Blog Catch-up 4-17-12

Well, this is the last catch-up blog post!!  YAY!!!  Thanks to Cameron for suggesting I try to "embed" a photo rather than upload it to the blog post directly.  (that means I upload it somewhere else and just link it in the blog.)  Since we already have a photobucket account for the videos I used that and it worked perfectly!!!  YAY!!!  What does that mean for you all - absolutely nothing!!!  It's a bit more work for me, resizing the pictures, uploading them to photobucket, and then linking them individually in the post (as opposed to doing a mass upload and writing the post while they are uploading and then just moving each one where I want it.  But I can keep the blog looking like I want it, I don't have to get a new address, and you all don't have to click links just to see pictures.  So anywho - Check out the posts below so that you don't miss anything, and here's the last catch-up post!!!

I have Finally Finished the Sea Turtle Bathroom!!!  It was a pain in the butt that's for sure, I ended up having to tape the thing and re-paint it three times!!!  (it's a long story and I'd rather not re-live it!!)  But it's done now, and the boys love it!  Thanks to my friend Cathy (see previous post) for coming over to help me with tracing and painting the turtles.  Here's the Finished Product: 

The only thing left to do is get a new towel rack.  I accidentally stepped on the other one and bent it, so we have to replace it (that's what the gap is for).  But it's finally done!!

Thursday was my Birthday, and I got Treated Right!!!  It was great!!  Cam took the day off work and planned a "day away" for me!  It was much needed.  He stayed home with the boys all day while I got a massage, a facial, and went shopping!  He planned it all, and I did nothing but enjoy!!  I got to spend some birthday money (thanks Grandma & Grandpa Louie) and didn't have to have kids tagging along!  The only thing I had to do was be back for dinner (boca burgers - YUM!!!) and cake!!!  Cam (and the boys I'm sure) made me a red velvet cake and it was delish!!! 

Thanks to everyone for the phone calls and facebook wishes!! 

Friday we left the dogs in the care of my good friend Marcus, and headed down to Colorado Springs.  On the way we were looking for a place to eat and Cam mentioned the new Steak n Shake that they were going to open by the new IKEA.  So I quickly did a search on my phone and found that we were only minutes away!!!  YAHOO!!! it was like my birthday all over again!!!  We ended up waiting to get a seat because it was so busy, but it was worth it!!  At least for me.  I got to each my yummy chicken melt and fries and get a Straw-nana Shake!!!  My FAV!!!!  I was so excited that I don't have to drive hundreds of miles to get to the closest Steak n Shake!!! 

Now I just need an excuse to drive down to Centennial more often ;)  Cam has been talking about someone should open up one in Fort Collins.  (so if any CO friends are looking to start a business let us know!!!)   He's even got a couple locations picked out - and I agree they are perfect!!  One Right off the highway next to a Wal-mart, the other in the midst of CSU.  What better customers for cheap greasy diner food than college students and truckers!!!  Now if only we could find someone to help fund our fabulous money maker!!! 

After our wonderful dinner we got to the hotel which was like a palace to the boys!!  They had so much fun checking out all the stuff in the room.  But we only had a little bit of time before bed, so we hit the pool!  Unfortunately, Mommy forgot her swimsuit (and no it wasnt on purpose!) so Daddy had to hang on to both the boys in the water.  Next time we'll remember to bring some floaties for Riley, he did have one scare where he couldn't hang on to the wall, but no permanent damage done! In Fact, when we got back to the room all he could talk about was his hurt toe - he didn't seem to remember the near-death experience at all!!!  Whew!! 

Then the next morning it was up early to head to Daddy's race!  Check out this beautiful view of Pike's Peak that morning:

As For the Race. . . well, it wasn't one of the best.  It was a 12k or 24k, Cam was doing the 24k.  HE started out great, a little concerned because he had never been on the course, seen it, or seen any info about it (elevation changes, hills, topo maps, etc).  He didn't even know the route in the state park the race took.  After they headed out, I took the boys and hiked up the trail backwards some in an attempt catch some action shots of Cam as he came through on the first loop (the 12K did one loop and the 24k did two.)  After a while we saw him hobbling along and I thought oh no - he's rolled an ankle or hurt his knee again.  Poor Thing, about a 1/2 mile from us he rolled his ankle really bad -the worst in a long time, if ever.  You could see the pain on his face!  But my superman hubby kept going!!  He made it all the way back to the start/finish line limping along, before he decided that maybe he should call it quits at the 12k mark.  So his first race of the year was a 12k!!!  YAY Cam!!!  For finishing a 12k with a horribly sprained ankle!!  Here's some pics from the race: 

Watching for Daddy

Limping along

After the race we had planned to go to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and I tried to talk Cam out of it.  Nothings worse than walking around a zoo all day with a sprained ankle.  But of course, he didn't want to let the boys down (even though we hadn't told them we were going) and insisted on going.  I was glad he was up for it, it was a fun zoo, but I would have understood if he just wanted to go home. 

The Zoo was great!  I think the best parts were getting to feed the giraffes and watching the grizzly besrs "perform".  It's definitely not your typical zoo.  It's a lot more interactive.  Riley even got to go 'behind the scenes" and see the penguins up close. I'm not quite sure how I feel about these animals becoming so tame with humans, and what that teaches our kids, but it was still fun to experience it.  here's some of the highlights of our trip: 

Check out that tongue!!!

Daddy using the stroller as crutches

At the end of the zoo trip we thought we would drive up to Will Rogers Shrine to the Sun, which was included in our entrance fee.  It was really neat to see, one of those things to experience.  But I'm not sure I need to see it again.  It was a long winding road up to the top and both the boys fell asleep.  I carried Jayce up into the Shrine and he slept the whole time. 

It was snowing at the top, but that didn't wake Jayce up!!

Over all it was a good weekend, minus the bum ankle!!  Poor Cam!!!  Guess he's not running in the Horsetooth Half this weekend.  Good thing he was going to do "day of" registration!!  Here's a pic of how the ankle looked Sunday Night.  It got worse on Monday after he worked all day, but I think the swelling is starting to go down, or at least not getting any worse.  It is turning more colors though.  Let's hope that means it healing!!! 

Not much going on this week.  But this weekend Uncle Rodger and Kathie are coming to visit!!!  They are driving out with all the stuff from my mom's house - THANK YOU!!!  So it will be great to spend a couple days with them.  And it will be good to have all that stuff here too!! I've been dreaming up things to do with it, and use it for (like the million Ball Mason Jars for all my Craft stuff) and so I can finally get it hear and start organizing it!! yay!!! 

Regular updates coming soon!!!  And hopefully I'll have my new business website up and running too.  ;)