Let it snow...

And snow ... and snow! We awoke this morning to beautiful flurries falling, and the snow has continued all day. We ventured out once today for a birthday party, and when we returned 3 hours later, the snow was so deep that we got stuck pulling into our driveway and had to shovel it to get back into the garage! This is the biggest snowfall we've seen since moving here (it's between 1-2 feet in some parts), and the Leahy crew took the opportunity to check out the weather conditions today. Below are some videos of our snowy adventures.

This first video is taken in our backyard. Please note there is no audio. It is a little lengthy, but worth watching to see the brothers in action. 

The Boys & the Sled

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Let us preface these next 2 clips. We live at almost 7,000 ft. elevation, and our neighborhood is very hilly ... mostly uphill to get to our house. So when you are presented with the opportunity to ski down your street, why not?! We had heard that a few years ago a guy skied down our street, so we decided to follow suit. Scott was up first. As luck would have it as he was walking up the hill, he passed a woman who was snowshoeing down the street! (Note: these 2 videos have audio.)

Scott the Skier

Mountain Mama

In all, what a memorable day of our Thanksgiving holiday weekend! 

Elf on the Shelf.

Have you heard of the Elf on the Shelf? It's a fun Christmas tradition that came to the Leahy household this year. The story goes that the elf is sent by Santa to keep an eye on little boys and girls, and he then reports back to Santa on whether the children have been naughty or nice. Every night the elf moves (with a little parental assistance after the boys are in bed) to a new lookout post. When the boys awake in the morning, they are so anxious to see where the elf has moved. Here are a few highlights about our Elf on the Shelf...

• Part of the tradition is that each family has to name their elf. The boys decided to call him Mr. Teddy (well, actually, that was Luke's idea, but Reid went along with it.) 
  
• Luke likes to stare at Mr. Teddy and exclaim, "I see his mouth moving. He's smiling!" 
  
• Papa told Luke that elves can fly, so Luke has developed many theories about how Mr. Teddy gets to his new locations. Every morning a new tale unfolds. Quite entertaining.
  
• If the boys get a little unruly, it's amazing to see how quickly they snap back into shape with the reminder, "The elf is watching you!"

Traditions are one of the best parts of the holiday season, and this is a new one we are really enjoying. That said, it's late and we'd better go transport Mr. T to his new spot...

Deck the halls...

With the turkey dinner over and done, our next order of business for Thanksgiving night was putting up the Christmas decorations. It was so much fun to find the 'new' spot for all-things-holiday since this is the first Christmas in our home! The boys really got into decorating this year and checking out all the ornaments. Mimi and Papa got quite a chuckle out of all the commotion involved with holiday decorating in our house! Very lively! 

Dad and his little helpers start assembling the tree.

L & R are still "helping." Perhaps Reid is making sure Dad is steady while standing on the stool... 

"Look, more toys! Who says they need to hang on the tree?"

Tah-dah! The finished product!

So blessed.

We are celebrating many blessings this Thanksgiving, but two of the greatest are health and happiness. We are so glad that Mimi has been feeling better lately and that we could all enjoy family time together this holiday. Here are some fun family photos from the day & a video, too!

After-dinner wagon ride.

The family on Thanksgiving '08!

Outtakes are funny. Notice Reid quietly chiming in and that Luke doesn't trust the self-timer on the camera.

Dinner by InStyle. Dessert by Aunt Mary Ann.

Our Thanksgiving menu was inspired by an article featured in InStyle magazine. Long story short, it's what the singer Billy Joel eats at his house on Thanksgiving. True story. If it's good enough for the piano man, it's good enough for us! Well, it was better than good ... DELISH!

So here was the spread at our house this Thanksgiving...

• Butternut squash soup
  
• Maple & orange glazed turkey
  
• Spicy cornbread stuffing
  
• Red potatoes with carmelized shallots
  
• Green beans with sun dried tomatoes
  
• Cranberry-orange-apple relish

Dessert was taken from the kitchen of Aunt Mary Ann (Scott's aunt) and was an amazing pumpkin crunch dessert. Oh, and Mimi brought her famous peanut clusters, too. Yum!!

Some good eats this Thanksgiving and happy tummies!

Mom and her sous chef Luke.

Scott is the king of carving.

Bring on the turkey dinner!

Gobble, gobble table decoration.

Poinsettias Plus.

The latest chapter in the Book o' Leahy adventures is a random (yet festive) trek. Random because it involved driving way 25 minutes way out in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road. Festive because it involved poinsettias. A friend told us about the Dutch Heritage Gardens in Larkspur and that they were having an open house & tour today. After a long journey on a winding dirt road, we spotted the largest greenhouse facility EVER. There it was on top of the hill with nothing else around it. 

To give you some background, the greenhouse supplies most of the state of CO with poinsettias and is a big supplier to grocery stores. So if you buy a poinsettia from King Sooper, it likely spent some time here! The greenhouse has more than 100,000 poinsettia plants in a variety of sizes and colors stocked for the holiday season. The colors were amazing...

Surrounded by a sea of red.

Hugs, not bugs, in this greenhouse.

Mom & her boys

Checking out the scene.

We are thankful for...

Turkey-Inspired Art Projects

Luke brought this gobbler home from school last Friday. It immediately became a favorite in the Leahy Art Gallery. The use of hands as feathers -- genius! The incorporation of real feathers to add texture and depth -- brilliant! The random green circle stamps show the artist's inspiration in that he 1) prefers the art form of stamping and 2) loves the color green. 

These are the placecards for our upcoming Thanksgiving feast we are hosting on Thursday. They were made with love by the boys (with some parental assistance.) And yes, if you were coming for Thanksgiving dinner, we'd make a turkey out of you, too...

The rest of the story...

While Luke was having fun with Mimi and Papa, the rest of the Leahy crew enjoyed their time with just Reid in tow. We dined on Old Pearl Street in Denver at the Crushery (amazing panini sandwiches & salads), bought a family cupcake to share at Mulberries Bakery, and then jetted down to Castle Rock to do some holiday shopping at the outlet mall. After we got home, we also managed to work in a lot of projects like some rewiring, cleaning of our storage room, hanging more pictures, and the much overdue toy-closet-tidying. Reid didn't seem to miss Luke too terribly much, but he did ask about him and was very glad to be reunited with big bro today. In all, I think everyone enjoyed their weekend and the change of routine!

Luke's Big Adventure.

For some time, Luke has been asking about spending the night -- all by himself -- at Mimi and Papa's. He LOVES going to their house and never wants to leave (guess their toys are more exciting than ours at home!) So yesterday, we took Luke to their house, and he was excited to go with his green backpack, jammies, and a change of clothes. Jami's parents had been planning a surprise outing with Luke, and they took him to the Heritage Square Music Hall to see a special Christmas musical called "The Santa Rescue." Mimi and Papa reported that Luke was very attentive at the show but wasn't so interested in volunteering for any audience-participation opportunities. This morning, we met Mimi, Papa & Luke at a coffee shop in Castle Rock, and Luke was all smiles about his big adventure this weekend! When asked about his favorite part of his 'trip,' he said it was going to McDonald's with Papa this morning. What a fun-filled weekend! 

Family Night Out.

We have found a place in Downtown Colorado Springs called Poor Richard's, and it just might top the list of local restaurant experiences for our family. We love going there! Here are the reasons why...

• It serves pizza which is the food-of-choice for 3 out of 4 Leahys.
  
• It also serves healthy fare with tofu, veggies & brown rice for the other 1/4 of our family (Mom).
  
• Way in the back of the restaurant is a room with dining tables and a castle built into the wall. Children entertain themselves while adults enjoy finishing a sentence. What a luxury! 
  
• It is a great place to meet other families for a Family Night Out. The kids have fun, and the adults do, too!
  
• It is one of 4 shops under the same roof. The unique establishment also features a toy store, coffee shop, and wine bar! Yes, what a dream!
  

This past Friday night we met our friends there - Jeff, Britny, Hunter & Hudson - and had a ball. We can easily spend a couple of hours there watching the boys play, chatting, eating (their food is GOOD!) and enjoying the evening.

Awesome moves.

Out of the blue one day last week, Luke said, "Wanna see my awesome moves?" Hmmmm ... we watched with great curiosity, knowing that neither of us as his parents taught him any such 'moves.' This is a sample of what followed. Wood floors. Breakdancing. End pose.

Hop, skip & a jump!

We had a hoppin' good time at our Junior League playdate today at ArtSports! Reid LOVED jumping in the foam pit, swinging from the rope, and bouncing on the trampoline (Luke missed out on the action because he was at school). We've been to ArtSports before, but it was amazing to see the adventures Reid took on today! Below are two videos of the lil' mover and shaker. Enjoy!

Move over, Tarzan!

Jump for Joy!

3 Generation Bike Ride.

What better way to spend a 70+ degree day in November than off on a long bike ride! You gotta enjoy the good days when it's NOT cold and snowy. Papa joined us for our afternoon adventure cycling on the Santa Fe Trail to Palmer Lake. We stopped for a brief recess at the park for Luke (Reid was asleep in the bike trailer.) What a fun fitness outing for the family!

1 bike trailer + 2 bikes + 3 generations = 4 happy outdoor enthusiasts today!

Caution: Riding in the bike trailer may make you  snooze.

Papa's Helpers.

Luke and Reid love to help Papa. When it comes to a project, they are always right there ready to assist.

Fixing the broken bike chain.

Planting flower bulbs TODAY ... it was a gorgeous day over 70 degrees!

Rompers.

In November, Monday mornings have taken on a new twist (or shall we say tumble) with Reid taking a class called Rompers at the YMCA. The 45-minute class involves singing, jumping, tumbling, parachute games, and more. Many activities for our lil' man on the move! In today's class, they treated the kids to some Bounce House fun. Reid loved it (can you tell by the smile on his face!) Mimi and Papa gave this "class" to Reid as a birthday gift ... let the good times roll!

Swedish Chef.

No, it's not the Muppets ... but instead the Leahy family was busy this week preparing for the Swedish supper. Every year for the holidays, we look forward to fixing a Swedish meal using recipes passed down the family tree. This year, we decided to share this culinary delight with our neighbors. Beforehand we fed the kids pizza (not Swedish but a nod to Scott's Italian roots) and then the adults sat down to a nice dinner with all the trimmings. While different than the usual American fare, it's nice to step outside the box and fix a meal that's pleasing to the palate with a different combination of flavors. Those Swedes really like to incorporate potatoes and sweets! The favorites of the meal were the potatis korv (potato sausage made by our neighbor James)and the ostkaka (almond cheesecake) with lingonberries. What a treat to live (and eat) like Swedes for the night!

Swingin' in the Snow.

It's been a year since...

We moved to Colorado! On this cause for celebration, we enjoyed dinner at the first restaurant we went to in Colorado Springs a year ago -- The Plate. What a year it's been! Here's to Year 2 and many more fun memories ahead.

A dinner celebration for our 1st year of living in CO! 

After dinner we perused some local shops nearby and checked out the new Mac store. Luke and Reid quickly became fixtures at the kiddo computer station. Check them out computing below.

Denver Adventures.

Denver was calling our name today, so we were northward bound this morning. Here are the highlights of the day from the Mile-High City.

Mimi & Papa have been gone on a road trip to KS, so the boys were eager to see them now that they've returned. We decided to take them to one of our favorite downtown eateries for brunch -- Snooze! We noshed on eggs benedict, the largest breakfast burrito you'll ever meet, the ever-popular pineapple upside down pancake for the youngest diners (but we all snuck a few bites), and the lone lunch item of a salmon BLT. Five happy tummies walked out of there. Snooze is always a treat!

Next stop ... a small local grocery store that sells an impressive spread of Swedish delicacies. We had several items to pick up for our upcoming Swedish dinner -- brown beans, glog, lefsa, and lingonberries. Mission accomplished.

After these food-focused few hours, it was time for the park! Some pics from the oh-so-happy park enthusiasts...

Oompa Loompa? No, Luke just took on an orange hue while photographed playing in this tube on the playground. Funny photo!

Whoa, Mr. No Fear ... maybe he'll attempt tightrope-walking next!

Korv.

Luke takes a turn at stuffing the korv (supervised by our neighbor James!)

Every year around the holidays, one of our favorite traditions is cooking a Swedish meal. Using recipes from Jami's grandparents, we prepare this elaborate meal that many generations of Nelsons before us have enjoyed. One key element of the meal is "korv" ... a sausage with ingredients of potatoes, onions, beef, pork, and some spices. We usually find a local market that sells this potato sausage around the holidays, but this year, we're taking it up a notch...

We decided to share this traditional meal with our neighbors next weekend. Our neighbor James is quite into making sausage, so he volunteered to make the korv for our meal. We trekked up to their house last night for a full tutorial in korv-making. What a treat to see the process! Long ago, Jami's Grandpa Nelson used a cow's horn and the center of an angel food cake pan to stuff the sausage. Fast forward to modern times, James has a great set-up that connects to their Kitchen Aid mixer to do both the grinding and stuffing. Much easier! 

Our dinner isn't until next weekend, so stay tuned. One thing we know is that the sausage is sure to be delish!

Another good reason to go to Bass Pro Shop...

Reid, Jami, Melissa & Luke at Bass Pro Shop

We're not really into fly-fishing or hunting or boating, but today we had a really good reason to go to Bass Pro Shop in Denver. College Theta friend Melissa Neff and her husband Nick were on a quick trip to Colorado, and we met up with them today for a late lunch at Bass Pro Shop. Why there? It was along their route home, is easy to access from the interstate, and features a good restaurant! It's so much fun to chat with Melissa because she's always up to something interesting and does a great job of keeping in touch with many of our college friends. What a great afternoon outing!

Election Day at the North Pole.

With all the talk about the election, we thought we'd share how we spent the big day. We opted for mail-in ballots vs. having to stand in long lines with small antsy children, so our voting duties were checked off the list and we could move on to other things ... like celebrating Christmas. Yes, Halloween was last week, Thanksgiving is still weeks away, and today we headed to the North Pole. Well, actually it's the Colorado Springs version -- a Christmas-themed family amusement park. It's open from May to Christmas, and this lovely November day was our first trip there. A few funny highlights of our adventures:

• We picked the BEST day to visit the park because we had it all to ourselves (thanks to it being a weekday and Election Day). There were more employees there than park patrons, and we didn't have to wait in a single line. Actually the ride operators were sitting around waiting on us. When does that ever happen?!
  
• The tilt-a-whirl is the first choice of amusement rides with the Leahy crew. We laughed non-stop! 
  
• Reid's favorite thing to say on amusement rides is "Yeehaw! Yeehaw!" Apparently, we've got a cowboy on our hands.
  
• We visited Santa. Both boys were slightly scared of him. Nothing new from last Christmas. Same ol' story there. Maybe one day they'll actually talk to the Jolly Old Fellow.
• Every year the boys get a new ornament for the tree, and today they picked out a Grinch ornament for Luke (not because he's crabby but more that he's a big fan of the movie) and a little car one for Reid.

We think the cold weather is just around the corner, so it was good to celebrate Christmas now at the North Pole on a crisp fall day. All the Christmas music and rides really put us in the holiday spirit. Ho, ho, ho!

Beep, beep! Luke may not have his license yet, but he's a great driver of antique cars!

More driving. Motorcycles this time. And yes that's a brontosaurus with a Santa cap in the background.

If you are going to ride in a bug, make sure it's a smart with one spectacles!

Rudolph & Reid on the carousel.

All Aboard the North Pole Railroad!

Abracadabra ... waiting for the magic show.

If you sit on the outside, you get squished. Sorry, Reid.

Which way to the fun?

Appreciating Autumn.

As if this fall hasn't spoiled us enough, we enjoyed yet another weekend of fantastic weather. These are a few of our favorite activities this weekend -- jumping into leaf piles, raking leaves, kicking back on the grass, giggling and more giggling. Oh, how we appreciate you, autumn.