Ringing in the New Year

I am not quite sure that we will be ringing in the New Year awake this year....I am guessing sometime between 10 and 11 pm the family will be fast asleep....we started out the morning showing a client a 2nd look at a house and then our family was planning on heading to Fort Collins to return a pair of motorcycle pants for Collin....well my client decided that they wanted to put a offer on this home....the home had only been on the market for about 48 hrs and was positioned to receive multiple offers...so we headed straight to the office and began working on our offer....with a little aggressive moves on my part we were able to block the other offers and my client got the house....I finally got home this afternoon around 3 or so.....Collin has been feeling a little sick the last day or so...and Dylan has a runny nose....so we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at home..............ahhhh I love our home.....we all just finished bubble baths and now have our pjs on....I think we are going to head down to the game room and play some games as Dylan takes in a little Wubbzy.........as I reflect on this last year .....wow what awesome and busy year that we have had...Collin got a new motorcycle last year....we bought 2 more houses...our new one and our other rental........we enjoyed a great family bike trip and Maggie joined our family.....looking so forward to what 2010 holds for our family....I am thinking we won't be making as many purchases this next year....but then again you never know...ideally we would like 3 more rentals.....but most likely won't secure another rental until 2011....I am exciting about getting the front and backyard in order at our new home this year.....I am also looking forward to a couple of family trips.....and of course getting in shape and fitting into my old clothes...............that will be the best............well until next year

Diet

I would like to say that I am not on a diet and just going to a healthier life style and eating but the truth is that I am on a diet .....when you restrict your calorie intake it is pretty much a diet....its just the truth....of course during my diet I will be eating healthier due to the calorie restrictions and will be exercising since it is a important part of losing weight....it has been a full 24 hours and so far so good.....if I can make it thru the first week and all the craving for sugar and bread I should be ok.....I am also mentally in a good place for it....and am actually embracing all the extra energy I will have, and how much better I will feel physically and about myself...really all in all a win win...you know the reality is that I am 40 and a mother of a 18 month old son....it is important that I am the healthiest that I can be as a older parent...life isn't as forgiving as you get older so it is important that I stay strong, healthy and fit....it really is a life style change but in order to get where I want to be I do need to restrict my calorie intake....I am not following a specific diet but just making healthier low calorie low fat choices.....and can't go over my calorie restrictions......

I think New Years Eve will be a quiet evening at home.....we were invited to a party from one of my clients but we both really don't want to go...we thought about having a get together here at the house...but not really sure....during Collins next 4 day I think we are going to tackle his indoor shop and then finish the garage and are going to sand down the edges on the kitchen cabinets and get them repainted.....and perhaps get the kitchen base board trim painted...

Our Christmas Decorations are still up...I think I want to enjoy the season for another week or so....then I will take a day and put all of my treasures away until next year...saying goodbye to my old friends and looking forward to when I will see them again next year....

I am also itching for nice weather....it has been so cold and so windy that we just haven't been able to get outside....I think more snow tomorrow....perhaps if it is nice this afternoon....Dylan and I will bundle up and head to the park with the dogs for a winter walk....

I am off all day with my Dillybar.....our days off together feel so indulgent...lots of nursing....cuddling....playing....sleeping....and just in general a pretty darn good time...of course there is always the laundry, bits of cleaning, and errands to run but that just adds to the fun.....

until next time

Saturday Deals and a Slow Sunday

The family has had a wonderful weekend...we thoroughly enjoyed the day after Christmas....after sleeping in and breakfast we headed out the door off to a couple of stores to see what bargains could be found.....we headed out to buy new LED Christmas Lights and hoping to score a big discount on them for next year....we headed to Lowes....but no luck all of their LED lights were sold out.....we did though manage to stumble upon storage containers marked 75% off....we bought quite a few to help organize all of Dylan's toys and new Christmas gifts......so I spent the afternoon sorting toys into little tight lid containers so that way nothing gets lost.....so far it is awesome and I think we will enjoy as will Dylan enjoy playing with his toys so much more.....we then made our way to Kohls....I still had $10.00 in Kohls cash to spend....we bought a new scale...since my old one went on the brink about a week or so ago....only 15% off plus my $10.00 off discount so not a huge savings but a needed item unfortunately.....we finished the outing at the mall so Dylan could play at the kiddie play area...it is really a ideal place here in Cheyenne....it is warm and protected from the weather...and always lots of kids to interact with....he loves it and plus its free......of course if we go to the mall I must include a visit to Gymboree.....they had a great sale and I bought swim trunks and swim shirts for this summer for $3.00 a piece I also bought 3 pairs of summer shorts at $3.00 a piece....so it is pretty hard to beat.....the secret to buying at Gymboree is trying to buy 6 months to a year ahead if you can do that ....you can save a ton....good quality clothing at cheap clothes pricing.....we then made our way home...Dylan was ready for afternoon nap....and Dad needed to go do a little snow removal due to all the wind....once Dad got home we headed out for dinner....with you guess it a gift certificate....Dylan was well behaved and we enjoyed a great meal.....we made our way to Home Depot to see if they had any LED lights left....we weren't very hope full but it was close and we decided to check just in case......we lucked out.....they had lights for 50% off....so we bought like 10 boxes enough to do the exterior....they look pretty cool and the good news is that they use 80% less energy and we can string a ton of them together :)more good news.........still quite a investment even at 50% off ....thank goodness we had another gift card to help pay for them.......

This morning is another lazy morning at the Moody's...Dad had to head to work but Dylan and I slept in till about 9 or so.....Dylan loves to cuddle in bed in the morning....I read the Sunday paper in the warmth of my bed....and Dylan went in and out of snooze mode.....we headed down stairs to get a little morning play time in....after putting together a couple of puzzles, shooting baskets, racing cars and reading books....Dylan headed upstairs to his bedroom....he really loves his bed in his room and climbed into it and put the covers over himself and looked at a book.....to cute...I found comfort in the rocking chair and started this blog.....so far Dylan's favorite gifts remain the little man he pushes on the bicycle...his motor cycle and he really loves his new water bottle with his name on it...it has a strap that he can carry it over his shoulder and take it with him.....the rest of the day is going to be filled with necessary household chores...lots of laundry......and of course a luxurious afternoon nap with my Dillybar.....tomorrow back to work............

All of my favorites of Christmas 2009

Favorites of Christmas 2009
In Random Order

Seeing Dylan dressed up in the cutest soft black corduroy dressy overalls and argyle matching knitted cap..........perfection

Dylan receiving chocolate gold coins from his Nain....it took me back to when I was a little girl and the memories of my grandmother always attaching chocolate gold coins to my packages...it was always my favorite part of the gift...

Quenching my thirst last night on a big tall glass of cold water after eating way to many sweet chocolate every things....

Watching Collin help Dylan on his new motor bike....stuff only a dad can do right

Getting a really cool carved pig from Penny....

Watching Maggie and Winston curl up on the couch together this afternoon for what seemed like hours.......

Enjoying the fact that it was to cold to go outside and do anything

Taking in a long afternoon nap with Dylan after a visit to go see Dad at the Fire Station

Dylan crawled out of bed this Christmas morning and showed up at the top of the stairs.......... rubbing his eyes and ready to get Santa's gifts open..as I picked him up my heart swelled with love.........such a wonderful feeling

Thrilled with our new home and its ability to display all of my cherished collectibles

Waking up next to Collin exhausted due to the incredibly long night for both of us.... completely exhausted ....looking over at our sleeping angel that kept me up all night in turn keeping Collin up and somehow finding laughter and humor in it all...and knowing we wouldn't change a thing

Watching Mr Mooks thoroughly enjoy all the holiday festivities...inside

Dylan getting so excited about his little wire push toy...and pushing the little man on his bike all thru the house...to cute

Dylan getting more excited about the $2.00 Plastic Wubbzy Dolls in his stocking than anything else we bought him...........

I am already excited for next year...as crazy as it sounds.......

Blessings of Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a little more hectic and not quite as enjoyable as I had hoped.....we started the morning out with Dylan's 18 month check-up....which was good for the most part....Dylan is growing and doing well he is 90 percentile for his height and 25 percentile for his weight...Collin called at the time we made the appointment to verify that he would not need any shots.....I didn't want him to have any shots on Christmas Eve and have Dylan not feeling his best.....the nurse assured Collin that he didn't need any shots just a check up......well as Dylan's Dr. reviewed his records Dylan was actually due for 2 shots....I should have said we would come back but I didn't and we ended up with a little guy not feeling his best the rest of the day....in general it was just a hectic day....Collin had to snow blow I had to finish wrapping gifts and getting dinner stuff put together.....Dylan's Nain made the trip from Eaton which was a hi light to the afternoon....though she had to drive in pretty crappy weather to get here....it was a bright spot in the afternoon....We all headed over for drinks and appetizers at our good friends new home from 4-6...Dylan fell asleep at 3:45 so a 30 minute nap at most....visiting with friends was wonderful...but by the time we got home...I still needed to throw in the ham....which was a last minute decision we had a beautiful 15 pound prime rib in the fridge....but the last week we have eaten so much red meat....there was just no way that we would truly enjoy or appreciate such a nice piece of red meat....dinner was at least 2 hours out....so that meant making some short cuts in preparation to get everything out at a decent time so we had a good meal but not really a great meal....poor Dylan's night only got worse as he opened his first present he got so excited he banged his head on the toy and ended up with almost a busted lip....a little cut right between his lip and his nose.....so we know have a child with no nap, not feeling well from his shots, a cut lip and all the excitement thrown in was pretty much a perfect formula for a crying and cranky little boy....not quite the Christmas Eve I had envisioned....more importantly though we were truly blessed.....as I finished putting away the left overs I felt very fortunate to have the love of family , to be together, to have left over ham to put in the fridge....even if it wasn't the best ham.....to be able to have a bounty of gifts for our son.....I guess I would rather have him over whelmed with excitement instead of sorrow......to hold my little angel all night last night as he battled his aches from his morning shots....I didn't get much sleep but the warmth of my sons little body next to mine....looking for comfort from his mom... are moments I always cherish....sleep or no sleep...so in many way it was a wonderful Christmas Eve filled with many blessings...

We're Back

note****this is a blog that I never had time to finish from a couple of days ago

A great quick safe trip was had by all...........we were suppose to be waking up in Rapid City this morning but instead we are here at home......snow was making it's way to both Cheyenne and Rapid so we wanted to beat the storm home....we bundled up about 3:30 or so yesterday afternoon and headed home.......the first 3 and a 1/2 hours or so were socked in with heavy fog but no snow....the last 45 minutes coming into Cheyenne we were greeted with snow plows headed out for the evening storm and snow....all is well in Cheyenne



We had a great trip...the first night we spent the night in town at a hotel so I could see some of my friends I haven't seen since Dylan was born...we had a nice lunch with my old gang from work and had afternoon coffee with a dear friend of mine that I miss very much....Dylan was a little cranky during the visits since the poor little guy had been cramped in the car for over 5 hours the last thing he really wanted to do was sit in a high chair for lunch.....but Collin the great dad he is...kept Dylan busy so that I could catch up with my friends....after the visits we made our way to our hotel room........pretty nice and they allow pets and have a really great indoor mini swim park and slide........Dylan had a great time in the water....Dad took him down the kiddie water slides a couple of times and did well.........Collin then thought Dylan could make it down the slide on his own....it was pretty small and I was in complete agreement....Collin would let him go at the top of the slide and I would anxiously wait for him at the bottom.....and as soon as Collin let go of Dylan I think we both realized probably a really dumb parent move on our part......Dylan started sitting up but soon clunked his head on the slide...landed with a big splash and his head underwater......he was fine and slightly shocked we were both horrified....Dylan was in never any danger...we just set him up for a head clunk and a dunking......not very nice....he recovered immediately and was ready for more........after the water park which was free with our $65.00 room we made our way to Storybook Island which is just a fabulous children's park in Rapid.....they light it for Christmas at night..........it is absolutely amazing with all the lights and Christmas music...even Santa was available for a quick visit....we finished our evening off with a piece of red meat and a good thick beer....we then got up on Tuesday and headed to my moms for a earlier X-mas dinner and present opening.....Dylan made out with toys and more toys....and thoroughly enjoyed his grandma and grandpa..........

Into the night

Dylan and I have been getting ready for our trip to South Dakota....we just finished packing and taking our bath....Dylan is finishing off the evening with a little Wubbzy and I am blogging...yesterday was a long but great day.....worked a long day and then we finished the evening off heading to Eaton for a Christmas party with all of Collins high school friends....Dylan went to his Nain's and did well.....we made it home somewhere around 12:45 with no crying and Dylan and I were fast asleep withing minutes.....we managed to snuggle soundly until 9:45 or so....poor Collin had to head to work this morning....better him than me.........anyways we had a pretty blurry eyed sleepy morning....Dylan managed a morning nap....and after some power shopping this afternoon we both took in a 2 hour nap together......I love our afternoon naps together....we slumber well together....tonight we moved into 3rd gear and got everything packed for our trip....this trip should be extra fun...we are staying the first night at a hotel in Rapid that has a indoor slide and pool........am hoping to catch up with a couple of friends the first day and the first evening we will head out to dinner on a gift certificate......love gift certificates and then we will head over to storybook island...it is a free children's park in Rapid that they decorate with thousands and thousands of lights during the holidays.......Tuesday mid morning we will head up to Grandma and Grandpa Davis and take in a early Christmas dinner and presents..........we will head back on Wednesday hoping to beat the impending snow storm....I did so well early on getting ready for Christmas and then I realized that I am going to be gone for 3 days.....and had to get caught up today....so all the shopping is done........from groceries to gifts we are ready to get the celebration going.........

Why men can't have babies.....

I think I have figured out why men can't have babies...........it really is pretty simple they couldn't handle the pain....nor could the rest of the family handle them and all their drama.....this leads me of course to the main man in my life....my courageous and brave fire fighter husband...



My husband truly is a pretty courageous and brave man in all areas of life....except when it comes to everyday household accidents that take us all down from time to time....with that being said I can now get to the story.....



Sunday morning started out like most days....when both Collin and I are home....I jump in the shower and get ready for work and Collin heads downstairs to start the day with Dylan.....but for some reason on this day.....Collin the kind and wonderful husband he is decided to run and I mean run upstairs to check and see if I need anything....he was abruptly stopped by the top of the door..........as he was sprinting up the stairs with thoughts of his wonderful wife running thru his head he kind of forgot to duck and BAM....and I mean BAM he was stopped on impact....from the bathroom it sounded like someone threw our 40 pound hoover vacuum down the stairs...and then I heard the moaning and groaning that only comes from a grown man that has hurt himself....he was on the floor spread out face first on the floor.....things were looking bad....he asked me if there was any blood..........no blood...he is conscious..........and once these things are verified pretty much ok....the terrible wife I am begins to giggle...........I am giggling because I am partially nervous and I laugh when I am nervous and 2ndly I don't know why but I laugh when people hurt themselves in falls and such.....I know I am a loser...........but the first step to correcting my behavior is to admitting it...........I am guessing though that is as far as I will go with my recovery...anyways back to the action....after a minute or two of me trying to comfort my husband between giggles....he is still laying flat face down on the floor....I offered to call 911 ....I was ready to call out MAN DOWN MAN DOWN.....expedite to the scene...........but Collin was beginning to come around..........got up.....headed downstairs and proceeded with Waffles for breakfast............I gave him a kiss...apologized for the giggles and headed off to work.....I come home 5 hours or so later...........to a Moping Husband...I asked him if he was ok.....he was he complained though about the bump on his head and that he was mad about getting hurt......I don't get that....if I got mad every time I fell I would be mad all the time....I fall at least once every 2 weeks....down the stairs at work....on the side walk ....in the house.....I nurse my ego and wound for a hour or so ...then I move on...............not Collin....oh my god............we are now on day 4....this morning I did feel the divot on his head....it is substantial......but besides going to the hospital and having a MRI not sure what we can do....but I couldn't handle it any more....and then the meanness came out of me.....as he sat at the kitchen table....I told him to look at me...and with a concerned look on my face I told him that I think his left eye is pulling to the center.... and that I noticed it last night but that it is really noticeable now.....you could see the worry come over him in a second............finally... confirmation that he truly was deeply injured.....he headed immediately to a mirror to check out the damage.........after what seemed like forever he came back down and said that he didn't notice it...but was going to watch it......as he made eye contact with me...he knew immediately that it was all a mean terrible but wonderful joke....we both laughed and I think we are over the head bam injury after 4 full days.....thank goodness he didn't have our child and a c section....I am sure that he would just be recovering from the process.............in all fairness to Collin and after many discussion with other females I think this is just kind of a man gene...men just don't handle everyday aches, pains, and bumps and bruises as well as their woman counterparts.............with that I am going to call it a blog........until next time....

Updates

Grandpa Moody has been here in Cheyenne for a visit this last week.....he is heading back to sunny California tomorrow....we truly enjoyed his visit...and might actually add a couple of his healthy recipes to our diets........the bigger house has proven to be extra nice for company....Collin celebrated his 37th birthday on Saturday....we had a nice lunch in Greeley, took in the Eaton Christmas Parade and spent the day with family....he has been off the last 4 days which has allowed me to get lots of work done at work....it also allowed me to take the afternoon off yesterday and take in the afternoon of Christmas shopping with a good friend....I felt ohhhh so indulgent....today has been a busy day at the office....with a early meeting, showings, and will run into this evening with a 5:30 appointment that will most likely run until after 8....I am sooo looking forward to tomorrow...a day at home with my Dillybar.........we both need a little mommy and son time............

Working in the cold

It is freezing here in Cheyenne....the cold has a ability to almost paralyzed your movement....the entire family except for Daddy are in the family room huddled all together...... Mr Mooks has received a repreive from the workshop and is happily curled up on the couch with Winston snuggled right up next to him....I am sure the two of them together are in absolute heaven.....Maggie is showing her California roots and is not fond of the freezing tempetures on her paws.......Dylan was a working boy today.....I had a contract that had to get signed and we showed one of my clients homes..........we made it home about 2:00 today and took a long afternoon nap....we are now up from our nap and will go about cooking a little dinner and I think I am going to make some fudge tonight for Collin he has been craving sweets.........Dylan is mastering running...and made a good 40 laps around the couch last night before bed pulling a little lawn mower behind him the entire time.........to cute.....his vocabulary is expanding but he only speaks when he wants something....no wasting words for this little guy.....tomorrow Grandpa Moody comes to visit.......so we are all excited....ready for a little outdoor thaw..............until next time

Team Moody

Well Team Moody is in full force today....Collin came home at 7:45 this morning from work....I headed out the door at 8:00 am for a meeting....I made it back home at 12:15 made us a quick lunch and Collin headed out the door to go do snow removal....he was back at 2:05 and I headed back to work for a 2:20 appointment....it is now 6:30pm and I just made it home and kissed Collin as he headed out the door to finish snow blowing............no complaints........just a busy day...a good day..........

Sleeping like bears

Dylan and I acting like two hibernating bears today.....we woke up at 6 something and after about a hours or so of tossing and turning we fell back to sleep and woke again at 10 or so...we cuddled in bed till 10:30 or so then made our way downstairs...we rummaged threw the fridge and ended up having crescent cheese dogs.......we spent the rest of the day playing....reading...watching a little tv and managed to curl back up on the couch for a 3 hours nap....we have been up now for about a hour....we will make our way into the kitchen again here in the next hour or so.....and then I imagine somewhere around 9 or so we will make our way back to our bedroom for a evening bath then back to slumber world....it was like 5 degrees outside today....so since there was no real reason to leave the house we didn't....a pretty lazy day......thoroughly enjoyed

Red wine and waiting

Right now I am enjoying a little Christmas music and a glass of red wine as I wait for our guest to arrive for dinner and a game of cards.....Collin is on a quick drive to see if Dylan will take a late nap that will eventually buy us more time to enjoy company and cards for the evening if he succeeds.........it has been quite a productive day...the entire family spent the whole day together...no snow shoveling....no showing houses or running to the office just a full day together at home...we managed to get the back room cleaned of boxes and clutter..........wow I kind of like that room now...we played a quick game of air hockey on our 2nd hand table and are looking forward to turning it into a play and workout room for the winter..........tomorrow I have to work for a couple of hours and Collin is going to work at the Christmas tree lot for the fire station...but I think in the morning we are going to put our effort towards getting our new garage in order....once that is in order we will be down to just one room that will need to be organized and that is the workshop...........we are all done with our Christmas shopping....I must mention once again that I have become a Kohls fan.....they always have really great discounts on kids toys like 50 and 60% off ...not a huge selection but with that kind of savings you just can't beat them.....they also have these Kohl bucks....well we earned $40.00 dollars in Kohl bucks and redeemed them during a sale they were having...we got $90.00 worth of toys and other stuff for Dylan for like $39.60....it was pretty fun walking out of the store with a big bag of toys and not having to pay anything....of course the reality is I paid for them on my first visit when I earned all my Kohl bucks....but that trip was also pretty awesome...we didn't buy anything that wasn't at least 50% off............thanks to Kohls for a very affordable and abundant Christmas.........tomorrow night we are possibly entertaining again....a good friend and her boyfriend.............business is on fire........it has been stress full but it feels good to be back in the center of all the action....well Dylan and Dad are back and Dylan is wide awake and ready for action...........so I guess most likely a quicker card game than we had envisioned............all is well.........until next time

Let it snow

We woke up this morning to crisp cold morning air and 2 inch blanket of snow.....I am home today with Dylan.....I have a doctors appointment this afternoon with a new allergy specialist that my pulmonary specialist referred me to....he wasn't that happy with my original allergy doctor...........so we will see........right now I am enjoying the quiet morning the fireplace and a cup of hot cocoa.........yesterday was truly a grueling day....I worked close to a 12 hour hard day....some work days aren't always hard....but yesterday was truly grueling.....and Thursday should prove to be the same.....when I can only really go in every other day and I right now we are working on 7 new home projects it means for a very long and mentally exhausting days when I do get to go in the office....usually crammed with one appointment after another..........I forgot how difficult new construction clients can be...how emotional and needy and stressed out....even when projects are on time and on budget it is literally a hand holding and taking all their emotional garbage for 4-9 months depending on the project.....right now we have 2 difficult and very demanding clients.......the first one is the most affordable home that we are building and I think they are more demanding than the people that are looking at building a extreme custom home....the funny thing is they all say they don't want to be a bother.................but.......everything is a apology followed by a but..............well enough with complaining....yes we are blessed with all of this business and are so appreciative................at least that is what I tell myself every morning.....Dylan after only one day have become quite a fan of the advent calendar...it was kind of funny yesterday morning as I got ready to head off to work....I asked Dylan for a kiss........no kiss.........then I remembered it was December 1st and showed him his advent calendar and pulled out his piece of candy.......as I gave him his candy he reached over and offered me a kiss..........with that we are headed to the advent calendar perhaps a treat awaits both of us...........

Morning Coffee Wubbzy and Little Mr Fixer

I am enjoying a morning cup of coffee and Dylan is taking in a little Wubbzy...we took in the Parade of Lights on Saturday night......Dylan absolutely loved all the sights and sounds of a good light parade.....he waved endlessly at anything and everything...Sunday we enjoyed a little company from one of Collin's good friends driving thru on their way home....I then had to work at our mall office for a couple of hours....Collin and Dylan joined me and played at the play area at the mall and went to the pet store.....we then made our way to Kohls and managed to get all of our Christmas shopping done....except for a couple of small items and of course more toys for Dylan we are pretty much done....I have never been a huge fan of Kohls but really it was quite a awesome shopping experience....most of the toys were all 40-50% off and also were the rest of the gifts we bought......I have also collected Kohls bonus bucks.........$40.00 worth that I will use to buy the rest of our odds and ins and toys for Dylan ....I also picked up Dylan's Christmas ornament and the families ornament....and picture ornaments......I have done picture ornaments every year that we have been married.....I put pictures in them that kind of capture the events of the year....so every year as we decorate the tree we can reflect on every year.....I also started a ornament collection for Dylan and the family.....I get two identical ornaments every year....so when Dylan is grown and on his own he will have his own collection of family ornaments and we will also have a matching set here at home..........ohhhhh I just love Christmas.....we are almost done with all the decorating...........I am going to add some lights to the exterior today and perhaps some bows and bright greenery..........the front yard is a little lacking for my taste...of course next year it will be brilliant once we get the fence in and the iron flower boxes and the rest of the landscaping.....I envision swags of greenery with berries and bows adorning the fence and the flower boxes............patience.......I have very little........as far as today I have a couple of appointments that Dylan will attend with me........and I am going to head to Lowes today and buy some electrical boxes and some plugs and perhaps a key and lock and maybe a door lock and key set......and have Collin mount in on a standing post.....Dylan absolutely loves real keys and locks and is pretty talented at finding the right key to the right lock...he also absolutely loves electrical plugs which is I know very dangerous but his endless drive to fix things reaches beyond our ability to control him at all times.....he really understands that plugging things in makes them work.........yesterday he kept turning the heater on and off..........so I unplugged the heater with out him seeing me.....he quickly figured out that he needed to plug in the heater then promptly came over to the heater and turned it on............he was so excited that he fixed the heater for mom......last night he also grabbed the plug for the computer....and found the correct plug....plugged the adapter to the back of the computer and then promptly plugged in the computer into the socket..............our family will be so lucky to have such a talented little Mr Fixer............with that we need to get moving and get our day started...........until next time

Bliss........

This morning is pure heavenly bliss..........once again I am enjoying my favorite time of the day...a quiet morning in front of the fireplace.....the tree is trimmed and looking quite nice...Dylan attempted to help trim the tree..but wasn't quite as successful as I would like.....next year we will have another tree in the family room....I think a real tree that we will go into the woods and cut down.....that will be the child's tree...... of course I must admit I have great apprehension on going into the woods and cutting a tree...it sounds so fun and such a great family event...in fact many many years ago I did go into the forest and cut down a tree and when we got it home the next morning I woke up to hundreds of bugs on the ceiling......uhggggg it was really terrible and if the truth be told I am kind of a tree snob.....after that for many many years in fact until I moved to Cheyenne I would always order 2 Noble Firs trees from our local nursery....they would call me and hold aside trees that I might have a interest in.....I would always flock the 9foot tree and have the 8ft tree left natural and they always delivered the trees to the house....they were always as close to perfection as trees can get.....truly Noble Firs are the absolute best tree for decorations....but as I moved to Cheyenne without a job and now being married to Collin I had to become more practical.........and thus we know have a beautiful tree....the same tree every year....it makes me kind of chuckle to think what Collin would do if he had to pay the nursery bill for those magnificent trees every year....I think our entire Christmas budget this year is probably less than those two trees...........I don't miss those trees.....in fact now that we have Dylan I could never justify spending that kind of money on trees again......well maybe on one nice Noble Fir next year.............we will see....Dylan is doing quite well with all of the decorations...and has managed to keep the damage to a minimum.....tomorrow we will finish decorating the exterior ....I am hoping for good weather I don't want Collin to have any justification for not getting on the roof and lighting up our home...........it is pretty much non negotiable.....plus he ruined two of my brand new sweaters............I might send them to Avery they are about her size right now..............you see I had to buy 2 new sweaters a couple of weeks ago because last year he ruined at least 3 of my sweaters........so I had none............I think the guilt alone will drive him up the chimney and onto the roof with our lights...........

Dylan is enjoying the Christmas tree as I type and carefully pulling off one ornament at a time....he just brought me a big round bulb and told me it is a ball............and he is kind of right.....it rolls and can be thrown just like a ball...............

shopping...........we didn't get up early...but we did manage to buy some toys for Dylan.... and we picked up Avery's Christmas and B-day gifts....I picked Collin up some butter toffee coffee for his coffee maker.............and picked up a ton of poinsettia's for the home and for the office.........20 to be exact............unfortunately I didn't make it to pick up my $2.00 pie plate.............perhaps today....Collin, Dylan and the Dogs enjoyed a early afternoon of sledding with friends.....I worked most of the day yesterday.......I think we have secured another new construction....and have a home to list today....all is well in the real estate world..........

this morning will be filled with some final touches in the house on decorating ....then off to list a property and then Dylan and I get bundled up with hot cocoa in hand and head downtown to take in the Parade of Lights this evening......................

A quiet Thanksgiving morning

This morning started out quietly....quietly Collin gave me a kiss before he headed off to the fire station...I then quietly snuck out of bed headed downstairs to take in a morning fire at the fireplace....a hot cup of cocoa...after all it is Thanksgiving...and a huge Thanksgiving addition of our local paper with all the after Thanksgiving day adds.....I always have such great plans to get up on Friday and head out shopping snatching all the good deals to be had....I spent a good 30 minutes going thru the adds....methodically setting up my route from store to store, planning my attack...noting all the good deals and finding someone to buy them for....then I spent the second half hour talking myself out of them....I am still heading out first thing in the morning but my list has dwindled though my excitement stays high......I originally had us purchasing a new 46 inch led tv, 3 or 4 digital picture frames, a portable dvd player, a coffee pot and a motorized jeep....wow.....my revised shopping list includes a $2.00 pie pans, $1.00 poinsettias....though I will get quite a few....and a $10.00 talking vacuum for Dylan.....

South Dakota....we had a wonderful but quick trip to South Dakota to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Davis.....we enjoyed a early Thanksgiving Dinner and it is always special to watch Grandma's and Grandpa's with their Grandchildren.....Dylan was pretty much perfect the entire trip...he slept the whole way to South Dakota which is a 5 hour drive and slept about 1/2 the trip on the way home...

Thanksgiving.....Dylan and I are flying solo today....we will be cooking a turkey and dressing and perhaps a couple of side dishes...wow a 21 pound turkey for two.....I am also going to make another pumpkin cream pie.....I made one for our South Dakota trip...wow super easy and quite delicious..........we will do our best to make a trip to go see dad on this special day.....

Thankful............wow what a time to reflect.....I have so much to be thankful for.....we are truly blessed.....we are all healthy, loved, warm and have plenty to eat.......even a little extra money for a pie plate and a poinsettias or two or three or maybe more......:)and a talking vacumm what more could you ask for....

We are looking forward to Christmas and the Holiday Season.....we are just about decorated and ready to go....Dylan and I will trim the tree today and perhaps work a little on the decorations in the yard..........................until next time have a wonderful Thanksgiving

Christmas Festivities

Last night was really quite enjoyable...I went with a good friend of mine to our festival of trees family night....we donated some new toys which I think is a great lesson for Dylan...though he didn't quite get it this year...since he ran back to the tree and tried to take his toy back....we enjoyed all the trees....cookies and cocoa and Santa and Mrs Claus were available to take pictures....we didn't have a camera with us and Dylan wouldn't sit on Santa's lap but he did give Santa a kiss.....the good news is Santa will be back at the Train Depot every Saturday before Christmas for pictures.............once again FREE and he is a really good looking Santa with a real beard.........we are very excited.....Saturday they are having a Christmas Bazaar that we are going to take in......and on Sunday we will make a big push to pulling out all the Christmas Decorations and really get the Holidays started..........oh and Dylan also went to the dentist yesterday......all is good and we are now scheduled to see the Dentist every 6 months.....

Broken Prostate

Wow what a title huh....well after 2 vets and $600.00 bucks we have discovered that Winston has a broken prostate...of course for $600.00 dollars they have a much more official name than broken prostate...but that is pretty much what it is....he was suppose to go in to get neutered today....this will resolve the leaky valve he has and fix the problem...but instead the little guy is sitting right next to me on the couch as I type this blog....the leaky valve stopped leaking right after we spent the $600.00 dollars imagine that........so for right now we are going to stay in a holding pattern...you see his broken prostate is not leaking and is working for the time being....if he starts leaking again then of course he will have to go in and get neutered....so for right now Winston still has a chance to be a father again this spring.....the legacy is still alive for the moment................

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas....I am so excited about Christmas...not sure why.. I just am....we are going to do our best to really enjoy the holidays this season....this evening Dylan and I are headed to the Tree Festival here in town it is family night tonight...so we get to go see all the beautiful trees decorated...drink hot cocoa...listen to Christmas Music and enjoy the evening.....I am off today....which means get the house clean and cozy for the weekend...doing a little shopping and getting ready for our trip to South Dakota next week............

by the way Dylan's newest word is thank you.............he says it for everything...just to cute

Catch up

Ohhhh it has been so long since my last blog...........well lets see here it goes

Portland- we made a family trip out to Portland to spend time with family.....Dylan got to play with his cousin Avery and we got to catch up with the rest of the family....Portland is really quite green and beautiful and so many great things for kids to do.....it is a great place to have family....so many fun things to do during a family visit....

Halloween- we made it home from Portland the day before Halloween....Halloween was also thoroughly enjoyed and spent with more family from California...Grandpa and Grandma Hill made it out for a quick visit.....I had just enough time to make caramel apples and chili and opened the house on Halloween to friends, family and neighbors.....it was a very relaxed and enjoyable time for all...........Dylan was suppose to be a pirate but never quite made it into his costume with all the fun and excitement thru out the house

Winston- ughhhh Winston we think has a bladder infection...he has been on antibiotics for 4 days now........not much help we are headed to CSU tomorrow so that he can see a REAL doctor...I hate our local vets...........truly I do..........

business- swamped a good thing

our home- we love it..........more and more everyday...the garage doors will be on soon...the back splash is done in the kitchen and I found out that we have more storage in our attic.......yeah.....that means we can actually move most of the stuff in the indoor outdoor room to the attic and start enjoying our extra room and sauna...........

Christmas- can't wait to start decorating...ok ok...since we are not having Thanksgiving at home I started pulling out interior decor last night...........I am so excited.....not sure why I am so excited since we are going to be keeping the spending to a minimum this year....I just am...I love the baking...the cooking...the decorating...the music....the wrapping...I just love Christmas....I think Dylan has taken after his dear ole mother when it comes to Christmas...whenever we go to Lowes he always runs to the decoration area and loves looking at all the giant decorations.....

Thanksgiving- we will be headed to my mom's in South Dakota a couple of days before Thanksgiving and enjoy some much needed family time and turkey with Grandma and Grandpa Davis....Collin is actually working on Thanksgiving so we will come home the day before....I still think I am going to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving....well really not for Thanksgiving but for later in the week...........they are so affordable it is kind of crazy not to...this year I am hoping to brine the turkey before hand.........a good friend of ours had us over for Turkey this summer and it was the best turkey that I have ever had....so I am going to try using their same techniques....

Dylan- thru his mothers eyes...I see nothing but absolute perfection....he truly is such a joy of a child...this last couple of weeks things have just started really clicking for him and he is picking up quite a few words and has perfected the leap from the ottoman to the couch in one big jump....the last couple of days he has been eating up a storm....and is doing very well with his plate and his spoon and fork.........he loves running and playing with other kids and we find ourselves going to a couple of children play area's quite often so that he can play with other kids.....

well its time for me to get my game face on......meeting with another new client this afternoon for building............keep your fingers crossed...........but really its all skill :)
until next time

Checking the list twice

Dylan went with me to the office this morning....I had to work the phones for 2 hours so Dylan went with me....it is getting more and more difficult to take Dylan to the office with me....he is so mobile and into everything...it means getting nothing done and hoping the phone doesn't ring....I am moving my office to the first floor here in the next week or so....being upstairs has proven to be very difficult with my asthma..all of our files are downstairs so it is a constant up and down...I will miss the privacy but the convenience will be great...we are also going to put a small tv with a tape combo in my office for Dylan...so when he has to come to the office I will have a fighting chance at getting stuff done.....we have also been doing laundry today and getting the house ready for my dad's visit over Halloween....tomorrow morning we head out to Portland to spend time with family....so we have been checking our list and making sure that we have everything...we are traveling pretty light for the trip....Dylan included.....looking forward to time with family and Dylan getting to play with his cousin Avery.....I am also looking forward to Halloween ....I love Holiday's all Holiday's and we are pretty well decorated, cleaned, and cupboards full looking forward to more family coming in to visit on Halloween....for Halloween we are also having some old neighbors and friends over for Halloween for Chili and treats in the evening......during the day I have a couple of friends coming over to make caramel and chocolate apples....drink a little mulled spice wine....and just take in the Holiday in a relaxed fashion........with that I need to get another load of laundry done and the dogs ready to go to the dog sitter'

Not Much

Not really sure why I am blogging....since I really don't have much to blog about....well lets see the counter tops are coming in Monday while we are gone....so we will come home to new counter tops.......but of course as usually this will create more work for us....since then we will need to install the back splash....but progress...the office has come together and has turned out to be a nice cozy room....it just inspires you to go pay bills and get work done....which I guess is a good thing.....I received a call from my Dad and Susie the other day and they are going to be making a quick trip out to see us over Halloween.....Aunt Cindy and John Paul her son will also be making the trip.....I had already planned on spending the afternoon of Halloween making caramel and chocolate apples with good friends as we sipped warm mulled wine....so now I will add a big pot of chili and cornbread and open the house up to whoever might want to meander in for a bowl of chili and conversation perhaps a couple of card games....it will be nice to be able to invite our old neighbors over.....they haven't seen the house yet and it will be nice to spend time with them...with that I am wasting valuable time here at the office so until next time

Workin for a living

Poor Collin is on his 3rd day straight...he took a overtime yesterday and now it has put him on 3-24 hrs shifts in a row.....he might get another over time tomorrow..........poor guy...but lucky us ....overtime adds substantial $$$$ to the Moody household....yesterday started out like most Moody days start out....a good happy day....the weather was beautiful....Dylan and I had a great morning playing....his Nain came to take care of him while I had a open house....my understanding is that they had a wonderful time......they strolled down to the park and took in our new children's garden that has just opened.....the weather was beautiful and it sounds as if both thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon together....and then it all changed....despite the beautiful weather and the fact that I was driving to Fireside to pick up the rest of our new furniture....2 very cool leather and wood side chairs that would not fit in car the day before....the day just went very bad............Dylan slept most of the way to Fireside which is about 70 miles or so.....it should have been a quick trip up and back.....since we were trying to see Dad at a fireman appreciation dinner at 6.......about 30 miles in and traffic slowed to a crawl....which is just stressful...constant stop and go...people trying to beat the traffic almost causing additional accidents...worried about getting rear ended......it is so different once you have a child....you worry so much about getting hit.............it really is just stressful....approximately 40 minutes or so in bad traffic .....we finally pass the scene of the accident .....it didn't look so bad but most of it was cleared by the time we passed....we are now within 10 minutes or so of Fireside...and just as I am beginning to relax I see a big black cloud of smoke ahead of me......I am like are you kidding me.....sure enough there is a fire on the side of the road....I speed by quickly hoping that by the time I pick my furniture up and head back that the roads will all be cleared and that I will miss the inevitable slow down............Dylan is still blissfully asleep in his car seat...once at the furniture store I must wake him up to do inside and get everything set up to load.............that was so frustrating ....waking a sleeping baby......we finally get the chairs packed and on our way....Dylan held a huge protest in being put back in the car seat.........and continued to protest the next almost 2 hours drive home..........that should have taken a hour.........once again the roads were terribly backed up....screaming baby..........and the stress of missing the chance to spend time with dad after not seeing him for 2 days.........I finally stopped for about 5 minutes once we got thru the traffic jam which was most of the way.....to try to soothe my little guy.........it worked like a charm until I had to put him back into his car seat.....then the revolt started up again......let me add to the drama that my phone is dying so trying to keep in touch with Collin during this whole process was limited.....we finally hit the exit for Cheyenne....I called Collin to still catch the end of the dinner..............but no answer....without a answer I drive right by the reception hall on my way home.....no need to stop with a screaming baby if Dad is on a call..............at that moment my phone dies............we make it home.....Dad calls and is at the reception hall still having dinner but couldn't answer due to a speaker at the time the call comes thru.....we of course stay home at this point.....I am frazzled and Dylan has his little puffy eyes from crying and would go ballistic if I put him back in the car..........if only for a 3 minute ride.....we spent the rest of the evening with comforting frozen pizza and of course Jacks Big Music Show............today is starting out beautifully once again and I presume a good day for the Moody's I have work at the office for 2 hours ....so I am hoping to time that with Dylan's nap and then we are going to do a little baking for Dad and stop by this afternoon with cookies for a quick afternoon visit.........until next time

Viva Las Vegas

What a fabulous day!!!!I woke this morning and read that Garth Brooks is coming out of retirement and will be performing in Las Vegas.........Garth Brooks is my all time favorite musician and I absolutely love him....I have always said that I would travel where ever I needed to...if he came out of retirement to see him perform again.............so I guess we are headed to Vegas....I also had a great visit with a good friend over lunch and then Dylan and I headed to Colorado to pick up a desk and a couple of chairs for the office....it has been a full day and it feels good to be home...........until next time

Sleeping Baby

Right now we have the most adorable sleeping baby...all cuddled up on the couch in a blanket...Dylan is cutting some of his molars........ouch...the poor little guy actually had bloody gums last night....he is taking it all in stride for the most part.........he is such a little champ like that.....we spent the morning hanging pictures and putting up bed headboards....and working on getting the office well looking more like a office..right now we have a folding table for the desk...I think we might actually go get a desk....the one we like is very modest and affordable and would make getting organized so much easier....the counter top guys also came today and it looks like maybe in a week or two we will have new counter tops :)....Collin headed over to the rental the door is not locking....then he is off to the recycling center....I am going to need to jump in the shower and head to work for the afternoon....2 quick appointments and I need to work on some advertising..........I think this evening we plan on getting more stuff moved in and organized from the 4 seasons room.....putting stuff away should start moving a little faster since we have a good idea where we want to store most of the stuff...........until next time

a little heaven at 40

As the family got ready for bed time last night....I took a moment to take in my surroundings.....at that very moment Dylan was getting ready to get tucked into bed and it hit me like a ton of bricks.....I am turning 40 tomorrow and I have a 15 month old son.......wow....when you think about it like that...it feels a little daunting...I mean I will be getting my senior citizen discount when my son is in high school.............I try not to look at the reality of the situation quite in that light....geez life would be soooo depressing......I actually wouldn't change a thing when it comes to our little Dylan and the age I was when we had him....I mean we are so blessed in our life to be financially stable, we both have good solid careers and have plenty of good quality family time with our son.....life has been good and I am so truly blessed.... I am guessing that we will just have to stay young not such a bad thing....I am hoping that 40 will just be a continuation of 39....39 was a good year................I think 40 has the potential to be better.....business has been very good and I am thinking will only get better....I have began to build some meaningful friendships.....both Collin and I have settled into parenthood and it is everything that I hoped for and more..........Dylan is such a awesome little guy and I am so lucky to be his mom....I am hoping to start working out more and getting more fit and of course losing weight....I have maintained my initial weight loss from earlier this year but have had a difficult time getting serious about making the scale move down even further.....but now that we are in the new house....and some what settled I am thinking that I am in the mental space right now to dig in and get the last of the weight off.............I know that I will feel and look so much better...so that is my big goal for 40....well my first day of 40 turned out pretty good....lots of Happy B Days....lunch with my girlfriends......Culver's Burgers with my husband....apple pie and custard in place of a Birthday Cake.... and I am going to finish the day with a hot bath with my son and watching a little TV in bed with my husband........and whoo man curled up by my side...............a little heaven at 40

Happy Columbus Day

The Moody family will be officially celebrating Columbus Day together and in honor of Columbus we will be working on discovering our own new world and staking our claim to our wonderful Master Bedroom...life pretty has much been a quick blurrr this last 6 weeks or so...and our beautiful master bedroom feels and looks more like a flop house than a rest full and calming master retreat..........so we are hoping to get our room into Master retreat shape today....if all goes well in the bedroom department we will then make our way to the poker room..right now the poker table is working as a folding and laundry center....it is kind of nice....you can watch a big screen tv while sitting by the fire and folding clothes...........but really it is to grand of a poker table to be used in such a way....the poor table has been in hiding for to long now and I am so excited that it will finally get a proper place to show off it beauty in a proper poker room with fireplace and all.......so as crazy as it sounds we are pretty excited to have a whole day to devote to working on the house with no rentals to clean....no real estate business to contend to...well a little....no fires to be put out....no snow to shovel or lawns to mow....just family business today

Snow

It is a regular winter wonderland here at the Moody House....snow is everywhere....I think we got about 10 inches or so.....Collin worked a 24 hour over time yesterday...I spent the day cleaning up the mess the floor finishers made...dust everywhere.....Dylan was quite the helper and helped me move the stove and the kitchen table back in place..........he loves to help....he has also been quite the kisser lately....blowing kisses and giving lots of big kisses just because....yesterday was also the first time that we have actually gotten to cook in the new house....for the longest time we didn't have room for the stove until the handyman cut on and rearranged the cabinets...then we didn't have the right plug...then once we had the right plug the electrician had put it in the wrong place...and last week it resided in the living room while the floor guys went about making our kitchen and dining room floors beautiful while destroying my fridge and all of our baseboards and lower cabinets in the kitchen.............uggggggghhhhhh we expected the baseboard and kind of the lower cabinet problems...but the fridge we have a good size dent in the fridge....they are buying us a new door at the cost of almost 900.00....ouch for them....anyways just more projects to add to the never ending list of projects...we get one thing fixed and then it causes at least 2 more things that now need to be addressed........anyways I made a wonderful beef stew with a robust red wind..the house smelled absolutely delicious....I also went about baking cookies for the neighbors who were kind enough to shovel the walk since Collin was working yesterday..........the house is really coming along and we truly love our new home..........dents, scratches, missing baseboards and all.............

We also love the snow here at the Moody household.....when it snows it is not only beautiful but also profitable....I can say though that we wished it hadn't come quite so early this year.....we just weren't quite prepared.....Collin is headed out to go do snow removal and the darn snow blower won't start............can't find our ice melt.......and only one snow shovel......the poor guy has no rest ...that has kind of been the Moody family theme the last 3 months or so.....well he has 6 jobs this morning so I am going to do a nebulizer treatment and head out and help him....so this afternoon he can feel like a king......sitting back in his recliner 8feet away from the 42 inch flat screen watching his beloved Rockies and Bronco's play this afternoon.....................it will be a well deserved

Home

Our new home is finally feeling like home........and the whole family absolutely loves it....once everything gets put in its place....family pictures go on the wall....and the last candle put in place it will truly be a wonderful warm family home...the last couple of days we have been busy cleaning rooms finding places for everything the kitchen, family room, and living room are in good livable condition........not fully decorated but definitely livable.....we will be working on Dylan's room and then our room this evening and the next couple of days then we will move forward with trying to bring in all of our so loved treasures and find a home for all of our special belongings.....mind you some of these treasured pieces are truly in the eye of the beholder......but that's what makes a home your home your special place to find comfort, warmth, and love.....work is still going incredibly strong another deal under contract last night and meeting with new clients next week............no complaints....I think this is a sign that god really wants us to really enjoy our new home :) the garage is being started here in the next couple of weeks and Collin has visions of a large plasma TV for the family room............the 42 inch one isn't big enough and thinks that should go back into our bedroom...........hmmmmmm you know Collin doesn't ask for much so who am I to stand in the way of our family x-mas gift.....of course if I let him move forward with such a purchase it only stands to reason that I should be able to get a new desk for our office that I have been eyeing............plus it's only like $200.00 bucks what a deal.........yesterday we took the afternoon off and spent the afternoon with Penny.....we enjoyed a nice lunch and spent the afternoon at a pumpkin farm/ corn maize..................it was kind of like a Fall Harvest Fair with all kinds of fun things for kids to do............we took lots of pictures but haven't had time to review them or get them posted...............I know I know.....who really cares about blogs when there are no pictures.............we promise next week for sure pictures....Dylan seemed to enjoy himself and next year he will really have a good time ...we will mark this as a annual Moody event.............the weather is quite dreary today.....Collin mowed a couple of lawns this morning I had a couple of open houses and now we will head over to Scott and Angie's for Sunday dinner.....Collin is in heaven...Dylan is asleep on his chest, he is in his recliner switching back and forth between the Rockies and the Bronco's.......I might add the rest of the family is pretty darn happy also............Maggie is stretched out on the couch and Winston on the love seat.....I am sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea taking a minute before we head to dinner............................

Crazy

It has been a crazy 10 days or so since the last time that I blogged.....we have literally been getting up early and going to bed at around midnight every night....the 30th was our final day cleaning up the old house and getting it ready for the tenant......soooooo much work soooo much stuff to move.....thankgoodness for Penny coming and helping out with Dylan there is absolutely no way we could have made it all happen without her help.....Collin worked night and day hauling stuff to the new house and cleaning the old one.....I have had a record last 10 days or so at work so between clients I have been coming home and putting away stuff...helping haul furniture and clean toilets, tubs, sinks and cabinets.....we are going to absolutely love the new home once we get settled.....not quite sure when that will happen but once it does it will be awesome...today was suppose to be a day at home with my son and my husband relaxing and getting stuff in its place but the phone rang at 8:30 out the door by 9:30 and made it home about 7:30 tonight.....the good news is that we were able to put 3 new construction homes under contract for my builder which will put a good amount of cash in the Moody house hold.....which adds quite a bit of piece of mind with the new home and expenses....so now we will be moving forward with enclosing the carport into a garage sooner rather than later :) tomorrow I am going to try to take off half the day or so......a little more work to finish up on the 3 deals and I have to show houses to a new client in the afternoon and then I am going to call it a day......Collin has been swamped with the house and I am guessing is going to actually be looking forward to going back to work next week..............well we will eventually get some pictures of the home...once it is tiddy and we have time...............with that I need to go and spend time with my son and my husband

Jacks and Saturday Morning

Right now I am having tea and blogging............and Dylan is watching a little bit of Jacks Big Music Show.....its been a whirlwind of a week..........business has been busy...moving stressful...not to mention we are all just plain exhausted from our trip trying to get all caught up....Collin headed to Colorado Springs on his motorcycle yesterday with a group of firefighters...they rode thru Estes Park and spent the night in Colorado Springs and is going to attend a event at the National FireFighter Memorial and then head home this evening...it is a well deserved get away and he is really enjoying himself....Dylan and I are going to take it kind of easy today.....head down to our wonderful farmers market this morning and then probably do a little cleaning and shopping...........most of the new carpet is in at the new house....and we are going to make the actual move here in the next couple days and start actually sleeping at the new house..........ready or not here we come........

Team Moody Rocks the Trail

Wow what a great weekend....The entire family rocked the Mckeilson Bike Trail all 108 miles of it....Dylan was a real champ and handled the trail like a old pro.....he also gathered lots of fans along the way....Everyone knew Dylan by name and was impressed with our whole family and how we made it thru the entire trail.....Dylan did awesome...no crying....he really enjoyed himself and was truly apart of the team....Collin did way awesome since he had to trailer Dylan thru the whole trail........I did really well and was impressed with how strong I felt during the entire trek.....I did have problems with my asthma the first 5 or 6 miles or so the first day it was very humid and the thick air triggered some tough breathing but otherwise made it thru the entire trip with really no aches or pains worthy of mentioning......let me also just make it very clear that this 108 miles isn't necessarily a easy 108 miles ....Collin's good friend John who also came on the trip with his family commented after the first day that the trail was alot tougher than he thought it would be.....John finished the trail but his wife and children aborted the trail due to illness on the second day....there are 4 stretches varying from 16 miles to 7 miles that are continuous uphill stretches with no down hill breaks along the trail......somewhere around 50 miles or so uphill riding.....its the long stretches of uphill riding in the middle of the day with 90 degree weather beating down on you that begins to take it's toll on the mind and the body.....it truly is a great challenge for the mind and body....and am so proud that our entire family stuck together and stuck it out and had a great time doing it..........

Attacks are back

About 30 minutes after my last post.......I had a pretty aggressive asthma attack....it was allergy induced.......but all is well now....they added claratin to my meds....so it is nose steroids, advair,singular, and now claratin followed by neubulizer treatments....which they finally delivered today and got me going on my neubulizer treatments.......I am feeling much better this evening and hoping the additional medicine will keep me stable for our big bike ride for this coming weekend.............we made our decision on the counter top for the kitchen it will not only be very affordable but will look pretty darn good...........the appliances will be ready to install here in the next day or so.......so exciting..........the moving part is at a dead stand still since I worked today and then had a asthma attack......but tomorrow should be productive I am only working until 12 noon so we should be able to make a serious dent in the projects and moving..........
wish us luck

Kind of caught up

I am blogging from the office....I am actually kind of caught up.........which is a good feeling....am here at the office until 4 this afternoon in then we are headed out for a family bike ride.....all is going well but slow with the moving....having a 1 year old running around makes it all more challenging....probably tomorrow we will work on taking some pictures and hopefully get them posted........the carpet is getting installed on the 17th and 18th and our handy man should be done here in the next couple of days..........Collin is working on the floor in one of the guest bedrooms and then will make his way to the poker room and bar area to get paint on the walls before the carpet is installed..............sometime later this month the painter will be back to do some exterior painting and a little interior painting also.........I am thinking about painting the kitchen cabinets.....and maybe changing the counter top and adding some back splash......the kitchen is soooooooooooo small and wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy dated so it will eventually be a complete redo but we really wanted at least descent appliances in the house so to make the appliances work....cabinets had to be altered...leaving a good size chunk of counter top missing....since the kitchen is so small counter top is fairly inexpensive so we are weighing our options.....realistically it will be many many years before we can afford a extensive kitchen remodel so we want it nice....nice enough to live in but not so nice that we have thrown away our money when we eventually remodel it...................part of me is secretly hoping that we end up liking the kitchen just the way it is once we are done and feel no need to remodel in the future :) Dylan is doing wonderful and I can't wait to see him this afternoon...I have been at work all day and miss him terribly................the bike ride will have to probably wait a good half hour or so so that we can have our cuddle time together..........something we both love...until next time

Moving, Biking, followed by more moving

Today we are starting the morning off with a morning bike ride......we have our 100 mile bike ride next weekend and want to be well prepared for the challenge.....the bike ride will be followed with more moving.....we are slowly moving furniture and belongings over to the new house mixed in with improvements of the new house.........yesterday we managed to cut down a huge hedge of shrubs that were at least 8 feet tall and about 20 or 30 feet in length....they hid the entire front of the house in a terrible way...I am sure the neighbors were peeking out the windows cheering us on............it is looking much better....Collin also pulled out the carpet in the hide away bedroom at the very top of the house....it was old nasty brown carpet...the floors look good so we will put a coat of poly on ourselves and call it good..........I love this room it is very cool and has the coolest old retro wall paper that we will be leaving.........it really adds a certain personality to the room...........that just kinds of works....today will will plan on moving more furniture over.....and maybe go pick out some paint for one of the bathroom and for the bar area and poker room down stairs.............since we ordered new carpet for a good portion of the house....we can only move so much furniture since we have to wait for the carpet to be laid.....and waiting for the carpet allows us time to paint with the old carpet down.....and move more stuff.............ugghhhh boy do we have lots of stuff............we are attempting to get rid of stuff as we move........but the reality is since we are moving to a bigger house we feel that we might just need the stuff that we haven't needed for sometime........of course reinforcing our sick reasoning for keeping all the stuff in the first place.........with that it's time to ride

Big Man on the Playground

The Rockies game was great.....it is always fun when the Rockies win....Dylan was pretty good most of the game......we only had to get up twice to go to the playground...otherwise he was pretty content on our laps most of the game....just as the beer runs out in the 7th inning so did our little guy...sound asleep on my lap.........

There was also a definite improvement in Dylan's behavior on the playground.....when he found a toy of interest he no longer will physically pull the other child off of the toy....he now knows it's just not acceptable behavior....He is still the big man on the playground though...when he finds a contraption he wants to play on or play with....he has a way of wiggling his way in.....in a non confrontational style and then uses his body to box out the other kids ......we also found that he loves big kids...especially boys and goes to where they are playing then proceeds to wiggle his way in and box out the competition......we have soooo been hoping that one of the bigger kids would put him in his place and stand their ground on the toy or box him out of the toy...but it just doesn't happen....they somehow don't seem to mind this little pint size guy with all the moxie and allow him to join in and do his thing........I have decided at the moment not to intervene...since Dylan is not being aggressive but more so persuasive in his behavior...we love the fact that he is so confident in himself and so confident that everyone will just love Dylan...we think in general this is a good thing and will live it alone for now.......
until next time

Saturday

This morning started early....I snuck out of bed leaving Collin and Dylan to sleep in a little longer......I quickly packed some lamps, tables, and small odds and ends and headed over to the new house with my trusty confidant Winston....It was such a beautiful and quiet morning...after I unloaded everything....I sat in the our new living room enjoying all the little details that I never took in before...........what seemed like a half hour or so was actually about 10 minutes at most....I then made my way back home to my to favorite guys in the world.....we quickly got our bike gear on and headed to the farmers market on our bikes to pick up fresh peaches and corn and of course if you go to the farmers market no trip is complete without a fresh morning pastry....we then made our way to the bike trail and put in a good 20 miles or so for the whole ride....we are now home and just managed a little lunch and are getting ready to head to Denver for a Rockies game this evening...............

Excited about our new home

I think I can officially say that the entire human part of the Moody family is very excited about the new home........I am sure that it will be quite a adjustment for Winston, Maggie, and Mooks...as it will for us also but a good adjustment all in all.......Dylan absolutely loves running all over the house....he loves all the stairs and the corners that he can hide in and play peek a boo from........Collin will love the space and just having space to put everything....I love everything about the house..........well not everything........of course I plan on changing almost everything....but I love the house........and am so glad that we were able to find a big home in the Avenues........that is really the tough part about the Avenues...there are only so many big homes in the Aveneues and if they have been redone you are spending $400,000 to $500,000 on them and they go quickly and they are in pretty high demand for a specific buyer of course...so we feel very fortunate to find a big home with lots of potential in a affordable price range....in a great neighborhood........



We will be only the 3rd family to have lived in this home.....which is kind of cool....over the last 70 years both families had the home for over 30 years and raised their families in this home....I guess in its day this was quite the house......lots of parties...card games....both families did alot of entertaining............it was just a fun house with fun people ...........you can still see remants of good times from the past.........the downstairs boast a bar and fireplace with bright red shag carpet and neon pink lights glow from behind the bar........they added two large additions on the back.....as I spoke to the daughter of the Estate she fondly talked about where her fathers pool table was in one area and how her mother would set up bridge tables in the other.....of course the red shag carpet must go perhaps I will frame a small piece of it.......the one addition will be turned into a proper family room and we will begin to make our family mark on the home as the two families that came before us...........we can only hope to have 30 long years in this home filled with lots of parties and family memories...........

Crisp morning air and hot tea

I got up early this morning to enjoy a hot cup of tea and the crisp morning air....Summer has gone quickly this year....it was one of those unremarkable summers...filled mostly with long days of work...thankful that night fall didn't reach until 9:00 pm..... thankful that we had more daylight to do more work....and I guess as I really think about it....it really was actually quite a remarkable summer....business has been good...we celebrated Dylan's first birthday...Collin got a new motorcycle....we got a new rental and are getting a new house so it truly has been wonderful.........I mean I just don't remember any of those lazy summer days relaxing around the house .....playing in the yard......or sitting out on the patio on a warm summer night..enjoying games, laughter, and to much good food and drink....no it just wasn't that kind of
summer.........those are my favorite kinds of summer.........but it was a good summer.....I mean after all I did get my garden.......and for the most part it has been successful though I have had no time to really care for it....it is still rewarding me with great lettuce, beans, lots of squash, and tomatoes.......the peppers never showed up for the party and the cucumbers well maybe they turned into yellow squash.....and the carrots I am scared to pull the carrots...who knows what lies below the ground.......we haven't been as diligent about the yard this year either.....so though it is nice its not quite up to par.......the flower boxes are looking a little tired at this point.....and to be honest I am a little tired of them at this point also.....flowers in flower boxes are such divas and so demanding...........they need to be plucked, watered, and fed constantly....otherwise they pout and look terrible.......by the end of summer I am ready for fall...ready for the cool crisp mornings.............ready to till the soil in the garden......ready for a warm blanket on my legs to cut the crisp air....ready to say goodbye to my flowers for the year.......I promise by next spring I will be counting the days before I can see you all again my lovely flowers.......but for now I am ready for my hot tea, a cool morning and looking forward to all the joys that fall has to offer.......

Drama at the Trauma Ward

My My what a relaxing Sunday at home with my Dillybar...........NOT.......It has been a busy well beyond busy week.......Collin's Dad's rental got scrubbed, painted, floors done....everything cleaned from top to bottom.........the new tenants love the place and it really looks awesome...so I was looking forward to a much needed relaxing Sunday home with my boy.....but that really is just to much to ask for in the Moody household........I should have known better.........silly me

The morning started off just how I dreamed it would....Dylan playing me reading the Sunday paper...I did of course schedule one appointment for a client....nothing big just a quick showing on a new listing that she might want.....as we made our way to the appointment I gathered Maggie, Winston and Dylan into the car....I thought it would be a nice change for the dogs to get to go on a car ride....the weather was cool and it would be a nice treat for them.........after all it is suppose to be a relaxing Sunday for the whole family to enjoy and take part in.........and this is where it all changes.......

The showing went great and my client will be putting in a offer today :) the rest of the day well not nearly as relaxing as I envisioned........I noticed earlier this morning that Winston just wasn't really looking right....he looked kind of old.......I remember thinking that wow I never noticed Winston looking old before......but these things do have away of catching up with us......after I showed the property I thought the family would stop by and see Dad at the station for a minute....we were in the area and of course we had nothing but a relaxing Sunday ahead of us with all the time in the world so why not.....I began to really notice that Winston just didn't look right his face looked really puffy to me.....of course this is hard to really be sure of since he has such a round wrinkly face anyways..........I asked Collin and he agreed Winston's face was swollen quite a bit........and then as if on cue he vomited in the car........at that moment it all came together to me.................we have a sick little dog on our hands........I immediately called CSU and they would be awaiting his arrival in the next 45 minutes.....with out a moment to waste....we jumped on the interstate and headed to Fort Collins........about 20 minutes into the trip we had more vommit........lovely.........followed by difficulty in breathing.........I was sure that my little guy was having a severe allergic reaction........I was quite proud of myself...I didn't panic....I didn't speed............I just came to terms that if we lost him in transit.......that I would be ok...Dylan would be ok...........and that we have done our best to save him and at least I was with him....comforting him the best that I could.............well the good news is we made it to CSU....
they immediately took Winston straight into CCU.......critical care unit....and put him in a oxygen cage.......so that he could breathe easier.....I was relieved the moment we stepped foot into the hospital............withing minutes the Dr came out.........advised me that Winston was stable and went over the necessary test and x rays and blah blah blah $$$$$$ that needed to be done of course I signed the orders and as I glanced at the bottom of the first page it totalled 500.00 or so I am thinking oh well not so bad...........then I made my way to the second page to sign away my commitment to Winston's care and noticed the price jumped to $1200.00 or so....wow $500.00 a page.................I quickly signed on the dotted line and as the Doctor whisked himself back into the ER.....reality came to me that I know had to call Collin and let him know that I just signed off on a possible $12oo.oo bill (by the way that was just for the day) I quickly saw my new couch I have been eyeing vanish into thin air....oh well what do you do.........I love Winston soooo much and just couldn't bare losing him without trying to save him.....the second part of reality also began to sink in.....I am in Fort Collin's............no diaper bag.....no leash for Maggie and literally will be here for hours........Dylan was a usual champ thru it all...........we played in the waiting room with Maggie and Dylan...anxiously waiting for word on Winston.....we finally left for a quick bite..........during the day we met lots of folks worried about their loved ones

Winston was being treated along side a Duck that couldn't lay her egg...............ouch she would need a possible hysterectomy if they can't get the egg out.......a rooster with a hurt leg.....his cockle doodle doo though worked quite well...........we heard him several times........a constipated boxer....and a very sad case of a dog with a broken back...............

7 hours later we got to head home with our most precious Winston....after all the test the best we can guess is that Winston had a severe allergic reaction to something........it wasn't a snake bite since that would have shown up on his blood work...........but our little guy is home safe and sound with his medicine.........and I still might get a couch...........since the revised bill was a little over $300.00.............heres to a relaxing Sunday

Glorious

Ahhh what a glorious last hour or so....Dylan is asleep on his own with out his mama.....it has allowed me to take a bubble bath by myself....shave my legs and take a moment for myself...it is amazing how these little joys mean so much when they are not available to you on a regular basis....the central air is on which is also completely glorious......I feel completely spoiled and pampered........and all over a 10 minute bubble bath and central air.......

Dylan and I had a great day....we slept in....cuddled....read the paper together....I read he takes it when I am done and plays with it.....we went on a 15 mile bike ride........it felt good even though it was baking hot outside.....met with a client this afternoon for a hour or so.....baked cookies for Dad.....we also made our way to Lowe's....picked up paint for Collin's Dad's rental....we have a long week ahead of us.....I am going to work in the morning and then Collin is going to head over to the rental and start painting.....I will make my way over in the afternoon and help paint or clean...and access everything that needs to be done by the end of the week....I also need to measure the kitchen floor and go and pick up tile and all the supplies needed to lay the kitchen floor....oh and we also need to fine some simple curtains for the living room and dining room....sorry Bruce :( but it will look awesome when we get done and since we raised the
rent a 100.00 dollars it really needs to be done....it also helps with the property value and attracts quality renters..........it should be pretty affordable all in all..........will get before and after
pictures if I can remember tomorrow...........until tomorrow

Smash Burgers, shopping, and my favorite 2 guys

I finished with work much earlier than expected today....I was home by 1:45 and in bed by 2:00 taking a another delicious nap with Dilly bar...Dylan and Dad went to the mall earlier and played in the cool playground for kids....it sounds like the two of them had a lovely morning....Collin went and mowed lawns at 2:00 when I got home and will be home shortly...we have decided to drive to Fort Collins for a Smash Burger and go do a little spying at the furniture stores....Collin loves Smash Burgers and I love furniture shopping so it should be a good evening....all went well at work this morning am under contract on my listing with me also bringing the buyer so a double win.......tomorrow I need to meet with my client again he wants to look at the house for the 5th time that he just put under contract....so that will be a hour or so in the afternoon...having lunch or dinner with a girlfriend and will probably bake Collin some cookies and drop them off at the station....so it should be a really casual laid back day spent with my favorite little guy......



by the way Dylan absolutely loves his cat Mooks.....we always use to joke that Mooks was Winstons Cat but that is no longer......if Dylan is petting, riding, or

Running and we can't keep up

Oh my goodness it has been crazy busy at the Moody household....where do I start....that is the problem with blogging when you haven't blogged in awhile its just hard to get started again...well I will start with Sunday....Sunday morning we all got up early like at 4 am.....we headed out the door making our way to Boulder Colorado.....Dylan was a champ the whole day...though the real champ for the day was Dad.....Collin and his good friend John were in the Muddy Buddy Bike and Run and in the Mud Race.....this is I think the 4th or so year that Collin has been in the race....
this year they trained really hard and were 3rd in there age group and 13th over all out of over a 1000 teams or so........so they did really awesome.....and we are very proud.....Dylan got to go on the podium with his dad and wear daddy's bright shiny medal around his neck.....all in all it was a awesome event and a great day.....we have lots of pictures but haven't had the time to down load them............will share them all with you once life gets back to a normal pace...

Business has been incredible...which is good and bad....good that the money is rolling in but it has almost been to busy this week.....since Saturday I have easily logged in almost 60 hours this week.....I am taking this afternoon off but tomorrow will be another long day....I am in some pretty tough negotiations right now on one of my listings.....I have both sides of the deal so that's a good thing....but it makes it extra tough....not to mention my buying client is a energy attorney for the state.......analytical....43 year old single man that has never owned a house and is probably one of the most difficult clients I have had in all my years of business.......a nice guy just a lot to to handle and to get him in the mind set he needs to be to move forward with the purchase of this property.is a lot of work..........we are close though and I think between the seller and the buyer I probably have about 6 or so hours of hard negotiating ahead of me tomorrow....I am also showing property and pretty sure that this client will be making a offer on a property tomorrow not to mention we received 2 more offers on a property this afternoon that needs to be reviewed....I can't complain ....busy is good............

Dylan is perfect and we are having a lovely afternoon at home......a bike ride is in the cards for this evening and a little work in the garden this afternoon.........he is getting so big and so handsome....he is changing daily and adding something new everyday.....he has been eating better which makes me happy....we will get more pictures up soon

As many of you know we are under contract on a new home.....well it is new to us...though it is a very old home....we are excited but in the business of real estate nothing is a done deal until you sign on the dotted line......so once the appraisal is back and the loan has gone thru under writing and we know the roof is good..........then we will get excited......and share all the wonderful details about this great home...........

Magpie, Whoo, and Mooks are all doing well...........Maggie has another ear infection........but she is on meds and I think feeling better.........

well with that wish me luck on the negotiations.............until next time

Pee Pee and Peaches

At this very moment Collin is wandering around the house looking for where Dylan might have peed in the house.........he has been running around as a naked child the last 30 minutes or so....Dad was suppose to be watching Dylan but it is quite a challenge for him with the Rockies on the TV....not to mention they are winning...........I have been busy doing the dishes and making a fresh peach tart.......it looks really good........but I forgot to add cornstarch so we will just have to eat and see :)

Otherwise all is well at the Moody household........as many of you know we are debating on whether or not to purchase a new home...we have both officially decided that we would really like the house.........we are both kind of secretly hoping someone else buys it so we are off the hook and don't have to make the decision.........Collin made a fun comment earlier tonight....if we do buy the house he is going to send a email out to all of his friends........who thought that Collin would never leave his moms house....saying that not only does he now have a one house but 3..............who would have ever thought.......

the family biked another 18 miles or so tonight.......wow we really enjoyed ourselves its amazing how enjoyable biking really is now that I can breath....I can actually bike and talk at the same time without losing my breath..........which is awesome....we are finding that it is a great time for us to visit and catch up on the day...........

with that we are off to the bath tub.....

Update

All is well.....went to my new asthma Dr on Thursday...he is a pulmonary specialist that came highly recommended....I can see why...he was very thorough...and I feel like I am in good hands as we move forward with my care.......



We decided to cancel our new washer and dryer that we had purchased....you know I think the purchase was just to easy for us.....we made the decision to quickly and we really weren't that excited about getting the new washer or dryer....when you are spending thousands for a new washer and dryer it should be a big deal.....a big purchase...with lots of worry and justifying and thought put into it............we are both feeling good about canceling



We made our way to the farmers market this morning..........I love the farmers market here....it is really one of my favorite times of the year.......fresh peaches, corn, bread, and all kinds of yummy stuff......by the way the garden is doing well........yellow squash is coming up....tomatoes are ripening, lettuce is abundance and green beans are ready for picking.....



This evening we are going to head out for a family bike ride --- a--bike ride was great...it was the best I have felt on a bike in a very long time ..we went a easy 16 miles or so and this afternoon we will head out again hoping to get a good 20 miles on the bike this afternoon....we are preparing for our bike trip in September....we will be heading to South Dakota to once again ride the George Mckelson 100 Mile Trail....we will do it in 2 days and are going to bike with another family on the trip....we are really looking forward to it....

Dylan is doing great....he really loves going in the bike trailer which makes it so nice...he also loves his big boy car seat and no longer complains about riding in the car....which makes it really nice...he is mumbling...talking........walking....running and just growing up.....we wish that he would eat more but we are not to overly worried at this point and for now are chalking it up as a pretty normal parent/child battle.............until next time

Baby Test

Just finished baby sitting for my neighbor and her 2 year old son and 3 week old baby....all went well....Dylan did well playing with B the 2 year old..but was quite jealous of the 3 week old baby....and really didn't want mama holding that little baby.....you know we had pretty much decided that Dylan was going to be our very own one and only child....but once they get to be about a year old....and at my age you kind of question yourself to make sure that you are making the right decision....well having baby Issac for 4 hours made it very clear that we made the right decision.....I have no interest in having another child.....it was a good baby test....really no part of me was excited or cooing over this little bundle....in fact I actually just wanted to share my time with Dylan.....we absolutely love our little family just the way it is....and couldn't imagine it any other way.....I have always known that I am not the mother goose type of mother....I love being Dylan's mom...but really I am not a big kid person.....and Dylan is my special boy and I have no interest in sharing my love with any other child besides this little guy.......right now we are nestled together on the couch....he is sound asleep....I cherish our time together and our afternoon naps together are pure heaven for both of us...with that I am going to catch some shut eye..........

Back to Normal

Life is beginning to get back to normal...we got home late Friday night from the hospital....and the whole family slept sound....it was so good to have us all together safe happy and sleeping....Saturday was a busy day with 2 open houses, a afternoon BBQ at one of my clients and Collin made his way on his new motorcycle to Eaton to play a little poker Saturday night....Collin did well enough to make a little money at the poker table Saturday night...spent the night at his mom's and made his way home Sunday morning....I think he really enjoyed riding his motorcycle and playing cards with the guys....Dylan and I spent Saturday night playing and cuddling up....making up for our time apart during my hospital stay......today Collin went out and mowed lawns when he got home....I spent the day on small household projects and spending alot of time with Dylan he was a little needy today....and that's ok....that's what moms are for and was glad that I had the time today to focus on him and all his wants and needs......we went out to dinner for the first time since Dylan was born without him.....Nain came to baby sit and we headed to Fort Collins with some friends to have a little Mexican food and margaritas...we made it home by 6:00 or so to finish off the rest of the evening with our little guy....wow Dylan is getting so big....he is becoming such a little boy.....he is quite the climber and pretty much can get on anything or get anywhere he sets him mind to....tomorrow morning I am helping out a neighbor and babysitting her 2 year old son and her 3 week old baby.......wish me luck..........with that its time to call it a evening....feeling better and my asthma hasn't seem to bother me...but I really won't know where it really is at until they take me off the steroids..........which will be later this week.......................until next time