Brynn and McKenzie's Babble

New Blog ALERT!!!

2010-05-13T09:29:00.002-06:00

Please check out my new blog at:
http://thepurlsofourlife.blogspot.com

I am now updating on that one and this one will eventually be gone, so please bookmark the new one or become a follower of the new one. It encompasses the kids, my knitting, and our life. Hope you enjoy it!

Dan's Birthday

2009-12-06T04:17:00.004-07:00

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We went to Elephant Bar to celebrate Dan's birthday this year. It was nice to have friends and family there to celebrate with us! Thanks to all who attended! We had an amazing time!

Simply Sisters

2009-11-29T08:38:00.003-07:00

Brynn is enjoying being a big sister. McKenzie loves to hear her voice! Tomorrow is our 2 week doctor appt, so we'll see how her weight is and how she is growing.

Roller Skating

2009-11-25T09:07:00.001-07:00

For Aly's 6th birthday party, she had a roller skating party! I really wanted to to skate since I hadn't been since junior high or high school, but since I had just given birth, it probably wasn't such a good idea. :) They had special skates with the wheels locked a bit so they didn't spin as easily. Brynn had a great time and she looked so cute! I can't wait till we can go again so that I can skate too!

First Bath at Home

2009-11-24T14:03:00.001-07:00

A very happy and warm girl afterwards. These were taken last week, but just got around to posting them. :)

4 Days Old

2009-11-20T02:53:00.001-07:00

She is here!

2009-11-18T03:17:00.006-07:00

We welcomed McKenzie Erin into the world on November 15, 2009 at 9:24 a.m. She was only 37 weeks 2 days, but was ready to greet the world! She weighed in at 6 lbs 12 ozs and 19 inches long. She had a full head of gorgeous dark hair and lighter skin.

As for labor, it was not what I was expecting at all. I woke up on Sunday morning at 5 a.m. with some contractions, but I wasn't sure if they were really contractions at all or just Braxton-Hicks. I came into the living room and watched some tv and did some knitting and around 6:30 or so, I realized that I was having to breath through them and that they were getting more and more painful. So I woke up Dan and asked him to start a warm bath for me, thinking that if they were the "real" thing, they wouldn't stop. And they didn't. They just got worse and were around 3-4 minutes apart at that point. By 8ish, we realized that we should probably call the midwife and she said to go ahead an come in. Forgot to mention that it had snowed all night the evening before and it was still snowing, so we knew the drive would be a challenge and possibly slow. The drive was almost unbearable for me as the contractions were about 2 minutes apart by then, and I didn't know it at the time, but I was in the transition phase, where labor is most painful and the hardest part of the whole experience.

We finally got the hospital and they took me into triage in in L & D and we had a great nurse, Cheri check me in. She could see that the contractions were coming fast and they were extremely painful. Jessica Breese, my midwife arrived soon after and she checked me and I was 10 centimeters!!! Holy cow! Wasn't expecting to hear that at all. Soon after that my water broke on it's own and I was told that I was going to deliver this baby soon and that it was going to be in that tiny triage room, but I was ready to get her out. Not sure how many pushes I actually had...maybe pushed through 3-5 contractions and a bit later she was out. We also found out that she was facing up (or posterior), which makes it harder to push her out. Our midwife said that if she had come out face down (the correct way) that we probably would have had her a whole lot faster and that wouldn't have been good since we had quite a long drive in because of the snow. We were so amazed to finally see her and hold her and she was perfect! She did really well for having such a fast labor and delivery.

We are home now and adjusting to having a 4 year old and a new baby. Brynn is great with her and being such a big girl and listening to mommy and daddy most of the time. She loves feeling McKenzie's skin as she thinks it is so soft!

Dan and I can't get over that she is really here already. She is so alert and in awe of her surroundings when she is awake. It's just fun to sit there and watch her little eyes wander around.

Thank you to all who have called, texted, and facebook'd. :) We love you all!

Almost that time

2009-11-08T06:03:00.002-07:00

As you can see from the pregnancy ticker, we are almost there! Less than 4 weeks away now (if she comes on time). I've had two unexpected baby showers and it was a great surprise, so we have pretty much everything we need now and more. I am busy trying to get everything washed and put away and also trying to get all of our Christmas shopping done as well as I'm sure I won't be able to once McKenzie is here.

Brynn is doing well and I think she is ready to see her little sister, but she is staying very patient. She will be headed to Texas with her Uncle D this coming week to spend some time with Grandma, Grandpa, Sissy, Uncle D, and Austin. We will miss her lots, but I have a feeling we will be able to get a lot of last minute baby things and Christmas things done. :)

Two Sales going on at Loopy Knits Boutique!

2009-11-06T15:30:00.002-07:00

TWO GREAT SPECIALS GOING ON RIGHT NOW! Cannot combine the two. :)

*****SCARF SALE - Limited Time Only!!*********
It's that time for scarves again! $5 OFF all scarves (excluding "Only $5" special). Please convo me before you purchase and I will update the prices for you, or I will refund you via Paypal after you have paid!

*********ONLY $5 SPECIAL************
ONLY $5 Special! This is separate from the Scarf SALE listed above, and no you don't get $5 off of a $5 scarf! :) I will be listing one $5 scarf every day or every other day, so all you pay is $5 plus the shipping! Get it before someone else gets it! I am trying to get rid of some of my inventory as I just got a bunch of new yarns in and can't wait to knit them up into something pretty and get them listed!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/loopyknitsboutique

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T07:13:00.003-06:00

This photo is of Brynn in front of her school at the Halloween Carnival last week. She had a great time!

Update...

2009-10-28T18:10:00.003-06:00

These photos were taken at 32 or 33 weeks I believe. I am carrying this baby way different than I carried Brynn. She is always moving and Dan and Brynn get a kick out of feeling her kick. :) I am now almost 35 weeks and it's going slow, but at the same time it's going fast if that makes any sense. I know that we are all ready to meet her, but she just needs to cook a little longer. We are pretty much ready for her I think. My friends had a surprise shower for me a couple of weekends ago and it was so nice spending time with everyone! My co-workers are also throwing a shower for me on November 2nd at work, so I am looking forward to that as well!

You are my Sunshine

2009-10-06T18:42:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Mark for recording Brynn's beautiful rendition of, "You are my sunshine"! You can see Solana sleeping peacefully in the right hand corner and Liddy's Mom, Lyria, helping Brynn along. :) She did this right when we got back to Liddy and Mark's after dinner.

30th Birthday

2009-10-04T08:54:00.004-06:00

Being that I was pregnant for my 30th birthday, I didn't get to do any drinking, but still had a great time with friends. Liddy's mom watched Brynn for us and Solana for Liddy and Mark, so that we could all go have a nice dinner at Hacienda Colorado in Westminster. It was nice just getting out and seeing them again without having to worry about the kids. I also had a surprise at work when I had some flowers delivered and they were from Liddy and Mark as well!

New Bedding for Brynn and McKenzie

2009-09-16T18:54:00.006-06:00

Brynn and McKenzie now have matching bedding for their room! I choose black, white, and pinks as the main colors. I had a lady who made the quilt that Dan and I have on our bed, and also the lap quilt we use in the living room also custom make Brynn's new quilt and sham and also the complete crib set for McKenzie and as always she did an amazing job!! It's better than I could have imagined! I plan to add
some things to the walls as well, but still have about 2.5 months to go, so I will take my time. Brynn loves her new "bed" and she was very happy to see that her sister as the exact same blanket as her. :)

Breckenridge and St. Mary's Glacier Day Trip

2009-09-12T14:19:00.003-06:00

On August 30th we took a little day trip to Breckenridge. We started the day out at the Original Pancake House and I had my favorite Pumpkin pancakes, Brynn had a smiley face pancake, and Dan had strawberry waffles. It was yummy! Then we made our way to Breckenridge and walked around a bit and had lunch at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Then on our way back home we stopped at St. Mary's Glacier and hiked up to see that. Boy was it a hard hike for me. I didn't think I was going to make it, but I did and it was worth it. Very pretty and amazing to see an ice field in August. We were all tired by the time we got home, but it was definitely worth it as we all had a great time!

Summer Day...

2009-08-22T15:03:00.003-06:00

We ventured out to Washington "Wash" Park today for a McDonald's picnic. It was was nice sitting in the shade while we ate, but then we started walking and boy was it hot!!! We finally got to really try out the new camera, so here are some shots from today.

24 Weeks...

2009-08-17T16:53:00.002-06:00

Not the best picture of me, but you get the point. :) Everything has been going well and she is moving all the time! We will sit there and watch my belly and you can just see her moving around in there, it's very cool! My last midwife appt went great! I was measuring 24 weeks and her heart rate was in the 140s.

Brynn keeps asking me if my tummy is getting bigger. She'll come up and feel my tummy and say, "Yep, it's getting bigger!"

We are almost done with our hypnobirthing class, only one more class. We have learned a lot about deep relaxation and different techniques to use during labor and birth. Our teacher, Angie, is great and she is so relaxing. I really hope we are able to utilize this during labor.

Hypnobirthing

2009-07-21T14:16:00.003-06:00

Dan and I have our first Hypnobirthing class tonight and we are really looking forward to it! Not sure what to expect, but it's hopefully going to help me have a natural birth with no meds. Of course, I'm not totally counting out the meds, but would love it if I didn't need them. You can read more about it at Hypnobirthing Moms, which is where were are taking our classes at. It lasts for 5 weeks and it's every Tuesday evening.

Wish us luck!

Update!!! Class was great and we can't wait to go back next week!

Nebraska Trip Day 3

2009-07-20T17:14:00.002-06:00

Our main objective for the day was to celebrate Grandma Kienker's 80th birthday. It was open house style and planned by her kids, Mike, Karen, Judy, and Marilyn. They did a great job and everyone had a good time. We headed home around the end of the open house and made it home in about 6.5 hours. We had a great trip and a great time with family!! We hope to go out there next summer as well after the new baby is born, so they can see her.

More Pictures from Day 2

2009-07-20T17:12:00.003-06:00

Nebraska Trip Day 2

2009-07-20T16:55:00.003-06:00

We started our day with a drive to Lincoln, where we took Brynn to the Lincoln Children's Museum and Brynn had a blast! She enjoyed shopping in the grocery store, playing in the water area, and playing in the space ship area. We then drove to the Lincoln mall and walked around a bit and had some Runza's for lunch. This was the first time I had this, and Dan's second time. They are long sandwiches made with fresh baked bread and the main ingredient is ground beef with seasoning, onions, and cabbage. Mine also had swiss cheese and mushrooms and Dan's had pickles and cheese in it in addition to the meat. They were yummy!!! It's a very heavy meal, but worth it! Brynn just had their kids meal with the mini corn dogs. :)

Then we drove back to Grand Island and Dan enjoyed driving around and showing me where he spent summers at his Grandma and Grandpa's old house, parks he played in, etc. Then we went over to Great Aunt Doris' house (Grandma Kienker's sister) and spent some time visiting with her and later her daughter, Debbie.

Soon after that we had to rush over to Central City for a dinner with the entire Kienker family at the Lincoln Manor Restaurant. It was so neat seeing all brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles all together and we had to get a separate room since our group was so big. There were around 20 of us!! It was actually Grandma Kienker's birthday that day, so at the end of dinner, we all sang Happy Birthday and she got her birthday dessert.

Dan and I decided to go and see Transformers in the tiny little theater in Central City. When I say tiny I mean tiny. It is an original movie theater built a long time ago (the only theater in Central City). They only show two movies. Once is downstairs in the original theater and it's a bit bigger. Ours was upstairs in the old balcony and they made that area into another mini theater with around 5 or 6 rows I would say. It was very neat seeing a theater that old and you can't beat $5 per ticket for an evening show! Brynn stayed with her cousins and had a great time playing with them.

Nebraska Trip Day 1

2009-07-17T17:55:00.002-06:00

Had a nice drive to Grand Island today, especially since Dan drove the whole way. :) We got to our hotel around 5 p.m. (central time) and decided where we wanted to eat. Dan saw that we had a Valentino's close to us, which is like a Cici's pizza on steriods and way better. So we made our way over there and it was so yummy! Maybe because I had pretty much just had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch and was starving by the time dinner rolled around.

We are now back at the hotel. Brynn has been okay, but definitely getting on our nerves. She wouldn't eat any of her meal at Valentino's, so we told her NO snacks when we get to the hotel. She is now playing with her Leap frog game thing while Dan and I watch tv.

Tomorrow our plan is to go to the little water park they have here, Island Oasis Water Park. Much smaller than our Water World, but it's something to do. Hopefully we will all get a good sleep tonight and be in a good mood tomorrow. :)

20 Weeks...

2009-07-16T17:42:00.002-06:00

We are half way done and 20 more weeks to go! I had my 20 week appt today and everything is looking and sounding good. Heart rate was in the 160s and she is growing well!

We are on our way to Nebraska tomorrow to celebrate Grandma Kienker's 80th birthday. It will be a nice little road trip for us and probably will be our mini summer vacation. :)

Ear Piercing Video

2009-07-05T13:32:00.002-06:00

Here is the video of Brynn getting her ears pierced! Enjoy!

Ears Pierced Part 1

2009-07-05T13:29:00.003-06:00

Before she got her ears pierced.

Mommy and the big girl!

Right after they were done piercing her ears!

Ears Pierced Part 2

2009-07-05T12:56:00.008-06:00

Brynn got her ears pierced today and she did such a great job and didn't even cry (even though we were expecting her to)! She sat there very still and quiet. She looks a bit freaked out, but when we asked her if she was nervous, she said no. After she got her ears pierced she got a treat at the cookie store. She also had a great time playing in the water play area at the mall.

July 4th

2009-07-05T07:26:00.003-06:00

We didn't do much yesterday, but still had a great day! We started the day off at Denver Zoo and had a great time. We had a very yummy lunch at Olive Garden, then came home and Brynn took a nap while Dan and I played Guitar Hero a bit and I updated my blog...FINALLY!! Then Anita came over around 5:30 and we cooked Mushroom Swiss burgers inside the house since it was raining pretty bad outside. We also had some yummy desserts (cheesecake and brownies), that I still haven't tried since I was still so full from lunch and from the burger. We watched the New York City Macy's fireworks show on tv from the comfort of our couch and that was the extent of our 4th! It was a great and relaxing day!

It's a....

2009-07-04T14:45:00.002-06:00

GIRL!!! Most everyone now knows that we are having another girl, but here are some ultrasound pictures we got when we had our 3D/4D Ultrasound last Saturday. It was so neat to see her squirm around and get mad at the ultrasound tech because she kept poking her. Some of the pictures are hard to tell what you are exactly looking at, but see if you can figure it out. :) We are still trying to finalize a name for our new little girl, but we'll let everyone know when we do. :) In one of the pictures you can see the umbilical cord right up around her face. Enjoy!

Long time, no write

2009-07-04T14:33:00.004-06:00

Yes, I know it's been awhile since I've written anything, but I am going to finally try and catch up on everything! To start Brynn is now 4 and she is going to be a big sister soon! We found out in April that we were expecting another baby! This little one was planned (unlike Brynn) and we are all very excited to meet the new little one. My due date is December 4th, 2009, a day before Dan's birthday. He is kinda hoping it's born on his birthday too.

Brynn started going to a new preschool about 3 minutes away from our house and she is loving it. The kids get to go swimming 3 times a week in the summer time since the school has a pool and she is really enjoying it and getting a very nice tan! She is also learning her letters and how to write as well. She has gotten very good at writing her name and we are so proud of all that she has learned so far. It's hard to believe that in a little over a year she will be in Kinder!

I'm hoping to keep everyone updated with the pregnancy and with our little family.

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday Uncle D!

2009-03-25T22:41:00.001-06:00

Girl's Day

2009-03-25T16:54:00.003-06:00

Brynn and I had a good time last Sunday....that was until she became extremely grouchy right around nap time. After that, we promptly came home and she went straight down for a nap! Daddy was over at his friend, BJ's, house helping him paint. Brynn and I started our morning off at Panera's, where Brynn had a blueberry bagel and I had my all-time favorite Four Cheese Egg Souffle! It was delicious! Then we went to Mom's little yarn shop (LYS) in Parker, where I got some yarn and signed up for my sock class coming up this Friday! Also talked to the LYS owner Jen for a bit. She is usually there on Sunday mornings, so it's always nice talking to her. Then we went to the mall and looked around for a bit till about 12:30ish and that is where Brynn started losing it. All in all we had a great day!!

Isela's Soccer Game

2009-03-25T16:49:00.002-06:00

Brynn, Daddy, and I had a great time watching Isela play soccer this past Saturday! She did a great job and so did her Papi as the coach!! Go Cougars!

New Blog!!

2009-03-20T20:12:00.001-06:00

Please check out my new blog at:
http://loopyknits.blogspot.com

I hope you love it!

Disney on Ice

2009-03-19T17:15:00.001-06:00

Pass the Cheese

2009-03-17T21:44:00.003-06:00

Last night we had Pizza Hut pizza for dinner and as always it was great!! While in the midst of dinner Brynn had asked if she could sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on her pizza. Dan looked in the canister and saw some big clumps, so he told her he would shake it for her to break up the lumps. He proceeded to close up the lid, or so he thought...

Seconds later, Dan has cheese all over him. While he was shaking it, the lid came open and cheese flew everywhere, all over Dan, the table, and floor. I started laughing hysterically and so did Dan and Brynn started CRYING! It was so funny and I just had to grab the camera to snap some photos. I haven't downloaded the photos yet, but will do so sometime soon!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Thanks DeShawn!!

2009-03-09T20:03:00.002-06:00

Check out DeShawn Marie's blog below. She wrote the sweetest post about Loopy Knits Boutique and it means a lot to me!! You can also check out DeShawnMarie Handcrafted Soaps on Etsy!

http://www.handcraftedsoap.blogspot.com/

Zoo trip from last Saturday

2009-03-07T07:39:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from our zoo trip last weekend. We had a good time!

I'm in another Treasury!!

2009-02-25T20:30:00.003-07:00

Check out my red washclothes in another Treasury on Etsy!! Bottom row in the middle! :)

It's small, so you can check it out here

Part 2: Artist for a day

2009-02-19T18:24:00.002-07:00

Artists for a day

2009-02-19T18:18:00.001-07:00

Brynn, Sissy, and I went to Color Me Mine this past Monday to paint some pottery! Brynn painted a cupcake container thingy, Sissy painted two coffee mugs, and I painted a trivet (with a little help from Brynn). We had a great time, although Brynn was a bit fussy. Then we had lunch at Del Taco and went to Michaels and Joann's to look at yarn. Thanks Sissy for driving down to see us!

I was featured in a Treasury on Etsy!!

2009-02-18T18:24:00.002-07:00

I got included in a Treasury on Etsy!! The theme was "Cool items under $5"!!
Check it out at: http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=40899

Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T19:29:00.003-07:00

We had a great Valentine's Day weekend! It started off with breakfast at Original Pancake house!! Brynn had the Happy Face Cakes, I had the Pumpkin Pancakes, and Dan had the Blueberry pancakes. Then we headed off to give the Stratus some lovin' and got the tires rotated and balanced and the oil changed. We then headed home for Brynn to nap. Then we dropped Brynn off at Nana's house and topped the day off with massages and dinner at a really good Mexican restaurant we found! It was a great day! Sunday we woke up late at 8!!! It was so nice! We spent the day around the house doing what we both love to do...Dan playing WoW and me knitting and watching TV. We then went to watch Dan's old hockey team play...which they lost, but they played an awesome game. We picked up Brynn and Anita's, and I am now sitting here while Brynn sleeps and Dan goes to work out with his friend Dave. Tomorrow Dan is going snowboarding with his brother, Alan, and Brynn and I get to spend time with Sissy!! We are going to paint some pottery and have some girl time together and we can't wait! I love you hun and thanks for a great weekend!

Some New listings on Loopy Knits Boutique!

2009-02-15T09:06:00.003-07:00

RED HOT Sale going on right now!!! $5 OFF any scarf in the shop! Check out my shop link to the right of the blog!

The Computer...

2009-02-11T17:26:00.002-07:00

Per my brother's request, here is a photo of the computer. :) My laptop has it's home on the living room coffee table. :) I also included a picture of the tv. :)

New Home

2009-02-10T17:58:00.002-07:00

Here are some pictures of the new apartment. There are no pictures of Brynn's room as she was napping while I took the pictures. There are still some boxes in some of the pictures, but those are now gone, so we finally feel at home and settled!

Nuxiemade Hat Giveaway!!

2009-02-08T07:42:00.002-07:00

I just ordered two of these adorably cute hats from nuxiemade on Etsy! One for Brynn and one for Me! She is currently having a give-away for February, so check it out and enter at:

http://nuxiemade.blogspot.com/2009/01/nuxiemade-hat-give-away.html

Read the instructions and enter to win!

Front Page of Etsy

2009-02-04T05:30:00.002-07:00

I was featured on the Front Page of Etsy!!! What's the big deal you ask? Well, for one it's free advertising and it gets a lot of exposure for my shop! I was so excited! Thanks to Mom and finding this screen shot in flickr!! See my Richest Rose scarf on the bottom row??!!

All Moved

2009-02-02T15:21:00.001-07:00

We got everything moved over on Saturday! Now we are just in the midst of many boxes that still need to be unpacked. Hopefully we can get everything unpacked by the end of this coming weekend. Brynn is settling in to her new room just fine. We are also getting used to going up and down the stairs since we live on the second floor...gotta get that work out in!

Last Weekend

2009-01-25T13:40:00.002-07:00

This is our last weekend in our current apartment and we spent it at home and in our PJ's all day! It was so great to not have to get out and run errands all weekend. We will be really busy this coming week though with going to Costco and getting stuff for the move all ready. Brynn will be at Sissy's house Friday through Sunday, so we won't have a little Brynn-Brynn under our feet while we move, so we say THANKS in advance to Sissy, David, and Austin for entertaining her all weekend. (Even though I know they enjoy her visits.:))

Brynn has been asking us everyday when are we moving to our new house and we keep telling her we still have awhile. We will finally be able to tell her it's just 6...5....4....3....2....1 day(s) away! When Sissy brings her "home" on Sunday, we hope to have her room ready so she can mess it up all over again!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Girl's Night Out

2009-01-15T07:11:00.002-07:00

Last night I went to dinner and a movie with my girlfriends, Adrienne, Jey, and Suyzel and we had such a great time! We started off the evening with dinner at Old Chicago and then went to the movies to see Bride Wars. That is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. Many scenes of the movie made us laugh, but there was one scene where we just could not stop laughing! I know I was lauging so hard I cried and I'm sure some of the other girls did as well. It was a great time with great friends and I can't wait to do it again!

PS. Dan was a sweetheart and picked up Brynn from day care for me so I could run home change clothes, and get to Gymboree to use my Gymbucks before meeting up with the ladies...so thanks hun!

My Truths

2009-01-13T10:16:00.003-07:00

So I've been tagged by Suyzel to admit to 10 of my honest truths...I've decided to play! Here are the rules in case I tag you! A) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!B) pass the award on to bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

1. I started my Masters degree and am one class away from finishing it, but I have to do a stupid thesis and that's the reason I'm probably never going to finish!
2. I have an obsession with Etsy. I need a 12-step program.
3. I like to get buzzed every once in awhile, but I don't like to get drunk.
4. I hate the snow.
5. I wish I lived closer to my parents. Deep down, I want to go back to Texas...I'm definitely not a Colorado girl. :)
6. I am deathly afraid of having blood drawn and having an IV, but I'm okay with shots oddly enough.
7. I sometimes like to make Dan mad, just for the fun of it. (He already knows that.) :) Love you hun!
8. I want another baby.
9. I love anything sweet!! Preferably vanilla cupcakes from Target.
10. I am definitely a morning person, rather than a night owl.
Now, I've selected the following to tell their honest scrap! So do it!
Sissy (Teri)
Jessica
Adrienne
Laura
Bubba (Kevin)
David
Austin
Dad

Spinning

2009-01-10T11:47:00.005-07:00

Dan said that whenever I start doing something new, I always immerse myself in it! That's exactly what I'm doing with knitting! I figured I wanted to try to spin my own yarn. It's so neat to see how they turn out when you are done. I am still learning, so there is a lot of thick and thin, but I'm practicing and getting better. I've been buying hand spun yarn on etsy and I just love it! It seems like once you knit with hand spun, it's hard to go back to commercial spun.

Speaking of knitting, check out my shop! I listed my first 3 items this morning!

http://www.loopyknitsboutique.etsy.com

I know...

2009-01-09T09:29:00.003-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted. I've been busy with different things and haven't had a lot of time to blog. This weekend should be a good one for us. We have absolutely nothing to do! Plan on staying home all weekend and get laundry done and work on knitting. I plan to open my etsy shop this weekend too and list some items. Check it out at www.loopyknitsboutique.etsy.com

Brynn is doing great! She is a typical 3 year old with a 15 year old attitude. She does have her moments though were she is just the sweetest thing on earth. :)

Dan and I are doing good, just staying busy with work and home life. We will start packing in a week as we prepare for our move to a new apartment...when I say new, I really mean new! Our building that we will be living in was totally completed TODAY! So we will be the first to live in our new place. We can't wait to move, so if anyone wants to offer some help, we move on January 31st!!

My new obsession

2008-12-26T07:59:00.004-07:00

Knitting!!! Sissy had been knitting so a couple of weeks ago I had this thought come into my head that I wanted to learn how to knit. So that night I went and got some needles, yarn, and a "Learn to Knit" book and started off. I've been getting better since then and learning more. Christmas Eve I got home and saw that this amazing hand-dyed, hand-spun yarn had come in from a great lady on Etsy...Bobbi with Kittygrrlz. She creates amazing yarn and it's so fun to knit with! Anyways, I got my Art yarn and started knitting away and I was done with a nice little scarf by that evening!! I wore it on Christmas Day. I love the colors and textures and it's very soft!

Merry Christmas Y'all!!!

2008-12-25T17:53:00.001-07:00

The Christmas Song

2008-12-19T19:55:00.003-07:00

Please enjoy Brynn's rendition of "The Christmas Song"!

Reasons why I love the holidays...

2008-12-17T20:52:00.003-07:00

3rd Christmas

2nd Christmas

1st Christmas

Family time*Days off*Sugar Cookies*the gleam in a child's eye on Christmas morning*Christ was born*lights*ornaments*my Nutcrackers*Christmas Beanie Babies from Grandma*parties*friends*Stockings*the spirit of Santa*Giving to others who aren't as fortunate as us*Tamales on Christmas Eve*Tostada (sp?) chips from Palmetto Inn (miss that)*Grandma Harpster's divinity (miss that too)*Grandma Nunn's Au Gratin Potatoes (I think I can make these now!)*Knitted items especially made by Grandma Nunn*Watching Brynn open her presents*cleaning up all of the torn wrapping paper*Mid-afternoon nap on Christmas day from waking up so early*Watching Emmitt Otter's Jug Band Christmas*Christmas music*Zoo lights

So many reasons I look forward to the holidays every year!

Snow...

2008-12-14T07:48:00.002-07:00

When we left Pat and Jey's house last night it had started snowing/sleeting and this morning we wake up to more snow. Hoping it snows a lot so we have a snow day tomorrow for work!!

As for the weekend, Brynn had a blast yesterday at her Papa's Children's Holiday party held at Mr. Biggs! She played in the foam house, the Little BiggWorld, and she met Santa (for the 3rd time this year). Then we came home for some nap time (computer time for dad and knitting time for mom). We then went to Pat and Jey's house for a little get-together where we made our own personal pizzas and played Wii! I ended up falling asleep on the couch, yes I'm a party pooper! Dan and Pat had fun playing Guitar Hero though.

Our plans for today include staying home and out of the cold. Dan't mom got free tickets to a play in Boulder, but we will see what the weather brings.

Sad news

2008-12-12T09:23:00.003-07:00

Most of you probably haven't heard, but there is a new ruling, bill, whatever you call those political things that is going to require handmade items, like my hair clips, to be tested for lead and whatever else is harmful. Anyways, it's going to force me to have to close down my little Sassy Bows Boutique. There is no way I'm paying for the testing and there is no way I'm going to get slapped with a huge fine. My shop is currently closed for the holidays, but when I open it back up in January, I will start to list my supplies to get rid of some of that. I will keep some of it so I can take it out if I need to make something for Brynn, but most of it will be sold. I was hoping to make it a year at least, and even more, but something beyond my control is forcing me to close it down.

So a word to the wise, if you love to buy stuff for your kids on etsy (i.e. bows, toys, etc.), buy it now, because it may not be there come February and March!

Dan's Birthday

2008-12-05T05:37:00.002-07:00

We celebrated Dan's birthday at Claim Jumper on Wednesday, December 3th, and had a great time! Thanks to all who were able to attend!

Austin's in the News!

2008-12-01T15:29:00.001-07:00

Check out my BIL's post about my nephew! He works for a company called Intense Debate. Just follow the post on the blog and listen for the name "Austin" in the newscast! I am a very proud aunt!

http://deh-peeved.blogspot.com/2008/11/star-is-born.html

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T13:29:00.002-07:00

I'm so thankful we were able to come out to Texas for Thanksgiving this year. It is a full house, but we've enjoyed every minute of it. Brynn has missed a couple of naps and she has been staying up late, but we figured why not let her since she is on "vacation". We have eaten way too much so we'll have to take it easy when we get home. The Hallocks leave tomorrow and we will leave bright and early on Saturday morning. We hope to be home by 8 or 9 p.m. Hope everyone has had a great Thanksgiving! Go Cowboys and Longhorns!

Texas or Bust

2008-11-21T07:44:00.002-07:00

We are headed to Texas early tomorrow morning! We are very excited and can't wait to spend time with the family. Brynn is sick now, so we are hoping she gets better soon, so she can enjoy being at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Dan is home today with Brynn getting the car cleaned and the oil changed. When I get home, we will finish packing everything and pretty much have it ready to leave in the morning. I really hope today goes by fast here at work! It's been awhile since I've had a whole week off!

Are we going to Texas....

2008-11-19T18:38:00.002-07:00

That's what I've heard everyone morning for the past 2 weeks from Brynn since I told her we were driving to Texas. Finally we can tell her we have 3 more days! It's been hard getting ready to leave while being sick, but I think I'm slowly getting better. I still have a really bad cough though. At least Dan is staying home on Friday, so he will get all of the last minute things done and start packing the van.

Sick

2008-11-15T05:34:00.003-07:00

I've been sick for about the past week and stayed home from work on Thursday and Friday. Still not feeling too good this morning, but I have another busy weekend ahead, so hopefully I'll start feeling better. Today I have to go to work and put in about 4 hours of putting binders together. I did the same thing last Saturday when I wasn't sick and I was so tired afterwards. I'm sure after today and being sick, I'll be really tired! Then I have to run to Babies R Us to get some potty liners for Brynn's porta-potty for the trip and also need to find something for a birthday party we are going to. That birthday party is at 3 p.m., then I have to rush Dan and Brynn back home and head over to a Pampered Chef party at 5 p.m. That's it for Saturday, but then I have a jewelry party on Sunday at 3 p.m.

I really hope I start feeling better soon as I have so much to get done this week. Everyone say a prayer that I get better fast!

To Do List for Sunday

2008-11-09T07:21:00.002-07:00

Finish all laundry
Clean out Brynn's closet
Clean kitchen and mop floor
Vacuum
Download pictures from camera
List items on Etsy

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

The Big Night

2008-11-07T20:49:00.003-07:00

Only my family and Valley friends will appreciate this, but tonight is the big night where Bobcats rival the Cougars. To me, this is almost more important than the elections. I remember sitting in the stands Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior years with the band and cheering on every single game. Wish I was there to cheer on EHS, but I am there in spirit. I told Dan that he hasn't experienced a high school football game, until he has been to one the valley. :)

I'll be checking the internet tomorrow morning to see if they won. :)

GO BOBCATS!!!!

UPDATE: Bobcats lost by 3 points!!! :( 20-23. Good try guys!

I Voted!!

2008-11-04T17:27:00.003-07:00

Well, my worst expectations did not happen! We walked in to vote, no line, and we were in and out in about 5 minutes. Brynn sat in her stroller while Dan and I voted and she was very good. She even got an "I Voted" sticker! As we were walking out Dan got "interviewed" by a local public radio station about his voting experience today and what issues he was passionate about and he who voted for (Obama). :)

GO McCain/Palin!!!! (As you can see, we try not to discuss politics in our household, as it usually starts fights.:))

Sassy Bows Give-away!

2008-11-03T15:02:00.002-07:00

Hi ya'll! I am having another give-away for the month of November at the Sassy Bows Blog. Click on the link to the right and look for the Give-away posting! It lasts for 2 weeks, so make sure to get your entry in!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Happy Halloween!!

2008-10-31T07:29:00.003-06:00

Wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween! Brynn has a Halloween party at school today and then they will change them into their costumes so that they are ready for trick or treating. Then we are going to Sissy and Uncle D's house for dinner and trick or treating! Hope everyone has a great Halloween and stay safe!!

Soccer Pizza Party

2008-10-28T19:52:00.003-06:00

The girls soccer pizza party was tonight at CiCi's pizza and they had a great time! Coach Jason passed out trophies and all the kids were so happy to get them. :) We had a great soccer season and a great coach!

Weekend Photos Part II

2008-10-25T13:25:00.003-06:00

Weekend Photos Part I

2008-10-25T13:18:00.003-06:00

I will be posting photos from our busy weekend! Enjoy!

Another busy weekend!

2008-10-22T19:01:00.002-06:00

Check out all that we are doing this weekend!!

Thursday: Bowling
Friday:
4:00 p.m. Brynn's flu shot
6:00 p.m. Brynn's Fall Carnival at school
7:00 p.m. Go to Nana Anita's house for Mommy and Daddy to get ready for Halloween Party
7:30 p.m. Halloween Party at Jey and Pat's (can't wait for this one!!!)

Saturday:
9:00 a.m. Brynn's last soccer game
Relax....
6:00 p.m. Evelyn's Pampered Chef party

Sunday:
9:00 a.m. Boo at the Zoo

As you can see the weekend is pretty full, but it sure is going to be a fun one!!

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2008-10-19T17:34:00.002-06:00

We had a great time yesterday with Grandma and Sissy at Rock Creek Farm! Dan and Austin decided to stay at Sissy's and nap, rather than partake in the FUN! :) We picked and cut our own pumpkins, got to see farm animals (Brynn got to "soft" a pig), and Brynn got her face painted. Most of our time was spent in the car waiting in lines at different portions, but it was all worth it. The fields and fields of orange were absolutely gorgeous! Can't wait to go back again next year, and this time we'll talk Dan into it!

Fun with Grandma!

2008-10-16T19:59:00.003-06:00

My mom has been in town since this past Saturday to help my sister recover. Mom stayed with us till Tuesday morning and Dan took her to Sissy's on Tuesday, since David was going back to work on Wednesday. We had a great time with her here and Brynn said that she missed her as we were driving to school on Tuesday morning. :) Hope everyone is having a great week!

Goals

2008-10-06T10:06:00.003-06:00

We've been working hard all weekend, trying to empty out our storage unit and we are about 75% done! Most of it is sitting in our garage though, waiting for a temporarily permanent (if that makes sense) home. We will be moving in February 2009 to a newer and nicer apartment complex and we are trying to consolidate our things.

Another personal goal of mine, rather Sassy Bows Boutique, is hitting 100 sales by January 1st, 2009. I'm at 73, so not too far to go!

Off topic, Brynn is sick today. Dan is taking her to the doctor today as she has been complaining of an earache, and she's been sneezing and coughing for over a week now. I am headed to Arvada soon for my Sissy's surgery and to keep David company.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Birthday Girl

2008-10-02T20:02:00.002-06:00

I had a really great 29th birthday! It started off on Wednesday when I got my Raspberry Lemonade cupcakes from Kelli's Cupcakes, which were amazing! Today I went to work, like any normal day. Then for dinner we met my sister and her hubby at Casa Bonita! We had such a good time and Brynn could not stop watching the divers...she barely ate any of her food! My Sissy (that's what I call her) :) made me some cupcake tea towels, some wash clothes, and she got me a cupcake apron! Brynn went home with Sissy and Uncle D and she will stay with them for 2 nights!!! That means a nice break for Mommy and Daddy. Thanks Uncle D and Sissy!

Estes Park

2008-10-01T20:55:00.002-06:00

This past Sunday we took a day trip to Estes Park. We had a bit of a late start, but made it up there by noon or so. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Casa Grande, and it was great! We walked around for a bit, but it was so crowded that I didn't really want to go into any shops. We walked along the river and admired all the changing colors. Brynn enjoyed saying hi to all of the "puppies" that passed her by. :) We drove back to Aurora and stopped by Nick's Nursery to get some small pumpkins for the apartment. They were still putting out all of their Halloween stuff, but couldn't resist a picture with one of the displays they had!

Just like Grandma's

2008-10-01T20:52:00.003-06:00

My Grandma Nunn makes the best Au Gratin potatoes and I've always wanted to try and re-create them. A couple of Sundays ago (yes I'm a bit behind on loading pictures) I attempted a recipe I found online and THEY WERE AMAZING!!!! I must say that they tasted just like Grandma Nunn's!

GIVE-AWAY!!!!

2008-09-26T19:49:00.001-06:00

I'm having a giveaway on my Sassy Bows Boutique blog! Check it out! Just click on the flashing icon on the right and it will take you directly there...then just follow the instructions!!!

Good luck!

It's Over

2008-09-21T18:40:00.003-06:00

The busy weekend is over. Brynn's soccer game went great and she seems to be getting it more and more each practice and game. Gabby's vet appt went well, especially since the vet is a mobile vet and he comes right to your house and the prices are reasonable!! My Pampered Chef party was so much fun and it was nice having an evening with all the girls and catching up. Thanks to all the ladies who came! And last but not least, my volunteering at Your Kids Closet Consignment sale! I was there for 4 hours this morning hanging up and organizing clothes and boy did that time go by fast! I did get some great deals on stuff for Brynn including, snow shoes, a snow suit, some clothes, and a toy shopping cart which she loves!! I came home and didn't want to do anything as I was so tired! So I spent the rest of the day picking up the house, doing laundry, and lounging on the couch. Back to another work week! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Busy Weekend

2008-09-19T09:44:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to give everyone a layout of what we have going on this weekend...just in case you don't hear much from us. :)

Friday: Getting ready for consignment sale

Saturday:
9 a.m. Soccer game
Between 10 and 12 Grocery shopping
2 p.m. Drop off clothes at consignment sale
3 p.m. Gabby's Vet appt (home visit)
4:30 or 5 p.m. Jey arrives for Pampered Chef party
6 p.m. Pampered Chef Party

Sunday:
7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Volunteer at Your Kids Closet Consignment Sale
11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Buy stuff at Consignment sale!

Should be an interesting and fast weekend!!!

Soccer Game

2008-09-13T14:07:00.002-06:00

Brynn did much better this time around at the soccer game. She kicked the ball a lot more and didn't play in the dirt! Papa Kienker came to her game and we stopped by his house afterwards for some brownies and milk. :) Then we stopped by Old Navy at Southlands to see if there were any good deals on clothes for Brynn. We've been home since then and she fell asleep as soon as she got home. I guess all that running wears her out! Not much else planned for this weekend, just grocery shopping for tomorrow and thats about it! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

The GREAT Kick!

2008-09-07T18:08:00.003-06:00

Here was 1 of 2 of Brynn's kicks of the game! Enjoy!

First Soccer Game

2008-09-07T18:00:00.002-06:00

I must say the first soccer game was very entertaining!! Brynn and Isela did a great job and it went really well (I think) for their first game. Brynn was more interested in playing in the dirt and Isela loved it when everyone clapped and cheered. :) They had a great cheering section as well! Here's to many more great games for the next 7 weeks! For those of you don't know her games are every Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Aurora Sports Park.

One More picture

2008-09-01T14:41:00.003-06:00

Forgot to include this great picture of Brynn from the wedding...shows her true personality! :)

Andy and Emily's Wedding

2008-09-01T14:35:00.002-06:00

We had a great time at their wedding and Emily looked like a princess (per Brynn). She said "Look Daddy, it's a princess!" It was held at the bride's cousin's house and it is a gorgeous estate built in 1913! Too bad they weren't giving house tours along with the wedding. :) Andy looked very handsome too. :)

First Soccer Practice

2008-08-29T21:33:00.002-06:00

Brynn had her first soccer practice this past Tuesday. Her first game is September 6th. She had such a great time and cried when we had to leave. Her friend Isela is on the same team, so this will give them some time to spend together. Both of them looked so cute in their soccer outfits and I'm sure they will be even cuter in their uniforms! Go Cougars! (Texas folks:That's not something a Bobcat would normally say, but oh well.)

Soccer time is almost here!

2008-08-23T16:56:00.002-06:00

Brynn's first soccer practice is this Tuesday and her first game is September 6th. We put all of her soccer gear on today to try it out and she was so proud and looked so cute!

Para-glider video

2008-08-23T16:51:00.002-06:00

More photos from Balloon Festival

2008-08-23T16:49:00.002-06:00

Rocky Mountain Balloon Festival

2008-08-23T16:43:00.002-06:00

Early this morning (but apparently not early enough) we went to Chatfield State Park for the hot air balloon festival. We should have gotten there earlier than 6:45 as the line to get in was very long, but we did get to take a lot of pictures while we waited. By the time we parked and walked over to where all the balloons had been, they had all taken off except for one. We got to see that once inflated and also got to see it rise after the fire was turned on. It was so cool! Right after that the motorized hang-gliders took off. One was worn as a backpack type thing and the other was like a go-cart. Check out the video of the backpack one. Very cool!

Weekend

2008-08-18T14:47:00.003-06:00

We had an uneventful weekend, which is good. On Saturday, Brynn and I headed to Arvada to spend the day with Sissy, David, Austin, and Cameron (we only saw a bit of Cam). We had yummy potato soup for lunch, and I'm craving that as I write this. :) Brynn fell asleep on the way home as she had missed her normal nap time. Spent the rest of the evening just hangin out at home. Then Sunday Dan didn't play WoW that day, so Brynn and I went grocery shopping, while Dan slept. The rest of the day we did absolutely nothing, and it was so nice!!! Back to the grind for the next 5 days!!!

Have a great week!

Beautiful Butterfly

2008-08-15T17:01:00.002-06:00

I picked up Brynn from school today and it was the "last" day of their Summer program for the non-school age kids and they had someone there to face paint all the kids. Brynn got a beautiful butterfly on her face and I'm sure it will be a temper tantrum tonight as I try and remove the paint before bed time. :)

Jake's 3rd Birthday Party

2008-08-15T16:58:00.002-06:00

Last weekend was Jake's 3rd birthday pool party. Everyone had a great time especially Jake and Brynn! Jake couldn't stop laughing while everyone sang Happy Birthday to him!

Girl's Weekend

2008-08-12T05:26:00.002-06:00

Dan is off from work this week so he is relaxing, running errands, and milling around the house. Brynn and I have a girl's weekend coming up this weekend as it's also Dan's WoW (world of warcraft) weekend, where he goes to a friends house for most of the weekend and plays computers. No plans as of yet for Brynn and I, but we will probably stay home most of the time as we are trying to not spend money. Hope everyone has a great week!

Water Play

2008-07-27T12:15:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, Brynn and I met Stephanie (a co-worker) and her daughter Samantha (a little over 1.5 years old) at Southlands Farmers Market to walk around, play in the water, and have lunch. The girls had a blast with the water sprayer things and they both were wet by the time we were done.

Lil Art has entered the world...yesterday

2008-07-24T18:17:00.003-06:00

Baby Arturo entered the world yesterday, but Brynn and I went to visit him today at the hospital. He is so cute and has the sweetest little faces. Congrats to the family and we love you!

My New Man...

2008-07-23T19:51:00.002-06:00

After months of begging, whining, and basically trying to ignore the never-ending curls on my husbands head....he has cut it all off! He looks like a new man or I guess the man I used to know...so I guess he is my "old" new man. :) The curls were nice for a bit, but I'm glad to have the "old do" back.