Merry Christmas

It has been a whirlwind holiday...work is crazy, kids are crazy, and I am CRAZY!!!
We cut down a real tree for the first time, and it was a beautiful one.

Presents were plentiful, I will have to give some old away to make room for the new. Tyler loves the Christmas lights,
and is learning to LOOK not TOUCH. Cody wanted to know if we were gonna have cake for Jesus' birthday, and was very excited to open gifts, and give some to his cousin/friends.


Some of the favorite gifts were a new big boy bed...made by daddy, Gravedigger, dumptrucks and a trash truck. We had sword fights, gun fights and regular wrestling fights.
And finally some great food and fellowship with family.
It was a great Christmas.

Cody says...
I love you really a lot
That will make me sooo happy
I'm just a little bit sad right now
And when he finishes reading a book, Amen.

I love him.

The Bond of Brothers...or Sisters

Yesterday, Cody got up, and much to my dismay, his first stop was to Tyler's room to make sure his little brother was awake. Today, Tyler woke up first...it is a little harder for him as he cannot get out of his crib by himself, but the first place he went was to Cody's door. I told him that his brother was still sleeping, and he looked disappointed. They love each other, and just want to be together from the moment they wake up.
I remember feeling that way...sneaking out of my room to sleep with Leah or Andrew. I am glad they have each other to share their secrets with. I can't wait to see how their friendship unfolds as they grow together.

We were visiting at Great Grandma's house today, and Cody was inquisitive as usual...he asked what this contraption was and I told him it was a chip clip. He took it literally and clipped it to a chip and started munching. We got a good laugh out of it.

More pictures...with furniture.

We still have lots to do, but we have the big stuff unpacked. We have water, electric, septic tank and gas...what more do you need?
The entry way and dining room

The living room

The Longhorns in the kitchen!

The Long Awaited...

Our house is finally here. They drove it in two pieces from ABQ on Wednesday afternoon. Getting it up the hill was no problem!

The crew came in on Thursday to put the 2 pieces together, and much to my dismay, were not done until Tuesday morning. We started moving as soon as they were done, and almost all the boxes are unpacked. Cody has been extatic to show everyone his new house, especially his toys that have been in storage for the past months. He has been helpful unpacking boxes, and playing with the empty ones!

I love the kitchen, and the ample storage space,

but my favorite is the large tub in the master bathroom.
After a breif argument about furniture placement in the living room, we found the perfect placement for our couches in the large living room.

We have moved everything out of Dwayne's garage, but still need to hook up the electricity before we move in, so all the stuff inside the house still needs to be moved. Hopefully we will be living in our new home by this weekend!

Moving in Tomorrow!

Our house is ready for move in tomorrow. Can't wait to live in our new home. Will post pics tomorrow.

Our house

Our house is almost ready to move into. I am sure the workers are tired of my constant progress checks, but I am excited. They have the house together and have taped and textured the seam...just trim and carpet left. Hopefully moving stuff in tomorrow!

Baby doll

I enjoy our bedtime routine. The kids are cute in PJ's, I like to hear Cody's version of his favorite stories, and listen to what he prays about. Last night we had a normal routine, and when we were done, I went to the door and said "goodnight babydoll" and started to close the door. Cody said "Mom, I'm Cody, NOT babydoll." I almost broke out into laughter!

Tyler's One!!!

It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing home this new bundle of joy! After more than 24hrs of labor, we were ready to go home. Big Brother Cody was excited to have a brother, and we have spent this year teaching Tyler so many new things. He is growing into such a happy little boy, and loves to be the center of attention. He is rough and tough, and will wrestle with the best of them. He has a hard head(both literally and figuratively), but a soft heart!
We spent the day at the lake for his first birthday...some water wading, rock throwing, food eating fun!


We had hamburgers and hotdogs...and cake of course. Tyler was not sure about the cake, but loved the frosting!
We opened gifts, and Cody was a very big helper.
Can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us.

Summer '09

It has been a good summer so far, with lots to do and never enough time to do it. Tyler has taken his first steps, and Cody is testing out the potty!

We have enjoyed the pool at the rec center and sweet watermelon on the deck.

The 4th is upon us and the bigger boys have enjoyed the pop its and sparklers almost every night...can't wait to see the big fireworks.


We should have our house by the end of the month, and we are very excited about that. Tyler's fist birthday is next week, and we are going to go to the lake to celebrate!

Colorful Colorado

We had a very nice trip to Meme and Coco's house last weekend. I think it is the greenest I have ever seen it!


Since it rained nearly everyday, we spent a lot of time at the pool...although we did get some time at the park and a walk on the Niwot trail, complete with throwing sticks in the pond and searching for wildlife.
Uncle Andrew kept us entertained as usual,
and we even made it to church at flatirons. Cody did a nice job practicing small talk with Coco(what your name is?) and complimented shoes, hair and anything else he could think of. Tyler was happy to have so much attention, and showed off his skills while cruising around the furniture...he will be walking before we know it! The train was a little scary at night, but we went to check out the tracks and caboose in old town Niwot, and that was a huge hit.

So Many New Things

It seems that everyday Tyler grows bigger. His face and body are changing as he leaves babyhood behind and becomes a little boy. It makes me want another baby, but not enough to actually have one (yet)! He has started to walk behind toys, and thinks that it is soooo cool that he can do this. Cody is also growing everyday, and has developed some serious language skills...he talks all the time. He loves to talk on the phone and to his friends, I am surprised he doesn't talk in his sleep. His new favorite activity is Golfin it. To the layman, that is golfing. He plays in the yard, and will even watch golf on TV with Daddy. Before long Cody will be out with the boys every weekend playing golf for real. I can't wait!

The best of Friends

I am starting to really enjoy having 2 boys so close in age. I can see the great friends my boys will be already. Tyler idolizes Cody, and Cody loves to be the boss of someone. I love to watch as Tyler lights up when his big brother comes into the room. It reminds me of how much I wanted to be like my big sister. It is also fun to watch as Cody tries to control every move that Tyler makes! This also reminds me of my sister:). They are definitely boys...they love to be outside, dirty and wild. Smack down is my favorite activity to watch...and their favorite to play. Cody does most of the smacking down at this point, but Tyler thinks it is hilarious and laughs every time.

I can't wait for the things to come as my boys grow up together in this wide open space!

The Not So Big City

The kids love living in the not so big city. They have joined the local gang which involves wrestling, working out, and just hangin around.




I love the mountians around our house, and how bright the stars are at night...just can't wait to see them from our own house!

It's official!

We no longer own a home in Denver. The closing went well, and our house is SOLD. Work on the new home site is in full force! Cody is super excited about the backhoe and the dirt piles, and Tyler is not sure what to think, but knows it must be cool if big brother is so excited about it. We are excited to have our new home, hopefully by May!!!

Manny and Monique go to Vegas

We made it!!! Not to the city of lights, but the original Vegas...We unpacked the truck and got our rooms situated, but there is still a lot of work to do. At least for now we can sleep, and there is always good food when Dwayne Craig is around. Cramped quarters now, but hopefully our house will be ready soon! More to come about our new life soon.

Cody's new room, complete with big boy bed and spiderman sheets and blanket...Thanks Meme and Coco!

Mommy, Daddy, Tyler and Fish...Can't wait to have our own room!!!

More Milestones

He's mobile!!! Tyler can officially crawl anywhere he wants to go. Usually this is the entertainment center or to get at cords. He is also fond of Cody's toys. He hasn't found the stairs yet, and thankfully our new house will not have these! Tyler is much happier with this new found mobility, but Cody is not sure he really likes it much.

Tyler has 4 teeth, the two front on top and bottom...I have been unsuccessful in getting a picture, but will keep trying. To add to my insanity, Cody is also cutting his 2 yr molars...it has been a grouchy house lately.


Cody is still bigger!!!