July 4th 2011

Lauren's first parade - we went to the parade in Granby~ there were lots and lots of firetrucks, she got a yellow balloon, and could not believe that they threw candy at her! Poor child could not handle the fact that she was allergic to most of the candy (she missed a lot of the parade due to sneaking off to try to eat vanilla Tootsie Rolls made with milk). Isnt she a doll with her braids?? For some reason she thinks braids are for princesses...

Those legs!

Some times I cannot believe my own eyes when I look at pictures I have taken. Who is this tall young lady?

See below- same chair, two years earlier. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Born to Run

I just finished the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. Loved it! The general premise, it is a story about running and ultramarathoning and how we are physiologically created to run long distances. There are many references to the Leadville 100 (Jeff's dream race I hear about all the time) and many of the characters in the book are very entertaining.  A bit of a change from my usual genre, but I really enjoyed it~ although I find that non-fiction books take me a lot longer to read usually.  I told Jeff that he must read it, and he is not really loving it so far. I have had so many people recommend the book to me, I cannot imagine him not loving it- we will have to see.
If anyone does decide to read it, check out some of the blogs of the author and book characters, I found it really entertaining to see pictures of everyone.

Hiking



I had forgotten how fun it is to blow the seeds of dandelion puffs!



On a little hike with my beauty...

Hula Girl

making her grandma proud!

Rodeo

The  rodeo is back! Opening night was this weekend, and my little cowgirl could not miss it. This has to be one of her favorite things!

Run for Independence

Our third year, and best yet! They changed the course a bit and we liked it a lot better this year. Also, it ended at the farmer's market and there was a beer garden too. The best news is that I ran the entire 5 miles (at 9200 feel elevation) without stopping! Check out pictures of our prior races here: 2010 and 2009

How to get a toddler to eat

Ok, so I am a mother to one child, just trying to figure it all out. I dont have too many tricks up my sleeve, but here is one that I would like to share. The power of the toothpick- yep that is right. TOOTHPICK. I have found that Lauren will eat just about anything if I make it fancy and spike it with a toothpick, preferably with a small pickle or slice of green olive. Pretty snazzy, right? Pictured are rolled up slices of turkey and ham, topped with tiny pickles. All of which she ate- BEFORE the strawberries. Yep, that is right- I got her to eat a source of protein and THEN chow down on berries and buttered noodles. This also works for us with small triangle shaped sandwiches, sliders, regular burgers cut into pieces, and just about anything you wanna spike with a pick. This trick has been working for me for a while- I waited to blog about it because I thought it may be a temporary victory, but it seems to be a keeper. Huh! I love it when I feel like a mom!

Quote of the day

"Come and play with me~ you puke in there and I will be doctor kit" ~ Lauren