Remember that one time when I used to blog?

 So here's the rundown of our life here in the lovely state of Colorado.

My brother in law Adam and his girlfriend Annie got engaged.

She is so great and I'm excited to have her as my sister in law.

 Macy got big.  Even though I told her not to.  Whatever.  She is my little buddy and follows me around everywhere.  She is incredibly imaginative and is constantly talking.  I love her chirpy little voice.  Except when she's screaming....which is anytime anything doesn't go her way.  She is very passionate and it's all or nothing with her.  I'm glad she's feisty and opinionated.  I hope she stays that way.

She loves to eat raw carrots and cereal with no milk.  She dresses herself and comes up with some pretty great outfits....she loves color and pattern mixed.  Macy loves playing with friends.  The more friends, the better.  She's happy to take the lead and think up games, and she's happy to play what everyone else wants to play too.

Macy loves to "smooth" her hair after a tubbies by brushing her hair and then taking both hands and smoothing it down like she's a 50's biker.  And she lets me snuggle with her every night.  She likes me to sing two songs while I rub her back.  Usually "The Wise Man" and lately, "Baby Beluga."  I will give her a kiss and tell her I love her and then she says in her sleepy voice, "I love you mama."

My nephew Asher.  He's only two months older than Jude.  I'm so glad that they have each other.  

Jude the dude and his tummy.  It rivals Dylan's when he was a baby.  I can't get enough of it.  Jude is definitely NOT allowed to get any older.  He is a mama's boy and only likes a select few.  Well, actually just me and Susan.  He doesn't use a binky anymore, but still loves his bobbie.  He loathes taking naps and going to bed.  Every time we get out of the car from running errands, he says, "no nap.  no bed."  I'll say, "Yes nap."  So Jude says, "no yes nap."

He will eat anything.  And spends most of his time cruising around the house with a fruit leather and a sippy cup of milk.  Jude also loves him some "canny" (candy).  Justin had a stash of starlite mints in his dresser, which Jude quickly discovered.  Every morning, Jude would come in our room and say, "Daddy canny?"

He likes to do things by himself...mostly getting out of the car.  He'll say, "Jude (long pause) do it."  And he is definitely a snuggler.  He likes to put his nose right up to mine and just look at me.  And if I'm lying in bed and he wants me to get up, he'll just sit on my face.  Two nights ago, he fell asleep on my chest and I let him stay there for a while.  Justin asked why I wasn't putting him to bed and I said I just wanted to soak Jude all in.  He's getting big, but he's still my baby.

 My niece Jenna giving Jude some love.

Dylan turns seven tomorrow.  He has gone to three different elementary schools during first grade.  Needless to say, there have been some growing pains with our move.  He is in love with all things pokemon and if you ask him about it, he'll be happy to tell you as long as you're willing to listen.

When I put him to bed, he wants me to tell him a story.  Every.  Single.  Night.  It's always about the same character: Nalyd the boy prince and his adventures.  As soon as I finish the story, he puts out his arms and says, "hugs and kisses."  Most of the time, when I go back in to check on him at night, he's still awake trying to sneak read a book. He sleeps on top of his covers, and usually with his head at the foot of the bed.  Amazingly, he can fall asleep even when Jude is crying in the crib right next to him.  He still sleeps without pajamas and carries around his blue bobbie in the morning when he's cold.  He can throw a mean tantrum and then give you the best apology snuggles ever.

Dylan loves to draw and is really good at it.  He likes to trace Pokemon print outs too.  He loves to learn about wild cats, and when he grows up, he wants to be an "animal scientist."

And puders kickin' it with Clifford.  I have our coffee table covered in library books, so kids sitting on the couch reading is kind of a regular thing around here.  (It also helps that we don't have a tv.  I know, we're part Amish).  Justin and I both love reading so much, and it makes me happy that my kids have caught the reading bug too.

Charlie is ten going on 16.  He likes to call himself a preteen.  He is just finishing fourth grade and tested reading at a seventh grade level.  He usually goes to bed around 8 and then reads with a flashlight until he falls asleep or until I take the flashlight away... around 10pm.  He lives and dies for all things Pokemon.  Charlie has amazing negotiating skills and can get anyone (mostly Dylan) to trade for the Pokemon card he wants.  He has a binder full of cards and I'm pretty sure has all of their facts memorized.  He studies them all the time.

He just finished playing his first season of tackle football.  He was so hard on himself and didn't always love it, but somehow managed to be the MVP two games in a row.

Charlie sleeps in his flannel football pajama pants and the yellow Thanksgiving shirt that Jamie made for us last year.  He sits up in the front seat next to me in the car.  So when he gets in after school, I'll rub his neck.  I asked him if he would ever get too old for me to do that.  I got an affirmative "no way!"  When I'm putting him to bed, sometimes he just wants to read and be left alone, but most of the time, he wants me to rub his back and sing the Kermit the frog song about rainbows.  He told me he tries to think of the longest song possible.

He loves to play crack the egg on the trampoline, eat anything with sugar, and play "groundies" at our little neighborhood park.

We just passed our two year mark of moving here on May 21st.  Part of me feels like we've lived here forever, and the other part feels like an appendage is still in San Francisco.  I definitely feel like a transplant here, and I miss the beach and the people like crazy.  But the draw of being so close to family is pretty great.  We get together all the time, and I'm so glad that my kids get to grow up knowing that they're part of such a big family unit.