Nienhouse Family Fun

As always I'm catching up

2012-02-09T13:27:00.001-08:00

on what our family has been up to. And as always I feel as though it has been busy and crazy.

There is a snow fort in Keystone, so Greg and I took the kids. We expected a bit more, but they had a great time. We got to ride the gondola and then play around on this giant pile of snow.

Mari in front of the entrance. We got to climb through a little hole.

Owen heading into that door.

My favorite part of the fort was this ice chair.

Mari took this picture for us. Not to bad, she loves taking pictures. There was also a slide and the kids flew down it. It was very fast, but they thought it was sooo fun.

Now on to why I feel like life was crazy for so long. At the beginning of December the 9h to be exact we caught a 24 hour bug. This was a bug of vomiting and diarrhea. No other symptoms so we managed. We kicked it and on we went through Christmas. Then a bit after that I feel like the kids or I were sick every other day with the same bug. It was such a long process. Needless to say we were home a lot for a long time. Can you say "momma is going crazy finding things to do".

Here is Owen wearing a bike helmet. Apparently we have some dangerous meals.

Mind you we were sick but we still had tons of energy. So we had many dance parties in dress up clothes.

A friend of mine posted this on her blog and I am so thankful because my kids loved it. They are mini volcano's and are an easy clean up.

Another family ski day.

The best part of skiing is the snacks after. Hot chocolate and chocolate pudding.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Oh and look who can ski

2011-12-31T13:11:00.001-08:00

The kids were in a nativity play at church. Mari was an angel and Owen was a sheep. They were so cute and did a great job standing in front of everyone.

Making cookies for Santa. Owen frosted himself more so than the cookies.

Christmas morning was so fun. They were loving all the gifts. Thanks to everyone we were blessed.

Santa brought Owen a train table.

Santa brought Mari her singing box she asked for.

Loving their new sleeping bags.

I love this picture. It makes me laugh every time I look at it. Thank you!

Since we live in a ski town the week after Christmas is crazy. I'm teaching 14 days this year. So I got 4 of those in this week. That means Mari got to go to ski school and Owen went to daycare. They both had fun being around other kids and playing, but were exhausted. Here is a video of Mari skiing all by herself. She rode the chair lift and skied her 1st green run. We are so excited and proud. Owen so badly wants to go skiing again as well.

Family Ski Day

2011-12-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

We had our 1st family ski day and it was so much fun. I look forward to many more.

What a great day!!

Owen's 1st lift ride. He loved it. This is one of my favorite picture of the day.

Mari loves skiing and is going to do Bombers this winter. Bombers is a 7 week program and she gets to ski with the same teacher every Saturday. She is so excited. Owen thought it was pretty cool to be in boots like sissy. He loved skiing and did awesome.

Owen ripping down the hill with Daddy.

Aunt Emily and Mari

Nana and Grandpa Keating were here for a couple days as well. It was so fun to have them here and see the kids ski.

Owen skiing all by himself.

We are back to the snow.

2011-11-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

We have made it back to snowy Colorado and have got all settled into our house. On our travel across the country we stopped in Columbia to see my parents new house and for a nice visit.

Liam and Mari playing finally. They have been so excited to see each other and unfortuanely Liam was very sick and in the hospital for a few days. Thankfully he is doing fine and we appreciate all your prayers.

We had a little birthday party for Mari.

An adorable outfit from the Peck family with a matching baby outfit.

We went to a pumpkin patch while we were there. There was a kids hay maze that the kids did a thousand times, lots of animals to pet and a hayride. We had a great time and were exhausted by the end.

Greg had to be back in Colorado for work so we stayed a few days longer.

The kids were obsessed with Pops cycle. Especially Owen, he climbed up it every chance he got.

I believe that the few people that read our blog have learned that Mari is not the easiest one to get dressed. She is very particular to say the least. So this day she chose to wear a leotard for the day. Then we decided to go fishing with Liam and Pops. Encouraging her to wear pants was not a success. So she opted for long socks. It is hard on me some days, but I loved this.

Pops and the kids!

My Dad planned on driving back with the kids and I on Wednesday morning, but there was a big snow storm that set us back until Thursday morning. Thank goodness because Sarah went into labor on Wednesday and we were able to meet the new baby.

Mari loved her new cousin. She wanted to hold her the whole time.

Meet Eliza Catherine Peck!

We were so excited that we were able to be there and meet her.

We got back before Halloween, so we got to enjoy the day with all our friends we had so greatly missed. Here they all are at morning play group.

Then that night we went trick or treating with everyone as well. Owen was an adorable lion and he kept saying roarrr. Mari was a fairly princess. It was very cold and once again she opted for not warm clothing.

Owen's 1st try at trick or treating. He kept giving the next house the candy he got at the one before.

Mari helping walk the dogs.

Here is our first time in the snow this year. I'm not as excited about the cold and snow, but they sure enjoyed it. I guess I better get ready we just got 6 inches the other morning.

Well, that about does it for what we have been up to. Now we are just adjusting to life back here and seeing all our friends. Mari is enjoying having all the kids to play with again.

On the road again

2011-10-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we have officially left Michigan and don't know when we will be back. It was very hard and sad to leave, but we had such a great time and can't thank everyone for that. We packed everything up on Sunday and headed out yesterday morning to Missouri. We are now here in Missouri for a short visit and to see where my parents now live. Greg will be heading to snowy cold Colorado at the end of the week with the dogs. The kids and I are not sure when we will be leaving. Our plan was to see if Sarah's baby girl wanted to meet us all while we here. So we will wait and see what happens. We are also waiting to see Liam. He has been sick and ended up in the hospital last night with Kawasaki's disease. He more than likely will be there for 5-7 days as well. So please pray for him and a quick recovery and that the cousins can reunite. They are both bummed that they can' t play together.

I'll post next time from the snow. Yuck! Not so sure I am ready for that.

Getting it all in.

2011-09-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

As summer is sadly coming to an end, we have been trying to fit everything in that we wanted to do. So this week Greg went up North fishing with his dad and friend Ben. So the kids and went to the zoo. It was a small zoo, but perfect for their age. We went through the whole thing and had lunch in about 2 1/2 hours.

We came up to this lady holding a furry animal. My 1st thought was how neat that they will get to pet an exotic animal. Wrong!! Just an everyday opossum.

Watching the bears. I don't have pictures, but we saw all kinds of monkey as well and they all were so active. The kids loved watching them jump and play.

We got to pet some cute goats. Mari enjoyed this and Owen did for a moment and then figured the dirt was more fun.

The snakes were my least favorite, but the kids sure seemed to enjoy it. Especially watching a black one slither in and out of the water.

We finished the day with a yummy ice cream cone.

Then the weekend came and we headed to a Michigan State football game.

We went with Nana, Grandpa, Uncle Brian, and Aunt MoMo. Even though it was during nap time they were so good and had such a great time.

After the game we tailgated and enjoyed some shade.

We stayed in a hotel and went to a Tigers game the next day. It was another warm napless day, but fun nonetheless.

On Sundays after the game, kids can go and run the bases. We of course waited in the long line and took the kids. Daddy wanted out there more than any of us. It was such a cool experience.

It was such a great and exhausting weekend. Thanks Nana and Grandpa for everything.

Sleeping Bear Dunes

2011-08-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

Looking at this picture you may think wow they are on a beautiful Caribbean beach somewhere. Well, that is not the case. We are up north at Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan. That's right only 3 hours from where we are living and it was breathtaking. I would recommend this to anyone. We went there for the night with the kids and camped out.

We camped in the campground there and the kids loved it. Owen was thrilled about all the dirt and rocks and Mari was excited about the tent and wearing her swim suit.

I turned around to find Owen chomping down on some charred wood from the previous camp fire. Awesome!

Mari's 2 favorite parts of the trip.---swim suit and tent

We took a hike around the dunes. Ran down them and then hiked back up them, (if only you could hear the ugh in my voice about the up part).

Then we came back for some dinner. We enjoyed some fruit and roasting hot dogs. The kids loved it and were starving. I'm pretty sure Owen ate his in about 30 seconds. For those of you that know me, I despise hot dogs and would never eat one no matter the environment. So I brought left over spaghetti and warmed it over the fire. That is a good camping food, right? It was yummy!

I have noticed that he eats like this a lot. It makes me wonder if he thinks this way no one will steal his food.

Of course we had smores and yes I had no problem having one of those.

Then it was bed time. Needless to say it was not easy getting these 2 to calm down from the excitement. Nor was it easy to wrangle tornado man with no crib.

After Mari fell asleep then I layed Owen down figuring not much of a nap he would surely doze off soon. Wrong!! He came out a few times saying HI, with that cute smile and voice, but he finally gave in. They both actually slept really well.

Good Morning!

I loved that grin she had the whole time. Ahh the memories.

As always waiting for some food.

The water was so clear and brisk, but we had to go swimming. It was very refreshing.

We thought about making it a 2 night trip but decided we should end on a good note and still wanting more. We are still talking about how we slept in a tent.

On the way there and home we took the scenic routes and I even got to stop and buy peaches from the side of the road. That topped it off for me and they are yummy. It was such a great getaway and probably one of my favorite parts of our summer here in Michigan.

My How They Have Grown

2011-08-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

I just can't get over how big my babies are getting. It makes me excited to see it and sad all at the same time. They are playing so well together and becoming so independent in doing things. A blessing and a curse all at the same time.

Owen is always into something, here it is the dogs water. He never stops going until he is asleep or eating and even then he goes unless he is in the high chair.

Mari playing at one of the many parks we have been to. She loves climbing up everything, even if it is to big for her.

Owen enjoys the parks as well, but one of the kids at the park had this and he was much more into it. He loves driving, as he is always saying, dive dive dive. Very cute, but a bit obsessed with it. Thankfully the little boy was nice enough to let him sit in it.

Mari and Daddy hitting balls at the batting cages.

Owen driving again in Aunt Libby's truck. He sat in the steering wheel like this because he thought Mari was going to take it and yelling mine mine mine.

Mari has become a fish and loves swimming.

Awww... getting so big and loving being brother and sister. Makes me SMILE!!!

All gussied up!!

2011-08-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

Just a few weeks ago Greg's sister Libby got married here in Michigan. It was a fun week with everyone and getting to get all dressed up as a family and as always eating some yummy food.

The rehersal dinner was at the house and was a gorgeous evening. There were 2 other little girls and Mari was in heaven playing with them.

Me and my handsome boy!

Mari and Aunt MoMo, the only one that could talk her in to a picture and a smile.

Then it was wedding night. Here are my beautiful kiddos trying to stay clean and nice.

Nana and Owen hanging out at the festivities. I love this one. Owen is such a cheeser.

The wedding night. We had so much fun dancing and then Grandpa and Grandma Nienhouse took the kids for the night and we were able to stay and enjoy the rest of the night. It was a beautiful wedding and were so excited to celebrate with them. Welcome to the family Nick.

Coast Guard Festivities

2011-08-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Here in Grand Haven there is a week long Coast Guard Festival. It is very busy and lots of fun activities. Needless to say we were pooped by the end, but had lots of yummy food and fun.

Mari had a camp at the YMCA that week to add to all the fun. This one was Dora camp! She was excited despite the picture.

Right next to the Y was a huge set up with all kinds of free things for kids after camp as part of Coast Guard. Needless to say that is all Mari wanted to do after camp. They had about 5 different jumpy things with slides, games, face paint, fire trucks spraying water, and an arts and crafts tent. We had a lot of fun to the point of tired grumpiness.

Oh and ice cream:)

Owen playing in the water while Mari got her face painted. He loved stomping around and splashing.

The Coast Guard brought in 4 big ships and a couple boats as well that you could tour. It was really neat to see them all and how they work. The kids loved it because they could push any and all buttons.

And Greg loved all the big guns that they let you pretend to use.

We had a great week and ended it with a huge parade and amazing fireworks on Saturday. The kids were tired but it was all worth it. Mari loved the fireworks. I wish everyone could have seen them they are amazing. Better than any 4th of July ones. I always say they are like 45 minutes worth of grand finale style.

Again we are having a great time here and trying to fit everything in before we head back to the snow and cold.

Mari finally got to go tubing

2011-07-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

Mari has been watching all the boats pulling tubes and has been wanting to go sooo bad. The day had come! Aunt MoMo went with her and she thought she was pretty cool. It was so fun and sweet to watch that big grin. My baby girl is getting so big.

Getting ready to go.

Waving to us all on the boat. She even braved no hands.

Zoom Zoom that is how fast they were going.

We look forward to the next time.

The Quirk's and Peck's visit for the 4th

2011-07-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

The Quirk's and the Peck's came for a visit over the 4th of July weekend. It was so nice having them here and for a full 5 days. Thanks to Mary and Jim for hosting them all in their home as well as us. It was a full house but so much fun. The whole family and soon to be new little baby girl Peck. Can't wait to meet her.

The kids loved jumping off the dock. Liam just made laps by himself. Mari is not a fan of touching the "water grass."

The cousins playing together.

Fun times together.

One of my favorite pics by far. Pops and Owen just enjoying a stroll down the boardwalk.

An evening with a campfire, smores, and a few fireworks.

Yummy!!

Sparklers.

The best attempt at getting the 3 of them in a picture together all looking at the camera.

Swimming off the boat. It was a bit brisk but we had fun.

Mari loves to match everything. From her food/utensils matching her outfit to matching her cousins pjs. Thankfully, Owen has a pair just like Liam and she can fit in them.

A beautiful sunset out on the pier.

Checking out all the boats and nosing in on the neighbors.

Love this pic.

Cool dude!!

See Sarah, Cory smiled just perfect for this picture.

We drove out to the big lake one day and just played and swam.

Grammie and Pops

The men playing some bocce ball.

Pops and Owen playing in the sand.

Nana built sand castles for the kids all day, just so they could crumble them in seconds.

It was a great visit, thanks for making the trip, we love and miss you all. We can't wait for the next time we are all together. Hopefully when lil miss is born.

Some Pics Finally

2011-07-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Well our internet is now up and running again. Yay!! We have been having a great summer here in Michigan. It has been busy and going fast:(.

Greg and I completed our triathlon last weekend. We had a lot of fun and both finished under our goal times. I wouldn't say it was that easy, considering we have been practicing the swim in Spring Lake(which is a small calm lake) or the pool, and the swim for the race was in Lake Michigan. If you haven't ever seen it, it is basically a fresh water ocean. And of course that morning it was cold and choppy. We swam in 4 foot waves which made it interesting. We survived! Then we had to run about 1/2 mile to the transition area. Then it was a road bike race (we used mountain bikes) and then the run. I am not so good at running especially after biking for an hour, but Greg is awesome at that part and picked up some time there. Overall we had a great time and we are thinking we would do it again. It was a fun accomplishment.

Here are some pictures of a few other things we have been up to.

Daddy took Mari fishing a few times and the second time she caught her 1st fish all be herself. She was so excited and proud. It melted my heart.

Her favorite part is reeling it in.

Here is the fish Mari caught. She wasn't so keen on touching it, but Owen and Juarez were loving it.

Our proud little girl. We weren't planning on keeping the little guy but he didn't want to let go of the hook so he didn't make it.

One of the small towns was having a carnival, so we stopped and let Mari ride a few rides. She loved watching all the lights and people(just like her mom). Owen wanted to get on so bad.

We started off riding the elephant and then she even got to ride the motorcycle ride all by herself.

They had a petting zoo as well and these goats ate non-stop.

A Family Fun night in town with a wings contest and games for the kids. This was the highlight for both kids, driving the firetruck.

Grandma and Grandpa Nienhouse took us all to Mackinaw Island for a weekend during the Lilac Festival. It was such a fun time and such a pretty place. I was so glad we got to visit there.

On the boat ride to the island.

We went on a horse and buggy ride. By far my favorite part of the activities. There are no motor vehicles on the island so the only transportation is by bike or horse. Mari got to sit up front and help too.

Stopping on our bike ride for some photo ops.

Watching all the horses with Grandma and Grandpa.

Yep, these are my kids watching them make fudge. Yummy fudge and ice cream everywhere you turn.

An update of no updates.

2011-07-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

Hello to all our fellow readers. So the reason for no current posts is our computer has not been connecting to the internet very well. This means that with the slow to no internet and my patience I can't upload pictures. So we are in the works of getting that fixed. Until I can post pictures of our cute, wonderful, and amazing kids, here is what we have been up too.

Carnival Rides and Petting Zoos

Firetrucks and Family Fun Nights

Boat Rides and Beach time

Mackinaw Island

A 4th of July visit from the Peck and Quirk famililes.(that was the best)

Those are just a few of the great fun things we have been doing. We are enjoying our summer here and look forward to the rest of out time here and what is to come.

This Sunday Greg and I are doing a triathalon and have been training for it since we have been here. I am looking forward to accopmplishing it and terrified of doing it all at that same time. My goal is to beat 1 person thats right just 1. Either way it has been fun getting some time with Greg and getting back in the routine of regular excersice. I will let you know how it all works out for us.

Check back for pictures of our summer fun. We hope you are all enjoying your summer as well.

Look who turned ONE!!

2011-05-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Owen James Nienhouse has turned ONE!!! We can't believe it and are so blessed to have such a sweet boy. On May 20th we had lunch with Dad at a yummy place and opened a couple gifts. Then on Saturday (the scheduled rapture day:)) we had a party for him. It was a small one and just perfect. We grilled out and just played and ate.

My two handsome men.

Mommy and her big boy.

Instead of a big fancy cake we had sports themed cake pops. They were yummy.

Playing some basketball with one of his new gifts.

We had some friends come with their kids and they all helped open presents, it was so cute.

Owen had his very own cake. He wasn't sure about eating it at first, but he loved squishing it. Then he got a taste and went to town.

We had a great day celebrating our boy and are adjusting well to life here in Michigan. Especially since it is gorgeous weather and no snow. Can't complain.

Here are 2 vidoes of other gifts. Thanks to all they are great and we are enjoying them.

Packing, Cleaning, Easter, The Lodge, Packing, MOVE!!

2011-05-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

The title sums up what we have been doing in the last month. We have had our stress moments, relaxed, freaked out and been excited (at least I have). We wouldn't have been able to get everything done if it wasn't for my mom coming and cleaning our house, Mary and Jim getting the lodge for us, and Ben driving one of the cars with us. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful help. Of course it all has worked out. Just hope the lovely weather continues.

So the week before we had to leave Breckenridge we were able to stay at the Grand Lodge on Peak 7 thanks to Greg's parents. We had a great time swimming, playing games and just trying to relax a bit together. This picture is of Easter Sunday.

On our way to Michigan we stopped in Missouri for another visit with my family and to stretch our legs. We have our furry friends with us and they needed to run. It was a great visit and we look forward to the next one. Mari cheffed up some mini brownies for us all.

Owen got his 1st haircut while we were there.

Mari and I got a pedicure from Grammie Quirk. She is always good at spoiling us.

Then there are these two - the whole trip they bet on everything from shooting, horseshoes, fishing and the ended up in a tie. This was the result, a nasty stache for a couple days.

Once we made it to Michigan we got unpacked and organized and have just tried to enjoy some time. Greg started work this week and I am trying to get my bearings straight on how life was before all the chaos of packing and moving. Mari enjoyed her 1st, and I'm sure not last, experience with the ice cream truck. Dora yummy!!

On Mother's Day we were able to go to church and we really enjoyed it, so we are looking forward to getting involved there. This was my gift, a bike trailer. The kids love it and we can't wait for evening bike rides.

We have been enjoying some of the parks as well.

We are looking forward to our summer here and are anxiously awaiting the boating season. If anyone is this way, please come see us.

Our first family road trip.

2011-04-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

Off we went across the flat boring state of Kansas to visit the family in Missouri. It was such a great trip with warm weather and all the family. We left around 8:00 am on Wednesday and came back on Monday. The kids were awesome with a few fits, but I was so excited how well the drive went.

We stopped at a rest stop for lunch and played for a little over an hour. It was great to run off some energy.

This is the result of our fear of the automatic flushers, using the porta-potty in the back of the car.

Then about 40 miles later we needed gas and yeah there was a playground, so we took advantage of that as well. Oh, and a Baskin Robbins!

I think Owen is saying "what is this green stuff?"

While we were at Mimi and Pops', of course The Peck family came. It was another great trip with the cousins.

Mari got her first haircut while we were there and I did it. Not to shabby if I do say so.

Just lounging around.

These 2 were so funny together, they roared like dinosaurs about half the time we were there.

Chatting with Truman who couldn't come in.

My 2 very handsome men.

Thanks Aunt Cindy and Uncle Dan for the great sunglasses.

Then since we have been able to celebrate all the grandkids 1st birthdays in MO at some point, we had a party for Owen as well. He isn't a year till the end of May and we will be in Michigan to celebrate. So we celebrated with a sports theme.

We didn't want him to have cake, so he had a football shaped banana muffin.

Thanks everyone for our gifts and great items to be used on the beach in Michigan.

Aunt Sarie and the semi-birthday boy. Oh and the bun in the oven. Yes, Sarah is due November 1st with my next niece or nephew. We are so exited and can't wait to meet the little one.

Uncle Cory and Owen

Enjoying some family time at the park having a pizza picnic. It was a gorgeous evening.

The kids had such a great time playing and getting dirty. They all slept good that night.

Sunday turned out being nice as well, so we flew kites and played outside some more.

Finding his 1st easter egg on the egg hunt.

Look what I found in my sister's basket.

Thanks Mimi and Pops for a great trip and lots of fun activities. We look forward to our next visit. Until then we are in the process of packing and getting organized for our move to Michigan at the end of the month.

Spring is here and so are pictures

2011-03-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

Lots to share!

First of all is we had Owen's weigh-in and he gained almost a 1 1/2 pounds and doing great. He is on the move and loves to climb the stairs and have you chase him and of course get into anything he can.

Second, Spring has sprung and it is glorious. Everyone loves being outdoors, we don't have to bundle up as much, and are moods are peppy (most of the time). Looking forward to summer, which brings me to our biggest news.

We are moving from Breckenridge to Michigan for 6 months. We are very excited for the change, family, and being on the water. We have rented our house out for 5 months and are going to live with family while we are there. Then we will be back to the mountains in November. Visitors are welcome for some fun in the sun.

Our handsome man climbing everywhere.

Miss Mari always being a good mommy. Apparently "other Baby" (that's it name) has a bit of a cold and needs it's nose cleaned out.

Weeeee!

Lovin' the snow. So warm out.

Notice all these wonderful smiles. Unfortunately they aren't around as much lately. I believe he is teething and not a happy man about it. Poor guy!

Along with the nice weather brings all the spring breakers and Greg working a ton. So to help him out on some of the busiest days of the year I went in and taught for him. Which meant Owen went to daycare and Mari got to go to ski school. She absolutely loved it and thought it was so cool to go to Daddy's work. She did great and ruled the roost.

Enjoying the sunshine with her goggles on the way to pick Owen up.

Besides not napping much Owen did great at daycare. He got to hang out with his neighbor friend Logan one day. They are trying to color, however Owen is enjoying ripping the paper more.

Our two furry kids who can be more work than Mari and Owen some days.

Mari and mommy had a special outing last Saturday. We went to swim lessons and then we got to go out for donuts to a restaurant. So much fun and a great time just me and her. She loved it and thought she was pretty cool. I wish you could see her outfit. The pants are white with polka dots, she match well.

Lunch outside on the only part of the patio that doesn't have snow.

Here's to Spring and the snow melting.

On a nice day and an Owen update

2011-02-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

As you can see from the next few pictures that Owen loves to eat. So you would think that he would be growing leaps and bounds, well that is not the case. We had his 9 month check up on Thursday and he is doing great in the developmental areas, just not the growing. He gained a whopping 2 ounces in 3 months. So of course we have to try and get him more of my milk or formula and go back in a month. I know he is fine but no one wants to hear that there child needs to come back to the doctor because they are concerned. So we shall try and chunk this boy up and move on.

Always trying to get what ever his sissy is eating and most the time she is sweet enough to share.

We have finally had some warmer days and so we took advantage of them. Of course as I write this it is snowing and cloudy again.

We just hung out at the house and went sledding around. Owen was finally happy since he could touch the snow without mittens and it was warm enough to not be overly cold.

Then began the snowman building. I can't remember the last time I built a snowman it is not all that easy considering I thought the circles should be circle and not blobs. Oh and Mari enjoyed trying to knock it over.

The finished product!

Mari enjoyed pulling her sister/brother around. She is still trying to figure out who the sister is and who the brother is so she just says both. We are getting there.

They are so cute and play so well together.

WoW is January really gone?

2011-01-30T18:58:00.000-08:00

Well, this is what we have been up to and we are ready to see what next month has to bring. Hopefully not as much snow. I don't if you have heard but we got over 50 inches of snow in a week. I can say I was not as excited for that as I used to be, but the 26 inches in one day just happened to be on Greg's birthday. He was able to go out and ski that day and had a great day. I was so glad that he had the day off and was able to enjoy it. Oh did I mention he turned 33 this year.

Look who is pulling himself up and standing.

I of course didn't get to see him do it the first time, but I got a picture and he was so excited. I think this is my favorite picture of him right now. He has the best smile.

Playing together! Mari can tackle him and he laughs. So fun to watch them play together. Mari is learning to share since Owen is on the move and always wants to be where she is and wants to play with what she has.

This kid loves to eat and is sooo messy. This is food in his nose not a giant booger.

The other day we just stayed home and had lots of fun activities. One was snow ice cream, yum, yum! Interesting but didn't taste to bad. I definitely wouldn't trade it in for the real deal.

We thought we would try some sledding the other day. Can you tell we are trying to make the most of all this snow?

Mari's 1st actual ski school lessons.

She enjoyed it so much that she opted to stay and have lunch there rather than with Mom and Dad. No complaints from me she took a 3 hour nap.

And then today it was more skiing with her and some of her friends. It was such a fun day with everyone and imaging them all when they are older ripping down the mountain with out Mom and Dad. Not sure we are ready for that.

Wyn and Owen taking it all in for their turn next year.

Mari and Cain, both having to do it themselves.

but hey, they did awesome by themselves and we were all very proud parents.

The kid crew that skied today.

Mari, Cain, Lucy, Polly, Anna, and Jesse.

What a great day we all had and a great month. We look forward to some more fun ski days.

Skiing again....

2011-01-13T16:24:00.000-08:00

...but this time we took her on the lift. It was a gorgeous day and we had so much fun. We only took the one run with a break for some water and cookies (just like ski school). She did so well and had a great time.

Waiting for Daddy to fix Mommy's skis.

Riding the lift.

By the end she was going on her own and pretty fast. Of course not stopping, just gliding. We were very impressed with her skills, but haven't we said before our kids are awesome.

Getting ready to go through Ripperoo's forest. See asked about him the entire time and when we finally saw him she was not digging it. He is not as fun in person as he is in pictures or videos.

Walking in her boots. It is quite funny. Skiing through Ripperoo's forest.

Mari skiing.

And now it is 2011

2011-01-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

After Christmas the kids and I headed to Missouri for a visit. Unfortunately Greg did not get to come due to the crazy madness at work, which is why we decided to go. We stayed till the 5th and had a great time. I even stayed up till midnight on New Year's, can't remember the last time I did that.

Mari now gets her own seat. Her and Owen both did amazing on the plane, even with a delay.

We had the sweetest, cutest greeting from Liam. He gave Mari a hug and held her hand. They were so excited to see eachother.

Hanging out with Uncle Cory and watching "Curious George".

Playing with Aunt Sarah.

Owen is so ready to crawl. He does army crawl, but wants badly to move faster.

Grammie and Grampie took us all to the Dinosaur exhibit at Union Station. It was so cool and the kids loved it, especially Liam. Mari liked it as long as she was being held.

Grammie and Grampie with all their grandkids.

Chatting with cousing Omega.

No one can resist that smile!!

More babies!!

Thanks Aunt Cindy for the great gifts and entertaining the kids and loving on them so much. It was a great break for me and they had such a great time.

They all love bath time.

Movie Night!

Then there was decorating cookies. I think they frosted their mouths more than the cookies.

We found these two jumping on the bed and sneaking some snacks.

Playing peekaboo and giggling. Love it!

Christmas Eve and Christmas

2011-01-11T15:07:00.000-08:00

This Christmas Eve we were so excited to have the Keating family here to celebrate with us. We also had a fun party for Libby's engagement earlier in the week. So here are some family pictures of us all. We missed you Celine.

We clean up pretty good.

Making sugar cookies for Santa.

One of my favorite presents.

I'm pretty sure Mari opened everyones presents for them. Thankfully Owen doesn't care, but next year will be another story.

Her new pots and pans for some yummy cooking.

Look at those teeth.

Grammie Keating and the kiddos.

Getting ready to set out the goodies for Santa and his reindeer.

Christmas morning. It was such a great day, just the 4 of us and relaxing. What do you know Santa brought Mari a baby and some fun baby accessories.

Mari got a new kitchen and we are being feed like Kings and Queen.

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We sure did and felt very blessed.

Enjoying the snow and getting ready for Christmas

2011-01-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

As always I am behind on showing everyone our wonderful life. Well, we sure think it is wonderful. Enjoy!

We have got a lot of snow so far this season. Not sure if I am excited or not, but we are enjoying it nonetheless.

My little eskimos making snow angels.

Then it was tree decorating time. We always hope to go cut one down, but I'm usually to impatient and want to put it up ASAP. So here is our lil' tree from the store.

It was so fun this year to watch Mari get excited and involved in it all. Here she is trying to blow the lights out.

Everyday she requests to wear no pants or her pjs. A bit challenging when we need to leave the house.

Our beautiful girl ready for the Christmas Party. She couldn't wait, I think she knew she would get some sweet treats.

Our handsome man just going with the flow.

Mari and Jesse

Owens 1st experience with Santa. Mari did not like him hence no picture. She loved talking about him and the baby he was going to bring her.

Our church did a Nativity play with all the kids. Mari got to be an angel and she made a sweet one at that.

Mari and her friends Cain and Jude. They were sheep. Aren't those costumes adorable.

They play was so cute and all the kids did awesome. Mari thought that during the song she would protect Baby Jesus. We thought for sure she was going to pick the baby up, but she just looked at everyone instead.

Mari went skiing!!!

2010-12-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

Mari went skiing last weekend and she had so much fun. Here are a couple videos of her getting ready to go and skiing all by herself. We were so excited and proud of her. She loved it, but it sure did wear her out. She conked out real quick. We look forward to more skiing this season, maybe next we will go on the lift.

What a month...

2010-12-02T13:46:00.001-08:00

Well all I can say is, "whew what a month". It was a great one, but very tiring as well. We had all the grandparents visiting, as well as Mari's birthday and of course everyday life. So here is our month. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

mmmmm prunes! Owen started solids a little early and man does he love to eat.

Riding the gondola yet again.

So now Mari is in swim lessons instead of dance. We decided since she wasn't participating much at dance we would do swimming. We know she loves it and it is cheaper. Can't go wrong. She loves the water.

Owen is sitting up so now he is in the big tub and Mari loves having him in there with her. We of course just need to keep a close watch on him so he doesn't tip over, either by reaching for toys or his lovely sis' trying to pull and splash him.

Grammie and Grampie Quirk came at the beginning of November for Mari's b-day party. It was a lot of fun and they were great help with the party.

Playing at the toy store. It is a great place to go in the winter.

Happy 2nd Birthday to our wonderful girl. I was so proud of myself. I made her cake with fondant and it was so fun.

All of Mari's friends came and were so sweet to her.

Bye-Bye Grammie and Grampie.

The morning of Mari's actual birthday. We had a fun day. Presents in the morning, then swimming and lunch with Daddy.

Our next visitors were Grandma and Grandpa Keating. Aunt Emily came up for a visit as well.

It was a great time and lots of fun activities.

There is a new roller coaster at the mountain.

One of my favorite pics. Owen loves to chew on strings.

Playing with Grandpa.

There was a game room where they stayed and Mari loved bowling. I loved kicking Greg's butt in shuffle board.

Our last visitors were Grandma and Grandpa Nienhouse and Uncle Brian and Aunt Celine. They came for Thanksgiving. It was a great to spend the holiday with family.

Aunt Celine and Owen just hanging out.

They had a little birthday party for Mari. She loved the chocolate frosting (before dinner).

We had a great visit with everyone and look forward to our next visit with you all. Again thanks for everything. We love you all!!

October

2010-11-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here is the month of October...... ENJOY!

Owen at about 4 1/2 months. He looks so big and of course handsome.

He cut his 1st tooth and learned to roll onto his belly all in one day. Now he is a moving machine.

Momma's boy!

Getting ready to carve our pumpkin.

Mari was not so sure about the pumpkin guts.

Have I mentioned she likes to do things all by herself.

Our final product. She loved it and thought it was pretty cool.

There was a free day at the zoo, so we took advantage of that and went. It was such a great family day. Mari trying to get just a little bit closer.

Not so sure about the roaming peacock.

The elephants were probably her favorite. We were able to catch a show of them and we learned a lot. Those animals are huge!

Riding the train.

We decided our little chunker needed something more. So here is his 1st taste of bananas. Overall he really likes them.

Mom I've had enough.

Mari was a Michigan State cheerleader (despite their horrible showing against Iowa) and Owen was an adorable scarecrow.

We went trick or treating with a bunch of friends. Owen and Wyn looking way too cute.

Mari's 1st house, she wasn't so sure about this.

Checking out the goods.

It didn't take her long to figure out that this was pretty fun and worth it.

Our friends kids were Dorothy and the Scarecrow. So cute!

Jesse the turkey.

Getting ready to have soup. A family from church always has soup for anyone and everyone Halloween night. It was yummy.

By far this was Mari's favorite part. Getting to pass out candy to all the trick or treaters.

Jude the frog.

Checking out all the goods. It was a fun night!

Now for November, it is a busy one. We have all the Grandparents coming out for visits, which is very exciting. Mari birthday and party. And the ski area opens as well.

Mohawk Lakes

2010-10-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

Every year we hike to Mohawk Lakes. It is our favorite hike and we always recommend it. Our friend Ben went with us and we made a day of it.

The kids did great and even Mari did some hiking herself.

When we got to the lake we had some lunch and the guys did some fishing. They didn't catch any, but with kids and 4 dogs we weren't surprised.

I love that my kids enjoy being outside and exploring.

Mari loved trying to help Daddy fish.

I guess our next step is SNOW!! Not really looking forward to that. Oh well, I better ski. Mari might be better than me by the end of the season.

Mari being Mari

2010-10-04T13:55:00.001-07:00

The title of this post speaks for itself. I love that I have a a strong willed child, but it can be difficult at times. We choose our battles.

Mari likes to wear things that she can put on by herself. If she can't do it herself then it is not worth wearing. This is what we chose for the day.

No more pictures but the wonderful outfits are continuing. :)

Mari loves playing with Owen and he loves watching her. She just had to see what was so great about his bed.

Our Little Dancer

2010-10-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

Thinking I was going to need more activities for the winter, we thought why not dance. Since the mommy and me classes didn't work for us we tried the pre-k class. Which means that all the kids are 3 years old or older.

Of course we think Mari is pretty advanced so no question she would fit in. Right? They would only let her join the class if she could focus for 45 minutes and be away from me for that time as well. So I was a nervous wreck. No one wants their kid to fail when you know how great they are. Yeah she did it and loved it. She asked for more after it was over, so I thought lets give it a shot.

She participates in the parts that interest her otherwise she just observes and makes funny faces. I love it!

She would much rather hang from the bar.

She has such a fun time and even though she doesn't always do everything she is learning more and more every week. It is great to have her involved in something structured with another adult. I am a very proud momma and grin from ear to ear watching her. She even will have a recital in May. Can't wait!

Beautiful...

2010-10-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

It is slowly becoming fall here. Of course I am not complaining because the weather has been absolutely gorgeous. So we decided to go on an evening family hike to see the aspen leaves. It is one of my favorite times here in the county.

Using Colorblast to make this great picture.

Our trouble makers, but we love them.

The trees are still bright and beautiful but it is only a matter of time before the cold and snow show up.

September Vacations

2010-09-27T14:23:00.001-07:00

Once again, I am so far behind in keeping everyone updated on our life. I know you have been on the edge of your seat waiting. I am sure you think our life is as exciting as we do. So here it is!

At the beginning of September, we took a trip to visit all the grandparents and family. It was such a fun trip and wish it could have been longer. As always, here are a ton of pictures of Missouri and Michigan.

Mari had her very own carry-on for the plane. Here we are waiting for Daddy to park the car. She was so excited for the plane ride. First stop Missouri!

She was so good on the plane and did a great job staying busy. She is listening to some of her music, like "Wheels on the bus"!

Owey's (as Mari calls him) 1st plane ride! Of course our laid back kid did awesome.

What a great cousin Mari has. He pulls her around the yard.

Taking a ride on the lawn mower. She would only ride with Daddy.

The Peck family loving on Owey.

Aunt Cindy, aka "The Baby Whisperer"

Helping Grandma get ready for Liam's birthday party.

Liam got some paints for his birthday. I may have been the instigator in why they painted their bodies. Ooops! It was pretty cute and funny though.

Yummy Elmo cake.

Yummy Cookie Monster cupcakes. They were cute.

Play Ball!!!

Liam also got a bouncy horse that the kids called Neigh. They loved riding it, even together. Liam and Mari play so well together. We just love watching them.

While we were there, the adult kids were able to go to a Royals game. They played the Tigers and Greg was able to kind of get a picture with Manager Jim Leyland. Even though the Tigers lost we had a good time!

Ready to ride, rain boots and all.

Even Owey had a ride on Neigh.

Having fun in the pool. Liam loves to go head first.

Mari was more apt to go feet first.

Hanging out, watching the big kids swim.

Grammie and Grampie Quirk with all their grandkids.

Then off to Michigan for some fishing and lake time. Owey and Grandma Nienhouse.

Mari riding her bike.

She loved her helmet, she just wore it around. Even to throw rocks off the dock.

Touching Daddy's fish that he caught. They were "yucky".

Our friend Ben came up for some fishing as well. The guys had a great time and caught lots of fish.

Grandpa Nienhouse and Owey.

Mari trying to play some king pong with her helmet and boots on the wrong feet.

The Nienhouses

Then it was to Spring Lake for some lake time. Owey and Grandma Keating.

Even Aunt MoMo came back from college to visit.

Helping Grandpa Keating make his yummy pancakes.

The Keating and Nienhouses

Testing the water. It was too cold for mom.

Owen just taking it all in. Next year Bubbers.

Trying to figure out what he can chew on. Teeth are around the corner.

Mari even got to take a boat ride and a sea doo ride. She had so much fun and kept asking for more.

The result... exhaustion!

Then we had a bonfire and smores before dinner. That is my kind of meal. It was Mari 's 1st smore and of course she loved them.

We had such a great time with everyone. Thank you to all the Grandparents for a great visit and loving on us all. We can't wait and look forward to our next visit. We miss you all!

KISSES!!

Alpine Slide

2010-08-15T16:14:00.001-07:00

We took Mari to the alpine slide a few weeks ago and then last week we went again with all our friends and their kids. What a fun time and a new activity. Mari loved it and asks for more everytime as well as all the kids that have went.

Mari's 1st lift ride, who would have thought it would be with no snow.

Daddy and I took turns taking Mari.

Now, for an adorable video of our little man giggling. Mari wasn't a big giggler, so we are loving Owen's giggle.

Summer Time Fun

2010-07-24T20:06:00.001-07:00

This might be one of the warmest summers I have had since living here. Our daily rains in the afternoon have been scarce and the temps have been high. It is almost like being in the midwest. We actually say it is HOT. I do have to say it is nice because we don't have the bugs.

Last Thursday was Greg and I's 4 year anniversary. We can't believe it has been 4 years already. Then we started to talk about how long we have been together and that was crazy as well, 8 1/2 years. We had an exciting day. Greg worked and the kids and I played at the park and then we all went to a park and out to dinner. It was very romantic :), but I wouldn't have asked for a better evening.

Our handsome Owen is now 2 months old. It is crazy how fast time goes and how big he is getting. We had his 2 month check the other day and he weighed 11 lbs 5 oz and 23 inches long. He is a tank and I love it.

We went out on the golf course a few weeks ago and Mari loved driving the cart.

She putted and ran around. We only made it through 3 holes and then it got cold and rained, but it was a fun 1st time out for Mari.

Last Sunday we went to Splash with the kiddos. Of course Owen just chilled in the stroller, but Mari took in all the fun. The giant bucket would fill up and dump every couple minutes. Lets just say Mari was not into that, but she loved all the slides. That is about all we did was slide while we were there.

These were the smaller ones that she could do ALL by herself.

People watching just like her momma.

Here are the bigger slides she loved them, even though the lines were long. We had a great day! It has been a great summer so far and we are loving being able to watch Mari enjoy the activities summer has to offer. We hope you are all haveing a great summer as well.

A Very Loooong Post & Lots of Pictures

2010-07-16T11:30:00.000-07:00

Get ready to be here awhile. Yes, this is ridiculously long because I just put everything together. So my apologies. I am sure the Grandparents aren't complaining!! This covers pictures of Mari at 18 months to our day at Vail last week.

We have been doing great and adjusting very well to being a family of four, since all the family is gone we have been trying to get into a routine. It is slowly falling in place. Last night was our best yet. Owen slept from 10-6. It was needed because Mari hasn't been feeling well and didn't sleep very good the night before.

Enough rambling here, I will ramble with the pictures.

Look at those pig tails, I love them and she is not such a fan of getting her hair fixed. She has come to love her hats.

This was an attempt at getting some pictures of her at 18 months. She is a ham and likes to pose for the camera. Cheeeeese!!!

Playing on her "shide"

Handsome "lil brother"

An adorable picture in their Big Sister and Little Brother shirts.

Mari loves to hold Owen, but here she wanted him to lay down next to her. It was so precious and melted my heart. She does that a lot. She is so sweet 90 % of the time.

GO GREEN!!

This picture speaks for itself, but incase you are trying to figure out what is going on I will explain. Mari is getting so big that we have to be careful because she mimics everything we do. Here she is feeding her baby just like Mommy feeds Owen. Her babies also poop a lot just like Owen. So when that happens we have to wipe and change them. She has quite the imagination, which is so fun to watch, but unfortunately she can't pretend to reuse the diaper or wipes. If they poop it goes in the trash just like Owen's. So funny! I have to keep an eye on her so we don't go through all the diapers.

In the bouncy thing at the rec center. She loved it, but not when all the big kids were in it.

Going to lunch on her new bike after church.

On the 4th of July I woke up and was not feeling well at all. I felt like I had the flu (very achy, chills, and headache). This was about the 3rd time in the last month I had this feeling. So, we went to church and then to the parade. That was about all I could take. So not feeling well resulted in no party that evening with friends or any cute pictures of the kiddos in their 4th outfits partly because Owen pooped through his. They looked to cute and my goal is to dress them in them again and take pictures just a little late. I am on the mend by getting an antibiotic for a mild case of mastitis.

Mari and Daddy watching the parade and eating candy.

Last week we went to Vail with the Kaltenbach's. We had such a good time and I can't wait to go back. There were so many fun parks and areas for the kids to play. Here is the 1st park we went to. Mari and Daddy teeter tottering.

Spinning

Erika and Jude

Mari and Daddy

We decided that we should not shoot Mari down the slide like normal and go down with her since it was so steep.

Aaron and Jude spinning!

I love this picture of them playing together. This was one of my favorite spots. There was all these fun little fountain parks as well. The kids loved playing and splashing around.

Mommy, Daddy, and Owen in the water. Mari was to busy to join us for the picture. It was so refreshing to wade around in there.

They must have been very thirsty, because they both kept drinking the water from the fountain.

Ewwww!

Owen all dressed and ready to go for a dip. Of course he didn't, but soon he will be a fish just like is sister.

Splashing in the fountains.

It wasn't that warm that you would want to just sit down and get completely wet, but apparently Mari thought it was.

After swimming we got some ice cream and then played a little more. This was after a couple bites of Daddy's ice cream. Nope, her shirt did not come clean if you were wondering. Why I let her wear white I don't know.

The end of the day. She was so worn out she fell asleep in about 5 minutes. Thanks Kaltenbach's for such a fun day.

One last thing is we will be traveling home in September. We will be in Missouri from September 2nd-7th and them in Michigan from September 7th-12th. Hopefully we will be able to see you all and introduce you to Owen. We can't wait!!

Well, that should about do it for this post. I think I have filled you in on our life up to now.

TOO CUTE NOT TO POST

2010-07-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here are just some random pictures that I couldn't not post. They are from the last 6 weeks.

Enjoy!

This is my handsome man. I think today he started to try and give me a smile. Love it!

Mari being the ham she is and loving on her brother.

Our friend Jude turned 2 on June 17th and here we are at his party with Mari's friends.

MMMMMMM... cake!

Here is our marrieds group that get together every other Tuesday to have dinner. Great friends!!

Mari just couldn't wait to get outside and draw with her chalk. So she drew on the tile. At least is it easy to clean up.

Love her pig tails.

My Harley Davidson man. Grandpa Quirk is proud.

Visitors #4

2010-07-03T13:03:00.001-07:00

And last but of course not least Grandma and Grandpa Keating and Aunt MoMo came to visit and of course meet Owen.

Mari really enjoyed her Aunt MoMo. This is how Mari would say Morgan, too cute. I am pretty sure this will be Aunt Morgan's name for life now. Thanks Aunt MoMo for being so good with the kids and especially Mari.

Grandpa and Mari.

Mari loved taking pictures of nothing. She loves technology just like her Daddy.

Thanks Grandma for the new hat. We love it!

Grandma, Owen, and Mari

Aunt Emily was able to come up and visit as well. It was great to see her and glad she could make it since she drove from California the day before.

Here are videos of Mari swimming. She had such a good time and I think we went swimming everyday. The weather was perfect and the water was warm. She is going to be a little fish. Thanks for everything and we look forward to our visit in September.

Love you all!!

Visitors #3

2010-07-03T12:46:00.000-07:00

I am way behind on posting this, but back in June Grandma and Grandpa Nienhouse came to visit and meet Owen. It was great to have them here and unfortunately the weather wasn't that nice. As you can see below we got snow and yes I said they were here in June.

We did however, manage to make it to the pool one day before the nasty weather came and Mari had a great time.

This is from the deck of the condo. The pool is there but we didn't venture out.

Grandpa and Owen

Grandma and Owen

Mari and Grandpa eating some pizza.

Thanks for everything! We had a great visit and look forward to seeing you again in September. Love you!!

Visitors #2

2010-06-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

So as I stated previously we have had many visitors. Our second ones were Aunt Sarah and Liam. Having them here was great and allowed for Greg to make it back to Michigan for his sister Morgan's graduation.

Sarah and I had a great time with the kids. I loved the help and getting to see them both. I did however see what we have to look forward to having a boy. It is a different world than it is with a girl. Boys are like tornados and having 2 toddlers in our little house made it feel worse than it was. Oh well, they had a great time playing and fighting together. I loved seeing them get along so well. It was like they knew they were cousins. Too Cute!!

Hanging out having some snacks in their chairs.

Aunt Sarah was great a taking them for wagon rides. One of Mari's favorite things to do.

So peaceful.... if only it lasted. :)

Good Morning! They loved watching Sesame Street, mainly Elmo.

We went to a park one day by the lake and had a picnic lunch. Went pretty well considering all the wind, Owen needing to eat, and a random dirty kid trying to climb into the stroller with Owen.

Letting the dogs run and throwing rocks into the lake. So much fun!

At another park before we ventured lunch at a restaurant. It was actually a successful meal.

Liam was obsessed with the dogs. Waiting for someone to take him out to play with them. I offered to give them to him free of charge, but Sarah said no! Maybe for your birthday bud we will get you a Bogey.

An attempt to get a pic of all the grand kids. This is for you Grampy.

Thanks Sis for everything. It was great to have you and we look forward to the next visit. Also, we have a beautiful gold blanket to give you as a thank you for all your help.

Kisses!!

Owen

2010-06-24T20:14:00.001-07:00

Long time no post.

We have had lots of visitors and it has been such a blessing to see everyone. So we haven't had much time to share any pictures or tidbits about our wonderful family and new addition.

Owen is 5 weeks old today and here are some pictures we took when he was almost 2 weeks old. We tried to bring out our creative juices and it turned out alright.

Our precious baby boy!!

How beautiful in his daddy's arms.

Love Love Love him. We can't get enough.

Stay tuned for some pictures of all our visitors.

Owen's 1st bath

2010-06-02T21:15:00.001-07:00

First off I want to let you know that I have made 3 different posts today. I didn't want to have one giant one of our past 2 weeks and don't want you to miss any of the pictures. So please be sure to look at the older posts as well.

The other afternoon while Mari napped Greg and I gave Owen his 1st bath. It was a success and no one or any walls got wet. :)

It was a success despite the picture. We just have to keep the warm water flowing. It was a bit of a shock initially for him.

Awwww..... yes our sleepy head thought about dozing off, but we kept him awake.

We are hopeful that he enjoys that water as much as everyone else in the family.

Our 1st week at home

2010-06-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

We had a great 1st week at home. The weather was gorgeous so we just played outside as much as we could and enjoyed family time.

On impulse we decided to make a bigger patio, so we worked on that and got it finished. It is so nice to have a nice place to sit comfortably.

Mari got a new wagon while Grammy and Grampy were here and it is a big hit. She loves to go for rides, I believe this will be replacing the stroller whenever possible.

Isn't he the cutest thing ever?

First thing is, yes he is in a pink bouncer, but oh well! Second this is not an outfit that any adult put together. Mari loves to chose what she wears, we are just lucky it didn't include her snow boots as well. She loves to wear her snow boots still. We choose our battles and clothes is not always one of them we fight.

Grammy, Grampy and the grandkids.

One of our first outdoor outings. It was a bit cool and windy, but we had a good time.

Enjoying the river.

Mari loves to throw rocks off the bridge.

We are a bit obsessed with the horses in town. Watch out Daddy!!

We don't have much of a yard at our place, so here is our make shift sand box and she loves it.

Again it was great having the Grandparents in town to spoil us all, especially little miss, and we look forward to the next visit.

We are looking forward to the upcoming visits with Grandma and Grandpa Nienhouse and Grandma and Grandpa Keating. We can't wait to see you!

We proudly introduce....

2010-06-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

OWEN JAMES NIENHOUSE

We are very excited to have our precious baby boy here with us. We went into the hospital at 5:30am on May 20th. Needless to say I couldn't sleep so I was very tired once we got there and very excited. He was born at 8:27am via c-section, weighed 7lbs 13oz, and was 20 inches long. We had a big boy for up here in the mountains.

Here we are just waiting and answering the hundreds of questions they have to ask.

Our beautiful boy!!!

Proud Papa

Mari meeting her baby brother. She was very interested in him, but didn't like that I couldn't get out of bed and pick her up. She is a great big sister and loves Owen very much. Now to learn to be a little more gentle.

His 1st bath in the hospital.

Snuggling with my boy... I love this.

We were very thankful to have Grammy and Grampy Quirk come out to help. They stayed the Mari and then took care of all of us when we got home. We appreciate all they did and can't wait for our next visit we love you.

Mari insisted that Owen sit in the chair by himself (no one holding him) so she could rock him.

Go Green!

Our family. We are so blessed.

Time to go home!

Nearing the End

2010-05-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

We are nearing the end of Mari being the only child. It is exciting and sad all at the same time. I can't wait to meet our little man, but want to enjoy every minute I can with Mari as well. I am excited to see her interact with him though. Yesterday at work we had a 4 month old and she wanted to hold him and cover him up. Of course of some reason she thinks she needs to cover her babies and this babies head, so I will need to keep an eye for that one. Overall I think she will be a great " BIG SISTER"! I am feeling pretty good overall, but I am starting to swell and that can be painful. Oh well!

We have a pre-op appointment on the 17th and then go in on the 20th at 5:30 am to have our little boy. His name will be to follow.

Spring has been nice but of course we have more icky weather coming, but here are some pics of us taking advantage of some warmer weather. We had to go to Denver last week and it was gorgeous.

Hanging out in the grass at Del Taco waiting for the car to get fixed.

When you ask Mari where her baby brother is she has to lift my shirt and so that is what she is doing here.

Love this picture. She sure does love her Dada. That's right she has finally decided to say Dada and occasionally Mama. It is so fun to hear.

This weekend we went to a park over in Silverthorne. They have a perfect sized playground for Mari to climb around by herself. Grandma Keating came in for a visit and she spoiled us all. We had a great time and look forward to the next visit in about a month.

Of course she likes to play on the bigger playground that is there as well. The large tube slide in the back of the picture she went down by herself too. It was funny to watch her face when she got out. It was shewww I made it.

Trying to get a couple of last minute belly pics of the baby.

Grandma got Mari this adorable chair and she loves it. Thanks Grandma!

Here is the playground for her size. She just made laps down the slides.

And of course she chose the big swing instead of the one next to her.

Probably our last family picture of 3, next family photo will be with 4.

I hope to get pictures posted as soon as we can after we get home from the hospital, but you never know.

It's Spring

2010-04-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it is finally feeling like spring on a regular basis. We still get our occasional icky day but oh well. So we have been trying to take advantage of the nice weather.

We had an ultrasound this Saturday to be sure all is good. Here is Mari afterwards playing in the melting snow falling from the gutter and a puddle. So much fun!!

We are on track and still scheduled for a c-section on May 20th. He is measuring big, but that would explain my large belly. At least that is what my excuse is. It is always great to hear how large I look.

A quick story from my last visit to Wal-Mart. A man stocking the shelves asks me when I am due and I tell him May 20th. He proceeds to tell me "oh wow, no offense but you look like you are due today." That is something a girl always wants to hear. He even has children, I know this because he told me his life story, so you would have thought he would have known better. Ladies, lets be sure that is not our husbands ever.

Here is a picture of our handsome man.

Enjoying a morning in town with some friends. All the kids love to throw rocks off the bridge and give us all a little scare by getting close to the water.

We had a surprise party for a friend at the bowling alley. So we made a quick appearance and of course Mari had to do what everyone else was doing. She thought it was so much fun. There is a video at the end of her bowling. It is very dark, but the black light shows the ball enough.

Before the party began we had some ice cream. Yum Yum it was goooood. She started giggling when she got this spoonful and no she didn't eat it all.

The mountain is now closed so we took the dogs to run around and see Daddy at work. Here we are sitting on the chair lift.

Bogey gets hot very quick so he is soaking in the pond. He smells great right now.

Along with the warm weather also comes the nasty ice snow and as you can see Mari used her face to break her fall on the snow. She did this at daycare and it is getting much better. I guess this is what we get when she can do it all by herself.

Just a cute pic with her pig tails.

The last day the mountain was open we took Mari skiing. This is her very first run ever. It was so cute and no fear. They make these little skis that she can just wear her boots. She loved it and kept saying more, more. Her lovie got to go skiing too.

Look I already know how to make a pizza and stop.

Unfortunately the magic carpet wasn't running so she didn't get to actually ride on it, we just walked on it for fun. I am sure if it was running we would have never left.

Enjoy a few videos of skiing and bowling.

Lastly, Mari has decided on her own that she wants to potty in her potty chair. We are very excited for potty training, but not all the work since I can't bend over with this large belly. She has went a couple times by herself in the last couple days. So we are hoping for an easy transition. Cross our fingers.