Winter so far

Winter has been good. It started off great with our trip to Colorado and then it was kind of a let down when it was over and we were back in the grind of things...especially after the holidays. We have been managing to stay busy with the kids. Lucas is still in off-season baseball training (indoors of course) and he can't wait for spring/summer ball to start. Addison just started indoor soccer with her team and she is about to wrap up a great season of basketball. She has only gotten one basket all season...but she loves playing and keeps improving !

 

Here she is in action at one of her games.

 

 

We have hardly gotten any snow this winter...but the kids took advantage of it when we did get a little.

 

We took my Dad out for his 70th birthday a few weeks ago. We went on a craft beer pub crawl and had a great night!!!

 

 

This past weekend Bob took Addison to her 5th Kellison sweetheart dance. It is hard to believe that next year will be their last dance. They had a wonderful time and I must say....Addison looked so pretty and so grown up.

 

Earlier this winter I was on a mission. As if painting all the doors, base boards, and frames wasn't enough....I painted the entry way, hallways, stairway and dining room

 

Here is a before picture. I don't know how I lived with these walls for 7 years...the multi color/sponge paint or whatever you want to call it.

 

After pic...much cleaner and fresh if you ask me.

 

I don't have a before pic of the dining room but you can imagine dark greens walls (lighter on top and darker on the bottom). It was ok...but I never loved the room. The light blue looks much better and matches the walls in the den right next to this room.

 

That's all for now.

We are getting anxious for spring break and spring weather. Our family is not meant to be cooped up and we can't wait to get outside!!!!

Christmas in Colorado!

Just a few weeks ago we spent an amazing 6 days in beautiful Colorado. We had been planning this trip for like 2 years. We have taken the kids skiing a few times locally and at another small resort area...but this time was the real deal. Bob loves to ski. I love to ski too...but I am not super great but I manage ok. Regardless, this trip actually had a bit more meaning than any other trip we had taken. We were celebrating Bob becoming a partner at his law firm!!!

 

We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate as a family than in one of our favorite places, with our favorite people and doing one of our favorite things.

 

We have been to a few different ski resorts in Colorado and after a lot of research we settled on Copper Mountain (which is pretty close to Breckenridge). It turned out to be a great choice. We stayed in a super comfortable one-bedroom ski-in/ski-out condo in the village. It was perfect for us as it had a pull out couch and another sleeping nook area in addition to the bedroom.

 

 

The kids enjoyed 2 days of ski school.

 

 

While the kids were at ski school Bob and I explored lots of runs.

The first day of skiing was nice and sunny and not too cold. 

 

I love this picture of me with the beautiful mountains in the back.

 

The second day of skiing was colder, windy and snowy...but we still loved it.

 



 

This picture was taken on a run that Bob and I loved....it was way up high on the mountain with tons of fresh snow. We loved making our own tracks in the snow and just enjoying the amazing mountain views.

After a day break we had a perfect third day of skiing. We all started off together in the morning and then Lucas was feeling a bit more adventurous so he went off with Bob. Addison stuck with me and we had an amazing day together. It couldn't have been a better day skiing with this girl. She has become such a great little skier and I am going to have to work hard to keep up with her and Lucas in the future!



 

A really nice skier volunteered to take her gloves off (in the freezing cold) to take a family picture for us. You can't really see our faces but I am sure we were smiling big.

 

Here is Bob and Lucas on their adventure near the top of the mountain. Lucas loved the fresh snow up there....and Bob loved experiencing it with him.

 

I think this picture was taken on our last time on the lift. Our last run down was a crazy one....Addison had a little mishap with a tree as she was trying to be a dare devil and ski off a bit from the trail. She got right back up though (after some tears and fear that I wouldn't find her in the trees) and we all finished up with huge smiles...and then frowns that it was all over. 

 

We loved this ski trip and can't wait for many more (hopefully). 

We arrived back in St. Louis around 2pm on Christmas Eve...and we were at my parents Christmas Eve party by 4pm. Yikes.

 

Santa came and brought the kids bikes...and many more gifts of course.

 

Then all of a sudden we were celebrating New Years Eve with some family at our house. 

 

Our Colorado ski trip was more fun than we could have imagined. 2015 was a good year overall...a few ups and downs but we ended on a very high note...

 

 

High...like the water level. Historic flooding so close to home. Most of the flooding is over now but so much damage. Here is to 2016...and hopefully no flooding...and hopefully more skiing.

Thanksgiving, Boston and more.

I'm trying to wrap up the year of pics before the last few weeks get crazy.

 

Thanksgiving was wonderful. Although the day is a reminder that my brother has been gone for so long, I still love to spend time with family. What made this Thanksgiving even better this year was the amazing weather. Bob and I ran in our normal Thanksgiving day 6 mile race. We even ran it together since Bob biked with a group before the race started.

 

 

Our family pic. You can tell just how nice of a day it was. 

 

Shortly after Thanksgiving I headed to Boston for a long weekend. My best friend Marina moved there with her family last summer from Chicago. So instead of a 5 hours drive she is now like 19 hours away....so I flew of course. Our other BFF Kris came from Ohio and we had a girls weekend.

 

 

Marina took me to the beach (they live super close in the most adorable area outside of Boston). It was chilly but so pretty. 

 

A pretty view of Boston. 

 

A girls night in the city!

 

On Sunday the 3 of us went out to lunch, shopping and then Marina took me on a great tour of the city before I left. It was such a pretty day to take in the sights. I can't wait to go back next time with Bob and the kids.  

 

Last weekend I hosted a bunch of Mom's from the kids school for a Girls Night In holiday party. It was fun to hang out with all these ladies outside of the school...and unwind!

 

So in addition to traveling a bit, getting ready for the holidays, hosting parties, etc....I took on a major home project. Well maybe not major but very time consuming! I painted all 13 doors in the house and door frames and all the baseboards. It took a few months of off and on work but I am finally done.

 

I really wish I took more before and after pics. 

 

I also changed out the old brass doorknobs for nickel. They look so much better.

 

More home projects to come soon including more painting and hopefully a very needed new deck in the spring....the joys of being a homeowner.

 

Now it's time to get ready and enjoy the holidays which are going to be even more exciting this year!!!!

Fall happenings!

Fall has been super fun and has gone by so fast. I can't believe that the first half of the school year is almost over and Christmas is just around the corner!

 

 

 

Here is a picture from the beginning of the school year on picture day.

 They are looking so grown up as 3rd and 4th graders!

 

 

It was so cold when we went to the winery one day.

I was really glad to get this cute family picture though. 

 

Lucas had a great fall ball season with his new team. He is now currently in the off-season training program. He has training every Sunday and works on batting, infield, pitching and outfield. He loves it and we can already see improvements in just 4 weeks. 

 

I love how the kids Halloween costumes turned out this year.

Lucas was a zombie baseball player and Addison was a 50s waitress. We still have candy!!!

 

We just wrapped up another season of Girls on the Run.

We had such a fantastic group of girls that made every practice so much fun.

 

Here is a picture from the practice 5k.

 

And here is a picture of Addison and I on race day.

She doesn't really love to run but she still tries her best and that is all I can ask for. She ran probably 90% of the 5K and finished in about 37 minutes. Lucas and Bob ran it too and finished about 2 minutes before us.



 

It was a beautiful fall day a few weeks ago and we had a chance to go for a family bike ride and a hike.

 

This past weekend Bob's cousin Rick married a super great girl, Kim. Bob was honored to be a groomsmen...and I was happy to ride along on the party bus. It was such a fun day and the reception was such a great party!!!!

 

A cousin pic...minus a few!

I can't wait for December ...a lot of fun stuff coming up!

We've been busy!

Things have been kind of crazy lately....but I really can't complain because it is mostly all fun stuff...just at lot at one time.

 

 

Check out Lucas in his first game as a St. Louis Bears player. He is loving his new team, coaches and teammates. He is hitting every game, playing lots of positions and making some plays...and loving every second of it.

 

 

 

 

We celebrated my mother-in-law's (Pat) 60th birthday a few weekends ago. The adults went out for a nice dinner on a Friday night and then went floating on Saturday.

 



 

And then all of a sudden THIS happened....Addison turned 10!!!!!!!

 

 

The kids ditched school the Friday before labor day and we spent a nice long weekend at the Lake of the Ozarks at Bob's parents condo. The weather could not have been better and we had a nice and relaxing weekend.

 

I have a lot more pics but here are just a few from Addison's birthday party.

 It was an outdoor movie theme...and sleepover of course.

 

She is blessed with a really great group of friends from school.

 

I hardly got any sleep...but these girls are worth it! ;)

This past Saturday (the day after the exhausting sleepover party) we had Bob's cousins wedding (Drew and Martha). Bob was honored to be an usher.

I love our picture from after the ceremony.

 

But this picture was my favorite from the day! We have so many other fun ones too.

 

I would like to believe that things are going to settle down soon...but I am not so sure of that. 

Friends visit!

So back in August we had a super fun weekend to end summer break. Just like last year, some of my best friends from Chicago came for a visit with their families. And just like last year, we had a wonderful time. Sure, it was kind of nuts having so many of us under one roof

(15) but the messy and loud house was worth it without a doubt.

 

 

We spent one day at my parents lake house. Here are all the kids on the tube...minus Parker who is only one and probably not quit ready for that. It was a perfect day on the lake with perfect lake weather.

 

After boating, the moms all snuck away for a quick retreat to the new winery right by the lake house. We probably only had 90 minutes but we enjoyed every second of our time!

 



 

Tree houses are even fun in our 30s.

The next day was our big bike ride on the Katy Trail...and of course we stopped at Augusta Brewery. Our day did not disappoint...it was full of adventure and fun times.

 

 

 

The boys



The girls

And wonderful friends!!!!!

 

Please come back next year...or at least the year after that!!!!