Go Irish!!

Thanks to Gigi and Papi, we were able to sneak away to Chicago and ND for a couple of nights! It was quite the treat and we are so glad they had fun with the boys (despite the 4:45am wake-up calls by Danny - thanks Danny Boy). Thank you for hangin' with them while we could feel so adult like in the big Windy City. It was a special and perfect getaway.

It was an absolutely gorgeous weekend in both Chicago and South Bend. You never know what you're going to get, so glad we lucked out with blue skies and warm weather.

We met our good friends Brigid and Roger Sullivan who live in Charleston, SC. They too were escaping busy lives. They have 2 kiddos with one on the way, yay! Brigid a Dr. working at a hospital and Roger also a Dr. in residency. Nuts. Needless to say, it was good for all of us to fly on a plane and read a magazine and not stress about the noise we were going to make and how we were going to collapse the strollers, buckle in the car seat and get the gear all in order without any noises, spills or foul language - ha!

Entering campus from the far side by the lakes - a perfect entrance to see the skyline. Truly a beautiful day!

Making our way through South quad.

Tailgating - always a site. Since we haven't done this in a while, a little shocked by the sea of all the craziness. How we did this for 4 years is beyond me - exhausting but fun!

The pretty Dome!

We enjoyed the band step off - always a site and gets the blood going to hear that band start up - led here by the Irish Guard. Can't wait to show Tommy and Danny what their Dad did game after game - so fun and can't get enough of those drums and trumpets!!

Here Come the Irish!!

Got to love the student section...

Sneaking up on us, the Stealth Bomber, it was the Air Force game afterall.

Go Irish!

Cheer, cheer for ole Notre Dame! Brigid's shirt "Got a Lil' Irish in Me!" Thanks for a great weekend! Can't wait to do it again with the whole gang and someday in RVs with all the kiddos - James and Sean can lead the pack...oxox

Golden Delicious

Lucky for us, the first week of October Mike had a conference in Snowmass out of all places. He headed up earlier in the week and we joined mid-way through. Another lucky for us, the trees peaked the week we were there. Blue skies most of the time and we just enjoyed being in the mountain air - always a treat! We couldn't get enough of it - those trees.

Upon arrival, I took the boys to a nearby park where the view wasn't too shabby.

We strolled to dinner and our walk back had a peaceful view of the mountains - a crisp, fall night.

Backyard creek view

The plan was to wander town while we waited for Dad to finish up his day. Once parked, Mom finds Tommy sacked out. So instead of park play, we took a drive to Independence Pass - absolutely gorgeous! Not a bad detour.

Maroon Bells is a highlight to all area visitors. Can't beat it - almost looks fake. Can never get enough of it. Truly a special place.

Giggles

Enjoying the view...

Snack break - Tommy telling Mom all about the Beaver Dam nearby (and what each fruit snack is - tow mater, lighting mcqueen, etc - important stuff)

Working on those neck muscles

A usual stop, Paradise Bakery for yummy ice cream.

Beth joined us for the weekend and made us some delicious dinners - yum! Post naps, we strolled the neighborhood - Roadies, dogs and all. Poor Tuga doesn't need a leash but made it easier since Maddie was on one and Tommy seemed to want to "walk" ole Tuga. He opted to keep the bike helmet on but ditch the bike.

A pretty little "hike" up Independence Pass...

Day Out with Thomas

The day after Danny's bday party (on his actualy bday), we went to the Colorado Railroad Museum to see Thomas! As I'm sure you know, Tommy loves trains and Thomas. We didn't really talk about it before going so it was a surprise trip in some ways. It was a beautiful day and he got to climb on all sorts of old trains, and ride the touring Thomas train. Tommy was like a kid in a candy store - all smiles - which made it even more fun for Mom and Dad.

Grandma and Grandpa joined and were already seasoned Thomas tourers as they had done this in Miami before. Thanks for joining us again!

Tommy's Thomas t debuted for this special outing!

Tommy and Grandma checking out the large "model" trains.

Cute pic of Tommy, Grandpa and Grandma :) All smiles.

Very nice firefighters showed up and let the kiddos climb on board to check things out. Way cool!

After our trip, we opened Danny's presents including many fun books. Tommy enlisted Grandpa and Grandma to read most of them!

Happy Birthday Danny Boy

We made it! Woo Hoo! Danny turned the big ONE on September 18th. Hard to believe it really. Time goes so fast. We had an elephant themed party on the 17th with some good friends. Grandma and Grandpa joined us from FL for the weekend. It was great to have them here for his special day. Thanks for joining us!

Tommy helped Danny understand how it's all done - including blowing out his candle. He told us many times before Danny's big day that Danny could try first and then he could. We kept reminding him "Danny goes first." Tommy had 3 things he wanted to get him - a whale, a party hat and a cake. All 3 requests were met. Danny wasn't so fond of the party hat some Tommy stepped in.

Brothers enjoying the 1st birthday cake.

Cupcake tower with peanuts on top for the elephants.

Danny and his pal Declan having some play time.

Some birthday pizza.

Our friends the Bells moved to Denver recently from KC. Parents Jenny and Mark have been long time friends. Erin and Mark have gone to school together since kindergarten. They have 3 darling boys (Owen, Leo and Clayton) who help show everyone the ropes. It was Leo's 6th birthday that day so we sang a 2nd rendition of happy birthday to him.

Finley, Liam and Claire eating some pizza

Proud birthday boy!!

To keep the gang busy, we had an elephant pinata. The 9 year old Owen asked for a metal bat (he's quite the baseball player) but we opted to pull strings. Everyone took a turn. Here's Liam in action.

Claire takes a try at it

Neighbors Tyler and Molly

Owen multi-tasking hoping it breaks into his bag

Neighbor Carolyn gives Tommy a boost

And Finley

Grandpa and Tommy looking on with anticipation - maybe we'll get some candy.

Maybe no candy but a smooch will do

Big eyes watching as the cake comes in

Clearly the hat is a hit!

Tommy gears up for the hat

Not quite sure what to think

Success - the team blew out the candle

Checking it out some more

A little taste with help from Dad.

Tommy dives in to help

Tommy's turn and Danny thinks this taste pretty good as he starts in all by himself.

I got it down now

Delicious

Check me out. I'm a pro now. Yum!