Winter Wonderland ²

2 Years, 36 and 37 Weeks.



It doesn't seem like an entire year has gone by since we had taken our Christmas vacation trip to snowy Denver last December.  Surely the time hasn't flown by that fast!

But it has, and here we are.

As the year before, we've had the delight over the past 2 weeks to visit our family out in Denver, Colorado for the holidays.  It was cold.  It was snowy.  It was freezing.  But the warmth felt by the love this family shares was so abundant it could melt ice caps. Cheesy, I know, but so very true.

So strap on your seat belts, and hang on for another whirlwind edition of this year's adventures out West:  Winter Wonderland ².

Denver skyline

Rewind back to Wednesday, Dec. 19.  The day before our vacation was to begin we hit a bump. Actually, it was I that hit a bump.  We were on our way to pick Braelyn up from school when I started feeling strange, like my body aching all over.  By the time we arrived back home I had full blown chills, and it was 82º outside.  Luckily Lala, who had been staying with us since the Friday before, was there to watch the children while I immediately went straight to bed, shaking uncontrollably.  She also whipped up a traditional Filipino chicken and rice soup concoction that she normally would make when we got sick growing up.  Now, I'm not the superstitious type, and I'm not quite sure if chicken soup really contains any medicinal properties, but for some reason or other it's always worked.  And this case was no different.  I had two bowls for supper and then knocked myself out with NyQuil, sleeping straight for almost 11 hours. Meanwhile, Tangie had come home to start packing and help Lala put the kids down for bed.  The following morning I woke up a bit groggy from the sleep aid, but no symptoms of sickness or flu to be found!  Amazing!  I was so thankful, since the flight out that evening would have been H-E-Double hockey sticks.

Getting our gear packed.

Riding the tram to the gate at Orlando International Airport.

Our flight was uneventful, which is always good.  Jennifer Bergherm had volunteered to drive us out to the airport, thus saving us the worry of having to drop off everyone and the luggage and then having to bring the van to an off site lot and later paying a fortune in parking fees.  This would later prove fortuitous for them as they would have some car issues the following week and were able to use our van until that was all figured out. We had supper at the airport before boarding the plane; apparently everyone that had purchased a ticket on our flight had checked in so they started the boarding process early.  This led to a mad scramble to get the kids into the bathroom for a last potty break/diaper change before boarding the plane.  It was a full flight, and this year we had 5 paid seats, as the twins were now past the free "infant in arms" age limit.  Due to some storms creating some headwind, we ended up flying slower than usual, and so our early boarding didn't put a dent on the total flight time.  In fact, I think we went over the normal 3½ hours it usually takes from Orlando to Denver non-stop.  Keeping the kids entertained proved difficult, especially since both Braelyn and Kohlden didn't have naps that afternoon, which is ironic since its usually Madelyn who doesn't take a nap.  After an hour of kid games and Dora on our phones and the computer, Braelyn was the first to go down.  Kohlden struggled  and struggled to go to sleep; its tough to muffle the cries of an overtired toddler in the back of a Boeing 737.  Madelyn kept herself busy with puzzles, games, and movies on the iPhone.  We touched down just past 11 pm MST, one o'clock AM our regular time.  

Maddy getting settled in with her earphones.

Brae and Kohl mesmerized by the inflight entertainment!

It was a blast of chilly weather that met us at the gangway from the airplane; I was still in a short sleeve polo but luckily we had already put the children into their fleece sweaters. That would prove to be a smart move ~ the temperature outside was 31º, a 50 degree difference from where we left 4 hours ago!  We secured our baggage and met our convoy outside, Papa and Nana driving both their cars to pick all of us and our cargo.  The twins were quick to recognize their grandparents from all the pictures we had been prepping them with over the past few weeks, and immediately gave them love and hugs.  We arrived at their house just after midnight, putting the kids into their pajamas and in bed by 12:30. Knowing the time difference would totally mess up our morning wake up, Tangie and I got our stuff situated and crawled into bed by 1 AM.  It was a short night, as Kohl kept waking up crying, as expected, from being in a new sleeping environment.

Brrr!  Welcome to Denver!

Friday was a catch up day, both with rest and with each other.  Tangie had to wrap some things up with work so she stayed upstairs and out of sight for the majority of the day.  Nana and I took the kids to Target and the mall to get some supplies we had decided earlier that we would just get once we arrived:  diapers, some long pants (Braelyn had only 2 pairs that fit because honestly, how often do we wear pants in Florida?), and some shoes for the twins.  Later that evening we headed out to Tangie's grandparents' home for their traditional Friday family supper.  It was great to see them and the rest of the Campbell/Loomis clan, including the two young cousins Callen and Caylee, for the first time since arriving.  

Exploring the snow piles.

Kohl and Brae atop the snowy mountain...

while Maddy adamantly refused.

Heading to Papa2 and Deeda's for dinner.

Reuniting and playing with Cousins Callen and Caylee.

Sabbath morning our plans were to pack up and head towards the Rockies, to spend the 2 days at Tangie's grandparents' mountain house in Silverthorne.  But before that I joined a virtual Facebook event sponsored by the Fellow Flowers organization in a 2.6 mile run in honor of the 26 victims of the Newtown shooting tragedy.   A friend of mine had told me about it just before we left Orlando, and I really felt compelled to participate, especially with my thoughts and feelings on the event.  So I committed and donned 2 fleece sweaters and track pants and went out in 35º weather.  It was a gorgeous, crisp morning as I began with a word of prayer and then started my run through a nearby neighborhood.  It was a very moving experience as I ran while thinking about the students and families affected, and also about the blessings God had given us in our own 3 children.  It might sound corny but I felt closer to God running next to a lake with the majestic Rockies behind it.  It was also very tough, as running in the higher elevation vs. at sea level proved more strenuous with the thin air.  I finished my run gasping for breath, but happy and proud for being a part of the event.

View of the lake and mountains during my run.

What a feeling!

The home stretch, I was hurting real bad here.

The 2 year old girl cousins hug it out in their pj's.  

After we had both cars loaded up we took off for Silverthorne.  The mountains have always had this grandeur about them, but the breathtaking views are always spectacular every time I see them.  Of course, seeing the glittering snow atop the mountain peaks is like the icing on the cake.  The trip up took just over an hour, and we quickly unloaded our provisions before heading out for a late lunch.  We decided to play outside in the snow, and ended up skipping naps, hoping that the kids would get very tired and retire early for bed.  It's amazing the difference a year makes;  the kids, especially the twins, really enjoyed themselves.  Last year you couldn't make them walk on snow.  Now they were climbing, throwing, and rolling in the white stuff.  It also helps when you have better balance!

Spectacular view!

We drove by a buffalo farm on the way.

Getting closer to the snow caps!

View of cabin in front.

View behind the cabin.

Papa watches all 5 at Smashburger.

All suited up for some fun in the snow!

Nana and Tangie with the children.

Maddy loved throwing the snow.

That is a huge snowball!

Group shot of all 5 on the snow.

Mommy starting on a puzzle.

The kids eating supper and watching a movie on the laptop.

The two sister-in-laws catch up over another puzzle.

A lot colder in the mountains, that's for sure!

On Sunday we took the children to the Silverthorne Recreation Center, something we also did last year when we were up there.  It was a lot of fun watching the kids enjoy the pools and the water slide; Tangie and I took turns taking the smaller ones down the slide, which they quite took a thrill in.  Braelyn and Callen must have ridden the big water slide at least 20 times each!  Of course, once again I had to jump into the outdoor heated spa in 20º temperature, with Braelyn joining me.  Such an awesome experience as much as it was an oxymoron.  Afterwards we headed back to the house for lunch and naps, with Tangie visiting the nearby Factory Outlet Stores for last minute Christmas shopping whilst Papa Dave and I watched the Broncos beat up on the Cleveland Browns.  We all went out to Mexican for dinner before heading back for the remainder of the evening.

The grandchildren wake up Papa and Nana.

Snow clouds ahead.  We would see the snow falling shortly.

View of the backyard from the second floor balcony.

Animal prints on the porch from the previous night.  A mountain lion perhaps?

Playing with the race tracks before breakfast.

Sexy Daddy!

Playing hoops with the older kids.

Braelyn and I braved the 25º and went outside to the hot tub!

Maddy shows Callen some of her favorite apps.

The whole gang out for a Mexican dinner.

Even colder the second night!

The next morning we all started the packing and cleaning process, as we had to get out of the house because it was being rented for Christmas week.  And also. because there was a snow storm heading our way, predicting 4-10 inches in the mountains.  This would also be Christmas Eve, so we had to go back to Denver as the traditional Christmas Eve celebration was to happen at the Campbell's.  We encountered some flurries on our way back, and by the time the party began at 6, it was snowing steadily.  We enjoyed holiday fare as 19 friends and family members joined in the festivities.  I hosted a couple of Christmas themed games and then it was on to presents, the children just having a ball.  This truly is what makes the holidays so special, when you can just sit back and enjoy watching the kids. I know Papa and Nana got a kick out of it.

Serious fog and snow clouds covering the mountain tops.

Plenty of skiers and snowboarders on the slopes.

Inside the Eisenhower tunnel through the Continental Divide.

The family at the Christmas table.

Nana's gorgeous Christmas tree.  Purple was the color this year.

The Fab 5 in their matching Christmas outfits.

Ready for the chaos.

Clearly focused on the task at hand.

A very happy Broncos fan!

Watching the kids enjoying their gifts.

Christmas morning and day were pretty lackadaisical; we took our time with getting up and out of bed.  The kids did open some stocking stuffers and then after breakfast we suited up and took advantage of the fresh powder from the night before.  It started off great at first, the kids eager to walk out and play in the snow. But then the frustration started to kick in for the twins when they would stumble and lose their balance, each minute getting colder and colder for them, until we just had to bring them back inside due to their furious crying. I stayed out longer with Braelyn and helped her make some sledding runs on some snow piles created by the snow plows earlier that morning.  We fed the kids and immediately put them down for naps since we were due at Papa2 and Deeda's for Christmas supper at 5.  We had the whole family there, and after another food stuffing session we gathered around the Christmas tree and shared in more gift giving.  

Opening their stockings on Christmas morning.

Showing her new iPod Touch.

First footprints on the new snow.

The snowfall from Christmas night.

Deeda's Christmas tree.

The beautifully set dinner table.

There she is!  I had the honor of carving the turkey.

Deeda and her sister Esther.

Uncle Jay puts the finishing touches on the mashed potatoes.

Braelyn sits between her grandparents.

My plate, before and after!

Playing a game with Papa.

Funny faces.

The day after is usually the biggest return day for retail, so we decided to stay as far away as possible from the malls and shopping and settled on taking the kids to the Children's Museum of Denver, again something we had done and thoroughly enjoyed last year.  There were a couple of change ups in their exhibits as well, so we were able to try out some new things this time around.  We stayed there for well over two hours, letting the children explore and pretend and make believe.  They were ready for naps upon our return home, and after which we headed out to Tangie's great aunt Esther's house for what was traditionally where we would have had Christmas Adam's (the day before Christmas Eve) festivities, but was pushed back until Wednesday since we were up in the mountains over the weekend.

We drove by Sports Authority Field where the Broncos play.

The road to the Superbowl goes through Denver!

Getting a ride from Nana.

Fishing for some Golden Trout!

Ready to fight some fires.

An exhausted firefighter gets her rest.

With the [stuffed] fire dog.

Ready to work on a craft project.

Braelyn and I made a flying car.

Maddy rings Kohl at the checkout.

The three scientists at the bubble experiment.

Giving sick puppies their shots.

Listening to the doggie's heartbeat.  

Getting ready for some lunch.

How many men does it take to feed a toddler?  Exactly 4.

Thursday morning we decided to take advantage of our membership to the Orlando Science Center and go to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, since it's a part of the Association of Science Centers that we can get free admission to.  So we went, along with the entire city of Denver.  Crazy!  I mean, it was CRAZY!  Everyone, and I mean everyone and their mother was there.  I guess that's what you get for going during the holidays!  The place was enormous, it reminded me of going to the Museum of Natural History in Chicago growing up.  The kids enjoyed going through the exhibits, especially the ones with the animal displays.  Braelyn did, however, get a little sad when she thought people had killed all the animals just so they could be put in the museum, and we had to reassure her that all the animals had already died (cross my fingers!) before they were stuffed and put on showcase.  We stayed there for about 2 hours before we could tell they were really getting tired; I myself was already tired just trying to get around the crowds.  The kids took their naps while I went grocery shopping as I was in charge of dinner that evening.  Tadd and the kids came over and joined us for supper.  

Denver from the highway.

We bumped into Florida in Colorado!

At the butterfly exhibit in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Taking a snack break, with the view of Denver in the background.

A grizzly encounter!

Saw some elephant seals on Campbell Island.

Watching the paleontologists clean out some fossils.

Friday we took the kids to Lollipop Park, an indoor amusement park that we had gone to last year.  We have to take advantage of all indoor entertainment since it's way too cold to do anything outside!  Papa and Nana were starting to come down with some colds (while we were all just coming out of ours) so we met up with Tadd and the two cousins and spent a couple of hours there, the kids playing in and enjoying carnivalesque rides.  They had loads of fun spending their energies on the bouncy houses; all three would crash hard for naps later that afternoon.  That evening Papa and Nana treated us adults by watching all 5 grandchildren while Tadd, Court, Tangie and I went out for a nice and enjoyable kid-free dinner.  It was nice to catch up with them and eat in relative peace!

Kohlden unsure how to eat his gourmet breakfast.

Iphone entertainment keeps them busy.

Watching a Disney show while Mommy and Daddy get ready.

The 5 on the ferris wheel.

Goofy riding the Whip It.

Sabbath morning we attended church with the family.  The past week had been a difficult one for the church as it had lost a member and close family friend the Sunday before, and so the feelings were subdued during the church service.  There would be a memorial service for her later in the afternoon which Papa and Nana attended.  We had originally planned to go to Tadd and Courtney's house for supper and a movie that evening but they had ended up getting sick over Friday night, so we opted to just stay home and chill, literally, as the temperature that evening was in the low teens.

Sitting together at church.

Nana made sure we had plenty of things to keep the kids occupied during the service.

Uncle Jay found Kohl more interesting than the sermon!

With Nana at the piano.

Papa ties Kohl's shoes at Sweet Tomatoes.

Movie time with the grandparents.

Sunday was game day for the Denver Broncos, the last game of the regular season and a chance to get the #1 seed in the AFC and home field advantage for the entire playoffs.  What a difference since the 8-8 Broncos of 2011!  Like I said back in a blog post last March:  uh...Peyton Manning!  Anyway, we started the day at IKEA in Park Meadows.  It was built last year and is currently the second largest IKEA in the US.  We needed to get some picture frames for Nana and they were having a special with free kids' meals at their in-store cafeteria so we decided to venture out.  Afterwards we made our way back to Tadd and Court's for the game, meeting Papa and Nana there.  We watched our team demolish the Kansas City Chiefs to become the #1 team in the AFC, thanks in part to the Colts also defeating the Houston Texans.  It's going to be fun watching the playoffs for sure this year!  Since we had skipped the kids' naps due to the game, we put them down early for bed as soon as we got home.  Then Tangie and I got dressed up for our dinner reservation to The Fort Restaurant, out by Red Rocks in Morrison, where we had gotten married.  It's a fine dining establishment that we had gone to years before and had quite enjoyed, and they were having a special 3 course meal for only $35, plus free appetizer and drink!  They specialize in old recipes and "authentic" Colorado cuisine, so of course we had Buffalo sirloin medallions and teriyaki glazed quail with garlic potatoes and corn relish.  And their dark chocolate rum tulip cup was to die for!  It was nice to just catch up and talk, just the two of us, and "Jacob, the mountain man circa 1835" walking around and observing us eating!  I made nice with him and had some fun conversations as Tangie snapped away pictures and took videos with the camera!  It was just a lovely evening, and it reminded me of how much I love spending time with Tangie.

Trying out a new bedroom design.

Peek-a-Brae!

The bed was so comfy...

Mommy puts on an Angry Birds blanket.

Ready to head out for date night.

With "Mountain Man Jacob" at The Fort Restaurant.

And with my gorgeous wife.

Our meal:  Buffalo, quail, and chocolate.  What a yummy combination!

A bit higher than when at home.

New Year's Eve was a pretty lazy day.  Everyone but the kids tried to sleep in and continue fighting colds and sniffles that's been consistently present ever since we got here.  We took our time over the morning, since we knew it was going to be a late night for New Year's Eve festivities.  By noon we were all finally out of the house:  Nana and Tangie took Braelyn out to go ice skating for the first time, while Papa and I took the twins to a McDonald's with an indoor playground for lunch and some activity/exercise time.  It was supposedly the coldest day of the winter season, the high of only 14º with some snow flurries.  We headed back to the house in time for the kids to go down for naps while Nana and Papa went off to meet their friends for an early New Year's Eve celebration, as they had volunteered to watch all 5 kids later that evening so us adults could go out and have our celebration.  We hooked up with Tadd and Courtney, Courtney's brother Peter and his girlfriend, for a Greek dinner at Yanni's and then to see the new movie Jack Reacher.  It was a lot of fun hanging out with the adults, us finally getting home just before 2 in the morning.  We were met with Papa and Nana in the living room with Madelyn wide awake, watching TV.  She had woken up crying and had refused to go back to bed without Mommy or Daddy present.  Kohl was asleep as was Brae, although she had fallen asleep on the floor in Papa and Nana's room.  We got the kids back upstairs and in their beds, and prepared for what we hoped would be a morning to be able to sleep in a bit.  Boy, were we ever so wrong.

At McDonald's playground.

Finding her balance.  Unfortunately the person behind her did not!

The adults at Yanni's.  Happy New Year!

Another chilly evening!

Around 4 in the morning I was awakened by Tangie carrying a child into our bedroom, she informing me that Madelyn had thrown up inside her crib.  I quickly sprang into action to assist her, helping to change Maddy out of her soiled pajamas and into some new ones while Tangie changed her sheets.  We set her back down and not twenty minutes later we heard her crying again, finding out that she had had another episode.  So we went over the same process, but she would not go back into her crib quietly, insisting to stay with us instead.  We prepped some towels in-between us and sure enough they were needed, as Maddy threw up at least 3 or 4 more times throughout the morning.  She could not keep anything down, not even water, although she kept asking for more and more to drink.  Anyway, this was not the start to the new year we were hoping for!  Finally, around 8:30 when the other two were finally up, Tangie got them and herself dressed for the day, and took them to the grocery store to get Maddy some Pedialyte and saltines to help calm her stomach, which it did ~ she stopped having episodes and was able to keep the crackers down, finally getting her appetite back and eating by lunchtime.  Meanwhile, Tangie took Braelyn and Kohl to an indoor playground/bouncy house concept called Monkey Business that was lots of fun for them.  They played there for a few hours to get some energy out while I stayed home with Maddy to make sure she was okay.   They all went down for naps that afternoon and then we all got together for dinner with the Reynolds family, the pastor who had married Tangie and I and dedicated the children.  We hadn't seen them since last year so it was nice to see them and catch up.  We decided to eat at an Acapulco themed restaurant called Casa Bonita, that is an iconic eating establishment in Denver, and had been there since the 1970's.  The funny thing is that you would never be able to pick it out just by the looks from the outside.  I mean, it was situated within a strip mall with some tower like structure.  But inside was massive, with walkways and passageways and hidden trails winding around ornately decorated and Spanish themed rooms.  It also felt like you were eating outside, within a village and countryside, it has the capacity to accommodate 1000 people at once.  Yes, I said ONE THOUSAND!  And then there was the waterfall with actual "cliff divers" that would put on shows every 10 minutes for the guests' entertainment!  There is absolutely no other way to be able to describe this place with words alone, you just have to go and experience it for yourself!

The play area at Monkey Business.

Kohl wanted to climb and copy his sister.

Glad they had bibs to prevent messes!

They quite enjoyed the paints and colors.

The tower at Casa Bonita.

Looking into a courtyard below.

Another "street" inside the restaurant.

Panoramic sweep of inside a part of Casa Bonita.  And this was just a small part!

Wednesday was prep day, as we knew the following day would be our last, so we started organizing and putting all of our gear and luggage in order, so that we wouldn't have a mad scramble on our final day.  This meant many loads of laundry to be done (thanks Nana for letting us use the washer and dryer!) before folding and then packing them away.  We have found in the past that it is so much easier to recover from vacation when the clothes have been washed and all you have to do is put them away when you unpack.  Anyway, we headed out mid morning to Fun City which is another indoor family entertainment center with bowling and go cart racing, arcade, and a huge kids' zone complete with a foam ball area.  We had been there last year as well and the kids had loved it.  We were joined by the cousins and had a ball, literally.  We had lunch there and played until exhausted, bringing them back for naps while Tangie and I continued the laundry and packing process.  That evening was our last hurrah and Tangie and I joined Tadd and Court with some other friends of ours in Denver and went out for dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings to catch up.  Papa and Nana were taking care of all 5 grandkids for us; they would all still be up to greet us when we arrived back around 9.  We finished all but one load of laundry and felt good about where we were packing wise for the next day.

Having a ball at Fun City!

The girls having a great time.

Maddy liked rolling on top of the millions and billions of balls.

Having a grand time.

"I'm the King of the world!"

Our last day in Denver was low key, our flight out was 4:40 that afternoon with Tadd picking us up around 2 to drop us off at the airport.  Because we were mostly packed up we had time to go out in the morning to drop off a box of work papers that we needed to ship home as we could not fit anything extra into our suitcases.  In fact, we had to bring an additional bag back from Denver full of presents!  This posed a slight issue as we found out later that the baggage fee on Frontier Airlines was not covered on our economy tickets we bought for the return leg of our trip ~ an additional $140 for the 7 checked bags was required and grudgingly paid.  Apparently we had seperately purchased the "classic" tickets on the flight out, which included baggage and free tv, but had only purchased economy on the way back, which was strange since both were of the same price.  Oh well, lesson learned:  Always check the fine print.  We picked up some Indian food for lunch and then headed back to the house to say our final goodbyes to the family.

Luggages all packed up and ready to go!

Saying goodbye to Nana.

Giving Papa a big hug.  He and Kohl became good buddies on this trip.

The flight back was one of the better ones we have had, again considering that it was a packed flight and that we were traveling with kids.  The airport was so crowded, with people heading home from the holidays.  Going through security was seamless and we didn't have any issues.  The kids were well behaved and kept themselves entertained with the numerous electronic devices we had readily available for them.  The flight was a shorter by an hour this time around, which was good, especially since we were losing 2 hours of our day.  We arrived to 59º and rain, as a cold front was going through the state.  Seriously, can we not catch a break with the weather?  Duncan came and picked us up with our van and took us home.  We were a tired crew, but happy to be back.

No seats available at the gate so we settled for the floor.

Keeping ourselves entertained while waiting to board.

We saw real life cow"boys"!

Mommy and the twins ready to take off!

Waiting for Duncan to pick us up.

Fell asleep on the way home.

I think this sums up how we all felt!

We had a wonderful time with our family and friends out west.  It was such a blessing to spend not just the holidays with them, but the time, laughter, moments, and adventures.  We are so grateful for their love and hospitality, and hope to see them all very soon!

Our trip in review:  Freezing, Chapstick, presents, eating out, sickness, Broncos, action packed, dirty diapers, Casa Bonita.


Things we observed/learned on this trip:

• It is more strenuous to go running in higher elevation than at sea level. 
• Higher elevation messes up your digestive system, i.e. feeling more gassy, bloated, and, as in Maddy's case, going #2 every two or three hours.
• What a difference a year makes, as the kids enjoyed the snow more, probably because the twins had more confidence in walking on it and finding their balance.
• Hair dries faster in Colorado.
• Cold weather + necessity to wear socks + carpet = lots of static electricity and shocks.
• So much more fun watching the Denver Broncos play when you're actually in Denver.
• People in Colorado are crazy, i.e. wearing shorts and short sleeves in 31º weather!
• A family that plays together gets sick together.  
• Bloody noses are a common occurrence here

Quotes:

• On our first day in Denver the twins had some real bathroom issues, we having to change dirty diapers at least three times with each one.  On Maddy's third poopy diaper:

          Me:  "Whew, Maddy!  What's going on with you?  Is it the elevation change?"

          Maddy:  "I think so."

          This made me laugh so hard, as I had never heard her say that before!

• We were on our way to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, driving past downtown Denver.  Tangie pointed out the Capitol building, with it's golden dome.  

          Tangie:  "Do you see the Capitol?"

          Brae:  "No."

          Tangie:  "It's the building with the gold top."

          Brae:  "What letter is it?"

          Tangie:  "What?"

          Brae:  "The CAPITAL?"  

          Oh so funny!

• We were looking at the animal and bird exhibits inside the Science Museum:

          Me:  "Hey guys, take a look at these birds over here."

          Brae:  "Penguins!!"

          Me:  "No, not penguins.  They're puffins.  But they look like penguins."

          Brae:  "Puffins?  Like Mary Puffins!"

          Oh, supercalifragilisticexpealidocious!

• We were walking through the dinosaur exhibit, wandering in and around the skeletons and fossils of behemoths from the past.  Amidst the scientific and evolutionary proof and the 350 million year timeline, you could hear Kohlden's voice singing a kids' Bible song out loud:  "God said it, I believe it..."

          Oh, the irony!  

• We were driving around to one of our daily excursions one morning:

          Brae:  "I miss my friends."

          Tangie:  "You do?  You'll see them soon when we get back from Christmas 

                        vacation."

          Brae:  "Alyssa G.  went to Texas for Christmas vacation."

          Tangie:  "She did?"

          Brae:  "Yes.  She went to visit her family and her horses.  I think she lives in a 

                     stable.  Or a house or a barn."

• It's amazing how the words we say stick with the kids.  One morning Tangie was giving Kohlden a yogurt and Maddy immediately commented, "Two hands Buddy!"

• The kids were playing downstairs in the basement when I noticed Maddy had yet another dirty diaper.  This was the exchange while I was cleaning her up:

          Maddy:  "My tummy hurting."

          Me:  "Oh no!  Why does your tummy hurt?"

          Maddy:  "I want food."

          Me:  "Oh, you're hungry?  What would you like?"

          Maddy:  "Chocolate."

          A girl after her Mommy's own heart!

• We were en route to IKEA and the kids were keeping busy in the back by writing/drawing on their notepads.

           Brae:  "Daddy, what should I draw?"

           Me:  "Um, how about the mountains?"

           Brae:  "No."

           Me:  "Okay, how about a flag?"

           Brae:  "No."

           Me:  "How about the clouds?"

           Brae:  "I have an idea."

           Me:  "Okay, what's your idea?"

           Brae:  "I'm going to draw whatever I want!"

           Meanwhile...

           Maddy:  "I know how to spell Papa!"

           Mommy:  "How do you spell Papa?"

           Maddy:  "B - A - Y!"

           Hmmm....

Have a great weekend!