He's Gone...

My dear husband is gone for 3 days on a teacher retreat with Valor. They are staying at some big castle in Colorado Springs. I am a bit jealous. Mark and I were talking about how I cannot remember the last time I have been AWAY from ALL the kids by myself for a few days. I plan to change that hopefully the last weekend of October (Mark has fall break) Any suggestions where and with whom I should go? I was thinking of visiting my friend in WI whom I havent seen since college (5 yrs now?) Mark is good and gives me breaks from the kids so I can go out with friends or go shopping by myself. But I am excited to get away for an extended period of time with no responsibility:) and to RELAX, which I am hoping what mark can do these next 3 days- he deserves it!
p.s. the above pic was taken a few weeks before our lives changed dramatically forever (I had the twins and the rest is history...)

Parisian Market Finds

I went to the Parisian market at Aspen Grove and had the best time perusing the aisles looking at anything and everything vintage and antique. I was in taken in by the buttons, linens, pictures, armors, keys, but mostly the jewelery! It was SO fun!
I found all these great treasures- a vintage post card (I am going to use her face to make a pendant like this one... see below)

I also found a spoon that is going on a necklace with a pendant. A black necklace with a cool big round stone on it, a cool round golden circle necklace, a vintage key, a gold owl pin, a toe ring
(not pictured) and a beautiful ring ($1) that looks like it may be real white gold or platinum with 5 diamonds embedded in it.( i am going to get it looked at by a jeweler this week!)
I spent $10 for all these trinkets and think it was a very good deal!
I will post pictures of my soldering pendant project once I collect the materials to do it-
I am definitely going again next month
(Sept 5th- for anyone who wants to join me in my treasure hunting)

2 for 1

We had 2 birthday parties to go to today-
Makenzie turned 4 and she celebrated at monkey Business-

Makenzie and her sister Katie

Madeleine celebrated her 5th birthday at the park today.
all the kiddos made birdies- too cute

What a fun and busy Saturday!

Introduction to Valor

Academic building (back side)

Athletic building

Football field/track

Cafeteria- look at the mountain view- gorgeous

Valor had a faculty party/dinner for our whole family. It was fun to see where Mark will be working and meet a lot of the teachers and their families. They had a bouncy house and balloons for the kiddos. I had to work that night and Mark was going to stay longer with the kids until Elijah started crying and Sophia jammed her finger and wouldnt stop crying... typical!

Friends

Since we had the twins party on Clara's birthday, Maddie was unable to attend, so we had a birthday celebration a week later:) Maddie turned 5 as well (July 30th) so Erika made yummy cupcakes and we sang to all 3 girls (plus Ella who wanted to be included:)
Thank the Lord for such good friends!

Is he cute, or what?

The Picture People had a coupon for a FREE package (3 sheets), so I took Elijah for his 1 yr photo shoot- he was SO happy and did SO good! It was very relaxed and I REALLY like this place! They did not pressure me into more pictures at all and gave me my 3 free sheets and entered Elijah in a photo contest with weekly, monthly and studio winners! After that I went my way owing NO money and getting 3 very cute sheets of pictures! I think I'll go back for future photo shoots...

It's Raining, It's Pouring

We don't get much rain here in Denver, or I should say we did until this spring/summer. From what I have heard from locals, it has been one weird season of weather- a rain shower almost every day. I found these raincoats at Gymboree a few months ago and they were $1.99, so I grabbed 3 of them for my kiddos thinking that they probably wont get much of a chance to wear them. The weather proved me wrong- they have worn them quite a bit and I think they look adorable in them! Last night, I let them go out in the rain and stomp around (i think we need rainboots, Sophia said:)