quickly and he's back to normal


this is what you do when the doctor says to try to keep a 2 year old from getting any bumps or scratches!  thank you platings for the balloons!

field trips!

 
first field trip of the year - bear creek nature center

 

 
did you know that the bark of a ponderosa pine smells like butterscotch?


next stop, venetucci farms and pumpkin patch
 

 
laurel didn't want anywhere near that dirt pile.  that's my girl!
 
she picked out the perfect "punkwin" to take home

last one so far:
 

 

 

 
i love getting to go along on these trips.  the kids' faces are priceless (and i always learn something)!