Shadow makes the blog!

Kate insisted we post more pictures of her and her FAVORITE doggie!

8 MONTHS OLD!

We can't believe it! Kate's 8 months old, and she just keeps growing and learning new things every day. She's not crawling yet, but she's thinking real hard about it. She's very strong! She gets on her hands and knees and rocks a bit. We're excited (and scared!) :-) Mom's been taking Kate to a kiddie gym/play class one morning a week - so that Kate can get used to socializing a little more ... she's been a little on the the clingy side with Mom & Dad and feeling the whole stranger-danger thing. Makes it difficult to leave her with a babysitter. Sooooo, we're working through this phase.

Showing off her pilates maneuver. Kate learned this at her gym class; it strengthens her abs!

Halvorsons come to Visit

Our friends, Erik and Jen Halvorson, came to the Springs to visit us over the weekend (Erik, aka Hal, stood up for us at our wedding). They brought their daughters Marin (4 1/2) and Avery 18 mos), two of the cutest girls this side of the Mississippi. We took all the girls early one morning to the Fountain Creek Nature Center to learn about seeds. They got to try eating different seeds like strawberries and grapes. Avery ate so much she filled her cheeks and looked like a little chipmunk. We then went on a walk around the nature center trails and picked seeds to put on the girls' new adhesive bracelets. We also took a trip to America the Beautiful Park and had a big tailgate at the Air Force vs. Utah game. [Don't miss the hilarious YOUtube link below!]

Halvorson family & Gene @ the Nature Center.

Kate & Marin

America the Beautiful Park - a FANTASTIC park for the kiddos!!

Gene-n-Kate ... and Avery-n-Hal

Kate got her first press-on tattoo! Go Air Force - Beat Utah!

Utah fan, Brinlie, then AF fans - Marin, Carolyn, and sleepy Kate

Avery has to help Gene run the ball since the beer is slowing him down!

Marin (the lil girl standing by her dad, behind Gene and her sister, Avery) made a new best friend at the tailgate. Her name happened to also be Avery, and they invented a new game. They took turns tossing the ball. They did a GREAT job entertaining the adults for quite a while.... http://www.youtube.com/user/halnjen04

too busy to blog??

Sorry all... life is so busy (PROOF BELOW). Lots has happened since our last blog, and we're having a harder time sitting down to post pictures and tell you about it. But alas...here's the lowdown for the past month and a half!

• Kate has 2 teeth - on the bottom! (started cutting 'em week of 8/11)
• Dandies came to visit (Denny ran the Pike's Peak Ascent w/Gene .... 1/2 marathon ... on 8/16)
• Sara & Matt came to visit (Matt was getting ready for the Leadville 100-mile race on 8/16)
• Kate turned 7 months old (August 21st!)
• CAROLYN AND GENE CELEBRATED 5 YEARS!!!! (August 22)
  
• We visited Boulder and Estes Park (we were supposed to go camping, but Kate wasn't feeling well, so we just drove around Rocky Mountain National Park and grilled out with our friends at their campsite instead)
  
• We went to Virginia Beach and visited the McCallister grandparents and Auntie Leigh (Labor Day weekend)
• Kate's tried the following solid foods:
  
• Veggies - carrots, peas, squash, sweet potato
  
• Fruits - peaches, pears, blueberries, bananas, avocado, mango
  
• Proteins - egg yolks, steak
  
• FAVORITES - peaches and bananas

And here are some pics and videos!!! Ya, we know what you're thinking .... blah blah blah, where are the pics of Kate??? :-)

Kate's cute babble chatter at 7 months

See my first two teeth??




Busted! Didn't know I was being video-taped ... woke up from a nice 2-hour nap and decided to talk to my fishees and my turtles ....


...helping Dad cook dinner

Virginia Beach -

...my 1st rock concert - Billy Idol! ... SERIOUSLY!

LOVED the boat ride!

...hanging with Gramma McCallister

...and on the beach with Grandpa!

...hanging on to Aunt Leigh

McCallisters on the beach

Boulder, Estes Park, & Rocky Mountain National Park -
Lynda & Kate, Boulder

5 years and still having fun!

Alpine Zone ... brrrr!

...just borrowing my friend's camp chair

.... chillin' in Estes Park

Pike's Peak Ascent and Visit from Dandies -

...starting in Mantiou Springs .. ahhh, great weather. It's a long story - no time to blog it. Runner Boyz, Gene and Denny survived, even though they ended up covering 20 miles rather than 13 miles...ugh!

.... summer concert in the park

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (w/Sara, Mom, and Dad) -

...up CLOSE with friendly giraffes

One of Mom's Work Trips (Trinidad, CO) -