Templin Family

Still Alive!

2011-10-21T07:31:00.000-06:00

I am thinking about starting up the good ole blog again now that we live away from family. That is if anyone still reads it. We moved to Texas around mid-August and have loved the nice weather and the kids new school. Moving has had it's challenges but we are starting to settle into our new home and community and are looking forward to some "peace and quiet". A day where we don't have to fight someone to come and fix something they broke (either in the move or the builder).

Avery is looking forward to her upcoming Birthday and being baptized. She is playing on a fast pitch softball team and it is so FUN to watch her learn and play.

Karson is 6 and just about to lose his front tooth on the top. He loves his new school and is looking forward to playing on a basketball team in the winter. He loves to play in his new backyard and look for snakes, lizards and bugs!

Addie is almost three and full of life. She loves to have things her way! She is counting down until Halloween and each day we go over what everyone is going to be. Typical conversation held 3 or 4 times a day.
Addie says "What's Addie going to be for Halloween?"
ME: "I don't know what is she going to be?"
Addie "I going to be a-punzel"
ME "Rapunzel, How cute!"
Addie, "What is Daddy going to be for Halloween?"
ME- "What?"
Addie, "He going to be Flynn Ryder" (we are still working on that one! :))

That is a quick update and I will add more next time. :)

Fall Time

2010-10-06T14:15:00.007-06:00

Hiking @ Red Rocks.

Well we are only 4 months into the school year and I am getting ready to post about it, but the guilt set in and I can't only do a school post so I will lengthen it out to Fall as well. It has been VERY warm here in Colorado this fall and I am loving it!! The kids have enjoyed being able to wear shorts and skirts to school every day and not even worrying about the weather. So nice!

Avery started First Grade this year and really enjoys her new school. She doesn't love the uniforms (but I do!!). She does love Music and Art. Those are her favorites. She has also started taking Tap and Ballet this fall and promises to finish out the year and do the recital. I can't wait to see her learn and grow. We love Avery so much. She is a great helper and loves to watch out for Addie. She is really doing well in school and can't wait to lose her next tooth!

Karson started Kindergarten this year and is in HEAVEN! He loves going everyday. He always has a smile on and loves PE especially. He and Avery love to sing their Spanish songs together too. Karson is a great student and always listens and raises his hand. He even does it at home now when we ask him a question. I love watching him grow up and learn so much! His smile melts my heart. He is also starting Basketball next weekend and we can't wait to see how he does! It will be so fun to go and cheer him on.

Addie is .....cute, smart, witty, loud, a crack up! She is so cute and fun. We are wrapping up one of my favorite stages where you ask her a question and the only answer she says is no. "Addie, do you want a cookie? NO!". I love it! She will fold her arms for prayer time and attempt to repeat the words you say. She loves to yell AMEN at the end. She also likes to sit up with the big kids while they do their homework and try to color on their pages. Addie is thinking about climbing out of her crib but the first time she did it, she was stuck on the rails for a bit and was a bit terrified. So we haven't had a repeat incident yet.....

We headed up to Vail a few weekends ago to see the leaves and stay at Erik's Client's Resort. The leaves were changing the weather was beautiful and we had a blast. It was a nice break from the stresses we have had here recently!! All is well that ends well though! :) Enjoy the pics.

Erik and I 5th Row at the Broncos Preseason Game!

We sat FRONT ROW at the Rockies Game. One of the Best Dates EVER. Definitely LOVED Erik's Job perks that night!

Everything is bigger in Texas!

2010-07-19T19:53:00.007-06:00

We headed out on a 14 hour road trip to Dallas, Texas just before the 4th of July. The drive was more than long! The kids did great and Addie made it without any screaming fits. We doubted if we would make it at times and at one point I decided I was flying home but we made it there just before 11:00 at night. And after that things were fabulous! We had such a great time on vacation that after a week we were not ready to head home. We stayed with our friends the Wagstaff's and had so much fun hanging out, laughing, letting the kids play and enjoying the warm weather.

One of my favorite parts was the big green trees, the lakes and the beautiful scenery! I also loved seeing where Erik grew up. We took the kids down to Erik's hometown and showed them where Erik worked when he was in high school (Sherwin Williams), where he went to high school and his childhood home. It was so neat for all of us to see! We did so much and had a great time with our friends. I will let the pictures do the talking and leave you with the top 10 fave moments.

1. Frisco Roughriders AA Baseball Game- so much fun for the kids not a bad seat in the place!
2. Beach Club- A pool with sand around it, the kids were in heaven
3. McKinney Downtown- Very quaint with little shops, great food and even a horse!
4. Fireworks-So much room for the kids to run around, perfect weather. No jacket needed.....so nice
5. Kids having some great playmates.
6. The yummy yogurt places were every where. Erik's fave was the grapefruit (not sure about that one for me though!)
7. Rock Band and talking with old friends
8. Visiting where Erik grew up and playing at the park he did when he was small!
9. Steakburger Place with the best custard I have ever had! So yummy!
10.A week with our little family. It was such a blast spending time together and hanging out, we didn't want to come home!

Our Guy

2010-06-20T07:31:00.004-06:00

Happy Father's Day Erik! You are a great dad for so many reasons. The kids adore your bedtime stories, nobody can tell them like Dad can. They love it when Dad comes home to play games. Addie would have never learned to growl if she hadn't been chased around the ottoman by you. The kids wouldn't be able to ride their bikes or giggle as much with out you. We all learn from your example, in the good choices you make, how hard you work for our family and the love that you show us! We love you and are so grateful to have you as "our guy"!

Basketball Night

2010-03-15T17:20:00.003-06:00

We were lucky enough to spend some time on the Nugget's floor one evening. The kids got to shoot around, Erik dreamed of being in the NBA and made a few 3 pointers. And Addie, she just did whatever she wanted to. She walked on the floor, up the stairs, under the basket (especially with all the balls going in) and she loved the mascot. We had some snacks, well kind of (we missed most of them). The kids got an autograph from Rocky the Nugget's mascot and were able to watch him make his half court shot, while facing backwards! It was a fun night! And yes, I was there too. Chasing the kids

Addie Turned ONE......better late than never!

2010-02-14T08:42:00.003-07:00

Addie turned one on December 29th! I have plenty of excuses for not blogging for them but I will leave those alone and move forward.

We love Addie! She is so silly and cute and independent. She loves to do what she wants to do. She loves milk, mac and cheese, fruit and pretty much anything Grandma is eating. Or if it is colorful she will try it (even peppers). Addie started walking around 11 months and has quickly mastered going up and down the stairs. She loves to greet people by saying "Hi!" and loves to lean in to make sure you hear her. She can say Dog, Mama, Dada and Hi. She loves to get into things and walk anywhere on her own. She is definitely not a follower! We celebrated her Birthday with her cousin Ryan who turned one just 4 days after her.

href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T5mra0Xm9ps/S3gcGNMug-I/AAAAAAAAAkY/gd_q7n4DVn8/s1600-h/DSCN0249.JPG">

Love you Addie!

Avery's 6th Birthday

2010-01-24T08:03:00.003-07:00

Avery turned 6 on December 3rd. She is such a joy to have around our house. The poor girl has been battling strep since November and had her tonsils taken out on Tuesday. She is recovering well and is such a trooper! Luckily with all her sickness we were still able to celebrate her Birthday with a Fancy Nancy Party. She had such a great time and it was so fun to see her with all of her new school friends. Avery also got her ears pierced on her Birthday, she has been wanting them pierced for a long time. She loves wearing her earings and can't wait to be able to put some different ones in!!

Six Things We Love about Avery

1. Avery is the best helper! She loves to organize and help out anyway she can. She is always trying to help out around the house

2. Avery LOVES to wear lipgloss and dress up. She even reminds me to put my lip gloss on!

3. Avery has the best memory. If every I think I might forget to do something I always ask Avery to remember and she always does. I love her memory.

4. She is a great friend. Always thinking about how others are feeling and wanting to make them happy.

5. I love her determination. If she wants to learn something she will no matter what it takes!

6. I love to cuddle with her. I wish she would never out grow my lap! She loves to sit with you and snuggle right in.

Happy Birthday Avery!

Trying

2010-01-06T09:45:00.001-07:00

I should be posting about Avery's 6th Birthday, Christmas or even Addie's first Birthday or the beautiful wedding we attended over the weekend. But today I am just trying to stay afloat. Avery is scheduled to have her tonsils out on the 19th, i am nervous. Nervous about the surgery, the recovery and the pain to come. So, someday I will post about all the wonderful kids and the fun things we have done but today I am just trying to be something! Hopefully more pictures and things will come soon.

Happy Hallo.........

2009-11-01T11:24:00.004-07:00

Halloween this year was bittersweet! The kids look forward to dressing up all year long and talk about what they are going to be from about January on. This year Karson had settled on being someone from Star Wars and Avery wanted to be the cutest black cat that we had found at Pottery Barn Kids and my sister had made an outfit just like it for her to wear. It was perfect! Addie was a bumblebee and the cutest one around! Unfortunately a few things got in a way of our Halloween fun this year. The first one being snow! In Colorado we had over 2 feet of snow this week which cancelled school for three days. So the kids missed out on their school parties, the school trunk or treat and Avery missed her dress up time for dance class. But there was still hope for Halloween night. Until......Avery came down with a fever, cough and a sore throat through all of this. We were hoping that it would be better by Saturday for Halloween Night but no such luck! So Karson went out with the neighbor girls and took a bag for Avery. Erik, Avery, Addie and I stayed home sick with who knows what probably the flu, H1N1 that is, and we hope for a better year next year. Here's to a better Thanksgiving and Christmas! We did make it to our ward Trunk or Treat though!! Enjoy the pics!

Fall is here!

2009-09-29T15:51:00.003-06:00

We headed up to Vail and Beaver Creek to see the fall leaves and enjoy a day in the mountains. We brought my parents along to enjoy the scenery! We love it up there. So many parks and fun things for the kids to do and also so cute little shops (where we don't dare take the kids in because we don't want to fork out $800 for a kids coat!!!). We had a great time! Enjoy the pictures. Addie is crawling now, getting new teeth on the bottom and pulling herself up on everything insight. She is officially 9 months old today and growing up so fast! We love her to death.

Shout out to the Parker Fire Department

2009-08-22T19:00:00.006-06:00

We wanted to publicly thank the Parker Fire Department for coming to our rescue on Saturday morning...and not breaking down our door and saving us some money! :) Here is the scoop. Erik, Avery, Karson and I were outside doing our usual Saturday routine of mowing the yard, trimming the flowers and planting some things. We put Addie down for her morning nap then we all head outside. This morning about halfway through Karson decides to lock the door in the garage and then head on outside. He just realized he can lock doors, so why not? Long story short we are all locked outside while Addie is peacefully sleeping in her crib. We try all of the doors and windows and our neighbor tries all he can think of as well. Learning from those around me I decide to not call my Dad to hack down our door (I saw that damage @ Britta's house and need none of that there!) and tried some locksmiths to come and remedy the situation. We had about 30-45 min till Addie would be up so I wasn't too panicked. Until no one answered their phone I called, and the locksmith that did said he could make it out here in about 2-3 hours and that it may take about an hour. I started to panic a bit when I had to call 911 to reach the Fire Department. Thankfully they arrived to our house quickly without the sirens! They did an excellent job prying, cutting and sawing off the door handle with out totally breaking the door or the frame. They had originally come out with their axe but we were glad they changed their mind :). Addie was just starting to stir in her bed by the time I got to her and the neighborhood kids were thrilled to see the fireman at work. What a day. Oh and yes we do now have a key available for us to use so this never happens again.

The Locker.....

The Sleeper.....

The one who told the whole neighborhood.....

Kindergarten!

2009-07-22T16:54:00.003-06:00

Well, She did it! Avery headed off to Kindergarten in the beginning of July. She loves her teacher and singing the songs. She loves to have recess and play. If you catch her off guard she will let you know how much she does love school. She is adjusting still though, after her first day of school we had a conversation in the car that went a bit like this.
Avery: "Mom, today was not a big day. It was just a little day."
Me: "Ok Ave."
Avery: "School is just a waste"
Me: "What do you mean a waste of what?"
Avery: "It is a waste of my play time!"

There you have it. That about sums up how she feels a lot of the time about school. But I catch her singing songs, happily telling me what they did that day and talking about school often. I think she does enjoy it!

4th of July

2009-07-08T14:42:00.004-06:00

We had a great time celebrating the 4th this year! Erik and I started off the morning at our Ward Breakfast running a 5k. My parents were sweet enough to come and head out with the kiddos while Erik and I ran. It was a nice way to get the day started! We stayed around for the kids bike parade and had some pancakes and enjoyed the morning. Our plans had originally included a day at the pool but the weather was warm enough for that. So we took Avery to get her haircut for Kindergarten and hung out most of the afternoon. By evening the torrential down pour had started so we headed off to my parents for a indoor BBQ and lots of little kids praying for the rain to stop. As luck would have it, the rain stopped by about 8 pm and we headed out for fireworks then sat in the street and watched Parker's fireworks up in the sky! Parker did a great job this year on the show and the kids really enjoyed it! It was nice spending time with family, rain or shine!!

Happy 4th Birthday Karson!

2009-06-20T16:12:00.006-06:00

We love this guy! He had such a wonderful Birthday this year. It started out with the traditional Birthday breakfast of blueberry muffins and chocolate milk. We sang happy birthday while Karson smiled, he has been waiting for this day since his last birthday, always asking how much longer and counting down the days!! We hope he felt special and know what a great addition he is to our family!!! We headed to the pool later and despite it being mid-June we braved the cool weather and looming thunderstorm above our heads!! We had lunch at the pool and then headed to see the movie UP! It was nice to relax and enjoy some down time. That night we had all the family over for hot dogs, games and cake. It was fun. We played Karson's favorite 3 games (UNO, MarioKart and Old Maid). It was a busy night when we all get together it is around 25 people, 11 kids and 14 adults (and that is not everyone!!) Karson thoroughly enjoyed the present opening and loved his Mickey Mouse cake! The only thing missing was more pictures of the fun. I was too busy taking care of things and the camera stayed on the shelf!

More posts to come on about our family trip to California!!!

Good-Bye Good Friends!

2009-05-25T19:39:00.002-06:00

Our neighbor's the Bells made their way to their new home in California on Friday. It has been so great to have a good friend across the street with to talk, laugh and share time with! We loved to take our kids on walks and just hanging out. We were both pregnant during our 2 1/2 year friendship (you know what that can do to a friendship!) and we were just finally finding a time when our kids could play together! Karson will miss Ashton and the car playing and Avery has already asked if we can go on a walk with you when you come back.... Funny how now she misses the walk when during it she complained the most..

Thanks for being great friends and we can't wait to keep in touch with you and see how your kids grow! We hope your drive went well and you know that you will be missed. I know great things lie ahead for you and you will meet and make many new friends. Don't forget your 'old' friends here in Colorado!

Love you guys!!!

Easter, Eggs and Addie

2009-04-19T20:27:00.005-06:00

We colored eggs with our friends the Johnsons. The kids had so much fun they could have colored a dozen eggs each. Addie enjoyed looking on and talking with us all. She is growing so fast! She loves to smile and talk with Avery and Karson. Her newest skill is grabbing onto things. Way to go Addie! We can hardly believe she is almost 4 months.

We survived another rainy, cold Easter here in Colorado. But despite the weather we got all dressed up for Spring! The kids woke up early to find their baskets then we headed off to early church. The nice part of early church was we were able to squeeze in lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Forslund and then we had dinner with the Templins. Erik's brother Kurt was in town for the break between semesters at BYU-Idaho, the kids had fun playing with their Uncles and their cousin Kailey. Enjoy the pictures...one day we will get them near some flowers, outside...that will be after the 2 feet of snow melts that came this weekend. Here is to a week of 70 degree weather! Gotta Love Springtime in the Rockies.

Eight Years!

2009-03-03T10:06:00.002-07:00

Happy Anniversary Babe! I wanted to to let you know how wonderful you are! You are the best husband and father anyone could ever ask for. Things I love about him:
1. He is so Handsome!
2. The best Dad in the world, everytime I see him with the kids my heart melts a little.
3. Great example to me in the Church.
4. Great basketball player!
5. Hardest working person I have EVER met, he goes above and beyond in everything!!
6. Organizes things with out me asking, always picks up his stuff
7. I love that he picked me so we can enjoy this journey we call life here together.....FOREVER

Love you Erik!!

Happy Birthday Erik!

2009-01-25T14:55:00.009-07:00

We had such a a great Birthday with Erik this year. He had the day off and it was beautiful outside. We made him a great birthday breakfast (which due to having a newborn he slept right thru, but we sang & ate with out him), then we headed off to Dave and Busters for some games with the kids and Erik's brother Derrick. We played basketball and Erik beat the current high score and the kids were amazed at all the tickets he won! I guess he still does have it at 31 years old! I also got a black eye while we were there from Karson, so no...my husband didn't hit me and yes it is still there a week later! We came home and had the Templin/Forslund families over for Roast Beef sandwiches and salad and cake! What a spread. We survived all 30 people being here and enjoyed spending time with the guy we all love so much....Erik! He is such a wonderful dad and husband. We love him to pieces here!! Enjoy the pictures from our day out, oh and a few of Addie (she stayed home with Grandma).

She's HERE!!!

2009-01-03T10:03:00.006-07:00

Addie Campbell made her way into this world on Monday December 29th at 3:06 PM. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 10 ounces and was a little over 20 inches long. She is such a cute petite little thing! She is almost a pound smaller than Avery and Karson were and is about 2 inches shorter! She is almost an identical match to her older sister but has A LOT more hair!

Avery loves to hold her and is always concerned about what her little sister needs! Karson loves to pick out something for her to wear and sing her songs when she gets upset.

We love having Addie here! She is precious and sweet!

Christmas

2009-01-03T09:40:00.003-07:00

Christmas has come and gone. We had such a wonderful time together as a family this year. We enjoyed a Danish dinner at my parents house, along with playing some games and acting out the nativity! It is always busy at Grandma and Grandpa Forslund's house when you have 8 grandkids under the age of 9 (with 3 new additions on the way!). The cousins had a great time playing together and we couldn't forget to get all the kids together for a pajama picture! Then we headed off to Erik's parents house for soup and present opening. It was nice and quiet this year, we missed all of the cousins but we had a great time there as well!

Christmas morning we headed back to my parents home for brunch and playing with their loot and hang out. It was warm enough for the kids to be outside. We had a fun day playing and spending time with family, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Addie.

At this time of year I am reminded of how thankful I am for my Savior and all that I have been blessed with!

My two Favorite Guys!

2008-12-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

I had to post this picture of the two favorite guys in my life! I love them both to death! This is a picture of them at the BYU VS Airforce game. They had a great time watching some football! Love you Erik and Karson!

Breckenridge!

2008-10-19T08:08:00.000-06:00

We decided to head up to the mountains to see what was left of the fall leaves. We had really wanted to go last weekend but due to some cold weather and sick kids it was a no go. I am so glad we were able to make it up to Breckenridge finally! It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun was out with just a mild breeze, it couldn't have been more picture perfect. I just love going up and seeing the beautiful fall trees, the mountains and of course the cute little shops. We enlisted my parents to come along with us and we had a great time. We had lunch at Empire Burger and had the best onion rings known to man! After we fed ourselves we walked up and down Main street, watched the ducks along the river, looked for the fish swimming below the bridge, listened to some 12 and 13 year old play Guns n Roses on their drums and guitar (impressive!) and let the kids play at the park. Thanks Erik for sacrificing and taking us up there! We had planned to go but his flight back home from Omaha was cancelled on Friday afternoon and after waiting 8 hours in the airport on Friday night, he still didn't make it home. He did make it stand by on the 7:00 am flight on Saturday morning so we were able to go! I know he was tired but we all had a great time!!

Dory and Wall-E

2008-08-11T21:03:00.000-06:00

We did it, we took the plunge and bought us some fish! Avery and Karson have been asking for a pet for as long as I can remember. We have found many ways to distract them from the goal until recently. The kids have been working on their responsibility charts and getting magnets for things they do each day. They have to receive about 10 magnets per day (like brush your teeth, make your bed, be nice, share) and get ALL of their magnets for a week, if they do, they get some reward. Well this week it was a PET! They have both been so great lately that we had to give in! Way to to Karson and Avery!

Setting up home!

Avery's Fish Nemo

Karson's Fish Wall-E

We headed to Walmart on Friday night to get the fish, only to realize we don't know a darn thing about fish. Scratch that idea and we go to Petsmart. Avery and Erik tried to convince me that a Gerbil was the better option but I stood my ground that it was fish or nothing. We talked with the "fish lady" who gave us the low down on what would be the easiest fish to have. We picked out two beta fish, Nemo for Avery and Wall-E for Karson. Now they sit in the soon to be nursery, I guess we will see if they are still around in December. Avery and Karson have loved going in there a talking with them and feeding them. They love to check on them and make sure they are getting enough rest as well. For now things are looking pretty good, no one has died yet. Although, I have to admit Wall-E is not looking well....do we do a midnight swap? Sigh. The joys of pet-hood!

Happy Independence Day!

2008-07-14T14:35:00.000-06:00

I love the 4th of July. It is so fun to be outside in the warm weather. This year was very relaxing! We went to our ward BBQ in the afternoon. Avery and Karson couldn't wait for the bike parade. They zipped around the church parking lot like pros, they didn't care that it was 95 degrees outside! I think they would have rode all day long, if they weren't so red in the face!

That afternoon we headed to Grandma and Grandpa Forslund's house for some eatin! We had a BBQ in the backyard, it was beautiful out. The best part was we could see the fireworks from my parents house. We didn't have to drive anywhere! We had so much fun hanging out and lighting off our own fireworks until it got dark out. Avery and Karson even lit a few of their own fireworks. They had a blast! I just love this holiday. I am especially grateful for my freedom and for the wonderful country we all live in!

Karson Turns 3!

2008-07-14T14:24:00.000-06:00

Karson has finally turned 3! Well he did on June 15. We love having Karson around our home. Here are some of my favorite things about Karson.

1. He loves to give hugs and kisses. He can be so cuddly and fun to be around. We love his BIG hugs where he tries to squeeze us to death.

2. He has got the best attitude. He cracks us up with the things he says and does. While riding in the car on Saturday, he turns to me and says, "Mom, I love chicken! Yep, I do." Then he went back to watching his show. He can be so random.

3. He is a great eater and will try almost everything once.

4. He loves to swim. He is trying to master going under the water without holding his nose. Hopefully he will accomplish this soon.

5. He is SO BIG! He towers over all the kids his age. He wears the same size clothes as his big sis. This is great when going to amusement parks. He loves to try out all the rides and he is tall enough too! Karson is now measuring in at 41 inches! Just one inch shy of Avery.

6. Karson loves to play with his sister. They can be the best of friends.

Summertime???

2008-06-12T17:24:00.000-06:00

We wish we could report that it is sizzlin' hot out here in Colorado but instead we are wearing pants and jackets! Oh how I long for a nice hot day! Not much new is going on around here.
Karson turns three on Sunday and he is so excited for his Buzz Lightyear Birthday party. The fair is coming to town this weekend as well! We love Parker days!
Avery is longing for preschool to start up again, and now so am I. Any suggestions on what we can do this summer? It seems the days are longer than we can handle. Nobody takes naps in our house now so we are definitely struggling!!
Erik is staying busy staining the deck...will it ever end?! Maybe we will see him again in a few weeks........
We did hit the pool last week when there was only a mild wind, enjoy the pics!

Florida!

2008-04-16T17:05:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun in Florida this year. We headed out on a red eye plane flight to West Palm Beach. Everyone did well considering we lost a full nights sleep. After a quick trip to the doctor to cure Avery's ear infection we were on our way to a great vacation. We had so much fun hanging out with Kristi, Christian, Zach, Ashton, Kathy and Kailey.

We made it! All of the cousins together.

The girls, after a small walk to get a great view of the beach!

Did I forget to mention the FREE sea turtle museum! Talk about cool!

Avery by the cute ice cream shop.

They showed us all of the cool places to see and shop. The beach was a blast! Karson loved rolling around in the sand and running in the waves. Avery on the other hand preferred the pool where it was less messy. We stayed at Kristi and Christian's house for a few days and then headed up to Orlando to Sea World.

The kids loved Shamu! What a neat show and the weather was incredible! We had a great time at Sea World. There was so much to do and so little time.

We said goodbye to the Straub's and Kathy and Kailey, so we could stay the night and head to Magic Kingdom in the morning. The kids were so excited! Magic Kingdom with just the four of us was so much fun! We even braved it with out a stroller, we have truly graduated in parenthood! We had the fast passes down to a science and rarely had to wait in line. Of course we started off with It's a Small World and then took the kids over to the big roller coaster there. They loved it! It was so nice having Karson a bit taller this year! We got front row spots at the Character Parade and the kids just enjoyed it while Erik headed out to grab us lunch! Perfect! We had fun shooting Zurg and riding the Magic Carpet. Karson and Erik really enjoyed Splash Mountain (Avery and Mom decided to stay dry!), Karson saw the Big Bad Wolf in there and now he loves to tell stories about it! He also wants to be the Big Bad Wolf for Halloween! Avery got the chance to show off her skills on the hula hoop as well. I think she takes the cake at this one! We tired out around 5 and headed back to Kristi and Christians for more rest and relaxation!
We had a great day!

The next day we went to the park and fed the ducks and also headed to the beach ( only minutes from their home....so lucky!).

Next we headed down to Fort Lauderdale to our Hotel on the beach! I wish we would have taken a picture from our hotel room of our view of the beach! We had so much fun watching the waves and people...loved it! We went swimming in the pool and at the beach, had dinner with the family and checked out Los Olas Blvd where all of the expensive shops are. We also took a water taxi among the Big expensive boats and homes! Very fun and entertaining.

Our last day there we headed to the Everglades to see some aligators, turtles and birds up close and personal. You were able to walk along a boardwalk and peer over at the aligators in the water! A little to close for comfort for me! Of course Christian has to bring up the plane that crashed in the Everglades where there were NO remains found of the 100 plus passengers..thanks to the aligators! AHHH. But we made it!

That night we headed to Miami to check out South Beach. It was a HUGE city. I could not believe how pretty the sky line was. Wow! We told Avery we were going to have dinner in Miami that night and she kept asking who's Ami we were going to. Was it.. Mi-ami or Your-ami, will Zach be at Ami's house? I hope you follow that! We tried to explain it was a city like Denver and thought we got it throught till we were heading out of the city at 8 that night and i heard Avery say to Karson, "I am glad we didn't go to Ami's House"

We had such a fun time with cousins and family! Thanks to our great hosts! Hopefully next time we see you I wont be so sick with a cold!!

Easter!

2008-04-16T16:53:00.001-06:00

Easter was a lot of fun this year. The kids loved coloring the eggs. We were getting ready to head out of town to Florida so the details are a little sketchy...

Enjoy the pictures.

New Bike!

2008-03-16T12:07:00.000-06:00

We broke down and bought Karson a new bike last week. His tricycle was getting so small for him. Each time he would try to ride his knees would hit the handle bars resulting in a tumble on the side walk. So, off to Wal-mart for something new. He was too big for the toddler bike so he got a BIG one. I have to admit I was nervous for him at first. I mean he isn't even 3 yet! But after a week of practicing he has become a pro! We have gone on several walks now down the hill we live on and then on the trails behind our house and he and Avery were doing awesome!

Karson loves to go fast and then brake at the last second. He loves to wear his helmet but has declared himself too big for kneepads. He would ride his bike all day long if he could (and if it would stay nice here!). I can tell this is going to be a fun summer for him.

Avery is getting really good at riding her bike as well. We finally got her tire fixed. Hey it only took a year! Oh well. She loves to race ahead of us on our walks and loves that she can pedal all the way up the hill on her bike too!

Is it just us?

2008-02-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I don't have a picture to go along with it but it seems like lately the kids are ALWAYS getting hurt. Let me recap Avery's adventures in pain this week. On Sunday we were playing with Grandpa Forslund around the house, misjudged the banister and but a nice size goose egg and gouge in her upper forehead. Monday, while we were out looking at desks, Avery and Karson decided to try out the new spinning chairs. Who knew you could go so fast in a circle that you would fly off and get a giant bruise on your cheek? Moments later (about 5 minutes later after our freak out session about the cheek) she gets her finger caught in the spinning globe taking off some skin! Bandaid!

On to Karson, well I really can't blame him since he is a 2 1/2 year old in a 4 year olds body but seriously NO ONE can fall as much as him. Out riding his bike this weekend he received a nice little goose egg on his eyebrow, of course that happens when your bike tips over. Not to mention him falling off the toilet and scraping his head on the WALL. Lets see....then he is playing in the basement with the neighbor girls and they run into each other which gives him a bloody nose and a bruise on his cheek. Hmmm, running head first into a parked car, can we watch where we are going???? Well at least he is used to it. He often falls while running and it doesn't phase him. That is all I can think of for now.....

I just need to know, is it just my kids taking after their clumsy Mom who has had her fair share of bumps and bruises or is this normal?

30!

2008-02-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

Erik has officially hit the big 3-0. If you look closely you may see signs of aging....the glasses! I actually love them, reminds me of the good old dating days! I wanted to say how much I love him and what a great dad and husband he is! We love to hang out with him and he always can make me laugh. Thanks for working so hard and always being there for us! You're the best, even though you are getting older :). Love ya!

Butterfly Pavillion

2008-02-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

So we ventured up to Westminster to check out the Butterfly Pavillion. Ok so we went up on January (at least I am trying!). It was pretty cool. We were able to see A LOT of bugs. It gave me the willies. But the kids loved it!

We met our friends the Johnson's up there and with a bit of coaxing and peer pressure (thanks Wil) Avery and Erik let Rosie the tarantula walk along their hands. I could barely stand close enough to get a a picture. Avery was a bit nervous at first but in the end she said it tickled! I guess we will wait till she is older to explain what a tarantula really is.

Karson had a great time too, although he was not going to be holding a spider (can you blame him?). While we were there they had a butterfly release, where they let go about 8 butterflies that had just come out of their cocoon that day. Karson even had a butterfly land on him during the release! He instantly froze once it landed, instead of smashing it. Thank goodness. The kids were also able to pet a starfish and climb in a giant spider web! It was a fun day.

Karson

2007-12-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

We haven't forgotten about him, he is busy growing up and running around like a boy. Karson is 2.5 and getting soooo TALL! He is almost as big as his sister. He loves to run around and talk. He loves to talk, I think that is one of his favorite things.
Last week he could NOT leave the mall until he had a talk wth Santa. We tried to avoid the line and go for a wave but once we got to the door to leave for home, panic set in. "I forgot to talk to Santa". We decided that this moment might not come again so off we went to line. My mom waited while the kids and I went to play. Karson couldn't wait to tell Santa that he wanted a Helicopter for Christmas. It was so cute seeing him on Santa's lap. Last Saturday we had breakfast with Santa at our church and Karson would not sit on his lap at all.
Karson is so much fun to have around and he says the silliest things. We sure do love him around here! Oh and by the way, he hates to sit still for pictures.

Dance!

2007-12-22T07:34:00.001-07:00

Avery had her holiday dance recital last week. It was a new experience for me. I have never really taken a dance class myself so I don't really know what to do in the dance world. We are learning though, Avery does love it. She especially loves going with our neighbor friend Angelina.

Avery did a wonderful job on stage! She was one of the best skippers out there. She followed along with her teacher perfectly. She looked like such a big girl up there! We were so proud of her.

One of her favorite parts was the flower she got after the performance. She kept asking who got it for her and talking about how wonderful it smelled. She also couldn't wait to get it home in some water and put it in her room.. The next day she was hoping to carry it around with her. It was too cute.

Happy 4th Birthday Avery!

2007-12-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

It seems like Avery was just born yesterday. We can't believe she turned 4! What a fun birthday we had. We had a butterfly party with 9 of her little girl friends, oh and cousin Hayden didn't mind being the only boy there he said he could come and make necklaces for his Mom. Avery was such a wonderful host with all of her friends. We had so much fun playing flutter, flutter, butterfly (duck, duck, goose) I think they would have played that the entire time if we let them! Then we ready "The Hungry Catipillar" by Eric Cale. We ate some pizza and butterfly cupcakes, with some nectar to drink of course (Sprite, Avery's favorite drink, but if she has too much she tells us it is not healthy and she needs to drink some water before she loses her bones. lol). We tried desperately to string beads on necklaces, well we succeeded at stringing the beads but not so much on keeping them on the necklace. When they were finished they would pick up one side and all the beads would fall off! Avery had so much fun with all her friends! I am not sure we can brave it again next year but it was a blast. ;)

Birthday morning we had our breakfast of blueberry muffins and sang Happy Birthday. Then we sent Dad to work and we were off to the Denver Zoo. Avery has always loved the animals there and it was a fabulously nice day to go and be outside in December! We came home and attempted to make a Butterfly cake, oh well it's the thought that counts. We met Dad @ Avery's favorite place for dinner Chilis. We had the whole family over for cake and ice cream. It was fun but chaotic. What a fun day we had with friends and family!

We are so thankful for Avery and all she brings to the family. I love to color with her and sing songs. She is so great at reminding us to talk nice and she is a BIG help around the house. Love you Ave! Happy 4th Birthday

Thanksgiving!

2007-12-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so we are a little late getting this one up but better late than never! Thanksgiving this year was so much fun!

Erik started out the morning living doing what most guys do on Thanksgiving morning. Living out thier dream of playing football a.k.a. the ward Turkey Bowl. While his team was triumphant, they suffered a loss when Erik sprianed his knee. I think that can officially count that as injuring his knee for the trillionth time in his life!

We headed on down to my parent's house to make the place cards with all the kids. The kids had so much fun making turkeys out of apples and cranberries! Thank you Martha Stewart. Even Karson was able to make some turkeys of his own. Avery made as many turkeys as she could and ran to put them on the plates. Once that was done the kids could resist the fabulous fruit kabobs waiting for them on the table.

Uncle Erik arrived and the party was on its way! Avery and Karson love playing with their Uncle. They love teasing him and love being teased by him as well! We ate some awesome food (Thanks Shannon and Mom) and then just hung out. The boys surfed the web for good deals on black Friday. While the girls and kids tried to play pictionary, learned how to spell atmosphere (thanks Cassie!), and watched a fabulous play (a mixture of a Goofy Movie and Ratatouille). The play was produced by Cassie and Avery, Starring Dean, Karson, Cassie and Avery! It was so great! As you can see the cousins had so much fun playing together. We are so blessed to live around family.

We headed on home to our house for pie with the Templins! We ate till we were about to burst. Avery and Karson took Grandma Templin downstairs to show off thier hula hooping skills and play some games. Aver has become a master hula hooper at the age of three. I will try to post a video.

We all tired out a bit too soon and Erik and I were headed out in the morning to do some EARLY Christmas shopping! It was a fun and busy day surrounded by our family and friends! Well most of them, we missed you Kathy, Kailey Bear, Straubs, Opa and the Christensens. We love you all!

Bringing You Up to Speed

2007-11-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

It looks like we might be joining the 21st Century! Here is our feeble attempt to keep in touch with our friends and family who we love dearly! We haven't been the best at emailing updates and pictures so here is our chance to share our life with you!

Time is flying by here. Avery will be turning 4 on December 3rd. I can't believe it! She is more and more fun each day. She loves the fact that she is getting older and just can't wait to go to hindergarten (or Kindergarten :) ). She loves helping Mom around the house and cleaning up everything! If you don't know where something is it went be sure to ask Avery, she will have put it away for you. She may have gotten that trait from her Dad. She also loves to color and play dolls. We love having Avery in our family, she brings just the right amount of spunk, drama and love!

Karson is almost 2 1/2, but size wise he is quickly catching up to his big sister! They almost wear the same size in shoes and clothes. He is really coming into his own. He loves to play with Avery, it is so fun to hear them giggling together while they play. Karson still has a great love for anything to do with a ball but he is starting to branch out into cars as well. Thanks to his car fanatic cousin Hayden! Some of Karson's favorite words are awesome and no! lol. Karson is definitely the one to bring a quick smile to all of our faces, he loves to rough house and to be near Mommy.

Erik started his new job with US Bank this past week. So far so good! He is enjoying learning new things and thinking of ways to improve as well. He loves to learn and to make things better so he is looking forward to growing the Healthcare Division of US Bank. He is out enjoying the Denver Nuggets game tonight with his brothers! So it looks like he has a bit of free time for himself as well.

Anna-Lise is enjoying being at home with the kids. She loves to be able to hang out with her sister and friends. It is fun to have family and friends around! Her new goal is to figure out digital scrapbooking and to get this blog going!