Week 51: A very busy week

This past week was busy and exhausting, it was full of wonderful moments, sad moments, a LOT of cooking, and some stress. I am usually an eternal optimist but I am also human and the beginning of the holidays and Mason's first birthday have been bittersweet. I have taken a lot of time to talk to god and a lot of time just letting my heart miss Nancy. I believe and trust in his plan but sometimes you just want to ask "Why did it have to be now?"

A few weeks ago we were up at Steve and Nancy's for Sunday dinner and we were going through some drawers. Angela found a 1 year old birthday ribbon Nancy had bought for Mason to wear. This sent all of us into the tear works but later that night I sat and thanked god for letting us find that so Mason will have a physical piece of his grandma with him that day. I know how much she was looking forward to being there and she still was, just in a different way.



I can only begin to imagine how Steve and all the kids are feeling. I only knew Nancy for 7 years and yet her footprint is left on my heart for always.





SO I guess with all the craziness and my mind somewhere else, I forgot to catch a lot of pictures over the past week. Luckily their were other camera's around I can borrow from.

Here are some pictures we took at home.



Mason got to practice opening a birthday present this week from some friends who were unable to attend his party.

With a little help he did quite a good job!

Thanks Back Family, this toy is a hit!




Mason has some seriously crazy hair. It is curly in a lot of places and just wild in others. I am still pinching myself that he is ONE! That will be our next post once I go through the birthday photos.

Our yellow dog is sick:( Our Fisher boy was diagnosed a few weeks ago with MG, a neurological disease that has affected the muscles in his face. The nerves are not "firing" so the muscles are not being stimulated and therefore he has lost most of the muscle in his face. Luckily there are medicines that will help him regain some of the muscle and he will be able to live out his remaining years otherwise healthy. I am not ready to say goodbye so I was relieved that there was a way to help him.

The meds have had some fun side affects, like a lot pee and poop. Thus are carpets have taken a beating during the night hours. The upside is we are getting wood floors this week. My wonderful parents have offered to take them frequently to give us a break and to boost the dogs moral. My mom and dad are seriously awesome people.

They are family members and though my love for them is different than my love for Mason they are still a part of us.

Week 50: Yup, I'm 30

My lovely family whisked me away to Vail for the weekend to celebrate my 30th. My folks have a lot of friends in the Vail area and my godmother Linda and her friend Dagmar were gracious enough to host my birthday at the big Piper house. I had my 16th birthday there and my bachelorette party. Needless to say they are way to good to me.

My parents, Mason, and I headed up Thursday and the rest of the crowd came up on Friday.

Every room had a phone like this and Mason was obsessed with them so I finally unplugged one and let him have his way with it.


Friday morning we headed outside to play (before the huge snowstorm hit). Mason was intrigued with the pine cones

If he can climb on it, he loves it!!!

Mom's balloons were pretty fun. The ceilings in the main living room are 40-feet tall so we were doing are best to get the suckers tied before the kids let them take a trip to the ceiling.

Friday evening was a lot of fun and my friends and family came to celebrate. I did turn 30 on Friday the 13th and thank god my friends and family that braved the icy roads and blizzard conditions to be there made it safe and sound.

I was having so much fun that I forgot to get a lot of pictures...BUT I know others who did take some so I will post them soon.

Me and my sister (from another mother), love her.

She and her boyfriend Jason came up for the weekend to celebrate. They are two cool cats.

The next morning Mason woke at his usual time, 6:30. He missed the memo about sleeping in the morning after my birthday but his dad seemed to have gotten it:)

The morning after my birthday he was quite the ball of energy. Shedding his clothes and diaper quickly.

Naked chair pushing, what a sport and what a cute tosh.

He did go down for a nice morning nap and Matt and I were able to relax in the hottub.

Keegan and Mason got in some hut tub time with Grandma and Grandpa, later that day.

Mason is so in love with his Grandpa Will.

We were missing Cormic in this picture but next time he will be big enough to join in.

Saturday afternoon Mason and I took a nice long walk around Pilgrim Downs. All that cheesecake and yummy food was beging to be burned off:)

It was a gorgeous Winter Wonderland and I enjoyed the quiet landscape. Mason missed most of the hour outing because he was snuggled up in the pack taking his afternoon nap.

When we got back Mason stayed in his long underwear and helped Dad tend to the fire.

He's just too cute.

Jason and Ang played some "penguin pile-up" and Jason beat her two out of three times. This game is Keegan's so we are really proud of them for being able to excel at it.

Mason's fairy grandmother Linda was hoping he wouldn't pop any of these!

Mason and Aunt "Bob". He calls her Bob , not sure where he picked this up but it is pretty cute.

I had a wonderful and relaxing birthday. I am really excited for my 30's and even more excited to spend time with all of you. Thanks for all the birthday wishes and thoughts from those there and those unable to join us. If my next 30 years are anything like my first I will be feeling very blessed.

Week 49: Approaching Toddlerhood

A quick post this week. We are beginning to enter the next phase.....TODDLERHOOD.

Lots of messes, I must pick up our living room at least 8 times a day.



Hmmm, that movie will not be watched until you are at least 18 (Half Baked).

"Well my work is done here, what else can I get into?"

Mason is talking quite a bit these days, most of it we do not understand but he seems to understand a lot more than he can say. He loves to talk on his fake cell phone while walking around the house. He puts on quite the show on our fireplace, flexing his vocal cords and working on his jumping. When I tell him "no" he looks at me and says "yup." He is quite the little character and 90% of the time has us rolling with laughter BUT the first temper tantrums have raised their ugly heads. The removal of his own diaper is a daily occurrence followed by a scream out when I try to put another one on.

Saturday we were invited to Matt's previous boss's home for a "going away party." Matt asked if children were invited and they were. Well his boss failed to mention it was an intimate dinner party....ummm we have an 11 month old and you have a beautiful home with LOTS of stairs. It was an exhausting evening for Matt and I. While everyone drank and conversed we chased a very mobile child who is obsessed with climbing, jumping, and yelling "DA DA." All of the guests thought it was hilarious and when we decided to leave before dessert, one of the guests remarked "can't you just set him on the couch to go to sleep?"

Please do not take this as me bitching more of it is the humour of us entering this phase. All the criticism we have had about other people's children and of course the things we put our parents through is beginning to bite us in the rear...but as we always say "We wouldn't change it for the world." and we truly wouldn't.

Week 47 and 48: Fresh air, Snowed in with the flu and Halloween

I know I say this a lot but we love Colorado! Fresh air sure does the soul well. Matt, Mason and I took a nice hike near our home a few weeks ago. We hiked a new leg of a hike we do frequently. This leg is called the "Enchanted Forest."


The hike lived up to its name. We kept a look out for Snow white and the seven dwarfs but they were no where to be seen.

Mason was a trooper as usual, 6 miles later he was still a happy camper.

After we got home he needed to burn some energy off, after all he just sat there while Dad and I took turns carrying him.

There is a saying in Colorado "If you don't like the weather just wait an hour." Its true, we were enjoying lovely fall temps.

Playing in the leaves.

Taking long walks....and than.

We got blasted with our first major snowfall. We only got 16-inches but many nearby towns saw more than 2-feet. Now we usually love being snowed in but a day before the snow hit Mason came down with the flu. We are pretty sure it was H1N1. Our doctor diagnosed it per Mason's symptoms and told us to just stay home, give him Tylenol and lots of love. This is the first time he has been sick and it was scary a few times. The second night I woke up around 1 to take his temp, it was 101 so I gave him some Tylenol and went back to bed. At 3 I woke to someone gently rubbing my hand (Matt was on the other side of the bed) so I think Grandma Nancy was watching us. I went in to find Mason with a 104 temp, vomit all over his crib and a very messy diaper. We quickly cleaned up the mess and I took a bath with him and we were able to bring the temp down. The next few days he spent with an upset tummy, a fever, and lots of crying. Man your heart hurts when your baby does not feel well.

When the Tylenol or Motrin kicked in he would regain his normal spirit.

But when it wore off he just wanted to cuddle. I am not sure how Ang, Matt and I escaped this but we are thankful. We all kissed and hugged our little bugger a lot. Matt had to go into work both days and I have to say being snowed in with one of my best buddies, Angela, was a lot of fun. Thanks for all your help with Mason and by keeping me sane when I wanted to jump into the snow bank. I love you.

We were going to have a Halloween party but decided because of the germs to cancel. We did disinfect the entire house and Ang's boyfriend Jason and her best buddy Ashley still came over to help celebrate.

Mason was a monkey, kind of the theme of his first year.

We didn't even get to carve our pumpkins this year. Oh well there are many Halloweens to be had.

Daddy Monkey and Baby Monkey.

Mommy Monkey and grumpy monkey.

Two cute chicks and flirty monkey.

Ang. and some crazy guy on our porch.

Jason was our humour of the evening. He would hide in our driveway and jump out and scare people. He only did this to the older kids because Ang was insistent he not scare our little trick or treaters.

Halloween was nice, we laughed a lot and let loose. And I would like to mention that I beat everyone at Wii hula hoop:)