Another Page in the Book

Checkin In...

2012-02-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

It's a new year so I guess it's time for an update! I decided that this year is going to be the year that I do and start to do a lot of things that I've always wanted to! I now get to bake most of the desserts for my restaurant! My family has been making better nutrition choices and so I still get to get my baking itch out!! I get to make a Mascarpone Cheesecake that melts in your mouth!! Our Chef Eli has been teaching me! It's a blast!

I also have dreamed of being a spin instructor! I've been spinning for about 6 years now and love it so much! I am unofficially training with a spin instructor at my gym and then when I feel ready I will apply to teach classes!

Getting ready to be in 2 weddings this summer and the girls are flower girls in 3!!!! It's that kind of year I guess and I love it!

We got our car stolen a couple of weeks ago. I had it parked in a lot behind my restaurant and came out and the window was on the ground and the car was gone! Glad it was paid off...not so glad we didn't have theft insurance. We have always had it in the past and when we bought this car 6 weeks ago and changed over the insurance plan there was somehow a mixup. If the car is found they will replace it, but if it remains gone we get nothing! :( The police have no leads! YOU LIVE AND YOU LEARN!! We are trying not to beat ourselves up too much over it!

Nate is also doing well!! He was so proud of his Bronco's this season! We all were!

The girls are doing great! Loving their new bunk beds that Santa brought as well as their new playroom! (So that mom and dad can have an entire office now!)

That's it for now!

Thankful

2011-11-29T07:27:00.000-08:00

We got to enjoy a few days off for Thanksgiving last week and tried to fill it with family fun! Friday we took the girls to see The Muppet's and then I got to take Hailey on a special date to see The Nutcracker. My sister in law, Tighe, has been doing ballet forever...so this year my entire family got to see her preform. She was amazing...the show was amazing...and even more amazing was getting to watch Hailey fall in love with the show! Her eyes were glued to the stage the entire 2 hours! She kept whispering to me how beautiful she thought the dancers were! Must start the night off at Starbucks!

We also had a great Thanksgiving with the entire family! 13 adults and 5 kids....wowza!!!!

So thankful to Aaron and Tighe for hosting this year!!! Espcially since our house is still on the market and we have so many last minute showings!! We are already on our 21st showing! AHHHHH

Nate spend several hours slaving away at making his apple cheese cake! YUM!!!

Our cousin Corey got to spend a week here! It was so good to see him!

There were kids there I swear...they were just off getting into trouble when we had the camera out I guess!

ALSO...on Sunday Jordan and Travis got engaged!!!! Can't wait for wedding planning!!!!

She Turned 3!!!

2011-11-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

So my baby girl recently turned 3!! I cannot believe how time has flown by! It seems like just yesterday I was bringing my sweet, mellow newborn home from the hospital! She may still be sweet, but she is anything but mellow! This girl attempts to change her outfit at least 5 times a day and seems to always be caring for a crying baby doll! She loves to "get married" and pretend to iron and bake. She truly is a girly girl if I have ever met one! She never stops talking and dancing...wonder where she gets that from?!?! She is a handful...but so much fun!!
Happy Birthday our sweet Ashtyn Tori!!!

Trick or Treat

2011-11-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

Had such a great Halloween this year! Got to go to grandpa's house for chili and trick or treating! We had joked that his neighborhood better be giving out whole candy bars...well we were right! HA

Loved that Aunt Marti got to come as well! The girls just adore her! Speaking of Marti...she recently got engaged!!! We are so happy for her!!!

The high light of Nate and my night was going to Tim Tebow's house! He happens to live right next door to Nate's dad. Of course had to take advantage of the holiday! We thought for she he wouldn't answer! So glad to be pleasantly surprised! He was so sweet with a huge smile and Ashtyn kept giving his dog Bronco kisses! I didn't want to be annoying with the pictures, but so happy I snuck at least one!
It was really good lighting on their front steps so had to take advantage and get a few good ones of Nate and I.

I haven't been working as much lately so I have been up to lots of baking and cooking...will post some new good recipes soon!

Snow Lovin...

2011-10-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning we woke up to about 5 inches of snow on the ground! It was beautiful!! After the girls played outside we snuggled on the couch by the fire, drank hot coco, and watched a movie! It was amazing!!! I LOVE SNOW DAYS!!

Fall Break

2011-10-25T07:02:00.000-07:00

...Off to a good start!!!

Just enjoying some sweet time together this week as both girls are on fall break!! Trying to do some fun things together! Pumpkin patches, cousin sleepovers, movie nights, baking...ya know the fun stuff!

Monster Mash

2011-10-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

Hailey had her school Halloween party last weekend...I thought it was too early to reveal their Halloween costumes...but just couldn't wait any longer! :) LOL These are my 2 favorite things around!

It was so much fun to meet all of Hailey's friends and to watch her in that setting! These two girls directly to her left are Holly and Grace. They are the girls that send Hailey home with love letters and pictures. I think they are about 2ND grade...they kept Hailey by their side the entire night! It was so sweet!

It was interesting to watch that most of Hailey's good friends at this point are older. I think they like her young soul and how she is willing to follow them to do whatever they tell her to! That is sweet for now.,..but of course could become a problem in the future.

This is our next door neighbor David...the girls tell people he is their best friend! It's adorable!

Hailey's teacher approached Nate and I while we were there and told us the sweetest story about Hailey. A large group of schools came to Hailey's school for an assembly. She said the auditorium was filled. Hailey walked in and was overwhelmed with excitement. She was blowing kisses from across the room and yelling "we are so happy you are all here!" Her teacher said that there was not a face in the room that wasn't smiling! It made me teary and so thankful, once again, that God chose us to be her parents! Despite the challenges...I thank God everyday for that little piece of her 7Th chromosome that is missing and for making her the way she is!!!!!!

Baking Bliss and Fall Festivities

2011-10-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Fall is truly one of my favorite seasons...and inspires me to bake like crazy!!! I love the kids and husband coming home to a house filled with the aroma of pumpkin spice muffins and snicker doodle cookies!! I always go back to the family activities that involve cooking...we made caramel apples with the cousins this week!

I also have been trying to somehow bring my baked goods into the new restaurant that I work for. They are thinking about doing a rich beer brownie (made with one of our stout beers on draft) paired with a raspberry beer. I made 3 different recipes and had the staff taste test them for the best one.

Seems hard to believe, but we have been trying to bring more healthy choices into our home lately. Although I bake a lot...I give most of it away. We are trying not to give the girls sugar except on special occasions. This week I made a low calorie granola with no sugar, banana, oatmeal raisin cookies, and a some fun chex mix! Here are a couple of the recipes:

TRULY HEALTHY GRANOLA

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons fruit juice concentrate ( any flavor will work, I use Welch's 100% Juice White Grape Peach)
2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup dried fruit ( I like Sun-maid brand Fruit Bits)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small saucepan, heat the juice, honey and maple syrup over medium heat until you can stir the mixture easily, but before it starts to boil. About 5 minutes.
Place the oats in a large mixing bowl. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir quickly to coat.
Spread the oats in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the granola is crisp and starts to brown. About 15 minutes. Watch it carefully, or the granola may burn.
Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and while the granola is still warm, toss in the pecans and dried fruit. Sprinkle with cinnamon and finish cooling on the baking sheet.
Store in an airtight container.

BANANA OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
PS You have to freeze a few of these. The kids go crazy for them right out of the freezer!
Banana Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies (Makes 30 Cookies)

3 Bananas (preferably ripe or spotty bananas

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

1 Cup Dried Dates, pitted and chopped

1/4 Cup Applesauce

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips, Walnuts or Raisins

1/4 Tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mash bananas in a bowl, and mix in the remaining ingredients.

3. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

4. Using a mini ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 25 Minutes.5. Cool and serve.

** To make into bars – place dough in a greased 7×11 dish, bake for 35-40 minutes then allow to cool. Cut into bars or squares.
**To Freeze: allow cookies to cool after baking then place in a Ziploc bag, label and freeze for up to 3 months.

Ashtyn has also been enjoying preschool! Can't believe she is almost 3!!!

The girls have also been going to AWANAS...they love it!!!

We have had our house on the market now for about 2 weeks and had about 8 showings!! Keeping our fingeres crossed!

For Sale

2011-10-03T21:24:00.000-07:00

We have been discussing for awhile putting our Centennial house on the market and moving closer to Denver. We finally decided to move forward with it! Both Nate and I work a lot in Denver and my entire family lives there. It's been on the market for 2 days now and already have 4 showings, so off to a good start! I'm trying not to get my emotions too involved this time because last time was so hard. I don't even want to start looking for another house until we are in escrow on this one! We shall see!!
Here's a few pictures that the real estate company took...so glad that I can have them to look back on!

My Old Man!

2011-09-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well my old man turned 30TH last week! It was such a great weekend! We also had a college friend that got to fly in the for the weekend at the last minute! I got asked to do a fashion show for an amazing boutique in Denver called Inspyre. She asked me if I knew any male models that would be willing to be in the show...I happen to have just the guys ;) So Nate, Corey, and myself got to practice our modeling skills for the night!

Sunday I surprised Nate and rented him a Mustang convertible. One of his good friends Scott, Corey and myself got to take him out for the day. I hope he had a great birthday!!!
Happy 30th Baby!

She turned 6!!!!!

2011-09-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

We decided to go big this year and throw Hailey quite the 6TH birthday bash! It was such a great turn out!!!

Loved doing a taco bar!

I ordered a Hello Kitty cake...couldn't believe how good it turned out!

Not sure if she got enough Hello Kitty stuff! Nichole got her a fish...we named it Bubbles! It's such a great fish! Whenever Hailey goes over to talk to him...he swims to the top of the water to say hello! My special present to her was this charm bracelet from Gap! Looking forward to adding charms for special occasions!

Pretty sure she had a blast!

We were so surprised and thankful when Hailey's preschool teacher, Mrs Kennemann showed up! I had invited her but didn't tell Hailey just in case she couldn't make it! Although Hailey loves everyone ;)...she had such a special bond with her. It's been 2 years since she was Hailey's teacher...and Hailey STILL talks about her all the time!!!!

Yep!!! I'm beat!!!! So thankful that our special girl has such a special birthday!

Ashtyn goes to Preschool

2011-08-25T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ashtyn started preschool today...and loved every minute of it! I have 2 kids in school....that's crazy!!! It's amazing how many things you can get done in one morning without any kids!! UNBELIEVABLE!

You can't start school without a new pair of chucks!!!

Tell me she is not in 1st grade already!

2011-08-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

She is!! Today is Hailey's first day of 1st grade!!! I can't believe it!!! She will be going from 8:30 to 3:30 Monday through Friday! Guess what her teacher's name is!?!? Miss Jen Page Ha Isn't that crazy!! Gonna miss the little stinker...but excited to watch her grow and learn this year!

1st Lost Tooth

2011-08-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

So my little girl lost her first tooth last night! You think it's not a big deal...until your realize that only big girls lose their teeth!! When I was little I would write the Tooth Fairy a poem and leave it with my tooth under my pillow...of course had to help Hailey do the same! She was so excited she was jumping up and down and singing!!! This morning when she woke up...she wanted to call Grandpa and tell him what had happened. She said "I would show you but the Tooth Fairy took my tooth! I'll have to ask my mom to talk to him and get it back!" Love it!

Speaking of my big girl...she is going to 1st grade on Monday!! Expect a long emotional post! ;) She also learned to swim this summer! She has been taking lessons from a sweet high school girl on our street. I didn't always go with so when we had a family night at the pool and she jumped right in the deep end I couldn't believe it! I literally cried! It amazes me how fearless she is. With daddy close, she would even jump off the diving board and swim to the side! We are so proud of her!!!

Happy 4TH

2011-07-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

What A Hoot!

2011-06-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to finishing Ashtyn's big girl room! Had so much fun with this one! I think I might like it better than my own room! ;) Thank you to my nanny Audrey and my sister Amy for all your crafty help!

If you like this a little...you will like my sister's craftiness a lot! Here is a link to her amazing blog! Check it out!

http://stitcherydickorydock.blogspot.com/

7 Years In...

2011-06-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

...to livin' my happily ever after!

Every year when we get close to our anniversary, I am reminded of the hard times we had to go through to get married. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Nate was the man I meant to be with! It's crazy...you would think that you would get sick of someone after being with them for 8 years. Don't get me wrong...there have definitely been tough times!! However, I can truly say that I am more in love with Nate today than I was the day married him!

Since it's been 7 wonderful years..I thought I would tell you 7 things that I love about my husband!

1. His sense of humor (I am constantly laughing along with everyone in the room!)

2. His work ethic...how hard he works to provide for this family!

3. His passion and love for music!

4. His love and dedication to our children

5. His style ;)

6. His perseverance and commitment to getting up at 5am 6 days a week to go to the gym!

7. His leadership

We are off to Steamboat this weekend to celebrate!!!

Letters of Love

2011-06-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

So I officially have a 1st grader now!! A 1ST GRADER...every time it comes out it just doesn't sound right! My sweet little five and a half year old cannot be going into 1ST grade already!!! I remember dropping her off at her first day of preschool! Two and a half hours would feel like eternity and now I have to go without her all day!! I'm going to eat her up this summer and enjoy her as much as I can! She did have some great friendships in Kindergarten that I am hoping she will maintain next year!

Hailey gets to have lunch with all grades and has met a few 2ND grade girls. Although I haven't met them yet, they keep sending Hailey home with the sweetest little letters! I got teary when the first one arrived home in her backpack!

They read:

Dear Hailey,

You are so cute! I love your hair. You are so kind. I love your outfits.

Love,

Haley and Grace and Kendal

Dear Hailey,

you are so nice. I love the way you dress. And you are so cute.

Love, Holly & Grace

Dear Hailey,

you are so nice.

How are you doing?

We wish we could see you evre day. You fill our day with joy!

Love, Holly and Grace

If that doesn't melt your heart I don't know what does!!

Hailey's school picture is too funny not to share! I mean I crack up every time I look at it!! You know the moms can't be there to make sure they get the perfect shot!?!?!? AHHHH It totally shows her personality though...so it makes me love it!

20/20 had a special segment on Williams Syndrome on June 10Th. It's pretty interesting! Here is the link if you would like to check it out: It's half way through and about 10 minutes long.

http://abc.go.com/watch/2020/SH559026/VD55130772/2020-610-casey-anthony-case

Proud Mommy Moment

2011-06-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Both girls attend the Colorado School of Dance. Hailey did tap and ballet and Ashtyn just did ballet. They have been practicing since October so here is a proud mommy showing off all of their hard work!!

They finally had thier recital!!

Hailey loves to tap!! She was up there with a huge grin on her face trying to get the moves just right! It was too cute!

Ballet was definitely the high light of Ashtyn's week! "Do I have baya today mommy?"

Her performance was so sweet! She did all the moves like a champ!

Yep...Nate and I both got teary!

I did get video...but couldn't figure out how to get them on here!

Williams Syndome Charity Walk 2011

2011-06-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

We had our first Williams Syndrome Charity Walk May 14Th. It was such a great turn out! We are so thankful for the family and friends that came and showed their support.

One of my defense mechanisms is numbness...not thinking too hard about certain things in my life. My girl friends often make fun of me for living on "fairy tale island." I can go weeks without thinking about the effects of Williams Syndrome and what Hailey's future has to hold. This event definitely lay heavy on my heart for weeks after. What will Hailey be like when she is an adult? Will Hailey ever have to go through open heart surgery? Will Hailey have diabetes? Will Hailey be able to tell when people look at her like she is different? Will Hailey ever feel it when people are judging her or making fun of her?

The future is uncertain. We don't know what it will hold. What I know now is how thankful I am to have Hailey in my life. She teaches me how to love the un-lovable. How to be cheerful in any circumstance. How to see the good in people. How the simple things can make us truly happy. How to start every single morning with a smile. I love that girl and I love that God chose me to be her mother!

Sending Kisses to Heaven

2011-05-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

A Williams Syndrome family member was taken to heaven last week. Baby Corbin was just 3 months old. It brings me to my knees every time one of their sweet souls are taken from this earth.

We have an amazing WS support group and whenever a child is taken everyone releases a certain color of balloons. Corbin's color is red. We then all post pictures. Hailey sent baby Corbin's balloons with kisses on them hoping they would make it to his sweet little cheeks.

I can't even imagine what this family is going through. Here is a link to hear Corbin's story...you should probably grab a box of Kleenex. I haven't cried that hard in awhile.

http://ofkidsandcows.blogspot.com/

Strawberry Love

2011-05-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

We got to go to Florida last week for my grandma Squire's memorial service. It turned out to be a huge family reunion and we had such a great time! We were in the pool or at the beach 90% of the time! It was so good to see our extended family and just wish we got to see them more often!

Grandma always loved strawberries! They were all over her house. Amy had the opportunity to tell her that she would have the girls wear strawberry dresses for her funeral. It was very special and thank you to Amy for making them!

The memorial service was so special. My sisters and mom sang the same song that they sang at my and Nate's wedding. The main thing I kept hearing people say about my grandma was that she was known for being so sweet! What a great way to be remembered! We miss you grandma and can't wait to see you again in heaven!

It's always a crazy time when the Burg siblings are around!

We are FAMILY!

2011-04-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

LOVE Holidays!!!! And here's why:

Burg Siblings go GRANNY!

Today I am so thankful for my family! Thankful that we can be ourselves. Goofy or grumpy, happy or sad, hyper, or mellow...and at the end of the day we love and accept each other the way we are! LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Nate and the girls also enjoyed a wonderful Easter egg hunt and dinner at Grandpa Larry and Nana Jan's house yesterday...I had to work :( I heard they had a great time! Hopefully will get some pics soon!

Dancin' Girls

2011-04-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Colorado School of Dance had pictures taken this week...had to snap one myself, but hopefully they got a better shot! ;)

3 X 3

2011-04-12T13:17:00.000-07:00

3 Recipes with 3 Ingredients!

Parmesan Cheese, Dates, and Bacon

Fill dates with a chunk of Parmesan cheese, wrap with bacon and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes!

Soy Sauce, Maple Syrup, Salmon

One part Soy Sauce to two parts Maple Syrup, marinate for 30 minutes, top with fresh pepper and bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes!

German Chocolate Cake, Caramel, Chocolate Chips, (Nuts) OK so 4 ingredients if you like nuts

Bake cake as directed...pour caramel ice cream topping, 1 cup chocolate chips and 3/4 cup nuts over top. (Or 4 melted snickers bars)

ENJOY!!

Girls, Girls, Girls!

2011-03-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

Got to mark this one off the "Before I'm 30 bucket list"! My 2 girl friends and I got to stop in Vegas on our way to San Francisco and Napa Valley on a girls trip! We got to soak up the sun, wine and dine, and shop! It was such an amazing trip and I'm so thankful that we got the opportunity to go! So thankful for my wonderful parents who enjoyed a fun week with my girls and let me take some time off!!!!

Let's see what else is new...I cut Hailey back on her school hours to 2 1/2 days instead of 5 full days! We get so much time together now and it has been amazing! She is doing so well! She has been such a good girl lately! She melts on my heart on a daily basis! Ashtyn is growing as well! She is starting to talk so much more! Her sentences just keep getting more complex! It's really been fun to watch! It's pretty sweet to see how close the girls have become! They sleep together almost every night and miss each other when they are apart!

I am helping plan a charity walk for Williams Syndrome here in Denver, May 14Th! This is the first one that I have helped plan! It has also helped me meet some other William's families in the Denver area! We are really excited about the event and already have so many friends and family that are coming to show their support!

Lastly I think I have some pretty big news!?!??!

I am seriously considering going to Culinary school this fall! They have a culinary program at one of the state schools here called Red Rocks. It's an apprentice program so we will actually be working in the kitchen at a restaurant! It is a dream of mine and Nate's to eventually start or buy a restaurant. Managing has given me some great experience and I honestly feel that this is what I want as a career.

So that's our update! Hope you all are well!

Zoo Day!

2011-02-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

No More...

2011-02-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

Diapers in this house!!! This girl did it in 3 days!!!!!

2011-02-14T08:14:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

SURPRISE!

2011-02-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

SURPRISE! I flew into LA on Friday afternoon to surprise Michele "Meesh" for her 40th birthday! We had been planning the surprise party since October. Ahna picked me up from the airport at noon...we grabbed Justine and the headed to Kingsburg. We made it into a reunion of the group that used to all hang out when we lived there.

Meesh thought she was just going to a simple dinner at Salazars with her family...when she was completely surprised by about 15 of us!

We made it into a great weekend of talking, eating, laughing, hot tubbing and shopping!
Hope to do that at least once a year!
WE LOVE YOU MEESH!!!

Snow Day!

2011-02-08T08:54:00.001-08:00

They call a snow day for school when it is 0 degrees and no snow...but we don't get a snow day when it's 19 degrees with 6" of snow?! Go figure!

Dancing Girl!

2011-01-19T09:15:00.001-08:00

Ashtyn had her first ballet class today. I couldn't stop smiling the entire class...she fit right in and loved every second of it! Both of my girls will now be in the ballet recital in June....here we go!

2011-01-10T07:37:00.001-08:00

Nothing better than Mickey Blueberry Pancakes on a snow day!

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On the 4th-12th Day of Christmas...

2011-01-03T21:51:00.000-08:00

...My True Love Baked for Me: Hannah came over for a full day of baking before Christmas! I can't even believe how many different creations were made!!!

I happen to have two amazing little helpers ;)

4. Sugar Cookies

One cookie to decorate...one cookie to eat...one cookie to decorate...one cookie to eat ;)

WE MADE:

5. Thumbprint Shortbread Ccookies

6. Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls

7. Ranger Cookies

7. Haystack cookies

8. Kiss cookies

8. Chocolate Covered Pretzels

10. Banana Bread

11. Peanut Brittle (over done, under done, and just plain wrong...take your pick)

and

12. Didn't quite make it that far :(

Ya right like I would be able to get all those up with the step by step recipes! Ha! I do have all the recipes close however, if you would like any just let me know!

Christmas Festivites

2011-01-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

We had such a great Christmas this year with the girls! So much fun now that they understand so much! Here's a few pictures of our festivities:

We enjoyed stockings and presents from Santa at our house Christmas morning and then headed to Mimi and Papa's for a huge dinner and more presents! :)

The girls got this train set from Grandpa Larry and Nana Jan...hands down probably their favorite toy!!! Had a birthday cake for Jesus to celebrate His birthday on Christmas Eve.
Loved having brunch Christmas Eve with part of the Page family.

I do still have a ton on recipes for my 12 baking days of Christmas...just need some time to get them all up :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

On the 3rd Day of Christmas My True Love Baked for Me

2010-12-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Muffins!!!!

All you need:

1 box yellow or spice cake mix

1 can Pumpkin

1 TBS Cinnamon or Apple Pie Spice

Mix well, pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes! So easy and so delicious!!! ENJOY!

(Thank you Hannah for this amazing recipe!)

Haileys Heart

2010-12-16T20:27:00.001-08:00

Hailey had her cardiology appointment yesterday. She was being so sweet to all the doctors " you are not going to give me a shot right!?" She has the heart condition SVAS a narrowing of the left valve in the heart. The doctor said that it is ok for now because she is growing so slowly...we could have a problem if she starts growing faster and it doesn't grow with her. I did ask what the chances that she would have to have open heart surgery and the doctor said probably close to 50%...she acted like that was really good news....doesn't sound too good to me! We will just have to cross that bridge if and when we get there...and hopefully it never does!

On the 2nd Day of Christmas My True Love Baked for Me

2010-12-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

Chocolate Mint Crinkles!

You will need:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 teasspoon salk

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 teaspoon mint extract

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a small bowl mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt

2. In a large bowl, whisk togethe sugar, oil, eggs, and extracts until well blended.

3. Stir dry mixture until combined, Cover bowl and refrigerate two hours.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll cookie dough in powdered sugar and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Add mint baking candies to the center of each ball.

5. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes. ENJOY!

On the 1st Day of Christmas

2010-12-12T15:07:00.000-08:00

...My True Love Baked for Me:

CARMEL CORN!

You will need:

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup butter

1 tsp salt1 tsp baking soda

8 quarts popcorn

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

I can never get the regular popcorn not to burn on my stove...so I use good old microwave bags! Combine all but baking soda and popcorn in a heavy pan. Bring to a boil at a rapid boil for 5 minutes. Then add soda. This will make the mixture rise so your pan should be big. Pour over popcorn as the mixture is rising. Mix with two wooden spoons until popcorn is fully coated.
Bake at 200 degrees for half an hour turning the popcorn over every 15 minutes.
Enjoy!! It's our tradition to eat while were listening to Christmas music and decorating our tree :)

Getting Festive

2010-12-09T07:53:00.000-08:00

Happy 2nd Birthday my precious Ashtyn!

2010-11-17T10:25:00.000-08:00

Celebrated her birthday at her Grandpa Larry's and Nana Jan's

We watched Toy Story 3 in their movie theater.

The girls loved it!!!!!!!!!!

Halloween

2010-11-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

Stole a few pictures from Summer from our Halloween trip to Texas.

Nate's new hobby

2010-11-10T10:49:00.001-08:00

Ok so I still don't have my camera back, but I figured out to upload pictures from my phone...so here are the 2 1974 Ford Broncos that Nate has been spending much of his free time on :) He iis keeping 1 for the parts and will get rid of it when he is done so we will just have 1. He said he is about 65% done with the engine...then for the fun part...the body!

Snow!

2010-11-09T15:27:00.001-08:00

First snow of the year today! The girls and I went for ice cream, grabbed a movie, put some muffins in the oven and are now already in our jammies watching Up. Mmmmm love snow days!

Creepy

2010-11-08T07:36:00.001-08:00

Look what Nate dug up on his job site the other day...there have been 7 bodies (skeletons) total. They speculate it could have something to do with the 1930's mafia......creepy!

Burg Sibling night out

2010-10-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

We have been having monthly "Sibling night out." We do have a crazy crew! We all got sitters and headed over to Lime to hear Taylor DJ and enjoy $1 Taco's and Margaritas!! What a blast!From left to right: Taylor, Myself, Hannah (Tay's girlfriend), Amy, Tighe (Aaron's wife), Jordan, Travis (Jo's bf), Russell, Nate and Aaron
The Ladies

The Happiest Place on Earth!

2010-10-24T21:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics of our Disneyland trip. I left my camera at our friends house out there:( As soon as I get it back I will post the rest. It was such a great day!!!

The Page cousins: Maddie 3, Hailey 5, Caleb almost 1, Ashtyn almost 2

Where was Nate ALL summer?

2010-10-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Here are just a couple of the hundreds of photos taken of Nate's jobs this summer. Denver Public Schools are his largest client. He was the project manager for dozens of schools and got to do a lot of that awesome concrete painting himself! We are so proud of you babe! Thanks for working so hard to provide for our family!

Fall Family Photo Shoot

2010-10-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry these posts are so few and far between! We have been having some computer issues...AHHHHH Finally got the lap top fixed so we have lots to catch up on! We are back from our wonderful California trip and have so many pictures! In the mean time we had a fall family photo shoot with our favorite photographer while we were there! Here is the link with the slide show: http://www.studio317photo.com/page10/

A Long Summer

2010-08-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

It's been an incredibly long summer so far!! Hailey has been out of school since May and our days are extremely LONG!

Nate is still very busy and leaves before I wake up and doesn't get home until sometime after 10pm...most of his projects will finish in September so we should be getting back to normal soon! This summer I have pretty much felt like a single mom! AHHHHH

The girls are growing and learning new things everyday!

Hailey starts Kindergarten Aug 25Th...she will be going from 9 to 12:30 Monday through Friday and as she adapts to that we will see when she can handle 9 to 3 everyday! I know I can handle that ;) Looking forward to celebrating her 5Th Birthday!!!!

Ashtyn is talking so much more and starting to put together 2 to 3 word sentences! Love to hear her say "Bye bye mama!"

I am still so thankful that I get to get out and work 4 nights a week! I am now consistently working at 2 of the 4 locations and managing sometimes the location right in downtown Denver! I continue to LOVE my job!

For all of our California friends and family...we are coming out for a visit the first week in October! We will spend the first 3 days in LA and the last 4 up in Kingsburg! We are so excited! It has been long over due! Nate will be joining us as well so we can start catching up on some missed family time!

6 Years baby!

2010-06-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

I got pictures taken for our 6 year wedding anniversary to surprise Nate....here's a glimpse!

A little Birthday Craziness!

2010-06-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

Just celebrated my 28th Birthday last week. Ahhh!! Nate helped through me my first surprise party ever!! I literally had no idea! I thought I was going to work that night...they told me that a special party had requested me to serve them. I walked in and the party that had requested me was my own!! It was a blast!!! They then had a party bus come pick us up and take us downtown...too fun!

My family through me a bbq swim party as well...

Cousin Love

2010-06-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

So the Page Family got to come visit from Cali last week! We had so much fun with them!! THe kids had a great time together!

Of course Hailey had to introduce Maddie to her good friend Red!

Goodbye Preschool!

2010-06-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Hailey had her last day of preschool last Thursday :( We loved her teachers and team so much! They played such a big part in her life and we are so thankful that that they shared in our first school experience! We will miss you guys!!!!

Saw Dust Out the Ears!

2010-04-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

Chances are I will be cleaning up saw dust for the rest of my life....but our hardwood floors are finally finished! The furniture back in place...not so much! This is the only room that is mostly finished so that I could grab a quick pic. What a process this has been and I am so ready for my house to be back in order! Nate is also tiling both bathrooms upstairs and refinishing the cupboards...so it's pretty much like a war zone around here. We are trying to get everything finished and organized by the time the nanny comes May 20Th... It is helpful to have a deadline...works well for us!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Sista's in the Sun! (ish)

2010-04-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

Finally getting back into the swing of things after being on vacation! It's been in the high 60's to low 70's lately so we are starting to bust out our summer clothes whenever possible! Park days are the best!!!

We are getting new hardwood floors in the entire downstairs so it been a zoo around here! All of the furniture has to be in the garage...it's noisy and there are workers coming in and out constantly...hoping to be finished by Friday!!!

Soo...Big News....I think we found our live in nanny!!!! I just met her and had an interview with her yesterday and have been emailing back and forth for a few days now. She is 19 and adorable! (like that has anything to do with it) She is very sweet and has lots of experience babysitting. She is a freshman in college and goes to school in Denver. Her family lives in Montana so she is just here for school. I'm calling her references today and doing a background check. Then she will be doing a few weeks of regular babysitting for us just to make sure she knows what she is getting herself into ;) I have such a good feeling!!!! If all goes well she will be moving in May 20th and will be trading 45-50 hours babysitting for free rent and utilities! I will then be able to work and not spend any money on childcare! Sounds like a great plan to me!!!!!!!!

Hailey is doing great! She has been talking about August coming up..."my birthday month!"
Ashtyn is also doing well...still not talking very much...but we are convinced it's because Hailey does all the talking for her!!! She says a few words like mama, dada, hi, yeah, good. She does sign for everything...so trying to teach her to use the words along with signing! She truly is such a happy kid and LOVES to do pretty much anything outside!!

We CANNOT wait for the pool to open...we will be there EVERYDAY!!!!

Livin' the Dream

2010-04-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Cancun 2010 Some of our closest friends from Kingsburg, Glen and Emily met us there!

Literally we ate, drank, layed out...got dressed and then ate some more!!! I think I gained 5 lbs! :) There was a few messages in there and the boys got to go golfing and played a lot of volleyball as well!

Checkin' out Play Del Carmen

Best friends back together again!

The pool went on forever!

One of the restaurants at our resort!

Our living room

Our bedroom... Glen and Emily had one just like it on the other side of the living room!

It was amazing!! Now back to reality! :(

We are ALIVE!!!!

2010-03-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

I know I've been terrible at keeping this blog updated! Couldn't be busier...but honestly that's just the way that I like it! ;) I started managing at my restaurant about a month ago. My official title is the "Assistant Manager" and I even have an email address and business cards...funny how exciting that is for me ;) I truly love it and I love my staff and my co-workers! I got the opportunity to escape to Steamboat a few weeks back for a girls weekend away...it's was so refreshing! Had to hit up the hot springs while we were there!The girls are doing great! Hailey just finished her last day of school yesterday and is out for 3 LONG weeks! Nate went and registered her for Kindergarten yesterday AHHHH I honestly cannot believe it! She will be starting this fall and will be going full time...yes that means all day everyday! What a big girl...

Ashtyn is doing well also...slowly starting to a few words but is often interrupted by the big sis.

Here's a few picture of us visiting the Butterfly Pavilion.

From snow...

...to spring in a matter of days! Can't wait for more warm whether!
Just starting to get things ready for CANCUN!!! We leave in less than 2 weeks! Nate's job is starting to pick up a little...which means I will start to have to get more childcare for the girls :(

We are possibly going to see if we could get a live in nanny when Aunt Jordan moves out in May. Possibly a college student that we could pay a little and would have free rent in exchange for watching 2 cute little kids! ;) We'll see what we can find!

Catch ya'll on the flip side!

School Bus

2010-01-25T13:22:00.000-08:00

Hailey was seated at that first window....

Just got back from spending the last 3 hours in the hospital. Nate got a call at 11:20 from a paramedic saying that Hailey's school bus had been in an accident and that she was in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. He could hear Hailey screaming in the background but they would not give him any information regarding her condition. Of course we were freaking out and rushed to the Aurora hospital to find a giggling little girl telling everyone about her "broken school bus."

The bus was turning left in an intersection and had a green arrow, when a small car ran a red light and slammed into the bus just a few feet ahead of where Hailey was seated.

Miraculously no one was injured. The superintendent for all of Cherry Creek schools paid us a visit in the ER and showed us the picture...it was crazy! He said he would email it to me and I will post as soon as he does.

Hailey is fine...she has a good size seat belt scratch on her neck...but that's it!! We praise God for that!!!

It's already on the news here in Denver:
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=131457&catid=339

Makin' the Switch

2010-01-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

After years of talking about up-grading to a King size bedroom set...this Christmas we finally made the switch! We now don't know how we survived without one! We always used to have to push each other over...and now I have to yell out to make sure Nate is still there! ha I actually came home late from work one night and crawled into bed. I layed there for a good five minutes when a hand reached over to grab mine....it was a bit small for Nate's...Hailey had snuck into our bed and we didn't even know it! Seriously could they look any more similar? Love these 2 faces!!!!!!!!!

White Party at LIME

2010-01-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

We had a New Years Eve White Party at Lime! I had to work a double and ended up working for 16 hours straight! We were so busy they hired Nate and Spencer just for the night for additional help...we didn't get out of their until 3:30am!! It was so much fun!!!

Well Hailey has been out of school for 5 weeks now...she finally goes back to school tomorrow...I'm pretty excited!!! Oh I mean she is really excited! ha Other than that not much new...just re doing rooms upstairs...we moved some stuff around and finally bought a king bed!!!! We put our queen in the guest room and then gave Hailey the queen bed from there so we have extra room for guests when needed! I'll post some pics soon!
Nate has also had a week and a half off of work and he has helped out so much with the girls so I picked up some extra shifts! We had a great Christmas and New Years and are ready for the new year!!!

A Holly Jolly Jingle Jangle Christmas Party

2010-01-04T06:44:00.000-08:00

We co-hosted our 2ND Annual Holly Jolly Jingle Jangle Christmas Party with my sister and her hubby in Dec. We learned from all of our mistakes last year to make this party crazy smooth. We hired 2 babysitters and made the basement the kids area as well as someone to be in charge of refilling the food. We had about 75 people come and about 60 people no show (which is to be expected!)This year we rented cocktail tables so that we could get the people to mingle in the living room vs the kitchen....it worked great!DJ Taylor Franklin rocked the house!

Tutus and Lollipops

2009-12-21T07:39:00.000-08:00

2009-12-13T01:03:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

A Little Holiday Cheer!

2009-12-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

Bought 2 extra trees this year...for the family room and the playroom....didn't have to buy 1 decoration for them...used what I had...didn't turn out bad if I say so myself!

Gingerbread house making with Aunt Jo Jo

Our family tree is my least favorite of the three...every year I change my mind and want something new....did not feel like spending the money this year so it's pretty bland...but looks ok when the lights are on!
Just gearing up for Christmas and then Ahna's visit on the 27Th! :) I also FINALLY booked our vactaion to Cancun!! We are going in March with our dear Kingsburg friends Glen and Emily....Nate's mom is coming out to watch the girls!!!!! WAHOO!!! Check you all later!...Merry Christmas!

Turkey Day!

2009-12-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Had a great Thanksgiving this year! Nate's mom, sister and brother came to visit so we had a big bash with them and my crazy family! The food was out of this world!!!

The table...Watching the intense Bronco game!

Jordan and I attempted to go midnight shopping at the Castle Rock Outlets...drove a half an hour there...to be on the off ramp for a half an hour to decide to turn around....those people were CRAZY!

2009-11-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

Happy 1st Birthday Sissy!!!!

Sissy's Stats:

Walking: yes (still like she's a drunkin' sailor)

Talking: Mama, Dada, Dog (go figure we don't even have one!)

Signs: More, All Done, and sometimes we get Please

Teeth: 9...seriously this girl could eat a steak no problem!

Favorite Activity: Being in mommy's arms (very inconvenient I might add)

Can't get the girl to stand still for a second!
Wouldn't ever miss a meal!
OK FINE....Hi I'm Jen and I'm addicted to matching my girls outfits!!!!!!

OK so I tried with the cupcake cake...it looks pretty good from a distance!!!

We just had a family party for her at our house...

Things have just continued to get crazier and crazier around here. I've been working 4 nights a week! Not gonna lie, it has felt amazing to finally be able to pay down a few of our extra bills...MYSELF!!! Nate has been such a huge help!! He takes such great care of the girls while I'm gone and even sometimes babysits our friends 2 girls...(we trade hour for hour and it is amazing!) I even come home to a clean house! Thank you my love!!!!

Immediate Prayer Request

2009-11-16T10:59:00.000-08:00

UPDATE #4 (Friday the 20th) "Miss Emerson had a very good night! Her swelling has come down tremendously, her blood pressures and heart rate have been lower, for her-probably normal for most kids, and she is peeing TONS! The nurses even gave Emmy a purple bow for her hair for being such a good girl!"

UPDATE #3: "The doctors have said Emerson has suffered Liver and Kidney damage that isn't necessarily permanent. They've made sure to let us know that she is very sick, and they are hopeful, but it will be a long recovery"

UPDATE #2: After having 2 cardiac arrests yesterday..."Emerson made it through the night. She is still having problems with her blood pressure, but the doctors are watching her very closely. It's gonna be a rough week."

UPDATE: "The doctors have had to reopen Emerson's chest because her blood pressure and heart rate have dropped. Still waiting..."

A family that I've connected with over the past year has a 1 year old WS daughter, Emerson. She just got out of her 2nd heart surgery a few minutes ago. She had to go on bypass and has been having some problems ever since. "She has been having irregular rhythms and has needed shocked and chest compressions. She is stable for the moment but the doctors say it will be minute by minute for the first 24 hours"

Please please pray for her! These next few hours are vital!

May I Come In Now?

2009-11-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

My little cat and mouse!

Can't get them to stand still for a second!

Getting ready to hit the street with cousin Nora...

First house Hailey says "Trick or Treat"

"What do you say Hailey?" (trying to get her to say Thank you)

Hailey responds "May I come in now?"

hahahah

Nate and I got to go to a "grown up party"...can you tell what we were?

Had to work on Halloween...it was fun to see everyone all dressed up Holleywood style.

We've had a very eventful week with all of Hailey's annual tests. We were at the Children's Hospital for 3 hours on Monday doing labs and looking at her kidney's and today we had her Cardiology apt. Her heart has not progressed much. I guess we just need to wait and see. It all depends on if her SVAS grows and she grows. Since it is a narrowing of the valve if it does not grow with her that is when it becomes a problem. And just received a call from her doctor that all the other test results are fine! Praise Jesus!!!

Not much new other wise...just getting ready for the holidays!

Snow Day

2009-10-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

The snow has been falling!! Hailey has her first snow day from school today and Nate's been plowing all night!!!! We've had our taste of fun though...

One Year Ago...

2009-10-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

It has been exactly 1 year since we received Hailey's WS diagnosis. As I rushed home from the doctor and sat at this computer and typed in the google box "Williams Syndrome," I had no idea what a huge part of my life it would become! It is definitely something that I deal with on a daily basis. Just a few days ago a little WS girl, Sophie, with the same heart condition as Hailey, (SVAS) died due to complications from her heart surgery. I can't even imagine what this family is going through it. If you could lift them up in your prayers...

I treasure each and every day that I get to spend with Hailey! As she wakes me up in the morning with "Good morning mommy! It's time to get up! Come on you can do it!" to literally her 20th time asking if she can have a cookie! We are so blessed to have her in our lives and to be her parents! Hailey has her annual tests and her cardiology exam coming up on Nov. 4th. (I am still bitter that for 2 1/2 years the California doctors led me to believe that Hailey had a simple heart murmur when we were later informed that it was actually a SVAS) We are so lucky not to have hardly any medical issues at this point. As I check out my WS friends on Facebook or other blogs...most kids have so many health issues!

I do however, still feel clueless in so many areas. Knowing when to step in and when to let her be, when to tell people and when to let them think what they will, when to discipline and when to let go...I'm sure as a parent in general so many people deal with this. Hailey recently had a school field trip to a nature exhibit that I attended with her. The guest speaker didn't know that she was special needs. As I stood in the back holding the baby...anxiety spread through my body as the speaker had to tell Hailey numerous times to sit down and not to touch her props. "Do I go up there...do I intercede, do I let all the other parents think that I'm a bad mom and that my child is crazy or do I just let it be?" I mean it is just a silly preschool field trip that at the end of the day doesn't really matter in life at all! I gave in, handed the baby off, and sat amongst the children with Hailey in my lap so that I could help her to be what I wanted her to be at that moment, just like the other children. We then went on a nature walk and as I was calling Hailey's name for probably the tenth time to catch up, one of the teachers' looked at me and said "we just love her so much and are so lucky that she gets to be at our school." That was the moment (for that day) that I decided it's OK for her to be different and her strengths out weigh her weaknesses. It is, however, something that at those special moments, I have to remind myself of everyday!

BIG NEWS: Hailey qualified to take the bus to and from school everyday!!! They pick her up at our house at 11:10 and don't drop her off until 3:45!! It is unbelievable how much I get done in that time! (I will also be able to work!) It was always such an ordeal to take her to school (10 min drive) and then walk her to the back temp building...esp with another baby!!!! We are so thankful for the bus now!! I was definitely shaking when I took this pic and a tear might have shed as I headed back inside!!!

On another note...if you could be praying. Nate's boss's wife (Nate and his boss are very close) just found a huge cancerous tumor in her intestines. It's too big to operate on and she has to take a pill for 3-4 months to try and shrink it. They need a miracle...good thing I believe in miracles!!! Nate was just starting to slow down a bit and I'm sure he will have to step it up to help out!

To make things a little bit crazier...I got a job! As a server at an adorable Mexican Catina in a nice new area outside of Denver. I work 3ish nights a week and absolutely love it!!! It gives me a chance to have a life outside my life (ha) and Nate a chance to spend some catch up time with the girls!

Here's a few videos of my honey's... we'll catch ya'll later! (Connie they are mostly for you!! We wouldn't want you to miss a beat!!!)

Just Trying To Stay Warm and Healthy!

2009-10-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Home Away From Home

2009-09-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

What a refreshing and amazing trip to Cali!...It was unbelievable to be able to spend 5 straight, uninterrupted days with my best friends in Kingsburg....we stayed up late and got up early and barely had time to breathe! I remember driving through Kingsburg 5 years ago and wondering to myself "what the heck kind of people would live here?" I still don't understand how they are all crammed into one little town!

Thank you ladies for such an amazing trip and for loving me so much! Thank you to the Silva's "my adopted family" for being so amazing in my life!

I love you Mary...and Scott!!!

My dear friend Jen...(why are all the coolest people named Jen?!?!)

Denver and Amanda...the start of a wonderful life together!

OK have to add in the high light of the trip....Two words "HOEDOWN THROWDOWN!" That's right about 30 of us learned Miley Cyrus' dance and preformed it at the wedding...unbelievable...so wish I got it on tape!

Jen and Emily...there aren't even words!

These girls have such a special place in my heart! I will never let these friendships go...no matter how far away we live! I told everyone that I'm on the 3 month plan and I'm due back in December! (many important people did not get pictured...sorry guys!)

Not to mention my Ahna...who unfortunately was out of town for a funeral :(

Thank you for an amazing vacation!!!
(and thank you to my husband, sister and mom who took wonderful care of my girls!!!!!!)

Being Prepared

2009-09-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

As I was preparing for the sitter while I am away...I made a schedule of Ashtyn's typical day...I also thought I would give her a idea of Hailey's typical day:

A Little Time In Steamboat

2009-09-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

We took some friends and family up to Steamboat this past weekend! The trees were just starting to change color so it was beautiful up there! We were lucky enough on Saturday to take a hike and lay by the (heated) pool...followed by a Sunday of rain and some slight snow! AHHH Colorado is crazy like that!
Incredible view from our balcony!I admit to being a little anxious to bust out the hoodies and hats!

Our friends Bri and Ted joined us...we stayed up til all hours playing games in the condo!

Our wine box turned into a wine bladder...
Ready for the Bronco game on Sunday...the Broncos kicked some serious booty!!! Excited to see what they can do this season!

Well I'm off to Fresno tomorrow...for 5 days...with NO KIDS!!! I can hardly believe it myself! I can't remember the last time I got to fly on an airplane with no kids and no hubby! Our good friends Denver and Amanda are getting married...since the Silva's are like family...I couldn't miss it! I'm going to miss the girls like crazy...this is the longest I've been away from Ashtyn...however they are in good hands and I think I'll survive! I am a little sad that Ashtyn just started taking some steps and now I have to miss 5 days of progress!!!! :( I guess I don't have a whole lot to complain about...I'm sure I will have plenty of pics to post when I get back! See ya!

Uh Oh

2009-09-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

Such an exciting day for a mom!

Too Hot In Texas!!!

2009-09-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time in Texas this past weekend visiting for Nate's grandma's 90Th Birthday party! We had a blast enjoying the boat all day on Saturday with the cousins while Connie and Aunt Linda watched the girls! (and thank you for that!)

The Lake was quite a happenin' place that day!Possibly the most relaxed time I've spent with the hubby in awhile...

There were about 75 people that joined us to celebrate Grandma Rosalie!
You can't see the clear tacks very well...but they are placed everywhere that she has traveled!...we were very close to running out of tacks! The final dinner in Dallas.

My Little Girl Turned 4!

2009-09-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

So my little girl turned 4 on Monday...a day I was actually dreading all year!...I just wanted my precious little girl to stay 3 forever!!!!

Hailey has been doing amazing lately! She still goes to preschool 4 days a week in the afternoon and is learning new things everyday! She is starting to be able to tell me different things that they are learning and things that they have made...she is so good at remembering the words to new rhymes and songs. She is also sleeping much better and often sleeps through the night!

Her favorite hobby is puzzles! She does amazingly well with them and can do a 30 piece puzzle by herself. She has also learned to ride her tricycle and can ride all the way down the street.

As far as health goes things are also going well. She has all of her checkups in October as well as her Cardiologist apt. She had a very special Birthday party with my family at the Spaghetti Factory in downtown. Hmmmm a yummy Ice Cream Cake from Maggie Moo's!

The always happy lil sissy

We are off to Texas this Friday for Nate's grandma's 90th Birthday...

The Wave and a Face Plant

2009-08-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Annual Burg Family Camping Trip

2009-08-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

We had our annual Burg family camping trip this weekend! It was the first time the entire family has been together since Aaron's wedding in January...and it was a blast! Aaron and Tighe actually just moved back here from New Jersey and Jordan is back from her internship so we are now one big happy family!We went on a 2 hour train ride of the Royal Gorge...My mama always told us we were "normal"
Mimi and Papa made us DELICIOUS steak for dinner!

The 2 brothers playing with fire....never a good thing!

Nate unfortunately couldn't make it because of work...he is still in his very busy season.

The chefs were amazing!

Hailey absolutely loved camping..there was a lots of wildlife and Hailey kept seeing "reindeer" pass through our site! She also enjoyed lots of bike riding!

Go Big or Go Home

2009-08-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

Had a huge Page/Gibson/Burg garage sale this weekend...Fun to get rid of some old stuff and make a little extra dough...

2009-07-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

A Fresh New Look

2009-07-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Proud Mom Moment

2009-07-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

I had to have a proud mom/wife moment with you all! Nate and Ashtyn got chosen to do a photo shoot for Boppy pillow. Ashtyn got to pose for 2 sessions, one alone and one with daddy! They did such a great job! Ashtyn was all smiles and they got a lot of great shots! So be looking this fall on the pillows (sold in Target and Babies R Us) or on their website...I'm sure I will post a link when I see the pics!

If you'll notice on most baby products they want the baby to look unisex...so as hard as it was for me, no pink and no bows! :)

My Hard Workin Hubby

2009-07-11T15:03:00.000-07:00

Nate just finished building a few big parks that I wanted to show off! This first one is Bear Creek park in Denver...

Yes that is a sombrero slide!

Don't let it fool you...it's really fast!

There is a rock climbing wall behind him that I must have not got a shot of.

This is a sand pit that has fossils built in for the children to find with a brush.

This is a time capsule and underneath it is a box. It's contents include: Nate's hard had, a Colorado Designscapes T Shirt, Nate's business card and a few other misc things...this is not to be opened until 2059!

Aren't my parents cute!

The first kids to try out the swings...they work great!

This next one is the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument Park. This one is particularly dear to our hearts considering 3 of our grandpa's served this country!

There were about 12 of these made and you can buy a tile with a name engraved for $250.

Nate loves sandblasting.

Nate and his crew did all of the hardscapes that you see here...

Nate got to meet Bill Owens and Bill Ritter at the opening! They even recognized him on stage!

As you can see Nate is a busy guy!!! Hailey went back to school last week and we decided to switch her to afternoons...since Hailey doesn't take naps, it's amazing to have that few hours to get stuff done again!!!! Ashtyn is absolutely everywhere and standing up on everything! She is crazy! She has already had quite a few tumbles...out the front door, off the stair, off a chair...The play pen and gates are my new best friends! She also is such a good eater and LOVES feeding herself whatever I place on her tray! She is also starting to learn a few signs! :)

Welp that's the news around here!

Fun on the 4th!

2009-07-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

Finishing Touches II

2009-07-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

The modern art I've been working on for way too long is finally hung!

Amy came over on Friday to help me finish. (I honestly don't know what I'd do without her!)

As you can tell...very tedious!

Also, we finished our largest project of the summer...painting the house!

We hired a company to do about 70% of the work and the handyman hubby did the rest. It took us about 2 weeks longer because of all the rain we've had.

Our house before...

...after

Getting Around

2009-07-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

Got this video today...Ashtyn LOVES dogs...it's hilarious...she always tries to chase them around! Can't get the video to turn right side up...sorry!

Finishing Touches

2009-06-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

We went on break from big projects for a little while, but are back on track now!

Nate finished these built-in's and Amy decorated them before I got home from California...it was a great surprise! We still have to put waynes coating in to make it a little bit more Pottery Barn looking....
I also was delightfully surprised to find 7 rose bushes in our back yard with 6 different colors!

We also are in the middle of getting the outside of our house painted, drapes for the cocktail room, painting the piano and am working on my modern art project....so hopefully we will get them done soon and I will post some more pics!

Time Away...

2009-06-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

We finally got use our Timeshare after owning it for over 2 years! We decided to go to Steamboat Springs this weekend for our Anniversary! We left the kids with my family...and enjoyed the entire weekend to ourselves!! We got to see 2 movies, enjoy a nice dinner, attend a concert, relax in natural hot springs, lunch with friends, fall asleep by the pool for hours, sleep in, sleep through the night, read and walk around the shops downtown...all of which are things that are a rare treat with 2 kids! It was sooo relaxing...and so short!! We have some points saved up so we are going to go again with some friends and family for a week in September! We are also looking at where we would like book our big vacation of the year (or more like a few years)...we hope to go in December and are looking at places like Thailand or Honduras. I hope to get my camera back in the next few days and am excited to show off some of our new projects around the house...so check back in a few days!....off to the pool with the kiddos!

5 Years Baby!

2009-06-24T22:34:00.000-07:00

5 years ago I began my happily ever after. 5 years ago I made a vow. 5 years ago I could never have never imagined how lucky I would truly be.

Someone once said that Nate and I would not make it 5 years...well here we are.

I can honestly say that I married the man of my dreams! Nate is one of the strongest, most loving, honest, hard working, diligent men that I know and it pours out into every area of my life with him. He is such a wonderful husband and father and I am so thankful for everyday that I get to spend as his wife. I know without a shadow of a doubt that God chose him for me. Thank you Nate for an amazing 5 years. Thank you for being such a great provider for this family and for working so hard on our home. Thank you for my 2 daughters. Thank you for all of the late night guitar sessions calming Hailey back to sleep and for all of the changed diapers and wiped noses! Thank you for always insisting that we never go to bed angry and for (almost) always being the first to apologize! I love you so much! I can't wait to grow old with you! You are the love of my life!~ Happy 5 years Baby!!!

Inch Worm and Cali Slideshow

2009-06-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Ashtyn's been my little inch worm for about 2 weeks now! I honestly don't know what I was thinking placing crackers at a distance so that she would be motivated to learn! As proud as I am of her...she's about 10 times harder to take care of! I guess I didn't realize how convenient it is to set her down with toys and know that she would be there when I returned!...now she loves finding the one choking hazard in the room and trying to eat it!~ It is a lot of fun though! She can be sitting and get to the crawling position and back to sitting again...it's so cute to come and get her in the morning and she will be sitting up in her crib playing! She can almost pull her chunky little body up too! My how they grow so FAST! She's 7 months as of 2 days ago! Thought I would share my proud mom moment with ya'll!

Also here's a slide show of the California pics that I never got to putting up! We had such a great time and can't wait until we get to go out again!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Beautiful Faces

2009-06-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

Saturday Nate and I hosted our first Williams Syndrome picnic at our home. I had contacted the regional director a few months ago. There was not too much going on in this area, but if I wanted to plan something she would help get the word out.

We had about 15 families join us. There were Williams from 2 years old all the way to age 29. I was quite nervous...not only for how it would go, but how Nate and my heart would handle it. I had only met 1 other Williams kid prior to the picnic.

I wish I could say that I was completely encouraged by the event. It was so wonderful to be able to meet other families living and walking this same journey with me. However, it was eye opening and hard to come to terms with some of the life long struggles we will be dealing with.

It was just how I had imagined as far as the kids loving each other. They truly are so sweet and loving. They were holding hands and playing so well together. Hailey had to be sent to the bathroom to get herself together after a break down...a few of the kids quickly followed "Are you OK?" Exactly how Hailey would. I later walked into the playroom to find a few of them getting into the gum ball machine...I was cracking up. The other moms said how much their WS kids, extremely more than their other children, loved sugar! Ha...well that explains a lot!

I absolutely felt a strong connection with several of the other families and hope that this would bring on a strong friendship. One of them, sadly, lives 4 hours away...but has a beautiful 8 year old girl and a similar story to ours. I practically begged her to be sure to call me when she comes to down to Denver so we could hang out.

I'm hoping to plan a get together once a month for whoever is interested..there were at least 5 families that lived fairly close to us. Here's a slide show of the beautiful faces I was privileged to have met.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Somethings In Life Money Can't Buy...

2009-06-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

Gas Grill $500, T Bone Steaks $20, Asparagus $6, Singeing off all my arm hair and half an eyebrow

PRICELESS

Back to the Rockies!

2009-06-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

The girls and I just got back from being in California for over 2 weeks. It was definitely a busy trip. I cannot believe how much we crammed in! We were in Santa Clarita for a week with Nate's family and then went up to Kingsburg to visit friends for another week.

Hailey got to spend a lot of time with her cousin Maddie.

If I got a nickle for every time they tried to invite each other to the park... I'd be at Pottery Barn as we speak!

It would be 8pm:

Hailey "Maddie do you want to go to the park with me?"

Maddie "Yeah"

Aunty Jen "Girls we are not going to the park right now!"
Maddie "Hailey do you want to go to the park with me later?"

2 mnts later...

Hailey "Should we go to the park now?"

Ahhhhhhh

Summer is a great photographer...here are the moments she captured...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

...I'll post my pics as soon as I get a chance! I'm busy preparing to host my first WS gathering at our house on Saturday! About three times as many people are coming than I had originally thought. My stud of a man had the house spotless when we arrived home...now I just need to prepare the activities and food! I'll let you know how it goes!

Sissy is 6 months

2009-05-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

Sissy (as Hailey and I call her) turned 6 months yesterday! AHHH I can't believe it went so fast! It's been so much fun to watch her grow. She's been sitting up for about 2 weeks now and just popped her two bottom teeth on Saturday. She weighs 15 lbs and is in the 50Th percentile for weight and 75Th for height. She's such a happy girl and LOVES hanging with with Hailey.

I also just gave her some solids yesterday for the first time (carrots)...she LOVED them! She seriously wanted to eat an entire container!
So Hailey, Sissy and I are off to California tomorrow for 2 weeks! We are so excited. Hailey has been walking around telling everyone that she gets to go to Maddie's house. (her cousin) I'll be sure to post pics when I get back!

Quotes Of The Day!

2009-05-08T22:48:00.000-07:00

Had to write this down right now so that I wouldn't risk forgetting it...

Hailey "Who has to go poop? Mom do you have to go poop? (raises her hand) me me me me I do I have to go poop!!!"

Daddy "Hailey do you want to go to work with daddy tomorrow?"

Hailey "Daddy can I bring this (a toy shovel) and help you sweep the grass?"

Florida...

2009-05-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a recap of our Florida trip...

Ashtyn had a lot of firsts on this trip! This was her first plane ride...the pilot let her take it for a test drive...Ashtyn's first time in the pool...she absolutely loved it!Nora and I hittin' the pool Fallin asleep in Mr Rose's arms...All the girls: Myself, Chelsea, Tighe, Elizabeth, and Amy
For her senior project Jordan had to write, produce and preform a 45 minutes show...it was unbelievable! I am so proud of her!
All the family members that could make it!

A beautiful day at the beach She can now officially sit up like a big girl with her cuz!

Jordan is a College Grad!

We had such a wonderful time staying at my Grandma Squire's house...we crammed as many people as possible in there...THANKS GRANDMA!

Hailey got to stay home with daddy for the long weekend!...I was a little nervous but they had a a great time and he even took her golfing...she loved it!

A Look Back

2009-05-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

Two years ago my little sister's boyfriend of 2 years lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident. It shook our entire family and it is something that we will never forget. His family lives in New York and we had never had the privilege of meeting. They decided to meet us in Florida for Jordan's college graduation. I had no idea how truly wonderful they were! We bonded with the Rose family immediately! I can't even begin to imagine what they have been through, and yet were all smiles. We felt such joy being around them. Mr. Rose plays the guitar and he would play us worship songs during the down time...His love for the Lord shines through his voice! I know this strength comes straight from the Lord.

Before his death, Josiah was planning on proposing. Jordan found the ring while going through his things. "You guys would have been the best in -laws" Mr. Rose told me. I assured him that they are our family regardless of what happened! I'm so thankful to have met them and hope that we continue to remain close throughout the years! They are planning a trip to visit us in Denver sometime in the near future. We are so excited!