Whitney Six

Addison

2011-10-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

Addi went to the Butterfly Museum

for a 2nd grade field trip.

Here she is holding Rosie the Tarantula! SO Brave!

PURE BEAUTY

2011-09-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

Right now, it is raining. The sun is still shining as bright fat raindrops fall from the sky. In the open space behind our house, this is what we found...

* * * WINTER FUN * * *

2011-05-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

We had an FANTASTIC Winter here in Colorado--not too much snow in the Denver area and EPIC SNOW up in the mountains. For me, that is the perfect winter. We don't have to deal with the snow on a daily basis here in Denver, but we can go up to the mountains and play in it all winter long!

We went up snowboarding several times and spent a couple of weekends as a family up at Copper Mountain and in Leadville with our dear friends in their winter home. Scott & I even got to sneak away one weekend by ourselves to Leadville (Ski Cooper) for some snowboarding, cross country skiing and relaxing. HeAVen! :)

Here are some highlights and pics of our adventures of WINTER 2011 !

COPPER MOUNTAIN SNOWCAT

Scott talked me into taking the snowcat to the backcountry at Copper. I was pretty nervous because although I love to snowboard, I am petty conservative when it comes to super deep powder and super steep slopes. It was really cool to ride the snowcat up, way, way up! We hiked even further once we got out. The views were breathtaking, the powder was waist deep and the slopes were definitely steep, but I did it and LOVED it!

Karen ready for my first snowcat adventure

Scott & Karen

Where they dropped us off

Hiking even further up-what was I thinking?!?!?

Resting after making it all the way down, sometimes literally swimming through powder!

Weekend in Leadville with Deb & Jeff

We had so much fun spending time with our friends Deb & Jeff and the kids had a blast skiing, sledding, exploring, and playing games around the fire.

Addi, Drew, Owen & Deb

Addi & Owen in the kids' room

View from Deb & Jeff's back patio

Beautiful!

Sledding Hill in Leadville

Drew LOVES sledding/tubing more than just about anything!

Drew, Addi & Owen (behind them) ready for Panda Patrol Ski lessons at Ski Cooper. This was Owen's first year to ski. He & Drew skied & Addi snowboarded.

OUR WEEKEND GETAWAY!

Scott planned a whole weekend away up in Leadville a few weeks later for just the 2 of us! It was so much fun! Scott planned every detail - he is the BEST hubby! :)

Here we are ready to cross country ski to dinner. It was about a 45 minute ski up to the yurt where we were going to have dinner. You ski up in the daylight and down in the dark with headlamps. It is a large trail, but not lit up at all, so it was really dark and really cool! What a fun thing we got to do.

Karen on the way up

Scott skiing up to the yurt

It was such a beautiful evening and warmer than we had planned. I had to take a break to open up some layers.

On the deck of the yurt before dinner. It was so beautiful and peaceful up there.

Inside the restaurant

Ready for dinner! We were hungry after skiing up the mountain!

Thank you to my wonderful husband for a such fabulous trip for just the 2 of us! I LOVED every minute of it! :)

A Visit from the Leprechauns !

2011-05-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

The Leprechauns came to visit our house this year on St. Patrick's Day, wreaking havoc and leaving treats. They sure had fun this year! The kids were thrilled and can't wait for them to come back next year!

Coming into the house from the garage, this is what we found...

A line of toilet paper covered with little green finger prints led us to the bathroom...

...to find this!!!!! The kids thought this was beyond hilarious!

They left a mess in the family room...

...and treats in the kitchen!

They left us green cookies, green frosting, green lemonade, green candy and gold chocolate coins. But they couldn't resist a bite from one of the cookies before they left!

Those little Leprechauns were a hit and will definitely be welcomed back next year!

YUMMY! :)

AVERY is 3

2011-05-20T18:55:00.001-07:00

YIPPEE, I'M THREE !!!!!

Oh Avery, You are 3 ! How did this happen? It has gone WAY too fast! You have been acting "BIG" and playing catch up with your brothers and sister for quite a while. You can do pretty much everything they can do and love to be included in the big kid play. I'm sure for you, 3 couldn't come fast enough, but for me, your momma, it has snuck up on me in a way that makes my heart ache and wonder where my sweet baby Avery has gone. You are still a sweetheart, with a little sassy mixed in to your adorable, feisty, goofy, smart, fun & friendly personality. As your daddy says, "Avery is such a doll!" You are definitely our family's little doll!

Avery, her cousin Carmendi, and Aunt Jenn all share the same birthday in March, so we always have a big party for our 3 Beautiful Princesses!

This year's theme was HeLLo KiTty ! So fun!

Avery opening presents - a Hello Kitty Pillow which she adores

Jenn got some of the girl cousins colorful tutus so they could all play Just Dance for Wii in style. So, of course, we had to get her a tutu of her own and "Dancing Mama" t-shirt, since she is definitely one of the best dancers of all the girls!

Avery & Carmendi opening presents with help from some of the other cousins!

Avery ready to blow out her cupcake candle

Opening some presents at home on her actual birthday

Avery was so excited to get the Tangled Castle & Doll accessories. Tangled is her very favorite movie.

We love you to pieces, Avery. You have brought so much joy and laughter to our family & we have loved every minute of your first 3 years!

It Won't Always Be a Playroom...

2011-02-19T12:20:00.000-08:00

This is our playroom. Well, technically it's our dining room. It is just off the entry way and the first thing you see when you walk in the house. Some days I feel like it is the bane of my existence. Here it is organized and put away, but most days it looks more like a tornado just blasted through!

The other night I was picking up some of the toys the kids had left out. I know--I should have left it for them to clean up in the morning or hidden the toys away that they did not pick up. But I am one of those people who cannot go to bed with a messy house. As I crawled around on my hands and knees gathering up Spiderman & Batman figures, pieces of the tea set, baby doll accessories and other odds and ends, and inwardly cursing all of the toys we have accumulated, the thought occurred to me, "Well, at least this won't always be a playroom."

For I have plans someday to turn this into a little Piano / Sitting Room / Library once the need for an entire room for toys is gone. As I let that thought sink in a little deeper, I felt tears unexpectedly welling up in my eyes and this wave of emotion with the same thought, only this time with a very different feeling and a deep pang of sadness--this won't always be a playroom. While picking up toys and cleaning up messes is definitely not my favorite activity, I will miss this time in our lives, when playing games of superheroes, make believe and dress up were the center of our universe. The day I have to take that Solar System mobile down will be a difficult day indeed. (Maybe somehow I can incorporate it in the design scheme of my piano/sitting/library room. :) But until then, I want to appreciate where we are today and love the moments and memories we are making right now. I saw a commercial the other day that showed a dad playing basketball with his young daughter. The caption read, "Enjoy your kids. NOW." I am working on worrying less about the mess and what people see when they walk into my house and more about enjoying my beautiful kids right here, right now. That piano room seems a long way off at the moment, but I know it will be here long before I am ready.

Until then, I will enjoy the chaos, laughter and joy of our would be dining room!

The baby doll corner

The Kitchen

A FUN place to be a kid!

Odds & Ends...

2011-02-19T10:06:00.001-08:00

A few photos from the last several months...

I have not been very good about taking pictures lately--or taking my camera with me at all for that matter. So the last little while is not well documented. I did get a really nice new camera for Christmas, so hopefully I will have more to post (with better pictures) next time!

16 Years of Toothpicks

This first picture, I know, seems a little odd. A toothpick dispenser???

We got this cool toothpick dispenser for our wedding. I wish I could remember who gave it to us. For more than sixteen years, it has lived in various cupboards in 3 apartments and 4 homes in 3 different states. It was full of toothpicks when we got it and just a few weeks ago, I dispensed the very last toothpick. I guess we don't use a lot of toothpicks around here, but I thought it was pretty cool that they lasted that long. I marked the refill date on a piece of tape on the top of the dispenser. We'll see how long it takes to empty it this time. Here's to another 16 years!

Fall FUN!

Raking leaves at Grandma and Grandpa Whitney's Home

Taaaa Daaaaa!

All of the grandkids having so much fun!

Austin helped build the pile up.

Check out Owen with the bucket on his head!

Ahhhhh! That was a blast!

HALLOWEEN 2010

SuPeR HeRoeS & PrInCeSSeS!

Scott dressed up as Captain America!

He was not only the coolest Hero around our house, but a hit at all of the Halloween events we attended!

The Whole Gang

Drew, Scott, Owen, Addi, Avery

Addison - A Beautiful Snow Princess

CLIMBING the ROCK WALL

Drew turned five in October and is now old enough to climb the Rock Wall at Lifetime Fitness. He has been waiting a long time for this and was so excited on his first try.

He's a little pro and made it to the top his first day!

Addi's an awesome climber too! She loves to have me time her getting to the top!

WHERE'S WALDO ?

Scott & I got to help with a super fun Youth Activity for church. We were asked to dress up and then position ourselves around the mall while the youth went on a "Where's Waldo?" scavenger hunt for all of the "Waldos". I dressed up as an elf and hung out by Santa's North Pole. It was perfect! I just chatted with the other elves and sort of blended in. There were about 12 of us around the mall dressed as all kinds of people--a cowboy, an old woman, a punk rocker, a bum, and just regular people in disguise. Scott decided it would be funny to actually dress up as Waldo-and he was right! It was hilarious! He went to the far end of the mall and rode the escalator up and down the whole time. Of course, he was recognized right away, but not only did the youth get a kick out of his costume, so did the rest of the mall patrons. People loved him and kept giving him double takes and funny looks or asking him what in the world he was doing. He was definitely the hit of the night and all of us had a blast participating in such a fun and creative youth activity!

Owen is 4 !

Cute Brothers in their new Star Wars pajamas. Owen and Drew are usually best little buddies and I love that. When one gets on his Star Wars pjs, the other one always wants to wear his too! I just always have to make sure they are clean at the same time! :)

Our adorable Owen turned 4 on December 23. He and Isaac (who turned 5) have birthdays about 2 weeks apart, so we had a family birthday party for both of them at Grandma and Grandpa Whitney's home. All of my pictures turned out fuzzy-so here is my best snapshot of the birthday boys.

DREW LOVES MARIO

We got the SuperMario Brothers game for our Wii at Christmas and the kids have had a blast playing it. Drew, who loves stuffed and animals and anything soft, kept asking me for a stuffed animal of "Star" on the game. I said that I was pretty sure there was no such thing, but Drew persisted and asked me to "look on the computer for it." So I did and of course he was right-they did have "Star" as well as pretty much every Mario Brothers character imaginable. Who knew?

Grandma also made a special deal with Drew and ended up getting him and Owen each the cute little Yoshi backpack Drew is wearing. I took this picture of him one night when he fell asleep on the couch surrounded by his favorite new little friends--Star, Mario & Yoshi.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADDISON !

~ SEVEN ~

I find it hard to believe some days that we have a 7 year old! Where has the time gone? Addison has grown into this beautiful, fun, smart little girl. We love her more and more every day!

Here are 7 special things about my sweet 7 year old Addi...

1. Addi is just a sweetheart. She is kind-hearted and always will to help out.

2. She is a great artist and is always creating something wonderful.

3. She LOVES school and is so excited to share all of the great things she is learning there.

4. She has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh and be goofy! :)

5. She LOVES her Daddy! I love to see the special relationship Addi has with her Dad--so very sweet.

6. She is strong and loves to play sports and be active--soccer, riding bikes, roller blading, golfing, rock climbing, etc.

7. She loves to Dance. She has been taking Ballet since about 3 and is a graceful, beautiful ballerina!

I love you so much!

*** ROCK STAR *** BIRTHDAY PARTY

We had a "Rock Star" party this year and invited all of her little first grade girl friends. They had lots of fun playing in the Bouncy in the basement and playing some Rock Star party games. There was lots of giggling and screaming and running around. Twelve 7 year old girls definitely have a lot of energy and are just so full of life! I loved having them here!

I was pretty excited with how the Rock Star Cake turned out! :)

1st ANNUAL DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE

Scott & Addi went to the Daddy-Daughter Dance at Addi's school last week. They had such a MAGICAL Night! Dinner at a nice restaurant with her friend Tyler and her daddy, a special bouquet of flowers for the girls, a Red Carpet entry to the dance, and a night of dancing, yummy snacks and so much fun with Dad. A perfect Enchanted Evening for Addi & Scott.

Beautiful Addison ready for the dance.

Scott and Addi all dressed up

Ready to go have some fun!

DREW IS FIVE !

2010-11-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

OUR CUTE 5 YEAR OLD BOY!

Drew turned 5 at the end of October-I can hardly believe my sweet Drew is already 5. He is a special boy and we love him so much!

Here are some pictures to show some of the things I love about Drew!

* Drew has the BEST hair!

* Drew loves his big sister Addi.

* Drew loves to play and go to the park. He used to fall asleep in these swings.

* He loves music--listening, playing the piano, singing.

* Drew definitely has a mischievous side!

* He loves tools and gadgets!

* He loves the bath-even when he is all ready for church!

* Drew loves to give kisses.

Drew & Rocky

At the Zoo

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Bear

Playing in a New York City park

* He is willing to play dress up with his sisters!

* He loves the water.

* He loves to ride horses.

* Drew loves his Daddy!

Scott & Drew at a Yankees Game

* He loves his brother Owen.

* He is super tough!

Drew getting his stitches out

* Drew has a way of finding trouble!

Sometimes I wish I had one of these in my house! :)

* Drew loves anything mechanical.

Drew was watching the Gondola in Vail launch. He must have stood there for 20 minutes trying to figure out how it worked! He was THRILLED when he got to ride it!

* Drew is named after our great friend Drew McGuire from New York. "Little Drew" loves "Big Drew" and his beautiful wife Aubrey.

* One of Drew's favorite places is Chuck E. Cheese's! He can hang out there for hours (so can his Daddy!)

DREW'S PARTIES

Drew got to have 2 birthday parties this year-one family party with his cousin Hunter, who turned 8, and one with his playgroup and preschool friends.

Drew's & Hunter's Football Cake

Blowing out their Candles

Thomas Cupcake Cake

Drew had been eyeing this cake at Target since last year. Every time we took a trip to Target, he wanted to go over to the Bakery to see it. I promised him we would get it for his party-he was so excited when we FINALLY got it!!

Drew & his cute little friends - I had 17 four and five year olds over for one afternoon to celebrate. Drew was so happy to have all of his buddies there!

Drew, we love you so much! You are an amazing little boy and we are blessed to have you in our family. You bring so much light and wonder and joy to my days.

Have a Fabulous Year 5 !

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPLES !

2010-10-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

This little kitchen tool is becoming my new best friend! Why, you might ask???

Apples, that's why!

Not just any apples, and not just a few apples...

THESE Apples...Lots of Apples...Lots and Lots of Apples...(There were more--packed so perfectly, but we dug in before I could get a photo!)

The BEST APPLES EVER! Apples sent all the way from my Dad's garden in Utah.

To my siblings...try not to be jealous! :)

A friend of my parents was kind enough to drive them over when they came to visit their daughter. Luckily they didn't need to bring much else, because I think this box took up about 1/2 of their trunk space!

First, we started eating them, and eating and eating them. Dad picked out lots of small apples just for the kids. "Grandpa Apples" they've been named by the kids. I have to limit the number of apples they can eat every day--so they don't eat themselves sick.

Now I am on to bigger and better things to do with apples...

APPLE PIE!

I found this recipe and it is Soooooooooo Goooooood! Super rich and sweet (my dad probably would rework this recipe with about 1/2 the sugar), but I just followed the recipe and it is sticky and gooey and sweet and Oh So Delicious!

I think I've got about 150 more apples to go, so I may bottle some for apple pie filling for later in the winter and share some, of course. But these apples are precious--and best baked or eaten fresh!

So, I'm off to find more yummy apple recipes!

CuTe HaLLoWeeN CooKieS !

2010-10-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe for these adorable Candy Corn Cookies on a blog called Baked Bree. She has tons of great recipes and fun stuff on her blog. I LOVE candy corns, so I thought these would be fun! I think they turned out so cute and they are YUMMY! :) The kids loved them too! :)

Happy Autumn!

ESTES PARK and VAIL

2010-10-09T20:12:00.000-07:00

I know it is October, but I am finally blogging about our last adventures of the summer...

ESTES PARK, CO

We went up to Estes Park for a week with my whole family this summer-27 of us! Getting us all together at the same time is no small feat! We come from all across the country--California, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Texas, Idaho and Connecticut. After miles of flying and hours (and hours and hours-for some) of driving, we all made it to Rocky Mountain National Park here in Colorado!

We usually all get together in Utah during the summer at my parents home, so it was a fun change to have everyone come here to CO. We had so much fun, going into the park each day and exploring a new waterfall or going on another beautiful hike. We had picnic lunches and campfire dinners, swam in the pool at the hotel, and just relaxed. It was a perfect vacation!

Avery and Aunt Kim throwing sticks. Anyone who would do this with Avery was her instant friend!

Drew, Owen, Johnny and Chris playing in the COLD water.

Drew and Owen

Addi, Drew and Owen

Lisa, Christy and Tyler

Owen-sopping wet and still having fun!

Cousins!

Mary and Avery

Drew, Mary, Addi, Scott, Owen and Avery walking around Sprague Lake.

Directly across the lake was a wedding-what a beautiful location!

Climbing Rocks - Scott, Avery, Drew and Owen

Owen - King of the Mountain!

Addi the Rock Climber!

Beautiful!

Sprague Lake

Avery collected rocks along the way...

and put them all in her pockets!

Wheeee Hoooo!!!!!

Scott and Avery

RACING! Scott, Addi, Drew & Owen

Wheeeeee!

GO-CARTS--Dad and Drew

Addi & Karen-Whooo Hooo! We are winning!

Owen and Dad

Addi and Mary - Best Cousins!

Addi and Avery at the waterfall

Karen and Avery

Avery hiked most of the trail by herself - she was a trooper!

Cousins at the waterfall having a snack

All of us girls painted our toes with glitter paint. Of course Jim joined us! Owen was Jim's little buddy the whole trip and wanted his painted too. I didn't get a picture of all of the girls' toes (there were about 10 of us), but I got one of the two boys and their beautiful toes!

Drew was mortified at the sight of Owen and Jim's toes and could barely look at them! He refused to take a bath with Owen the whole trip! :)

Jim, Addi and Owen canoeing on Lake Estes

Jim taking Drew and Avery out for a ride

Lisa, Chris, Anjuli with cute Brendon and Avery! (first cousins-once removed)

SUPER FUN TRIP with SUPER FUN PEOPLE! :)

VAIL, CO

Scott had his 10 year Dental School Reunion this year and we all met up for the festivities in Vail. We decided to make a family trip of it and took the kids and my 14 year old niece, Emily. It was a blast!

A highlight of the trip was riding the Gondola - we rode it up and down several times!

Drew and Addi enjoying the view from the gondola

Addi at the top of the gondola ride climbing the rock wall.

There was a little festival in Lionshead Village - Addi is a champion hula hooper (just like her mom! :)

Addi flying on the trampoline

Drew getting ready to jump on the trampoline. He had No Fear! He went as high as it would go and had the biggest smile on his face!

Owen having a pony ride

Cutie pie Avery - what a doll!

Ice Cream - another favorite!

Addi and Emily enjoying their Haagen Daz - Yummy!

Probably the best ride in town--Providing hours of entertainment for our kiddos! This escalator is right off the Lionshead Village Square. The kids rode it over and over! :)

We got to go out to dinner with Scott's Dental School classmates (Emily babysat for us in the hotel) and we all had tons of fun as a family. It was a fantastic trip! :)

So that is it for Summer! Bring on the Fall...

Summer 2010 - UTAH

2010-09-21T14:39:00.001-07:00

Well, since I have one more official day of summer I thought I would try to get the rest of our summer updated on the blog. So here it goes, it will be a picture fest!

UTAH 2010

The kids and I went to Utah this year for 2 weeks. Scott came on the front and back weekends of the trip. While we missed Scott tons, I think everyone had a great time. The kids had a blast hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa Utah's-playing in the yard and on the swing set, jumping on the tramp, helping in the garden, feeding the neighbor's horses, and swimming in the pool. For the kids it is like Heaven there! I had fun playing with the kids without any other obligations and spending time with my mom and dad. And Scott, who stayed behind to work, got to play tons of golf in the evenings and weekend! So we all had a fun 2 weeks!!

Addi, Drew & Owen with their special Bamboo Stick Swords courtesy Grandpa Utah

Roasting hotdogs with Grandpa Utah

This is always a highlight-Hotdogs, S'MORES and then a nice long BATH!

Eating our dinner. Notice Addi's roasted grilled cheese sandwich-she does not like hotdogs, so we just roasted her a sandwich on a stick. It worked perfectly!

Addi and Grandma

Avery and Grandpa

We went up to BYU one afternoon to the Bean Museum. The kids love all of the stuffed animals there and the highlight is always getting to see a couple of my sisters BUGS from Oklahoma in the collection. Yep she donated her bug collection to BYU and so she's a little bit famous! Next time you go, look in the bug cases at the little identification papers on the bugs for Kimberly Burnham. You might need to bring a magnifying glass though because the font is teeny tiny!

After the museum, we had lunch in the Cougar Eat (if it is even still called that). It is much different than when we went to school there with all of the fast food restaurants and snack shop! But everyone was happy because they got to choose whatever they wanted.

BYU Campus with the kids

Avery did not get her naps as regularly as she normally does at home and so she would find time for a catnap on the couch whenever she could. What a little sweetie!

SWIM LESSONS with ARieL

I put the kids in swim lessons everyday for the 2 weeks we were there. It gave us something fun to do and made it so I only bathed them a handful of times. Win-Win! I mean I would think-"oh the kids need a bath." But then I would think-"oh they are going swimming in the morning-what's the point?!" They did always have a bath before church at least! :)

Our swim teacher's name was Ariel, really, which the kids just loved! Turns out she is from Parker, CO and going to school at BYU. We will definitely do swim lessons again with Ariel! The kids improved so much-I was amazed at the change in their skill level in just 2 weeks!

Goofy Avery!

Our little gate girl

Addi and Drew in the hot tub

Owen and Ariel

Drew, Owen and Ariel

Drew working on his arm strokes

Addi taking a LEAP!

THANKSGIVING POINT

We can't go to Utah with out paying a visit to one of our favorite places, Thanksgiving Point. The kids explored the dinosaur museum, checked out the animals in the little farm, rode the ponies and we all went to see Toy Story 3 in 3D-a super fun day!

Addi

Drew loved riding the ponies!

SNOW CONES

A favorite treat was the snow cone shack down the street from my parents home. The kids LOVED it! And by kids, I mean Scott too!

Addi, Avery, Scott

Owen and Drew slurping up their snow cones!

Until Next Summer...

SCHOOL ! ! (Part 2)

2010-09-08T12:43:00.001-07:00

Today was Drew's turn to start school (his second year of preschool). He was really excited and ready to see all of his friends. I laid out his outfit for him last night, but he apparently did not approve! He said his fire golf shirt was "way better for the first day of school." And who can argue with that? The shirt I picked was just a boring old striped shirt -- of course a flaming golf shirt would be a better choice! And paired with camo shorts and blue & red guitar socks, it just makes the perfect outfit! Why didn't I think of that?!?! :)

As always Drew has a mind of his own and he is never afraid to tell you what he thinks or feels. This is a quality that sometimes frustrates me right now, but I am SURE it will be a fantastic quality when he is 25! :) :)

My Handsome Drew!

All ready to go!

SO Excited!

In front of Miss Kim's Preschool.

With both boys in preschool this year, I am taking one or the other to Miss Kim's every day! Luckily it is just down the street. I am really excited for both of the boys this year to be able to have fun and learn in preschool. I am just hoping I can keep it all straight! :)

SCHOOL ! ! ! !

2010-09-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

After our super-fun, extra-long summer break (which I still have more pics of to add later), we are finally ready to start school! The school is absolutely beautiful--They did an amazing job and it was definitely worth the wait!

Addison has been so excited to start and had her uniform laid out for 2 days. We met her teacher last week. She is such a sweetheart and Addi loved her right away. Addi got to see her classroom and pick out her very own desk. And one of her best friends is in the same class which made her even more happy!

Addison - 1st Day of School - First Grade

We got a locket over the summer and Addi wanted to put a picture of me and her inside so that when she was at school she would always have me there! Of course, after getting teary-eyed over the thought, I loved the idea! :) The picture is very tiny, but reminds Addi how much I love her and that I am thinking of her while she is away at school all day.

Addi and Karen on the Gondola in Vail-the picture we chose for Locket

My adorable little first-grader

I love her in her cute uniform!

Scott is taking Addi to school everyday on the way to work. Addi calls his car Herbie and the other day she decided to rename his car: HERBIE the SUPER BUS! Of course, we had to make a sign!

All ready to go! This is where I started to cry...

Addi & Scott on their way! Me - Yep, still crying...

One Down One to Go

No more time for crying! Now it is Owen's turn. He started preschool today and was so excited. He wanted to leave with Addi even though we still had an hour before he needed to leave for school.

Isn't he a doll ! :)

Outside Miss Kim's Preschool

Owen and his buddy M ready to start their first day! So cute!

Owen had a fun first day and said he "loved everything" when I asked his what his favorite thing was today.

Addi is still at school for another hour and I can't wait to see her and hear all about her first day! I miss her lots but I know she is having fun and learning so much! Somehow my first baby girl has grown into this beautiful, smart, spunky, toothless little first-grader. It seems to have gone too fast and I suspect time will only get faster still. I love being her mom! I am proud of the person she is becoming and so excited for this next adventure in her life that I get to be a part of!

FAMILY PICTURES

2010-08-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

When we were up in Estes Park in July (more blogging on that trip later), we got a family picture. My whole family was together which won't happen for a while since 2 of my nieces are going on missions. They are sisters and leaving within a month of each other! So we took the opportunity to get a group photo!! :) For this big a group I think it turned out pretty cute. Avery is making a goofy face, but for the most part everyone is looking and smiling! What more can you ask for really?!?!

Burnham Family

Mom, Dad, 5 kids, Spouses, 15 Grandchildren & 1 Great-Grandchild

Whitney Family

We all got individual pictures too, so here is our little family!

More Summer 2010

2010-08-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

Daddy's Little Girl

Avery loves to play Air Hockey with her Daddy!

Score!!!!

Guys and Dolls Furniture Field Trip

There is the greatest furniture store in Aurora, called Guys and Dolls Furniture that we love. We have gotten all our kids furniture there over the years and the kids just LOVE to go there. They have beds with slides and tents (which they wish we would buy them), cool toys and this fun kid size exercise equipment. The workout stuff is the first thing they run to when we get to the store. It is kid powered and light weight and so cute. We never bought any despite their pleas, but it is fun to play with when we go.

So if you are ever thinking of buying Children's Furniture (crib - teen), Guys and Dolls is a must visit on any list of furniture stores! Everybody will have fun! :)

Drew

Owen

Addison

What we really came for...some new furniture for Addison's room. Avery is moving into a big girl bed in Addi's old room and Addi is getting a new room.

Tiny Town, CO

In June, we paid a visit to Tiny Town, CO. (Don't worry we went before the train derailment! Yep the train derailed about a week ago, several people were taken to the hospital. Luckily, no one was injured too badly and hopefully they will have it up and going again soon.)

If you have never been to Tiny Town, it is a definite summer activity here in CO. Tiny Town is about 30 minutes away off HWY 285, an old railroad stop, filled with an entire town of absolutely amazing little shops and houses. Kids can explore, peer inside and even crawl into some of these cute tiny buildings. They are really wonderful! Apparently the man who started it built them for his daughter and it's been a museum since 1920. We try to go at least once a summer. There is a steam train, shaded picnic area, playground and ice cream shoppe. A great summer outing!

Drew and Owen waiting for the train.

Julie (my niece), Avery, Owen, Drew, M and Addi

Owen & Avery peering inside the Gas Station

Checking out the Cafe

Avery relaxing on a kid sized bench

Owen resting on the porch of this cute little house

Addison

Drew & Owen playing during lunch

Peek-A-Boo Addi

SUMMER 2010 - MAY & JUNE

2010-08-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

Where have we been all summer? Why haven't I kept up on blogging? What is going on in the Whitney family?

Well it is all right here in the next few posts. My plan...to blog May - August in the next few days. A lofty goal, yes, but I'll do my best. There will be lots of pictures, events, travels and fun to come!

We have had a fun-filled summer and are getting ready for school to start in the next couple of weeks-we don't start until after Labor Day this year which I am loving! When did August become a school month and not a summer month? Everyone is in school by now and so the pools, parks and stores are all but deserted. Well, enough chatter, here comes our summer...

Wildcat Scat

Addi and Karen on Race Day

Addison ran her first race in May this year. We ran the Wildcat Scat, a fundraiser race for her school. It was the perfect first race, 1 mile, on a path right by the school. From the minute we signed up for the race, she was excited! We bought some "real running shoes" and she practiced jogging on the treadmill and ran around the block to train for the race all on her own! We jogged, then walked, the jogged, then walked-- and in the end jogged about half and walked about half the race. Even though we will be at a different school this year, I think we will do this race every year and make it a first race for all the kids as they get older! It was a great time and a really fun thing to do together with my cute Addi!

Drew's 1st Year PreSchool Graduation

1st & 2nd Year PreSchool Kids

Getting their Graduation Caps

Drew insisted on wearing his Nuggets shirt that day. He insisted it was his only shirt for such a special occasion. Who was I to argue?!

Cute Drew

Miss Kim and Drew with his Diploma and Monkey Grad.

We are so proud of you Drew!

Next year Miss Kim will have a Whitney boy every day as Owen and Drew will be there on alternating days! We LOVE Miss Kim, we just hope she still loves us after next year! :)

Addison's Kindergarten Graduation from Wildcat Mountain Elementary

Not a great picture, but the kids all performed songs for the parents. This was Addison's class singing a colors song.

Addi and Avery after the ceremony.

Avery danced in the back during all of the music!

My beautiful girl is growing up too fast...A Kindergarten Graduate!

Addison and Mrs. Buckland

Addi loved her teacher and will miss her friends at Wildcat, but is super excited to start 1st Grade at SkyView Academy next year!

Addison's Ballet Recital

We changed ballet schools last year to The Academy of Colorado Ballet and were excited for the recital at the end of May. Addison worked really hard and loved ballet this year. We are so proud of her ~ she is a beautiful little dancer!

Gorgeous and ready for the Recital

I just love this picture of the girls.

Outside the Theater at Kent Denver before the performance

Future Ballerina?

Addi and Avery

Addi did so well in her recital and danced beautifully.

Miscellaneous Snapshots of our Life!

Avery at her 2 year check up (she turned 2 in March, but we didn't get to her check up until early May!) She insisted on bringing her "Rocky" doll to the doctor. I just thought she was so precious in her little!

Addi's Garage Sale Lemonade and Snack Stand

Addi had been begging me to do a lemonade stand, so when we had a garage sale, I decided to let her go for it! She colored her poster and helped get everything set up and did all the selling! Her friend Tyler came up to help out one of the days too. They had a blast and actually made some money!

We got a new tent, so we set it up in the family room one night and had a fun movie night!

I just thought this was so sweet of Avery! We get home from church around 2:15 and by the time the kids have lunch it is usually 3:00 (way past nap time).

So this is thru the beginning of June, more to come...

A Little Dinner Conversation

2010-06-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is how some of our dinner conversation went tonight...

My 11 year old niece, Julie, is here visiting for a week and the kids have been counting down the days to her arrival for quite some time. She is "Finally" here as Addi put it today. We were eating pizza tonight and Julie commented about how thirsty she was and got some more water to drink. She lives in Texas, so I told her that she would would want to drink lots of water while she is here because of the altitude and dry climate. Here is what followed...

Drew:

"Yep Julie, because we want to have white pee, not yellow pee, so we need to drink lots of water." (Good advice coming from a 4 year old I think. And then...)

"Julie, you know girls don't have a penis only boys."

Then Owen chimes in with his own very relevant information.

Owen:

"Uh Huh, Julie. That's because Mom's and Addi's and Avery's fell off."

Whaaaat?!?!?!?

We do teach our kids the proper names for body parts, so I'll take credit for that, but as for Owen's deduction...he dreamed that up all on his own!

I just looked at Julie and she looked at me and we both started cracking up! Sometimes all you can do is laugh!

An Empty Space - A Place in My Heart

2010-05-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

It may not look like much...this small empty space in the corner of my kitchen, but it is. This little corner is where our high chair stood for the last 6 years. My kids learned to eat here. They tasted their first mashed up peas and blended macaroni dinners...dropped, spilled and even threw food here! It is here that I made faces to get them to open their mouths saying "Ahhhhhh" hoping that my open mouth would be a signal for them to open theirs. Most of the time they just looked at me and laughed, but it usually got them to open up. Airplanes have flown in and trains have delivered many bites to little mouths right here in this spot. I have wiped hands, necks and faces, arms and legs and even toes, picked bits of food out of hair, and scrubbed the floor, cabinets and wall all right here in this little spot. Many hours have been spent sitting in my rolling chair going back and forth feeding one child in the high chair and helping the others with their meals at the table. More than 8,000 snacks and meals have been served in this spot. We spent much time getting to know and love each other right here.

A chapter in our lives is coming to an end and I am not sure whether to jump for joy or weep. Avery has decided that she is DONE with the high chair and will only eat at the table with the "big" kids. I took the high chair out of the kitchen the other day and while it freed up space, it also just didn't seem quite right, something was missing. My babies, I guess. I will miss them terribly, but I am in love with who my kids are right now and who they are becoming. So while my kitchen seems roomier without the highchair in the corner, I will surely miss it and all that it represents. It is a small space but will always have a special place in my heart.

Each of the kids in the highchair...

Addison with her Lamb

Drew on his 1st Birthday

Owen enjoying some Mac N Cheese

Avery at Easter eating a Chocolate Bunny

A Special Party, Lost Teeth, A Picnic and Mother's Day

2010-05-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

Our little friend Halley turned ONE a few weeks ago and Rocky came to her party. He was a HIT! All the kids (and parents!) absolutely LOVED him! Halley is a special little girl and we were excited to celebrate with her and her mom & dad.

Drew & Rocky

Rocky brought Halley a bag full of little gifts.

Drew, Karen & Avery with Rocky

Addi lost her 2 Front Teeth! She was so excited and told me after she lost the first one, that she couldn't wait to lose the second one because she would look "even cuter" with 2 missing teeth! She lost the other one a couple of days later. (Scott "helped" with both)

I love her confidence and hope she never loses it as she grows older!

Drew loves to play with the play food I used to use in my French classes. He set up a whole picnic for me in the family room and then we sat down and ate everything up! YUM!

He spent a long time getting everything just right.

Addi with my Mother's Day "Pajamagram"

Scott and the kids woke up early and told me to sleep in on Mother's Day (you don't have to tell me twice!) And they made me Mother's Day cards and Breakfast in Bed! A raisin heart in my oatmeal and "#1 Mom" Pancakes absolutely made my day! And it was all delicious!

I love the syrup smile! :)

Thank you Scott and the kids! I am the luckiest mom in the world and blessed everyday to have such an amazing family!

I love you all to pieces!

Build-A-Bear

2010-05-25T18:57:00.001-07:00

Ever since Avery's 2nd Birthday, we had been promising the kids that we would go to Build-A-Bear. Addison insisted that Avery needed a Build-A-Bear of her own (and that Addi needed another one!) So a few Saturdays ago, when it had been raining here so much and Addi's soccer game was cancelled, we decided to finally make good on our promise! The kids had a blast picking out their animals and outfits and doing all the fun stuff at Build-A-Bear!

Four animals, several outfits (Avery would not let anyone dress her Flower Bunny-she prefers her au naturel), a pair of slippers and Bunny Bed later, we left the store, everyone excited about their new friends. I just wish I would have thought of Build-A-Bear! :)

Avery with her stuffed Bunny. She was really upset when I gave her the floppy, unfilled shell of a bunny. She was much happier when it got filled up with the stuffing.

Owen helping fill his Dragon "Draggie"

Fun at the Bathing Station

Drew fluffing his Bear "Brownie"

Avery scrubbing her "Flower"

A Happy Crew & their new Friends!

Eating at Ted's after Build-A-Bear.

Addi & Drew

Addi made everyone Bendaroo glasses.

Oh No! My Brain.....

2010-05-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

In the rush of getting ready this morning, Drew and Owen were chasing each other around goofing off and having fun....until they collided. Drew got the worst of it and was laying on the family room floor crying. When I got to him he said in a painful wimper,

"Oh No! My brain is BROKEN!"

Holding back laughter, I comforted him and asked him what we were going to do to fix it. He said,

"I don't know and it's the only one I have!"

I tried some head rubbing and a cold washcloth, but he told me it wasn't working. I asked him what else we should try. Suddenly he hopped up and ran to the playroom while yelling,

"I know what will fix my brian...playing a game!" and he got out some race cars and and went right back to playing.

Disaster averted! Not sure what we would have done with a Broken Brain! :)

Drew in the "Train" he built out of floor mats.

Our Baby Avery is TWO!

2010-03-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Avery is officially a Toddler. She thinks she is as big as Addi some days, but still lets me snuggle with her sometimes too. She loves to play babies and Barbies and run around playing chase with her big brothers and sister. She is definitely a daddy's girl and even calls for him from her crib in the morning when she wakes up-which he can't resist! :)

It is sort of bitter sweet for me, Avery turning two. From the start she was an angel of a baby, a happy go-with-the-flow kind of child, sleeping though the night early, eating well, content almost all of the time. I guess she knew she had to be an easy baby - coming to our family the fourth child in 4 years. Addison had just turned 4, Drew was 2 1/2 and Owen was still just a baby of 14 months-not even walking yet.

It is bitter sweet because she has definitely developed her own cute little personality, destined to be a little clown and fun loving child and it has been so much fun to see her grow and develop and change into the sweet (and feisty) little girl that she is. But she is also our last baby and I am a little sad that the baby stage is coming to an end around our home. I am super excited for all of the fun things our family can do together now that our kids are growing up, but I am also a little sad that my babies are gone.

When Avery was just a couple of months old, I was telling Addison (who was a little over 4 at the time) how Addi had been a sweet little baby like Avery and that we loved her so much and that she had grown up and was such a little sweetheart. I told her that Avery was our last baby and that it wouldn't be long before Avery would grow up and be able to play with Addi (dress up and Barbies, hide-and-seek and coloring-all of which Addison was very excited about).

Addison leaned down to Avery, who was laying on the floor, and lifted her shoulders up off the ground so that their little faces were almost touching and said to her, "Avery we're going to miss you when you grow up!" It brought me to tears when she said this because I knew how right this little 4 year old was. Our babies grow up and change and develop into wonderful children, youth and adults, but we always remember them as babies when we could hold them in our arms and sing them to sleep. I wish they could stay little just a tiny bit longer!

I do miss you my sweet baby Avery, and I love you today more than ever! Thank you for coming to our family - I am so blessed to be your mom! I am excited for the next phase of our journey together as a family! HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY AVERY!

Below are a bunch of pics from baby to toddler and of course Avery's birthday party at Grandma & Grandpa Whitney's, March 14, 2010...

Two almost identical photos. The one on the top is Addison and me in New York in 2004 and the one on the bottom is Avery and me in 2008. My two beautiful girls!

Avery came out tough and it's a good thing with 3 older siblings!

Drew, Avery, Addi (2008)

4th of July in Vail, 2008

Sisters are the best!

4 Little Buddies

Ballerina Avery in her adorable Olivia outfit made by our friend Jenn H.

Googly eyes - Thanks Grandma!

Christmas Time 2008

Cheetah Girl exploring the kitchen

Summer 2009 - Discovering Popsicles

1st Haircut, Thanks Aunt Janeen!

Summer 2009 at Grandma & Grandpa Utah's house (that is what they all call my parents)

Vail 2009

Avery and Owen LOVE to give hugs!

For Avery's Birthday party we had a big get together at Grandma and Grandpa Whitney's! They know how to throw a party for sure! Food, cake, pinata and presents make for a great time! Avery and her cousin Carmendi and their Aunt Jenn share the same birthday, March 14. Aunt JoJo and Austin also have March Birthdays, so we has a great big combined party for everyone!

Carmendi (5) and Avery (2)

Avery having her cupcake before the candles or birthday song!

Happy Birthday Baby!

Austin and Jonelle

Carmendi and some of her cousins

Avery helping AJ open a gift

Addi helping Avery with her gifts. We did not want any more toys!!! :) So Avery got a bunch of adorable summer outfits-Thanks everyone!

More presents

Cousins - Carmendi and Avery - So cute!

Happy 2nd Birthday my Adorable Avery! I love you to pieces my sweet little girl!

A Weekend Trip To Copper Mountain

2010-03-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went up to Copper Mountain for a couple of days of fun in the SNOW! Scott took Addi and Drew up Friday night and the kids took ski lessons on Saturday and Scott went snowboarding. Addi is getting really good and has graduated to the Blues for next time! We (me, Avery and Owen) came up with Jenn, Nathan and Noah on Saturday to hang out and go tubing. It was a really fun little getaway! The kids had a blast playing and goofing off together! Here are some of the highlights...

Drew ready for a day of ski lessons

Addison going into lessons

Owen running around in the Village

All of us waiting for the bus to the Tubing Hill

Avery and Scott

Playing in the snow pile waiting for the bus

Waiting while we got our tubing tickets

Sweet Owen

Noah - King of the Mountain!

Addison - Queen of the Mountain!

Playing on the Dirty Snow!

Scott and Owen at the Tubing Hill

Avery playing in the snow. Her favorite thing was to rub her hands in the snow and then lick her mittens. She LOVED it! The snow was pretty white, so I just let her keep eating it :)

Avery and Owen rolling around in the snow

Waiting for Tubing - Drew and Noah - little buddies

Avery in the Snow Cave. She loved this cave and spent most of the tubing time going in and out of the cave. Scott and I took turns tubing and watching Avery since she was too little to tube. Next year...

When we got into the cave, I was trying to get her to look up for a picture and said "look, a butterfly!" Of course she looked up & I snapped the picture. So then I had to tell her there were no butterflies in the snow cave. Every time she would slide back into the cave she would say "no butterflies in here."

Drew & Addi on the Magic Carpet to the top

Owen having fun riding to the top in the double tube

Hunter ready to go down the #5 chute (the fastest chute!) The guy spun him so hard I thought he would throw up! But he LOVED it!

Addi & Owen waiting their turn in the double tube

I think Drew had the most fun tubing! He absolutely loved it and when our session was over just wanted to keep going. The guys running it were so nice and let him take one more ride-one guy put Drew in the tube and ran him up to the magic carpet so he could get in one last run before the next group.

Avery enjoyed the "playground"

Still tubing as it gets dark - Addi & Noah (in the background)

Owen & Addison all worn out after a fun session of tubing! They made snow angels here.

A tired group of kids hanging out in Jenn & Jakes condo after going to dinner

Avery & Owen all bundled up for another fun day

The girls on the bus to go tubing again. Avery turned 2 today! (March 14) Oh, My BABY is TWO!!!

My boys... Adorable, what can I say!

It Is All About Perspective!

2010-03-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

Our Yard 3/4/10

Our Across the Street Neighbor's Yard 3/4/10

This morning when I was taking Addison to the bus, I heard an unfamiliar sound from my garage as we were getting into the car. As I opened the garage door, the noise revealed itself - it was coming from our neighbor's yard across the street.

It was the sound of a lawn mower and sure enough there was our very nice neighbor mowing his lawn. This may not sound odd to those of you living in warmer climates, but although we have had a couple of warmer days - 50 degrees or so - recently, it has been a very cold winter. Not a ton of snow here in the Denver area, but cold none the less.

The thing that made this lawn mowing incident significant to me though was the difference in our two yards. Our house faces north and does not get much sun in the front yard. Our across the street neighbor's house faces south and therefore he gets lots of sun in the front-making driveway snow removal a much easier task and his yard visible most of the winter!

While his yard is completely clear of snow, perhaps not quite ready for lawn mowing--he is a bit of an over achiever in that area!--our yard is still covered in snow from the very first snow storm way back in November. No kidding - the snow just kept piling up, never melting from 6 months ago. It is like we live in parallel worlds. He is over across the street living in spring and we are over here still stuck in the middle of winter!

So my assessment from all of this? It is all about perspective! Sun makes for a much better yard for sure, but it can also make for a much better life. Keep your face pointed toward the sun--the light, the warmth, the happiness in life. Fill your days with goodness, look for the bright spots, savor the warm moments. I don't always succeed in this, but I know that when I am conscious of it, I have a much better day.

I am really hoping that spring is on the way. I am ready for the small glacier to be gone from our front yard. I am ready for the park and picnics, bike riding and the pool, for sandals and no more coats, gloves, hats, scarves or boots cluttering my laundry room. But I guess until is is officially here, I will keep my face pointed toward the sun and look for the best and brightest in my life!

QUOTE OF THE DAY!

2010-02-22T21:21:00.000-08:00

Here is the quote of the day from our house...

"I just want to cuddle and watch ice dancing."

Now I won't say who said it BUT...

it wasn't me and the kids were all in bed! :)

Butterflies and "Tiger Owen"

2010-02-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

We went to a groundbreaking ceremony for Addi's school next year and they had a face-painting booth. After waiting in line for quite a while (Avery was rolling around on the dirty floor by the time we reached the front), the kids chose their designs-Addi wanted a "beautiful butterfly", Drew asked for "a boy butterfly" and Owen told the face painter that he wanted to be "Tiger Owen"!

The kids spent the afternoon chasing each other around the house-"Tiger Owen" ferociously chased while the beautiful boy and girl butterflies flapped their wings gracefully and ran away (screaming of course!)

Now Owen always wants to look at his picture of "Tiger Owen" on my phone.

Addison & Drew

Addi (6), Drew (4), Owen (3)

Avery & Owen cuddling before bedtime

Avery LOVES her brother (most of the time!)

Avery being silly on the couch - She is such a little clown! I love her adorable smile!

Target...Target...Oh How I Love You!

2010-02-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

Target, Target...Oh How I Love You!

I needed a couple of things from the store today and thought-what the heck, after I pick up Addison from Kindergarten we'll head over to Target-me and the 4 kiddos! Mind you, I don't take them all very often. I prefer to stroll the aisles aimlessly between 9:00 and 10:00 at night - I just wish they were open until midnight. Then I would have more time for my kid-less wanderings up and down each and every aisle-even if I don't need something from that aisle. The beautiful organization aisles are my favorite, with their brightly colored and stylish bins of all shapes and sizes, hooks, over-the door organizers, and so much more. I can buy these items without even knowing what I will put in them...but sure I will find some perfect use for them once I am home! If Target were open later, I could actually ponder the items I am putting into my cart rather than grabbing and tossing them in as quickly as possible dashing from one aisle to the next and invariably leaving the store at without at least 3 things on my list-even when they are written down and my list is right in front of me. But it is just as well they are not open later or I would probably spend way more time and money than I already do there!

But enough rambling...back to my story of today. Target is like a treat for my kids-the elevator, the escalator (the one in Lone Tree), the aisles and aisles of toys, the snacks I swore I would never open in the store before purchasing them (but that was before I had kids and realized that an open box of Teddy Grahams is sometimes the only way to keep them in the cart!) And the SLURPEES, ahhhhh the SLURPEES. That is their favorite part of Target-that and the Popcorn! On the way there I went over the rules of behavior and then Addison piped up and said "I know what we do mom-first we get a cart, then we all go to the bathroom, then we get our slurpees and popcorn!" I guess I do take them enough for them to know this routine!

So after 15 minutes in the bathroom-all 3 had to go and Avery needed a diaper change and of course the hand-washing and then everyone had to dispense their own paper towels--multiple times-we got to business. First, we had to figure out everyone's position in the cart which changed several times just walking from the bathroom to the cafe. We ordered our sluprees and popcorn and my large diet coke (which I definitely needed by that time-we'd already been in the store for 20 minutes!) Addison is the Slurpee filler and knows just when to stop so that they do not overflow (because they expand of course). Owen likes to blow all of the papers off the straws and help distribute slurpees to everyone. Avery picks up all the trash. Finally they were all happy and I was ready for a quick shopping trip! Like I said I only needed a few things...

We made it though the produce, the cereal aisle, the baking aisle and down to the milk without incident. On the way across to the toys (which I promised we could visit if they all behaved), Avery and Owen decided they needed to walk instead of ride in the cart. This is where things began to fall apart. Avery also insisted on carrying her slurpee and the bag of popcorn which made it impossible for her to eat the popcorn since both her hands were full. So every few feet she set the popcorn bag down on the floor and ate a couple of pieces, had a sip of her slurpee and then picked up the bag and slurpee and resumed walking. It took us about 15 minutes to cross the back of the store, but I did get to look at all of the cute home decor stuff! Addi, Drew and Owen would take a handful of popcorn when they wanted it, which seemed to make Avery a little upset each time-she started holding the bag behind her back saying "My Popcorn!" as she walked toward the toys.

And then it happened...

Owen wanted more popcorn and Avery did NOT want to share. She was spinning in circles with the popcorn behind her back as Owen was trying desperately to stop her. As this is happening I swear it all went to slow motion. I was a few feet away and knew in my head what was about to happen, but couldn't react quickly enough.

Owen grabbed Avery and went for the popcorn. At this very moment, Avery threw the popcorn as hard as she could and yelled "NO Owen!" Then upset at the loss of her popcorn proceeded to throw her Slurpee just for spite! Popcorn and Blue Goo spread over several feet of the Princess aisle. Everyone froze. All of us and all of the people within 10 feet of us. Drew stopped, turned around toward Avery and yelled at her:

"OH NO Avery, You're DOOMED!!!!!"

I could see onlookers out of the corner of my eyes giggling at this remark and at this point I was both trying not to laugh and trying not to cry all at the same time! I'm not sure where Drew even learned the meaning of the word "doomed" but it was perfect! Fortunately there was a Target worker on the next aisle, so I showed him the mess and apologized profusely and high-tailed it to the check out to buy our 5 items.

I am not sure that it was worth the hour we spent and the mess we made for a little fruit, cereal and milk, but it will definitely be a trip to Target I won't soon forget and a reminder to me to resume my late night trips to Target very soon.

I hope you will forgive me Target. I will be back soon, and I promise next time without the kids!

Our Baby Girl is SIX !

2010-01-27T20:09:00.001-08:00

So I cannot believe that our baby girl, Addison, turned 6 on January 26th. I wanted to post some of my favorite pics of her! She is my sweet little Angel and I love her so much! She is in Kindergarten this year and loving school and seems to be growing up way to fast for me!

Addison with Grandma, Grandpa, Katie and Miranda-those beautiful little girls have all grown and changed so much, but are still great little friends!

Addison was born in New York so she got a little of the city in her at a very young age! She loves to tell people she was born in New York !

Our little Sun Goddess on a Long Island Beach-Yes she has lots of sunscreen on !

Mimi, Addi & Katie

Little Sports Fan!

Nuggets Cheerleader, ready to go to a Nuggets Game.

Addi's favorite stuffed animal was Pooh Bear. She still loves to snuggle all of her little Pooh Bears!!

She will never remember life without siblings and has always been a wonderful, sweet, caring big sister! But the 21 months we had with just our little Addi were some of my favorite times in my whole life! One sweet little baby girl to focus all of our attention and love on was a special gift.

Addison finally gets her baby sister-Avery. Now the waiting begins till she can dress her up & play princesses!

Addison has always loved to dance, so she started taking ballet when she was 3 and has been hooked ever since! This is her recital 2 years ago (2008).

A well balanced little girl, Addi is both a girly princess girl and a super tough little athlete. This is from her first soccer season in 2008. She loves to score goals and to cheer on her teammates!

Learning to ski last year at Copper Mountain. She LOVES it and wants to go every chance she gets!

Of course she loves the hot chocolate just about as much as the skiing!

Ballet Recital (2009) She pirouettes and chasses all over the house!

Finally her wish of playing dress up with her baby sister Avery has come true! (even if she did have to chase Avery around a while to get her into her Belle outfit.)

Addison LOVES her Daddy! This is on Father's Day 2009.

Karen, Addison & Avery (Easter 2009)

And now she is halfway through Kindergarten and loosing her baby teeth, and I am just trying to figure out where all the time has gone and how our first precious little baby has grown into this beautiful, smart and amazing six year old girl.

Every day goes by and I try to breath a little of her in, try to capture her in my mind and freeze those moments-to somehow slow the passage of time. I am unsuccessful, of course, at freezing time, but I am trying to live as much in the moment as possible, trying to savor this precious time with our kids when they are little. I know that all too soon a bandaid and a popsicle will not be able to heal all their wounds, that life will inevitably get more complicated. But for now I will keep the freezer full of popsicles, the medicine cabinet stocked with bandaids and my heart full of love! I love you my sweet Addison! Happy 6th Birthday baby girl!

Odds & Ends...

2009-05-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Our Little Soccer Team

Addison has been playing soccer since last fall and has tons of fun. Scott is one of the coaches and has decided that he's going to continue coaching Addi's team (The Twirly Girls) and the rest of the kids too when they start. So he got this giant soccer bench for the girls to sit on when they are not playing. We just had to try it out in our living room before the next game. They loved it-better than the couch!

I was going through some of our pictures and wanted to post a few photos from the last month or so-just some fun events and cute things from our life.

Getting ready for a fun day!

Just relaxing with some hot chocolate.

Addi & Dre

Addison took several ski lessons this season and LOVED it! She would get so excited to get up at the crack of dawn and drive up to Copper and have a full day lesson, while Scott and sometimes me would snowboard all day. She was always tired when we picked her up, but wanted to do one more run to show us what she had learned and how she had improved. I was amazed at how quickly she learned and by the last time, she was cruising down blues like she had been skiing all her life! :) One time she had a special treat when her cousin from Texas, Dresden, came out for a visit. They got to have a lesson together and had a blast! She also had a great time going up once with Hunter! Now that the season is over, she can't wait for next winter!

All I could say was OH MY GOSH!...

After taking a quick shower (apparently not quick enough), I came downstairs to this! Owen was eating chips out of the bag. Addison had had gotten out her paints and other art supplies and she and Drew were creating their own masterpieces. Thank goodness for Crayola Washable paints, markers, crayons! It all cleaned up just fine and the kids had fun creating. :) I guess no harm no foul!

Addison's Very Special Mirror

I finally finished Addison's mirror and got it hung in her room. It took a while, but it looks adorable. I had been wanting a cute mirror for her room for a long time, but hadn't been able to find anything that was just perfect. So last summer I had an idea, but wasn't sure exactly how to do it. While in Utah, I asked my dad if it would be possible to cut a piece of wood into a giant flower with a hole in the middle for a mirror.

Well, my dad is a man of action, so grandma watched the kids and we headed off to Home Depot immediately. After looking at all the different sheets of wood and particle board, he picked out a perfect piece of wood, loaded it into his car, brought it home to his workshop and went right to work. With in a few hours, I had my giant wood flower! It was exactly as I had imagined it! I was so excited!

I brought it home and got all of the supplies to paint it the colors to match Addison's room, including tiny flowers around the center that match her bedding. Then life got crazy and I put the project off for several months. Finally I started working on it little by little-one step at a time and after a few more months I finished it! Scott found just the right hardware to mount the mirror and hang it up! I love that he is so handy-just like my dad!

Addison loves her mirror and knows how special it is-that her Grandfather designed and cut it, that her Mom envisioned and painted it and that her Dad finished off the mounting and hung it in her cute little room! I hope that she will always cherish it! Thank you Dad and Scott!

Some cute pics of our sweet Avery

On Her 1st Birthday

Just playing around. Avery loves this chair!

Until next time, be well. live, laugh, love...

2009-04-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

We have been getting a whopper of a snow storm over the last 48 hours. We got about a 15 inches at our house. The kids had a blast playing in the snow and by "kids" I mean SCOTT too! His snow man is about 8 feet tall and if you can't tell from the likeness--a tribute to John Elway. Check out how cut his abs are! We have had a lot of passerbys stopping to comment and even a few honks!

2009-04-17T23:09:00.000-07:00

Some new pics and a few cute stories...

Drew's Nightstand

Drew is a very particular kid--he has to have things a certain way--a little OCD I guess--and looking at his parents, I have NO IDEA where he got this trait from! :) So each night he brings up new things for his nightstand, takes some things away, arranges everything just so and is ready to go to sleep. Many nights, I hear him calling on the monitor to bring him some precious thing he is just remembering that he NEEDS on his nightstand. The empty kleenex box has become a home for his wooden turtle and I am afraid I'll never get my ladle back-as it is a swing for Pooh Bear. He calls all of these items his "Treasures." So now, if I am missing a beater from my mixer or some other kitchen utensil, the first place I look is Drew's nightstand. (I wash them before I use them-don't worry!)

Addison, of course, wanted to know why in the world I was taking a picture of Drew's nightstand, and when I explained she insisted that I take a picture of her room too. So here are her special collections...

Here is Scott with the kids in Avery's room/guest room before bedtime. They all love to climb on him and cuddle him. What a bunch of cuties!

Addison likes to play dress up and until Avery is old enough to play, she is making do with what she has! Owen makes an adorable princess!

We are getting a ton of snow right now, but these are from the last storm. I put Avery in a snowsuit we had from Drew. It was a bit snug-she is a chunk-but she looked like a little red marshmallow. She loved the snow, much more than Owen did who stayed out just about as long as it took to get all of his snow gear on!

Avery and Addison

Avery adores her brothers and sister, but just lights up when Addison comes into the room and loves to play with her.

Drew and Owen "surfing" on Scott. Avery is even trying to get in on the action. They all think he is just a human jungle gym!

The last cute story...

Addi, Drew and Owen love to get "Shoo Flies" and fight monsters. A "Shoo Fly" is a fly swatter and as we have only one, they improvise-with big serving spoons from my kitchen drawers (or Drew's nightstand!) Here they are posing for me before rushing off to fight the "gigantic" monsters that inhabit our basement!

HAWAII TRIP 2008

2009-02-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

Addison perched in her special spot

Addison & Mary with Grandma and Grandpa Burnham

Addison searching for treasures

Scott and Addison

Peaceful

Addison, Mary, Nate (cousins)

Scott & Addi

Johnny, Grandpa, Mary, Grandma, Danny

Karen & Scott at the Iao Needle, Maui

Iao Needle

Addison loved exploring

Scott, Addi & Kim at the beach by our hotel

Diana, Addison, Emily showing off tattoos from Polynesian Cultural Center

Karen learning to Surf!

Scott & Karen in Surf School--So Much Fun!

Scott Surfing!

Addison burying Mary in the sand--their favorite beach activity

We took a super fun Burnham family trip to Hawaii (Maui and Oahu) after Christmas. Kids under 5 get to stay home! So Addison came to Hawaii with us and Drew stayed with Aunt Jenn, Owen with Grandma & Grandpa and Avery with Aunt Janeen. It was a win-win. They had fun (the kids at least) and we had fun! Here are some cool photos of the beach, hiking, surf class and more. Hawaii is so beautiful! It was so nice to just relax, enjoy the weather and scenery and spend time with family.

My REAL First Blog

2009-02-05T11:47:00.001-08:00

So...I started a blog last year around this time and then had a baby and life got crazy and I haven't done a thing with it since, so here is another attempt at becoming a bonafide blogger! Wish me luck! :)

Our Family...The Whitney Six

This picture was taken a few months ago. Addison turned 5 in January, Drew is 3, Owen is 2 and Avery will be 1 in March.