Our Gracie Girl, Five Months Old

This month found our girl jet setting to Denver for a weekend of girl time. This past Friday, my sis, grandma, Grace, and I headed north to visit my mom, as well as her side of the family.

We ate, we chatted, we shopped, we ate Rock Bottom mac'n'cheese and we stayed up waaayyyyy too late and got up waaayyyy too early. And my Dolly did just fabulous. With the exception of a little fussin' she mostly tolerated our need for Centerra and incessant stops, including a marathon trip to Home Goods.

The airport travel was almost effortless and our sweets slept through both the flights. Fifty five minutes ain't no thing, but it's still a bit hard to do airport security during naptimes. So needless to say I was relieved when she stayed crashed in the Moby and I got to enjoy my peanuts and Ginger Ale in peace. {As a side note, does anyone else drink Ginger Ale only when they fly?!}

As the highlight to the weekend, Grace finally got some one on one time with MY Grammy, her Great-Grammy, or GG. Words do no justice for how I felt getting to see these two get to know one another, so I'll just let the pictures do the talking...

Our girl also got to meet her third cousin, Deb, and catch up on on all things peacock ; ) {That's for YOU Deb!}

In other news, our girl is still being inundated with kisses, has rolls that would shame a Shar-Pei, fusses if everyone suddenly leaves the room, and insists on standing if you hold her. She's yet to try any solids and although she loves the bottle, she's not too fond of water. 

She can do the gut-sit, as in her belly allows her to remain semi-upright even thought the balance has yet to come, is rolling all over the place, pulls hair, earrings, or whatever she can get her mitts on {including momma's coffee a couple of times.}and has found a new interest with the Johnny Jumper-that is IF we can get her brothers out of it!

Her eyes speak volumes. They are blue, and green, and brown and I really have no idea where they will eventually land. They are bright and shiny and BIG as day. And they tell you exactly what she is thinking. We often say that they look like thy cloud up and rain when she's upset and they smile even before her lips part.

I think she looks like her daddy and her Uncle Shaan but she is needy like her momma and laughs like her brother A.B.. She loves attention and being held and she really loves when I fall back asleep after the 4:30 nursing session and she gets to camp out. And yes she is back to waking in the night. Oh but to see her on her side, mouth open, quietly snoring and sprawled out. No better way to wake up.

Her pink jammies have her scent and her eyelashes bat so prettily and that crease in her neck. OH THAT CREASE. She has become part of our family so seamlessly and we are just smitten with our girl. 

She's our Gracie-Girl and she's five months old.

Rocky Mountain High

This past weekend, our six pack loaded up, baby swing and all, and headed north to the cow-town of Wellington, Colorado. Since it had been two years and three family babies born since we last visited, we thought it apt to make the nine hour trek. Fully aware that our 'burb would be a little...well...insane...and the fact that we were a little {okay, a lot!} eager for a taste of our upcoming two week gulf tour, we loaded up in our most geriatric purchase and hit the road. Introducing haRVy II, bought in part with Jer's parents, and loaded to the gills in a paisley decor that would give most Florida retiree's a run for their money. Ain't she a beauty?!

Our drive was mostly effortless {for the driver, ahem}, and chock full of snacks, play-doh, and cow sightings, but I'd have to say the highlight had to be the $2 that each boy unwrapped at our gas station stop. All three boys were beside themselves at the candy isle in Las Vegas, NM. Seriously. Twenty minutes of beside themselves. Two Starburst's and a plain M&M's later, though, we were back to play-doh and cow sightings. For another 300 miles. Not that this momma, was counting or anything. Aside from arriving and the sheer joy felt by all to be out of Denver's rush hour traffic and road construction, there's not much to say about our first night there. Unless you count the tornado warning that corralled us all into my mom's basement 45 minutes after the kiddos fell asleep. Yeah. No pictures of that little vacation perk. 

Friday, after a fun day out and lunch with the boys, my mom bravely watched all four kiddos, so Jer and I could head back to Denver for a date night. After an amazing dinner and one of their 207 beers on tap at Yardhouse, we made our way just a few blocks over to Coor's Field for a Rockie's game and a magnificent Denver sunset.

15 rows up and the first baseline view wasn't too shabby either. Although I still don't understand why people boo when the pitcher hits a batter but they cheer for a hockey fight, my love. 

Saturday, brought my sweet sis and bro-in-law, and we met up at the Budweiser factory in Ft. Collins for a little beer tasting and a rare view of the actual Budweiser Clydesdale's and Dalmatian {think commercials!}. Can I just say that pictures do these horses absolutely no justice?! At 6'5" inches tall at the SHOULDER, they are magnificent to see in person. And to see all 8 lined up in a row is spectacular. A definite must do if you're ever in Northern Colorado. 

While us 21 plus-er's sampled some of the draft brews, the younger crowd feasted on pretzels and their own beers...of the root kind.

Smiles all around when the word, "soda" was dropped.

A quick haRVy ride later, our group arrived in downtown Ft. Collins for one of the hottest days I've ever spent outside. Not kidding. The kids didn't even want to wear shirts, it was so hot. 

Somehow our mob managed to brave the heat and smoke for a day of shopping, food, and a blast-from-the-seventh-grade-past concert from Everclear. "Father of mine...tell me where have you been?" Anyone? Anyone? 

 

 Saturday's drive home brought somber moods, though, as we took in the smoke coming from the High Park Fire. Even though the picture doesn't show it, the sun was literally hot pink and ash was falling heavily from the sky. 

Wildly enough, our Sunday plans for a family picnic at City Park in Ft. Collins should have been thwarted by the smoke, but the Lord graciously gave us a few hours of smoke free time together. Three generations of Haverfield's met, hugged, chatted, ate, and introduced new babies. It was reminiscent of our yearly Christmas' together {minus the Grandma Helburg ornaments and abundance of white chocolate covered Oreo's}  and was over all too quickly.

Back to mom's and a little more one on one time for Grammy and Gracie and our trip found itself at it's end.

 Even though some of us protested. Oh wait, she always protests :)

It was an amazingly, wonderful, much needed time away and with my family. And although I try, words just can't describe what it's like to be with the one's you love.

We're Ready...

When the Chips Are Down

The boys and I all have a touch of something. Mostly, it's just consisted of snotty noses (them) and a sore throat (me). Not too bad, but it's enough to keep us home and away from all of our weekly play dates that we look forward to. So in anticipation of the slew of housebound days that lay ahead of us, I realized that some out of the box thinking might be in order. Translation: what can they play with that doesn't resemble their everyday toys and that might hold their attention for longer than a nanosecond?

Answer:

Jer likes to think that it's just early grooming for Christmas in Colorado

I think we need to work on A.B.'s poker face

Ben's smiling cause he can see Abe's hand

That's some serious concentration going on

Have a Texas-Hold-Em Tuesday,

Geaux Saints!

This past weekend, we were in Colorado visiting with family and so Jeremy could go to the Broncos/Saints game. Dad and mom didn't think The Deuce wouldn't be able to hack it at Invesco, so the boys cheered from home. They looked oh-so-cute in their Reggie Bush jerseys too!