2017 Fall

poser

I have given up on buying the girls clothing. They have a mind (and style) all their own. It’s surprising how different they are when it comes to clothes. They still like to match on occasion but for the most part their styles are distinct. 
We had a little girls day of shopping and Gwyneth was pretty excited to model her new favorite outfit. Annabelle couldn’t let that wackiness last without a photobomb! 

girl scouts | first aid and ambulance tour

We had a joint meeting with both girls’ troops tonight and we had a very special guest. A medic from the Rocky Mountain Children’s hospital arrived to teach the girls CPR and to let them tour the ambulance. It was a pretty great meeting and the girls were thrilled to be able to climb inside the ambulance. 

Annabelle’s troop minus Jessica. 
Gwyneth’s troop.

pumpkin carving

We carved pumpkins…the night before Halloween. Not much time to spare!
Unfortunately our pumpkins from the patch were rotten. B was kind enough to stop on the way home from work and pick up a few more for us to carve.
The girls had their own plans for their pumpkins and got right to work. They did a great job and had lots of fun. They definitely had more fun than B, who was in the living room watching the Broncos lose their Monday night game. BOOO! 
Their spooky creations
Here we go…
Gwyneth is not a fan of the guts.

nuggets game

We had a good mix of business and pleasure this weekend. I needed to be at my Aurora studio Friday and Saturday so we decided to stay down there again. We met up with the Hales crew late Friday and then spent the rest of the evening at the pool with the girls. They were worn out after a busy week at school. 

Saturday after my meetings we headed downtown. We had tickets to the Nuggets game and made a day of it. We stayed at the Hyatt which has become one of my new favs. The location is pretty unbeatable. It’s central to everything. 
The girls enjoyed a swim in the afternoon before the game

 Our view

we had lunch at Mellow Mushroom
And then we were off to the game
We had dinner at Brooklyn’s before the game
Annabelle was giving us her sassy face because she had to cut all the meatballs in the pasta they shared. That Gwyneth is our lazy child. 
Off to the game! 
We received a great deal with seats in the lower level and we even got $15 back on our tickets for snacks. 
We are all love the Nuggets and were so excited to be at the home opener. Gus, Jamila, and Aiden joined us for the fun too!
The biggest Nugs fan in our crew.
After the game the lines for cabs and Lyfts were crazy long. We decided to have a little rickshaw race. The girls thought that was the best part of the night. 
Back at the hotel we checked out the free posters the girls received, had a snack and were quite ready for bed. It was a busy, busy weekend and we had a great time together! 

paint for dyslexia

Gwyneth was diagnosed with dyslexia two years ago. I never did post about her diagnosis out of respect for her. She didn’t want to share it with anyone. A lot has changed in two years. She is now more empowered and she is proud to be dyslexic. I will have to go back and share our experience now that I have her permission. 
Gwyneth has been very lucky. She has access to dedicated teachers, tutors and a wonderful education. She was tested and diagnosed early and she thrives in her studies. Many children do not have access to the tools that she does and it’s important to our family that we give back. One of the biggest issues we have found with dyslexia is the lack of education. Even teachers and administrators have so little information to help students. 
We wanted to raise awareness and allow others to get the help that Gwyneth has received. October is dyslexia awareness month so it was fitting that we did a fundraiser at Color Me Mine. We donated all the studio fees for the day to Made by Dyslexia. We are so grateful to all the customers who came to paint and especially to Gwyneth’s buddies who joined her for the event. It’s so amazing to see the support she has — this girl is loved! 

fall football day

We are doing our absolute best to NOT work on Sundays. It’s a challenge with these small businesses, but we need the day to unwind. I have high hopes that we’ll go and do something grand, but when the day arrives everyone wants to just hang out and relax. I certainly can’t complain about that.
This Sunday we grabbed breakfast all together at La Peep and shared stories of my obsession with La Peep in Chicago. I was pregnant with Annabelle and craved pancakes. The girls love to hear those stories.
B ran to the store for football snacks and I ran the girls around town so they could use up some of their gift cards. They had been holding on to those suckers since their birthdays and couldn’t wait any longer. They knew exactly what they wanted and they made me so proud because each of them bought a little something for their sister with their own money. My favorites were the best friends forever bracelets that they exchanged and are now proudly wearing.
The girls’ friend Ruby joined them for an afternoon of fun at our house. They wanted to ride bikes and enjoy the beautiful weather. B was happy to read his book and watch football all afternoon. I didn’t hear a peep out of him while I wasted my afternoon doing laundry and watching a Harry Pottery marathon.
Ruby’s parents came to pick her up right before the Bronco game started. They stuck around and had dinner with us, had some cocktails, watched the game, and we had the best time catching up while the kiddos played. The Broncos played terribly, but the night was not a loss with such lovely friends.
The girls’ pumpkins found their way to the porch. Annabelle was eager to rake some leaves, but we had very few fall off the trees yet.
A beautiful day for a bike ride
Loving the fall colors
Buddies since kindergarten
Bunny ears – Miss Gwyneth may have an unfair height advantage here!
My sassy girl and her sassy blue hair (it’s chalk because her school doesn’t allow the permanent colors, much to her dismay).
Ah, Colorado in the fall sure is something!

pumpkin patch

We spent a spooky night at the pumpkin patch. We were joined by a few girls from Gwyneth’s girl scout troop and Annabelle’s friend, Molly and her family.
I must admit I planned this little outing and it was a bit of a fail. It got dark very early which made it really hard for the kids to find great pumpkins. I felt silly for the planning fail, but no one complained and the girls all seemed to have a great time. My girls kept talking about how cool and creepy it was to be there at night.
Spooooky!

fall break | great wolf lodge

We had grand plans for Fall Break. We booked a trip to Mexico and couldn’t wait to go. Unfortunately with the new studio and new employees we just couldn’t get away for the week. Luckily we were able to move our tickets and the hotel rooms for later next year. We were bummed not to go, but made the most of our time here together. 
We quickly booked a room at Great Wolf Lodge and spent two days in Colorado Springs. The girls love the pool and we splurged and got the PAW pass for them to explore more games and activities around the hotel. We had a great time and the girls were pretty happy with the adventure. 


swimming at southlands

We are getting a little too comfy at the hotel down by my Aurora studio. I wanted to spend some time at the studio this weekend and Annabelle had a girl scout event Sunday down in Parker. We took advantage of the owners discount at the Marriott and got a room. 
We met Gus to watch the Rockies game and then the girls spent the rest of the evening swimming. Truly one of the best parts about the new studio is seeing our great friends who live down south so much more often.