Happy Easter

Decorating eggs with Grandma Cindy

Rachel's cheesy smile

The finished product, the speckling was cool, but the colors were a little washed out

Easter morning, look what the Easter Bunny brought us!

Rachel hunting for eggs

Getting the goodies out of the eggs

2nd hunt at Grandpa Jim's

Grandpa Jim and Taylor helping with the hunt

Happy Rachel

Both kids were really into finding eggs, they kept re hiding their eggs to find more, Caleb ran too fast for the camera most of the time though

A day at the zoo

The day before Easter we took the kids and Grandma Cindy to the zoo, we were blessed with beautiful weather and probably one of the smallest crowds I have ever seen (I was very surprised being a Saturday before a holiday). The kids always love the zoo and are getting easier and easier to take, even when we try to accomplish the entire thing at once. I did take quite a few more pictures of the animals this time and maybe it was the nice weather, but they seemed more photogenic that day.

In the stroller waiting for our tickets

Male and female lion, I guess the female was in heat, so the male never left her side

Basking in the sun


Big tiger yawn, I snapped this picture a little early, but was worried I would miss it

I got his direct gaze, not sure if it was because I was taking pictures for so long or he wanted to eat me

Checking out the giraffe exhibit

4 of the 7 Giraffes

At the sea lion show, Gidget demonstrating her leaping abilities

Gidget getting ready to wave to the crowd

"Look mommy, it's Dory, it's Dory"

The kids watching the giant snapping alligator turtle, which is larger than both of them

In Bird World, it was that time of year as well

Going for a train ride, Caleb had a disposable camera and was taking pictures left and right constantly, still haven't seen what they are of though

Penguins making an appearance

March Randoms

Ride em' cowgirl, I am pretty sure you are supposed to hang on by the ears right?

At the St. Patrick's Day parade with Grandma Cindy

Rachel working on her gymnastics skills

The aftermath of my 3-car interstate accident on the way home from Vail, luckily the Honda is not our main car anymore and I was by myself, and only suffered some minor whiplash

Overall shot of the blown out window, and broken tailgate.
After a couple months of insurance debates and scheduling conflicts, the window, tailgate and bumper are now replaced

10+ inches of snow at the end of March on the back deck

Vacation in Vail

I was fortunate enough to have won a 4 night stay at the Beaver Creek West condominiums from a review that I wrote about a previous stay there. My parents and sister were planning a trip to Colorado this spring, and it worked out that we could all take a mini vacation to the mountains to use my prize. We all had a great time, the kids loved the pool, and the gondola rides as well as spending a lot of time with their Oregon grandparents, whom they only see a couple times a year. Doug and I got to enjoy 2 days of kid free skiing thanks to my parents and sister for one of the days. We did some very high speed tubing, a few gondola rides, went to a concert in the Crystal Grotto, where the room and the instruments were made of ice, as well as taking my sister skiing for the first time.

Daredevil Rachel being thrown in the air, this particular one with a little too much rotation

Everyone liked the hot tubs

A view at the top of Vail Mountain


Rachel, Doug, Caleb, Erin, Mom and Dad waiting for food at the Lionshead base of Vail before our tubing adventure night

Rachel playing in one of the tubes, unfortunately she didn't get to tube because she was too little so we all took turns staying with her, and I didn't get any photos of people tubing because of the darkness and distance of where you can observe.

View from the top of Beaver Creek ski resort, our second day of skiing, the first day had visibility of about 50 feet

Doug helping Erin learn to ski

Caleb, Grandpa, Doug and Rachel riding the chair lift to the Crystal Grotto

A couple of the ice instruments

A better shot of the grotto and more instruments

Steamboat with the Caplingers in February

First a couple random February pictures, Rachel sporting the pig tails at Great Grandma's house for a family luncheon.
Our new office furniture, goodbye to our old metal college desk and lack of storage
A couple weeks after their first visit to Colorado, the Caplingers (Doug's sister's family) came back out to Colorado to spend a couple weeks in Steamboat, we joined them for the first few days and had a great time skiing with and without the kids, as well as going to the hot springs.

Johnny and Rachel waiting for the action to start at Howelsen hill in Steamboat

"First tracks" Caleb's first run down for the day on the fresh groomer

Rachel waiting for her turn...which doesn't end up happening due to being sleepy

Caleb working on the "pizza slice" and turning to his left

Sign him up for water skiing, Doug's tow strap invention to eliminate all the carrying up hill. Shortly after this he got brave enough to ride the magic carpet up to the top of the run and go down with Uncle John

Rachel asleep in the sled, without her turn to ski

A view from our house of the moon rising over Steamboat Ski Resort while the sun is setting behind us

Cousins in Fort Collins in February

The beginning of February, Jen and the kids came out to visit for a week, they spent the first weekend with us in Fort Collins, so we headed out to our new favorite sledding hill (for the kids anyways) The day was filled with lots of laughter and competition and only a few tears, but a memorable experience for all, I know this since even without the snow Caleb recognizes the park and hill that he "went sledding with Anna"

Doug and Grandpa Jimbo setting up Anna, Caleb, Johnny and Rachel for the first ride on a chilly day

Rachel is all smiles on her turns, she has a need for speed

Caleb and Anna giggling their way down the hill


The babies, Rachel and Johnny

Caleb and Anna turned everything into a competition, even towing the sleds back up the hill

Curling meets bobsledding, a new sport to wear you and your kids out

me snow skating with a miraculous dismount at the bottom to prevent a major wipeout

Back at the house, Johnny and Caleb dancing to the music

Rachel with her crazy hair and goldfish, Johnny wondering if he should be scared of her hair

a close up of the cutie with the crazy hair