Tourist time!

My cousin Mary Lee flew in last Thursday for a weekend visit. It was the first time she met Olivia and we had a blast!
She got in late Thursday, so we caught up a little that night and hit the outlets bright and early Friday. We also had Avry with us, so we brought along the double stroller and lots of snacks. I was really excited, because these outlets are indoors and have a carousel. When mom was in town in May, Olivia rode the carousel for the first time and seemed to like it. Not so much this time:



Note the terrified look and death grip on Mary Lee's sweater. Funny, Avry wasn't a fan either:



I ended up standing with both babies (crying) in my arms about halfway through the ride. I felt so bad! Lesson learned...
We found some rocking chairs and they perked up!



They were so funny. When they got tired of sitting in the stroller, they let us know-loudly. So I would leave whatever store we were in, take them out of the stroller and let them run around the hallway. Luckily, it wasn't too crowded. Of course, they ran in opposite directions most of the time, but I could say "Where's Avry?," or "Where's Olivia?," and they would immediately stop and look around for the other one. It was really cute. I got my workout in that day! We were exhausted when we got home!
We knew just the place to visit Saturday. Mary Lee is a former science teacher (and coincidentally, now a school counselor) and was interested in seeing Dinosaur Ridge. Dinosaur Ridge is in Morrison, about 15 minutes from our house. In the early 1900's, a road was being built in Morrison and dinosaur bones and tracks were discovered. Apparently, there are many places in Colorado and Utah with dinosaur fossils. Michael and I have been several times, but this time was different. The Girl Scouts were having a patch award day with several booths set up. Lots and lots of little girls and their families. We were a little apprehensive, but it turned out great- we were able to see things we never noticed before by listening to the guides. Here we are with Red Rocks in the background, which is right next to Dinosaur Ridge:


Olivia checking out some footprints:



We went into downtown Morrison for lunch and ate next to a moose. Olivia was fascinated with him.



We stopped by the mall on the way home and Olivia had the mother of all meltdowns. We were walking by a kiosk selling the stuffed animals that make pillows (Pillow Pets). She saw a moose and immediately stopped crying and reached for him. As much as I tried to sway her towards a ladybug (to match her room) or a cow (he was cute), she was set on the moose. So we bought the moose and she's been attached to him ever since.
Sunday was a gorgeous day, very mild, so we decided to drive up to Breckenridge. It was my first time visiting, too, and I'm already planning on a return trip! Such a cute little town, lots of shops and restaurants with beautiful scenery.





Olivia did a little skiing before we left:



She had a rough night Sunday, but we managed to get a few more pictures before Mary Lee left:







This picture cracks me up. Olivia and I were exhausted from the night before and Avry wasn't feeling well. We all look like we're about to fall asleep!



And that was our busy weekend! Lots of fun!

A few pictures from last week- I love this little dress. It was Aubrey's and I think it's so cute:





Michael started pulling her around on her blanket and she loved it. She cried when he stopped, so he was pulling for a while! It was funny, because after a few minutes, she just sat there like a queen on her throne:



You surely didn't think I'd go 2 posts without pictures of my latest knitting projects?! This hat is for Aubrey:



The brim flips up, so she can wear it longer:



I love this hat. It was my first time trying a cable stitch and I think it turned out really well.



I ordered specific yarn for Maggie's hat and it just wasn't what I wanted. Her hat is supposed to look like a cupcake and it does to an extent. The bottom is supposed to be dark brown and I think it looks black, plus the yarn looks fuzzy to me.





So, I'm working on another hat for Maggie. A ruffled brim hat with a flower. It's almost done:



This is another one I'm working on- it might end up going to Maggie and Aubrey, because I made it too big for Olivia. I'm going to try to fix it, so we'll see how that goes!



I have 2 boy hats in the works that I can't wait to start on!
Wow, long post tonight! If you made it this far, thanks for reading! :)

Zing, Zang, Zoom!

It's been a COLD, snowy day today! Perfect weather for... the circus! Ringling Brothers/ Barnum and Bailey's "Zing, Zang, Zoom" has been in town for 2 weeks. We were a little apprehensive about taking Olivia, but she did pretty well. She was over it about 3/4 through, but I thought that was great for a 14 month old. She especially liked the elephants:





Munch, munch:



And you have to get cotton candy at the circus. She loved it!





We got this hat with our (ridiculously overpriced) cotton candy. She wasn't a fan:



I love the guilty look on her face here. She's going through my bag (again):



While Michael was out of town this week, we drove out to Evergreen to take some pictures. The leaves are really pretty and the tallest mountains are snow-capped. I couldn't find a good place to get the two together, but we got some good shots. We went to a park called Elk Meadows. The trail we were on was surrounded by really tall grass, which makes me nervous about snakes. I'm usually constantly talking to Olivia during the day, just a play-by-play commentary, but I'm never that sure how much she's taking in or paying attention. While we were walking on the trail I told her to keep her eyes open for snakes. She looked right at me and said "Hisssssss." Yes, dear, exactly. Guess she's taking in more than I thought! Here are my favorite pics from that day:











We stopped at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on the way home. This next one would be one of my all time favorites, if she didn't have keys in her mouth:











This one is from the park yesterday:



Hopefully, our fall weather returns soon! When we left the circus this afternoon (around 5:45pm), it was 27 degrees. Brrrr!
I cleaned our carpets this week, too. She loves the vacuum and apparently, the carpet cleaner. I was letting it warm up and she walked right over to it. Wanted to check things out...





Notice the duct tape on the carpet cleaner. Yea. It's had some issues and Michael's worked on it for weeks. It works about half the time, so I think it's time for a new one...
So, that was our week! We have company coming this weekend and you know how we love company! It means we get to play tourist, my favorite!

This and That

It has been a beautiful Fall week here in Colorado! The cool air has arrived, though. Olivia's new warm clothes have come in handy. The cooler weather made me crave something pumpkin, so I made pumpkin bars with cream cheese icing. Olivia got to experience licking the mixer for the first time (the icing)!





It took her a minute to figure it out, but when I demonstrated with the other one, she caught on pretty quickly!

Michael left this morning on a business trip, so it's just Olivia and I until Wednesday night. He took Friday off and we went to Chuck E. Cheese to use the rest of our tokens.
Watching Chuck E. with Daddy- she wasn't scared!





Olivia usually plays in the bathroom (she has some toys there) while I get ready in the morning. She's been particularly interested in the laundry shoot, recently. I've noticed her looking at the door and trying to look down the shoot. When I got the last of the laundry out this morning, this is what I found:



2 rubber ducks, a stuffed giraffe, and a bottle of lotion. Stinker. Here she is planning her next object to drop:



You might recognize that little outfit from these pictures:



You know, her 6 month pictures? Yea. Still fits. Almost 8 months later. Who said babies grow out of clothes fast? :)

My newest knitting projects:





Yes, I made Olivia another hat. I can't help it.
I did, however, make one that's NOT for her! My friend, Megan, is having a little girl in late January (Ella Grace, how cute is that name?!) and this hat is for her:



I'm working on a hat for Ella's big brother before I mail it, though. I've also got hats in the works for Maggie's cousins, but I'm waiting on some yarn I ordered. I'm on a knitting frenzy! I did manage to make something besides a hat:





She turned out a little smaller than I thought. If I make another one, I think I'll double the stitches and use bigger needles. Olivia has carried her around today (although it didn't calm her down enough to stay in the nursery at church by herself), so it was worth the extra time!



Kind of a random, "this is what we've done this week" post tonight. Not much going on, but we have a busy week planned!
Here's a funny video of her playing with her piano and microphone: