A Minor Event

Happy Snow Day

2012-02-04T15:45:00.000-08:00

Staying inside where it is nice and warm.

Look at these snow flakes. I have never seen them so big!!

Ready to play in the snow.

The start of something big.

Peek-a-boo

All Mark really wanted to do was eat the fort. I have never seen one child eat so much snow.

Wow!! What a fort!!

Where have all the sippy cups gone?

Life is all smiles!!

2012-01-24T20:40:00.000-08:00

Rachel has the biggest smiles. She smiles with her whole body.

You looking at me?

Doctor in training "wheels".

Mark actually smiled for the camera here. How adorable. He made this robot with Dada. He would stand in front of it and it would touch him and he would fall to the ground dead. Too funny.

Smiles

2012-01-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

Sweet Little Rachel

Daniel

Three Months

2012-01-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

Three Months

Christmas

2012-01-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

Rachel and Gramma Christmas Eve.

Mark's first tricycle. Thank you Daddy Bill!!

Dinner at Great Grandma's House.

Daniel

Gramma reading to Rachel

Gramma's Lap

Just before Christmas

2012-01-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

Shoveling Snow

Play Dough Rocket ship

Rachel

Mark the Robot

Decorating the Christmas Tree.

Mark and Gramma making snow ice cream.

Mark's 2nd Birthday

2011-12-09T16:55:00.001-08:00

Three bears on a motorcycle.

Rachel

Mark wanted to help make his cupcakes.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

Mark making cookies with Oma

Tom turkey doing the turkey dance

Great Grandma Susie

7 Weeks

2011-11-28T16:12:00.001-08:00

BFF

Brothers

Daniel

Have I mentioned our cat loves chocolate?

2011-11-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

Because He Does!!

First Snow

2011-11-10T16:37:00.001-08:00

Dad reading to the boys.

Mark playing in our first snow of the winter.

Yes, he is in shorts!! He is a native!!

This Picture was taken just before Halloween, just 10 days ago. (Compare to the last picture)

Mark is such a good big brother.

These were taken today. Look how much they have changed!!

3 Weeks

2011-10-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Rachel

Daniel kept trying to eat the fur so most of his pictures didn't turn out as well. Better luck next time.

Yay! Twins!

2011-10-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

Rachel Anne Minor 4lbs 14oz

Daniel William Minor 4lbs 15oz

Born Oct 1st, we are blessed to announce that the twins are here!! It has been an absolute pleasure to be such a part of their lives already. They were born healthy with no major issues except that after a normal delivery with Rachel we then had to perform a Cesarean for little Daniel. Recovery has been a challenge.

Rachel getting her first bath.

Gramma was here to help and share this special time with us.

Happy Family!! Mark is having a bit of a difficult time adjusting but I am confident he will make an excellent older brother.

Dada feeding the twins. All hands on deck!

Shower Weekend

2011-09-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

We have been so Blessed to have had a shower for the twins. The decorations were beautiful, the food was terrific and I left so encouraged by such a good turn out. Thank you to so many who made this day special for me and a blessing to the Twins.

A friend of mine, her name is also Laura, was able to join me from Wisconsin for the weekend of the shower. It was SO good to see her and just sit around and talk. What an encouragement and the boys loved playing together.

Helping with the Dishes.

Mark has discovered crayons. He really loves to color and we are working on only coloring paper. He is starting to learn all his colors, but the first one he learned was yellow.

Baby Bump - August

2011-08-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the most recent baby bump Pics. I assure you I feel bigger than I look.

Before the Hair Cut. I love his Sweet Look.

After Mom tried to trim. We love Watermelon!!

Making Brownies. He did such a good job.

After the Barber fixed what Mom tried to do.

What a look of focus and concentration.

The Move and Stuff

2011-08-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

He was really getting into the spirit of packing and pulled out all the clothes from all his drawers. Now if I could just get him to put things into boxes!!

Mark did very well adjusting to the new place. He only seemed uncomfortable for a day or two.

Play date with friends. Mark had a blast!! We will be doing this again soon.

The move has gone well and I am feeling alright. Our most recent ultrasound shows one twin has turned and they are each over 2 and a half pounds. I will be 30 weeks on Monday and things are looking good for me to go to October. Thank you all for prayers and support. It is greatly appreciated.

Mark's Dedication... Finally

2011-07-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

Mark's first tie.

Riding the vacuum around. He is a lot less intimidated by it when it is off.

These two crack me up.

Gramma's Visit

2011-06-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

But first.... our cat, playing with Mark.

Mark got some new toys for his 18 mo "birthday".

Mark's first (and prob. his last) tape to destroy.

Oma sent this fabulous puzzle and Mark loves it!!

Riding the train with Gramma.

These fountains scared him unless someone was holding him. Mark and I got so spoiled with Gramma here. We had a blast and got a lot done. Thanks for the visit!!

We're Pregnant.... With Twins

2011-06-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have been a little behind in posting because I had some great news to share but I was waiting for the pictures.... Here are the twins! A Girl ( Twin A) and a Boy (Twin B). The girl is sucking on one of her fingers in the picture. It was absolutely Amazing seeing them both on the ultrasound interacting (mostly hitting each other).

I have been feeling much better (thank you to all who were praying for may morning sickness), and have been enjoying spending more time off the couch and playing with Mark and Jacob.

Yogurt in the hair just before church.

He LOVES this farm that makes noises of all the animals.

He has recently wanted me to help him put his socks on. He pulls out one pair, and then another, and another until there is not place left to put them.

For Memorial Day Jacob took us to Casa Bonita. Mark had a blast watching the fire jugglers and all the excitement. I loved watching him discover it all.

Jacob bought him a lighted sword and it didn't leave his side all night.

Easter

2011-05-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

I realise I am behind on posting new pictures. Sorry to all of you who have been checking only to be disappointed.

But.... we had a fantastic Easter. My mom was in town and Holidays take on a whole new meaning as I get to experience them new through his eyes.

opening baskets.

Ready for church.

Hunting eggs.

The children's museum

Lots of eating.

2011-04-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Notice the cheerio on the head.... how did he do that?

Mark's friend David was just trying to give him a hug but Mark was NOT interested!!

Eating snack in the Pampers box.

Our Driscoll's commercial. He loved them.

So cute sitting in his bear chair and reading a book.

Here's Lookin' at You!

2011-04-06T16:44:00.000-07:00

Mark, sporting his bathrobe.

I think you can see HOW he got up there... but WHY. That's my question!

Bath time book.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

2011-03-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

We went to the park last weekend to try out my Christmas present and it was totally fun! The kite is a sport kite so you can steer it and do dives and turns. The wind was up and the kite was loud!

Mark was scared at first but then he started to have a lot of fun. He would yell "cash" every time it would hit the ground.

He was so cute putting his arms up just like Daddy.

Then.... He learned this. He drags his chair around and gets into all the drawers with all the fun stuff.

Jacob's Birthday

2011-03-16T10:08:00.000-07:00

I made sandwich cookies for him this year and they were delish!

Jacob had some time off so we all headed up to the mountains with some friends of ours so the boys could go skiing.

They really enjoyed their trip and the scenery was BEAUTIFUL!

We then went to Roxborough State Park and did some hiking around. It got a little cold at the end but we had a good time and got to see a lot of deer.

This is my new favorite picture!!

Over the River and Through the Desert

2011-03-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Getting ready for our travels.

We spent last week in San Diego visiting Grandma. We had so much fun and We were both spoiled and ready to move in. Mom has a beautiful new house with a beautiful backyard that Mark absolutely LOVED to play in.

We also went to the LEGOLAND Aquarium because Mark LOVES fish and we had a blast. There were a lot of fun play areas for Mark to run around on throughout the aquarium.

We also went to the Zoo, which has been a dream of mine, and saw many animals I had never seen before, including a panda and a baby hippo. I took pictures with Mom's camera so I don't have them with me to post.

It was so funny watching him play with some of our old childhood toys. He loved them as much as we did.

This was his first time to the beach and it was quite the experience. The water is really cold so we didn't get in much but he loved to splash in the waves and chase them as they rolled in and out.

We went out on the pier where he saw surfers and people fishing and got to touch a real live fish. That was very exciting for him.

Thank you Munga for such a WONDERFUL vacation.

Climbing on everything

2011-02-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

Mark decided to poor his own cereal this morning. Can you see his hairdo? He woke up with the woosh sticking out of one side of his head.

He has started to learn to climb on and under things around the house.

He cut his first molar this week and it was not as bad as I had expected. I am just so glad he is finally feeling better.

A new way to eat yogurt.

The mustache.

Snow Days

2011-02-09T08:56:00.000-08:00

We have been getting a lot of snow around here this week. At least someone is enjoying it. He is SO cute in his little ski bib and hat....

Everything in the mouth!

2011-02-02T14:21:00.000-08:00

Why does my son love eating dirt? He really loves to play outside and loves to dig in the dirt on the porch, but must we eat it every time??

Watson, lounging. He climbed up on the shower curtain rod while I was in the shower this morning but I couldn't get a picture. He is so funny!

I really debated about posting the next picture, but it is our real life!! I had made Mark some oatmeal for breakfast and put it on the table to cool. He, apparently couldn't wait. So he climbed up and pulled it off the table and onto the floor and proceeded to help himself. Incidentally the cat decided to help himself too. What a mess! I am still cleaning oatmeal off the walls. I know the messes will only get worse from here.

Smiles for the week

2011-01-27T11:54:00.000-08:00

Watson and Mark helping put up the Christmas tree.

So funny. Mark really likes me to squirt him with the cat's squirt bottle. He carries the bottle around, hands it to me and then makes this face..... I can't stop laughing.

Discovering the fan. This kid points at everything.

Rocking Chair

2011-01-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

Mark has discovered rocking chairs! He loves to sit and rock in his bear chair that Opa made for him. It took him some time to figure out how to sit in it but he has it down now.

What's cooking? Mark gets so excited when he sees the oven is on and he runs over to check out what is cooking. He even mumbles "kuky" whether it is cookies or not.

Oma sent a box full of books. We have had so much fun with the books and with the box.

Watson is still such a hoot. We aren't always able to get pictures of all his shenanigans, but this time Jacob was quick with the camera. How does he do it??

After learning how to get in his little rocking chair, Mark has now figured out how to climb up into the big rocking chair. He is going to be a climber.

Rodeo

2011-01-11T15:13:00.000-08:00

Mark had a great time at the rodeo. They had a terrific petting zoo and he liked all the roosters too.

I love his little farmer outfit.

I didn't get any action shots at the rodeo. Oh well, better luck next year.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-29T15:05:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

Christmas Day

Mark loved digging in the stockings

Watson, licking his way through a chocolate kiss.

Christmas lunch at Grandma's house.

One buisy week

2010-12-25T10:29:00.000-08:00

Mark started feeding himself. What a mess!

Wendy's Wii Birthday

Visit from Oma, Opa, Uncle Shaun, and Aunt Sarah.

Thank you so much for driving all that way. It was wonderful to see you. The best Christmas Present is the gift of time.

Trifle

2010-12-24T10:20:00.000-08:00

Gramma's Visit

2010-12-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

We loved having Grama come and visit thought she was just not here long enough. She came for the big birthday bash and for a late Thanksgiving feast. Every one enjoyed the turkey this year... even Watson.

And, Yes, that is a cat in our frige!

Driving

2010-12-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

Mark's First Birthday Party

2010-12-19T14:57:00.000-08:00

We had way too many pictures to post. Click on the link to view them all.

http://picasaweb.google.com/117729250715210264855/MarkS1stBirthdayParty?feat=blogger#

Mark's One Year Check up

2010-12-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

I think the picture tells it all.

Birthday Boy

2010-12-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

His new favorite game is to "clean out" the cat house.

For his birthday we went to Gymboree. He was a little unsure of it at first but eventually he warmed up and really enjoyed himself. We had so much fun! Gymboree is currently running a special with a free trial class so you can just see what it is all about. It was perfect for his birthday!

I love this Boy!

He is Walking!

2010-12-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

We don't have a really good picture of it yet but Mark is walking. He will still crawl if he really wants to get somewhere but every day he improves on his walking.

Trying to knit has been a rather pointless endeavor lately.

We bought a time out gate but we haven't had to use it for a time out yet. So far he just wants to play in it.

We may be weening on to Odwalla juice at this point! He still isn't taking milk in a sippy cup.

The "GAK" as Mark calls him.

Rein-cat

Watson preparing for Christmas.

Cute Trouble

2010-11-24T10:16:00.000-08:00

Mark Playing with Watson

He LOVES the tail of this monkey. I think he could care less about the rest of the monkey but he drags it around the house just holding on to the tail.

Fun at the park

caught with his hand in the cookie jar

Eating dirt... for the second time. You would think he would learn the first time.

Stuck

Basket Case

2010-11-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

He will pull this basket out, throw all the stuff out onto the floor and sit in the basket. He is the cutest thing!

One of his favorite things is to "flop" on the couch. I put him up and he crawls around and falls over rolling, screeching, and laughing.

His first time to play in the snow.

That's my cutie with that curious look in his eye!

He figured out how to climb up into his rocking chair and stand up in it.

This is the worried look I get every time I blow my nose.

A Comparison Study

2010-11-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

Jacob

Mark

Laura

How did he get so cute!! His Momma and Dadda were not THAT cute!

Our First Snow!

2010-11-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

We got our first snow of the season last night. Mark kept looking out of the window and pointing at it. It is always so beautiful when it first snows. This morning it was almost all melted away by 10AM. That's Denver for you.

Balloons!

Peeps in the Crib.

(I'll give you one guess as to who set this up)

Just Pictures

2010-11-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Watson gave Mark his first Chocolate M&M. You can see it all over his face.

Mark has learned how to play with the cat. They both really enjoy it!

Castles

2010-10-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

My friend Vickie and I went around Denver and found some of the old Castles down town. We were amazed at the beautiful architecture both inside and outside. We had so much fun and saw some beautiful areas of town.

We even had our own personal tour guide for one beautiful Church. She even took us to see the old, un-renovated apartments. So cool!! This door went to the bell tower.

We were only sorry that it was so cold. Brrrrrrr! Autumn is here.

This one was my favorite. It was huge, but so beautiful.

Play Time

2010-10-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Mark loves our Bible study group on Thursdays because of playtime. There are two other babies that are about his age and he loves to interact with them. And they love his toys too.

My first apple pie of the season. Apples fresh from a tree that grows in the lot nextdoor. I didn't know that I could improve on my pie crust recipe but... I have. Thank you Cook's Illustrated.

Rocking in the Chair made by his grandpa from last Christmas. He was very pleased with himself for having a chair his size.

The new haircut. A little short but at least his hair is out of his eyes.

Wine Country

2010-10-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Jacob traveled to Napa Valley in California last week. They saw some Really beautiful country and some not so beautiful country. And encountered a giant chicken while waiting for the bus.

We had a lot of fun going to the Stapleton Farmers Market. It was a little cold but the food was awesome and we got to pick out a pumpkin.

Mark helping clean up the floors... Yummm.

The most fun I ever had being sick

2010-10-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

So we all got the stomach bug over the weekend. It is hard watching little Mark get so sick but he is still such a joy to hang out with. I wouldn't trade this job for anything!!

So, our cat, Watson, has learned to fetch. Throw the cat toy, the runs, slides across the floor and brings it back. He even sets it just at your feet to throw it again. He really is a Dog deep down.

My Beautiful Boys. Rolling around on the floor.

Before our walk every morning, I set Mark down to fold out the stroller and get it all together. He crawls as fast as he can straight to the rocks. I don't see how it can be comfortable but he will crawl around on them on his hands and feet. SO FUNNY! I tried taking pics this morning and he was making the strangest faces in all of them (as seen below).

ON top of all that he got another tooth in too, that makes 4 now.

2010-10-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

Mark was having so much fun riding around in the box. Then after he was done, of course, Watson had to try it out. I don't know how I didn't get a picture of that but Mark ended up pushing Watson around in the box. I think I was laughing too hard to take the picture!

This past weekend Jessica, Jacob's cousin, got hitched. The weather was beautiful for the wedding and we had a really good time seeing so much family!

The reception was at a friends house and Mark was digging in the mulch like a dog. He is too funny!

He also loved the bubbles! If you are really good, you can catch one. He is still practicing.

New Friends

2010-09-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

Mark was trying to open the door. He was ready for his walk!

Mark has grown to love dogs. This is Floppy. He was Jacob's Pound Puppy when he was little and mark just loves him already. I love giving our old friends a second chance at being played with.

We went to the zoo and saw 4 baby tiger cubs out playing with their mother. It was AMAZING! The were all so playful and totally cute! We must have sat there and watched them for 45 min.

I had so much fun with Mark this trip. Our friend Wendy went with us and Mark saw the animals for the first time. He was watching and pointing and really getting into it.

More tiger cubs. How many times can I say it, "they were so cute"!

The cutest cub I saw

New Tricks

2010-09-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

"Did you really put this hat on me again?"

Mark LOVES to read... or at least look and drool!

Dad taught Mark a new trick, suck on my toe.

Splash-a-palooza

They grow up so fast

2010-09-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Here he is in the tub. I think he wanted to see what he bubbles tasted like. When he looked up again he had a beard. I couldn't stop laughing. He looks at me like "What? What are you laughing at? What's so funny?"

He was helping me unload the dishwasher, when I looked down I just saw these four spoons. Probably a coincidence but I couldn't believe my eyes. Mark did it! Four spoons, lined up, equal distance apart.

And here is my little artist now. I know he will be an artist and not an engineer because of the one spoon turned the opposite direction. Artistic.

Watson, on the bookshelf. Need I say more?

9 Months

2010-09-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

I put this one on here because you can see his first tooth. ON the top.

I finally got a great shot of the angry eyebrows. I call them the McDonald's Arches. How does he do that?

Home again, home again

2010-09-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

Glad to be Back home again. And he got his first tooth while we were in Texas.

Texas

2010-09-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

Our Trip to Texas was great! We started out seeing Oma, Opa, Uncle Shawn, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Aaron, Aunt Jenny, Cousin Josh and Cousin Chloe.

Aaron and Mark

Cuz Josh

Aunt Jenny and Cousin Chloe.

Aunt Sarah

Left to right: Uncle Shawn, Mark, Cousin Chloe, Aunt Sara, Cousin Josh.

Playing in Oma's back yard.

We then went to see Uncle Jeff and Aunt Mindi, Cousin Aubry and Cousin Brook.

Then off to San Antonio to see Aunt Ashtin,

And Auntie Em

Then we drove to Houston to see My Dad and the Kids but we didn't get any pictures. We jumped back in the car and drove back to Austin to catch a plane back to Denver. Wow, our whirl wind trip was really wonderful. Thanks everyone for making time for us! It was so good to see you all!

Tupperware and Birthdays

2010-09-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

He can hardly contain himself!

Watson, under the furniture.

Hey Mom, This is grate! I have started using the cheese grater on most of his foods. He is starting to like more textures and flavors. Maybe even green beans.

Success! Drinking through a sippy cup.

Grandma's Birthday at Saltgrass Steakhouse.

By far the best cake we have ever made. Yes, that is a chocolate chip cookie layer and dark chocolate icing Jacob whipped up. YUM!

The little monster... and his side kick Watson

2010-08-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Watson in the high chair. Waiting for his turn, I guess.

Watson helping dress Mark in the morning.

Watson has learned to jump onto our shoulders. He likes the rubber duckies.

On the move!

Helping with dishes.

"Mom, you missed a spot."

Stuck, but making the most of it.

Let's read them all.... Oops!

Getting into trouble was never more fun.... needless to say we have had to move the toilet paper.

Gramma's Visit... way overdue

2010-08-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

So I have so many pictures from My mom visiting that I'm not going to be able to put captions on them all. We had such a wonderful time! We went to the butterfly pavilion, the aquarium, the zoo and hung out at home. My mom is also getting ready for a half marathon so we did a lot of walking. Go Gramma! We had a blast and I am sorry it has taken me so long to post pictures... but here they are!

2010-07-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

First: The baby! He was sick last week so not quite his usual self. You may be able to see his rash, poor thing! But, still gaining weight like a champ!

We covered him in calamine lotion, it gave his hair a specially wild appearance.

Here he is back to his happy healthy self. What a cutie! and crawling Everywhere!

OK, so he likes peaches!

One of his new favorite things is to play in the tub. Water is optional!

..... And the cat: He is into everything. If there is something going on, he is in the middle of it.

I think Mark misread his shoe as Chew Chew...

Yep... Watson in the Moby!

Mark's Room

2010-07-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

New and improved: Mark's room is finally done!

We were waiting on some artwork from my fav children's book author, Mark Ludy; and it looks great in his room.

And the bathroom is all done in Rubber Duckies... Thank you Hubby for hanging pictures and shelves... Don't they look great??

Watson

2010-06-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

Our New Addition, Watson the cat!

So we went to PETCO to replace a fish... and we brought home a cat. This is the perfect cat so far, though we have only had him two days. He is totally lovable and playful and is really sweet to Mark. IF Watson has a fault, it is that he is too lovey... he is into everything and LOVES to be pet and scratched everywhere. He even loves his tummy scratched!! We think he may be part dog?? When he gets really tired he'll even stick his tongue out and pant like a dog. He is a hoot and already a member of the family.

In other news... Mark is sitting up on his own. He will crawl for a while and then sit up and play and get back to crawling. He is starting to get real curious!

We went to see Uncle Kurt and Aunt Vicky yesterday. It is always good to see them.

Today I got some help with the laundry! Watson jumped in the dryer and sat on the wet laundry!

He's Crawling!

2010-06-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

On the move, getting into trouble.

Special delivery.

Back from swimming.

Helping Daddy on the computer.

Busy Day

2010-06-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

One of his new favorite toys is the door stoppers. Thankfully there are three in his room. Boooiiiing!

We went to the zoo and saw some fish that were larger than Mark. He really enjoyed looking at all the fish. After that we cooled off at the pool. He loves to splash!

Raisin Toes!!

Moby Magic

2010-06-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

I have been working on wrapping the Moby so that Mark can ride in the back... It is going much better here, the first time I tried it, his head was tied into the bundle too. He sure seems to like looking at the world from up here. I take him on a walk every evening and we usually go to a little retention pond that is near our apartment. He loves to look at all the birds and lately all the ducks have had their chicks..... Way too cute. We both have a ton of fun watching them follow Momma duck around!

NOT a fan of green beans!!

Day at the park. Doesn't he look dashing after his haircut??

Dr. Seuss with Dr. Daddy.

Six Months!

2010-06-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

And he is up!! On all fours, He is really close to crawling. He gets a little frustrated as he is learning but he gets plenty of encouragement from us. It won't be long now before we have a mobile Mark!

Fun playing with Dada!

Jacob and I had a lot of fun picking out some 6 month toys for Mark... here is his first piano. He has already figured out that if he turns it over and bangs it he can play all the keys at once!!

Poop

2010-06-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

I usually let Mark play for a while in his crib in the morning as long as he sounds happy. This morning was no exception and as I was making my way to his room at about 8 I was thinking about the really dirty diaper that was likely to be awaiting me. I entered Mark's room welcomed by the usual smile and squeal only to notice... he wasn't wearing a diaper!! And then I saw it... Poop everywhere... all over him, his sheet, his crib, his monkey... he was just so happy and having a blast.... Jacob says it's never too early to learn to play with play dough... I'm not so sure.

I decided not to post any pictures from today... but here are some winners from this week.

His first Johnny Jump UP

Helping Daddy with Work.

In sink... I don't know why this turned out so red... I'll have to fix the color.

This Week

2010-05-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

This week we have been working on sitting up... I can't say that it is going so well... He just wants to jump or sleep... nothing in between.... still, he's working on it. Sit up, fall over, sit up, fall over, spit up..... all over!

Finally, Mark had a bath he enjoyed.... or at least he didn't cry! You cant really tell from this picture, but he splashed and played with the ducky and even let me wash his hair with no whines... Mom is way excited about this!

Mark is scooting all over now and I find him all over. This was my favorite one this week. When I saw him and started playing "where's Mark" all his hands and feet started wiggling.... he thought it was great fun.

What a Darling. I am so happy!

Helping with the laundry today... he says it passes the smell test... and he is sitting up a little better!

Trip to Texas

2010-05-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

Brook and Mark would were so cute together but you can see Mark was a little surprised at having to share.I really enjoyed getting to hold and play with Brook. Her smile just melts my heart. It was so good to see Jeff and Mindi. Real food for the Soul.

This is my Dad and the Kids riding on the "hot dog". They had a real blast and it was so kind of Karen and Ray to open up their beautiful home to us. It was a super relaxing vacation for us!

It took Aubrey some time to warm up to me but I so enjoyed getting to know her better... I hate being so far away.

Here is Erin and Bladen. Thank you all the PG girls for getting together. It means so much to me to see each of you again! The trip was absolutely wonderful. I got to spend time with Dad and the kids and I felt that I was able to help and relax. I was so glad to see so many friends and family and as always the trip seemed too short. Mark and I were both glad to get home and see his Daddy!

Rice Cereal

2010-05-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

Mark's first attempt at "solid" food! He seemed to really like it but needs a lot of practice until he will figure out how to swallow. Most of it ended up on the bib. He's growing up!!What a mess!

I think he was more interested in the box before we opened it rather than what was inside!

2010-05-03T09:45:00.001-07:00

Oma's Visit

2010-04-30T17:32:00.000-07:00

Mark's Grandma, Oma, came to visit for a few days from Austin. Mark had so much fun playing and smiling. He seemed comfortable with her right away!

We are so blessed to have such loving, good grandparents for Mark to grow up and love on. Thank you Oma, Opa/Grandpa , Gramma, and Daddy Bill!

2010-04-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

But Mark is doing very well. Happy and healthy 14.9 pounds!! so cute! he has just started to laugh and to roll from his back to his tummy. Please pray as we are trying to get him to go to sleep without all the rocking and singing and paci and swadle!! it has been a tough three days and it isn't getting much better. Poor little guy got stuck with such mean parents!!

Here are some pics from when Gramma came to visit! She was such a blessing to us...

Us at the zoo.. I don't know how much he understood but Mom and I had a Wonderful time!!

Hammond's Candy Factory

Easter At Grandma's House

He is such a joy and a delight!! People keep asking me if I miss work or if I'm tired of staying at home all the time... I have a resounding NO to that... I am loving every minute and wouldn't trade these days for anything... Thankyou again for all your prayers and support, it has made such a difference!!

More birthday fun!!

2010-03-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

We finaly got a cake for Jacob's 30th birthday... and it was YUM!

This Picture reminds me of Where's Waldo... We got the outfit and the blanket from two different people.. I didn't even realize it until I set him down for tummy time... how funny!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

From Us to You

Smiles

2010-03-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

Jacob's birthday!!

These are the pirate pajamas that I made for Mark... Sorry this picture is a little over due... people have been asking to see them.

Daddy Playing airplane...

More Mark

2010-02-21T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with these chubby little leggs... even makes diaper changing almost enjoyable!!

That's the smile I love so much... and he's developing his double chin!!

Love that Boy!!

Mark at 2 Months

2010-02-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Here he is... the same cute face only chubby!! He has just started to smile for us. It just melts my heart to see his eyes light up. I found it so hard to take a picture of him smiling though, because when he smiles he usually wiggles a lot. I can't wait for him to start laughing. It is an absolute joy to wake up to this smile every morning! All that photography plum wore him out!

Mark is doing very well. We had the 2 month pediatrician visit last Tues and he got his first round of immunizations. Ouch! He is growing well and is healthy. Praise God! We are still not sleeping through the night though. He is usually up 2 or three times. We are also still struggling with some of the same nursing issues... Please keep us in your prayers... Thanks be to God I know we will get through this.

Anna Tipps

2010-02-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

As many of you know I lost a beautiful step-mother and friend last week. There aren't words to describe a loss to me personally and to my family. She was kind, compassionate and unique. Anna you will be truly missed. I praise God that you are now pain free and cancer free.... I praise God that we will meet again where all wrongs will be made right.

Oma's Visit

2010-01-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

It was so wonderful having Jacob's mother here to visit!! She showed up late on Thursday night with an amazing gift for Mark from his Opa!! David, Mark's Grandad, had hand made him a wooden,teddy bear rocking chair. I was so floored by such a beautifully created gift... I know Mark will grow up to cherish it as much as we already do. I was so glad to have Rhonda's help with little Mark this week... He hit a growth spurt and was up to eat almost every two hours... Wow. We were all tired at the end of that week!

Mark's Great Auntie K stopped by to visit us and Mark... He loves to just stare at his Aunt K.

Here he is... 5 Weeks today!

Three Weeks

2009-12-30T22:48:00.001-08:00

Three weeks and one day. Our precious litte Mark.

More Pictures

2009-12-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

Look who loves our new Moby Wrap!! Yesterday it was the only thing that would calm him.

Ready for our first walk.

Daddy Bill visited over the weekend. Thanks for all the help... and the ham!

Going home from the Hospital.

Blue Light Special.... Mark had some jaundice but God is good and he is doing much better now.

Gramma Jane visited in the Hospital... What a help and a blessing.

Nothing comforts like Daddy's Hands.

Our Home Has Just Been Enlarged by Two Feet!

2009-12-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

December 8, 2009 brought us a beautiful, healthy baby boy: Mark Charles Minor
Born 7lb 6oz at 10:29AM A long awaited, little answer to prayer arrived. We couldn't be more joyous or more greatful to God for hearing our prayers and granting us such blessing! Thank you for all your prayers. God has heard and He has answered! He is so good!

The Last Baby Bump Pictures

2009-12-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

Nothing but bump!! We're ready for him any time now. The waiting is getting hard!

Here he is next to his crib. Maybe you can see all the puppets and toys in there but they will soon have to move to make room for out little baby.

Snow Days have begun!

2009-11-02T10:14:00.000-08:00

I was sure glad this wasn't my car!! Covered parking.... worth every penny! Up-side-down icicles on the window. And just look at all the snow on the picnic tables.

The drive to work... A real winter wonderland... Glad we had our snow tires on.

With so much snow, how could we resist the urge to make a snow man? Jacob had to do all the hard work.

Carrot nose and all....

He was a very sturdy snow man.... one for the history books, and two days latter.... he's still standing. Temps here should be getting into the 60's though, not looking good for dear ol' Frosty.

Busy October

2009-11-02T09:32:00.001-08:00

Wow, what a busy month!

Our trip to Texas was very eventful. It was wonderful to see so many people and God showed his love for us through the love and support of all our friends and family! We are truly blessed. This is Jacob with Chloe, our niece and one of the twins of his brother. This is the other of the twins, Josh.

Us... opening gifts at our Austin shower.

My sister-in-law, Mindi, and I bump to bump. She is due in 2 weeks!! how exciting, please keep her in your prayers.

Our Gracious Hostesses.... They were wonderful and we really appreciate everyone who drove out to see us. You are all such a blessing to us.

This was our Houston Baby Shower. So many of our Houston friends showed up to give support and blessing to us. We couldn't have asked for better friends and family!

Jacob and I found a great recipe for pizza dough. This is the Italian love of my life trying his hand at hand tossed crust.... it turned out great!!

These are my Late Oct baby bump pics.. getting bigger!

September Baby bump

2009-09-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

Praise God all is going well. Our precious little son keeps getting bigger and bigger. I am feeling well and I really enjoy feeling him move around in my tummy. I am getting too excited to meet the little guy and I can't believe I have to wait another 2 1/2 months!!

2009-09-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Jacob's Family Visit

Kind of as an afterthought, we all went to a car show in Estes. We had so much fun and were all impressed with this old-time fire truck. Wow, and Shaun got to ring the bell.

We all had fun driving up to Rocky Mountain State Park. It was, as usual, breathtaking!

At the zoo we walked around and saw a lot of fun animals and rode the train around. Choo,choo!

Fun at the park.

Hangin' at the house.

One of the highlights of the trip was the Georgetown train. We all had fun hanging out of the windows and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

2009-08-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

Thought that I would just give a little update. Little baby is doing well and keeps growing. My Dr. today said everything is looking on track. He is starting to move more and even kicks me awake every now and then. Praise God everything looks so good. Thank you for your continued prayers.

It's A Boy!

2009-08-04T07:57:00.000-07:00

Our little Skeletor!

Praise God and He's healthy. The ultrasound went very well and all the anatomy looked good. I think my favorite part is watching his heart pump away. He wasn't doing flips or anything this time, but he did have his feet pressed up against his face. What a cutie! Here are some of the ultrasound pics but most of them were of his stomach and brain and stuff. I decided not to post the picture of proof of the gender but you will just have to take our word for it. We are so excited! What a blessing! Thank you all for your prayers.

2009-07-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the ultrasound and I am just too excited I had to post something!! So here is my July baby bump. It has been such an experience now that the baby has started to move. I feel little bumps and wiggles and it really isn't what I expected. Jacob even felt a little kick the other day. Jacob and I tried to listen to the heartbeat with his stethoscope and we think we head it!! We have nearly finished the registry at babies-r-us. We have had so much fun and the hardest part is NOT buying all the stuff right now and fitting up the baby room. I'm sure I'll post another tomorrow or so to let you all know what we find out in the ultrasound. In all my dreams the baby has been a girl but Jacob is thinking it's a boy. Either way I know we won't be disappointed. Thank you for all your prayers.

Here are also some other ultrasound pics that I never got around to putting up. Cute huh??

2009-07-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

My Trip to San Diego

It was so wonderful to see my Mom over the 4th of July. It was so good to see her again and we had a fantastic time. She took me to the Wild Animal Park on a Safari where I got to feed giraffe! I'm still in shock and if I didn't have the pictures to prove it I would still believe it was all a dream. This should be on everyone's bucket list.

I also got to see two of my cousins, my aunt Alice and I met Paul (Julie's kiwi husband) for the first time. It was so good to see them again and we had a wonderful time visiting the beach and enjoying a fabulous dinner.

Rocky Mountian National Park

2009-07-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Moose and her nursing baby.

Yellow-belly Marmot

We love to go to this park every year and this spring was no exception. It is always so beautiful and we are blown away at seeing God's creation and Majesty every year. We gathered some of the new interns from ENT this year and all went to the Mountains. It took most of the day to drive across, see the sights, eat lunch and drive back. We also saw amazing wildlife. Elk with huge racks, marmots, chipmunks, and even a moose and her calf still nursing. It was wonderful. Next spring, come on up and we'll take you with us!!

2009-06-02T17:08:00.000-07:00

Spring always brings us such surprises. But we know it will always be full of new life and appreciating our blessings.

Jacob found these icicles on the garage when he came home from work one morning. He assured me that he could only break off as much as he could reach and this was about half of the total length!! we had fun fighting and laughing at each other and these huge ice swords. It is so wonderful being married to your best friend!!

Then in March God answered our prayers of starting our family!! We're pregnant!! We couldn't be more excited and it has been a long time coming. I have felt really queasy for over a month now and that is getting old fast but I am starting to work on my baby bump and that is really exciting!! Sorry to show so much skin here, but I had to share!!
Here is one of the ultrasounds. He is the cutest little gummy bear that ever was. And I know he is just as excited as we are because as we were watching him he decided to bust a move and shake his little booty!! How cute!! Thank you for all your prayers and encouragements!! I know they have made such a difference. Praise God for friends and family like you!

2009-03-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

What a Wonderful Trip!!

It was so good to see so many of you. I wanted to put up some pictures of evrything I did. So.... First I flew into Houston and it was cold and raining. I couldn't believe it, I think it was colder and wetter in Houston than back in Denver!! But I spent the first day with my dad and all the gang. Many of you know that my stepmom has been diagnosed with cancer and it was soo good to see her doing so well. I am praising God for her progress thus far.

Sat was a really busy day. In the morning my brother, David, and I got ready and went to Krisin's weding. Kristin was my best friend and roomie in college and it was so good to see her and may of my friends again.

After the wedding in south Houston, we got back in the car and drove to Austin to see my neice Aubrey. it was her first birthday and though we had missed most of the party we would get to see Jeff and Mindi and Aubrey. It was a sight for sore eyes to see the whole crew.

Then We went to see Jacob's mom,Stepdad,and their two Shawn and Sarah. We had a wonderful visit with chicken delicious and a great fellowship on the couch. I wish we had been able to stay longer. These visits are never long enough.

2009-03-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

One thing I think I will never get tired of is the beauty of right after a big snow. I wanted to include some pictures from just around our complex. I wish I could box up a little of it and send it to each one of you, but I know you wouldn't appreciate getting a soaked cardboard box from the Minors.

2009-01-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

I really wanted to start the blog from when we moved to Denver, but It has taken me THIS LONG to get it to work. So here is the first year and a half... in a nut shell:

When we first moved here we wanted to check out this beautiful landscape and one of the first places we went was Rocky Mountain National park. WOW!! Every view was amazing like right out of a calender. This park has the highest continuous paved road in North America topping out at 12,183 feet, so it was all the fun of a mountain climb with non of the work.

It has been just wonderful seeing all the colors change in the fall. There wasn't anything like it in Texas. We drove out Gold Camp Road just West of Colorado Springs to see the beautiful aspens in the fall. Theodore Roosevelt himself could only describe it "This is the trip that bankrupts the English Language", and seeing it first had this is not an understatement.

When my Dad was down we went to Roxborough State park. These structures were formed from the same rock formations as Red Rocks in Colorado Springs. It was amazing to see huge jets of red rock shooting right out of the ground like plates on the back of a reptile. We had a blast hiking around and getting rained on.

Our first snow was in October. AMAZING! We were like little children playing in it; catching it on our toungs and throwing snowballs at each other. It absolutely transforms everything into some other world... a winter wonderland. Too bad it is so stinking cold!

Once spring sprang my mother came again and we visited the botanical gardens. I got so many amazing pictures of all the flowers... the hardest part was deciding which one to put as my desktop.

Aubry was born and we finally got to see her in May. I am so happy for Jeff and Mindi.

Next big adventure was Polo Duro Canyon. Another beautiful rocky hike around waterfalls and into a canyon. We got really stuck and were afraid we would have to live there but with some persistence we got out. I had a wonderful time, and thankfully we remembered to pack a lunch.

Then CHICAGO! The train trip was a nightmare but the city was beautiful. We has so much fun seeing our friends and touring the city.

That fall brought with it many trial for Jacob and me. Jacob's father passed away unexpectedly in October leaving his family devastated and bringing a shadow over the end of 2008. We have also continued to try unsuccessfully to conceive. It was a good year and a memorable one; beginning in hope and beauty and ending in sorrow and trials.