Harper's camera birthday party

when i asked harper what kind of birthday party she would like to have, she informed me very matter of fact that she wanted a camera party. hmmm, i thought. what an interesting party request from my three year old. turns out she wanted a camera for her birthday...but then decided that she really wanted to take pictures for her party. and that we did. she had so much fun snapping away with her buddies and i had a blast planning it out! i DO love to plan a party. here are a few (ahem) pictures from the big day. happy third birthday, my sweet harper. you are a jewel.

 ^^i made felt cameras for the kids to wear so they could snap pics of each other.^^

 ^^decorating their photo booth pics and frames.^^

 ^^oh snap! isn't the little brother the cutest?^^

 ^^photo booth fun!^^

 ^^finished product.^^

 ^^the kids also made camera cookies out of a few simple ingredients.^^

 ^^i mean, isn't he the cutest little gentleman?^^

 ^^her face when we started singing happy birthday. melt.^^

 ^^cheese!^^

 ^^developing.^^

the party was pretty simple. we had a basic photo booth set up (a piece of fabric backdrop and some fun dress up props) and i took photos with the instax camera. i bought frames and stickers at the dollar store and the kids decorated their pictures and frames. they turned out so much better than i ever imagined!

we also had a camera cookie decorating station. graham cracker bases, oreo lens, a little frosting and some candy buttons. voila!

the guests dined on "say cheese" platters, hot dogs, veggies and cupcakes. oh, and harper's favorite special occasion beverage of lemonade.

for decorations, we had fabric backdrops and the tables were covered in vintage cameras that i have collected over the years and that my parents found.

thank you, dad for suggesting that we get a photographer. best move ever. we got beautiful shots and got to enjoy every moment of the party. photos by the talented robin cain.

p.s. the grandparents.

camping part two

     camping part two.

   

^^exploring.^^

^^a good pouting log.^^

^^campsite view day two. and the dogs make an appearance.^^

^^snuggly babe, toasted honey buns, coffee and a view. not a bad start to the day.^^

^^our final campsite with three other couples. thankfully we missed the storm in the background.^^

^^his guy loves popcorn and we love him! go jiffy pop!^^

^^our campfire...due to the burn ban.^^

such a great trip. we spent each night at a different campsite and drove 4x4 trails throughout the days. it gave us a new perspective of a part of colorado that we hadn't spent any time in before. we spent time around crested butte, taylor park and buena vista. i've since decided we must go back to taylor park and spend some more time because it is my new favorite part of colorado.

we feel so much more confident now about taking the kids (and dogs) and hope to get a few more camps in before summers end. christopher's residency will be finished (!!!) next summer and we have no idea where we will end up, so we want to make the most of our time here. 

advice on camping with kiddos: 

LOTS of wipes. we used every sort imaginable for just about everything. i packed more than i thought we could ever use in four days and we ran out. thanks for that advice sarah.

forget about bedtimes. camping is too exciting to have any sort of normal routine. 

leave the toys at home. nature is the ultimate playground. harper was always entertained. and if your kids do get a little bored, come up with fun challenges...like find the biggest walking stick or who can collect the most rocks or how deep of a hole can you dig in the ground?

babies are excellent campers. i was so nervous about taking our four month old son, but he was amazing. he slept beside us in the tent. (we asked a pediatrician for his advice on this matter) just make sure they wear an extra layer and a hat. i also put him in the baby mittens because it got pretty chilly at night. and we didn't have to worry about packing food or snacks for him since he is nursing. also, since he is not yet mobile we didn't have to worry about him getting into things he shouldn't. (huge!) 

we took harper's training toilet. since it is so small, we thought it might be easier to take this trip than to teach her to squat. also, less messy, because she has squatted before! 

most of all have fun and don't worry. (funny advice coming from me, right?) it does all work out and it is such a magical time for kids and grown ups too.

camping with two babes, two jack russell terriers and a few crazy friends pt.1

last month we went camping for the first time as one big happy family. christopher was really excited to give it a go. i on the other hand was a little more apprehensive. (i tend to be a bit of a worst case scenario worrier...what if the baby cries all night long and bears come looking for said crying baby? OR what if the dogs chase a deer and we lose them forever? OR what if harper falls down a cliff?...that type of thing.) but, worried as i was, i knew that we would have an absolutely incredible memory making adventure. and we did. and after four fun filled days, we made it home safe and sound...and all got a really good scrubbin'. we took a lot of pictures and bare with me, but there are two parts. i really tried my best to narrow it down!

^^a little hike to a beautiful waterfall (that i was standing in front of.) oops!^^

^^this kid loves the tent. and it is the biggest tallest tent i have ever been in!^^

^^emerald lake. looking pretty emerald.^^

^^my sweet mountain men.^^

 ^^we did some pretty crazy 4x4 trails. with the kids. and the dogs. they are awesome.^^

^^roasting hot dogs. since there was a burn ban in colorado, we took the coleman stove and did all of our cooking off of that.^^

 ^^dream cabin.^^

such a fun adventure. part two up soon. 

spring daydreaming

earlier this week we had the most gorgeous spring day. we went on a walk and had a picnic lunch at the park behind our house. the trees are still bare, but the grass is green and soft, perfect for an afternoon of lounging and running around and then yesterday it snowed. this has been the strangest spring! denver has had snow almost every week since february and i am so very ready for warmth. i find myself daydreaming of the beaches in hawaii, with my sand in my toes and the smell of saltwater. oh, i could be a beach bum. but, the reality is, we do live in a gorgeous place with a lot of adventure to be had.

we started planning our vacations for this summer. yellowstone, the grand tetons, and moab are on our short list. we would like to do a lot of weekend car camping around colorado too. what are some fun trips that you have made in the summer? any advice on camping with kids (and two very energetic jack russell terriers)? i'm thinking a large tent would be a lot of fun!

climbing mountains

i'm sitting at the desk with a baby wrapped tightly around me and a toddler sleeping in the next room. we are slowly getting our rhythm as a family of four. you guys, i can hardly believe that it has been seven weeks since sawyer was born! my postings here have been the most basic weekly shots (that i sometimes struggle to post).

adjusting from a family of three to a family of four has been surprisingly smooth. after talking to so many friends and mothers about what a challenge it was with their other children, i really expected harper to have a hard time accepting the change. but! she has been amazing. she loves him to bits. we have to remind her to give him space and not kiss him on the mouth. she is so proud when we compliment her on being a great big sister. it really melts my heart. sawyer fits so nicely into our family, like we have always had him.

now, that being said, it has been a very hard month. christopher has been on a night rotation, which means he goes to work at 5:00pm and gets home at 8:00 am. and then has to sleep. trying to keep a two year old and a newborn quiet, and out of our bedroom during those few precious hours that he does get to sleep is the real challenge. i tip my hat to all single mamas. i have so much admiration for you because it is hard!

no time for complaining though, because there are mountains to be climbed and warm weather to be enjoyed. we went on our first hike of the season on monday and enjoyed the fresh, crisp mountain air. harper hiked on her own for the first time and has talked about it every day since. sawyer slept soundly the entire adventure in the ergo.

p.s. thank you to all the readers and comments on the 52 series. nice to have you over here!

sawyer thomas

introducing our son, sawyer thomas. born on a cold, snowy valentine's afternoon. he came into the world quickly and we have fallen in love with his sweet spirit.

i feel so incredibly blessed right now. our family has transitioned from three to four so effortlessly. harper is absolutely smitten with sawyer and is just about the sweetest big sister i ever have seen.

p.s. big sisters just wanna have fun.

photos from sawyer's newborn session with andy prinsen.