Pumpkin Patch

This is an old post that never got published.

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I realize most people go to the pumpkin patch in October. We did go in October, but I didn't get a chance to share.

And, I had to share because we were in Oregon at the time and went with some great family and friends.

And, Oregon is so beautiful, especially in the Fall.

And, it's Chloe and Caden together.

And...

We met our friends, the Lyons, along with Cory's family, Auntie Kaylee, Grandma Shar and Grandpa Jeff at a little farm just outside of town. Caden and Chloe are best friends. They may only see each other twice a year now, but when they get together, it's like they never were separated. They really do love each other. It's so dang cute!

So, back to the pumpkin patch...

The kids loved the animals. There were horses, sheep, and others I don't remember...maybe llamas? It was too long ago, I don't remember. At first, Chloe kept plugging her nose and saying they were stinky, but eventually she warmed up.

 

There was a huge haystack for kids to climb, a gingerbread house (I don't know why, but Chloe loved it!), tractor rides out to the field, and it was all free!

It was raining the whole time, but it stopped for a little bit while we were out in the field picking out our pumpkins. The kids were able to run around trying to find the "perfect" pumpkin while all the adults watched on, trying to let 3 year olds pick pumpkins on their own. Chloe's "perfect" pumpkin was small, which is great to carry back but, I loved that she picked one that wasn't perfectly round, it was tall and lopsided, an organic shaped pumpkin. 

 We also managed to get a few family photos, which is something I usually forget.

 

Ignore the fact that only two/three of us are looking at the camera, it's an actual picture of the Lyons and Huffmans all together. YAY!

So, that was our adventure to the pumpkin patch! I loved it, mostly because I want a farm one day. A small one, something we can live on and provide for our family.

RESTING

We're here at home, resting from a fun weekend.

My mom left today, after spending two weeks with us, here in Colorado. It went by fast and I really enjoyed having her stay. I was sad to drop her off at the airport this morning, knowing I wouldn't see her for awhile. One of the big downsides to living far away from family.

I hope you have a good Monday. We are trying to, but the house just seems to get more and more messy the more fun we have. Hmmm....

THANKFUL

I used to think the idea of going around the table and telling everyone what you're thankful for is super cheesy. I still do.

But, I do see the value in actually saying aloud what we are thankful for. I want to be a person that is more thankful for what I have. I don't want to be someone who is always wanting and putting value into even more material things. Stuff that just end up in the landfill, things that in the end are meaningless to our life.

I do want more when it comes to relationships with family and friends. Quality moments of just being together and sharing life.

So, I will say that I am super thankful for my family, Cory's family and especially our immediate family of Cory, Chloe and I.

I'm thankful not just for Cory, but for the husband and father he is. I'm thankful that he takes care of us with his job, but loves us with all his heart. I'm thankful for our relationship as a couple and who we want to be together.

And of course, I'm thankful for my little sugar bums, Chloe. It really is a joy to call her my daughter. I love her sense of humor, her craziness, her kisses and hugs, and the innocence of her just being a 3 year old little girl.

I want to cherish these moments of us as a family of three. Enjoying the big moments, but mostly the little ones that make up our life.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. We will be hanging out with good friends, enjoying each other, eating food and certainly not least, watching football.

Sweet Love

I feel so blessed to have Cory and Chloe two in my life everyday.

Cory has been traveling a lot over the past few months. I feel like our life is anything but normal and routine. I do like the craziness, but am more than ready for life to calm down so we can settle into a normal rhythm.

I'm thankful for the little moments we get to spend together as a family. I'm thankful for moments like this one while spending a few hours in San Francisco, before another flight to another place.

The Happiest Place on Earth, Part 2

Part 2:

After "rest time" and dinner at the hotel, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom.

Here's the girls, Taylor, Chloe and Maddie

All of us together, the only group shot we got.

After our pictures, we made our plans:
1. Hit as many rides as possible while others watched the parade
2. See fireworks
3. See the later parade as the park closes
4. Beat the crowd out of the park
5. Get the kids to sleep before 1:00 a.m.

I think Buzz Lightyear was Chloe's favorite ride.
Look at Maddie and Taylor's picture on the bottom, right. Those are some crazy faces. :) 

 

Watching the fireworks over Cinderella's castle was magical. Sounds cheezy, I know. 

Chloe sat on Cory's shoulders to get a better view. She was in awe, as were most of us. It reminded me of the commercials you see on tv of Disney World. Something I wish I would have captured on video or in photos. Next time...

 

Another great moment that I wish I would have caught on camera was during the parade. Chloe was in awe of all the princesses and we saw Snow White. For some reason Snow White wasn't on a float, walking the parade route, she came up to us and gave Chloe a little hug, It was so sweet. I know that Chloe wasn't the only little kid that it happened to, but for Chloe she felt like it was. One of the reasons I love Disney and their intentionality to make everyone feel special.

The next day, we spent at the hotel, mostly poolside. It was awesome to relax in the warm sun and when it got too hot, jump in the pool.

The view from our room.

The weekend we were at the hotel, it was their cupcake wars. One of the activities was for kids to decorate their own cupcake. As you can see, Don is a kid, so he decorated a cupcake too. :)

Part 2, done. Part 3 and 4 are coming soon.

The Happiest Place on Earth, Part 1

This June, Cory and I got the amazing opportunity to take Chloe to Disney World with our great friends the Don and Crissie. It was the best trip we have ever been on together as a family. Disney really knows what they are doing when it comes to creating memories and making you feel special. It's magical.


We had a 5:30 a.m. flight, which meant we were up at 3:00 a.m. to get ready and to the airport. Waking a child up at 3:00 a.m. goes against everything I know as a parent. The whole time we were traveling I was praying that "sleep-deprived crazy monster Chloe" wouldn't come out! It almost did come, but thankfully she crashed in the stroller for about an hour during our layover in Houston. Overall, Chloe is a pretty good traveler. In fact, all the kids did great.

Our first full day, we spent at the Magic Kingdom. Our first ride...The Teacups.

See the lovely photo of the Talley's and Maddie's face? Love it! Chloe was a little nervous at first, but in the end loved teacups.

 

We left the park and headed to our hotel around 2:00 p.m., hoping the kids would sleep and be rested up to make it until the park closed. As we were leaving a huge rain/wind storm was rolling through. We covered ourselves in ponchos, holding them down so the wind wouldn't blow them off. I loved the rain storm, others didn't. :)

Chloe never napped at the hotel, but fell asleep at dinner, as shown in the picture above.

Part 2 through who knows what to follow soon!

Jori

Happy Birthday to my youngest sister, Jori!

When Jori was about 5 years old, she had an obsession with the movie 101 Dalmatians.  So, Beth and I would say for her birthday we were going to get her a special dalmatian present...dalmatian poop. I know, original. But, we would get the best reaction from her! It was hilarious...you had to have been there.

So, Happy Birthday, I have a special dalmatian present for you.

Garden of the Gods

Back in April, Cory's mom and sister visited us. We visited a bunch of places, one of them being Colorado Springs and Garden of the Gods, with a short visit to the nearby Manitou Springs.

After Garden of the Gods, we decided to fill up our little tummies with some...wait for it... Rudy's BBQ! Is anyone shocked? Whenever we go to Colorado Springs, we have the idea that we may try some place new and just end up at Rudy's. The meat is so dang good! How could we not stop and eat there?

Then we headed to Manitou Springs. It's a little town with a cute downtown area. They had a bunch of little shops and a penny arcade, which Chloe loved the most.

For some strange reason, I am either really good at getting pictures of what we do or I forget all together. There's no in between. So this is the only picture that I got in Manitou Springs, Chloe riding the helicopter. She loved it.

In Colorado, there are so many wildfires, including in the Colorado Springs area. As of Sunday, Manitou Springs was evacuated. It's sad that so many people are displaced from their homes and possibly losing their homes to the fires. If you think about it, you can pray for rain, the people fighting the fires and all the people who have been evacuated.

Happy Father's Day!

I know, I know. It's late, but better late than never. Plus, I have a good excuse. We were busy...on vacation in Florida! More on that later!

So Happy Father's Day Week to Cory Huffman! Both Chloe and I love you and think you are a great dad!

Mount Falcon with Auntie Rie!

Ok, I'm still catching up on blogging. What's new?

When my sister, Rieley came to visit us in March, we made a trip to Mount Falcon, as recommended to us from a friend, Ali. Thanks for the recommendation.

We loved it for these following reasons:
1. Beautiful views
2. An easy trail for Chloe to walk (a must for a toddler)
3. It was free (except for the gas to get there, but still worth it!)
4. Big enough so next time we go, we can take a different trail and experience something new

Chloe, me and Rieley at the start of the walk/hike

I love this photo of our shadows. I also love that you can make out Chloe's two little buns. :) Chloe has learned to stomp on our shadows. It's a little trick we use to keep her moving at a little faster pace.

At the end of our hike/walk we found some picnic tables to eat dinner. Of course my phone died before this so, I will have to get them from Cory and then post some.

I can't wait to go again...maybe this weekend? Huh, Cory?

Beautiful Colorado

Whoa, we finally feel like we can take a breath and resume the "normal" rythmn of life. Since March, we have had family visiting from Oregon, a few small trips and plenty of life happening. All of it has been fun, but busy.

Our first little adventure was a weekend trip with our small group up to Buena Vista, CO. This was only the second time I had been to the Rocky Mountains and the first for Chloe.

1. The beautiful Apsen trees

2. Cory sneaking a kiss

3. Chloe showing off her big stick and not really wanting to stop for a picture. 

4. Cory and Chloe on an "adventure", climbing "big rocks" and looking for animals. She still talks about this.

1. The view right outside the house we stayed in.

2. The view on our drive over

3. Cowgirl Chloe swinging

4. Who knows, but probably trying to entertain Chloe so she could act somewhat civilized.

The weekend was amazing. Great talks with friends and Cory, good food, and lots of relaxing. I can't wait for another trip with the same company.

Sisters, sisters...

First of all, it's hard not to think of the song in White Christmas. "Sisters, sisters, there were never quite devoted sisters...." I could go on, wait, do you want me to? Ok, I'll spare you.

This picture was taken on Christmas. I love it because Beth and I wanted Chloe and Brenlee in the picture and Jori of course has to have her true love, Noelle (the dog) in the picture. Poor Rieley doesn't have any kids or true dog loves yet. I also love that Chloe is almost crying from laughing so hard. She was in a crazy mood already and thought it was the funniest thing that Jori would lift Noelle up for the picture.

Bowling

Back in January we got the chance to go bowling and play in the arcade with some friends from YFC. Before this, I was thinking it would be fun to have a little bowling party for Chloe's 3rd birthday.

1. Skee Ball, my personal favortie  2. Chloe trying to win  3. Cory and me

4. Our bowling shoes  5. All three of us together  6. Chloe carrying the ball to her ramp

7. Fun colors  8. Chloe and I on the motorcycle  9. Chloe's shoes, so cute! 

I was so excited to watch Chloe experience something new and so different. When we got to the bowling alley we found Chloe some bowling shoes. She has little feet, so the smallest shoes were a little too big, but still adorable. We found a light enough ball for her to carry (although I was worried she was going to drop it on her toes or mine). Lastly, we got a ramp for her to set the ball on and push it down the bumper lane.

She loved it. All three frames, and then we had to pull her away from her first love, the iphone, for the rest of the frames. By frame seven, I told Cory we should just finish the rest of the game for her. She didn't even notice that she was missing her turns.

So now I have come to the conclusion that bowling for a 3 year old party is a no go. Lately, she's been asking me for a Hello Kitty party. Who am I to deny her wishes? Besides, I LOVED Hello Kitty when I was younger, so it's awesome that she likes it too. I may have forced it upon her, but what matters in the end is that she loves Hello Kitty.

We will have to try bowling in another six months or so.

Happy Tuesday! 

Snow!

When we found out we were moving to Colorado, there were a lot of things I was looking forward to. But, in the top 5 was snow. I love everything about it, except getting a toddler dressed in snow gear. I think plenty of parents would agree.

The other weekend we had the biggest snowfall since we have lived here...22 inches. It was AWESOME! I loved it. Cory stayed home and worked, Chloe and I played in the snow, then watched movies, drank hot chocolate (or as Chloe would say, "hot chwoklate") and ate snow.

More snow is coming this week, according to the weatherman, but it's probably only a light snowfall. Hopefully there will be at least one more big snowfall before spring really hits.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wanted to quickly share some of our decorations for Valentine's Day that I whipped up yesterday. Nothing like last minute.

I got the idea for the heart banners from this blog. The rest was just stuff I had laying around the house.

Happy Valentine's Day. We are enjoying the night as a family and eating some yummy chocolate mousse. Can't wait.

Huffman Family Photos

It feels like we never get photos as a family with all three of us. But, we were finally able to on Christmas, while having access to my parent's camera. This is just a few. My favorite has to be in the words of Chloe, "scary face" photos.

 

Today we are relaxing after a long and fun week at YFC MidWinter. Happy Monday!

"Auntie Doori"

Chloe loves all her aunties, including my sister, Jori. Chloe has a hard time saying her name, so it often comes out as "Doori".

These photos show Chloe and Jori's relationship. Silly.

Grandpa Rob

On Christmas Day, we gathered the whole family after church and attempted to get a few photos. With eight adults, two kids and a lovable dalmation named Noelle, it was quite a task to accomplish. I was able to capture a few photos of Chloe with my dad, Grandpa Rob.

This was Chloe making her "scary" face. This face showed up in about 80% of the photos taken that day.

Hopefully the last one will make you Monday a little happier!

Garden of the Gods

A few weeks ago Cory and I decided to take a day trip to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, about 45 minutes south of Parker. It was a great chance to be intentional about spending quality family time. But first, we had to get our priorities straight and make a stop at Rudy's, for some a-ma-zing barbeque! Anytime we are in the area we HAVE to stop. It delicious. Plus, we want to make sure Chloe gets to experience all things meat too! (btw, Cory will be so proud that I just typed that last sentence.)

Mmm...my mouth is watering just looking at this brisket (also another sentence I typed that Cory will be proud).

After Rudy's, we headed to Garden of the Gods, just a mile or two down the road.  Garden of the Gods is a state park with giant red rock formations. Being a girl who hasn't been off the west coast of the U.S., I was in awe. The size and color is amazing. I've got to get out more!

Obviously, this is super-dang adorable of Chloe. You may or may not see this on a Christmas card, I'm still deciding.

1. Chloe and mama (I am working on jumping in on more pictures)
2. Red Rocks
3. Family picture (we need more of these)
4. Cory looking all Colorado GQesque
5. Chloe "mountian climbing"
6. Knocked out  on the trip home

 

My favorite part of the trip? It was seeing Chloe run around and be excited about everything. I really enjoy the times we get to leave the house and explore Colorado as a family. Can't wait until our next adventure!