Colorado Trip - Part 1 - Breckenridge

Bryan and the boys doing "face"

we got back last night from our Thanksgiving trip to Colorado. My mother and her husband Howard moved there 3 1/2 years ago and this was our second time visiting them. the first time we only had bryson...this time was, in fact, quite different with the 3 boys. this was our first time traveling with all of them. they did amazing on the plane. i think it had to do with the fact that the older boys sat with their daddy and i had bobby on my lap away from them.

Me trying to surf...note the tongue of concentration

My mountain man

The gang of us

oh and by the way...they almost made us buy a ticket for Bobby because you have to have proof of birth. i still haven't gotten a birth certificate for him (the agent said the letter from the midwife would do) but i didn't know it was for any baby. we had to buy bryson a ticket when he was almost 2 because of that, but thought it was because he looked almost 2...didnt know it applied to babies too! just an FYI if you happen to travel with a lap infant...but maybe you knew that already...like i probably should have.

Me forcing Bodie to have fun...Bodie politely refusing

The sleigh ride through the woods

anyhoo...so we made it to CO and the next day we headed up to Breckenridge for some snow fun. right behind the *gorgeous* cabin we stayed in was the best hill for sledding, so we took advantage of that every day.

we had an Italian style Thanksgiving - my  mom cooked AMAZING food all week...i was so so spoiled...she was in the kitchen like the whole time poor woman! but that is a way she shows her love and it would be so rude not to accept all the mama lovin from the kitchen, no?

Bodie looking so happy...

Proof Bobby was there too...our little bear all bundled up

on friday we met up with my aunt and uncle and cousins (my cousin danny and his family live in CO also) and had a St. Lucia brunch and some more snow play and then hopped on a sleigh ride to this cute little tent/cabin thing where we listened to country songs and drank hot chocolate...and the adults got a little peppermint schnapps thrown in which helped warm us up a bit...and then dinner in Breckenridge with the whole lot of us. good times!

If the boys would have slept well, it would have made the trip extra perfect...i feel absolutely exhausted from trying to get each boy to sleep and stay asleep. every night i would go from our bed to the boys bed and back to our bed, sometimes 3 trips each night. Bodie did not have an easy time of it and Bobby ended up getting a cold and so the poor guy could barely breathe.

Bodie slept so little during the trip, which is i think the real reason i am exhausted. On the way home from the airport he fell asleep (around 6) and didnt get up until 8:15 this morning - which is a record for him (he usually wakes around 5:45-6.

but the million cups of coffee helped...plus the chilly mountain air. breckenridge is just breath-taking beautiful. It so helped to put us in the mood for Christmas, even if we did come home to 70 degree California weather.

Bryan and I agreed that it was hard, but so worth it and we are glad that having 3 kids doesn't stop us from exploring and living and exposing our kids to new experiences...even if people at the airport look at you like you are nuts...and about a million people tell you, "looks like you have your hands full!" because we do...but it doesnt stop us...because we crazy like that!

Bodie did not care for sledding...but he looked adorable!

on our way...

to colorado...for our first trip with our party of 5! i have our bags packed...plus a party bag for the boys to *hopefully* keep bodie occupied long enough to not make the flight miserable for all.

P.S....packing for 5 is a workout! both mental and otherwise.

we will be heading up to the mountains (weather permitting) and spending a couple days cozying up in a cabin - we are looking forward to no computers and no work and lots of play...not looking forward to the COLD - looks like the high will be 15 degrees tomorrow! ouch...

wish us luck...throw up a prayer...we have a lot to be thankful for and excited there is a holiday reserved just for that...well...that and eating...hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday!!!

The Second Child

we would have never bought bryson a scooter before he turned 2...nor would we think to put him on the balance bike...there is just something about this that doesnt seem right!

Bodie on Bryson's Razor




Bodie on the Balance Bike

Bobby at 2 Months

okay...i am a wee bit late for this post...i realize...almost 2 weeks late, so he is more like 2 1/2 months but humor me...

sweet bobby b. he is a little sweetheart - this month he has really been cooing like crazy - big huge smiles for us and any time you pay him attention he is over the moon about it.

this month he has been active like crazy - holding his head up so well and practicing jumping on daddy's lap.

he has been sleeping much better too. he still spits up a lot, but wakes 2-3 times a night, and now i can help him go back to sleep after his second waking. the trick is to put him in the bassinet, not hold him...much to my sadness. i wish i could cuddle him but its not helping either of us out.

big brothers are in love with this boy too. they fight over who gets to hold him. i sneak peeks of bryson singing to him and bodie sneaking kisses. he is such a perfect little puzzle piece to our family. he fits in seamlessly and i could not imagine our life without him. although its only been 2 1/2 months...i feel as though he has been a part of our family all along...its odd...but this month has really been about me feeling like our family is complete and he helps seal that deal ;)

The Golfers and How to Cool Up Hand Me Downs!

my husband is little bit brilliant...although he is the only boy among his siblings and did not have to share his boyish toys to the extent these three will have to, he knows how to make hand-me-downs seem cooler than they are.

bryson just turned 5 this week and for his birthday he received a big boy set of golf clubs...a VERY nice set of clubs...like when bryan told me how much he spent on them i was a little taken aback... but its an "investment" he assured me...ummm..mmm...hmmm...okay...if you say so, honey! bryan also took him to the "big boy" course (a local par 3 - they only did the front 9) and he started his next level of golf classes. so this has all been very exciting (for them) of course. 

Part of our dilemma in our household right now is how to encourage sharing, but also how to keep the "bigger boy" toys separate from the "little boy" toys. bodie should not in any way be playing with bryson's clubs - bryson also needs to learn how to care for *very* nice things/property. so bryan was very intentional with this...

first he took bryson's old clubs and had them shortened at the golf shop...then he spray painted the club part white to appear new and he got them re-gripped and lastly, he got Bodie his very own new standing bag. 

to help show Bodie the difference of ownership, Bryan had me print out some pictures of the boys and attach them to their bags to show "this is Bryson's!" and "this is Bodie's"

and it worked so well! i was so blown away! we all made a very big deal of bodie's clubs and you could tell he felt pretty dern cool...

i love that bryan's brain thinks this way - i would have just given him the old clubs and be all like, deal...these boys are very lucky to have such a creative and thoughtful daddy!

Ready for the So-Cal Hurricane Season

i think these two "dress up" in some fashion every day...love it! 

sunset reflections

my *bigger* boys have been gone all day with their dad. i have a lot of catching up in the office to do...so i have had a quiet house...which is amazing...my brain can think...but its also bittersweet -i miss my boys' chaos and laughter too. bryan is good about filling me in on the special times when he has the boys - he just emailed me this picture he took on his phone of the boys at the beach.

i wish i was there and not here...but it is so so nice that our boys have this time with their dad. this was our dream - to have the both of us raising our children like this...and although i feel more than a little over working (if you know me, then you know i have been trying to get fired for the past 6 1/2 years) i can't help but look at a picture like this and know that we are making the right choice.

5 Years Old!!!

this is what 5 looks like...5 trying on a costume he wore when he was 2.

bryson wallace barnes...our firstborn - how are you 5 today?

right now you are into paper airplanes and golf and your scooter and bike and you LOVE learning about how things work - your teachers go on and on about how fun you are to have in class because you get so enthusiastic to learn. you just wrote your name for the first time!

you just started getting really into trying new foods - you will usually take (at least one) bite of anything. your favorite breakfast is yogurt and granola - your favorite lunch is PB&J and your favorite dinner is fish or pizza.

you love playing with guns or swords (you said to dad - "i love weapons, dad. i love all weapons" you love dressing up - your imagination is endless, you love your school.

you are such a good big brother (most of the time) - you LOVE little bobby and try to hold him all the time - you are sweet with Bodie and help him figure things out. you are so much fun to have around - you make any day so colorful - you always have something to say about ANYTHING and it is always fun to hear what comes out of your mouth. today you said, "oh my golly gee" - not sure where that came from...

i love you bryson! 5 is going to be good for you...i bet this is the year you learn to tie your shoes...and start kindergarten...and learn how to read...but dont grow too fast, okay?

cleaning out the garage...barnes style...

this weekend was crazy productive for us. we didnt leave the house at all and planned to conquer a big project - the GARAGE.

since we moved we upgraded from boxes to plastic bins...they are bryan's nemesis. he created a space in the garage to be his work-out room. problem is that our garage also stores all my hobbies too....the beer kits and fabrics (oh my how did i get that much fabric?) and zoodies inventory.




we should have taken a before shot, but i believe we must have had at least 20 bins. i think we got rid of most of them.

 there were 3 bins of costume/dress up stuff - that we have accumulated through years of dress-up parties and halloweens. so, of course, we had to play in that for a good while...even bodie wanted in on the act...













when i met bryan he seldom drifted from elastic banded bottoms and t-shirts. he used to wear this outfit for reals....the shorts were in better shape then...i dont exactly know whey they are ripped to shreds...

i have tried to get rid of this outfit no less than 5 times throughout our marriage and each time he somehow finds out and stops the mutiny. sometimes when we are fighting he would put it on and walk around the house...it would of course cause me to laugh...i let him keep it only as a "working" shirt, which is why there is paint on it and chlorine ate through it. very sentimental this guy is...

then there is me...i wanted to throw away my letterman's jacket and he threw a fit...."you dont throw away your letterman jacket"  - i think i was saving it in case i had a little girl and she might want it someday...its a girly letterman jacket...

i also wanted to throw away some photo albums - but i guess throwing away pictures is verboten...which i think is silly...i dont need a million pictures of the same thing...

so, then this whole debate started about how i have so much STUFF (like my fabric stash for example) and why do i care about keeping a jacket...which is so so so different to me because i USE the fabric - it will serve a purpose/function...i will most likely never use the jacket or the photo albums...

i think every marriage has a hoarder and a throw-awayer...i somehow am both, but tend not to collect STUFF just to keep and not do anything with.

but i am AMAZED that we did this together and did not fight and worked together well and yay for us (patting myself on the back) because that is NOT typical of us doing something like this...because our processes are so so different.

now our garage is ready for p90x...90 days of a lot of exercise...90 days of busting booty...anyone want to join our gym? its free? we are going to try to recruit others so that we are highly highly motivated to follow through with it...

The After Shot

Fabric Bookcase

Zoodie Bookcase

Workout Station

Snuggly Saturdays

each of my children have been very different in regards to sleeping with us.

i think with bryson i was planning on him sleeping in the pack n play for the first 3 months and then moving him to the crib in another room. when i got him home from the hospital, though, i couldn't sleep unless he was on my chest. i needed to hear/feel him breathe.

i think he slept with us for 3 months...but it became clear that he slept much better away from me. i would wake him up and he did not take kindly to that (he gets that from his momma!) also he is not a snuggler....by ANY means...it is so on his terms (also from his mama...when she was a girl...although now i do love me some snuggles!).

Bodie loved sleeping with us. he slept so much better next to me. He slept in our bed for 8 months...and daddy was OVER it. he still talks about how bodie was in our bed for too long...i got him out because bryan wanted him to, but i would probably still be sleeping with bodie...well...maybe not with bobby!

bobby...seems to be more like bryson than bodie...he seems to enjoy being held, but sleeps better in his swing or bassinet.

but what is so fun is saturday mornings (who are we kidding...MOST mornings really!) when all the boys are in the bed....it usually only lasts about 20 minutes before someone gets hurt or the bigger boys start wrestling, but i am glad bryan snapped this shot...because we were truly laying like that and it was such a sweet morning. i love that my boys want to do this and come to our bed before trying to watch TV or something...i know this will change - i know we will only be cool for a short period...but i am cherishing these snuggly times!

nature walkin...

last week thursday was my only day the whole week where i wasn't in the office. i find myself in here more and more and let me just tell you how over it i am...i am over it! we have had all sorts of taxes stuff to do (we had filed an extension) and bank reconciling and billing and i am hopefully climbing over the mountain of to-dos and can get back to a normal (whatever that means) routine.

anyway - i was trying to get to all the stuff i neglected all week around the house. like picking up the house and the laundry and that sorts of stuff and the boys were fighting and everyone reached epic levels of craziness and i announced...thats it! we are leaving...NOW! and we did...and it was even quiet in the car...which was amazing.

i went to the nature walk because i needed to be outside...i feel so cooped up when i have to work all week...

it was so so so nice to be somewhere and not have the boys fight over toys...or riding their bikes almost into the street and freaking me out...or yell at them for getting into something they shouldn't...or be worried about how dirty they are....i was also renewed a lot...getting fresh air in my lungs and the sunlight on my face and the simple beauty of staring at an orb weaver or the changing leaves instead of a computer screen and my bank register (cause that is just all kinds of depressing)

it was good times for sure...and a funny/ironic thing happened to me while we were there.

bryson and bodie were next to this little stream (like this one below) and i was ahead of them about 10 yards calling for bryson. this old man and woman were walking past and the old man (gruffly) told my boys "be careful of the water!" and "mind your mother, she is calling you"...now this pissed me off for several reasons...1) when someone tells my kids to be careful, i feel like they are really telling me and don't...and i wish they would rather tell me than try to parent my kids themselves and 2) so what if my kids did fall in? its not like a dangerous rushing river...its a freaking stream....they would get muddy...thats it...and then they would learn a valuable lesson on being careful at a river's bed...much easier than me screaming at them every time they are near it...


i was thinking these thoughts as i was waiting for the boys to move along and then, not even twenty minutes later after our little picnic by another stream, while i was nursing bobby, bodie fell in...can you tell by the picture above that he was covered with mud?

i was laughing to myself/at myself. here is that valuable lesson you wanted him to learn, carlee! good thing i keep a change of clothes for bodie with me at (almost) all times!

but you know what? after i changed him he went right back to that stream...and he was a little more cautious...he stayed back a couple feet more than before, so maybe he did learn something?

and here is sweet bobby...he is the calm in the storm...just so content and sweet and oh so quiet compared to these brothers of his!! we are enjoying his little company oh so much!