Grandma & Pocky "B" Visit Colorado

Grandma Birt & Pocky B came to visit us... or maybe they came to see the whole state of Colorado... or perhaps we meshed it together and it was both! And visit the whole state of CO... we almost did! We started off at the Denver Zoo... that's always a favorite for Tatum... next we headed south to Colorado Springs to visit the Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak. With some possible rainy weather pending, we stopped at the Garden for a minute, but headed to Pike's Peak first. This was a drive up 14,110 ft... and we made it! The road up isn't completely paved... parts were gravel- not my favorite, but we made it! With a bit less oxygen and some lightening, we stayed at the top for a little while, I caught my breath, and we headed back down. Amazingly, there were flowers near the top of that mountain! I had to stop to take pictures, because it amazed me!

We headed home, hung out for a day... then headed back south to see Seven Falls and the Royal Gorge Bridge. The Royal Gorge was created by the Arkansas River and wow, was it beautiful there! We took the Incline Railway straight (well almost straight) down to the river and walked across the bridge. It was absolutely beautiful there! You could see mountains for miles! It really is amazing to check out this bridge... Definitely a "must see" in the state of CO.

We took the next day 'off'... okay, well I took the day off, but put my dad to work fixing the curtains I so pitifully tried to hang :) .... then Sunday, we headed to Estes Park, had some sandwiches in Rocky Mountain National Park, then walked around the touristy area. As many times as Matt and I have visited Estes Park- this was the first time actually walking up and down the street of shops! A pleasant day. It was a filled week of traveling the state of CO.... well parts of it anyway. We had a great week in which the next week was spent laying around recuperating :)

Fun in the Mountains

Here are a few pictures from Boulder and Rocky Mountain National Park!!! Enjoy! :)

Happy 4th of July!!!

This was the first year Tatum was really able to enjoy fireworks... it was a bit chilly, but she loved them "Wow, I like that one. That one's my favorite. That's perty"

We spent the earlier part of the day in Greeley- first hiding from the rain, then Tatum rode her first 'ride'- the Granny Bugs... "I go again", and enjoyed the first bites of an Elephant Ear... mmm...

Hopefully, she won't have the same problem her mom did when she was younger... My older brother liked to ride rides that I was too short for... hmmm

The cars were a little small for me, but it worked...

Visiting Indiana

June was our (Tatum and I) fourth trip to IN this year. Spurred by the wedding of one of my closest friends- Congratulations Katie & Ricky!, it also included my Pops' baptism, my 10-year class reunion and Matt's grandma's funeral.

Patti 'babysat' Tatum for me while I was off doing wedding 'things'... They had a great three days which included swimming, boating, coloring, Play-doh, and a very worn-out Lola at the end! (Tatum decided she did not need a nap while with Lola & Pocky) I don't know how they did it! :) Thank you soooooo much for moving your schedules around to help me out!!!

We headed up north to celebrate with Pops on his baptism, and hang out with the fam in Cedar Lake. Unfortunately, we did not make it to the Dunes :( , but we did escape the heat, well sort of, by playing in the pool. (the water felt like we were taking a bath) We had a great time hanging out with Aunt Liz, Uncle Doug, Grandma Potts, Poppy (Pops), Uncle Carl, Aunt Sam, Wes, and Buck. (ope, I can't forget the frog and lightening bugs!!!)

Grandma's passing was not an easy one for anyone in the family, but it allowed for us to get together with Patti's side of the family. Tatum enjoyed her second trip on the boat, her cousins- Zack, Chase, and Ashley, and enjoyed some jumps on the trampolene. (Thanks, Uncle David & Aunt Laura)

The Beauty of Life

June 1, 2009... the miracle of life brought tears to my eyes. This was the day we first saw the newest and youngest member of our family. Not just seeing the baby, but seeing the heartbeat- what joy it brings!

Baby's head is down (the big round part) with his/her legs up.

We are 14 1/2 weeks along, making us due at the beginning of January. New Year's Baby?

Saying Goodbye

In the past few months, we have said 'goodbye' two of our grandparents. My grandpa- Grandpa Bilinski, and Matt's grandma- Grandma Grandma (or as Tatum called her- Grandma Grandma Grandma). We both learned a great deal from them, and as my cousin, Jen, pointed out- the greatest way to honor them, is by keeping the family going and pass on their stories to future generations. They will forever live in our hearts, and in our children.