Summer Fun

This summer was a busy one! Summer school for both me and Ian... our nephew was born in Tulsa... had a weekend get-away to celebrate with Ian's cousin as she pledged her love to her husband...  started providing pediatric home speech therapy... Ian started his new business... we went to Breckenridge for a few days to celebrate our first anniversary... my parents came to visit... my Tulsa best friend came for a visit... we went to Tulsa for a quick trip to meet the nephew... then started school...

Here are a few pictures from the summer. Started with Ian's birthday dinner the end of June and ending with our Tulsa trip.

Left to Right - Christina, me, Ian and Ryan - we love spending times with Christina and Ryan! Ian's birthday dinner at Katie Mullin's downtown Denver.

 Rehearsal Dinner- Patrick, Allan, Caroline with Ethan, Stephanie, Chris and Nicole.

Post rehearsal dinner- I had to get a photo of the two of us!

Wedding day at the Maroon Bells!

Keelty Cousins - Lauran, Meredith, Chris (Nicole in front), Zach (Stephanie in front), Berkeley, Patrick, Sheridan and Lo (in front with Oliver center), Ian (me in front), Allan with Ethan and Caroline beside, Ryan and Christina (sitting), Molly, Liam and Aiden.

 Aspen Summer Music Festival.

Our wedding rings... never took a photo like this on our wedding day...

 Our anniversary get-away- the lake on Loveland Pass.

Happy 1st anniversary to us!!! From the balcony of "THE ROOM" at the Lodge!

 My rebel... Once a rebel, always a rebel! I love my crazy husband!

Pike's Peak summit...

The precious little footsies of Henry!


And this ends the Summer FUN!

Busy Busy Busy

It has been a WHIRL WIND of a summer already! This year flew by so quickly, probably because I was working so much... I was working at school, most days starting at 7:30 and ending between 5:30 and 6:00... I had 3 days of clubs after school and 2 days of homebound speech services.  Then I had babysitting events with Seeking Sitters most weekends... around 40 hours a month of babysitting!

Ian took a class at the local community college this spring and was hooked so he is taking another this summer! He is also setting up his own handyman business (if you are in the Denver area and need work done on your house/yard give us a shout!) which has been keeping him busy with research!

Now that school is out, I am staying busy still... providing speech services in ESY (Extended School Year) for the ENTIRE district... which means that I have had 1 day of summer vacation (not counting the weekends) since school let out. Although it is easy cash, I am truly feeling that my services are useless as I am at a different school each day of the week, ultimately spending 4 hours per class over the course of the 4 week program... July is looking to be fun... Oh did I mention that I have started working for a home health agency and have 3 clients at the moment! Branching out in my profession finally!

July's excitement will start next weekend when we leave Evergreen HS from my ESY group and head to Aspen for the weekend. Ian's cousin, Sheridan is getting married and this is one event that we wouldn't miss for the world! We will come back from Aspen in time for Ian to go to class on Monday, then the rest of the week is free and clear for the moment... I'm not sure what we are going to do for the Fourth of July yet... but the next week we will be celebrating our FIRST anniversary!!! WAHOO!!! He is going to skip a day of class so we can go do something special for our day since we didn't get to go on a honeymoon last year... then the next week it is back to ESY for me, just not with Jeffco. I have agreed to be a contract provider for another school district near my house... this ESY is looking to be a little better organized and I will be paid better than I was through my own school district! Another perk (if you can call working in the summer a perk) is that the ESY program is Monday - Thursday... The last week of ESY my parents will be here for a visit and we are planning some day trips that we can go on after I get home as well as a weekend trip. They will leave on the 29th and on August 2 my OK BFF will fly in for the weekend! We already have the weekend plans figured out for Jason's visit!! I will take Jason to the airport on that following Monday. If things work out the way we'd like, Ian will be home loading up the tools that he needs as well as our stuff so that we can hit the road to come back to Oklahoma the next day!  We have a brand new nephew that we need to love, cuddle and spoil back in Tulsa!!!

As you can see, we have been very busy, me more so than Ian... at times I haven't known if I was coming or going but it has all been super fun and a learning experience!

I've been SEW busy!

I've been sewing... a lot lately... since last summer I have been a busy bee! I hadn't touched a sewing machine in years, specifically, before my grandma Alan passed away! My friend Karen had the patience to sit down with me and help me to sew the purses for the wedding party last June and since then, I've been on my own! Here are some pictures of my sewing products!

A blanket that my Grandma Austin and I made together when I was home in November. It is a little girlie- pinks, paisleys, owls... my future daughter will have something that her great grandma helped to make!

 A boy blanket that I made for a co-worker... super cute!

This is the boy blanket that my grandma and I made together. Greens, browns and monkeys galore! I love monkeys as most people know!!! I just need to finish the binding of this little creation and it is finished!

Burp rags that I made with scraps from receiving blankets that I made for friends that had twins this spring! The back is a green minky material!

This is the "back" of my dad's quilt that I started in October 2011. I am now thinking that I am going to make two quilts for him... use the flames as the back of this one and he can keep it at the station...

A monkey quilt for a co-worker. I found out that her theme for her new son is sports and monkeys along with reds/blues/browns... so I used a red back with baseballs to accent the brown front!

Another girlie blanket for a co-worker... there were 5 pregnant people in our building... this one is one of my favorite color combinations!

Yet another girl blanket...

The gender neutral blanket for my sister in law... I am hoping that Henry LOVES his flannel blankie made with love by his Aunt Tracey! I used weenie dogs on the back since Kelly and Jack have two weenie dogs at home!

The purse that I made for McKenzie. The outside is flannel and the inside regular cotton.

A little fleece monkey. My 5-6th grade girls made monkeys out of flannel this spring semester. I have made 2 fleece monkeys for our cousin's boys... This one is smaller than the first.

A gender neutral baby blanket for the last pregnant co-worker... She LOVED frogs so it fit!

The purse that I made for Syrina. I used two fat quarters to make this one.

Over all... since last June, I have made... (DRUM ROLL PLEASE)
150 corn sacks/tubes- wedding favors and fire station gifts
1 flannel/fleece quilt throw blanket for my Intern
10 flannel baby quilts (most of them pictured above)
4 little purses (2 pictured above)
1 larger Hobo purse
9 reversible bags for wedding party
2 full size quilt fronts for my dad
12 napkins- to match the placemats
8 quilted placemats - a wedding gift for friends
1 table runner - needs the back and quilted...
4 receiving blankets
4 burp rags/silkies
1 baby blanket with flannel on the front and chenille on the back
12 monkeys - with/for my 5/6th grade students
6 tote bags - for my 5/6th grade students

My Amazing Nieces

Is there ANYTHING that my 4 wonderful nieces CAN'T do?!? I know I am a wee bit biased when it comes to my girls, but I think that I have every right to be proud of these girls! Where to start...

Misti Leighanne- She has beaten the odds when it comes to getting where she is today. She just completed her second year of college with flying colors. She makes great grades... works while in school... plays several instruments (and plays them very well too!) and performs in the University's bands and groups. She recently got married to her high school sweet heart and is still making the grade at school... She is beautiful in every way, inside and out. There is nothing that she could do (well legally at least) that would disappoint me.

Syrina Nicole- My second little angel who has definitely beat the odds. She started life as a teeny tiny baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for the first 12 weeks of her life... she has endured multiple surgeries to repair her palate, fix her teeth and now orthodontic surgery to continue the dental process. She is really growing into a beautiful young lady who has many talents of her own. She, like her daddy, loves to draw and sketch. She conquered clogging and this year took on jazz dancing. She is learning to cook and is proud of her creations. She is passing her EOI tests like they were kiddy games... This child never ceases to amaze me!

Ana Rae- Although not my blood niece, she is still one of my girls. She is talented beyond measure. She can dance (tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop), sing (oh my goodness can she sing!), act, play soccer, swim like a fish and excel in school. She is beautiful and has a big heart. She has stolen the heart of everyone in her family and in her life.

McKenzie Ann- My princess. She's been my princess from the beginning and my princess she will be forever. Much to my dad's chagrin, she has been a spitting image of me from the get-go. She has spunk and sass and doesn't take no none-sense from anyone. She can dance like an angel (hip hop and now clogging), calm an animal like no other... make up silly stories and jokes. She is adorable and sweet.

My girls, will always be my little girls... although they are now 21, 17 and 11, they are still my little girls. They are all beautiful, caring, sweet, loving, faithful, loyal, responsible, respectful, smart, focused, determined, special, unique, talented, energetic, crazy, athletic, spunky, sassy, loveable, patient and they all have the most amazing hearts of anyone I know!

Girls, if you ever read this, know this: Aunt Tracey (Meme) loves you with all her heart and there is NOTHING that will ever change the way I feel about you!

McKenzie's Dance Recital 2012

My talented niece, McKenzie Ann is the cute blonde just to the right of center. This is her first year that she has taken clogging, she has taken hip-hop the last few years of dance. I am super proud of her and all her accomplishments! She has come out of her shell and embraced performing in front of others... she has "taken a shine" to animals (especially horses and dogs) and has started showing my mom's silkies... she makes good grades... she loves to read. She is smart, silly, funny, caring, sweet, sassy, energetic, loving, friendly, outgoing, goofy, a little bit of a dork and she's MINE!!!

I love you Princess and Aunt Tracey is more proud of you than you will ever know!