Barcklay Family

Our Christmas card has gone digital this year

2011-12-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Our Version of The Kid Wash

2011-07-24T20:14:00.000-06:00

Well, I can't seem to remember the blog I first saw this on. Evidently it was featured in a magazine, here. As soon as I saw it I knew we had to try it!

Pretty simple really. Josh, Ethan and I threw it together in less than an hour. We had sprinkler parts laying around that we used but you could just drill holes in the pvc and be done with it.

Add kids, sit back and enjoy! Some rode their bikes through, Ethan rode is scooter through but eventually everyone (including me) was on foot.

After playing for a bit we tweaked it, drilling one or two holes here and there. The kids in the neighborhood found interesting ways to have fun. ie: filling their mouths with water and spitting it on each other. Nice.

Best thing though? When they thought to combine it with a Slip 'n Slide! They call it "the Ultimate Slip 'n Slide". It has provided us with several days of fun already and I'm sure we will be getting it out more this summer.

Running in the Rain

2011-07-24T19:40:00.000-06:00

We get a monsoon season here in Colorado. For a week or so we have at least one daily thunderstorm. Sometimes more. I'm not talking your run of the mill thunderstorm but a HUGE thunderstorm. Torrential downpour, thunder that shakes buildings, flash flood warnings, lightening so intense and frequent the sky is lit for what seems like hours. AWESOME (for those of us who enjoy such an impressive release by nature)! Then, the sun comes out and it's gorgeous.

On one such evening I asked Ethan to come out on the porch with me to watch the storm and he reluctantly said yes. Once the thunder and lightening passed (it was still raining but sunny) he wanted to go splash around in the very full gutters. With in minutes he was drenched but he had a blast! As did I. Watching my son remembering having fun as a kid doing the very same thing. (ok, so the last time I did it was like two summers ago...)

6 Months Old....almost a month ago. Oops.

2011-07-22T21:11:00.000-06:00

Cora has mastered some new stuff this month...sitting up unaided, rolling front to back and back to front, jumping in her bouncy. Cora is still such an easy baby. She does seem to prefer her crib for naps but will take one on the run in a pinch. She is quick with a smile and even when she's fussing many would think she's just talking and not realize she's getting spun up. Monday she can look like me and Tuesday she looks so much like Josh it's crazy.

These pictures were taken on a recent outing to the river near Deckers, CO for some floating with our friends. It was such a great day out of the Ranch just hangin out.

I can't recall her "stats" from her 6 month check up but I think she is somewhere near the 50th percentile for weight and 15th percentile for height. She is growing well and is generally very happy. We are on the go quite a lot and she keeps a pretty happy disposition. Happy to be in the Moby if she isn't happy in the carseat. She's a real trooper during my Stroller Strides class. Getting bounced around and jostled in the BOB while we run, lunge, jump and squat our way around the park.

We are loving being a family of 4. Ethan loves his little sister and will sit with her for quite a while trying to keep her happy so that I can get something done. Josh is such a great Dad and loves Cora to bits. Me? Well....I'm so fortunate to be able to stay home with her (and Ethan) I could just spit! Sure, there are hard days (especially with Josh away so often) and on those days I have to stop and think about what we have and what I am able to do. I couldn't be happier as a Mom.

Sleepy Girl

2011-07-22T20:29:00.000-06:00

This girl is soo freakin cute, squishable, soft, sweet....I just wanna eat her up! When she's sleeping her freakin cute, squishable, soft, sweet factor goes up by 1967%!

Randomness

2011-07-22T20:22:00.000-06:00

Cora's first "solid" food. She was nearly 6 months.

Ethan's first soccer game.

I wanted to see if he could get out....he could. Dang.

A post surgery, post nap snuggle with sissy.

Not sure what she wanted to get but she was very interested...

We've been spending loads of time at the pool this summer!

His future's so bright...

Cora's floatie...she loves the water just like Ethan!

Ethan's Surgery

2011-07-22T19:53:00.000-06:00

Snoring, mouth breathing, loads of cavities and bad teeth, change in behavior, (among other things) were our "red flags". Of course I took these "symptoms" and googled them to see what was wrong with Ethan. I do that with EVERYTHING just ask Josh. After researching it a bit on my own, I came to the conclusion we need to see an ENT to see if he is having issues with his tonsils. We talked to our Pediatrician who agreed and suggested Children's Hospital ENT department. We saw a NP who confirmed what I was thinking "My those are big tonsils. They almost completely occlude his throat." and asked the Doc to come in and have a look for his quick opinion. "Oh yea. Those are large tonsils." Almost the only thing he said but he also told us given his history, the look of his tonsils and turbinates that he recommended surgery.

Josh and I talked it over quickly and decided to go with it. We tried to schedule a time when Josh would be home so that I wouldn't have to fly solo but it didn't work out. A few days before his surgery Ethan and I went to the store to pick up anything he thought would sound good after surgery. Popcicles, pudding, jello, Gatorade, etc. As we checked out he told the clerk, "I get to have all this sugar cause I'm gonna have surgery!". So funny!

I didn't have to fly solo the day of the surgery though. A great friend and neighbor, Amanda came along with us to Children's Hospital to take care of Cora while I took care of Ethan. The doctor removed his tonsils, adenoids and reduced his turbinates.

Pre surgery. Dressed in the hospital wardrobe with Snoopy.

I was taking Ethan into the operating room so they had me dress in a big blue jumpsuit with a hair net. Amanda got one for Cora too!

I know, dead sexy.

It was weird to see my little boy go "under" and leave the room where I knew he was going to be operated on. Luckily the surgery was fast and everything went smoothly. The hardest part was watching him come out of anesthesia. His eyes weren't focusing, he was in and out of sleep, groggy, in pain, swollen, blood coming from his nose. Ugh it was awful. We got through it though and he did so awesome.

Leaving the hospital a few hours later...

After care at home was pretty easy. He did have pain that needed to be managed with Lortab round the clock for the first day or two. At first he didn't want to take it because it tasted "yucky" and wanted plain Tylenol. A few days in and he was asking for the "yucky" stuff but didn't seem to be in pain that couldn't be managed with Tylenol. That's when I knew I needed to cut him off! Never thought I'd see my kid asking for medication!

Notice where Jango is...

He kept creeping closer and closer to Ethan. Amazing what sensitive animals they are...

We also got Ethan a Nintendo DSi XL (yes, I have to type it all because that is what Ethan calls it. He corrects me if I just say DS) for after his surgery. It really helped to distract him from his pain and put a smile on his face for the car ride home from Children's.

He was breathing better the night of the surgery and no more snoring! He doesn't breathe through his mouth like he did and the attention issues seem to be easing. All in all it went very smoothly.

Parenting Fit Generation 5k

2011-07-10T21:00:00.000-06:00

I got in a 5k in June. The Parenting Fit Generation 5k. A great race held in Greenwood Village (just north of us here). The pre/post race festivities were very fun. They had a raffle for awesome jogging strollers, basketball games and tumbling for the kids, food, sand art....all sorts of stuff!

Ethan even got in on the fun! He had his tonsils out about a week prior so I wasn't sure he would want to participate in the Kids Fun Run but he did (after saying "Yes," then "No, I changed my mind" about a dozen times). We just went with the flow and let him make up his own mind.

It was complete chaos! They had the kids taking off from the 5k Start/Finish line where there were still people trying to finish the 5k, they wanted the kids divided into age groups but over the loudspeaker just told the kids to head to the start....but it was SOOO neat to watch all these kids running and having fun!

Notice all the kids's bib numbers are #1! And they all got a First Place ribbon and race T-shirt.

Crinkley Butt

2011-06-05T21:56:00.000-06:00

As I was changing Cora for bed this evening I realized 'This little girl doesn't get enough naked time!' So I laid her down on the floor for some good old fashioned naked time. Of course the camera came out so that I could document the rolls on my little Gummy Bear....

This is where the title came from. Ethan was looking at Cora's butt and he said, "She has a crinkley butt." I busted out laughing! "Her butt is so hard" he says. I busted up again! Too funny.

Oh and just before this photo shoot, Cora rolled from her back to her belly! Then back to her back and back to her belly and back and forth several more times! Crazy how quickly it is all going.... *sniff* they grow up so fast *sniff sniff*

5 Months Old Already?!!??

2011-05-27T22:52:00.000-06:00

So happy to be 5 months old!

Yes! Cora Jade turned 5 months old two days ago. I know, right?! I can't believe it either!

She's not so newborn-ie anymore. She's moved up into a size 2 diaper (when she wears disposables), she is grabbing at things, trying to sit up, "talking" up a storm (mostly when she's getting tired or frustrated), sleeping longer for naps (when she takes them) and generally growing like crazy!

Here's a video we took while at Amanda's house. Trystam loves Cora and loves to entertain her....he does a pretty great job!

We are moving into a new phase in our girlie-ness too. HAIRBOWS! She doesn't have quite enough hair to wear them yet but I've been having fun creating them! And dressing her in too cute outfits. I am gonna LOVE having a little ~~dress up doll~~ girl!

Ethan asked, "Can I be in her Happy Birthday picture too, Mama?"

You ought to see her face light up when she sees her brother! Nothing more precious in the world. I have yet to capture it on "film" but we will. She loves him. And her loves her. Every time someone notices Cora or compliments her and he is within ear shot he is by her in a flash kissing on her or giving her love in some way. He can almost always make her smile.

He loves to snuggle and hold "Sister".

I forgot to mention in the first paragraph how much she loves chewing on her hands right now. SOOO much. She's also started to do this really cute thing when she's falling asleep of taking her lovie Great Grandma Barbie got her and rubbing in on her face. So cute!

Here she is "talking" before falling asleep and chewing on her hand. She also seems to have mastered rolling over! Yea!

Video heavy post but I am a proud mama!

I can't believe how quickly she is growing and how much more I love her every day. Love you, Cora!

Panther Prowl 5k

2011-05-27T21:56:00.000-06:00

Yea, yea....it was like 2 weeks ago....I'm a bit behind the times but here it is, the post about my most recent 5k.

My friend Amanda told me about this one after I signed up for the DCSD Fittin' It In 5k and said her son, Trystam might want to do it too. Turns out he did so I had my first running date. Yep, a running date with a 10 year old boy....gotta take what you can get ;)

Trystam and I before the race. I later found out he wasn't feeling well that morning. Poor guy.

For several weeks before the race I teased Trystam that he better not beat me or out run me. He takes it pretty good but sometimes I wonder if he thought I was being serious :)

Here we all are before the race. Me, Josh, Ethan, Cora and Trystam. It was COLD!

We started in a pack and of course everyone got spread out but before we knew it most of the crowd was in front of us and I thought Trystam was going to get discouraged but he kept right along with me not worrying about everyone else. I think he could've run a MUCH faster race had he not stayed with me. He's a very sweet kid.

Trystam and I running on the path behind our houses.

As we ran past the back of Trystam's house his Dad and little brother Tavin were out cheering us on with signs. So awesome to have friends like them and Paula and Dave out cheering us on!

I was pretty impressed with how many kids participated in the 5k. They all did great! After our start, they did a 1 mile Fun Run that Josh and Ethan ran with Cora.

Josh said Ethan ran pretty much the whole mile and did great!

Yea buddy! First finish line of many, I'm sure. So proud!

I am still in the process with my running. I do a "wog". Jog, walk, jog, walk, etc. I set little goals for myself along the course like, when I get to that tree I can walk or I'll get to that tree and try to keep going but it's ok if I walk. I explained to Trystam that I was trying to push myself to run more, walk less so he would have me push a little past a goal or jog a little earlier than I said. He was a great running partner. As we were coming into the last mile I told him I wanted to be able to run across the finish so we walked for a long time then ran it in. He finished with gusto sprinting across the line!

Near the end I was spent. Josh came to run me in the last I don't know, 100 yards maybe....I suck at judging distances and kept telling me "You got this, you're doing great, good job". He helped me finish strong.

In the end I shaved about 1 minute off my "normal" 5k pace so it's no wonder I was spent at the finish! Thanks to my "date" Trystam who helped push me and shave that minute off! Wanna be my running "date" again Trystam? :)

After enjoying our post race snacks.

Douglas County Schools Fittin' It In 5k

2011-04-30T21:13:00.000-06:00

Another notch in my 5k belt today with this fundraiser for our school district. It was supposed to be rainy and cold but Mother Nature blessed us with just the cold.

It was a great course and so awesome to see so many kids out with their parents participating.

Right around mile 1 I rolled my ankle. Stupid rock on the sidewalk and I was distracted thinking how good I was feeling. Tears welled up in my eyes from the pain, I had to stop jogging and move off to the side for a few "is it ok" paces. All I could think of was how the "old me" would have let this stop her. I would have quit and turned back. This caused more tears to well up because I knew that wouldn't be how this race would end.

Each of my races is a "wog". I jog then walk, walk then jog doing as much jogging as possible. So I took it easy for a bit to make sure there wasn't much pain and the more I used the ankle the better it felt and soon I couldn't feel pain so I started jogging again. By the end of the race I had forgotten I rolled my ankle.

It probably helped that, yet again, Dave Price ran back for me. A friend and across the street neighbor, Dave has run in two of the same 5k's as me and both those times has come back to "wog" with me to the finish. So awesome to have someone do that so I am not finishing the race alone. Thanks Dave!

Dave and I took a walk through the expo for some yummy snacks and water after the race. I plan to do this one again next year.

Results:

Placed 311th out of 587 finishers in a time of 42:46 for a pace of 13:46 per mile.

Out of 352 women I finished 162nd. The winning time for women was 21:15.

For 30 to 39 year old women I was 49th out of 88 finishers. The winning time for my age and sex was 21:15.

Oh a hiking we will go!

2011-04-28T20:57:00.001-06:00

Recently I joined a Moms Group called Active Mamas and Moms to be. I got to meet 4 lovely ladies and their kids and they are all quite nice. One of them was one of my Prenatal Yoga instructors! My first adventure with them was this morning for a hike in South Valley Park.

Ethan seemed to enjoy it and we talked about the rocks and what they looked like. There were dogs, turds (that was my idea), birds, funny faces and more. We found out why they recommend the baby is buckled at all times when in the carseat though. I was having Ethan push Cora in the stroller while I put on the Ergo to nurse her while we were hiking. The stroller isn't tracking straight and pulls to the right. It pulled itself up onto a ledge and the stroller tipped right over! Luckily Cora was all strapped in and the carseat was all strapped into the BOB...I can't think of what could've happened.

Ethan took one digger and it wasn't bad, just the teensieist scrape on his knee. Which we of course had to get a band aid out for :)

It was a gorgeous day for our first adventure! I am excited to do much more hiking and really take advantage of our surroundings. Working toward our goal of being an active family.

5x7 Folded Card

2011-04-27T22:06:00.002-06:00

Love You Grandma Mother's Day 5x7 folded card

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View the entire collection of cards.

Got this card for $0.99!!! Check it out before it's too late!

Highland Heritage 5k

2011-04-17T22:19:00.001-06:00

The first of two April 5k's down! I wasn't brave enough to ask a stranger to take a picture of me at the end of the race so I waited till I got home to pick up the kids from Nancy's house for my after race photo. It was a great race. The first like 3/4 of a mile was UPHILL but after that it was pretty smooth sailing. My finish time was 43:55 with a 14:08 pace. Pretty good considering the UPHILL portion was so huge! Beautiful morning for a race. It is a bit weird though going to, running and going home from a race alone. I am hoping I'll get some buddies to run with me in the future. Next up: DCEF Fittin' it in 5k. 8:00 a.m. start time, Saturday, April 30. If anyone wants to join me to run, meet me at the finish, whatever. Come over to Highlands Ranch High School!

Doesn't Ethan look happy to see me?

The First of Many

2011-03-12T19:53:00.001-07:00

Today I completed the St. Patrick's Day 5k here in Highlands Ranch. I have been training for this race for the past two-ish months and my training paid off. Using the Couch to 5k program (which I am not done with yet) has been great and taking the time to workout 3-4 days a week has given me that time to just be with myself and my thoughts. Well, mostly by myself. Cora takes her little naps while I push her in the stroller around the track or neighborhood.

My goal is to complete at least one 5k per month until my ultimate goal of the Girlfriend's Half Marathon in October of this year. I've already signed up for one 5k in April, may sign up for another and I've already registered for the Half Marathon!

I had my first Stroller Strides class on Friday (GREAT class and GREAT women) and met up with them for the race this morning. I was fortunate enough to have our awesome friends, Misty and Bob watch my kids while I ran and I think my time benefited from not having to push the stroller!

The best part of the run was passing our friend's house and seeing them all out cheering me on with signs, smiles and encouragement. I'll admit it, I cried. Then, as I passed them and reached the top of the hill one of our friends, Dave met me. He had already finished but ran back to run with me to the finish. I am so grateful for such great supportive friends. A close second was reaching mile 1 and feeling great. At that point, I knew I wasn't going to regret starting or wonder how I was going to finish. I was enjoying myself and again my time alone. I didn't run the whole race but quite a bit more than I thought I would.

All this is geared toward not being the fat girl anymore. Losing weight, building my confidence and leading by example with my kids by leading an active life.

So, here's to many more pictures like this.....

UPDATE: Checked my official time. I crossed the finish line after 42 minutes 41 seconds on the course!

Pillowcase Baby Dress

2011-02-15T19:26:00.001-07:00

I am ADDICTED! That's the first step, right? Admitting you have a problem? Well, it isn't a problem - yet. I am addicted to sewing for Cora. Dresses are the "monkey on my back". It started quite innocently, sewing a skirt onto a onesie making a Onesie dress (see previous post for link).

Then, I started on the Itty Bitty Baby Dress from Made by Rae. I say started because it isn't finished yet. As usual, I made it more complicated than it is! I made some mistakes, corrected them then made more mistakes which made me put it down out of frustration. Easy fixes but it means undoing most of the bodice and re-sewing it. I will finish it by the end of the week though!

Today's project is from my new favorite blog, Prudent Baby. The Pillowcase Baby Dress looked super easy and cute so I had to give it a try!

Turns out it WAS super easy AND cute!

This is a pretty good view of the bottom trim. I used a multi-colored ric-rac I had on hand. So cute! I think my favorite use for it so far!

As you can see, instead of a single, wide length of ribbon, all I had on hand were thin ribbons so I used 4 colors as one ribbon for the tie.

The dress only took me a few hours to complete (I am sure it will be less next time!) and that included making the ribbon flowers and sewing them on the dress! I will be making more of these for sure! I know some little girls who need new dresses.

Next project? Finish the Itty Bitty Dress. Then? Some felt baby shoes, tights, bloomers, who knows?!

Orange You Glad....

2011-02-12T15:45:00.003-07:00

....you napped for a good long stretch, Cora? Mommy was able to search for, find, plan out, sew AND blog about this cute little dress all before you woke up!

I found a free tutorial for how to change a boring Onesie into a cute Onesie Dress. I knew I HAD to try it! This was the tutorial that inspired me: The Skirted Onesie thanks 2Giggleboxes!

We have had this onesie since Ethan was born and both kids have worn it. I have also had this orange camo print (we love camo, right Mom?) fabric since BEFORE Ethan was born. I bought a little for a blanket for him and Josh loved it so much he asked me to go buy more.

I have loads of scrap fabric downstairs and even parts of projects that didn't work out. Like the bottom of this skirt - from a baby blankie I dreamed up but couldn't make work. Just goes to show ya, don't throw that stuff away!

I have several more of these little babies all lined up ready to put together, I can't wait to try it on Cora but...she is STILL napping! It's gonna be so dang cute....I'll post those pics later.

Sorry this is upside down...it was right side up!

Told ja it was gonna be so dang cute!

Fitness Goals

2011-02-10T15:47:00.000-07:00

After spending too many years with too many pounds I've set some goals to shed the weight. These aren't merely for losing weight though. It's about adopting a healthier lifestyle to be a better role model for my kids, especially Cora. I want her to know if she puts her mind to anything she can do it. What makes me think this time is different and I'll stick to it? Accomplishing another long-time goal; natural child birth. Being able to set a goal, work towards it and accomplish it is something I hadn't done in a very long time and I can't tell you how empowering it was for me!

So, here are my goals....

Train for a 7k using the Couch to 5k program.

Complete the Running of the Green Lucky 7k. Because of some knee pain I am having, I will still be in the midst of my Couch to 5k training so I will not run this whole race but I will complete it!

Complete one 5k per month each month this year. Likely many of them right here in Highlands Ranch via the Highlands Ranch Run Series!

All the while, train for a HALF MARATHON (yea, I know, it's BIG!)! One of my best friends from college, Melanie has become quite an athlete in the last few years and inspires me to no end.

Mel at a Tri-athalon! Hope you don't mind me using your pic on here, Mel :)

Melanie has participated in the Girlfriend's Half Marathon before and asked friends on Facebook if they'd like to join her this year. I saw that as a great goal for myself and threw my hat in! Now, I am unable to register for the event until we get our taxes (hopefully by the end of February) and hopefully they won't have sold out (which they always do) but I am committed to participating!

I will work to lose 50 pounds this year. I have a total weight loss goal of 61 pounds so that would be awesome but 50 pounds is more realistic.

One last goal for me is to learn to swim. I can swim already but doing laps or other "serious" swimming I can't do.

I'll keep you all apprised of my goals as I work toward, reach and pass them.

2011-01-29T11:12:00.002-07:00

Personalize your own free greeting card

One Month Old

2011-01-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

Cora Jade is now 1 Month old!

Isn't she just too dang cute oxygen and all???

Ethan holding Cora before swim lessons.

She is still doing some "Newborn" things:
still wearing newborn sized clothes, sleeping loads, pooping loads and nursing loads (not necessarily in that order).

She is also doing some new stuff:
smiling at us (not just the sleep smiles), sleeping for longer stretches at night and sucking a pacifier (that isn't my boob)

Though she's spent nearly 1/3 of her short life in the hospital Cora is very well. Growing just as she should and changing every day. We love her to pieces and our family is a little closer to being complete. If you ask Josh, our family IS complete....let's see who wins this one :)

RSV

2011-01-25T18:21:00.002-07:00

I sit here in a hospital bed, typing one handed holding my 25 day old daughter who is sick with RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus).

RSV presents as a cold in most children and adults but some babies with RSV develop potentially serious lower respiratory infections like Bronchiolitis (an infection of the small breathing tubes in the lungs) or Pneumonia.

Luckily we noticed early that Cora wasn't sleeping well and not eating well so we took her in to our awesome Pediatrician, Dr. Shanna Hall. She hooked Cora up to a pulse oximeter and checked her out. She noticed rapid breathing as well as pauses in her breathing and her oxygen saturation dipped down as low as 78%. Dr. Hall didn't want to see anything below 90%. She jumped on the phone to find a bed at a local hospital for us. Josh ran Ethan to our friend's house and as soon as he got back we were on our way to the hospital. That was Thursday, it is now Tuesday and we are not leaving today.

.....a week later from home.....

There were many ups and downs in the hospital for me emotionally. For the most part, I was surprisingly strong. I would've expected me to be much more of a basket case. For this I am very proud. I did hit the wall on Wednesday and allowed Josh to take over the night shift for me. I was sick with a bad head cold and double ear infection and just exhausted. Add on top of that, I missed Ethan like crazy. I couldn't do it any more.

Cora's symptoms were fast breathing, retractions, a cough and mucous. She was kind of fussy for a day or two but after that she acted like a sick baby. Nothing really bothered her. Sometimes when something did bother her, she would try to scream her newborn scream but she had lost her little voice. She required oxygen at all times as well as a few breathing treatments and a tiny dose of oral steroids. The most important thing for Cora was being observed and the oxygen. Things did get worse before they got better for her but she got better and that's what is important.

Cora needed to reach a benchmark of holding her oxygen levels at 85% or higher for 30 minutes at a time before the doctors would let us go home. It took her several days and many "room air challenges" but on Friday the 21st we were discharged! She is doing very well at home, still on oxygen but her cough is gone and her lungs sound clear. We are all settling back into "normal" at home for just a few more days with Daddy before he goes back to work.

Lesson learned: wash hands often and keep sick people away from babies. Even if they "just" have a cold!

The Natural Birth of Cora Jade Barcklay (as told by Katie)

2011-01-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

WARNING! BIRTH STORY FOLLOWS. GRAPHIC IN NATURE.

We were "due" January 6 but she came in her own time – on CHRISTMAS DAY! Cora Jade Barcklay was born at 9:20 a.m. She was 6 lbs 12 oz and 19 in long. Oh, and beautiful. This is my first written account of the birth as such it's bound to be pretty long. Sorry! But I want to get it out so that I don't forget.

The birth was perfect. It didn't look like the ones we saw on the videos in our HypnoBirthing class but it was perfect none the less. At one of my prenatal visits, Nissa (my AWESOME Midwife) measured me at 1cm, 40%. The following week was 3cm, 40-50%. I had been having a few rounds of "practice labor" the 2 days before Christmas each lasting about 1 hour with some discomfort. Christmas Eve Day in the late afternoon I had another bout of practice labor but again it was over within an hour and I was feeling tired but good during our Christmas Eve festivities. That night around midnight I woke to contractions but nothing I couldn't sleep through.

Around 4 or 5 in the morning I woke and couldn't sleep anymore. I woke Josh and he finished preparing our bag and got me into the tub. Our tub is soo uncomfortable even when not in labor! I was only in there for maybe 20 minutes before I needed to get out. I was listening to my relaxations through headphones while I tried some other positions to find some comfort. The contractions started near 3:30 apart but that's where they were during my practice labor as well so we were trying to time them for an hour and see if it stopped or kept going. Near 6 a.m. I just knew it was time to go to the hospital.

Josh had to wake our 4 year old son Ethan to get him to the neighbor's. That was tough. A 4 year old waking to find Santa had been there and being rushed out the door, away from (most) of his presents. He did awesome though.

Next was the drive to Littleton Hospital. Luckily we live quite close so it only took a few minutes. I was kneeling on the back seat facing the back of our van listening to Marie trying to keep calm and relaxed. Walking into the ER caused a contraction so I leaned on the admit desk and rode it out….much to the admit lady's dismay and the other people wanting to check in. Josh tried to get me to move out of the way – HA! The wheelchair was there in a flash and up to L&D we went.

They got me into a room (no tub, which we asked for and there were tub rooms available) but at that point I didn't much care. I could use the shower and it felt better for me to stand anyway. The normal monitoring was started and since I tested Group Beta Strep positive they were putting in an IV to start my round of anti-biotic. By this time the hassle of the headphones and trying not to get them tangled up in all the hands around me pissed me off so off went the relaxations. I'm not sure if the nurses checked me or Nissa but I was at 6cm "with a bulging bag of water". I remember leaning over to Josh around this point saying "Josh, I don't think I can do this". He reassured me that I was doing an awesome job and I can do it. The Charge Nurse also reassured me and told me how proud she was of me and how far I'd come that 6 cm is quite good and I hadn't much farther to go. Then I remembered some things I'd read. Many a birth story telling that when they reached that point of saying they didn't think they could do it anymore, it was nearly over. These thoughts and the reassurance from Josh and the Nurses helped me to keep going.

Being on my back for so long during monitoring, poking and prodding was making me very uncomfortable so at some point I asked if I could get up (most likely it wasn't so much asking as saying I HAD to get up) so I got in the tiny shower. The hot water was very nice and I labored in there for a while. After I moved back toward the bed for support, leaning over the birthing ball atop the bed was great. Rocking back and forth with just my moans and quiet reassurance from those around me. Sometime in this position my water broke and I took to a squatted position aside the bed. Nissa was wonderful not worrying about how I was positioned, she was checking, doing her thing right along side me without interfering.

I asked Nissa what I should do (meaning what position to try) and she suggested sitting on the bed, I knew that wouldn't be good for me so I crawled onto the bed on my hands and knees briefly then someone suggested raising the head of the bed for me to lean on. That was the position I "completed" and gave birth in. I won't lie. I was in pain. But I knew that in the end when she was out, the pain would be gone and I'd see my beautiful baby. I knew I could do this. I used a deep moaning breathing down breath and breathed her down. I didn't realize how involuntary the pushing would become, almost like a reflex rather than a conscious choice to force push. So different from being coached to push with Ethan. I was allowed by the staff and everyone around me to breathe her down at my own speed with merely quiet encouragement from them. I knew she was close because I started to feel a burning sensation and said, "Oh, that burns." Nissa used warm compresses and oil as the baby crowned.

I could hear Josh's emotions spilling over and I knew it wouldn't be long. I'm not sure how long I pushed for but it wasn't long and she was out. I was told to turn around and sit and she was in my arms being welcomed with kisses, tears and joy. The nurse moved to wipe off the vernix but we waved her off, snuggled baby girl and enjoyed her. I couldn't believe how good I felt only moments later. Nothing in the world could beat that feeling. It still brings me to tears.

I tore but only slightly and that was my scar from a larger tear from birthing Ethan. As we layed there and I enjoyed my birthing high, I was stitched (I think only twice), and Baby Girl Daddy and I got to know each other. She went straight to the breast to nurse. As a fair skinned, redhead people have this theory that we bleed more and I wanted to try and avoid pitocin to help my uterus contract so the breastfeeding helps. She nursed like a champ but was quite cold so they put her under the warmer. Nissa was becoming concerned with my bleeding so they gave me a little pitocin. Darn my red hair and fair skin!

Our Midwife, Nissa

Born at 9:20 a.m. weighing in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. and 19 1/4 in. long

We hadn't decided on a name but had 4 picked out: Isabell, Nora, Cora and Ella. We discussed them with some Nurses after birth and eliminated Isabell. We eliminated Ella shortly there after and gave our son Ethan the choice between Nora and Cora when he came to meet her just a short time later. He chose Cora and a day later we decided on her middle name (we wanted a mineral or gem for her middle name as that is what we did for Ethan) and decided on Jade. That is how she became Cora Jade Barcklay.

Proud Big Brother Ethan with newly named Cora.

A perfect birth is what I said earlier. Vaginal, natural, directed by me and my body, gentle on Baby with dim lights and soft voices (except mine) and no interventions. HypnoBirthing, trusting in my body and those around me helped me to achieve this. I can't thank everyone who supported us enough. If Josh will let me do this again (he says we're done after 2), we will "go natural" again!

She's Crafty

2010-12-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

I don't think the Beastie Boys were talking this kind of crafty but that song always pops into my head when I say "crafty". Below is a collection of the crafty things I've whipped up to lately. There are still several things on the list to check off before Christmas. Hopefully I'll get to them all!

Baby Blanket for my Niece Wynter (hasn't been sent yet, I suck at that part)

Crocheted stuff for Baby Girl

Baby Girl's room (1/2 of it) it's all the way done, I just didn't have a shot of the other side.

Old car seat, recovered.

Thank you to Puking Pastilles for the tutorial!

Sugar Cookie Kids

Sugar Cookie Snow Globe

Ethan and I both made a Popsicle Stick Snowman. Love them!!

Bootie for Baby Girl

Another flower for Baby Girl's hair accessories.

Scrap hat from Batman Fleece for Ethan

I love being able to do so many different kinds of crafts! Some of it was learned from others, some of it was self-taught but it is all so much fun and so worth it when it turns out in the end.

The Holidays

2010-12-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I don't blog because I think I need to have loads to report and that we lead a kind of boring life so there isn't much to report. Not really so. I just have to wait for a few weeks of stuff to add up. This summary is about our last 3 or 4 weeks.

For any of you Moms out there you know that when you are pregnant, you keep track of time based on how many weeks pregnant you are. This summary starts with me at 33 weeks pregnant.

A few days later, Grandpa Rod arrived for a visit. We didn't do a whole lot while he was here but we DID go to the Children's Museum and had great fun!

First was the Firetruck. Ethan had fun dressed up (as he always does) until he saw other kids who weren't dressed up. I had no idea that all started so early.

Then we went to the Assembly Plant where you can make cool things from recycled materials. Check out his face, this is him concentrating and trying really hard to punch a hole! Too cute.

Then it was off to the Bubbles zone. Ethan's favorite! We spent quite a bit of time in here making, popping and chasing bubbles. By the time we left, Ethan had so much bubble mix in his hair when he took his tub later in the evening we didn't need any soap!

We had some time at the ABC board. Josh made up funny sentences while Ethan spelled his name and played with the shapes. Then on our way out, we had a snack out on the playground. Ethan also got his first taste of a tire swing. Grandpa does a great job pushing!

For Thanksgiving we spend it with our Family by Choice (our neighborhood Burberry Way Family). First is brunch at the Boot's house.....

Then it was dinner at The Bergquist's house. Sorry, no photos of that. Thanks so much to both the families for being such gracious hosts each year!

Of course, we decorated our house for Christmas!

Then we spent a WHOLE day making a Gingerbread Firehouse for our yearly Burberry Way Gingerbread House Decorating Contest (didn't used to be a contest but it is now!). Thanks so much to Rod for taking so much time to painstakingly draw the schematics for our house! We tied with the Boot's Campground for first place this year.

The kids also have a "contest". As you can see, it's kind of a big deal around here! A tradition that Misty grew up with has become a tradition for our Family by Choice as well. Thanks for passing that on, Misty.

The next week was pretty tame....34 weeks pregnant.....

We went to the Downtown Denver Parade of Lights for the first time since living in the area. It was really fun. We bundled up to stay warm but thankfully this year we had pretty warm temps compared to recent years past.

Afterward we had dinner at the Paramount Cafe on the 16th street Mall. We even got to see a group of Break Dancers spontaneously appear and disappear just as quickly!

We hosted a Goodie Exchange. This is the 3rd year we've done this but this year I decided not to limit it to cookies. Here is the table set for decorating the several dozen Sugar Cookies Ethan, Josh and I baked. For some reason (pregnant brain...I swear it's worse this go-round) I didn't take ANY pictures of the party. Sheesh.

We decorated our FAKE Christmas Tree. Yea, this year we didn't get a permit to cut our own. Hopefully next year. The fake isn't my favorite. Too perfect and not smelly.

A snapshot of our Family Christmas Tree. I love all the ornaments on here. Each one given to us by someone we love.

Forgot to add this one earlier. Ethan was taste-testing the Fudge we made for the Goodie Exchange while we were testing Christmas lights for his tree.

Somewhere in here should be another pregnancy shot but we forgot to take one for week 35. Josh headed back to work so we adjusted our schedule again and missed it.

36 weeks pregnant. Not looking all that different but somewhere in my 35th week she "dropped" which is both good and bad. I have the ability to eat too much again since my stomach isn't quite so squished (bad), I have to pee 8,000 times a day instead of 6,000 (bad), it means she is getting ready to make her debut (good).

Last weekend we had a Kid's Pollyanna Party (Secret Santa) for our Burberry Way Family. Misty and Bob did an awesome job with games and the gift hunt. The kids (and adults) all had a great time! I used this party as an excuse to make more Sugar Cookies (my favorite cookie)! I had never taken the time to decorate with any detail but this time I knew I wanted one cookie for every kid and a giant snow globe like one I'd seen in a book or magazine recently. I am by no means really good at this (I've seen people do amazing things with icing!) but I had a great time doing it and seeing the smiles on people's faces makes it so worth it.

That same evening we went to Cherry Hills Community Church for their Christmas Show. It was a great time full of music and dance. Ethan's favorite part? "The marching band" a drum line played a version of Little Drummer Boy that was just AWESOME!

Our Holiday activities aren't over yet. On the agenda is still a Progressive Dinner, our usual Christmas Eve Fondue at the Bergquist's House and New Year's Eve at the Turecek's House. Hopefully (most likely) Josh will be home for Christmas and we will celebrate our last as a family of 3. And some time around the New Year we will be welcoming our Baby Girl.

From my family to you and yours - a very Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.

Free Shutterfly Christmas Card

2010-11-23T11:02:00.004-07:00

Merry Rainbow Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Holiday Cards from Shutterfly

2010-11-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

I've been searching high and low for a really cute Christmas card for our family to send out this year. I've finally found a HUGE selection! Shutterfly has literally hundreds of different ones to chose from. Josh and I have had an online photo album of sorts called Josh and Katie's Barcklay Family which led me to check out what else they had to offer.

This is one of my favorites! I love the colors an "mod" design. There are a few variations on this theme.

This one is great for the same reasons...I am a HUGE fan of the bright colors that are present in so many of their designs.

The black with the bright colors is very appealing to me. I thought I'd like a more traditional card but I'm not so sure now!

They even have this option which combines a photo card and Christmas letter in one. Nice.

Their options are seemingly endless. You can choose the size of your card, how many photos you'd like to have on your card, folded or flat cards, dozens of color variations, type of paper it is printed on, the designer.....the options are endless!

In addition to ordering a photo Christmas card from Shutterfly, I'll be ordering Baby Announcements when the time comes! They have just as many options here as with their holiday cards but here is a peek at a few!

So stinkin' cute!

If you are in the market for some photo cards, books or other gifts, head over to Shutterfly and get your orders in before time runs out!

Baby Girl's Room

2010-10-11T21:12:00.000-06:00

Well, any of you who are friends with me on Facebook know we've been painting Baby Girl's Room for somewhere around 5 days. Yes. I said 5 days.

Why 5 days you ask? Well....the room used to have a purple Faux Finish that I didn't like along with a border of stenciled flowers. After finding our colors at a local Benjamin Moore store, I decided to buy my paint from them. I'd done some research comparing the two paint brands and found many people thought BM performed better and was worth the extra $8 a gallon. Normally we are Behr people. Never had a problem with Behr. I wish we had gone with Behr or decided to prime the room first.

After the 4th day of painting, 3rd coat of yellow, 2nd coat of light pink and realizing we would need another coat of each, I was done. I was crying while rolling on the 3rd coat of yellow and profusely apologizing to Josh for choosing a different brand of paint.

Our friend Jessica assured me all the work would be worth it in the end and it is. I love the colors. I have loved them since I chose them and now each time I walk into the room I smile.

This is the closet. We took the doors off and painted the back wall a darker pink.

The changing table will be in here as well as the typical closet stuff.

We are using the same dresser we used for Ethan as a changing table but we have painted it and spruced it up a bit. You'll get to see that another time, can't show you all the surprises at once!

Door to the landing.

I want to use scrapbooking paper in here some where as wall art I am just not sure what to do yet (I am open for suggestions). Oh, wait, I just came up with an idea!! (No, you don't get to know). The accessories are undecided as well but I'm sure it will all come together.

Corner where the crib will likely be.

I'll likely make the curtains but again, I have no idea what I'm going to do there (again, suggestions are welcome).

My tummy ~ 27 weeks.

As for Baby Girl and the pregnancy. Things are going very well. I am feeling very good. This time with Ethan I was working full-time and my feet were so swollen I couldn't wear shoes in the evening. Only minor swelling right now. Josh, Ethan and I are enjoying feeling Baby Girl move around which is getting to be so easy because she is growing big. Less than 90 days and my due date will be here. We can't wait! Well, yes we can and we will!

Morning Walks

2010-09-28T09:47:00.002-06:00

This week marks the second week of my new resolve to walk four days a week. It has been going pretty well. I walk anywhere from 1 mile to nearly 3. The distance really isn't what I focus on. Just keeping active. As many of you know I am planning for an all natural birth with Baby Girl. Keeping active and keeping extra "baby weight" off is very important for that.

We usually walk down to our neighborhood park about 1/2 a mile from our house. Ethan rides his Spiderman scooter, I walk and Jango tries to keep up (he is a bit on the fat side - sorry buddy). Ethan has made a few new friends at the park and looks forward to seeing them when we go.

Our park is set up so there is a path surrounding the play area. So Ethan can play and I can continue walking while he plays. Perfect! Now all I need to do is add some prenatal yoga into the mix (hopefully in a few days) and I will be well on my way toward the birth I want.

A Halloween Craft

2010-09-18T22:22:00.001-06:00

We were checking out Michaels Crafts for cheap stickers for Ethan's "Helper Chart" at home. We didn't find any stickers he wanted but a Wilton Halloween Gingerbread House was on sale so we picked that up to do Saturday.

Ethan and the House.

The house and the yard.

Side of the house.

Spider web on the back of the house.

The black blob on the house was my attempt at a bat for Ethan. Sorry, bud.

Our Juggling Ghost.

The sprinkles stuck in the gutter after the sprinkle storm.

Admittedly, I didn't make the icing quite right. The orange was a bit too runny, as was the black but we had fun. I do wish I had more varieties of candy on hand though. We ran out quickly. PLENTY of icing though!

We can't wait for our annual Christmas Gingerbread House making this year!

Back to Work

2010-09-16T21:36:00.002-06:00

Well, tonight is our last night with Daddy as he is headed back to work early tomorrow morning. We've had a great month with him home so having him leave won't be so hard this time.....I hope. Today has been extra special for Ethan and us. Usually after school we pick up Ethan and head home for some quiet time before his friends get home from school. Today we went to Dairy Queen and got ice cream cones! For dinner we went out to Mexican. Yumm.

Ethan will be the Star Student at school soon so we have a project to work on about him. As a family we sat down to work on it and needed a picture of our family. Realizing we didn't have a very recent one we decided to take one.

This one month has seemed longer because we've packed so much in. Unfortunately Josh came home for Grandma Barbie's funeral. So we traveled to CA for a quick weekend.

Josh enjoying the leg room on our flight to LA.

We had fun playing on the beach for a few hours, swimming in Uncle Jeff and Aunt Sharon's pool and seeing our family.

Manhattan Beach CA

Jeff and Sharon's pool - NICE!

Our ultrasound appointment was right after we got home from CA. We had such a great time watching the tech trying to get photos of all the "important" things while our baby wriggled and moved around! Later in the day we had a party and found out we are having a girl. Such a nice thing to share with friends and family instead of a ultrasound tech!

We were also able to take a few Fridays to see some things around town. The first place we went was the Wings Over the Rockies. It is an air and space museum on an old Air Force Base in town. It was just ok for Ethan and I. For Josh? He loved it and would've stayed for much longer if he wasn't toting us around. (Likely why we don't have any pictures to show we've been there).

Of course there was a street-a-que here on Burberry Way one of his weekends home. For those of you unfamiliar with that term, it is a BBQ shared with our neighbors (friends) in the street in front of the houses. We fried up some chicken wings, french fries and all manner of unhealthy, oh so yummy food. The kids played, danced and we all had a great time - as usual.

For Labor Day weekend (Josh's birthday weekend usually), Ethan and Josh went camping with friends. Yea, Ethan and Josh. I got a weekend off. To myself. Alone. Josh was able to go Grouse hunting for the first time in several years and bagged two birds. One HUGE one.

After they got back from camping we had Josh's birthday. I baked up his favorite cake-German Chocolate. We had our friends over, ordered wings from our favorite wing place (Wingin' It) and I fried up loads of green beans from our garden. Josh would want me to point out that our friends got him gifts but I didn't get him one. Yea, I'm a bad wife. Sorry babe. I thought baking a cake (from scratch), ordering wings, frying green beans (which aren't MY favorite) and having our friends over was gift enough. Love you.

Several days we walked Ethan to school or rode bikes while he rode his scooter. It was nice until the weed pollens skyrocketed! Since then I am trying to spend as little time outside as possible.

Ethan and Dad on the way to school.

While Ethan is in school, it gives Josh and I time to spend together. Running errands, making plans for our house (mostly the baby's room), watching a movie, napping. It has been a real treat to have those few hours in the middle of the day for just us.

Hammond's Candy Factory tour was another of our around town Friday activities. We went with Amanda and Tavin (Ethan's buddy from across the street and his Mom-our buddy from across the street). They make all their candy by hand there with machines from the 1800's! A pretty cool thing to watch!

Making swirl-pops.

We really should've taken some pictures in their store because it was OVERWHELMING to say the least. The boys were bouncing all around asking for this candy cane, that sucker. UGH!

This month has given Josh time to fall in love with Cucumber salad too. We have them coming out of our....well, you know....so we've had to do something with them! He has made several different variations but seems to love them all. I guess I'll be donating cucumbers for the rest of the season!

Variation 1 of many.

To say that it has been great having Josh home is an understatement. He took charge of Ethan this whole time. From waking up with him in the morning, getting him to school, reading stories and doing bedtime to waking up with him at night if he has an accident. Taking that load off me solely has given me a chance to sleep in, keep up on the house, dishes, laundry, get caught up on mending, sewing for the baby, do some baking, and the list goes on. Thank you Josh.

Carmel Nut Rolls. Mmmmm......

Now when I say he has taken charge of Ethan that doesn't mean he hasn't had time for himself. This last weekend we had a Shrimp Boil at a friend's house. We wanted to get together with the friends who went camping/hunting Labor Day so that everyone could taste the Grouse cooked up in different ways. So we used the Grouse as appetizers and had a Shrimp Boil for the main course. Turns out everyone who COULD drink had a great time! It was pretty fun to just sit back and watch them all let loose.

CHEERS!

With that babe, I'm sending you off. Drive safe, make lots of money and remember how much we all love you. See you in about a month.

Diaper Registry

2010-09-10T16:04:00.004-06:00

Hey all!

One or two of our friends here have mentioned a baby shower and that we should register for stuff. So far, this is all we can think of to register for. So, I wanted to let you know that we are registered at Diaper Daisy. We have most of the necessities for a baby (crib, stroller, car seat, etc.) and oodles of clothes on the way from generous friends.

Cloth diapering is very important to me (Josh says, "Whatever you want to do, babe.") and I've done loads of research to find diapers that will work best from birth to potty training, and the two brands I've registered for; Softbums and Fuzzibunz are it ~I hope~.

Softbums Cloth Diaper

FuzziBunz Cloth Diaper

The company I've chosen to register with (Diaper Daisy) is a Rocky Mountain company local to us in Colorado. I'll likely be registering with one other company in town (eco-Politan) and again, they are a local business. The Softbums are made in the U.S.A. *not sure about Fuzzibunz, I know some are made in the U.S.A.* In addition to helping the environment, it feels good to be supporting local businesses!

Thanks!

Her name is Janome.....

2010-09-10T14:09:00.001-06:00

.....and I love her.

I want to thank Josh for getting me this little beauty Christmas of 2005. I've made so many different things with her help. From bean bags to totes. Baby blankets to burp cloths. Parts of Halloween costumes to aprons.

Some highlights......

Re useable baby wipes made only days ago.

Ethan's baby blanket.

A book bag for Ethan (it was stolen but I still loved it!).

Here is a very "cool"/adult version of Woody to go with Ethan's Buzz Lightyear Costume. (I made the vest)

Birthday gift for one of the neighborhood girls.

Ethan's apron (which he now refuses to wear).

One of the many baby blankets I've made. This is one of two for my little sister's twin boys.

There have been many other projects made and attempted with my lovely machine. Here's to many more. Like.....

....many more re useable baby wipes!

Changes

2010-09-07T20:35:00.001-06:00

It never ceases to amaze me how our lives change on an almost daily basis. We have had more "big" changes in the last few months that may be worth letting our family and friends know about.

First and foremost, Josh changed jobs near the end of June. He is now working on oil/gas rigs as a Well Site Geologist for a company called Geo-Link.

Josh's rig at night.

He is basically doing the same job he did before we had Ethan. This time, though, it is clear up in North Dakota in the Williston Basin.

He is enjoying being able to use his brain again and I'm sure some of the time away from home :). The major draw backs are: long ass drive back home, long ass time between times at home (sometimes up to a month). The major bonuses are: using his degree again, making good money (able to support us with me at home again), some time apart for "distance makes the heart grow fonder".

It has been an adjustment for all of us. We don't usually know when he will leave (until a day or two before) and don't usually know when he will be home (until a day or two before) so it makes it kind of tough to plan anything major. Ethan is doing well with it because Josh makes an effort to call and tell him good night every night.

I've had a huge amount of support from our Burberry Way Family who we've gone camping with several times this summer - some without Josh.

Ethan and his buddy Tavin playing ARMY men in a ditch while we were camping.

Josh fishing with the boys during one of our camping trips.

Even without our friends, we find things to do. We go to the library several times a week, Ethan plays dress up, we bake zucchini bread (and other stuff), take pictures, go to the free Kids Workshops at Lowes and Home Depot and the list goes on.

He was Woody for Halloween last year (and when ever he wants now).

Ethan took a picture of his trains.

Ethan wanted a photo shoot of and with his buddies, Woody and Buzz.

One of our Kids Workshop projects.

Helping make Zucchini Bread.

Andrew, Josh's little brother, has moved out on his own. He has a tough road ahead of him and I hope he can find his way. We've helped as much as we can, it's his turn now. Love you, Andrew.

Ethan has also started Pre School!

Ethan's first day of Pre School.

We were lucky enough to get into Douglas County Pre School Program and get it paid for through a state funded program (thank you to my sister Mandy for encouraging me to keep looking for something like this!). So, he goes to the school just a few blocks away - close enough to walk (or scooter) - 4 days a week for 2 hours and 45 minutes each day. He loves it! He comes home with a new skill, new lesson learned, new piece of art each and every day. Don't get me wrong, Ethan is still being "challenging" (is there a no whining option I didn't know about when we put our order in for this beautiful boy?) but he loves school and I love the chance it gives him to explore and learn new things.

His time at school gives me time to run errands, work on projects or just take a nap (usually what I do since I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant!). I imagine this time will be taken up with fixing up our little girl's room which I can't wait to get started on! I've sewn a few things but the real work can't start till our bedding arrives (should be tomorrow).

Here's to our lives continuing to change for the better.

Baby ?? Barcklay

2010-08-23T21:17:00.001-06:00

After a few months of trying, Josh and I became pregnant with baby #2 in April. This little one is due January 6th, 2011! After waiting until the birth with Ethan, I decided with the second I would like to know the sex before with any future kids.

One of our friends (Amanda) had seen a cool idea for how one of her acquaintances found out the sex of their baby. I liked the sound of it so I adopted the idea before we were even pregnant! The hard part was waiting another few hours after the ultrasound! Here's how it worked:

A day or two before our ultrasound, Amanda baked essentially 3 cakes. One pink, one blue, one both colors. At our ultrasound we told the technician we wanted to find out the sex but we would like her to write it down on a card, seal it in an envelope and not tell us. We passed the envelope to Amanda a bit later in the day and she went about frosting the appropriate colored cake for the gender that was on the card.

12:45 was the ultrasound, we weren't going to find out the gender until 7:00 p.m.-the waiting was kind of hard but not too bad. Our friends came over around 7 (a few minutes late...I think they were trying to torture me just a bit longer) and after a few minutes we cut into the cake brought over. A PINK cake!! I teared up and laughed. I so wanted a baby girl. I thought I was having a girl but I couldn't tell if that was me just REALLY wanting a girl or truly feeling it.

Let me tell ya, the deck was stacked against me. Supposedly the man "decides" gender. Well, Josh is one of 4, 3 of those are boys. His dad? One boy, one girl. His grandfather? 5 boys. Me? 6 girls, 2 boys. Andrew and Josh were betting against a girl from the get-go.

Ethan thought there were twins in my belly (my little sister, Lizabeth just had twin boys). Twins were definitely not out of the realm of possibilities since my little sister Lizabeth is one of twins, and she and one of my other sisters, Brittany, have given birth to twins as well! As far as we can tell there is only ONE baby in there. Thank goodness.

So for now I need to get what is now my craft room cleaned up so that I can sew for Baby Girl Barcklay and also clear it out to make room for our sweet little Girl.

Wow, it's been awhile

2010-05-14T22:21:00.002-06:00

Well, here we are what, 3 months later?

A lot has changed for our family in the last three months. Namely, Uncle Andrew (Josh's youngest brother) has come to live with us. It is taking some adjusting for him - life in the city, life with a 4 year old, life surrounded by "older" married couples, life with out the Great Outdoors right out the back door - on and on goes the list but he is doing TREMENDOUSLY considering! We all love having him here and hope he loves being here.

He as introduced Josh and Dustin (another of our Burberry Way Family) to rock climbing. Josh is in love.......

Josh has gone back to work at the same job he had last year with one change. Last year, he worked for a Temp Agency who placed him with Penthall. This year, he is working directly for Penthall. Andrew and one of our Burberry Way Family, Cory also got a job with Josh. It's kind of funny to watch all the guys pile out of Josh's tiny, two door, blue Ford Focus hatchback after the commute home....you can almost hear the clown music...

A few weeks ago I found out I am pregnant! (I am 6 weeks and 1 day along) We only tried for a few months so I'm sure Josh is bummed because of that :) We are so excited and looking forward to moving forward with our family. As I've said to several people, there is NO perfect time for a baby and we will figure it all out, we always do. I am 1 of 3 of my 8 siblings expecting a baby in the next year. Kind of crazy.

My little sister, Elizabeth is expecting twin boys in August and after explaining that to Ethan he has decided I am carrying twins. A "brudder and a sister" and he's always saying "babies" not baby.
The freakish part of me is hoping that is true cause how cool would that be to carry twins, right? The sane part of my says, "Are you crazy!?". I am hoping for a girl cause this might be my last shot at a baby....Josh says we're done at two. We'll see..... Here's my little sis...ain't she cute?

Baby number two is due in early January, 2011. We will be finding out the gender this time. In fact, a friend has offered to throw a kind of party for when we find out. Here's how it works: we have the Doctor write the gender on a piece of paper and seal it up with out telling us. Said paper is delivered to Amanda (our neighborhood Ace of Cakes) and she makes a cake. Blue for a boy, pink for a girl. So, we find out surrounded by our friends when we cut into the cake. Kinda cute, huh?

I am also once again a Stay at Home Mom. YEA!!! Because Andrew has moved in, is paying rent, and Josh is working I am able to stay at home again. This is going to help our family in so many ways. I'll be here to take care of myself while I'm pregnant, Ethan and the house. So in turn, Josh can focus on working, and sleeping. The biggest thing is Josh will be able to devote several hours of uninterrupted time each day to searching for and applying for his next "real" job. Believe you me, I'll make sure he's doing it too!

I almost forgot! Ethan has been learning how to ride his bike!

So, that's where our little family is at now. Our best to you all. Oh, and our first camping trip of the season is two weeks away. Yea!!

4 years ago today

2010-02-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

February 15th, 2006 we brought Ethan home from the hospital. We had to stay for 2 days because he was jaundiced and not nursing well. Once he figured out the whole latching on thing, we were able to bring him home.

Over the years he has only grown cuter......

First Birthday

Second Birthday

Third Birthday

This year we wanted our Colorado Family with us on his big day (again). After a little mingling, and some Jango Fett cake made by yours truly.....

it was time for gifts. This boy was showered! He got more gifts for his birthday than he did for Christmas! Thank you all!! Some of his reactions were very candid "I didn't want this" (to a Candy Land game from Godmama -not his but that's what we call her- Deb). Then some screams of joy when he opened Mrs. Paula's gift of a Hot Wheels play set! Then, it was time for some more fun.

Josh and Uncle Andrew set up a Nerf War in the neighbor's yard and we had a blast shooting each other!

Here is Ethan coming down from capturing the flag!

Ethan and his bud Tavin

It was pretty cold and breezy so after one or two rounds, Ethan went inside to play with his toys with one or two of his buddies.

Great fun was had by all. Thank you all for coming and celebrating Ethan's birthday with us!

Ethan's Ride

2010-01-03T19:19:00.001-07:00

Freecycle. Check it out. It is a local "web site group" where people post useable stuff they don't want anymore. We have given and received several things through this group and it is a cheap way to get stuff. Yep! FREE! Anything from bikes to books to flower bulbs.

Any who..... I picked up a few {really trashed} BMX bikes in hopes that Josh could piece a useable bike out of them. My evil scheme worked and this past summer Ethan was given his first bike.

So, he figured out how to push the pedals after a few minutes. Pretty good considering this kid didn't even use the pedals on his tricycle. He just kind of scooted along with his feet.

He seemed to have a great time but going on a slight incline gave him some trouble.

Going downhill was a whole other story......

....in that case, it was the brakes we were concerned about!

I'm kind of fuzzy on the details but after this ONE time on his bike, he didn't ride again. I'm not 100% sure if he fell or what but he still hasn't gotten back on the horse. Maybe this year.

Neighborhood Garden

2010-01-03T18:51:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know, we had a community garden this past year. We all pitched in seeds, labor and love to grow our own veggies.

The planting day was cold but the work went quickly with the help of a roto-tiller and Josh's bulging muscles!

We planted loads of stuff in our beds. Beans, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, lettuce, brussles sprouts, onions, garlic, herbs...I think you get the picture! Nearly everyone got their hands dirty.

Our garden produced a whole lotta food this year! Several days of pruning tomato plants, pulling weeds, tying up peas were put in and each time we ventured in, we were amazed at how much everything was growing!

We were admittedly kind of wasteful in that we planted WAY too much lettuce, not the right kind of pea and too many tomatoes! I guess that is what the first year is all about though, figuring out what you like, want and will eat. We loved having ready access to those fresh off the vine veggies though! So worth it.

It is now January and we still have onions and garlic from the garden as well as peppers that have been blackened and frozen in the skins.

I am super excited for this year....I suppose we need to get planning for the upcoming season!

Unplugged Fun

2010-01-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is....finally. We have on occasion unplugged our family from tv and video games recently. Ethan enjoys the activities but with Josh and I wanting to detach quite often we admittedly don't do enough "unplugging". We all love it when we take the time to do something fun, we just need to do it more. Here is a look at some of the things we do for family time.

First up we combined two of Ethan's favorite activities. Photography and books. Ethan loves to go to the library and get books to read (and a video to watch). Here are some of the books he picked out on one trip.

Here are some candid shots of us....

Building a fort in the basement....

One of our favorite stores to go to is US Toys . They have toys, party supplies, arts and crafts, teacher supplies. You name it, they've got it! Don't forget to cruise the store and find their clearance section. That is where we found this beauty for just $1! Ethan and I played with this for at least an hour, changing the guys clothes, moving the diggers around, etc. A great toy at a great price.

I read about this paper online somewhere and decided to spend the $7 at US Toys for it. We still haven't done all the things they suggest at Roylco and it has been worth every penny!

Here is Ethan with the diffusing paper. We used food coloring and water to make works of art!

Just drop some food coloring onto the paper and spray with the water and VOILA!

You can also use water color paints, water soluble markers, all sorts of stuff.

We have some lengths of twine hanging in our dining room where we display our art and other projects. Here are "transfers" of our diffusing paper work drying.

We love to make pancakes and I've gotten quite good at free-hand shapes. This was another idea from somewhere online. Putting some of the batter in a squeeze bottle (we used an empty Chocolate Milk Sauce bottle), and add a bit of food coloring. You first squirt the shape or whatever into the hot pan then pour more batter over it and you get an embedded image in the pancake!

Or you can make letters, shapes, etc with the squeeze bottle mixture.

We've also taken to camping out in the living room on occasion. Air mattresses, sleeping bags, some pillows and a movie. Great time!

These are some more candid shots of the family. Ethan's favorite face to pull.

I love to sew stuff and thought, why not bean bags? So, I found some material I've had for probably around 10 years and made some up. We found some lentils in the cupboard (that have been there for over a year) to fill them with.

Here is Josh juggling the new lentil bags. We also found some games for Ethan to play with them. Though I don't have any pictures of those. Oops. We just took one of each color of construction paper we had, wrote in large letters the name of the color on one side and a number on the other. We would ask him to toss a bag on a certain color or number. Or, he would toss it on a color or number and he had to tell us what color or number it was.

In an effort to find things for us to do during our unplugged times, I went to the library and simply searched "unplugged" on the computers. I found a really great book I need to buy a copy of called "365 Days of Creative Play for Children 2 years and Up" by Sheila Ellison and Judith Anne Gray. They have a number of similar books but this one was my favorite!

Well, here is hoping we take the initiative to "unplug" more often. It makes us all feel good.

Who I am Thankful For: Friends Edition

2009-11-10T23:32:00.001-07:00

This evening I intended to update our First Unplugged Week but it just wouldn't be complete without all the pictures! Needless to say, I can't seem to find the darn camera. I'm sure Josh isn't real surprised! With some inspiration from friends and family on Facebook, I've decided to write about what/who I am thankful for. This one is all about my friends. If you are not mentioned in this post, please don't be upset, I will get you in somehow! Oh, and these are listed in no particular order, just as they pop into my head!

I am grateful for Melanie Johnson.

Mel, you have been such an inspiration to me. A mom of two, still finding time for working out and taking care of yourself. Finding new ways to torture yourself wether it be boot camp, a 1/2 marathon or spin class! Keep it up. Some day I'll join you. You have always known who you are and have never lost it. I love the fact that you have a "no bones about it" kind of personality. We need more of that in the world. I am also grateful you made all those dresses for my wedding 9 1/2 years ago! You have been there for me through thick and thin and took me back as a friend when I'm not sure I would've. Thank you. I love you.

I am grateful for Misty Boot.

Yep, stripper name and all, I love you! For those of you who don't know Misty Boot, you couldn't meet a more giving, caring, warm, wonderful person. Seriously. Misty, you are many things to me; a Mom, a Sister, a best friend, a cool Aunt and more. I love your realness and genuine spirit. You help to lift me up, help talk me through things, help when I can't ask, give hugs as needed, and more with no questions asked or IOU's. I love to laugh with you. You've helped me to see how much I CAN do and also to see when it's time to ask for help. Thank you so much for everything you've done, said, given and all that will come. There is more, so much more but I don't want to bore the s#@* out of the rest of these folks.

I am grateful for Jessica Mitchell.

Ahh, Jess. We have had our ups and downs, haven't we? ;) I am so grateful that you have taken me back as a friend when I likely didn't deserve it. What do I most admire in you? You are so strong, sure and determined in all aspects of your life. You know what you want and you find a way to go out and get it. Most people likely don't know this, but there was a time when I was like that. Right now, I am thankful to you for showing me how to be so strong and sure. Someday, with you as one of my reference points, I will get that part of me back that I let go of so long ago. I am also grateful to you for getting me jump started in sewing! I freaking love when I get to sit down at the machine and pump something out. Each time I do, I think of you and how much I learned making Ethan's first quilt.

I am grateful for Nancy Bergquist.

Thank you, Nancy, for being such a great role model for a kind, gentle woman who gets it all done. People have told me that Super Mom doesn't exist. "Gafaw! I live next door to her!" I say. You are yet another shining example of a woman who takes it all on and takes it all in stride. Sometimes I think you put up with too much but like a "good woman" should, you take it all with a smile. You are another woman who is many things to me; a Mom, a Sister, a best friend, a cool Aunt. And also another woman who would do nearly anything for me without asking for payback. Your generosity is only out matched by your warm heart. Thank you for always having a soft place for me when I need it most.

Weird, I am noticing a pattern in all you women.....you are all strong, determined, focused, women whom I admire for all those reasons. Parts of me that I let go of so long ago and have only recently realized it.

I am grateful for Hanna Frerichs.

Wow! An ICU Nurse. What more can I say? Well, lots. I am thankful to you for introducing me to the wonderful world of Stampin Up!. Card making is a skill you can school just about anyone on and I am so glad to have learned from a master! You, my dear, are yet another shining example of a strong, sure, determined woman. Getting though school, earning your degree, working at your Nursing career, buying a house of your own. These are things I admire you for. You did these things by and for yourself. Even with your obstacles in the last several years, you have come through all of that a strong, determined woman. I don't know what I would've done in your situation but I can guess I would've resembled B.O.B from Monsters vs. Aliens (except not so happy and clueless). You are one of my oldest friends (not age-wise but time known-wise) and I am so grateful I was smart enough then to hang out with you.

I am grateful for Kristin Olson.

Sheese! The similarities between all you ladies are astounding. I might as well use "see above" for some of this stuff! Yep, strong, determined, sure. You knew the path you wanted in life and walked it. Sure there have been a few dips and such but you ride them out as if you barely felt them. I am thankful to you for being there to tell me I was (basically, likely not your words) stupid for not asking for help with Ethan (then newborn) when we moved to Denver. A lot of time had passed since we really hung out and I just wasn't sure about picking up the phone and laying all my basket-cased-ness on you first thing. But, you wouldn't have it any other way. Thank you so much for all your advice and help in those first few months, you are a life saver! Another friend I am so glad I was smart enough to hang out with in high school. I am also grateful to you for getting me into scrapbooking. I am pretty sure Josh (for the most part) does NOT thank you but someday, he will see that it is all worth it!

To all of you ladies: I am so grateful for each and every one of you. You each have a special place in my heart and will have that place forever. Thank you for allowing me to call you my friend.

There will be several more installments of Who/What I am Thankful For so don't fret if you feel I've forgotten you.

November 20, 2009 - D-Day

2009-11-04T00:54:00.001-07:00

Well, here we are again. Josh has had a sometimes part-time sometimes over-time job for several months now. Working construction is not his thing and he desperately hates the job but it is work and that means money coming in to support us. As of November 20th, 2009, he will again be unemployed. The airport is shutting down work for the season on that date.

I posted earlier tonight on Facebook: "Ok, so supposedly the recession is over. How come Josh still doesn't have a job and our time of shit in life isn't over? This effing sucks. Can someone please make it all go away?". This doesn't even begin to express how desperate I feel right now. How completely terrified I am right now. To all of you who wrote notes of encouragement, I appreciate it but really. After 13 months for my husband having no real job to speak of we are at the end of our rope. I can honestly say I've not been so scared about my future since my Grandmother (Healy) died leaving me an orphan once again. But it is worse now because I have a beautiful little boy sleeping in the next room to consider. We've put our lives on hold for over a year.

On the off chance that anyone out there knows of ANYONE, ANYWHERE hiring....please let me know. Josh has a degree in Geology with 5 years experience in the Oil and Gas field. 3 of those years in management. If you'd like a copy of his resume to pass along to someone you know, please just tell me and I will email it to you.

I know it isn't going to get better over night but I've been patient for 13 months now. My patience is wearing very thin.

Our First Unplugged Week

2009-11-01T14:33:00.005-07:00

I've been getting more and more interested in keeping Ethan away from the TV lately. Mostly because he will throw a fit if he can't watch it or if he can't watch something in particular. Also, we are unable to send him to pre-school due to our finances so I'd like to get him on the right track as far as school goes. Learning his ABC's, numbers, colors, etc. He knows his colors, can count and recite his ABC's but we need more.

After doing some blog cruising, I came across one in particular that caught my attention. Unplug Your Kids ( http://unplugyourkids.com ). This website is FULL of great activities for kids of all ages, lists of "Unplugged" books, as well as links to other "Unplugged" sites. All with great info on things to do with your kids that don't involve the TV.

I'm excited to report that starting Monday, November 2, we will be Unplugging for all but two hours a day! I would like to get totally unplugged as a family (the savings on our cable bill alone would help our current financial situation quite a bit) but I know it will take some time. So for now, Ethan will be limited to 1 hour of TV per day and we (Mom and Dad) will be limited to 2 hours per day.

Here is a list of stuff I'd like to try this week found through Unplug Your Kids, Crafty Crow, Kaboose

Homemade Shrinky Dinks (need to go through the recycling bins before they go out tomorrow!)
http://unplugyourkids.com/2008/06/15/homemade-shrinky-dinks-weekly-unplugged-project/

Wax Resist Coloring http://www.learningvicariously.com/?p=132

Hands and Feet Turkey http://crafts.kaboose.com/hands-and-feet-turkey.html

Corn Collage http://crafts.kaboose.com/corn-collage.html

Garland of Leaves http://crafts.kaboose.com/thankful-garland-of-leaves.html

Melted Crayon Stained Glass Window http://crafts.kaboose.com/melted-crayon-stained-glass-window.html

Grocery Bag Parachutes http://www.flipflopsandapplesauce.com/2009/03/plastic-grocery-bag-parachutes.html

Baked Donuts http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001561.html

I'm sure I will find more things to do as well but for now, this is a good start! I'll be sure to post pictures of what we do and more links for projects we find. Wish us luck on our first "Unplugged" week!

Octizzard

2009-10-28T21:07:00.002-06:00

Josh was listening to a news guy who called our snow storm Octizzard (October Blizzard). Kind of cheesy but very fitting.

Monday or Tuesday "they" were predicting 10-20 inches of snow for us from Wednesday through Thursday. It is 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday and we have 14 inches. It is not supposed to stop snowing until Thursday evening.

This morning I left for work around 7:30 a.m. and didn't get to work until 9. The drive sucked. I reached a maximum speed of 30 mph on the freeway where I normally cruise along at 70. Then, I was nearly rear-ended by a Beer Truck (semi) on the off-ramp! Luckily he had room to break off and go into the other lane, otherwise the Silver Bullet would've been busted.

After work, the drive wasn't bad so I made it home in 1/2 an hour. Ethan and I took a nice nap and after? SLEDDING! We went to the open space behind our neighbor's house and had a blast on the sleds!

For a time before Ethan and I came out, there was only one working sled. We brought ours and it was ok. Then, Amanda put some Turtle Wax on another sled that wasn't working so well earlier. And boy did we cook on that one!

I gave Dillon's snowboard a couple of tries. Lauren told me I was brave. Josh just kept telling me how I was going to bust my @$$. I wiped out but had fun doing it. Josh got out his snowboard out, as Amanda says, likely the only snowboarding any of us will be able to afford this year!

Josh was good enough to put some Santa Fe Cheese Soup in the crock pot while we were sleeping so when we came in it was ready to eat. The Boot family and Ken came over and we ate the heck out of that soup. T-A-S-T-Y! A little Polar Express and some warming up later, it's time for bed (for Ethan).

Here's hoping I won't have to work tomorrow.

As per Nichole's request, here is the recipe.

Santa Fe Cheese Soup from 101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker by Janet Eyring and Stephanie Ashcraft

1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
1 can (15 1/4 oz) whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, with liquid
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies, with liquid
1 can (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes, diced, with liquid
1 envelope taco seasoning mix

Combine all ingredients in greased 4 1/2 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat 3 hours or on low heat 4-5 hours. Makes 6-8 servings. Serve with corn chips. (We served with corn chips and a great crusty bread)

Enjoy!

An addiction

2009-10-28T00:58:00.002-06:00

Ok, it is now near 1 a.m. and I am ferociously feeding my newest addiction. Hello, my name is Katie and I am addicted to sewing blogs.

There, I said it. Phew. It feels good to get that off my chest. Surfing for cute sewing or home making blogs has become my newest addiction. I suppose in the long run it is healthier than say smoking but the lack of sleep ain't good. There are just so darn many out there to read though! My list of links grows longer nearly every day.

My list of things to make for gifts is getting smaller but I keep getting ideas from blogs and books from the library so my list of "things I want to make but have no idea who to give them to" keeps growing!

On a side note, because of one of my blog finds earlier this evening, I joined a 12" quilt block swap on http://www.swap-bot.com/ . I hope it all works out well, hope we go a few rounds and I hope who ever gets me actually sends out the block AND I hope I like it.

It is time for me to go check how much snow we've gotten. "They" say we should get anywhere from 10-20 inches. Snow was coming down like crazy when the storm first started....wonder what it looks like now.......

Halloween Cookie Bake-Fest

2009-10-22T09:41:00.005-06:00

Sugar cookies are my favorite cookie by far. I try to collect cutters from every season so that I have an excuse to make cookies for every season! This year I added 3 to my collection of Fall/Halloween cutters. A headstone, skull and cat.

Ethan loves to help us bake and cook so I decided to whip up an apron for just such occasions! I searched online for tutorials and found this one http://supamb.com/supafine/2007/08/24/sewinghow-to-make-a-kid-sized-chef-apron/ . It only took 30 minutes (at most) and it is super cute!

The best part? It cost less than $1!! I need to make one for myself! The first day, we made up the cookie dough, rolled it out, cut out our cookies and bake them up.

The next day, Daddy helped us to decorate them. This is where the fun really started!!

Sugar Cookies are my favorite because each one looks the same when they come out of the oven. Then a little (or a lot, in Ethan's case) frosting, some sprinkles and a dash of creativity....each one is unique.

Josh and Ethan had some fun with the frostings.....

Here are my two favorite cookies:

The first one is Ethan's. It wins the prize for the tallest cookie.

Then there is my Mummy. I just thought it turned out really well!

The one of the best parts about making all these cookies is sharing them with friends!

Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe:

2c Sugar
1c Shortening
4 egg yolks or 2 whole eggs
1c Sour Cream
1t Baking Soda
5c Flour
2t Vanilla

Cream shortening, sugar, eggs. Add sour cream alternately with dry ingredients. Add vanilla. Chill. Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes. Keep an eye on them, some of the smaller shapes cook faster than the bigger ones!

Buttercream Frosting Recipe:

1/2c Butter
1lb. Powdered Sugar
1t Vanilla
Milk (enough to get it to the consistency you'd like, I like mine thicker....Josh likes his thinner)
Food Coloring

Cream butter, sugar. Add vanilla and milk. Make as many colors as you'd like!

A new baby in our family of friends

2009-09-14T21:12:00.000-06:00

Our friends Sean and Jessica Mitchell were blessed with a new baby girl this May. We are fortunate enough to live close enough to meet her a few days later.

Brinlee Mitchell....isn't she sweet?

....and soooo tiny....

Josh usually doesn't hold new babies. Unless they are cute. Brinlee passed with flying colors!

He couldn't get enough. I think he wants one.

Big Brother Xalen with his little sister.

Yea, I want one too.

REAL bad!

I had forgotten before meeting Brinlee how tinsy, tiny brand new babies are. And, just how easy and sweet they can be. She is growing so fast and she is just as beautiful as her big brother, Xalen. Good luck Mitchell Family. We love you guys.

Zoo Stuff

2009-09-14T20:54:00.000-06:00

We've taken a few trips to the zoo this year. Not as many as we would like but at least this year we've been able to go with Daddy which is not the norm.

Here are Ethan and I in front of the Zebra pen. At this point, he was learning how to smile on cue. A work in progress!

Here we are watching the Sea Lions sun themselves. Usually there is one in the water swimming the same loop....over and over and over and over and over and over.....

One of Ethan's favorite spots in the Zoo is the Reptile house. He loves to check out fish, lizards, bugs and the like!

Hello little boy!

"You starin' at my nose kid?!"

This was the first time we saw this sculpture. Usually Ethan has a meltdown before we make it to the Apes. He had some fun checking this guy out.

Easter 2009

2009-09-13T11:44:00.016-06:00

Last Easter we went to a local garden center who puts on a great Egg Hunt. Ethan had a great time eating the candy that Josh and I found for him. He was a bit too consumed by eating the candy to find them!

We also had dinner at Ms. Nancy and Mr. Ken's house. For that, I made an Easter Bunny Cake. We were able to use some of Ethan's haul of candy for the cake. Here we are picking out all the dark jelly beans for eyes and such.

I was fortunate enough to find some old cut out cake directions to build this bunny.

This is the finished cake, covered in white, pink and blue coconut flake. Ain't he sweet??

Ms. Nancy put together another Easter Egg hunt at the house. Gabby was a "big sister" for Ethan and helped him find as many eggs as possible!

The feast was awesome and we had a great time bonding with our friends afterward. These are a few of my attempts to photograph the boy pile on the couch with Mr. Ken and Mr. Dustin (aka Brains...a story for another time).

Then, it was time to feast on the Bunny...Josh had a great idea all the adults (and older boys) loved!

Red Velvet innards for the Bunny!

The girls weren't impressed. I don't remember for sure, but I'm pretty sure they passed on the Bunny Cake.

A budding photographer

2009-09-12T20:55:00.015-06:00

Ethan love, love, love, loves to grab our camera and snap shots. Sometimes I would rather he doesn't, but others I don't mind so much. It can be fun to see the pictures he ends up with......

Quite often, they are self portraits. Some kind of cute, some really bad angles.

Some are of his favorite things......

And some are just plain silly. This one being a hair on our carpet. I couldn't have made this turn out if I tried!!

Visit to Santa 2008

2009-09-12T20:15:00.008-06:00

Scanning through our pictures, trying to catch up on this here blog, I realized I left out our visit to Santa last year. Yowzers! What a thing to leave out.

Last year we made the trek to Cherry Creek Mall for Santa pictures. We wanted to do the North Pole again but it was WAY too cold!! We were in for a real treat at Cherry Creek though! The theme was Polar Express, a great Christmas family movie that Ethan loves.

We got there early hoping to avoid a long line...didn't work out so well. I think we waited for somewhere around 2 hours before we saw Santa. The nice part about it was there was so much to look at while waiting.

There were several giant snowglobes set up with different scenes in them, all about The Polar Express. One held an engine compartment where he could push buttons, pull ropes, turn wheels and make all sorts of train noises. Some of the noises were too loud and scared him but he still had fun. There were other small snowglobes with some of the characters from the book/movie in them with buttons to push and hear some of their lines.

MY favorite part was walking through a setting of snow covered trees and hills while "snow" fell. ETHAN'S favorite part was throwing the "snow" that had landed on the ground.

Of course, about 10 minutes before we got to see Santa, Ethan spilled his hot chocolate on himself. Being the unprepared Mom I usually am, I didn't bring a change of clothes for him. Luckily, you couldn't tell in the photos.

Ethan still didn't want to be alone with Santa. Understandably so....forcing a child into the arms of a man they only see once a year seems a bit harsh. Josh and I happily sat with Ethan while Santa took a spot behind us for the photo. Thanks for your flexibility St. Nick!

We also got to have a picture taken on the back of the Polar Express!!

I think we will return to Cherry Creek Mall this year for our visit with Santa. Hopefully this year, Ethan will warm up to the Big Guy.

Photos of our Western Caribbean Cruise 2008

2009-09-10T23:56:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Cruise

2009-09-10T22:02:00.004-06:00

I guess I totally spaced pictures of our cruise! For those of you who don't know....

We took a cruise right after Thanksgiving, 2008. We went with Josh's family to the Western Caribbean with stops in Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cozumel, Mexico; and Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

It was a great trip all around, just what we needed after Josh losing his job and all. I've decided there are too many pictures to post on here so I'll do a Smilebox slide show and you can check them out easier on there. There are 81 pictures with 6 seconds to view each one. That gives you 8.1 minutes of pure enjoyment!

Enjoy!

Inspired by Melanie's Success

2009-09-09T22:07:00.003-06:00

Ok. I've been inspired by my good friend Melanie to start running. She started several months ago and has since lost 30lbs! GO MELANIE!!

Tomorrow morning when Josh gets home I will begin (again and in earnest this time) the Couch to 5k program. I have been wanting to get into shape since before I got pregnant with Ethan. There have been bouts of working out and I've dropped about 41 lbs since having him but that's been 3 1/2 years! So, it's time to get in gear and really commit.

I have yet to work out the details of when I'll be able to go for a run but I am hoping for each morning when Josh gets home from work. If not then, I'll go in the evening before he leaves for work.

My starting weight is 207lbs and a size 16/18/20 (you ladies know how that goes). My starting goal is to lose 5lbs by 10/10/09 and to quit smoking by then as well. How I will achieve this is by controlling the types of food I eat and running. Here is a photo of me RIGHT NOW:

The benefits I will achieve are:
1) More energy
2) Better fitting clothes
3) Happier disposition
4) Shrinking waistline
5) Many, many others

Our checkbook will thank me for this as I've been eating fast food a few times a week even though we can't afford it! Jango will also thank me as he will be getting out and active! Josh will thank me because I will quit smoking and usually when I work out regularly my sex drive increases!

I have posted a link on the side of my blog where I will keep track of my running progress. This will help hold me accountable as well as let you guys know where I am at. There will also be updates here, on Facebook and MyFamily.

Thanks, Mel, for the inspiration. You are lookin' good, keep it up!

Pancake Fun

2009-09-09T20:20:00.008-06:00

Ethan, Josh and I enjoy Sunday mornings. It is a morning for a yummy breakfast of either Sharon's yummy Yeast Waffles or some awesome pancakes. Our favorite way to devour pancakes is in various shapes.

Here we have the Train. I am pretty sure when I flipped this one I lost the smoke stack but other than that, it was a success.

Here is a penguin, supposed to be Pablo from Backyardagains. Did I get close?

Next is the Bunny Rabbit.

Followed by the Race Car. Zoom, Zoom!

The Heart (for Josh :*)

And the ever popular Mickey Mouse.

I have been getting pretty good at freestyle pancake shapes. We have been experimenting with colored pancakes lately. Hopefully I'll find the photos we took of our most recent batch!

Hiatus

2009-09-09T18:34:00.002-06:00

Hey all, I wanted to take a moment to recognize the fact that I've not posted in quite some time. Yes, I know. I will also take a moment to let you all know I will update after Ethan has gone to bed for the evening and Josh is off to work for the night. A little quiet alone time, just me and Blogger/Facebook/MyFamily.

Camping at Idlewild

2009-08-23T10:58:00.002-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

2009-05-20T15:07:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Three already? For Real???

2009-04-11T20:21:00.023-06:00

Yep, he has turned three! There were days I didn't think we'd survive but here we are, 1,095+ days later! * OK, for those of you who know Ethan's birthday is actually February 13th, you are right...he's 3 years and 2 months old * Three is interesting. He is the most fun he's ever been and some days the most challenging and frustrating. One would think that because he can communicate to you that he can also reason....not the case. Ah well, I suppose that is part of the whole thing, isn't it?

I've included a few pictures here of his 3rd Birthday party. We had friends over for cake and gifts then it was off to the Monster Truck Jam with Daddy and a few friends!

A few really great things about Ethan:

he is nearly potty trained. YIPPEE!

he is going to Pre-School and loves it. YIPEE!

he says things like, "Not funny." when you do something he doesn't like.

he still loves Thomas the Tank Engine.

he loves to help bake and cook.

he loves to dance and sing (current favorites are songs created/sung by Daddy).

he loves to paint, color or do crafts.

he can walk all the way to the park and back by himself (about 1 mile there/back).

he loves to play with the neighborhood kids, Star Wars is his current favorite.

he can knows how to use a computer (playing games like Fireman Sam and Thomas).

he loves his Arbonne at night (lotion and oil).

he says his "L's" like "Y's" and "W's" so he says, "I yike that." and "Wittle" so friggin' cute.

he can dress/undress himself (so what if his pants are backwards sometimes).

he knows the value of work (he's earning change towards a new train, Murdoch).

he is the most loving he's ever been.

Bath Time

2009-04-02T19:18:00.002-06:00

Ethan still enjoys having Mommy and Daddy take baths with him. I'm sure some would say this is about the age to stop but we don't see the need yet. Anyway, I am sitting here, working on my Arbonne business, listening to the two of them having loads of fun.

Ethan has a new fascination with changes in our voices. He asks us to "talk funny". My version is a bad British accent. Josh's? His is a robot voice. They both make him laugh and have fun with us.

I sat here listening to them and thought it is something I'd like to share with friends. I hope you giggled, just a little.

Monsters vs. Aliens 3-D

2009-03-30T22:32:00.004-06:00

Yea, we don't have the extra $$ to do it but we did it. What difference is $23 going to make in the long run anyway?? We went to a matinee showing on Sunday morning at 10:50. It was packed! Sold out show.

The sweet girl selling tickets let Ethan in for free even though 2 and under is free (he's 3). Cha ching! Saved like $6 right there! Then, I carried my "movie purse". Room enough in there for like 6 4T diapers PLUS a full package of wipes and much, much more. So, I brought in 2 cans of Diet Coke (my drug of choice) cha ching! Saved like $5 right there! Josh and Ethan shared a Sprite purchased at the theater and we all shared a popcorn. A large sprite and large popcorn cost us $11!!! Almost as much as our tickets. Sheese.

Josh and I liked the movie. Very well done and there was just the right amount of humor for adults in it as well. My favorite was B.O.B.

Ethan? On our way home from the theater this is what he said: "Monsters Aliens. Humm.... I yike (like) that one." He didn't keep his 3-D glasses on for most of the movie but he still enjoyed it. We even got free temporary tatoos I haven't given to Ethan yet. He will flip!

There ya have it folks, Monsters vs Aliens 3-D. 5 stars from the Barcklay Family.

A quick and dirty update

2009-03-29T08:35:00.012-06:00

Well, it has been eons since I last updated and my one of my last posts is certainly a downer. Hopefully this one will give you all a better look at how things have been as of late.

We are growing closer as a family and enjoying all the time we are spending together. I think being thankful for the things we DO have has helped us gain a little (ok, a lot of) perspective. Josh is still unemployed except a part time dish washing job (which he claims not to count as a job) to supplement his unemployment benefits. He is much more positive and open with me about his job search, our relationship and our future. We want to thank all of you out there who have sent positive thoughts, said prayers, and helped us in our time of need. Even if we aren't talking often or seeing each other regularly, we know you are there for us and you should know we love you all.

I have begun an Arbonne business that is beginning to take off. Reaching the first step into management, District Manager in my first month!! Here's something Josh has said recently about me. "As long as I've known her, she hasn't known what she really wanted to do or be. Now she knows." Arbonne really is what I want to do. Teaching people about healthy skincare and wellness is fulfilling. I am taking this business very seriously, it is very important to me and I am determined to excel at it. Network marketing sure has it's challenges but that is one reason I started the business. I need to be a bit further out of my comfort zone in some aspects of my life. I push those boundaries daily and learn how to push them farther the next. Thank you to all those of you who have supported me in my business thus far and to those of you who have not yet but will! Old Navy is also a thing of my past. I have started a new part time job cleaning houses for a company called Posh Maids. Being alone with my thoughts is a great bonus of this job!

Ethan is in pre-school two days a week and loves it! Originally it was three days a week but due to our financial situation, we knocked it down to two. Hopefully we won't have to cut it out entirely. He was pretty upset by it in the beginning. Screaming, kicking, yelling, crying every time he was dropped off. Now, he barely notices we leave the room. He is making friends and having a great time. School has become something he looks forward to and talks about on a daily basis. Especially show and tell and his friends!

Here is our big boy ready for his first day of school. Believe me, he didn't look like this when we dropped him off....like I said, screaming and crying. Below is a picture of what happens when I want to "blend the back" on the first haircut I've given him. It WAS beautiful, then I...well, you get the picture. He's cute no matter what though.

Potty training is also nearly complete!!! He is still using pull-ups at nap and bedtime and has the occasional accident when distracted by play and fun. Well, let's be honest here...sometimes he just plain doesn't want to do it! A TOTAL control thing with him. We are learning how to deal (or not deal) with it! I cannot believe how much he changes and grows every day. Amazing is likely the word I should use when describing him.

Here is Ethan with one of his favorite activities, reading. In this case naked, sitting on the potty with Daddy in the tub!

Josh and I have taken advantage of Ethan being in school. We have completed a number of the "annoying" house projects and others that have been on our list for quite sometime. Finishing painting we started 2 years ago, like the wall in our bedroom. Touching up paint so that we can FINALLY install trim we took out to put in our floors. The list goes on. In addition to the obvious, looking for and working our jobs.

I've had a bit of fun with birthdays in our circle of friends in our neighborhood. First, it was Ethan's cake, then Cameron's, then Gabby's. Sorry, Dilyan (sp?) and Lauren, your birthdays came before Ethan's and you didn't know my mad cake decorating skillz! Catch yours next year! You'll see Ethan's in his birthday post but he wanted Lightening McQueen from the Cars movie. Ask and ye shall receive! Cameron wanted an ARMY man cake. I couldn't think of a cool way to do just a man so we made it a battlefield! When I say we, Josh had fun decorating this cake with me.

Ethan with one of his best buds, Cameron. They share a birthday which isn't the only bond these two beautiful boys share.

Now, this cake made me cry several different times. Firstly, my first one fell for some unexplained reason. Secondly, my SECOND (yes, I baked ANOTHER cake from scratch) cake fell for unexplained reasons. Thirdly, the look and excitement of Cameron when he saw the cake. Priceless.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find my camera to take pictures of the super cute Puppy Dog cake I baked for Gabby. It was adorable though. A white cake, Puppy Dog was white with different colored spots.

P.S. for all my friends and family who bake, my neighbors (when am I just going to call them friends.....) think I possess some magical power that enables me to bake a cake (bread, cake, whatever) from scratch. I think it's wonderful and I soak in the compliments when they give them to me. Little do they know, they too could follow a recipe!

So, that's about it in a nutshell. We are doing pretty good, considering. Bonding and spending lots of time with our friends (neighbors) helps take our minds off all the yuck for a bit.

Our love to you all.

2:18 am

2009-03-04T02:18:00.002-07:00

It is 2:18 am and all I want to do right now is cry. I feel like our family's future is on the brink of change and it is so difficult sitting here waiting for it to happen. My husband is not the man he usually is, destroyed by unemployment and the mind games that can play. I am starting a new business in Arbonne to rescue us from the brink and I'm not 100% sure 100% of the time that it is going to work.

I feel like some of the friendships I've treasured most in the last year are failing and disappearing right in the midst of all of our struggling.

Josh may be offered a job tomorrow. It is no job he wants really but as a means to support our family and keep us afloat, he will do what it takes. And yet, I see only sadness, disappointment, depression in his eyes. He tells me these things...very rarely and pretty much no one else. He's beginning to let others in but I'm afraid he'll wait too long and the pain will be too much for him to bear. I have loads of personal experience with depression and I've never wanted him to have to struggle with it. He is my big, strong man. The one who saved me. Now, in his time of need I don't know if I have the strength to save him back.

On top of it all, our marriage is on shaky ground. When things like this happen, communication starts to break down. Negative thoughts and emotions take over and we begin to feed each other poison emotionally. We are coming out of that negative place and back to a place of support and communication. It is taking time. The thing I feel the worst about in all this is how it has affected Ethan. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve parents who barely speak and when we do it is negative. He doesn't deserve to play most of the day by himself because we are both trying so hard to be numb, not to explode or cry.

That is a huge reason we put him into a part-time daycare/pre-school program. He deserves attention, positive energy, happiness, joy, fun, full-fillment. We are not giving you these things, Bug. I'm so sorry. Our tanks are running on fumes right now. We have so little to give. I'm so sorry Ethan. I love you so much and only want the best for you. We will get through this and be a stronger family for it but I wish I could undo any sadness this has caused you. I only hope you are young enough you don't remember our home feeling void of love. I would give anything to make sure you don't remember that. I will give my all to ensure that from today forward, I am making you and Daddy feel just how much I love you both.

Update soon, that's the goal anyway

2009-02-26T11:10:00.002-07:00

Hey all. I don't know how many of you have given up on our little blog but I PROMISE I'll update soon. In the next week or so. No excuses why I've not posted in so long. Just haven't done it. There will be several new posts in the near future though. We have a little catching up to do since Christmas.

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

2009-01-25T09:54:00.012-07:00

Along with trains (mostly of the Thomas the Tank Engine variety), Ethan his becoming enthralled with dinosaurs. Each night he will ask, "Mama, where do Dinosaurs live? By the volcano?". Now this is a tough one. How do you explain extinct to a (nearly) 3 year old? Do I want to start using the word dead with him? So, I simply say, "They are at the museum, Babe. Well, their bones are.". Nightly we have this conversation and nightly he asks if we can go see them. We finally did.....
Here is Ethan in the parking lot getting that being watched feeling.

We got out the door kind of late on Sunday and I was worried about him missing his nap for a trip to the museum but it all worked out and he behaved beautifully. I suppose because it was something he was interested in. Of course when you want to go see the dinosaurs at the museum, they start you out in a "beginning of time" sort of exhibit which Ethan was totally uninterested in. Unless there were buttons to be pushed, flaps to be lifted or pages to be turned.

He endured a little of this section before we made a B line for the dino kids corner. We put together a puzzle, read a few books and played with some puppets before moving on to the Main Event.

Ethan and I wanted to see how we measured up against "Rex" as Ethan calls T. Rex. Apparently I only come up to the beast's knees and Ethan mid-shin. Good thing these guys are extinct, our little family wouldn't have a chance!

Mostly he ran around distracted by the enormity of all the dinosaurs but occasionally he would ask me, "Mama, what this say?" and I was able to read to him WITH his attention.

There are loads more exhibits than just the Dinos (obviously) at the Museum so we decided to go check out the animals. Here is Ethan trying to get the Zebra's attention....

Josh doesn't much care for trying out the games and stuff but I love to participate with Ethan. Here we are seeing just how far we can jump compared to some animals. I don't quite remember where I rank in the scheme of things but I'm sure there are loads of creatures out there who could beat me at the long jump!

Things I can't believe I say 2......

2009-01-17T16:58:00.002-07:00

"No, sweetheart, Daddy was kidding. We can't go visit the garbage dump."

A Pair of Hats

2009-01-07T23:36:00.006-07:00

Here are projects #2 and #3. An infant and a toddler sized hat. I really like the one on the right.

The brim is the perfect size for extra warmth over the ears. The one I finished for Ethan isn't so perfect but I made it!

Now I'm on to a scarf for myself and a hat for Josh. Lovin' these Knifty Knitter Looms!!!

Knifty Knitter

2008-12-30T21:18:00.005-07:00

I've been wanting to learn to knit for quite sometime and recently taught myself. However, I find it takes more concentration than I would like and I needed an easier way. I found it! The Knifty Knitter by Provo Craft. It is a loom knitting system that makes it more like weaving than knitting and it goes SO fast!

Here are some pics of my very first knitted project.

A cute little hat for Ethan. Don't you just love his rosy cheeks? He has been sick with the flu for the past few days and that is what a fever does to him! He does have a large head though and the size that should have fit him is a bit snug. Next time I'll try the next size up.

I am still working out the kinks of the system. For example, with worsted weight yarn, you have to use more than one strand if you want it to be thicker. Also, I didn't quite know when to stop and made the hat a bit too long. Oh well, that's why I'm still learning!

I ran out of adhesive for my scrapbooking tonight and went to Michael's to pick some up. They had some really good deals on yarn, so I've picked some up for project #2! Wish me luck.

Merry Christmas To All

2008-12-27T00:21:00.003-07:00

Well folks, THIS is what it's all about......When life gets crazy and throws you great big curve balls, have Christmas and it all comes back into focus.

Good friends and family are what it is all about. Thanks to all of you who have been supporting our family through our "big curve ball".

Most of all, thank you Josh. I truly love you so much and can't express each way you make me proud every day. Before this is all through, we will be much happier, stronger and more in love than ever. You are a wonderful Dad, Husband, Son and Friend. You have taken care of me when I couldn't see the sun through the clouds and I am more than happy to do the same for you. I love you.

May 2009 be a HAPPY, HEALTHY, BLESSED, SUCCESSFUL year for all of us.

It's Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T23:39:00.006-07:00

Well, it is getting pretty late here. 11:40 pm. We just checked in on the NORAD website to see where Santa is on his busiest night. He is in Roswell, NM. That means he's getting close! I'd better get my little one tucked in so Santa won't pass our house over! We just got finished with another kick ass Christmas Eve Fondue party at the Bergquist household. Yum, yum. Thanks again, guys! Well done.

From our family to all of yours, have a Merry Christmas!

Things I can't believe I say...

2008-12-17T17:11:00.007-07:00

Josh and I have been realizing we are beginning to say a lot of really weird things to Ethan lately. I want to remember them for his scrapbook so here are the ones I can remember for now. I'll continue to add to this list as I remember them.

"I know honey but you have to keep your pants on."
"Stop licking the dog, please."
"Stop licking the cat, please."
"PLEASE get your finger out of your butt!"
"No, I'm not poopy, I just tooted."
"You can see your poop as soon as I'm done cleaning your bum."

Cruisin'

2008-11-24T20:30:00.002-07:00

Well, we are 5 days away from setting sail on our 7 day Western Caribbean cruise! I simply cannot wait! I think we deserve a little distraction from "life". A quick and dirty update....

Josh lost his job about 2 months ago. I got a job at Old Navy about a month and a half ago. I work early mornings (5 am!) processing the new shipment, sign changes for new sales and every once in a while, I work a "service" shift cashiering. It is a nice change, the first few days were pretty tough for me though. I miss spending all my time with Ethan. Funny how that works...I always kick myself for not taking enough breaks from him when I'm home all day!

Losing Josh's job has been pretty hard on both of us, in fact, it SUCKED! I was really angry at first. I guess I'm as over it as I can be but I don't think they could've picked a worse time to let him go. The economy took a down turn, gas prices dropped and now oil/gas drilling is taking a hit. Hundreds of rigs all over the country are shutting down for the time being. (Josh is a geologist with experience in Oil/gas drilling) He did get a nice severance package and that is helping though our health insurance expired at the end of the month he was let go. There has been no interest in the job market. He is working with several recruiters and has put in over 60 resumes and still not even a call back. I think the worst part for me is knowing how hard this is on Josh. He isn't himself, hasn't been for quite some time. I hope he knows how much we love him and how much faith I have in him. He'll find something good very soon. We are trying very hard to stay here but at this point, we are expanding our search to other states/countries. Anything to get him working. He is also very close to applying for a part-time job or two doing whatever he can....delivering pizza, working at Home Depot, whatever.

Ethan is doing wonderful. He is very challenging right now though. Constantly testing the boundaries, not listening, being 2 1/2, I guess. Poor Josh, he didn't sign up to be a stay at home Dad. He's getting a real taste of what my "real" job is really like! He's not digging it too much.

To the good stuff....our Highlands Ranch family has been very supportive. They have had dinners for us, encouraged both of us and just been there in general during our rough patch. Thank you all, so much. We love you more than we can tell you.

This evening, I spent some time making pie crusts in preparation for Thanksgiving. Nancy and Ken are hosting and I signed up for dessert. I'm doing two pies, Pumpkin Rum and Chocolate Truffle. I can't wait to try them! I also said I'd do my Carrot Cake but there are two more pies coming from elsewhere so I'm not sure we need 4 pies plus a cake for 20-25 people! We'll see.

The day after Thanksgiving we are flying to Houston, TX for our cruise. We are staying in Houston because Galveston (the port) was wiped out earlier this year so the hotels aren't open. We will stay there for two days hanging out then on Sunday, we set sail!! The cruise is a family affair. Josh's Mom, Step-Dad, Grandma Barbie, Aunts, Uncles, Step-Siblings are all coming with us (Ethan too). We are cruising with Carnival and our ship is called the Conquest. Our ports are in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. We will be spending a day at Beaches All-Inclusive resort while on Jamaica (most of the day), see some sights, do some shopping. I believe in Cozumel we are doing an Eco-Park called Xcarat "a natural park open to the public and filled with all the Xcaret Maya expressions of culture, nature and beauty". We will get to swim in underground rivers, hang with Dolphins, snorkel, see all sorts of animals, see Archaeological/cultural sites, it should be a really fun day! Not to mention all the stuff to do on the ship!

I promise we will take oodles of pictures and post them when we get home. Oh, as a side note, I am loving John Mayer's music right now. Especially Slow Dancin' in a Burnin' Room, what a song. Alright....later taters.

Un-employment, Not so bad?

2008-10-25T14:37:00.001-06:00

Well I am going on close to a month without a job and am busier than when I worked a 50 to 60 hour a week job. Typically I let Ethan wake me up in the morning around 7 am hang out with Ethan for awhile then I get to work on the projects I have going around the house. Currently I am Installing Hardwood floors in the main levels of the house, and laying tile in the upstairs bathrooms. After lunch time Ethan takes a nap and I send the next 3 to 4 hours working on my resume and searching/applying for jobs. After nap time it is play time with Ethan and then back to work on the house until Ethan's bedtime at 8. After that I take Jango for a walk with some of our friends in the neighborhood. Then it is either relaxing time or back to the ob search.

As far as the job search, it is going slow I have had some call backs from recruiters filtering resumes for their job postings. the outlook is still good there are lots of jobs in the area that I am qualified for. Well the main problem I see is that I can't afford to stay unemployed forever. Katie has a job working at old navy which helps a lot. I am very proud of her for stepping up and going to work to help support our family.

Dad (Rod) Barcklay

2008-09-16T12:43:00.004-06:00

Josh's Dad suffered a heart attack yesterday. He got to the hospital and was doing ok when they transferred him to Coeur d' Alene hospital. They did an Angiogram to see if a stint or balloon would take care of the blockage. No luck.

He is 85-95% blocked in both his left and right (?) ventricles and there are blockages in two others. All of them extensive. So, as I type, he is in the operating room having Quadruple Bypass surgery. He is doing ok so far, they've taken the vein from his leg for the bypass and he is doing well on the heart/lung bypass machine. That is the most nerve racking part, really.

Josh is doing ok. He was out on a rig by himself doing some mudlogging because he is short handed when we got the news. He doesn't have good cell coverage out there so we haven't been able to talk much. I think he will be home later today though. If anyone wants to pass a note of support on to him, use email or a text to his phone. I'm sure he will appreciate it.

We will keep you all updated on Rod's condition as we know it. Please keep our family in your thoughts and if you pray....well, that too.

Got Wood?

2008-09-12T23:03:00.006-06:00

We got our wood flooring in today! I'm very excited. We are putting in Brazilian Teak through out the main floor. We have to wait a few weeks for it to acclimate to our home. I guess that will give us some time to do all the prep work and get our painting done on the main floor. We have some tile and carpet to tear up, re-paint the kitchen (part of it) and then we're ready.

Josh went out and bought a tool belt and some really gay, really big suspenders. He's pretty excited at the prospect of doing some manual labor.

Oh, we are also going to put in a pergola over our back patio. As long as the approval comes through from the Home Owner's Association we'll tackle that job before it gets cold as well.

While Josh was picking out his really gay suspenders, I was picking out paint colors for Ethan's bedroom. I couldn't help it, I went straight for the Disney colors in the Behr section! It will be tone on tone blues (Space Hero Blue and Cast a Spell Blue) with some bright stripes in green (Sonic Boom) and orange (Orange Blast). Great names, right?

He's pretty into Thomas the Tank Engine right now so when it is painted, we'll put up the decals I bought for him. That will be nice and easy to change and the paint should work for quite some time. I'll post pictures when it's all complete.

Wish us luck with it all. I have a feeling I may get blisters...sucky suck.

Mission: Breathe Free

2008-09-12T09:25:00.005-06:00

I have smoked off and on for about 11 years now. Mostly on until getting pregnant with Ethan. I gave it up cold turkey with no looking back or issues. Being able to do that felt great! Earlier this year I realized I replaced smoking with over eating and I gained 74 pounds during my pregnancy!

Some time in 2007 I started sneaking cigarettes when Josh was out of town or when I was out of the house alone. It was infrequent at first, then became more and more frequent. The guilt was eating me up and one night after phoning several of my siblings and Mom crying and confessing to them, I decided to be straight with Josh. Sure, he was upset but also understanding. By this time, I was pretty much a full time smoker. I tried quitting cold turkey a few times. After a few disappointments, I just gave up quitting.

Then, I found Chantix. I have used it twice now and it works wonderfully, as long as I was committed to staying quit which obviously, I wasn't. Josh was smoking as well and neither of us was on the same "quit schedule" as the other and that just made it sucky suck.

We are preparing to try for a second baby late this fall and we are both ready to quit (again) for good. So I've prepared a plan, of sorts, for myself.

Katie’s Breath of Fresh Air, No More Smoking FOR GOOD Plan

•Begin Chantix September 13, 2008
Cut back to 8 cigarettes per day

•Quit smoking September 20, 2008

•Refill script for Chantix October 10, 2008 for second month

•Finish taking Chantix November 13, 2008

•What if I want a cigarette?
Do some cleaning around the house.
Work on a craft project.
Blog about breathing free.
Read.
Play with Ethan and/or Jango.

•Why do I want to breathe free?
This is the first step in showing ME my self-worth. How important I am to ME.
No more coughing.
No more tight chest.
No more post nasal drip.
No more clogged ears.
Be able to work out harder.
So we can get pregnant.
I don’t want Ethan (or future child) to be hurt by the smoke.
I hate the stink on my hands, clothes, hair.
I hate the mess we have around the yard with all the butts.

I will also not replace this habit with another unhealthy one like eating. I've begun (slowly, sure) working out and that always makes me feel 100 times better in so many ways. So, that will be my new vice.

For those of you who know me well, you know I have self-esteem and self-confidence issues. I've begun to address and work on those. Quitting smoking and working out is a big part of that work.

So, that's what is new and "exciting" in the Barcklay world. Josh is going to quit as well I'm not sure on his details. Wish us luck! Anyone who smokes/has smoked, please let me know your inspirations for quitting and your tricks for distraction. Thanks for your support.

Boot Family

2008-07-24T22:01:00.002-06:00

The Boot Family needs our help! Our friends and neighbors, Bob and Misty Boot, are going through some tough times right now. After our camping trip to Fruita, Bob was checked into the hospital and stayed for 2 weeks. He lost 30-40lbs in a matter of weeks all somehow related to a "flare-up" of his Ulcerative Colitis. His medical care wasn't the best in those two weeks but was sent home because he seemed "better". However, after a week at home, he was taken back and that is where he still is now. They aren't sure when he will be coming home let alone going back to work.

Misty is a stay at home mom, taking care of their two kids, Dylan and Lauren, spending loads of time researching Bob's care and spending as much time as she can with him during the day. As if that wasn't enough, early this week, Dylan broke is leg skateboarding.

So, as a friends and neighbors, we've decided to start collecting money for their household bills so they don't have to worry so much about Bob being off of work. I'm sure there are things they can do as far as disability and the ever famous AFLAC (quack!) (if it was avail. to him) but that just doesn't cut it for a family. Thankfully, Misty's parents have been here to help care for the kids while Misty is out caring for Bob.

I know many of you don't know them but they are truly wonderful, shirt-off-their-backs kind of people. Josh and I have come to think of them as family. Even just a small donation will help to pay the mortgage, power, etc. Please consider making a donation today. Thanks,

Katie

Happy Birthday To Me!

2008-07-21T08:56:00.003-06:00

Well, here it is. 30. I don't feel different. I don't feel old. I suppose that is because I have friends who graduated high school the same year (or before) I was born so it makes me feel young! I had a splendid surprise birthday party last week and Josh is whisking me away to an undisclosed location for my gift. He booked a trip and all I know is what I need to pack. I am hoping to keep the surprise until we reach our gate at the airport. Other than that, my life is the same.

I do have some goals for this year:

1) Work out 5 days a week. Spinning class and some strength training.

2) Lose 30lbs by the end of November for our cruise. Zoiks! That's only 4 months away, I'd better get busy!

3) Get some testing done for food allergies and get on track with my health. (Might have wheat allergy or sensitivity)

4) Continue to workout 5 days a week to get into shape for next year's mountain bike season and races. I'd like to do several 5k's running instead of walking. I'd also like to get pregnant sometime in the next year (possibly).

5) Be happy and proud of where I am physically, mentally, emotionally.

6) Get back on track with our Dave Ramsey plan (financial program).

That's about all I can think of.
I can feel it, 30 is going to be a great year!

Mesa, CO with Kristin and the Kids

2008-07-10T07:58:00.033-06:00

Our good friend, Kristin, invited us to spend some time with her at her condo in Mesa, CO. Ethan and I joined Connor, Brendan and Kristin on Monday June 16th and stayed for 3 days until we left for a big camping trip with friends in Fruita. We stayed at a ski resort called The Powderhorn Resort.

Our drive was awesome. I had never been through the Rocky Mountains during the day time and the views in Glenwood Canyon were awe inspiring! I just wish I had gotten out to take some pictures. You'll just have to take the drive or take my word for it. Ethan loved driving through all the tunnels and seeing all the trains.

Then, there was the drive through the canyon to Mesa, CO. WOW! I didn't think to stop at the most impressive views for pictures but I did get some pictures.....

There wasn't much of anything to do at the actual resort but I think that is what made it so nice. We didn't have loads of distractions and if we wanted to just hang, we could. They did have a playground that was finished the day before Ethan and I arrived but the best time to use it was in the evening when the sun wasn't so harsh and then you had to deal with the large population of mosquitos. Apparently just before we arrived, Kristin and Connor got to see one of the local bears on the property. Very cool. Ethan and I also got to watch some Woodpeckers eating out of a tree just a few feet from our balcony. Ethan kept laughing and saying "Tickles!".

Not too far up the road were loads of lakes to explore. We took a drive up there one of the days we were there and the boys had loads of fun tossing rocks, sticks and pine cones into the icy water.

There was still loads of snow up at the Ranger's Station and surrounding many of the lakes.

Here we are at the Ranger Station. Ethan wasn't into the whole photo thing. He wanted to run around like a typical boy getting into all sorts of trouble. I had other plans.

Here is Ethan with Kristin and her boys, Connor and Brendan. Can you tell which boy does not belong with this happy, smiling family??

From up above the resort, we stopped to try and capture a good picture of the grandure we were enjoying but the day was quite hazy and the pictures just don't do it justice. Here is my attempt....

From up here we could see so many little lakes hiding in the trees as well as the impressive mesas and geology of the surrounding area.

We stopped at one of the lakes for some lunch. After, the boys (Connor and Ethan, not so much Brendan) had a great time chasing each other around, finding sticks and other stuff to show each other or throw in the water.

Humm...I wonder what they are watching so closely here.....

Sweet stick, Connor!

Here is Brendan, sitting pretty happily in his stroller, watching the birdies clean up our lunch!

The water was pretty cold but that didn't stop Ethan from jumping around in it. By the time we left, he was soaked from his waist down. Connor was jumping as well and fell in, just like Ethan. I don't think Connor really wanted to get all that wet though. Ethan didn't care.

The evenings were spent bathing the boys,

reading books, learning to share and watching The Backyardagains. The boys spent a lot of time arguing about who's owns what, "Mine!". I am sure my trying to referee was just as annoying.

It was nice to have plenty of down time to watch the boys and talk to Kristin. Sometimes I wish Ethan would stay at Brendan's age. Here he is just snuggling with and smiling at his Mommy.

The next day we took advantage of a kid's free day at the Grand Junction pool. It was packed and insane but we all had fun escaping the heat for a few hours. There was even a local church giving away free lunch of BBQ'd chicken sandwiches. Complete with a cookie and a drink!

Kristin and the boys really got their money's worth (they didn't end up paying at all....I forgot to add Kristin to my card when I paid and the guy just let her in for free) but they played until they closed for their mid-day break. Ethan was done long before that so we hung out near the entrance of the pool under some big trees. We got to observe a large group of young hoodlums trying to be bad-asses while watching the local bike cops. Yea, there were like 5 bike cops hanging around the pool like it was a daily occurance to keep the peace at the pool. Strange.

It gave me a chance to watch Ethan try to climb trees and take some pictures of him.

All in all we had an awesome time just hanging and relaxing. It was a welcome change from the day-to-day humm drum at home. Thanks Kristin!

The Olson Family, minus Daddy (Michael). You guys are so great to hang out with. You make an effort to do and see and make every little trip as full as possible and do it all without making it seem overwhelming. I need to join you guys more often so that I can study how you pack so much into your vacations without going bonkers! Thank you so much for letting Ethan and I tag along. We had such a great time!

Update Coming Soon

2008-07-09T21:21:00.002-06:00

It has been a little while since I've posted anything but I PROMISE there will be several new postings as soon as I've recovered from our last adventure! We got back at 7 a.m. this morning from our trip to Idaho where we visited family and friends who may as well be family. We had a great time but driving 15 hours without stopping at a hotel to sleep sure wipes you out! We've got lots of great pictures to post and a few good stories to tell so...check back in a day or two and hopefully I'll have something new for ya.