Phantom of the Opera...

We got the chance to go see Phantom of the Opera, while it was touring in Kansas City. My parents said we were crazy, as the day we were set to go, it was raining/sleeting/snowing....and the weather couldn't have been more horrible. I was determined that we would get there, and we DID. We met our best friends Tricia and Matt Skyles there. We ate a lovely dinner on the plaza, at PF Chang's. This is where we snapped some lovely pictures (don't mind the creepy stalker in the back of the picture of the 4 of us!!). Then, we made it to the theatre on time (barely - the bells started ringing as we came in....and mind you I had to RUN in heels in the sleet and snow!). It was lots of fun - mostly seeing our friends...the show was good (but to be honest - Vegas does it better, wouldn't ya know?)

Vegas Baby....

Mom/Dad and I took off for Vegas on March 8-11th. We had a wonderful time. Dad gambled a lot (hence he lost the most money)!! Mom and I went to some shows. We really enjoyed spending time together, and doing one of our favorite things...gambling!!! If we could just do this without having to fly!!

Time to retire Mom...

We surprised Mom with a retirement party on Feb 28th, 2009. Lots of family and friends got to come and wish her congratulations into her new journey of freedom! She is pretty excited. We are so proud of her and all the work she has done. What a great employee, and incredible woman!


One could only hope that they could be as amazing as this woman!
What Mom didn't know...was that Dad, Todd and I surprised her again, with a trip to Las Vegas (Dad, Mom and I going) for her birthday and retirement present. I think she is pretty excited about it.
The evening was a wonderful success, and we were able to snap some great pics of greats friends and family!

Great friend and coworker TJSon -in law Todd and Grandson Colt 45
Niece Kelly and Lil' Sis MarySon Curt and Long-time friend JillCONGRATS MOM - WE LOVE YOU!!!

Walkin' round in women's underwear...

Never a dull moment here. Nick thought it would be really fun to get in my underwear drawer (his first panty raid Daddy said!) Picked out a nice lacy pair, and what do you know, "these look good on me!"

KSU Rodeo

We go to see the KSU Rodeo when we can. It's nice that there a local rodeo that doesn't involve being in the middle of July! This year, Nick got to go to his First Rodeo. We weren't sure how he would like it. Sometimes when you get him up close to something, he actually gets scared. We met Curt, Val and Lauren, Gma & Papa Clipper at Wendy's for supper. Nick looked so cute in his little western shirt, wranglers, boots, and new belt! Although Daddy had reservations about turning his little boy into a cowboy...you just couldn't help but smile at Nick's cuteness!
When we got there, Daddy took him right down close to see the horses and bulls. He didn't cry or act scared at all. I was also worried because the rodeo started at 730 p.m. and Nick's bedtime is 8:30 p.m. Was relatively sure that it would be longer than 1 hour before we left!
Nick watched closely for the first half hour or so, and then you could tell it was time for bed. We got out his binkie and blankie, and he spent time sitting with each of us, and laying his head down. He hung right in there until the end! What a trooper!

The finished product!!!

A handsome little devil!!!
The back view.
Side View!


Thanks Ira for doing the impossible...making our little boy even more handsome than he already was!!!

Our First Haircut...

Are you sure about this Daddy??







We finally decided it was time to get Nick's first haircut, since you could put his little red hair in a ponytail in back if you wanted! Todd gets his haircut at Haynes, so he wanted to take Nick there. Ira cuts his hair. We arrived early, so Nick could get used to things. First up, Daddy needed a haircut. Nick was watching, and playing and eating his favorite snack, "Mallows." (aka marshmellows). Then, it was Nick's turn. He sat on Daddy's lap, and he was such a GOOD BOY. He was looking around a little bit, so Daddy had to help him hold his head still. But, he didn't cry at all, and did really good. Of course, I think having his snack really helped too! After they were done with the haircut, Ira handed Nick the mirror to look at himself, and he broke out in this huge smile, and then he leaned down and kissed the mirror. I could have cried! Didn't get it on video, but did get it on camera, and it's absolutely priceless!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Nick woke up around 7:30 a.m. for his 2nd Valentine's day. We had a good morning, looking at all our new stuff - tractor, books, water pitcher, and puzzle. He ate breakfast on his new plates, and really liked those! Then, we went to Colton's wrestling tournament in Clay Center. We got to see some friends we hadn't seen in awhile, so that was nice. Nick got knocked down by some bigger kids and hit his head on the floor :( Otherwise, it was a nice day. We came back to Manhattan and the boys got their haircuts (see other post). Then, home for a nap (all of us!!!). After that, Todd and I were able to go out on a date. We went to Chili's and it was busy, so I signed us up. Funny thing was, I said, "we need to adults and a high chair." It didn't occur to me until about 15 minutes later, that we didn't have Nick with us! HA! Just a habit I guess! Dori was nice enough to watch him for us. We had a nice Valentine's Day, spent with family! Don't forget to take notice of his shaggy hair, before the haircut!

Nick and Mama in true form...

So, did anyone say you have to grow up? Heck no...that's what is great about having kids...you get to be a kid all over again. This is Daddy just being silly....

I had to show Nick that these trout are really harmless...see, you can pet them!
Nick running...what a wonderful day to run outside!!!
With all running, comes some falling too...Aunt Trish was there to brush him off and help him up again. No harm done!!!
Mommy is really not throwing me in the river, I swear. I think if she wasn't here, I might have jumped in myself!!
Silly Mommy....
When it's all said and done, a hug from Daddy will end this good time.

Maramec Springs

While visiting Rolla, we traveled a little bit to see Maramec Springs. It is a natural underground spring, where they have a fish hatchery. It is really neat and there are lots of trout there in the fresh water. I have never seen so many live trout! We even saw a live beaver. You can walk all around the park, and the weather was pretty nice this day at over 65 degrees. Nick had a fun time running around. We did manage to snap a few pics together on this beautiful day. We thank our friends for showing us this neat, natural wonder.

Visiting Rolla, Missouri

We decided to make a trip to Rolla, MO. Why you might ask? Because our best friend Tricia and her husband Matt live there. They have been to see us many times, and we thought it was our turn. Nick hasn't been there since they got married when he was 2 weeks old. He did really good on the car trip. Got a little fussy at the end (who didn't), but for the most part, hung right in there.
Here are some pictures of Nick with Aunt Trish and Uncle Matt, and then a picture of the happily married couple!

Alas...I am back to blogging...

I would love to have some marvelous story like Jen, about reading the entire Twilight series or something majestic like that, however, nope....I have no good stories to tell about my lapse of almost a month of blogging. The only thing I can say is, we have ALL been sick at one time or another, and so that doesn't really lend to keeping up on things. It really just makes you strive to survive, and do only what you HAVE to do. Anyhow, we are ALL better now, and have even made a recent trip, so I will be posting again real soon.

Crazy hair Nick...

So, let's just say that Carrot Top comes to mind....I am trying to convince Daddy that it is TIME for a haircut, so I show him how long it is....SEE!!! Crazy hair kiddo!

Cowboy boots go with everything!

Just ask Papa!! Nick loves BOOTS. And will pick them over every other shoe. He has 3 pairs of cowboy boots, and 1 pair of snow boots , and a pair of rain boots. At our house, it's not uncommon to wear them with whatever he has on... This day...we put them on to go out and get the mail!