Braden actually volunteered......

Braden has always kicked and screamed while getting a hair cut. I even would take him to this cute little salon just for kids that had candy, a cool car to sit in and a movie to watch. He would fight it there too. I would get home and he looked like he had cut his own hair....and i had just spent about twenty bucks. So I decided to just do it myself. I would take Josh and I both to do a simple buzz cut. Josh would have to hold him still while he screamed and kicked and faught. Well the other day Braden was sitting on my lap and I was playing with his hair and I said, "Braden, I think its about time for another hair cut." Usually he would run for the hills when he heard those words. I don't know what happened but he got up and went outside and sat in the chair we have out there and said "mommy hair cut" We couldn't believe our ears...I ran and got the clippers. Josh started to cut his hair and he didn't make a PEEP!!!! Here are a few pictures of his hair cut and the fabulous reward afterwards.

Caught in the act!!!!

So I have proof that my child is, from what I hear, a perfectly normal little boy. I couldn't resist taking this picture the other night because it was just too funny and I am starting a collection of black mail photos for when he is older. Can you resist those precious buns?

Our trip to Silverton

This morning Josh and I decided that we need to be doing something every weekend during our way too short time here in Durango. There is so much to do and see. There is a little town right by us here called Silverton. Silverton is an old mining town. Its alot like Tombstone, but nicer. Its only about a 45 minute drive or so. We thought today would be a great time to go check it out so we did. We packed a picnic lunch and grabbed sweatshirts and headed out....thats right I said sweatshirts. It was in the 60's there today. (I never thought that I would be dressing in jeans in the summer.) The drive up was absolutely breath taking. At one point we were up at 10,600 feet. We saw snow up on the mountain tops. I think I enjoyed the drive up and back more than the actual town itself. There wasn't much to do but go into little shops and stuff. We just walked around, looked at a huge steam engine close up and ate at a fabulous little restaurant called "The shady lady". It was my type of place...When I saw it I thought "wow, they named a restaurant after me..hum."
This is a picture of a hot spring we found on the side of the road.
The kids and I at a waterfall we found on the way.

We found the local ward building...it was super tiny. I don't imagine there are very many memebers in such a small town.

The fabulous shady lady. It was an interesting place. We had some fries and root beer floats. We heard the shady lady herself saying that in the late 1800's there were 32 brothels within three blocks. The shady lady was the last one standing. It was turned into a restaurant in 1947.

Mackenzie and I enjoying our little field trip.

Josh and the kids in front of the scary steam engine.

Here is a picture I took as we were coming into town. It is sooo small. You can see the entire city.

Here is a pretty picture of the view.

Snow!!!!!

More pretty moutains.

ATTENTION all moms!! Is this normal for a little boy?

OK so our little guy Braden has been potty training for the last month or two. Back in may, Josh took him to the father and sons camp out and thought that it would be a great time to teach him to pee out in the great outdoors....like real men. So of course, being the great and supportive wife that I am, I had no problem with a little male bonding. Well here are a few questions for those fabulous ladies out there that have raised little guys before:

1. Is it normal for them to drop their pants at a CROWDED park and pee off the end of the slide.....daily?

2. Is it normal for them to insist on running out in the front yard in only their unmentionables?

3. How do you get them potty trained for during the night? Pull ups are only made in so many sizes you know!

4. How do you convince them that its really not cool to poop in your big boy underwear?

5. and last, how do you convince them that if you don't wear any underwear you will have a horrible rash and want to die?

Yesterday, I was sitting in the living room with the kids enjoying a wonderful episode of curious george and Braden stood up and started pulling down his pants much like he would at the park to pee openly. So, I asked, "Braden, what cha doin?". He of course didn't say anything. He was simply taking off his underwear for some weird reason, then put his shorts back on. I thought that was a bit odd. He continued through the day without underwear on...he refused.....now I don't know if this may be just some rebellion or some kind of cool club in nursery...who knows. I finally told him that mommy thinks its a great idea to wear underwear and when is a big boy and dresses himself he can go commando if he wishes, but until then, we are part of the underwear lovers club. Is this normal? Is there more wacky things to come? HELP!!!!!!

and you guessed it......more pictures

mackenzie and grandpa enjoying a day at the park.

Braden and Mackenzie on her birthday

Mackenzie in her pretty green birthday dress for st. patricks day

Mackenzie at Jeremy's wedding enjoying a delicious strawberry

Braden acting cool in daddy's glasses

Just some random pics of the kids. I have alot of picture catch up to do, so there will be alot of random pictures.

just some pictures for fun

Braden and daddy's day out with Thomas

Last weekend Braden and Josh went down to the local train station here in town and had a fun day out with Thomas the tank engine. The weather was perfect like always here in colorado. They had so much fun....Braden came home with a fabulous thomas tattoo which I told him if he ever thinks about getting a real one of those it had better say mom inside of a heart or something. Josh told Braden that Thomas had to go take a nap so all week when we pass the train station braden has to remind me that "Thomas is sleeping".....though yesterday he decided that thomas was taking a bath...oh well. We are really starting to finally get adjusted up here. We love the weather. We have only had one visitor so far....come on people.

Our much needed vacation.....

Josh and I have been planning a Disneyland trip to celebrate our 5th anniversary. When we found out that we were being transferred to durango, those plans suddenly went out the window. I was alittle bit sad because everytime josh and I have been to disneyland together I have been pregnant. We couldn't figure out how we would make this trip work out. Josh's brother is getting married this saturday in Arizona, then the next saturday Josh is scheduled to take the gmat because he is applying for the mba program at ASU, this test is going to be in Alberquerque new mexico. All we could think about is this is alot of driving with kids...aaaahhhh. Well we decided to do it. here is our travel log:

thursday morning-- leave for benson arizona....a 10 hour drive
Friday--help get ready for the wedding
saturday--jeremy and kayleens wedding
sunday morning--leave for california...stopping in surprise to give the kids a break
monday morning--Josh and I are off to disneyland, leaving the kids behind with grandma!!
tuesday night--returning back from disneyland
wednesday-beach trip with kids...laguna here we come
thursday--drive to surprise and stay the night there
Friday morning--on our way to alberquerque
saturday-we get to hang out with friends while josh takes his test
sunday--back to good old durango!!!

Hopefully we survive all the crazy traveling.
updates and pictures to come!!!