Merry Christmas!

The Christams Spirit is definitely alive and well in our household - how can it not when you have a crazy 18 month old running around the house pointing at Santa and saying "Oh oh oh"? Having a child has surely gotten me more excited about this holiday than ever before. I am looking forward to the look on Kyler's face when he sees what Santa has in store for him! Like I have said many times before, motherhood brings everything to a whole new level...especially the holidays! We wish you and yours a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!

Shovelin', Shovelin', Shovelin'

This morning we woke up to a good 6 inches of snow on the ground. Luckily Paul and Lee (our neighbors) had brought over Kyler's Christmas present a few days early - a mini snow shovel!


Last time we got snow, Kyler went over and was trying to help Paul shovel his driveway, so they decided to get him his very own shovel. Now we can put Kyler to work...maybe he can earn his keep with the money he earns from shoveling the neighborhood! Thanks Paul and Lee! He LOVES it!

Winter Solstice?...feels more like SUMMER!

With highs in the mid 60's today, it felt more like spring or summer rather than the first day of WINTER! We took full advantage of the summer-like temperatures! First we took the short walk down the the newly built dog park. Lucy hadn't been on a walk for awhile and we had been wanting to scope out the new park. The park is beautiful with a section for big dogs, small dogs, and even agility training...it is a dog's paradise! Kyler enjoyed it as well!


After the park, we headed back home to eat a quick lunch, then we were back out again...this time for SWIMMING! Angy and I decided to take the kids to the "Family Fun Plex" for an afternoon of FUN! This was Kyler's first experience with a crowded, chlorinated, public pool. He really didn't know what to think at first when he was clinging onto me for dear life, but once he warmed up to the chaotic loudness he did fine.

Hangin' out with Lanie! Brrrr it's cold!


When we were in the locker room changing into our clothes, I asked Kyler, "Did you have fun swimming?" He responded with a very enthusiastic, "Yeah!" He must have because he came home and took a 3 hour nap! We need to do that more often!

Christmas is coming...the goose is getting fat!

This weekend we really got into the Christmas Spirit! We went to the Greeley West plant sale to buy a poinsettia and you'd never guess who was there! Santa and his reindeer! Kyler wasn't really fond of Santa this year, but he sure enjoyed looking at his reindeer!

This is the best picture that we could get! Kyler didn't want to go near Santa.

He thought the reindeer should say, "Mooo!" so he was mooing at them!

Kyler sure enjoyed the candy cane from Santa!

Josh and I both had our work Christmas Parties on Saturday evening. We made it to both and had a great time! Thanks to Jeff and Jaime for watching Kyler! Then on Sunday Kyler and I headed over to the Kinyon's for some holiday baking. Mommy got to hang out with her best friend, Kyler got to hang out with his girlfriend, daddy had peace and quiet to finish up his final exam for his master's class, and we all got to eat great cookies - what fun!

Tonight Deb had all of her kiddos and their families over for her annual Christmas party. We had a fabulous time! Kyler got lots of new and fun toys, and it was nice to meet all of the families that Deb has graciously taken into her home! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Deb and all of her cuties!

Opening presents with Deb!

The WHOLE gang!

Only 3 more days until Winter Break! I can't wait!

Random Fun!

Kyler is just a bundle of joy to have around our house...I can't even think about what we did without him in our lives. Now that he is getting older, he is getting quite the personality! He is 100% boy! Kyler LOVES to run around the house singing, jibber jabbering, dancing, chasing Lucy, and using his imagination (sometimes all at once)!

The other day I was gathering up the trash and decided to push Kyler around in the empty diaper box. He was laughing and laughing. Then I got preoccupied doing something else and before I knew it Kyler had gotten the diaper box up onto the couch and was climbing in! What a boy thing to do!

And yes, he even put his Bronco hat on himself.

After awhile he realized that it might be a good place to curl up with a book!

Another one of Kyler's favorite things to do is to roll around on the comforter while I am changing the sheets. He just thinks it is so funny! And I love to watch him!

Kyler also like to play "Mommy's little helper"! Whatever chore I am doing he likes to do it right along with me, and I don't mind one bit!

Playing Dress Up!

As I was searching through our photos, I noticed a theme. Kyler loves to try things on! Here are a few random photos of Kyler's new hobby!

It's not my mother's purse, it a European shoulder bag!

Dressing up with the Sasse brothers!

Daddy's sunglasses and a Monsters Inc. hardhat (courtsey of the Sasse boys).

Trying on my new shoes!

I found Mommy's sunglasses!

Many Thanks

This year, and every year, we have MANY things to be thankful for! Just to name a few, I am thankful for my two boys, my family, my few (but very close) friends, my job, my memories, the way that my son looks at me with love filled in his eyes, Kyler's laugh, my loving husband, the fact that I'm married to my best friend, the way Josh helps out around the house with EVERYTHING, telephones so that I can keep in contact with those I love the most (especially my mom), the material things that fill our house, the roof over our heads, the food on our table, and much, much more including the love from my friends and family such as you that keep up on our blog!

Thanksgiving was a bit different this year. Before Kyler was born, we would take the trip over the mountains to visit Josh's family for the holiday. With only three days off and not really being able to predict Colorado weather, we opted to stay home. And as far as my family is concerned, we usually don't get together for Thanksgiving because everyone usually has plans with their significant others' families. But this year was a little bit different. Adam, my younger brother, decided that he was going to invite us all over to his house for a brunch. It was a welcomed change. We all brought a little something to munch on, watched the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and visited with the ones we care about. Kyler even got to play with his cousins! We all had a terrific time...I hope Adam invites us over for next Thanksgiving (hint, hint)!


Kyler LOVES his cousins!

They couldn't get enough of those stacking blocks!

Cutie girl Jillian!

Great Nanna and Madi (the oldest - or should I say most experienced - and the youngest in the family)

Down at the park

As I've said many times before, Colorado weather can be quite interesting. With our few days off, we have been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather by playing at the park. We are lucky to be living very close to two well-maintained parks. It is a place where Kyler is safe and feels free to run around. Today we had the whole place to ourselves!
Where to now?

All by myself!

Slidin' with Mommy!

Swingin' with Daddy!

Man I LOVE the park!

Say Cheese!

Over the weekend Josh and I were cleaning things up a bit and came across an old film camera. Just as Josh was going to throw it away (who even uses those things anymore?), he thought out loud, "We can give it to the little boy." (that's what we call Kyler) What a great idea! We gave it to him not really knowing what he would do with it.



He knew EXACTLY what to do with it. He immediately held it up to his face and said, "sheese"! I am continually wowed by the connections that a 17 month old can make!

We LOVE Deb!

We recently made the decision to switch Kyler's daycare provider. I, being the teacher that I am, wanted Kyler to get into more of a preschool setting. Deb doesn't usually accept children under 2, but she made a gracious exception for our little guy. He is already catching on to lots of things...he raises his hand for more snack (even at home), he is getting great at going up and down the stairs, he is becoming more social with kids, he is making tons of connections, and his language is coming right along! We are so impressed!



At Deb's they are currently working on a transportation unit. Just the other day they were focusing on the train. He came home with a train made out of rotini noodles, and he even learned what a train says! Thanks Deb! I can't wait to see what else he brings home with him!

Having a moment...

After changing his diaper, I grabbed Kyler off of his changing table and decided that I would snuggle him in the rocking chair in his room. As the two of us sat there, Kyler glanced up at me with a look of love in his eyes and placed his head gently on my chest. Rocking away, he laid in my arms quite motionless as I softly rubbed his back. It was as though he was trying to tell me that he still needs a mommy that will rock him and comfort him. I took this as a snapshot in my mind. Then a tear ran down my cheek as I remembered just how many great memories we've had in that chair...breastfeeding in the middle of a cold winter night (we both kept eachother warm, rocking to sleep when a cold kept him awake, reading a nightly bedtime story, Lucy trying to get cozy with us, and just relaxing and enjoying a moment. I looked down at Kyler to admire his innocence and grace then noticed that he had fallen asleep on my chest. It warmed my heart to know that I am just as important to him as he is to me.

Snow Baby

How do we go from wearing short sleeves last week at the Cozy Cow Dairy to 8 inches of snow? We live in the lovely state of COLORADO, where the weather changes as quickly as I change Kyler's diapers!



We still don't have the appropriate snow gear for Kyler, but we are getting closer. All he needs now is some snow pants and boots, so we made due with pajamas as long underwear, fleece pants and hiking boots. Kyler still had fun playing in the snow!

Cozy Cow - MOOO!

Today Angy and I took the kiddos out and about. First we went shopping at Old Navy (one of our favorite places), then out to lunch and finally to the Cozy Cow Dairy for a treat. Even though the kids were pooped (no pun intended) by the time we got to the dairy, they had a delightful time.



We even got some ice cream, but weird as it sounds, my kid doesn't like ice cream. So...mommy had to eat it all by herself - just what I needed right?!

Trying on my new schwag! Ready for more snow!

Once we got home Kyler was past the point of a nap, but I was not. So daddy gave me a break and took Kyler to the park to feed the geese. Apparently he LOVED it! He even came home with goose poop all over his shoes. Kyler had a fantastic day with some individual mommy and daddy time! He is so lucky, and so are we!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween was a bit more low key this year than it usually is in the Urich household. Josh has been sick and Kyler is going to start at his new daycare tomorrow, so things have been a little hectic. We weren't really in the "Halloween Spirit" this year, and I think that had everything to do with us not having our annual "Pumpkin Carving Party". We still had fun.


Josh and I took the day as a "date day" and went off to the CSU/Air Force game while Angy had her hand at being the mother of two. THANKS FRIEND! Then when we went to pick Kyler up, we just stayed at the Kinyon's and had dinner there. THANKS FRIEND! After that, we took Kyler and Lanie Trick-or-treating to a few houses, but that's about all they could handle.

Kyler the Lion and Lanie the Pumpkin!

We came home around 8 and still had Trick-or-Treaters on our block, so we just shut off all of the lights and watched an episode of True Blood. We saved ourselves about $50 in candy that our neighbor said he'd spent. Our other neighbors keep a tally and said that they had 250 Trick-or-Treaters at their door. Boy was I glad that we opted out! Hopefully we'll be back in the spirit next year!

SnOw DaY!

It is not even Halloween yet and we have 8-10 inches of snow!
Our pumpkins are COVERED in snow!

Before

After! I felt like such a kid!

Where's Lucy?

Unfortunately, Kyler doesn't have the proper attire for playing in the snow, so he didn't get to play with us. We didn't really prepare to have this much snow this early in the season. But it was the perfect day for him to...
...curl up with a good book!

...and learn to play the guitar - Thanks dad!

What should Kyler be for Halloween?

Thanks to Mariah, I have three choices for Kyler's Halloween costume.

A cow

A dog- I don't think he likes this one.

Or a lion

Please help me decide!

Kyler, how old are you?

A Father's Love

Josh is the greatest dad on this planet! It is so fun and exciting for me to sit back and watch Josh grow into such a loving and caring father. I'm sure it's just a reflection of how his parents were with him. The feelings are definitely recipricated. Kyler is such a daddy's boy. One of his favorite words to say is "Dadddddie!" And I don't think anyone can get him to "gut-giggle" like his daddy can!

Pickin' Pumpkins

Hangin' out with Mommy!

Today Kyler and I headed out to a pumpkin patch so that he could pick out his own little pumpkin. We met our good friends Angy and Lanie there, and we had a BLAST!

Lanie get over here and pose for this picture with me!

At first Kyler thought that the pumpkins were balls and that he should pick them up and throw them. Fortunately he didn't break any open. He LOVED it! He just roamed around as he pleased looking for the perfect pumpkin. We ended up getting two - one for Kyler and one for Mommy. It was a great place to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather and incredible company.

Humm...Which one should I get?

For the LOVE of Leaves!

The other day right after school, Kyler and I came home to daddy doing some of his homework for his master's program. We decided that he needed some peace and quiet, so we went outside to play. Kyler is TOTAL boy - he loves playing outside, throwing rocks, picking the grass, riding his bike, chasing after Lucy, but most of all, playing in the leaves. He thought it was the greatest! I got out the rake and raked leaves up onto him and he would just laugh and laugh! We had a blast! Who needs toys, when you can just go out to the backyard?



We played really hard and worked up a good appetite. Shortly after playing, we headed over to Old Chicago for some dinner. Kyler ate a bunch of Saltine crackers while waiting for our food, about a third of my salad and two whole pieces of pizza! Kyler surely knows how to play hard, eat A LOT and sleep well! I am so thankful!

Go BRONCOS!

Speaking of football, Kyler attended his first Bronco football game today (thanks to Jeff Lawrence for hooking us up with the tickets)! We were a little leary of bringing him, but figured he'd do ok since he has been to a few high school games this season.


He LOVED it! He really got into it - he was flirting with all the pretty ladies, high fiving all of the men and just enjoying it all! The weather was just right and the game was spectacular! It was a great experience for me to have with my two best boys!

Friday Night Lights

Football season is in full swing. Greeley West Football is at its best! We have gone to a couple of games and have been very impressed with what we have seen (not only on the football field, but also with the band and poms at halftime). Kyler was literally drooling over the poms during one of their dances! He is such a great sport! Even though the games last way past his bedtime, he could be seen giving high fives and fists to all the people around him!


Before we know it Kyler will be the one out there on the field! Watch out he's gonna be a bruiser!

28

I remember when 28 seemed so far away. When I was 10 I couldn't even fathom the day that I would turn 28 years old. In ninth grade we were instructed to do an "All About Me" project, which had to include a timeline of the past, present and future. Looking back at that timeline, I had NO idea where I would be by the time I turned 28 - according to that I would be married, with 3 kids being a stay-at-home mom. Boy was I wrong, and I am kinda glad that I was!

I feel so very lucky for all of the things that I have accomplished at this point in my life. I have a wonderful husband (that I have known for 9 of those years), an amazing child, and an established career. It's ok that I don't have 3 kids, but maybe someday I will. 28 is just the beginning!

Mead Sugar Beet Festival

We really didn't have much planned for this weekend, so I called up my brother Brian to see what he and his family were doing. It just so happened that they were going to Mead to the Sugar Beet Festival. He invited us along. We had a great time watching the garden tractor pull, petting animals in the petting zoo, riding on the "train", and walking around enjoying the weather and the company.

Kyler loved the big fat bunny best.



Here's your picture Mom!

Cool Cousins!