Random Fun

Where you find one, you will usually find the other..


Zzzzz. (Look familar Steve?)


Cooling off in a new dinosaur pool. Thanks Grandma Jenny!


Avie's "big girl" bed.


Dad and Haven's first lego project together.


The finished product.

Journey Cake

Last weekend we went for a hike in Evergreen and while we were driving around afterward we found an art picnic. At the art picnic we found a free museam! I LOVE history, so I was pretty excited. We got a guided tour of a house built in the 1890's. One of the first woman doctors in Colorado lived there. They gave us a recipe for journey cake....

Journey cake was a treat that could be made by a pioneer woman as she traveled across the prarie in a covered wagon. It was made of ingrediants that kept well and baked over the evening campfire on a flat wood shingle called a "journey board". Many simple cornmeal mixtures were used and have become known as "johnny cake". The most popular cake contained no cornmeal at all. It also did not contain milk or eggs because they were hard to transport and were in short supply. Cider and vinegar was used for the liquid.

Recipe

Combine:

1-1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. lard, butter or margarine
1-3/4 c. apple cider

4-1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

If batter is very stiff, add more cider or if it is very thin add more flour.

Pour into greased 9X13 pan and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Hard Sauce:

Combine 1/2 c. butter and 1 c. brown sugar. Cream together, beat until light in color. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

First Day of Preschool!

Haven had his first Day of Preschool last Tuesday. He was so excited! I was a little nervous, but I managed to drop him off without tearing up. Avie, on the other hand, didn't think this new change was a good one. As we kissed him goodbye and left, she started crying and yelling "Haven! Where's Haven?!" Then I wanted to cry too, but instead we assured her it would be just a little while and we would go get Haven. So while Haven was at school we took her out for some donuts. That seemed to help. ;)

As for Haven...he had a blast. Each week we get a detailed schedule of everything he learned that week, as well as all the crafts he worked on. We love his teachers! They took lots of pictures to document his first day and sent them to us in a slideshow. I added a few of our own. When we picked Haven up on Thursday he gave Ms. Kara a hug goodbye and said "I'll miss you!" What a sweet kid. ;)

This photo slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Avie singing for grandparents

Avie has discovered she loves to sing. This morning while she was singing in the shower she decided she wanted to sing for Papa, Nana and Grandpa Royce. The problem is they all live pretty far away, so we decided to get a video of her singing for them to see.

Here's Avie's debut of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, the ABC's as well as a song she wrote all by herself...as far as I can tell it is called "Bible". ;)

Letters to my Children

When Haven was about 10 months old and I was pregnant with Avie I decided I wanted a way to remember everything I love about them at their age. They grow so fast and as a Mom I find so many things to appreciate about who they are at this very moment. I want to remember my most urgent prayers for them. I want to remember the things I agonized over (like the first time I let Haven cry it out). I want to remember funny conversations and what things they did that day that made Mike and I lay in bed that night laughing and smiling.

But the main reason I write to them is not so I remember them (how could I forget), but so they get a glimpse into how much Mike and I love them. I want them to know all the prayers I have for them. I want them to gain wisdom from what I am learning in my life. I want them to know how hard we try and how much we pray that we will be good parents even though we are not perfect. I definitely want them to know (when they are older) that I even found joy in them when they were misbehaving (at this exact moment my son is peeking his head around the corner when he should be in bed). Mostly I just want them to know I have always loved them at every stage and for the distinct qualities that makes them...them.

I haven't decided when I will present the letters to them. I don't plan to tell them I write them. Maybe I will wait until they graduate from high school. Or maybe I will give it to them sooner if I think they need it. I bet you can think back to a moment with your parents when you could have really used a stack of letters reassuring you that they had your best interests at heart.

Maybe other parents would consider doing the same for their kids. I write a letter every few months or more frequently as the moment strikes. I'm looking forward to the day when I hand them a notebook full of reasons I adore them and always have.

Vail!

We headed up to Vail a few weeks ago to film a wedding for some friends. We used that time for a little R&R. We had a great condo. Our room was in the loft. Haven got to sleep in his very first bunk bed! We also got go swimming and Haven and Avie got their arms painted for the first time also. Haven initially asked the artist for a Pteranodon. Since she didn't know what that was he settled for a fire breathing dragon. ;) We also found a pirate ship play ground! Since Grandma and Grandpa were there Mike and I got to go out on the town on our own as well. It was a great time. When I told Haven it was time to go home his response was "Mom! We are home!" I wish...

View from the balcony off our room.

Our room

Mike wasted no time teaching Haven how to climb

up and down the ladder on his own.

We learned Avie is a little dangerous in water.

I think swim lessons will be happening soon to save my sanity.

Exhausted after a great mini-vacation!

Here's what we've been doing this summer...

Hiking in Estes

After running through a hail storm

Saving birds from hail storms...

Look!...More Hail!