Finished off July with butterflies and the County Fair

Moving Day...AGAIN!

July 7th, 2011. Back to GJ we go! Parker, CO was good to us for the last year and a half...lots of new friends, great times living in the same neighborhood with my bestie Ally, 1st time to school for the twins, fun times at sporting events, museums or just visiting Daddy for lunch downtown.

But Jeff and I's numerous heart-to-heart conversations, (usually triggered by a stressful day at the office for him or a LONG commute home from downtown) began uncovering feelings that we missed family, the laid-back atmosphere (work and home) of GJ, and that Denver wasn't going to be HOME to us forever. So instead of prolonging the inevitable, we bit the bullet and began the relocation process again! Jeff was entertaining the idea of going to work for Himes Drilling but was persuaded to stay with Halliburton.

It has all worked out perfectly. And in my mind, everything happens for a reason, even though it doesn't seem to make sense at the time! I never thought when we moved to Denver that we'd only stay a year and a half but now that we're back home, it sure feels good!

July 2011

Brad, Jenny, Parker and Ben came to visit us for the 4th of July. We all hopped on the Light Rail and went downtown for a Rockies game. We had nose-bleed seats but that didn't faze the kids at all, maybe because they were high on sugar. I swear we bought one (if not two) of everything that went by...hot dogs, snow cones, lemonade, peanuts, cotton candy, coke, nachos etc. etc. We had a great time (especially after the sun went down). The fireworks were amazing (they actually shook the ball field and rumbled our seats). The ride home on the Light Rail was a little interesting....we were crammed in like sardines and of course a fight broke out just a few rows down from us. But we were all fine, just tired! Great time!

June 2011

Hailey's awful snoring landed her at Parker Adventist Children's Hospital on June 6th. It really was bad...she'd wake me up across the house some nights. So after visiting an ENT who said her tonsils and adenoids were huge for a 4 year old and that children really shouldn't snore like that we scheduled her for surgery :(

Hailey was a great patient, we waited in pre-op for nearly 2 1/2 hours (coloring with Dad helped pass the time). I was able to go with her to the operating room (thanks to us being at a 'children's hospital') but that was the hardest thing I've done in a LONG time. Watching them put her to sleep just about tore my heart out. I left the O.R. balling...somehow I managed to hold it together until her eyes closed but that was it.

Surgery took longer than expected, the doc told me 30 to 45 minutes and at 1 hr. I was beginning to get pretty nervous (as were those waiting by their phones for the 'she's OK' text message). Thankfully 15 minutes later the nurse came and got us and we were able to go see her. She was pretty groggy, and started to cry as we walked up. The nurse had me hold her in my lap and she went back to sleep for a little while. She woke up a bit happier. We headed home after an hour or two to Nanny and the twins.

Recovery was pretty tough the first 10 days (even though Jeff would say she was fine, a Mom's heart must be a little more heart). Believe it or not they gave her Vicodin, crazy, but it sure helped!

Looking back. it was worth it! I think Hailey sleeps much better and doesn't snore like her Daddy anymore!

All pre-op pics below, hence the happiness!

Havana's 2nd Bday

We had a great weekend celebrating Havana's 2nd Birthday! Mimi, Bubba, Brad, Jenny and the boys came to play, and that we did! From riding the Jeep and Gator to the Aquarium, golfing, Joe's Crab Shack, Hacienda and swimming, we packed in a lot of good times!







Oops, we must have worn out the Hudson (and maybe Hailey)!









Almost forgot playing at the school!






And presents!

Easter

Hunting eggs can be so fun!





Almost as fun as eating chocolate bunnies!



But the drop after the sugar rush can really get you down...Hudson fell asleep on the floor mid-afternoon. I have to say, this is a FIRST for any of our kids. Maybe it's because we're so scheduled but I can truthfully attest that this has never happened in the Himes' house before!






Someday Havana will like the Easter Bunny (and Santa)!

April

4 years ago...April 6, 2007....one of the most amazing, life changing days of our lives!

This year the twins celebrated their 4th birthday (combined with their cousin Parker's 6th Bday) at Nanny and Poppa's house in GJ (plan B after we were rained out at the park). We had lots of cake, presents, family and fun! Not to mention a near tragedy when Hailey's hair caught fire from her candles (it was scary...thank goodness Mimi was within arms reach)!