Bamboo Sprouts

We had such a nice time in Estes Park last year that we headed back this year.  We love to stay at one of the cabins at the YMCA there.  Nothing fancy, but comfy, can take our pupsters with us and they have lots of activities for kiddos and most of them are even free.  My Dad and his 150+lb PUPPY joined us.

Our cabin was called Isabella Bird which was a big hit with Bella. 

My Dad’s cabin was right across the way from ours.

peeps

Inside our cabin.  In twenty years, we haven’t had one with a tv before!  When we checked in, they had us across the park from my Dad and I pretty much begged them to move us.  At first she said they were full for the weekend and couldn’t do it but evenutally she talked to the manager and they said they would open an “emergency” cabin.  I don’t know what that meant but it resulted in a bigger place, a tv and a dishwasher for us.

They offer lots of freebie classes and activities for the kids.  They took an origami class and a nature art class.  They also dyed eggs, made easter crafts, went to the roller rink and went swimming.

View from our cabin.

We also took a horse drawn hayride.

We rode out to a bonfire spot and roasted up marshmallows.

My hot man.  He was a hero this weekend, trekking kiddos all around to the activities.

My Dad, his puppy, Goliath, and kids.

Rick and I.

Decorating cookies.

I made them Easter ”baskets” that can double as library bags.

One of our bitty pupsters next to my Dad’s moose of a pupster!  Goliath is already over 150lbs and will probably gain another 30-50 before he is full grown!  He is a super beautiful Newfie and has nice manners but sometimes he thinks he is a lap dog and he is still very puppyish, not knowing that he is HUGE.    Tons of people came up to pet him and he sits so nicely and puts his paw up to shake hands with them.

We roasted marshmallows in the fireplace…and also a peep.  Poor peep.

Bella drew a pic of Grpa and Goliath.

We had such a nice time. 

Celebrating Valentine’s Day

Rick and I skipped town for a couple nights while kiddos stayed with his parents.  So fun. 

We stayed in a super nice “cabin”.  Little too fancy to really call it a cabin but anyhow, it made for a lovely getaway.

Sophie plays Words W*th Fr*ends with a few peeps and check out this 100+ point word she played!

Lots of fun snowy days.

Painting

Lots of Birthday celebrating!  This is one of my cutie pie nieces, age 3.

Bella writes us a lot of notes!  This one was to Rick and she has a thing for fortunes so she glued one on his note.    Sophie used to write us a lot of notes too but then she went more digital and now she sends us emails.  Levi continues to be a boy of few words. 

This is my nightstand!  Full of kiddo art these days!

And this is my dining table!  So full of dust that someone made drawings there too. 

Homemade pizza night.

My peeps.

I kind of feel like I missed three months of my life.  Sometimes it seems like we haven’t even celebrated Christmas yet!  But I am feeling more and more “normal” and like I can move on to other things.  MS and how I feel physically and emotionally and all that have taken over my thoughts for too long now but as I feel better and adjust to things, I feel ready to move on and get back to my regularly scheduled life.  Maybe that will include more updates here.  Maybe. 

Celebrating my Dad’s Birthday.

We had salmon, mashers, peas, salad and bread.  And big ole chocolate cake of course.

My sister, my Dad and I.

My Mom with my little nephew…who declined most of his dinner but scarfed up cake and ice cream.    It is thanks to my Mom that I have any photos to post here!  I totally slacked off and only took a couple of the pix.

Levi loving his cake too.

My sister and I (with some distraction, right Taryn?  ).

Growing Bella’s bangs out is so painful that I am about to cut them back off…again.

See this peanut?  She is my littlest niece.  I think you can see why I am completely wrapped around her tiny finger.  She is a turkey and a darling at the same time. 

The Birthday guy.

Sophie, Emily and Sarah

Us.

Happy Birthday Dad!  XO

Sophie played in her annual piano recital last weekend.  I haven’t been staying on top of things quite enough and just before her recital I asked her to play her songs for me, thinking it might be a struggle.  Well of course she had it all under control.    She continues to love playing and it is so fun to see her talent for it.

I have so little to post these days.

I have been having a lot of hard days but I just hate saying that.  I really appreciate all the kind emails, comments, thoughts and stories of peeps you all know who live well with MS.  Actually this might be a strange request but if any of those peeps you know are interested in talking to a new to MS person, I am really interested in talking (or emailing) with them.  I am a person who likes a lot of information and am very interested in hearing how some others manage this.  I am still having trouble even believing that I have MS and I get sad sometimes.

I saw a Neurologist last week and learned that according to my MRI’s, I have probably had this for a very long time, this is just my first flair up.  That is such an interesting thought because it means I already know what it feels like to live with it, just not to live with flair ups and the after effects.  The after effects are what I am struggling with right now, but I know it just might take more time to realize more improvement.  My strength is back to a large degree on the side that lost so much, but about 1/4 of me is still numb and electrical/tingly and I am so disappointed about that.

Anyhow, for now, I am just still adjusting to all this and giving myself more time to improve.