they just make me smile

My girls.  They make me smile.  Especially recently since they have become better buddies.  I catch them actually playing together sometimes!  It's really sweet.  And one thing they have enjoyed doing this week is playing with the puppets.  They walk around using cute voices talking to each other's puppets and making up weird names for them.  Aubrey always wants to be the monkey because she likes making monkey sounds.  It's always a happy moment around our house when I see sisterly love.  Makes me think of Becky....MOVE OUT HERE PLEASE!!!

It Finally Snowed!

We've been waiting a long while for the perfect sledding day.....and it finally came!  These two are so darn cute!  They loved it and can't wait for more snow so we can go sledding again.  Daddy on the other hand is still sore from pulling them back up the hill about 25 times :)  What a good dad!

This was Aubrey's first time in front...a little more timid for sure.  Oh man did they fly!

Detroit

Thomas got a surprise gift at Christmas....a flight to Detroit!  Actually he got two tickets.  One for him and one for his smoken hot wife.  Nice vacation, right?!  It was actually.  Let's be honest here mom friends...how nice does it sound to sit inside an airport without anyone hanging on you or needing you or climbing on you or talking to you?  Pretty nice, I know.  So this trip was sort of a vacation for us.  Despite the destination, it was such a great little getaway for us.  (Sidenote- as I am typing this, my sweet little Aubrey is throwing a pillow onto my head)

So about that vacation.... Detroit has not been on the top of our list of places to see, like Mount Rushmore or Maine or New York City have been.  But ever since our friends, the Orfs, moved there they have intrigued us to go and visit.  Many of their close (and not so close friends) visited them during their two year stay in Belfast, Ireland.  Much more appealing than Detroit.  So they were quite surprised that we would want to head their way in the middle of a Detroit winter.  One word folks.  Southwest.

But in all honesty, we were very excited to see what life was like and how our friends were living in such a run down and sad place.  And run down and sad it was.  It's so crazy to think that the city was booming just a few years ago.  Now, as you drive by a row of houses you'd find only about 1/3 of them occupied.  The others were burned out, demolished, windows blown, rubbish.  Very sad.  But for those who live there still, it's all they have.  And it's very evident that they are very thankful for whatever they have.

Now as for Bobby and Joy, and the two other couples that live with them, they have moved to Detroit for one reason...well maybe a few rolled into one sentence.  To follow God's leading as they engage in communal living while trying to restore an impoverished area.  Risky, right!?  But very bold.  I'm proud of them.  Am I glad I don't feel like Detroit is my calling, YES!  But I'm proud of them for living amongst less comforts and more reliance on God's goodness and provision.  I'm thankful for the ways the Lord shows us His care and provision towards His people.  Like how He leaves checks on a doorstep of someone in need to paying thousands of dollars in medical bills.  Or how He finds a new mom a much needed carseat.  Or like the time He treated a homeless man to a backpack full of snacks and toiletrees.  You're probably thinking of many more examples.  Praise God!

As you may have guessed, our trip was great!  Eye-opening, encouraging, inspiring, humbling....

Thanks to Grandma Anne for coming to hang out with our girls while we could experience Detroit in "peace".  And what did I do on an airplane before kids?!?!  I think I read magazines or maybe watched a show.  Doing that again was bliss :)  Thanks mom!

A few moments captured:

Family Fun in January

After the new year I started the countdown.  19 days and my family would be here!  In COLORADO!!!!  The days seemed to drag on but each time I talked with them I made sure to tell them how excited we all were to have them here.  And finally the day came when they arrived in beautiful Boulder, Colorado where the weather could have easily fooled us for spring time.  (good for those California kids)

It was like the book "The Relatives Came" by Cynthia Rylant.  A children s book that talks about relatives coming to visit and how there was so much hugging and it was hard to fall asleep with all that new breathing in the house.  It felt just like that.  It was one big slumber party on Gapter Road.  The house we rented was amazing!  Not only did it have a swing set in the backyard, but it had a path that lead to COWS!  Talk about  great entertainment for the girls!  They loved it.  Katin even named some of the cows when she was on her walk with Aunt Donna and Cousin Jordan.

Despite all that new breathing and being so.....together....we all had a wonderful time!  I'm always so encouraged by my family because we are so many different people that no matter what love each other through anything and accept one another as they are.  Period.  It's a great feeling to know we can all be ourselves and feel comfortable.  I guess wine helps though :)

Yes, there was wine.  And yummy food.  And Spooners.  And late nights playing Cranium.  And early mornings with babies.  And skiing.  And fudge!  And shopping on Pearl Street.  And reminiscing about the pull out couch.  And snoring family members being quarantined.  And a tire swing. And a "hike".  And more fudge.  It was so fun!

I'm thankful that my family took the time to come here to Colorado so we could have sort of a family reunion of sorts.  To me that says love.  It says commitment   And it says that we can do quality time over quantity.  Love you Donna, Evan, Katie, Jordan, Chad, Becky, David, Avery, MOMMY, Doug, Harrison, Thomas, Katin and Aubrey.  I am thankful I get to call you my family!

       Now we can all officially begin 2013!

A Fun Family Photo Frenzy

This Christmas all the Milburns got together (a miracle in itself) and what better way to capture the fun than a family photo!  It seems to be a necessary activity when every single Milburn is together since it doesn't happen as much as we'd all like.  We were all so thrilled that Deborah and Charles made their way out to Colorado from Seattle for Christmas.  It had been way too long since Thomas, the girls and I have seen them since our recent hiatus to California (which by the way we've been missing!  Although, sidetracking a bit, we DID have a white Christmas here.  So fun!)  Here are a couple previous family photos that we've taken.

November 2010

January 2012

And these are a few highlights from this year.  Stephen was the mastermind behind the whole thing.  He's good!

December 2012

There really is nothing better than being with family.  We are so thankful for the family we have and get to spend time with.  Katin and Aubrey have the best aunts and uncles in the whole world!  Not to mention all their amazing grandparents.  We are so blessed to have a family who desires to spend quality time together laughing, playing and joyfully dancing!

I hope you had a chance to capture some great family moments this Christmas.  Can't wait for January when we can do round two of a fun family photo frenzy with the Williams!

Baby's First Hair Cut

Hello Blog World!  Hope your Holiday Season has been wonderful!  Merry Christmas to all!  Enjoy time with family, friends and....for me lately....FUDGE!  (I think I just ate my fifth piece of the day)

I wanted to share a few pictures of Katin's very first haircut!  I know it's hard to believe that we would ever cut off that gorgeous mullet she had going.  I think when it was wet her rat tail hit her little behind.  What kind of parents are we getting that awesome thing hacked off?!?!  Katin was really nervous for her haircut.  She asked, "They use scissors for my haircut mom, will it hurt?"  So funny..but such a great question!  After a little explaining she was so excited for this adventure.

After leaving she immediately said she wanted to go back and get another haircut soon.  Soon enough child, soon enough.

Before...the shag

During

More During...still a bit skeptical

Aubrey of course wanted in on the action

After...she didn't crack a smile till the lady handed her a sucker for being such a good beauty parlor "patient"

It's all even!  And looks thicker I promise :) 

 And why not add these adorable photos to my hair cutting blog???

Ready for Christmas!

Life Lately

Did you fill a box this year?  If so, I'm sure you had a great time placing all those cute little trinkets and candies carefully into the red and green shoebox.  Not only did Thomas, the girls and I fill up a couple boxes (complete with an oversized plastic dinosaur that Katin insisted go in there) for Operation Christmas Child, but I also had the wonderful opportunity to serve at the packaging and shipping center in Denver.  A bunch of us moms (and a few lucky hubbys) went down together to work until the wee hours of the night about 11 pm sorting, taping, scanning, and packing thousands of shoeboxes.  A few things about it really warmed my heart.  One....There were thousands upon thousands of boxes to be sorted and scanned!  I couldn't believe how many boxes they send out to be shipped.  I never knew that our box was one of 100 MILLION!!!  Two....as the night went on I was thinking about all the little boys and girls playing in Tecate, Mexico, a place where Thomas and I visited a few times to build homes.  I was imagining how happy they would be to receive a box full of goodies!  And guess what!?!?!  About halfway through the night one of the head volunteers started explaining where the boxes go specifically and how we could get more involved throughout the year.  And do you know what...the exact boxes I was sorting were heading off to Mexico the next day!!!  And three....each box was completely different.  As much as I was thinking to myself in that dollar store how every kid must get a toothbrush or a candy cane or a pack of markers, I was wrong!  Every box was organized and packed and filled with very different stuff.  It was so neat to see what people thought of to send.  A few ideas I saw that I will try to remember were little lego sets, hair ties, flip flops, a small blanket, underwear, and a toothbrush holder!  Needless to say I was blessed by being at the OCC packaging site this year.  I will definitely sign up again for the years to come and hopefully my girls will want to come along when they are 13 :)

And in other news....

Thomas is a great dad (not new news)

We have a new favorite: homemade french fries

We love our advent calendar complete with an activity/idea for each day

Day one was make a Christmas Craft- from pinterest of course

The girls are probably looking bigger (and cuter) since the last time you saw them

And finally...we see quite the variety of animals on our way to church including horses, cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, an unknown animal and dogs.  But today was extra special...we saw this guy!